Vital UN refugee health centre reopens — Global Issues

Services at the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)’s Health Centre II were suspended last week following clashes between Palestinian armed groups at the Ein El Hilweh camp, the largest Palestine refugee camp in Lebanon.

At least 13 people were killed, more than 60 injured, and thousands displaced in four days of deadly violence, which broke out on 30 July. The camp also housed about 360 UNRWA staff, some of whom were trapped and one injured by the fighting.

Hope for continued calm

Dorothee Klaus, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, visited the camp on Wednesday, and expressed hope that the situation remains calm.

“I heard today of families unable to leave houses for days under fire and injured upon escape, children crying of fear and women’s hair turning white,” she said, adding that UNRWA will consecutively support clearance of rubble and reinstatement of damaged water networks and electricity lines.

“A secure environment is necessary for UNRWA to operate. We are collaborating with partners to prepare clearance of affected camp sites once possible, to ensure the safety of the community and UNRWA staff from remnants of the war,” she said.

Health centres at the Ein El Hilweh camp

Ein El Hilweh camp, one of 12 refugee camps in Lebanon, was established in 1948. It is located south of Saida in southern Lebanon.

The camp hosts two health centres providing services to an average of 575 patients daily.

Its services include primary healthcare, general curative care, specialized consultations, prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, pharmacy, dental, and laboratory testing.

It also provides refugees with mental health support, and runs maternal, child and school health programmes.

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UN rights chief concludes visit to Iraq — Global Issues

Climate change crisis

Speaking at the end of his four-day visit on Wednesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk provided a first-hand account of the impact of climate change in Basra, in the country’s south.

“In 50-degree-Celsius heat, in the midst of drought-ridden and barren fields, local community leaders and representatives showed me pictures of the lush date palm trees that – just 30 years ago – lined parts of the now dried-up Shatt-al-Arab waterway,” he said.

“Standing in searing heat in that scarred landscape, breathing air polluted by the many gas flares dotting the region, it was clear to me that the era of global boiling has indeed begun.”

Civil society representatives also highlighted the pollution problem in Basra and called for transparency about the health and environmental impacts, Mr. Türk said.

He also took note of the Government’s commitment to address climate change impacts, and urged authorities to ensure meaningful involvement of those affected and respect for freedom of expression.

Human rights concerns

Furthermore, Mr. Türk stressed the need for a comprehensive response to Iraq’s historical challenges, including enforced disappearances, torture, and other rights violations under the regime of Saddam Hussein, between 2014 and 2017 when Da’esh took control of vast swathes of Iraqi territory, and since then.

“Key to stopping such serious human rights violations is putting an end to the impunity that past perpetrators of human rights violations have enjoyed,” he said, noting that this was a matter he discussed extensively with the Government and civil society.

He also took note of the Government’s fact-finding committee and its support to victims through compensation programmes.

“Given the passage of time and lack of accountability, I have urged swift, transparent action to stem the impunity that has taken hold in relation to the Tishreen protests,” Mr. Türk added, referring to the protests in October 2019 during which dissatisfaction with the then Government boiled over in the form of massive protests across Baghdad and the southern provinces.

The strengthening of judicial institutions, ratification of international conventions against torture, and a moratorium on the death penalty were also recommended.

Women’s empowerment and gender equality

The High Commissioner highlighted the crucial role of women’s empowerment and gender equality, and raised alarm over attempts to ban the use of these universally accepted terms as well as the threats and intimidation against women working on these issues.

“This makes no sense in the face of the massive challenges that the country has. The use of these terms is not in contradiction with any culture, religion or tradition,” he stressed.

Mr. Türk welcomed the 25 per cent quota for women in Iraq’s legislature and called for more women in decision-making positions, as well as more protections in law, policy and society against violence against women.

He called on leaders across society to cease the “politics of distraction”.

“Human rights must not be instrumentalized to divide us – human rights are what unites us, what brings us together as humanity, in dignity,” he said also warning them against the dangers of disinformation, hate speech and incitement to violence.

Recalling Canal Hotel bombing

In conclusion, the UN rights chief recalled the suicide bombing at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad 20 years ago, in which 22 UN staffers, including then High Commissioner for Human Rights Sérgio Vieira de Mello, were killed.

“These were colleagues who were in Iraq with a sincere desire to support and assist the Iraqi people in their aspirations for a better, more just future. I witnessed how these aspirations live on today,” he said.

“I call on all those in positions of authority and influence to be guided by the interests and the human rights of the Iraqi people above all else and to tackle the corruption, discrimination, impunity, climate change and the remaining obstacles to lasting stability and peace,” Mr. Türk concluded.

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UNRWA appeals for end to deadly clashes at Palestine refugee camp in Lebanon — Global Issues

The fighting between Palestinian armed groups at Ein El Helweh camp has also forced thousands to flee their homes that have been damaged.

Ein El Helweh is one of 12 camps in Lebanon operated by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA. It provides services to nearly 50,000 people.

Dorothee Klaus, UNRWA Director in Lebanon, said clashes continued on Wednesday night despite the announcement of a ceasefire.

Education under fire

She said an UNRWA school complex inside the camp, that provides education to 3,200 children during the academic year, was used for the fighting.

“We have not been able to enter the camp and deliver much needed assistance,” she said.

“UNRWA calls for an immediate cessation of fighting in the camp in order for civilians to get respite and for the Agency to be able to provide assistance and conduct needs assessments.”

Supporting displaced residents

Ein El Helweh is located near Lebanon’s third largest city, Saida, which shut down as shelling and artillery fire reached commercial and residential areas.

The camp was established in 1948 and residents mostly came from coastal Palestinian towns but a large number were displaced from other parts of Lebanon,

Ms. Klaus said 360 UNRWA staff live there. While some were trapped, and one was injured, others fled, with some continuing to work to respond to the needs.

UNRWA and partners are currently hosting 600 displaced persons in two schools at another of its camps and in Saida city. The agency is also providing fuel to a hospital operating inside Ein El-Hilweh camp.

Ms. Klaus called for the protection of all UNRWA schools and other facilities at all times, including during the fighting.

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Violence at refugee camp in Lebanon leaves 11 dead, forces thousands to flee: UNRWA — Global Issues

Eleven people were killed and another 40 were injured, including a staff member with the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said Dorothee Klaus, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, citing reports.

Two schools operated by the agency sustained damage, and more than 2,000 people were forced to flee in search of safety.

UNRWA reacts

“In response to the urgent needs for shelter, UNRWA with volunteers opened its schools to accommodate displaced families and is providing basic humanitarian assistance,” said Ms. Klaus, adding that all UNRWA services in the camp have been temporarily suspended due to the violence.

UNRWA called on all parties to immediately return to calm and take all measures necessary to protect civilians, including children. Armed actors are urged to respect all the agency’s premises and facilities in accordance with international law.

Ein El Hilweh camp

Ein El Hilweh, the largest Palestine Refugee camp in Lebanon, is located south of the city of Saida. Its inhabitants originally came in 1948, mostly from coastal Palestinian towns. The site also hosts a large number of Palestine Refugees displaced from other parts of Lebanon, particularly from Tripoli, who found shelter there during the Lebanese civil war and in the aftermath of the Nahr el-Bared conflict in 2007.

Security and governance in the camp are the responsibility of Popular Committees and Palestinian Factions. The camp is surrounded by a wall and access for people and building materials is controlled by the Lebanese Armed Forces through checkpoints.

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‘Urgent steps’ needed to end surge in violence across West Bank — Global Issues

“This deterioration is taking place alongside ongoing unilateral steps that undermine a two-State solution, the absence of a peace process and the continuing economic challenges facing Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority (PA),” said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, briefing ambassadors.

“It is critical that all parties take urgent steps to stop the downward spiral and engage with each other to seek a constructive path forward,” he stressed.

Scores of deaths, injuries

Since 27 July, 21 Palestinians – including five children – have been killed, along with nearly 250 injured, by Israeli security forces carrying out search-and-arrest and counter-protest operations; as well as during attacks and alleged attacks against Israelis, and other violent incidents.

Another 20 Palestinians, including five children, were injured by Israeli settlers or other civilians, Mr. Khiari said.

According to Israeli sources, two members of the Israeli security forces were killed and eight injured, while another 39 Israelis, including three children, were injured by Palestinians in shooting and ramming attacks, through stone throwing and Molotov cocktails, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other incidents, he added.

Operation in Jenin camp

He highlighted the 3 to 4 July Israeli military operation in the Jenin Refugee Camp, marked by multiple drone airstrikes and the use of over 1,000 ground troops.

The resulting deaths and injuries were the worst in a single operation in the West Bank since the UN began tracking casualties in 2005, Mr. Khiari told ambassadors.

Targeted sites included locations adjacent to UN facilities and a school, while exchanges of fire took place near health facilities. The only health clinic in the camp – run by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA – was damaged and remains closed, he said

The operation also had a significant humanitarian toll on the camp and its residents, with over 460 houses damaged, roads dug up and families displaced.

A number of priority needs have been identified by UN and humanitarian partners, including clearing unexploded ordnance, restoring water and sewage services, and repairing and restocking medical facilities.

Attacks against Israelis

A number of attacks were also carried out by Palestinians against Israelis, including a ramming and stabbing attack in Tel Aviv that injured eight Israeli civilians, including a pregnant woman, on 4 July, informed Mr. Khiari.

Militants in Gaza fired five rockets from Gaza towards Israel, responding to the operation in Jenin, on the night of 4 July, Mr. Khiari added.

All were intercepted by Israel’s aerial defence system, with shrapnel landing in the city of Sderot. In response, the Israeli Air Force carried out airstrikes against what it said were Hamas targets in the Strip.

Targeting of civilians unacceptable

Mr. Khiari underscored that targeting civilians, including children, was unacceptable and must be condemned and rejected by all.

“All perpetrators of violence must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice,” he said.

“Israel has an obligation to protect Palestinians and their property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and ensure prompt, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all acts of violence.”

In his briefing, Mr. Khiari also spoke of demolitions by Israeli authorities of Palestinian-owned buildings, as well as evictions.

Click here for full coverage of the Security Council meeting.

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High stakes UN operation underway to avert catastrophic oil spill — Global Issues

The 19-day operation will pump more than one million barrels out of the rusting vessel, the Safer, which was abandoned over eight years ago, to a nearby replacement vessel.

Secretary-General António Guterres said the UN has taken on the delicate operation as a spill would spell environmental catastrophe for the region.

‘Ticking time bomb’

“United Nations has begun an operation to defuse what might be the world’s largest ticking time bomb. This is an all-hands-on-deck mission and the culmination of nearly two years of political groundwork, fundraising and project development” said the UN chief.

Lying north of the Yemeni port Hudaydah, UN officials have warned for years about the possibility that the 47-year-old tanker could crack and explode.

The supertanker holds four times the amount of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez – enough to make it the fifth largest oil spill from a tanker in history.

Existential marine threat

UNDP warned that a massive spill from the Safer would destroy swathes of marine life in the Red Sea. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, spokesperson Sarah Bel expressed concern for the fishing communities on Yemen’s Red Coast, already living in a crisis-wracked situation, as a spill would like ‘wipe out 200,000 livelihoods instantly” and “fish stock would take twenty five years to recover.”

Describing the operation as the first of its kind, she exercised caution during this “emergency phase” but assured reporters that everything had been put in place to “secure success.”

The FSO Safer has been moored some 4.8 nautical miles southwest of the Ras Issa peninsula on Yemen’s west coast for more than 30 years. In 2015, production and the maintenance of the tanker stopped due to the eight year conflict between a pro-Government Saudi-led coalition, and Houthi rebels. As a result, the vessel is now beyond repair.

Humanitarian and environmental disaster

According to UNDP, an oil spill would result in the closure of all ports in the area, cutting off food, fuel and other life-saving supplies to Yemen – a country where 80% of the population already rely on aid.

The UN chief warned that the cost of a cleanup alone would be $20 billion and said that shipping all the way to the Suez Canal could be disrupted for weeks.

Praising the project’s cross-UN collaboration he highlighted the “relentless political work” that the operation entailed “in a country devastated by eight years of war.” But noted that this was just a “milestone in the journey”, as the next step involves securing the replacement vessel to a specialised safety buoy.

The UN Secretary-General has called for a further $20 million to finish the project, including the scrapping of the Safer and removing any remaining environmental threats to the Red Sea.

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Syria still mired in division, top UN envoy tells Security Council — Global Issues

“I hope they will soon, because if not, it will be another missed opportunity to help the Syrian conflict to come to a negotiated end, at a time when the impact of the crisis is deepening,” Geir Pedersen said, briefing the Security Council.

While there had been positive humanitarian gestures following the devastating earthquakes in February, it was disappointing that the UN cross-border relief operations which provoked a Russian veto and a failure to agree any resolution two weeks ago, could not be extended, he told ambassadors.

“How are the Syrians meant to believe that some broader progress is possible, and how are they meant to be encouraged to overcome their own deep differences, if consensus on humanitarian basics among international parties is elusive?”

Five foreign armies

“Syria remains territorially divided with Syrian society too divided on many issues”, Mr. Pedersen said, informing of the presence of five foreign armies within the country.

“This month saw airstrikes attributed to Israel, reports of Turkish drone strikes, reports of pro-Government airstrikes north of Aleppo, and the US saying it carried out drone strikes on an ISIL leader near al-Bab.”

Civilians continue to be injured and killed, amid violent clashes, regular exchanges of mortar, rocket and artillery fire across northeast and northwest Syria, he added.

Plea to work proactively

Mr. Pedersen called on the Syrian Government to work proactively with the UN on a political path out of the conflict, and also highlighted the need for “constructive and coordinated international diplomacy”.

“The more you can work together despite your differences, the more you can encourage and support the Syrians to do the same,” he urged the 15-member Council.

Conditions getting worse

Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Coordination for UN aid coordination wing OCHA, informed ambassadors of the letter his office had received from the Syrian Government granting the UN permission to use the Bab al-Hawa crossing to deliver assistance in northwest.

He said humanitarians continue to engage with the Government on the terms outlined in the letter and the essential requirements OCHA has to keep operating, guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

Throughout Syria, he continued, conditions continue to deteriorate, with the price of essential food commodities surging by over 90 per cent in 2023, putting basic food items and other essentials, out of the reach of millions of families.

Assistance to up to 40 percent of them, or 2.5 million people, have been discontinued this month due to funding shortfalls
– Ramesh Rajasingham, OCHA

Across the country, almost 12 million people – more than half the population – do not have enough to eat and a further 2.9 million are at risk of sliding into hunger.

In the country’s northwest, extreme heat is putting lives at risk with more than 40 fires reported from the period between 15 to 17 July alone.

“Despite these severe vulnerabilities, the 2023 Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria is only 12.4 per cent funded,” he added, warning that in the absence of urgent funding, humanitarians will have to make “difficult choices again this year”.

“To give you an example of what this means in practice: beneficiaries of food assistance are currently receiving only 50 per cent of the standard ration size. In addition, assistance to up to 40 percent of them – or 2.5 million people – have been discontinued this month due to funding shortfalls,” the UN relief official warned.

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Killing of veteran WFP staff member ‘an unacceptable tragedy’ — Global Issues

In a statement, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator David Gressly said he was “shocked and deeply saddened by the appalling attack”, which occurred on Friday when unknown gunmen fired on the aid workers in the town of Turbah, located in Taiz governorate in southwestern Yemen.

Never a target

Mr. Gressley said the entire UN family and humanitarian partners in the country are grieving the loss of Moayad Hameidi, a Jordanian national and dedicated humanitarian, who died in hospital shortly after the attack.

“Mr. Hameidi’s death is indeed an unacceptable tragedy. I call on the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice. Humanitarian workers should never be a target,” he said.

Mr. Hameidi was a veteran WFP staff member, having worked for the UN agency for 18 years, including on a previous posting in Yemen.

He had only recently returned to the country to assume a new job as the head of WFP’s office in Taiz.

The Resident Coordinator conveyed his heartfelt sympathies to Mr. Hameidi’s family and friends, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured staff member.

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WFP staffer shot and killed in Yemen — Global Issues

Moayad Hameidi, a Jordanian national, was working in Turbah, in the country’s southwest. He came under fire on Friday afternoon, and the identify of the assailants is not yet known.

Head of Taiz office

WFP released a statement expressing deep sadness at the news, noting that he had only recently arrived in Yemen to assume a new job as head of the agency’s office in Taiz.

Since 2015, a Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally-recognized Government has been battling for control of the Arab nation, with Houthi militia, who control the capital and much of northern Yemen.

Taiz is the country’s third largest city and has been under siege by Houthi rebels for around seven years, creating a blockade for essential goods and humanitarian supplies for the city’s residents.

Tens of thousands of civilians have died during the grinding conflict and the UN estimates that 17 million people are still food insecure across Yemen, with projections showing that by the end of this year the number suffering high levels of acute food insecurity could rise to 3.9 million.

Food assistance from WFP is crucial to avoid potential famine and a lingering food security crisis.

‘Profound tragedy’

The agency described Mr. Hameidi, who had worked for WFP for 18 years as a “dedicated humanitarian”. He had served previously in Yemen, as well as in Sudan, Syria, and Iraq.

“The loss of our colleague is a profound tragedy for our organization and the humanitarian community,” said Richard Ragan, WFP Representative and Country Director in Yemen. “Any loss of life in humanitarian service is an unacceptable tragedy.”

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UN rights experts denounce forced evictions of Palestinian families — Global Issues

In a news release issued by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), the experts said it was “deeply shocking and heartbreaking” to see an elderly Palestinian couple, Nora Ghaith and Mustafa Sub Laban, evicted from their family home where they lived all their lives and raised their children.

‘Apartheid machinery at work’

“As we have repeatedly said, forced evictions of Palestinians in east Jerusalem are part of Israel’s apartheid machinery at work, designed to consolidate Jewish ownership of Jerusalem and racially dominate the city’s population,” the experts, including Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, said.

According to the news release, Israeli police evicted Nora Ghaith and Mustafa Sub Laban from their home in the Old City of Jerusalem in the early hours of 11 July.

The Ghaith-Sub Laban family, who had a protected lease on the house since 1953, reportedly faced constant harassment and lawsuits from Israeli authorities and settlers seeking to seize their home under an inherently discriminatory law that applies to Palestinians in east Jerusalem, the release added.

Widespread and systematic

The experts noted that case of the Ghaith Sub-Laban family was representative of a widespread and systematic practice by Israel to forcibly evict and displace Palestinians from east Jerusalem and “de-palestinize” the city. Across east Jerusalem, there are reportedly around 150 Palestinian families at risk of forced eviction and displacement by Israeli authorities and settler organizations.

“Israel’s transfer of its own population into the occupied territory is a gross violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime […] Nothing speaks more blatantly of its intention to annex and colonise the occupied territory in violation of international law,” they said.

End violations

“Israel must immediately cease these deliberate acts, which not only deliberately violate Palestinians’ rights to self-determination, non-discrimination, development, adequate housing and property, but also traumatize the affected family and the entire Palestinian community living defenceless under Israeli rule, and violate the fundamental norms and principles of international law,” the experts added.

The Human Rights Council-appointed experts added that it is “the duty of other States to put an end to the unrelenting assaults on the system of international law.”

According to the news release, the experts have repeatedly raised these issues with the Government of Israel without any response to date.

In addition to Ms. Albanese, the rights experts voicing concern included the special rapporteurs on violence against women and girls, contemporary forms of racism, human rights of internally displaced persons, and right to development; the independent expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; and members of the working group on discrimination against women and girls.

Independent experts

The Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts, and Working Groups are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.

The experts are mandated to monitor and report on specific thematic issues or country situations and work on a voluntary basis. They serve in their individual capacity; are not UN staff and do not receive a salary.

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