Latest news with #UNITEDNATIONS
Business Recorder
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
UN chief says Gazans seeking food must not face ‘death sentence'
UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday that hungry people in Gaza seeking food must not face a 'death sentence' as controversy swirls around a new US- and Israeli-backed distribution system. 'People are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families. The search for food must never be a death sentence,' Guterres told reporters, without explicitly naming the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, whose operations have led to near-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on people desperate to get food. 'Any operation that channels desperate civilians into militarized zones is inherently unsafe. It is killing people,' Guterres added. The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory says that since late May, more than 500 people have been killed near aid centers while seeking scarce supplies. GHF has denied that fatal shootings have occurred in the immediate vicinity of its aid points. Starting in March, Israel blocked deliveries of food and other crucial supplies into Gaza for more than two months, leading to warnings of that the entire population of the occupied Palestinian territory is at risk of famine. UN condemns 'weaponisation of food' in Gaza The United Nations says Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is illegal under international law. The densely populated Gaza Strip has been largely flattened by Israeli bombing since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. Israel began allowing food supplies to trickle in at the end of May, using GHF – backed by armed US contractors, with Israeli troops on the perimeter – to run operations. 'The problem of the distribution of humanitarian aid must be solved. There is no need to reinvent the wheel with dangerous schemes,' Guterres said. The UN and major aid groups have refused to work with the GHF, citing concerns it serves Israeli military goals and that it violates basic humanitarian principles by working with one of the sides in a conflict. 'We have the solution – a detailed plan grounded in the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. We have the supplies. We have the experience. Our plan is guided by what people need,' said the UN chief. He said a 'handful' of medical crossed into Gaza this week, the first shipment in months. 'A trickle of aid is not enough. What's needed now is a surge - the trickle must become an ocean,' said Guterres. Guterres said that as the world focuses on the conflict between Israel and Iran, the suffering of Palestinians must not be 'pushed into the shadows,' calling for 'political courage for a ceasefire.'
Canada News.Net
16 hours ago
- Health
- Canada News.Net
Gazans have to burn plastic waste to cook in makeshift shelters: UN
OCHA said Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel into and throughout Gaza Strip. The rapid depletion of remaining fuel stocks jeopardizes efforts to maintain Gaza's lifelines. UNITED NATIONS, June 25 (Xinhua) -- Alongside hunger, gunfire and bombardment, civilians in Gaza now face another deadly hazard: burning plastic waste just for cooking, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday. "Shelling and bombing across the (Gaza) Strip continue to have a devastating impact on civilians, reportedly killing and injuring scores of people, many of whom were seeking aid," said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "Partners report that in the absence of fuel, cooking gas and electricity, people are burning plastic waste." OCHA said that when such fires occur in makeshift shelters or tents, poor ventilation poses tremendous safety and health risks to vulnerable family members, including children and older individuals. The office said Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel into and throughout the strip, effectively choking off life-saving services for deprived and starving individuals. The rapid depletion of remaining fuel stocks jeopardizes efforts to maintain Gaza's lifelines. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that on Tuesday, the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah received a mass casualty influx of 149 cases. "All responsive patients reporting they were wounded while on their way to an aid distribution site," the ICRC said. "Sixteen people were declared dead on arrival, and three more died of their wounds shortly after. The vast majority of patients reportedly suffered gunshot injuries." The casualties among food-seeking Gazans usually occur at distribution centers of the non-UN, U.S.-operated and Israeli-approved militarized Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The ICRC said it has had to activate its mass casualty procedures 20 times since May 27, adding, "The scale and frequency of these incidents is an alarming testament to the intolerable dangers civilians face as they attempt to access assistance." The UN Population Fund reported that 80 percent of critical care units, including those used for childbirth, risk shutting down when there is a daily average of 130 births in Gaza. Fuel for Gaza is a matter of life and death. The humanitarian office said that community kitchens were able to prepare more than 200,000 meals every day this week. However, compared with the over 1 million meals distributed daily at the end of April, it represents a reduction of about 80 percent, a trickle offered to people on the brink of famine. OCHA said that to address the massive deprivation in Gaza meaningfully, the Israeli authorities must allow higher volumes of supplies and more varied types of food, as well as cooking gas, fuel and shelter items, into the strip. "To facilitate the orderly distribution of aid, supplies must be channeled daily through multiple crossings and land routes simultaneously, thereby ensuring people that the flow of essential support is steady, sufficient and reliable," the office said. OCHA said the world body and its partners attempted to coordinate 15 humanitarian movements inside Gaza on Tuesday, but only four were fully facilitated by the Israeli authorities. Seven other attempts were denied outright, preventing teams from trucking water, retrieving broken trucks or repairing roads. The office said that another three missions were initially approved but then impeded on the ground,although one was ultimately accomplished on Wednesday. Another mission had to be canceled by the organizers. OCHA said tens of thousands of students were unable to sit for this year's general secondary examination this week due to insecurity, displacement orders and internet connectivity challenges across Gaza. Last year, about 39,000 high school students in Gaza were reportedly unable to sit for the exam.
a day ago
- Politics
UN peacekeeping chief warns that conflict in Sudan is spilling into Central African Republic
UNITED NATIONS -- The conflict in Sudan is spilling across its southwestern border into Central African Republic, a country already battered by its own conflict with rebels, the United Nations peacekeeping chief warned Thursday. Undersecretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix told the U.N. Security Council that the attack that killed a U.N. peacekeeper near the country's border with Sudan last Friday was carried out by 'armed Sudanese elements.' His comments were the first identifying Sudanese armed fighters as responsible for the attack on the peacekeepers. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said in a new report to the Security Council that vehicles suspected of belonging to the Rapid Support Forces — the key actors in Sudan's civil war — were sighted on several occasions in the areas of Am Dafok and Aouk (Vakaga Prefecture) of Central African Republic, where U.N. peacekeepers are present. In the report covering the period from mid-February to mid-June, Guterres said, 'In the northeast (of CAR), armed incursions linked to the conflict in the Sudan continued.' Sudan plunged into civil war when rival generals heading the country's armed forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces started fighting each other in mid-April 2023. Since then, at least 24,000 people have died, about 13 million Sudanese have fled their homes, famine is setting in and cholera is sweeping across the country. Both sides have been accused of war crimes. Meanwhile, CAR has been battling conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then President François Bozizé from office. It is among the first countries in Africa to welcome Russia-backed forces, with Moscow seeking to help protect authorities and fight armed groups. Lacroix, the U.N. peacekeeping chief, said that while progress is being made with some groups on reintegrating into CAR's peace process, violence by armed groups and militias continues, compromising stability and posing a significant threat to civilians. He said the government continues to collaborate with MINUSCA — the U.N.'s peacekeeping operation in CAR — on extending and enhancing its presence throughout the country and improving security in border areas. 'Despite these efforts, the security situation remains tenuous in border areas in the northeast,' Lacroix said. 'In the border region with Sudan, instability continues to be characterized by the spillover of the Sudanese conflict.' With general elections expected to be held in December, the political situation remains 'punctuated by mistrust and tensions between the majority in power and opposition,' Lacroix said. The elections represent a 'crucial opportunity' to strengthen democratic governance, promote reconciliation and consolidate stability, he added.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
UN peacekeeping chief warns that conflict in Sudan is spilling into Central African Republic
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The conflict in Sudan is spilling across its southwestern border into Central African Republic, a country already battered by its own conflict with rebels, the United Nations peacekeeping chief warned Thursday. Undersecretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix told the U.N. Security Council that the attack that killed a U.N. peacekeeper near the country's border with Sudan last Friday was carried out by 'armed Sudanese elements.' His comments were the first identifying Sudanese armed fighters as responsible for the attack on the peacekeepers. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said in a new report to the Security Council that vehicles suspected of belonging to the Rapid Support Forces — the key actors in Sudan's civil war — were sighted on several occasions in the areas of Am Dafok and Aouk (Vakaga Prefecture) of Central African Republic, where U.N. peacekeepers are present. In the report covering the period from mid-February to mid-June, Guterres said, 'In the northeast (of CAR), armed incursions linked to the conflict in the Sudan continued.' Sudan plunged into civil war when rival generals heading the country's armed forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces started fighting each other in mid-April 2023. Since then, at least 24,000 people have died, about 13 million Sudanese have fled their homes, famine is setting in and cholera is sweeping across the country. Both sides have been accused of war crimes. Meanwhile, CAR has been battling conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then President François Bozizé from office. It is among the first countries in Africa to welcome Russia-backed forces, with Moscow seeking to help protect authorities and fight armed groups. Lacroix, the U.N. peacekeeping chief, said that while progress is being made with some groups on reintegrating into CAR's peace process, violence by armed groups and militias continues, compromising stability and posing a significant threat to civilians. He said the government continues to collaborate with MINUSCA — the U.N.'s peacekeeping operation in CAR — on extending and enhancing its presence throughout the country and improving security in border areas. 'Despite these efforts, the security situation remains tenuous in border areas in the northeast,' Lacroix said. 'In the border region with Sudan, instability continues to be characterized by the spillover of the Sudanese conflict.' With general elections expected to be held in December, the political situation remains 'punctuated by mistrust and tensions between the majority in power and opposition,' Lacroix said. The elections represent a 'crucial opportunity' to strengthen democratic governance, promote reconciliation and consolidate stability, he added.
AsiaOne
a day ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
UN chief warns 80-year-old founding charter 'not an a la carte menu', World News
UNITED NATIONS - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday (June 26) that the UN Charter was under assault like never before as the 193-member world body marked the 80th anniversary of the signing of its founding document. "We see an all too familiar pattern: Follow when the Charter suits, ignore when it does not. The Charter of the United Nations is not optional. It is not an a la carte menu. It is the bedrock of international relations," Guterres said. Countries regularly accuse each other of breaching the Charter, but few face concrete consequences. In recent years Russia and Israel have been called out by the General Assembly for violating the Charter with their wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, respectively. Both conflicts still rage. In the past week, Iran accused the United States of violating the Charter with its strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and the US justified them under the Charter as self-defence. The United Nations was born out of the end of World War Two and the Charter was signed in San Francisco by an initial 50 states on June 26, 1945. It came into force four months later with the aim of saving succeeding generations from war and upholding human dignity and the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small. While the United Nations had done a lot of good over the past eight decades, senior US diplomat McCoy Pitt said the world body should not "overlook the shortcomings that limit the UN's potential." "We regret that the UN has lost sight of its founding mission. In this regard, wars still rage on multiple continents," he said. "The principles of the UN Charter must remain at the heart of this institution, not just as an agreement for a better world, but also as a continuing call to action." [[nid:719364]]
