Tag: Peace and security

Sudan and South Sudan updates, Ukraine heritage under fire in Odesa — Global Issues

With the civil war between rival militaries now in its 200th day, children “continue to pay the highest price for a crisis not of their making – increasingly with their own lives”, said the agency in a statement.

There are more children now displaced there than anywhere in the world, with three million fleeing the fighting between Government and rival militia forces, mostly within Sudan. Hundreds of thousands are sheltering in make-shift camps in neighbouring countries.

“Some 14 million children in Sudan are in urgent need of life-saving humanitarian assistance”, the agency said. “Many of them are living in a state of perpetual fear – fear of being killed, injured, recruited or used by armed actors.”

Reports of conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, are rampant, with fighting only intensifying in recent weeks in places like Khartoum, Darfur, and Kordofans.

So far, UNICEF has received allegations of over 3,100 severe violations, including the killing and maiming of children.

Future in the balance

“Meanwhile, none of Sudan’s children have been able to return to school, with the future of an entire generation now hanging in the balance. A staggering 19 million children in Sudan are unable to return to classrooms.

UNICEF and partners are providing life-saving assistance to millions of children inside Sudan and in neighboring countries, including water, health, nutrition, safe spaces and learning. But needs are outpacing resources.

“We need safe and unhindered humanitarian access to deliver life-saving supplies and services to reach every child in need.”

South Sudan malnutrition alert: WFP

In neighbouring South Sudan, children in flood-affected areas are at risk of extreme malnutrition in the first half of 2024, with food running low and water-borne diseases spreading fast amid crowded living conditions.

That’s the message from the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which said on Monday that 1.6 million children under five are expected to suffer from malnutrition in 2024.

Rubkona, a county where floodwaters have permanently submerged entire communities or trapped them on small islands since 2021, will be particularly affected.

“This is the reality of living on the frontline of the climate crisis,” warned Mary-Ellen McGroarty, WFP Representative to South Sudan.

She stressed that the spread of waterborne diseases “unravels any work humanitarian agencies do in preventing and treating malnutrition and it is young children who are suffering the impact most severely”.

Rubkona county is predicted to be on the brink of famine for the first time ever. WFP said that this is a result of the floods along with “severe economic shocks” which have sent the prices of staple foods soaring by more than 120 per cent since last April.

The UN agency also highlighted an expected rise in the number of people facing catastrophic hunger across the country to 79,000 by April, “largely due to South Sudanese returnees fleeing fighting in Sudan”.

According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) nearly 300,000 returnees have crossed the border from Sudan since the conflict there erupted almost seven months ago.

Ukraine: UNESCO condemns attack on Odesa World Heritage site

In Ukraine, a cultural site under international protection has been damaged in a Russian attack once again, prompting condemnation from the UN educational, social and cultural agency UNESCO on Monday.

The Museum of Fine Arts within Odesa’s historic centre, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was damaged by a Russian airstrike on Sunday night, the agency said. The historic centre has been hit several times previously, notably over the summer.

UNESCO reiterated that cultural sites must be protected in accordance with international law.

Prior to the latest attack, as of 2 November, UNESCO had verified damage to 327 cultural sites since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including 124 religious sites and 28 museums. In the Odesa region alone, 49 sites have been damaged.

Ukraine is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. The UN agency has been supporting repairs to buildings within Odesa’s historic centre, including the fine arts museum, and has provided equipment for the digitization of some 1,000 works of art and of documents in the Odesa State Archives.

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Sudan crisis has ‘effectively put on hold’ political dispute over Abyei — Global Issues

“With the conflict in Sudan, the conditions are not conducive for talks on the final status of Abyei. The progress that was made [earlier this year] unfortunately was not something that we could build upon,” Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Horn of Africa, told ambassadors.

“Key Sudanese and South Sudanese leaders have not expressed the desire to engage on these topics,” she added.

The Abyei area, which is rich in oil resources, straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan, and is claimed by both sides. The Security Council first authorized a peacekeeping force there in June 2011, a few weeks before South Sudan became the world’s youngest independent nation.

Ms. Tetteh noted that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which is fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Sudan, is now getting closer to Abyei, controlling parts of the border with South Sudan.

Nevertheless, representatives of the Abyei communities, well aware of the adverse consequences of the fighting on the prospect of resuming talks, expressed the need to keep the Abyei issue on the UN and African Union’s agenda, she added.

Increased displacements in Abyei

In his briefing, Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said the Sudan crisis compounds the challenges in Abyei, including an influx of civilians fleeing the fighting.

“The UN Mission [there] has also seen increased weapons circulation in Abyei, a situation that may have been exacerbated by the situation in the Sudan,” he told ambassadors.

“The conflict has also created economic hardship for the population of Abyei as the flow of basic goods and commodities, many of which came from the north, has been disrupted.”

The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) has helped extend humanitarian support to an estimated 220,000 people in the central and southern parts of Abyei, including those displaced in intercommunal clashes and those fleeing the fighting in the Sudan.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, briefs members the Security Council.

New reality for Mission

Mr. Lacroix said UNISFA has had to adjust its deployment routes and supply arrangements “in line with the new reality”.

Over the past six months, UNISFA personnel were attacked on three occasions, leading to some injuries, he added, noting that investigations into the attacks are ongoing.

The fighting has also created challenges for the UNIFSA-supported Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), which ensures peace in the demilitarized zone along the border between Sudan and South Sudan, Mr. Lacroix said.

“While aerial patrolling has been halted due to airspace restrictions, JBVMM personnel remain in place and ground monitoring in the border area continues.”

Continuing challenge

The presence of approximately 200 South Sudan People’s Defence Force and South Sudan National Police Service personnel in southern Abyei, and an estimated 60 Sudanese police officers protecting oil assets in northern Abyei, pose a continuing challenge for the UNISFA, Mr. Lacroix said.

“These presences, which are in contradiction with the Mission’s mandate and the demilitarized and weapons-free status of Abyei, have also resulted in restrictions on UNISFA’s freedom of movement,” he said, calling on authorities to withdraw their personnel.

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WFP appeals for urgent expanded Gaza access with food supplies ‘dangerously low’ — Global Issues

“Right now, parents in Gaza do not know whether they can feed their children today and whether they will even survive to see tomorrow. The suffering just meters away is unfathomable standing on this side of the border,” said Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP).

“Today, I’m making an urgent plea for the millions of people whose lives are being torn apart by this crisis,” she added.

Aid ‘nowhere near enough’

For the past few weeks, entry points into Gaza have been virtually sealed except through the Rafah border crossing point. While there has been a steady increase in aid entering Gaza, it is nowhere near enough to meet the exponentially growing needs, according to the UN agency.

The WFP head is concluding a two-day visit to Egypt, during which she met with top Government officials, including President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and visited the Egyptian Red Crescent’s humanitarian staging hub in Al Arish.

“We appreciate all efforts to facilitate a steady flow of humanitarian supplies through its border with Gaza, and the work of the Egyptian Red Crescent is remarkable. We need to continue to work together to get safe and sustained access to Gaza at a scale that aligns with the catastrophic conditions facing families there,” Ms. McCain said.

‘Not just a local tragedy’

Ms. McCain further highlighted that the crisis in Gaza is “not just a local tragedy, it is a stark reminder that our global food crisis is worsening”.

“Not only does this crisis threaten regional peace and stability, it undermines our collective efforts to combat hunger worldwide,” she said.

WFP is scaling up to reach more than one million people with urgent food assistance in the next few weeks, and since 7 October, provided food and cash assistance to more than 650,000 people in Gaza and the West Bank.

It is also distributing fresh bread, date bars, and canned food to families in UN shelters every day, and food parcels to displaced families in host communities. It is also providing cash-based transfers to people residing in communities so they can buy the food available in shops that are still open.

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Guterres ‘horrified’ by strike on ambulance convoy in Gaza — Global Issues

“I am horrified by the reported attack in Gaza on an ambulance convoy outside Al Shifa hospital. The images of bodies strewn on the street outside the hospital are harrowing,” the UN chief said in a statement, issued late on Friday New York time.

He stated that he did not forget the terror attacks committed in Israel by Hamas and the killing, maiming and abductions, including of women and children. He stressed that all hostages held in Gaza must be released immediately and unconditionally.

Mr. Guterres added that for nearly one month, civilians in Gaza, including children and women, have been besieged, denied aid, killed, and bombed out of their homes.

“This must stop,” he stressed.

Nowhere is safe

Mr. Guterres further noted that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “horrific”.

“Not nearly enough food, water and medicine are coming in to meet people’s needs. Fuel to power hospitals and water plants is running out,” he said, noting that shelters by the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) were at nearly four times their full capacity “and are being hit in bombardments”.

“Morgues are overflowing. Shops are empty. The sanitation situation is abysmal. We are seeing an increase in diseases and respiratory illnesses, especially among children. An entire population is traumatized. Nowhere is safe.”

Respect humanitarian law

Renewing his appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire, the Secretary-General underscored that international humanitarian law must be respected.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarian and medical workers and assets must be protected. Civilians must also not be used as human shields,” he said, urging also that essential supplies and services, and unimpeded humanitarian access must be safely allowed into and across Gaza “at a scale commensurate with this dramatic situation”.

The UN chief underscored, “all those with influence must exert it to ensure respect for the rules of war, end the suffering and avoid a spillover of the conflict that could engulf the whole region.”

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UN condemns latest wave of Russian attacks — Global Issues

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric strongly condemned “the latest wave of attacks against critical infrastructure in various parts of the country, which reportedly resulted in injuries among the civilian population, including children, and caused damage to civilian residential and commercial buildings.”

He told reporters in New York on Friday that the UN was concerned about escalation and the threat it posed to civilians across the country, as the harsh winter weather approaches.

Attacks prohibited

“We reiterate in the clearest terms that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international humanitarian law and they must stop immediately.”

UN humanitarians have reported that the attacks destroyed energy facilities, schools, hospitals and other public buildings. The Kherson region in the south and the Donetsk region in the east were particularly affected.

Kharkiv City also came under attack on Thursday night. Partner NGOs based in the city provided psychological support and shelter materials to people whose homes were damaged, said Mr. Dujarric.

Aid to frontline civilians

“We and our partners continue to provide critical aid to frontline communities. Today, an inter-agency humanitarian convoy delivered vital aid to about 1,600 people who remain on the front-line town of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhzhia Region”, he added.

This year alone, the UN and partners have delivered 14 convoys to front-line communities in the Zaporizhzhia region, providing essential support to more than 30,000 people living near the southern front.

There have been 96 humanitarian convoys to frontline areas since the beginning of the year, said the UN Spokesperson.

Ahead of winter, humanitarian workers are distributing vital items, such as thermal blankets, mattresses and portable heaters. The UN and partners are appealing for some $435 million to deliver winter assistance to more than 1.7 million people across Ukraine through March next year.

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Sharp uptick in fighting in Myanmar, UN humanitarians report — Global Issues

Clashes intensified on Sunday and continued through the week, significantly impacting northeast and southeast Myanmar and forcing over 48,000 people from their homes, amid rising needs, according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

There are also reports that an alliance of three rebel groups seized towns in the country’s north, overrunning and occupying over 90 army outposts. The military has reportedly acknowledged the loss of at least three towns.

OCHA

Reports of fresh displacement in Shan (North), Myanmar. Some figures are under verification.

Routes cutoff

In a flash update issued late on Thursday, OCHA reported that vital transport links connecting northern Shan to China had been obstructed by the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and Ethic Armed Organization (EAOs) checkpoints.

At least one critical bridge had been destroyed, with numerous places in northern Shan, eastern Bago and Kayin states facing “extensive disruptions” in mobile data and telecommunications.

Thirteen civilians, including children, lost their lives in the fighting in various locations, and a further two died after they were unable to access emergency medical services, according to the flash update. Several people are reported to have been injured.

Humanitarian needs

According to OCHA, in northern Shan state, faith-based organizations and host communities are delivering immediate assistance, including shelter, food, drinking water, hygiene supplies and non-food items.

Almost all of the people newly displaced since 27 October are seeking refuge in religious compounds and few are known to have entered pre-existing Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) sites.

Gaps and challenges

OCHA underscored the need for secure and unimpeded humanitarian access to deliver timely assistance. It added that disrupted telecommunications, particularly in northern Shan, is hindering relief work.

“Ongoing hostilities, coupled with the existence of checkpoints, road closures, and structural damage to bridges, are severely restricting the ability of humanitarian agencies to reach affected people, conduct verification of needs, and transport vital supplies,” it said.

Human rights situation

Meanwhile, the human rights crisis in the country “is bad and is getting exponentially worse”, Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews said.

In an interview with UN News last week in New York, on the margins of his report to the General Assembly, the independent human rights expert described the situation in the country, adding that no one is safe.

Hear the full interview below

UN News interview with Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar

Special Rapporteurs and other independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and form part of what is known as its Special Procedures. They serve in their individual capacity, are not UN staff, and do not receive a salary.

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Gaza’s north cut off from aid; death toll rising — Global Issues

According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, 8,805 Palestinians have been killed since 7 October, including at least 3,648 children and 2,187 women, and some 22,240 have been injured, UN humanitarian coordination affairs office OCHA said.

Strikes on Jabalia Refugee Camp

OCHA stressed that as Israeli ground operations and bombardments in northern Gaza continued, “among the deadliest incidents” were heavy airstrikes hitting Jabalia Refugee Camp on Wednesday “for the second day in a row and within less than 24 hours”. The strikes reportedly destroyed multiple residential buildings and killed “dozens”, OCHA said.

The UN human rights office OHCHR noted on Wednesday that given the high number of civilian deaths and injuries in Gaza “and the scale of the destruction following Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia refugee camp, we have serious concerns that these are disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes.”

Dozens of cancer patients could die

Meanwhile, in a blow to scores of chronically ill patients, Gaza’s main cancer treatment centre, the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, ran out of fuel and was forced to stop most of its activities. The lives of some 70 patients are in danger, OCHA wrote on social platform X on Thursday.

OCHA also sounded the alarm over reports that the Al Hilo Hospital, also in Gaza city, was reportedly struck by shelling Wednesday night. “The hospital had absorbed and replaced Shifa hospital’s maternity ward, which is being used now to treat the wounded,” OCHA said.

Currently, 14 out of 35 hospitals across Gaza are not functioning.

No aid deliveries to the north

Gaza city and northern Gaza have been “largely cut off” from the rest of the strip as a result of the Israeli ground operations and related clashes with Palestinian armed groups, OCHA said.

This means that the delivery of humanitarian aid from the south to some 300,000 internally displaced persons in the north has “come to a halt”.

© WHO

Medical supplies at a WHO warehouse in Gaza are prepared for delivery.

OCHA reported that on Wednesday ten trucks carrying water, food and medicines entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing on the enclave’s southern border with Egypt, bringing the total number of aid trucks allowed in since 21 October to 227.

UN relief chief Martin Griffiths, who just completed a visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said that “the trucks which have crossed into Gaza so far following painstaking negotiations offer some relief but are nowhere near enough”.

The entry of fuel essential for hospitals, ambulances and water desalination plants remains banned by the Israeli authorities.

More to follow…

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Day highlighting journalists under fire focuses on protection during elections — Global Issues

Between January 2019 and June 2022, the agency documented 759 individual attacks against journalists, including five killings, during 89 elections in 70 countries.

Most of these attacks – which included beating and arbitrary arrest – were committed by police and security forces.

Attacked from all around

The findings come in a report published in tandem with the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed annually on 2 November.

It examines the role of law enforcement agents, in ensuring the safety of journalists during public demonstrations and elections.

From January 2015 to August 2021, UNESCO registered incidents in at least 101 countries where journalists were attacked while covering protests, public demonstrations and riots. At least 13 were killed in such contexts.

Journalists were injured by police firing non-lethal ammunition, such as rubber bullets or pepper balls. Many others were arrested, beaten and in a few cases humiliated.

“At the same time, a significant number of physical and verbal attacks were perpetrated by demonstrators and people attending the protests,” the report said.

Keeping truth alive

In his message for the Day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres underlined the risks journalists face in fulfilling their vital role in both upholding and enabling democracy and holding power to account.

“Today and every day, we are grateful to the journalists and all media professionals who risk their health and lives to keep us informed, and to keep the truth alive,” he said.

Citing UNESCO, he said at least 88 journalists were killed in the line of duty in 2022, marking a sharp increase over preceding years.

“The current conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory is taking a horrific toll on journalists,” he added.

Better safeguards needed

Furthermore, he noted that the majority of journalists killed are not war reporters. In fact, they are working in countries that are at peace, investigating issues such as corruption, trafficking, human rights violations, and environmental issues.

“I am deeply alarmed by these figures, and by the rise in threats of all kinds against journalists,” he said.

“Detention of journalists is at an all-time high. Online harassment of journalists, particularly women, is being used as a tool to silence them. We need better safeguards to defend the journalists who are keeping us informed.”

The Secretary-General called on all States to prevent violence against journalists, to provide a safe environment for them to do their jobs, to bring to justice those who commit crimes against them, and to ensure support for victims and survivors.

Protests and polls

UNESCO has long been advocating for the safety and protection of journalists and all who work in media, and the report contains a number of recommendations for law enforcement agents/agencies (LEAs) and media outlets covering public assemblies.

For example, the sides are encouraged to cultivate “a good and professional relationship” beforehand so that they have clear understanding about their respective roles, responsibilities, potential issues and response.

LEAs are urged to facilitate the work of journalists, such as identifying a press area or “defined media perimeter” that provides a safe vantage point for them, though understanding that journalists are not obliged to remain there.

Particular attention should also be given to the specific threats and risks women journalists face, “and it is important to take a gender-sensitive approach when considering measures to address the safety of journalists, especially online.”

“Regular training for senior LEA management in working with media organisations, notably during elections periods, and for officers working on the ground during public assemblies, notably in facilitating safe media coverage, should be regularly conducted,” the report said.

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Russia pulls out of nuclear test ban treaty, climate ‘health crisis’, pushback against bullying — Global Issues

It opened for signatures in 1996 and has been ratified by 178 countries. Some major powers including the US and China have not done so, and it has yet to come into force, lacking the required support.

According to the Kremlin, say media reports, the move levels the nuclear playing field given the failure of some key nuclear armed States to ratify.

Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Robert Floyd, said in a statement that the Russian Duma’s decision “goes against renewed global determination to see it enter into force.”

He said, the Test Ban Treaty contributes to global peace and security and is delivering tangible benefits to humanity.

He added that Russia beginning the revocation process “does not mean it is withdrawing from the CTBT and that it remains committed to the Treaty”, including having monitoring stations on its territory and data sharing.

Russia has indicated it will remain a member of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission, he added.

“The global community will not change course”, he said, with the goal of a world without nuclear testing “more important now than ever.”

Climate crisis ‘a health crisis’ increasingly deadly for the most vulnerable

Extreme heat ranks as the deadliest of all severe weather hazards, and heat-related mortality could increase 30-fold – a worrying trend in our fast-warming world.

That’s according to findings from a new multi-agency report led by the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which show that from 2000 to 2019 some 489,000 people died every year due to heat, close to half of them in Asia – and the impacts are still largely underestimated.

“The climate crisis is a health crisis,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the UN health agency (WHO) which is a key contributor to the report.

He highlighted a wide range of health risks stemming from increasingly severe and unpredictable weather events, accelerated disease transmission, threats to food security and higher rates of noncommunicable diseases.

End school violence ‘for better health and learning’, urges UNESCO

Marking the International Day against violence and bullying at school – including online – the UN culture and education agency (UNESCO) is calling on everyone with a stake to foster safer learning environments worldwide.

The UNESCO Day recognizes that classroom-related violence in all its forms is an infringement of child and adolescents’ rights to education, health and well-being.

On the theme No place for fear: Ending school violence for better mental health and learning, the agency is calling on all Member States and relevant bodies to boost awareness of the issue, which includes the increasing scourge of cyberbullying.

“The day calls on learners, parents, members of education communities” and others – including the tech industry – to take a part in preventing all forms of violence and fostering safe learning for all.

UNESCO said concern about learners’ mental health and well-being continues to grow, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The strong links between mental health and violence in school are worrying: experiences such as violence, bullying and discrimination at school can contribute to poor mental health and affect learning, while feelings of safety are linked to better mental health and education outcomes.”

The agency stressed we must end violence and promote good mental health in schools to ensure learners learn and thrive in safe and supportive spaces.

The UN is calling on stakeholders “to make our schools and educational institutions more safe and vibrant for all learners.”

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UN welcomes first medical evacuations from Gaza — Global Issues

“We have been working with Egypt’s Health Ministry on planning for medical evacuations and will continue to support,” said the World Health Organization (WHO) head.

WHO said that 81 people had managed to cross into Egypt for treatment.

His comments came amid reports that the Rafah passenger terminal between Egypt and Gaza had been allowed to open on an exceptional basis Wednesday morning for the first time since 7 October, to allow the departure from the enclave of some wounded Palestinians as well as foreigners and dual nationals.

The Rafah crossing is the only entry point not controlled by Israel, which imposed a blockade on the enclave in 2007 after Hamas militants seized control of the Gaza Strip.

‘Far greater needs’

Tedros warned on social platform X that “attention must not be diverted from the far greater needs of thousands of patients in Gaza” and reiterated calls for the protection of hospitals as well as an “immediate acceleration” in the flow of medical aid into the Strip.

Tuesday saw the entry into Gaza of the largest convoy since delivery of aid via Rafah resumed on 21 October, composed of 59 trucks carrying water, food and medicines, according to the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA).

However, the entry of fuel, “desperately needed to operate life-saving equipment”, remains banned, OCHA said.

In a statement just released via X, WHO said those in serious need within Gaza include thousands of seriously injured civilians (many of them children); more than 1,000 people who need kidney dialysis to stay alive; more than 2,000 needing cancer therapy; 45,000 people with cardiovascular diseases; and more than 60,000 people with diabetes.

‘Sustained access’

“These patients must be able to have sustained access to health care inside Gaza. Hospitals and other health facilities must be protected from bombardment and military use.”

The agency said before 7 October 2023, around 100 patients each day needed to access specialized health care services outside the Gaza Strip because of the lack of needed, specialized health services inside Gaza.

“WHO calls for urgent, accelerated access for humanitarian aid, including fuel, water, food and medical supplies”.

UN chief António Guterres stressed on Tuesday that the volume of aid entering was not commensurate with the sheer number of civilians trapped in the enclave amidst the intensifying fighting.

Shelters ‘four times over capacity’

More than 1.4 million people in Gaza are internally displaced with over 689,000 sheltering in 150 facilities of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA).

OCHA said that in recent days, tens of thousands of displaced people, who were previously staying with host families, have relocated into public shelters, seeking food and basic services.

The UNRWA shelters are now nearly four times over their intended capacity, OCHA warned.

Condition of hostages unknown

WHO chief Tedros said on Wednesday in a social media post that the agency continues to be gravely concerned about the condition of the 240 hostages taken from Israel by Hamas on 7 October – “particularly the children, women, older people and those with health conditions who need immediate medical attention”. He reiterated calls for their immediate release.

‘Horrific toll’ on journalists

OCHA noted that the Israeli ground operation in northern Gaza and the outskirts of Gaza city has been gaining in intensity, alongside continuing bombardments.

Israeli airstrikes were reported on Tuesday on the densely populated Jabaliya neighbourhood north of Gaza City on Tuesday, which hosts the enclave’s largest refugee camp, home to some 116,000 people.

Addressing the issue of threats to journalists worldwide, UN chief António Guterres wrote on social platform X on Wednesday that the conflict in the Middle East is taking a “horrific toll” on them and called for better safeguards to “defend the journalists who are keeping us informed”.

UN human rights office OHCHRexpressed concern on Tuesday about reports of Palestinian journalists killed under Israeli bombardment and reiterated that journalists are civilians and should not be targeted, while military personnel targeting them, must be held to account.

‘This is a global crisis’: UN relief chief

The war between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza has created a “global crisis” which demands international action before it spreads “far beyond the region” said the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator in a statement on Wednesday.

“This cannot go on. We need a step change”, added Martin Griffiths.

We need the hostages to be released immediately and unconditionally. We need to be able to provide the essentials for survival – particularly water, food, medicine and fuel – safely, immediately and at scale. The more than 200 trucks which have crossed into Gaza so far following painstaking negotiations offer some relief but are nowhere near enough.”

He said pauses must be agreed as the “only viable option to get relief items into Gaza right now.”

Israel, Hamas and other militants need to “respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by taking constant care in the conduct of military operations to spare civilians and civilian objects.”

Those international players with influence must use their diplomatic muscle to ensure respect for the rules of war to protect civilian life and “deescalate the conflict and avoid a spillover.”

More to come…

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