UN
ICJ ruling offers hope for protection of civilians enduring apocalyptic conditions in Gaza: UN experts
The landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) offers the first concrete hope to protect civilians in Gaza enduring apocalyptic humanitarian conditions, destruction, mass killing, wounding and irreparable trauma, UN experts said on Wednesday.
“The ruling is a significant milestone in the decades-long struggle for justice by the Palestinian people,” the experts said in a statement issued from Geneva.
The ICJ found it plausible that Israel’s acts could amount to genocide and issued six provisional measures, ordering Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocidal acts, including preventing and punishing incitement to genocide, ensuring aid and services reach Palestinians under siege in Gaza, and preserving evidence of crimes committed in Gaza.
Israel military operation destroys a Gaza cemetery. Israel says Hamas used the site to hide a tunnel
“We echo the sense of urgency demonstrated by the Court in its short, two-week deliberation, as hundreds of Palestinians, primarily women and children, are being killed by Israeli forces every day, resulting in a death toll of 26,751 people in Gaza over the past three months. This amounts to over 1% of the population.
“The court order is urgently needed to protect the very existence of the Palestinian people from potentially genocidal actions the Court has ordered Israel to halt and prevent,” the experts said.
“Given the dire situation on the ground and the careful wording of the Court, we believe that the most effective way to implement the provisional measures is through an immediate ceasefire.”
In the ICJ proceedings, South Africa contended that Israel is violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention with its military assault on Gaza, which began on 8 October, after the attack by Hamas and Palestinian armed groups in Israel, which killed 1,200 people and wounded many more. 240 people were also taken hostage in the attack.
During oral hearings earlier this month, Israel sought to have the case dismissed by the ICJ judges—a motion that was rejected last Friday (26 January).
“We see the decision as dismissing Israel’s justification of its actions as self-defence in compliance with international humanitarian law,” the experts said.
“The Court found that Israel cannot continue to bombard, displace, and starve the population of Gaza, while allowing its officials to dehumanise Palestinians through statements that may amount to genocidal incitement.”
According to the experts, the period since 7 October marks one of the grimmest in the histories of both Palestine and Israel.
The 7 October attack, which the experts firmly condemned as war crimes, sent shockwaves across the world.
Fighting across Gaza as UN aid agency faces more cuts
In Israel, families continue to mourn the dead and heal the wounds of terror they experienced on 7 October.
Reiterating that all parties to the conflict, including Hamas, remain bound by international humanitarian law, the ICJ called for the release of the hostages.
“Their fate remains unknown, an agony for families longing for their safe return,” the experts said.
“In the spiralling violence that followed, marked by ineffective or absent international pressure, and politicisation of UN fora, the ICJ’s order tilts the balance toward a global order based on justice and international law,” the experts said. “This is the only basis for lasting peace and stability between Palestinians and Israelis.”
“We call on Israel to adhere to the ICJ order. The burden now shifts to Israel, to show that it has effectively eliminated the risk of genocide that the Court found to be plausible. By the time Israel reports to the Court in one month, Palestinians must have access to food, water, healthcare, and safety, that have long been denied to them,” they said.
In light of the urgency of the situation and the real risk of irreparable harm to the people in Gaza, the experts also urged states parties to the Genocide Convention to abide by their obligations to prevent genocide, taking all measures in their power to ensure implementation of the ICJ’s provisional measures. The experts also stressed the critical role that civil society plays to give effect to this ruling.
Israel notes 'significant gaps' after cease-fire talks with US, Qatar, Egypt but says constructive
The experts are: Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; Cecilia M. Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Aua Baldé (Chair-Rapporteur), Gabriella Citroni (Vice-Chair), Angkhana Neelapaijit, Grażyna Baranowska, Ana Lorena Delgadillo Perez, Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances; Surya Deva, Special Rapporteur on the right to development; Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; Ashwini K.P. Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; Bina D’Costa, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chair), Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, Haina Lu, and Laura Nyirinkindi, Working group on discrimination against women and girls; Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children; Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; Ms Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the protection and promotion of freedom of opinion and expression; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons; Farida Shaheed, Special Rapporteur on the right to education; Livingstone Sewanyana, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order; Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation; Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Robert McCorquodale (Chair-Rapporteur), Fernanda Hopenhaym (Vice-Chair), Pichamon Yeophantong, Damilola Olawuyi, Elzbieta Karska, Working Group on business and human rights; Olivier De Schutter, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights; Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association; Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food.
Key takeaways from UN court’s ruling on Israel’s war in Gaza
The U.N. world court on Friday came down hard on Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, calling on Israel to “take all measures” to prevent a genocide of the Palestinians. But it stopped short of demanding an immediate cease-fire, as the South African sponsors of the case had hoped.
All sides tried to claim victory with the ruling, seizing on different elements that buttressed their positions.
Israel celebrated the court’s rejection of the cease-fire request and said it had endorsed the country’s right to self-defense. Yet harsh criticism of Israel’s campaign in Gaza could further dent its image in the court of public opinion.
The Palestinians welcomed what amounted to an overwhelming rebuke of Israel’s wartime tactics by a lopsided majority of judges over the heavy death toll and humanitarian disaster in Gaza. The six measures in the ruling were approved by margins of 15-2 and 16-1, with even Israel’s representative on the court joining the majority on two of the questions.
As Israel presses ahead with its offensive, Friday’s ruling adds to the growing international criticism of Israel and could put more pressure on it to scale back or halt the operation altogether.
Airstrikes in central Gaza kill 15 overnight while fighting intensifies in the enclave's south
Here are some takeaways from Friday’s ruling:
NO RULING ON GENOCIDE
The court did not rule on the core issue of whether Israel’s devastating military offensive against Hamas amounts to genocide. That question likely won’t be answered by the court for years.
But it did not rule out the possibility that Israel is conducting genocidal acts. In imposing “provisional measures,” the court found that concerns about possible genocide merit further review.
It called on Israel “to take all measures within its power” and “ensure with immediate effect” that its military does not commit genocidal acts, including those causing the unnecessary deaths of Palestinians or humanitarian suffering.
It also called on Israel to prevent “public incitement to commit genocide,” pointing to a series of inflammatory statements by Israeli leaders. Israel was ordered to report back to the court within one month on steps it is taking to meet these demands.
The court said it was gravely concerned about the fate of the hostages and called for their immediate and unconditional release. But the decision focused almost entirely on the plight of Gaza’s Palestinian civilians and urged Israel to do more to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid.
Yuval Shany, an expert on international law at the Israel Democracy Institute think tank, said the ruling was “not great” but could have been worse.
“The finding that South Africa’s claims are plausible is not good,” he said. “But it’s something that Israel can live with.”
Top UN court stops short of ordering cease-fire in Gaza and demands Israel contain deaths
THE WAR GOES ON
Nothing in the court’s ruling requires Israel to halt the war from a legal standpoint.
Israeli leaders vowed Friday to press aheagotchd with the offensive, insisting that they already are in compliance with international law and committed to allowing humanitarian supplies into the besieged territory.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out at the genocide allegation as “outrageous,” noting that the ruling came on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Netanyahu pointed out that Hamas, which killed 1,200 and kidnapped 250 on Oct. 7, seeks Israel’s destruction.
Barak Medina, a human rights expert at Hebrew University’s law school, said the effects of the ruling on the battlefield are “marginal.”
He said calls to ramp up humanitarian aid and crack down on incitement might have some small effects on policies. “But in terms of the main aspect of the military operation, one would not expect any change on the ground,” he said.
INCREASED SCRUTINY
While Israel moves ahead on the battlefield, Friday’s ruling shined an additional bright and critical spotlight on the Israeli offensive.
The war, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, has killed over 26,000 Palestinians and led to widespread destruction, displacement and disease, according to local health officials and international aid agencies.
The United States, Israel’s closest and most important ally, has repeatedly voiced concerns about the civilian death toll and the broader international community has repeatedly called for an immediate cease-fire. The tough language adopted by the court, coupled with the requirement to report back to it, added to the global scrutiny and puts more pressure to scale back or stop the offensive.
Merav Michaeli, leader of Israel’s opposition Labor Party, called the ruling a “yellow card” against a government that she said “is causing enormous international damage to the country.”
A former head of the Israeli military’s international law department said the decision would worsen Israel’s global standing and undermine legitimacy for the war.
“It’s a huge threat,” said Pnina Sharvit Baruch, now a senior researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. “It eventually impacts also our national security. We need our allies. We cannot manage here on our own.”
UN court keeps genocide case against Israel alive as Gaza death toll surpasses 26,000
PRESSURE ON THE US
Despite its concerns about harm to civilians, the United States has so far backed the Israeli war effort, shielding Israel from international criticism and continuing to deliver weapons to the military.
Friday’s ruling draws unwelcome attention to the U.S. position — a stance that has put it at odds with allies and threatened to hurt President Joe Biden’s standing with the Democratic Party’s progressive wing as he seeks re-election.
“States now have clear legal obligations to stop Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian people in Gaza and to make sure that they are not complicit,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said.
It said the provisional ruling “should serve as a wakeup call for Israel and actors who enabled its entrenched impunity.”
The ministry is part of the Palestinian Authority, the internationally recognized self-rule government in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The U.S. has said it would like to see a revitalized authority, ousted by Hamas in 2007, return to power in Gaza after the war.
Balkees Jarrah, the associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, a New York-based group that has accused Israel of committing war crimes in past rounds of fighting, said Friday’s “landmark decision puts Israel and its allies on notice.”
“The court’s clear and binding order raises the stakes for Israel’s allies to back up their stated commitment to a global rules-based order by helping ensure compliance with this watershed ruling,” she said.
UNCTAD raises alarms on escalating disruptions in global trade
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has expressed profound concerns over the escalating disruptions in global trade, particularly stemming geopolitical tensions affecting shipping in the Black Sea, recent attacks on shipping in the Red Sea affecting the Suez Canal and the impact of climate change on the Panama Canal.
UNCTAD underscored the critical role maritime transport plays as the backbone of international trade, responsible for over 80% of the global movement of goods, said the UN trade and development body on Friday in Geneva.
Developing countries are particularly vulnerable to these disruptions and UNCTAD remains vigilant in monitoring the evolving situation.
The organization emphasizes the urgent need for swift adaptations from the shipping industry and robust international cooperation to navigate the rapid reshaping of global trade dynamics.
Hungary, Kyrgyzstan greet PM Sheikh Hasina on her re-election
The current challenges underscore trade's vulnerability to geopolitical tensions and climate-related challenges, demanding collective efforts for sustainable solutions especially in support of countries more vulnerable to these shocks.
Trade disruption in the Black Sea, the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal routes.
The recent attacks on Red Sea shipping, coupled with existing geopolitical and climate-related challenges, have given rise to a complex crisis affecting key global trade routes.
UNCTAD estimates that the weekly transits going through the Suez Canal decreased by 42% over the last two months.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has triggered substantial shifts in oil and grain trades, reshaping established trade patterns. Simultaneously, the Panama Canal, a pivotal conduit for global trade, is grappling with diminished water levels, resulting in a staggering 36% reduction in total transits over the past month compared to a year ago.
The long-term implications of climate change on the canal's capacity are raising concerns about enduring impacts on global supply chains.
The crisis in the Red Sea, marked by Houthi-led attacks disrupting shipping routes, has added another layer of complexity.
France wants to have more strategic collaboration, partnership with Bangladesh
Major players in the shipping industry have temporarily suspended Suez transits in response. Notably, container ship transits per week have plummeted by 67% compared to a year ago, with container carrying capacity, tanker transits, and gas carriers experiencing significant declines.
The surge in the average container spot freight rates during the last week of December, by plus 500 dollars, in one week, was the highest ever weekly increase.
Average container shipping spot rates from Shanghai this week are up by 122% compared to early December. i.e. have more than doubled.
The rates from Shanghai to Europe went up by 256%, i.e. more than tripled. Rates to the United States West coast also increased above average, although they do not go through Suez.
They increased by 162%. Here we see the global impact of the crisis, as ships are seeking alternative routes, avoiding the Suez and the Panama Canal.
The cumulative effect of these disruptions translates into extended cargo travel distances, escalating trade costs, and a surge in greenhouse gas emissions from shipping having to travel greater distances and at greater speed.
Avoiding the Suez and Panama Canal necessitates more days of shipping, resulting in increased expenses.
The price per day of shipping and insurance premiums have surged, compounding the overall cost of transit.
New Bangladesh offering amazing investments opportunities: FM Hasan tells German Ambassador
Additionally, ships are compelled to travel faster to compensate for detours, burning more fuel per mile and emitting more CO2, further exacerbating environmental concerns.
Global Implications: increases in food and energy prices.
UNCTAD underscored the far-reaching economic implications of these disruptions.
Prolonged interruptions, particularly in container shipping, pose a direct threat to global supply chains, potentially leading to delayed deliveries and heightened costs.
While current container rates are approximately half of the peak during the Covid crisis, passing on higher freight rates to consumers takes time, with the full impact expected to manifest within a year.
Energy prices are witnessing a surge as gas transits are discontinued, directly impacting energy supplies, especially in Europe.
The crisis is also reverberating in global food prices, with longer distances and higher freight rates potentially cascading into increased costs.
Disruptions in grain shipments from Europe, Russia, and Ukraine pose risks to global food security, affecting consumers and lowering prices paid to producers.
a2i's yearlong innovative initiatives to build a 'Smart Bangladesh'
Aspire to Innovate (a2i) of the Cabinet Division and ICT Division, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is working to build a Smart Bangladesh and bringing smart services to the doorsteps of the citizens.During the year 2023, a2i has launched many smart projects while many of its initiatives and associated projects received over 17 national and international awards, demonstrating their commitment to technology-dependent services and innovation for Smart Bangladesh development.On December 12, 2022, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the ambitious goal of achieving a Smart Bangladesh by 2041 where four pillars of Smart Bangladesh were set.These are: Smart Citizen, Smart Economy, Smart Government and Smart Society.The journey from 2023 to 2041 spans 18 years, marking a dedicated pursuit of the Smart Bangladesh vision.An overview of a2i's year-long efforts to create Smart BangladeshNational and International Achievements:Apart from achieving many national awards, a2i was honoured with a number of international awards this year. It was conferred with the prestigious 'World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize-2023' for the 'COVID-19 Telehealth Center initiative. Besides, a2i's 'ekShop' platform was awarded the 'SDG Digital Game Changer Award' by the United Nations for its contribution to extending e-commerce while the a2i was recognized with the 'WITSA 2023 Global Innovation and Technology Excellence Awards' for its skill development and education excellence through online platforms like 'National Intelligence Employment and Entrepreneurship (NISE)' and 'MuktoPaath.'ISO certificate for Procurement Process:a2i's Procurement Management achieved the International Standards Organization (ISO) certificate for its outstanding contribution in improving buyer-supplier relationships and increasing efficiency in the private sector with a view to improving transparency and quality in the government procurement process.Accessibility Guidelines:As the a2i is at the forefront of ensuring digital services accessible to all including people with disabilities, the government has formulated the 'Digital Service and Web Designing Guideline for Inclusive Accessibility 2022', simplifying the way to achieve the goal.National Innovation Agency:The a2i is poised to be a full-fledged agency as the 'Agency to Innovate (a2i) Bill 2023' was passed in the parliament in July this year, ushering in a new era of technological innovation in the country. As an innovation intermediary, it will advance new, mission-driven policies while continuing its 'whole-of-government' approach to achieving the SDGs and achieving Smart Bangladesh.e-Quality Center for Inclusive Innovation:a2i was globally acclaimed for its proactive steps to reduce digital divide by establishing the 'e-Quality Center for Inclusive Innovation', envisioning a world with zero digital divide. This centre, a collaborative effort of a2i, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the ICT Division and the UNDP, was formally launched during the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25 this year. Earlier, a worldwide campaign named Zero Digital Divide (#ZeroDigitalDivide) was launched aimed at minimizing digital inequality across the globe.To attain the goal, the e-Quality Centre has introduced the International ICT Innovation (I-3) Matching Fund that has already provided financial assistance to five countries: Gambia, Uganda, Sao Tome and Principe, Somalia, and Ghana.DPI-AI International Conference:A two-day international conference Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) was organized under the auspicious initiative of the a2i this year with a view to creating an ecosystem to reach citizen services to individual level. It emphasized on creating an inclusive and digitally equitable world through the optimal use of DPI and artificial intelligence (AI). The conference was featured with the significant 'Dhaka Declaration 2023,' that outlined 10 point-action to reduce digital divide and strengthen DPI and AI.a2i for Innovation:As part of its regular activities to encourage building a culture of innovation in the country, a2i organized 'Rocketry Innovation Challenge-2022' and awarded innovators for innovative ideas like smart meters and sub-meters for water usage in households and industries, monitoring vital physical data during pregnancy using digital methods for pregnant women and creating customized letters for government office documents.International Consultation on Blended Education:As blended education has appeared as indispensable for shaping Smart Bangladesh, in May this year, the a2i in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Education Ministry organized an international consultation aimed at implementing an inclusive blended education system.a2i’s emergency response during Disaster:The national helpline 333 developed by the a2i stood by the people when the powerful cyclone 'Mocha' approached the country's coasts and provided 24-hour service. The toll-free helpline service provided information related to the cyclone, alert signals, weather updates, and emergency assistance. During this period, the helpline received 1.4 million calls related to 'Mocha,' and more than 34,000 calls were made for disaster assistance.
States are obliged to prevent crimes against humanity and genocide, UN Committee stresses
Amid the delay in voting on the Gaza resolution at the UN Security Council, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination warned of hate speech and dehumanising discourse targeted at Palestinians, raising severe concerns regarding Israel’s and other State parties’ obligation to prevent crimes against humanity and genocide.
In a decision adopted on Thursday under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedures, the Committee said it is “gravely concerned about the resumption of the brutal hostilities in the occupied Gaza Strip on December 1 this year after a seven-day ‘pause’.”
UN report says more than 570,000 people in Gaza are now 'starving' due to fallout from war
It was deeply shocked by the intensified, brutal and indiscriminate Israeli bombardments from the air, land and sea all across the occupied Gaza Strip and the expansion of the Israeli military ground operation to the south of the occupied Gaza Strip, resulting in the killing of about 20,000 Palestinians.
The catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the occupied Gaza Strip, it said, raised serious concerns regarding the obligation of Israel and other State parties to prevent crimes against humanity and genocide.
Türkiye's Erdogan, Egypt's Sisi call for efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza
It also expressed its grave concerns about the racist hate speech, incitement to violence and genocidal actions, as well as dehumanising rhetoric targeted at Palestinians since 7 October 2023 by Israeli senior government officials, Parliament members, politicians and public figures.
The Committee also raised the alarm on the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in the past few weeks, including the increase in unlawful use of lethal force by the Israeli forces, violence by settlers, arbitrary arrests and detention of Palestinians.
The Committee urged an immediate and sustained ceasefire in the occupied Gaza Strip.
US is engaging in high-level diplomacy to avoid vetoing a UN resolution on critical aid for Gaza
It called upon Israel and the State of Palestine to fully collaborate with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, in their investigations.
Highly alarmed by the killing of at least 136 UN staff, the Committee asked Israel to grant access to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to document significant violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including those committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
The Committee urged all States parties to ensure that all those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as other international crimes in the ongoing armed conflicts are promptly brought to justice.
UN is seeking to verify that Afghanistan's Taliban are letting girls study at religious schools
The United Nations is seeking to verify reports that Afghanistan's Taliban rulers are allowing girls of all ages to study at Islamic religious schools that are traditionally boys-only, the U.N.'s top official in the country said Wednesday.
U.N. special envoy Roza Otunbayeva told the U.N. Security Council and elaborated to reporters afterward that the United Nations is receiving "more and more anecdotal evidence" that girls can study at the schools, known as madrassas.
"It is not entirely clear, however, what constitutes a madrassa, if there is a standardized curriculum that allows modern education subjects, and how many girls are able to study in madrassas," she said.
The Taliban have been globally condemned for banning girls and women from secondary school and university, and allowing girls to study only through the sixth grade.
UN report says more than 570,000 people in Gaza are now 'starving' due to fallout from war
Taliban education authorities "continue to tell us that they are working on creating conditions to allow girls to return to school. But time is passing while a generation of girls is falling behind," Otunbayeva said.
She said that the Taliban Ministry of Education is reportedly undertaking an assessment of madrassas as well as a review of public school curriculum and warned that the quality of education in Afghanistan "is a growing concern."
"The international community has rightly focused on the need to reverse the ban on girls' education," Otunbayeva said, "but the deteriorating quality of education and access to it is affecting boys as well."
"A failure to provide a sufficiently modern curriculum with equality of access for both girls and boys will make it impossible to implement the de facto authorities' own agenda of economic self-sufficiency," she added.
A Human Rights Watch report earlier this month said the Taliban's "abusive" educational policies are harming boys as well as girls.
Türkiye's Erdogan, Egypt's Sisi call for efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza
The departure of qualified teachers, including women, regressive curriculum changes and an increase in corporal punishment have led to greater fear of going to school and falling attendance, the report said. Because the Taliban have dismissed all female teachers from boys' schools, many boys are taught by unqualified people or sit in classrooms with no teachers at all, it said.
Turning to human rights, Otunbayeva said that the key features in Afghanistan "are a record of systemic discrimination against women and girls, repression of political dissent and free speech, a lack of meaningful representation of minorities, and ongoing instances of extrajudicial killing, arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment."
The lack of progress in resolving human rights issues is a key factor behind the current impasse between the Taliban and the international community, she said.
Otunbayeva said Afghanistan also faces a growing humanitarian crisis. With Afghans confronting winter weather, more people will depend on humanitarian aid, but with a drop in funding many of the needy will be more vulnerable than they were a year ago, she said.
U.N. humanitarian coordinator Ramesh Rajasingham said that "humanitarian needs continue to push record levels, with more than 29 million people requiring humanitarian assistance — one million more than in January, and a 340% increase in the last five years."
Between January and October, he said, the U.N. and its partners provided assistance to 26.5 million people, including 14.2 million women and girls. But as the year ends, the U.N. appeal is still seeking to close a $1.8 billion funding gap.
US is engaging in high-level diplomacy to avoid vetoing a UN resolution on critical aid for Gaza
Rajasingham said the humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by three earthquakes in eight days in October in the western province of Herat that affected 275,000 people and damaged 40,000 homes.
A further problem is the return of more than 450,000 Afghans after Pakistan on Nov. 1 ordered "illegal foreigners" without documentation to leave, he said. More than 85% of the returnees are women and children, he said, and many have been stripped of their belongings, arrive in poor medical condition and require immediate assistance at the border as well and longer-term support.
UN says more than 1 in 4 people in Gaza are ‘starving’ because of war
More than half a million people in Gaza — a quarter of the population — are starving due to "woefully insufficient" quantities of food entering the territory ever since Israel's military responded to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, according to a report released Thursday by the U.N. and other agencies.
The report highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza after more than 10 weeks of relentless bombardment and fighting. The extent of the population's hunger eclipsed even the near-famines in Afghanistan and Yemen of recent years, according to figures in the report.
"It doesn't get any worse,'' said Arif Husain, chief economist for the U.N.'s World Food Program. "I have never seen something at the scale that is happening in Gaza. And at this speed. How quickly it has happened, in just a matter of two months."
Israel says it is in the final stages of clearing out Hamas militants from northern Gaza, but that months of fighting lie ahead in the south. The war sparked by Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 rampage and hostage-taking in Israel has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians. Some 1.9 million Gaza residents — more than 80% of the population — have been driven from their homes, with more than a million now cramming into U.N. shelters.
The war has also pushed Gaza's health sector into collapse. Only nine of its 36 health facilities are still partially functioning — and all are located in the south, the World Health Organization said. WHO relief workers on Thursday reported "unbearable" scenes in two hospitals they visited in northern Gaza: bedridden patients with untreated wounds cry out for water, the few remaining doctors and nurses have no supplies, and bodies are lined up in the courtyard.
Türkiye's Erdogan, Egypt's Sisi call for efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza
Bombardment and fighting continued Thursday, but with Gaza's internet and other communications cut off for a second straight day, details on the latest violence could largely not be confirmed.
U.N. Security Council members are negotiating an Arab-sponsored resolution to halt the fighting in some way to allow for an increase in desperately needed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
A vote on the resolution, first scheduled for Monday, was pushed back again on Wednesday in the hopes of getting the U.S. to support it or allow it to pass after it vetoed an earlier cease-fire call.
Thursday's report from the U.N. underscored the failure of weeks of U.S. efforts to ensure greater aid reaches Palestinians. At the start of the war, Israel stopped all deliveries of food, water, medicine and fuel into the territory. After U.S. pressure, it began allowing a trickle of aid in through Egypt, but U.N. agencies say it fell far short of enough.
This week, Israel began allowing aid to be delivered through its Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza. But a blast Thursday morning hit the Palestinian side of the crossing, forcing the U.N. to stop its pickups of aid there, according to Juliette Touma, spokesperson of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. At least four people were killed, the nearby hospital reported. Palestinian authorities blamed Israel for the blast, but its cause could not immediately be confirmed.
Delivery of aid to much of the Gaza Strip has become difficult or impossible due to continued fighting, U.N. officials have said.
US is engaging in high-level diplomacy to avoid vetoing a UN resolution on critical aid for Gaza
The report released Thursday by 23 U.N and nongovernmental agencies found that the entire population in Gaza is in a food crisis, with 576,600 at catastrophic — or starvation — levels. "It is a situation where pretty much everybody in Gaza is hungry," Husain, the World Food Program economist, said.
The lack of food and water weakens immune systems, making the population more vulnerable to disease, Husain said. "People are very, very close to large outbreaks of disease because their immune systems have become so weak because they don't have enough nourishment," he said.
Husain said border crossings need to be operational to get in essential supplies, including food and water. And he said that humanitarian groups need safe access to the entire Gaza strip.
Israel has vowed to continue the offensive until it destroys Hamas' military capabilities and returns scores of hostages captured by Palestinian militants during their Oct. 7 rampage. Hamas and other militants killed some 1,200 people that day, mostly civilians, and captured around 240 others.
Hamas fired a large barrage of rockets at central Israel on Thursday, showing its military capabilities remain formidable. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, but the rocket attack set off air raid sirens in Israel's commercial hub of Tel Aviv.
Hamas militants have put up stiff resistance lately against Israeli ground troops, and its forces appear to remain largely intact in southern Gaza, despite more than 2 1/2 months of heavy aerial bombardment across the territory.
The United States, Israel's closest ally, has continued to support Israel's campaign while also urging greater efforts to protect civilians.
But in some of the toughest American language yet, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday said "it's clear that the conflict will move and needs to move to a lower intensity phase." The U.S. wants Israel to shift to more targeted operations aimed at Hamas leaders and the tunnel network.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Tuesday the death toll since the start of the war had risen to more than 19,600. It does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.
Israel uncovers major Hamas command center in Gaza City as cease-fire talks gain momentum
On Wednesday, the WHO delivered supplies a day earlier to Ahli and Shifa hospitals, which are located in the heart of the north Gaza battle zone where Israeli troops have demolished vast swaths of the city while fighting Hamas militants.
In the north over recent weeks, Israeli forces have raided a series of health facilities, detaining men for interrogation and expelling others. In other facilities, patients who are unable to be moved remain along with skeleton staff who watch over them but can do little beyond first aid, according to U.N. and health officials
Ahli Hospital is "a place where people are waiting to die," said Sean Casey, a member of the WHO team that visited the two hospitals Wednesday. Five remaining doctors and five nurses along with around 80 patients remain in Ahli, he said.
All of the hospital buildings are damaged except two buildings were patients are now being kept — the orthopedics ward and a church on the grounds, he said. He described entering the compound, strewn with debris, and a crater from recent shelling in the courtyard. Bodies were lined up nearby, but doctors said it was too unsafe to move them with fighting still outside, he said.
Inside the church, it was "an unbearable scene," he said. Patients with traumatic wounds were struggling with infections. Others had undergone amputations. "Many patients said they hadn't changed their clothes in weeks," he said. "Patients were crying out in pain but were also crying out for us to give them water."
Israel's military says 137 of its soldiers have been killed in the Gaza ground offensive. Israel says it has killed some 7,000 militants, without providing evidence. It blames civilian deaths in Gaza on Hamas, saying it uses them as human shields when it fights in residential areas.
Not for UN Secretary-General to designate an event as genocide: Spokesman
The United Nations has reiterated its hope for "free, fair and credible elections" in Bangladesh.
"I haven’t seen the letter, and I would just refer you to what I’ve already said extensively on the elections in Bangladesh and our hopes for a free, fair, and credible elections," Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, told reporters during a regular briefing on December 8.
Earlier in November, Bangladesh conveyed to the United Nations that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is “determined to hold a free and fair election” but will not tolerate burning of public and private properties and human lives in the name of demonstration that the opposition frequently perpetrates.
Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi celebrates Armed Forces Day
“In the context of undue, unwarranted and vested political pressure that we are facing from different comers ahead of our upcoming National Parliamentary Election, we hope that United Nations system, including its Secretariat, agencies and country office, would play a constructive and collaborative role to assist Bangladesh to remain persistent in its development trajectory,” Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen wrote in his letter to the UN.
The letter was written on November 19 and the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN transmitted it to the UN on November 20.
ADB to provide $400 million to support climate priorities in Bangladesh
Responding to a question, the UN Secretary-General’s spokesman said the UN does not send election observers without a specific mandate.
A questioner said the United Nations is yet to take action to recognise the genocidal action committed by Pakistani occupying force in Bangladesh during the Liberation War in 1971 and sought comments from the spokesman.
In reply, he said, “First of all, with all due respect to historical events and those who suffered during those historical events, I will not comment on things that happened that long ago. Second, as we’ve said here repeatedly over and over again, it is not for the Secretary-General to designate an event as genocide. It is up to competent judicial authorities.”
Momen writes to UN, seeks its ‘constructive, collaborative’ role amid ‘unwarranted political pressure’
Every 9 December, the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide marks the adoption of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide – a crucial global commitment that was made at the founding of the United Nations, immediately preceding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Sand and dust storms become more frequent worldwide: UN
Sand and dust storms are "dramatically" more frequent in some places worldwide, with at least a quarter of the storms caused by humans, according to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Bus accident leaves 30 dead in Indian-controlled Kashmir
"The sight of rolling dark clouds of sand and dust engulfing everything in their path and turning day into night is one of nature's most intimidating spectacles. It is a costly phenomenon that wreaks havoc everywhere from Northern and Central Asia to sub-Saharan Africa," said Ibrahim Thiaw, UNCCD's executive secretary.
ASEAN defense chiefs call for the fighting in Gaza to cease, but they struggle to address Myanmar
"Sand and dust storms present a formidable challenge to achieving sustainable development. However, just as sand and dust storms are exacerbated by human activities, they can also be reduced through human actions," said Thiaw.
Biden says his goal for Xi meeting is to get US-China communications back to 'normal'
While sand and dust storms are a prevalent and seasonal natural phenomenon in some regions, the problem is exacerbated by poor land and water management, droughts, and climate change, according to UNCCD experts.
UN agencies' Regional Directors call for immediate action to halt attacks on Gaza hospitals
The regional directors of UNFPA, UNICEF and WHO call for urgent international action to end the ongoing attacks on hospitals in Gaza.
We are horrified at the latest reports of attacks on and in the vicinity of Al-Shifa Hospital, Al-Rantissi Naser Paediatric Hospital, Al-Quds Hospital, and others in Gaza city and northern Gaza, killing many, including children, said a press release.
Millions of Indians set a new world record celebrating Diwali as worries about air pollution rise
Intense hostilities surrounding several hospitals in northern Gaza are preventing safe access for health staff, the injured, and other patients.
Premature and new-born babies on life support are reportedly dying due to power, oxygen, and water cuts at Al-Shifa Hospital, while others are at risk. The Staff across a number of hospitals are reporting lack of fuel, water and basic medical supplies, putting the lives of all patients at immediate risk.
Over the past 36 days, WHO has recorded at least 137 attacks on health care in Gaza, resulting in 521 deaths and 686 injuries, including 16 deaths and 38 injuries of health workers on duty.
A fragile global economy is at stake as US and China seek to cool tensions at APEC summit
Attacks on medical facilities and civilians are unacceptable and are a violation of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law and Conventions. They cannot be condoned. The right to seek medical assistance, especially in times of crisis, should never be denied.
More than half of the hospitals in the Gaza Strip are closed. Those still functioning are under massive strain and can only provide very limited emergency services, lifesaving surgery and intensive care services. Shortages of water, food, and fuel are also threatening the wellbeing of thousands of displaced people, including women and children, who are sheltering in hospitals and their surroundings.
Netanyahu rejects growing international calls for a cease-fire in Gaza
The world cannot stand silent while hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death, devastation, and despair. Decisive international action is needed now to secure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and prevent further loss of life, and preserve what’s left of the health care system in Gaza.
Unimpeded, safe and sustained access is needed now to provide fuel, medical supplies and water for these lifesaving services. The violence must end now.