Latest news with #OCHA
France 24
2 hours ago
- Politics
- France 24
'We only have one exit': Life under blockade in West Bank villages
There are currently nearly 900 movement obstacles in the West Bank, including checkpoints, concrete roadblocks, earthmounds, and, notably, iron gates locked at the entrances to Palestinian villages. The UN's humanitarian agency OCHA recorded 205 of these gates in May 2025, with most being closed or intermittently controlled by the Israeli army. This policy of closure has intensified since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, and further, with the Israel-Iran war, making daily life for Palestinians even more challenging. In August 2023, OCHA documented 645 permanent obstacles across the West Bank, including 118 iron gates. In January 2025, the Israeli army erected 18 new gates, obstructing access to major roads from Palestinian urban areas, according to The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission. 'Here, in Ras Karkar, we only have one entry and exit point' The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke with Hatem Nofal, head of the local emergency commission: The gates are locked. The army moves from the gate of Dar Ammar to that of Khartbatha, and then elsewhere. These are constant patrols. Here, in Ras Karkar, we only have one entry and exit point, with no alternative routes. This road is very difficult and dangerous: the army can shoot, arrest, or leave you stranded for hours in your car. Since the start of the Israel-Iran war, the gates have been completely closed. For instance, there is a total blockade at the Al-Askar gate. Cars cannot pass through. Only pedestrians are allowed to cross on foot. Within a 500-metre radius of Ras Karkar, five gates are closed, including at Ras Karkar, Deir Ammar, and Kharbatha Bani Harith. Residents have to walk between these gates, sometimes as far as 400-500 metres, and then get a car to go to Ramallah or to work. The Palestinian villages of Ras Karkar and Al-Janiya, home to an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 residents combined, are surrounded by seven to nine Israeli settlements. These settlements include Talmon B, Dolev, Nerya, Harsha, Kerem Reim, and Zayit Raanan. The entrance gate to Al-Janiya has been closed for over 15 years, because it is located less than 100 metres from an Israeli settlement. The Israeli army maintains that this close proximity poses a risk of friction with settlers. The only remaining access for Al-Janiya residents is through Ras Karkar, which itself faces severe restrictions. Colonial pressure significantly reduces the buildable land for Palestinians. Nofal says that out of 20 square kilometres, Israeli authorities have authorised only 600 square metres for construction. In late May 2025, Israel announced the legalisation of 22 new outposts in the West Bank. At least two of them – Harsha and Zayit Raanan – directly impact the Ras Karkar region, being both located in the immediate vicinity of the village. Their regularisation tightens the grip around Ras Karkar and intensifies movement restrictions. 'We have four ambulances prepared to be dispatched wherever there's a need' With his group of volunteers, Nofal is working tirelessly to organise the delivery of food to Ras Karkar, as well as the transport of the sick to Ramallah hospital: We've formed an emergency commission to support the population in times of need. In each village, we have groups of 10 to 30 people, depending on its size. We're connected by radio, ready to intervene in any emergency. We have four ambulances prepared to be dispatched wherever there's a need, such as in case of a fire or a medical issue. We work with local councils, Palestinian authorities, and sometimes even with the Israelis to allow the passage of essential goods like food, medicine, gas, and fuel. Getting to Ramallah: an obstacle race The nearest public hospital to Ras Karkar is in Ramallah, located 14 kilometres away. But getting there means walking 400 to 500 metres between several closed gates, then hoping to find a vehicle whenever possible. Before, it would take barely 15 minutes to get to Ramallah hospital. Now, you have to walk between the gates, sometimes for 400 to 500 metres, and then find a car. It takes at least 45 minutes, sometimes longer if the army blocks the road or confiscates car keys. Since vehicles cannot pass through the gates, Nofal says the goods must be transferred from vehicle to vehicle or carried by hand. Residents are at the mercy of the soldiers to allow essential supplies to pass. We transfer food, medicine, and gas by hand, from one gate to another. Sometimes, we have to cross roads reserved for Israeli settlers, which is forbidden for us. The case of Ras Karkar is emblematic of the fragmentation of the West Bank, where 900 obstacles – including over 200 locked iron gates – have been documented, and colonial expansion continues despite international condemnation.
Japan Today
14 hours ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Congo and Rwanda sign U.S.-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict
Residents listen to Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), during his visit to North Kivu's town of Buhumba, Democratic republic of the Congo, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa) By CHINEDU ASADU and MATTHEW LEE The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decadeslong deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it 'an important moment after 30 years of war.' Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner invoked the millions of victims of the conflict in signing the agreement with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. Both of them expressed optimism but also stressed there is still a significant amount of work to do to end the fighting. 'Some wounds will heal, but they will never fully disappear,' Wagner said. 'Those who have suffered the most are watching. They are expecting this agreement to be respected, and we cannot fail them.' 'Shared growth and cross-border cooperation will unlock tangible dividends for both our countries,' Nduhungirehe said. 'We must acknowledge that there is a great deal of uncertainty in our region and beyond, because many previous agreements have not been implemented, and there is no doubt that the road ahead will not be easy. But with the continued support of the United States and other partners, we believe that a turning point has been reached.' All three ministers lauded the support of the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar in facilitating the agreement, which Doha has been working on for months at the request of the U.S. and others. Earlier Friday, President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he was able to broker a deal for 'one of the worst wars anyone's ever seen.' 'I was able to get them together and sell it,' Trump said. 'And not only that, we're getting for the United States a lot of the mineral rights from the Congo.' The deal has been touted as an important step toward peace in the Central African nation of Congo, where conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, has killed millions since the 1990s. It's also at the heart of Trump's push to gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology at a time when the United States and China are actively competing for influence in Africa. Analysts see the deal as a major turning point but don't believe it will quickly end the fighting. The agreement involves provisions on territorial integrity and a prohibition of hostilities as well as the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict, and its major advance early this year left bodies on the streets. With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the United Nations has called it 'one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.' Congo hopes the U.S. will provide it with the security support needed to fight the rebels and possibly get them to withdraw from the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, and from the entire region where Rwanda is estimated to have up to 4,000 troops. Rwanda has said that it's defending its territorial interests and not supporting M23. M23 rebels have suggested that the agreement won't be binding on them. The rebel group hasn't been directly involved in the planned peace deal, although it has been part of other ongoing peace talks. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance — known by its French acronym AFC — which includes M23, told The Associated Press in March that direct peace talks with Congo can only be held if the country acknowledges their grievances and that 'anything regarding us which are done without us, it's against us.' An M23 spokesman, Oscar Balinda, also echoed those thoughts in an interview with the AP this week, saying the U.S.-facilitated deal doesn't concern the rebels. Rwanda has also been accused of exploiting eastern Congo's minerals, a trend analysts say might make it difficult for Rwanda not to be involved in any way in the region. Critical minerals are used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more. A team of U.N. experts alleged in a December report that "fraudulent extraction, trade and export to Rwanda of (Congo) minerals benefited both AFC/M23 and the Rwandan economy.' Rwanda has denied any involvement in Congo's minerals. The deal is also at the heart of the U.S. government's push to counter China in Africa. Chinese companies have been for many years one of the key players in Congo's minerals sector. Chinese cobalt refineries, which account for a majority of the global supply, rely heavily on Congo. Analysts say the U.S. government's commitment might depend on how much access it has to the minerals being discussed under separate negotiations between the American and Congolese government. The mostly untapped minerals are estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think tank Dypol, called the deal a 'major turning point' in the decadeslong conflict, but that the signing could "in no way eliminate all the issues of the conflict.' 'The current draft agreement ignores war crimes and justice for victims by imposing a partnership between the victim and the aggressor,' he said. 'This seems like a trigger-happy proposition and cannot establish lasting peace without justice and reparation.' In Congo's North Kivu province, the hardest hit by the fighting, some believe that the peace deal will help resolve the violence, but warn justice must still be served for an enduring peace to take hold. 'I don't think the Americans should be trusted 100%,' said Hope Muhinuka, an activist from the province. 'It is up to us to capitalize on all we have now as an opportunity.' The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly 2 million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals. Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda's Tutsi population. AP writers Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, and Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed to this report. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
CTV News
15 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Congo and Rwanda sign a U.S.-mediated peace deal aimed at ending decades of bloody conflict
Residents listen to Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, during his visit to North Kivu's town of Buhumba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa) WASHINGTON — The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on Friday signed a peace deal facilitated by the U.S. to help end the decades-long deadly fighting in eastern Congo while helping the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it 'an important moment after 30 years of war.' Earlier Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said at a news conference that he was able to broker a deal for 'one of the worst wars anyone's ever seen.' 'I was able to get them together and sell it,' Trump said. 'And not only that, we're getting for the United States a lot of the mineral rights from Congo.' The deal has been touted as an important step toward peace in the Central African nation of Congo, where conflict with more than 100 armed groups, the most potent backed by Rwanda, has killed millions since the 1990s. It's also at the heart of Trump's push to gain access to critical minerals needed for much of the world's technology at a time when the United States and China are actively competing for influence in Africa. Analysts see the deal as a major turning point but don't believe it will quickly end the fighting. Congo and Rwanda send top diplomats to sign Congo's Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner invoked the millions of victims of the conflict in signing the agreement with Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe. Both expressed optimism but stressed significant work still to do to end the fighting. 'Some wounds will heal, but they will never fully disappear,' Wagner said. 'Those who have suffered the most are watching. They are expecting this agreement to be respected, and we cannot fail them.' Nduhungirehe noted the 'great deal of uncertainty' because previous agreements were not put in place. 'There is no doubt that the road ahead will not be easy,' he said. 'But with the continued support of the United States and other partners, we believe that a turning point has been reached.' They, along with Rubio, lauded the support of the Gulf Arab nation of Qatar in facilitating the agreement, which Doha has been working on for months at the request of the U.S. and others. The agreement has provisions on territorial integrity, prohibition of hostilities and the disengagement, disarmament and conditional integration of non-state armed groups. The peace deal is not likely to quickly end the conflict The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group is the most prominent armed group in the conflict, and its major advance early this year left bodies on the streets. With 7 million people displaced in Congo, the United Nations has called it 'one of the most protracted, complex, serious humanitarian crises on Earth.' Congo hopes the U.S. will provide it with the security support needed to fight the rebels and possibly get them to withdraw from the key cities of Goma and Bukavu, and from the entire region where Rwanda is estimated to have up to 4,000 troops. Rwanda has said that it's defending its territorial interests and not supporting M23. M23 rebels have suggested that the agreement won't be binding for them. The rebel group hasn't been directly involved in the planned peace deal, although it has been part of other ongoing peace talks. Corneille Nangaa, leader of Congo River Alliance -- known by its French acronym AFC -- which includes M23, told The Associated Press in March that direct peace talks with Congo can only be held if the country acknowledges their grievances and that 'anything regarding us which are done without us, it's against us.' An M23 spokesperson, Oscar Balinda, echoed that to the AP this week. Rwanda also has been accused of exploiting eastern Congo's minerals, used in smartphones, advanced fighter jets and much more. Rwanda has denied any involvement, while analysts say that might make it difficult for Rwanda not to be involved in the region. The deal is at the heart of the U.S. government's push to counter China in Africa. For many years, Chinese companies have been a key player in Congo's minerals sector. Chinese cobalt refineries, which account for a majority of the global supply, rely heavily on Congo. What the U.S. role looks like in ending the conflict Analysts say the U.S. government's commitment might depend on how much access it has to the minerals being discussed under separate negotiations between the American and Congolese governments. The mostly untapped minerals are estimated to be worth as much as $24 trillion by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Christian Moleka, a political scientist at the Congolese think tank Dypol, called the deal a 'major turning point' but could 'in no way eliminate all the issues of the conflict.' 'The current draft agreement ignores war crimes and justice for victims by imposing a partnership between the victim and the aggressor,' he said. 'This seems like a trigger-happy proposition and cannot establish lasting peace without justice and reparation.' In Congo's North Kivu province, the hardest hit by the fighting, some believe that the peace deal will help resolve the violence but warn justice must still be served for an enduring peace. 'I don't think the Americans should be trusted 100 per cent,' said Hope Muhinuka, an activist from the province. 'It is up to us to capitalize on all we have now as an opportunity.' The conflict can be traced to the aftermath of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, where Hutu militias killed between 500,000 and 1 million ethnic Tutsi, as well as moderate Hutus and Twa, Indigenous people. When Tutsi-led forces fought back, nearly 2 million Hutus crossed into Congo, fearing reprisals. Rwandan authorities have accused the Hutus who fled of participating in the genocide and alleged that elements of the Congolese army protected them. They have argued that the militias formed by a small fraction of the Hutus are a threat to Rwanda's Tutsi population. Since then, the ongoing conflict in east Congo has killed 6 million people, in attacks, famines and unchecked disease outbreaks stemming from the fighting. Chinedu Asadu, Matthew Lee and Ellen Knickmeyer, The Associated Press Asadu reported from Dakar, Senegal. AP writers Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, and Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed to this report.
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.
Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Middle East Eye
Report: At least 23 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians recorded in one week
Israeli settlers carried out at least 23 attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during the week of 17 to 23 June, Al Jazeera reported the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) saying. OCHA said one Palestinian man was killed and 14 others were injured in the incidents, which also caused property damage including arson, vandalism, and the destruction of sapling trees, mostly olive. The attacks took place in several Palestinian communities across the territory, it said.
