UN chief – News Agency nabakhabar

Haiti: UN chief welcomes new government amid ongoing challenges

News Agency nabakhabar — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 14:28:17 +0000

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday welcomed the swearing in of Haiti’s new Government, urging stakeholders to continue making progress towards restoring democratic institutions through elections.

The new cabinet, according to reports, completely replaces all the ministers from the government of the former Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, who was forced to step down earlier this year following pressure from criminal gangs that control large parts of the island nation.

The new cabinet includes women ministers in key portfolios.

Security needs

Addressing journalists at the regular press briefing on Thursday, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said the “positive transitional governance milestone” should be accompanied by urgently needed security gains.

“The Secretary-General therefore reiterates his call for the swift deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to Haiti to support the Haitian National Police in addressing the dire security situation,” Mr. Haq said.

The UN chief also appealed to Member States to ensure the MSS mission urgently receives the financial and logistical support it needs to succeed, he added.

Humanitarian assistance

Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the UN and partners are continuing to support those displaced by violence in the capital Port-au-Prince.

Between 8 and 12 June, the World Food Programme (WFP) – UN’s emergency food assistance agency – distributed more than 40,000 hot meals to over 9,000 displaced people in the city.

Since the beginning of the year, WFP has distributed more than 1.1 million hot meals to over 120,000 displaced people.

Alongside, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) supplied 900 dignity kits to women and girls last month, as well as deploying eight mobile clinics providing sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services and support.

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been offering psychosocial support, including by phone and in camps hosting displaced people (IDPs).

Continued worries

However, the situation in the south remains concerning, with reports of over 268,000 people now displaced, a 95 per cent increase since March.

The health system also continues to face serious challenges, crippled by both the recent violence and years of lack of investment, Mr. Haq said, noting that currently, just 20 per cent of health facilities in Port-au-Prince are functioning normally.

“This year’ Humanitarian Response Plan, which calls for $674 million, is just 23 per cent funded at $156 million,” he added.

Fully funded, the Plan aims to reach 3.6 million of the most vulnerable among the 5.5 million Haitians who need assistance. Key areas for support include protection, medical and healthcare, water and sanitation, and food security.

The post Haiti: UN chief welcomes new government amid ongoing challenges appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.

Retaliatory spiral in Middle East must end, says UN chief after reported strikes on Iran

News Agency nabakhabar — Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:03:39 +0000

Following reports of alleged Israeli strikes inside Iran near a nuclear power station early Friday, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a new appeal to all parties to “stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East”.

“The Secretary-General condemns any act of retaliation and appeals to the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond,” he said in a statement issued by his Office.

Echoing those concerns, UN atomic energy agency chief Rafael Grossi urged “extreme restraint” from all sides, after more than six and a half months of war in Gaza that have fuelled fears of a wider regional conflict.

“IAEA can confirm that there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites” and Director-General Grossi “continues to call for extreme restraint from everybody and reiterates that nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts”, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a tweet following unconfirmed media reports that possible drone strikes had targeted the Iranian province of Isfahan, which is home to nuclear facilities and military garrisons.

In Geneva, too, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, urged all parties “to take steps to de-escalate the situation” rapidly.

“(We) call on third States, in particular those with influence, to do all in their power to ensure there is no further deterioration in an already extremely precarious situation,” said OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence.

Hunger and fear

In Gaza, aid teams offered new insight into the dangers faced by Palestinian civilians – particularly pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers – as a result of the “wanton destruction” of vital medical equipment and widespread “dehydration, malnutrition and fear” among Palestinians.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Dominic Allen, Representative for the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) for Palestine, said that there were indications that the number of complicated births is nearly twice what it was before war erupted.

“There is absolutely an increase in the numbers,” he said, adding that pre-war, around 15 per cent of births required some form of emergency obstetric care. Today, some doctors have reported “a doubling of what they previously had dealt with, and this is due to malnutrition, dehydration and fear, which impact the pregnant woman’s ability to give birth safely and carry their baby to full term safely,” the UNFPA official said.

‘Wanton destruction’

Mr. Allen described his latest mission to Gaza to assess the impact of Israeli attacks on healthcare at embattled hospitals in the north, central and southern governorates.

It was clear that the last remaining hospitals in the enclave – including its second largest, Nasser Hospital – are “clinging to life themselves whilst they are a lifeline for the pregnant women of Gaza”, Mr. Allen said via video link from Jerusalem. “What I saw, it breaks my heart…It’s indescribable. What we see there is medical equipment, purposefully broken, ultrasounds – which you will know is a very important tool for helping ensure safe births – with cables that have been cut, screens of complex medical equipment like ultrasounds and other with the screens smashed. So, purposeful, wanton destruction in the maternity ward.”

Before intense Israeli bombardment began in response to Hamas-led terror attacks across southern Israel on 7 October, Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis had a maternity ward which UNFPA teams have supported and supplied for years.

In order to be fully functional again, the hospital will need reconditioned water and sanitation services and repairs to damaged electricity generators, at a bare minimum. “But, I stood beside the warehouse (where) we delivered supplies many months ago and it was literally burning; there’s so much work to do in terms of trying to re-establish that lifeline,” Mr. Allen said.

‘Palpable’ fear

The UNFPA mission, which began on Monday 8 April and ended this Wednesday, was carried out in partnership with the UN World Health Organization (WHO), the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

The objective was to visit around 10 hospitals in Gaza, among them Al Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, which was “overwhelmed with trauma patients” and not supporting maternity care.

At Emirati Hospital in the south of the enclave, Mr. Allen recounted meeting the medical director of the facility who said that “he no longer sees normal-sized babies.”

Turning to Rafah and continuing fears of an Israeli incursion, the UNFPA officer underscored the “great sense of fear” hanging over the more than 1.2 million people sheltering there.

“There is a palpable fear from the Gazans who I spoke with – the midwives, doctors, pregnant women, my fellow colleagues, who are in Gaza…Right now it’s a haven for 1.2 million Gazans; it’s not a safe haven, but it’s a haven at least.”

The post Retaliatory spiral in Middle East must end, says UN chief after reported strikes on Iran appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.

UN chief condemns Israeli strike on Iran’s Syria consulate

News Agency nabakhabar — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 17:01:57 +0000

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has condemned the Israel;i regime’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Tuesday a strike on an Iranian consular annex building in Syria one day earlier, his spokesman said, after the attack carried out by the Zionist Israeli regime killed at least 13 people, including 7 IRGC military advisors in Syria.

“The Secretary-General reaffirms that the principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Different countries around the world have also condemned and shown solidarity with Iran over the Monday terrorist attack against its diplomatic premises in Damascus as a violation of international law.

The post UN chief condemns Israeli strike on Iran’s Syria consulate appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.

Live blog: Israel bombs Gaza as UN chief decries ‘horror and starvation’

News Agency nabakhabar — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:55:38 +0000

Israeli air and artillery strikes pounded targets in Gaza as UN chief Antonio Guterres called for a surge of aid into the besieged territory he said was stalked by “horror and starvation”.

The health ministry in Gaza said that another 84 people had been killed over the previous 24 hours, raising the total death toll in the territory during nearly six months of war to 32,226, most of them women and children.

Guterres, on a visit to Egypt, urged an end to the “non-stop nightmare” endured by Gaza’s 2.4 million people in the territory’s worst-ever war.

“Looking at Gaza, it almost appears that the four horsemen of war, famine, conquest and death are galloping across it,” the UN secretary-general said, visiting during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

“The whole world recognises that it’s past time to silence the guns and ensure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”

With the UN warning of imminent famine in Gaza, Guterres urged Israel to allow in more humanitarian aid via the Rafah border crossing whose Egyptian side he visited, saying trucks were “blocked”.

More updates 👇

2033 GMT — Women in Gaza urgently need ceasefire: UN women chief

UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous highlighted the difficulties experienced by women in Gaza, stressing the urgent need for a ceasefire in the region.

“Women in Gaza give birth without water. They have no food, no tents, no toilets. They are living the unimaginable,” Bahous said on X.

“What women in Gaza need right now is a ceasefire and relief,” she added.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, more than 9,000 women have lost their lives, and over 23,000 women have been injured in the ongoing attacks by the Israeli army on Gaza.

The fate of over 2,000 missing women in Gaza remains unknown.

Additionally, the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system due to Israeli attacks has left approximately 60,000 pregnant women unable to access healthcare services, putting the lives of both Palestinian women and their babies at risk.

1900 GMT — Benny Gantz threatens to quit Israeli gov’t if bill exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from conscription passed

Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz threatened to quit if the current version of the conscription bill is passed, which exempts ultra-Orthodox Jews from conscription.

The conscription bill is scheduled to be presented in its current form next week before the Knesset (Parliament) for approval.

“We will not be able to be members of the government if the conscription law is passed in its current form,” Gantz said in a video broadcast by KAAN channel, affiliated with the Israel Broadcasting Authority.

He added: “Neither I nor my partners (in the national camp that he leads) will be able to be members of the emergency government if the Knesset approves this legislation and includes it in the laws of the State of Israel.”

2005 GMT — Israeli attack on Rafah will be ‘huge mistake,’ says US vice president

US Vice President Kamala Harris said any attack by Israel on Rafah, despite all warnings, would be a “huge mistake.”

“We have been clear in multiple conversations and in every way that any major military operation in Rafah would be a huge mistake,” Harris told ABC News.

“Let me tell you something: I have studied the maps. There’s nowhere for those folks to go,” Harris said.

When asked about the possibility of the US taking action in response to Israel’s attack on Rafah, Harris said they would “take it step by step,” but emphasised that no option is off the table.

Regarding whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu obstructs peace, Harris stated: “We will continue to pursue our priorities regarding Gaza.”

Harris opposed the killing of innocent Palestinians, affirming the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in “equal security and dignity.”

1841 GMT — Macron warns Israel over any Rafah forced population transfer

French President Emmanuel Macron has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any forced transfer of people from the southern Gaza city of Rafah would constitute “a war crime”.

He repeated his opposition to any Israeli military offensive in Rafah, where most of Gaza’s population has taken shelter after months of fierce fighting in the besieged territory.

In a telephone call between the two leaders on Sunday, Macron also “strongly condemned” Israel’s announcement on Friday of the seizure of 800 km² of land in the occupied West Bank for new settlements.

In the call, Macron told Netanyahu he intended to bring a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for “an immediate and lasting ceasefire”.

He also urged Israel to immediately open all crossing points into Gaza.

1740 GMT — Palestinians say 24 Gazan children held at Israel’s Megiddo Prison

Some 24 Palestinian children from Gaza are held by Israel at Megiddo Prison, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

“Around 94 children are held at the prison in northern Israel, including 24 from Gaza,” the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

According to the statement, Israeli authorities keep in custody some 200 Palestinian children, including more than 40 held without charge or trial under Israel’s notorious policy of administrative detention.

“Prison authorities continue to impose punitive measures against child prisoners similar to those taken against adult detainees since Oct. 7,” the statement said, adding that children held at Israeli prisons were deprived of family visits.

1658 GMT — US funding cut harms Palestinian refugees: UN agency

The United Nations relief agency for Palestinians warned that the US suspension of funding will harm Palestinian refugees in Gaza and the entire Middle East region.

“In Gaza, the humanitarian community is racing against the clock to avert famine,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on X.

“As the backbone of the humanitarian response, any gap in funding to UNRWA will compromise access to food, shelter, primary health care & education at a time of deep trauma.”

The US is the largest donor to UNRWA, providing the refugee agency with $300-$400 million annually.

1540 GMT — Germany slams Israel’s decision to seize 800 km² of land in West Bank’s Jordan Valley

Germany has condemned Israel’s decision to seize 800 km² of land belonging to the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank’s Jordan Valley region.

“We strongly condemn the announcement to confiscate over 800 hectares of land in the Palestinian Territories as Israeli “state land”. This would be the largest appropriation in over 30 years,” Germany’s Foreign Ministry said on X.

“The settlements violate international law & fuel further tensions in this extremely fragile situation,” it added.

1515 GMT — US, Jordan jointly conduct humanitarian airdrops into Gaza

US Central Command (CENTCOM) and Jordanian Air Force jointly conducted humanitarian assistance airdrop into northern Gaza to provide relief to civilians affected by the ongoing war.

“US Central Command and the Royal Jordanian Air Force conducted a combined humanitarian assistance airdrop into Northern Gaza on March 24, 2024, at 12:18 pm (Gaza time) (1018 GMT) to provide essential relief to civilians in Gaza affected by the ongoing conflict,” CENTCOM said on X.

“The combined joint operation included Jordanian provided food and a US Air Force C-130 aircraft,” with the US aircraft dropping “13,080 meal equivalents, including rice, flour, milk, pasta and canned foods, providing life-saving humanitarian assistance” in northern Gaza, it noted.

1434 GMT — Israel’s Netanyahu seeks to ‘destroy’ entire Gaza: Palestine

Palestine has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of seeking to “destroy” entire Gaza.

“Netanyahu’s insistence on a military solution in Gaza as an alternative to political solutions reveals his true intentions of destroying the strip and emptying it of its population,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Netanyahu “is seeking to gain more time to commit more mass massacres, deepen the genocide, destroy the entire Gaza Strip, and push its residents out of the territory,” it added.

The ministry called on the UN Security Council to “address Netanyahu’s goals more seriously by adopting a binding UN resolution” to enforce a political formula agreed by all parties.

1407 GMT — Israeli army launches new military offensive in Gaza’s Khan Younis

The Israeli army launched a new military offensive in Khan Younis city in southern Gaza, the military said.

A military statement said around 40 targets were struck in an operation in the al-Amal neighbourhood in the city’s southern part.

There were no reports yet of casualties.

1330 GMT — Israel to no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to northern Gaza

The head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said Israel had informed the UN that they will no longer approve UNRWA food convoys to north of Gaza.

“This is outrageous and makes it intentional to obstruct lifesaving assistance during a man-made famine. These restrictions must be lifted,” UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini said on social media platform X.

1346 GMT — Jordan calls for permanent ceasefire in Gaza amid Israeli onslaught

Jordan’s King Abdullah II called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza amid a deadly Israeli onslaught on the Palestinian territory.

In a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, the monarch underlined the need to protect civilians in Gaza and provide adequate humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, the royal court said in a statement.

“The catastrophic humanitarian conditions in Gaza require immediate action from the international community to limit its exacerbation,” he added.

He also warned of grave consequences from any Israeli ground attack on Rafah, on the southern tip of Gaza, where more than 1.4 million people have taken refuge from Israel’s ongoing offensive on the strip.

1330 GMT — One killed in Israeli strike on east Lebanon: security source

An Israeli strike on a car near the Syrian border killed a man, a security source said, after overnight fire wounded four people in Lebanon’s east, according to an AFP correspondent.

“Israeli fighter jets targeted a vehicle in the eastern Bekaa area of Suwairi, killing its Syrian driver,” a security source told AFP news agency, requesting anonymity for security concerns.

Earlier on Sunday, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency had said a strike on a vehicle in Suwairi injured the driver, before reporting that he had been killed.

The NNA said he had been delivering food in a car that belonged to a supermarket owner.

Overnight on Sunday, an AFP correspondent said Israeli strikes targeted a Hezbollah centre that had been deserted for some time, wounding four residents in nearby buildings.

1329 GMT — Qatar, UN explore ways of facilitating humanitarian aid access to besieged Gaza

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks in Doha with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths to discuss ways of facilitating the entry of humanitarian aid into besieged Gaza.

The talks dwelt on ways to bolster regional and international efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and to facilitate an obstacle-free humanitarian aid access to Gaza, the state news agency QNA reported.

Al Thani, who is also a foreign minister, underlined the importance of the UN’s role in supporting efforts “to battle the worsening humanitarian catastrophe and put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian brothers trapped in the Gaza Strip.”

1305 GMT — Egypt says ‘intensive efforts’ to reach ceasefire in Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres discussed efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Sisi reviewed Egypt’s “intensive efforts” to reach an immediate ceasefire, exchange prisoners and allow access to sufficient humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

The Egyptian leader praised efforts exerted by Guterres to urge the international community to contribute to stopping the Israeli war on Gaza and his keenness to adhere to international law and international cooperation law, the statement said.

“It’s important for the UN Security Council to assume its responsibility related to the war in Gaza,” he added.

1147 GMT — Aid to Gaza ‘requires Israel removing’ obstacles: UN chief

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has said in Cairo that delivering the necessary aid to famine-threatened Gaza “requires Israel removing the remaining obstacles and chokepoints to relief”.

Following a visit to the gates of the besieged Palestinian territory at the Rafah border crossing, sending in large quantities of aid requires Israel to remove the remaining obstacles and choke points to relief, Guterres said.

“It requires more crossings and access points,” he said. “The only efficient and effective way to move heavy goods is by road. It requires an exponential increase in commercial goods.”

UN aid officials say deliveries can only be scaled up by land, accusing Israel of impeding relief, which Israel denies.

1124 GMT — 16 more Palestinians detained in Israeli raids in West Bank

At least 16 more Palestinians were detained in fresh Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, according to prisoners’ affairs groups.

A child and former prisoners were among the detainees, the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society said in a joint statement.

The arrests took place in the cities of Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah, East Jerusalem, and Tulkarm.

“The arrests were marked by acts of sabotage and destruction of citizens’ homes, in addition to severe beatings of detainees and their families,” the statement said.

The new arrests brought to 7,755 Palestinians detained by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023.

1009 GMT — EU condemns Israeli seizure of 800 km² of land in occupied West Bank

The EU has condemned the Israeli seizure of 800 km² of land in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.

“The European Union firmly condemns the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that over 800 hectares of land in the occupied Palestinian territory have been declared as ‘state lands’,” the EU said in a statement.

This is the largest confiscation since the Oslo Accords was signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in 1994, it said.

“Settlements are a grave breach of international humanitarian law. At this week’s European Council, EU leaders condemned Israeli Government decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, urging Israel to reverse these decisions,” it added.

0935 GMT — Israeli army storms Nasser, al-Amal hospitals in Khan Younis

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society has reported that Israeli forces stormed the Nasser Medical Complex and al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis in southern Gaza amid heavy gunfire.

“Israeli occupation vehicles are besieging both al-Amal Hospital and al-Naser Hospital amidst very intense shelling and heavy gunfire,” the society said in a statement.

“Occupation vehicles are currently surrounding al-Amal Hospital and conducting extensive excavation work around the hospital,” it added.

“All of our teams are in extreme danger at the moment and are completely immobilised,” it also said, noting that its crews were unable to bury the body of their colleague Amir Abu Aisha in the hospital’s backyard.

0817 GMT — Death toll in Gaza hits grim 32,226 as Israel continues to bomb

At least 32,226 Palestinians have been killed and 74,518 injured in Israel’s brutal war on Gaza since Oct. 7, the health ministry of the besieged enclave has said.

There have been 84 Palestinians killed and 106 injured in the past 24 hours, the ministry statement added.

0816 GMT — Israeli police arrest 12 demonstrators in Tel Aviv

Israeli police in Tel Aviv have arrested demonstrators for “inciting a riot” after they called on the government to agree to a deal for the release of hostages in Gaza.

“The demonstrators continued to walk in the nearby streets (to Kaplan Street) and light bonfires throughout the city, risking human lives,” the Israeli police said on X.

0013 GMT — Israeli air strike hits northeastern Lebanon: local official

An Israeli air strike deep in northeastern Lebanon early Sunday wounded at least three people, a local official said.

The air strike near the city of Baalbek, a stronghold of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, was the latest to hit the area in recent weeks.

The strike occurred a few minutes after midnight and wounded three people according to Baalbek’s mayor, Bachir Khodr, who posted the news on X.

It was not immediately clear what was struck. The strike came hours after Hezbollah said it used two drones carrying explosives to attack an Israeli Iron Dome missile defence system in the northern Israeli town of Kfar Blum.

2300 GMT — The World Health Organization (WHO) transferred two sick children from the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza to the Rafah border crossing in preparation for their transport to hospitals outside the enclave.

Fadi Al Zannat, 9, and Nour Jarboa, 6, who are suffering from cancer and malnutrition, were transported via an ambulance belonging to the UN health agency.

“The evacuation (of the two children) took place after two months of issuing an urgent appeal to all international and humanitarian institutions, child rights organizations, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization,” Hossam Abu Safia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, told Anadolu. “For over two months, we have been pleading to relocate these children to a better-equipped facility.”

“Currently, we are facing shortages of medical supplies, food, and infant formula. These children are now suffering from severe malnutrition,” said the director.

2200 GMT — Israeli officer succumbs to injuries after shooting near Ramallah: Army

An Israeli army officer succumbed to his injuries on Friday during an exchange of fire with a Palestinian fighter near the city of Ramallah in the West Bank, the Israeli army announced.

At least one Israeli settler was seriously injured on Friday in a shooting near the Dolev settlement in the occupied West Bank after a Palestinian fighter opened fire on a small bus. Israeli forces then exchanged fire with the assailant, according to the Israeli newspaper Maariv.

The Hamas movement mourned the perpetrator of the attack, stating that he was “Barkat Mansour from the village of Deir Ibzi, near Ramallah.”

The post Live blog: Israel bombs Gaza as UN chief decries ‘horror and starvation’ appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.

UN chief says UNRWA is ‘backbone’ of Gaza aid response

News Agency nabakhabar — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:14:28 +0000

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) as “the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza” and appealed to all countries to “guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s lifesaving work”.

Several countries including the United States, UNRWA’s biggest donor, paused funding after Israel accused some agency staff of taking part in the October 7 attack by Hamas.

Speaking to the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) on Wednesday, Guterres said he was “personally horrified” by the accusations waged against UNRWA staff but stressed the need to overcome the termination.

“Yesterday, I met with donors to listen to their concerns and to outline the steps we are taking to address them,” he said.

“I am extremely concerned by the inhumane conditions faced by Gaza’s 2.2 million people, as they struggle to survive without any of the basics.”

Describing conditions inside the besieged enclave, the UN chief said heavy rains were flooding makeshift tent camps, forcing children, parents and the elderly to sleep in the mud. Clean water has become almost completely inaccessible and preventable diseases are rife, while the health system has collapsed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned of a “massive catastrophe” unfolding in Gaza.

“This is a population that is starving to death, this is a population that is being pushed to the brink,” WHO’s emergencies director Michael Ryan told a news conference.

“The civilians of Gaza are not parties to this conflict and they should be protected, as should be their health facilities.

UN officials have warned that UNRWA will have to halt operations by the end of February if funding is not restored.

The heads of WHO, the World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and other agencies and partners said the allegations were “horrifying.”

“However, we must not prevent an entire organisation from delivering on its mandate to serve people in desperate need,” they said in a joint statement. “No other entity has the capacity to deliver the scale and breadth of assistance that 2.2 million people in Gaza urgently need.”

‘Completely dependent’ on UNRWA

At a meeting of the UN Security Council on Gaza on Wednesday, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said that UNRWA plays a fundamental role in the humanitarian response in Gaza.

“To put it very simply and bluntly: Our humanitarian response for the occupied Palestinian territory is dependent, completely dependent, on UNRWA being adequately funded and operational,” Griffiths told the 15-member council.

“UNRWA’s lifesaving services … to over three-quarters of Gaza’s residents should not be jeopardised by the alleged actions of a few individuals. It is a matter of extraordinary disproportion,” he said.

Griffiths added that the ability of the humanitarian community to reach the people of Gaza with aid remained “grossly inadequate”.

“We continue to face the issue of the rejection for entry of much-needed items into Gaza by Israel for reasons which, at least for us, are unclear and inconsistent,” he said.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent its troops from committing genocide and take steps to improve the humanitarian situation of Palestinians in Gaza, in a case brought by South Africa.

In its highly anticipated interim ruling on Friday, the ICJ did not call for an immediate ceasefire but said Israel must promptly implement “immediate and effective” measures to guarantee the delivery of urgently required humanitarian aid and basic services to Gaza.

South Africa’s Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor on Wednesday said all states have an obligation to stop funding and facilitating Israel’s military actions in Gaza after the World Court made clear those actions have the potential to amount to genocide.

Israel must report to the court within a month on what it is doing to uphold the order to take all measures within its power to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza.

Accusations against UNRWA

The accusations against UNRWA staff members became public on Friday, when the agency announced it had fired some staff after Israel provided information. Guterres said on Sunday that of 12 people implicated nine were fired, one is dead, and the identity of the remaining two was being clarified.

A six-page Israeli dossier said 12 UNRWA staff members took part in the October 7 attacks that killed 1,139 people. It also suggests Israel has wider evidence that UNRWA has employed 190 Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters.

Later on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said UNRWA had been “totally infiltrated” by Hamas and called for its termination.

“It’s time for the international community and the U.N. itself to understand that UNRWA’s mission must be terminated,” Netanyahu told visiting UN delegates, according to a statement from his office.

The Palestinians have claimed Israel falsified information to tarnish UNRWA.

Donors, including the European Union and several European nations, the United Kingdom, Japan and Canada, have suspended funding to the agency.

Riyad Mansour, the permanent observer to the UN for the Palestinian territories, told the UN Security Council on Wednesday there was no reason to “take measures that effectively amount to the collective punishment of 30,000 UNRWA staff and millions of refugees” who benefit from UNRWA’s services.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the US is working to facilitate the delivery of more aid into Gaza, sidestepping reports that Israel has consistently blocked UN aid delivery efforts.

Thomas-Greenfield also said that the ICJ ruling was consistent with the US approach to Gaza and that conditions for a ceasefire “do not exist”.

South Africa’s Pandor said Pretoria has done everything it can and now it is up to the global community to play its part by holding Israel accountable.

The post UN chief says UNRWA is ‘backbone’ of Gaza aid response appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.

UN Chief: Israel’s “Unprecedented Escalation” in Gaza Impairing Humanitarian Aid

News Agency nabakhabar — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 11:05:37 +0000

“I was encouraged in the last days by what seemed to be a growing consensus in the international community, including the countries supporting Israel, for the need of at least a humanitarian pause in the fighting to facilitate the release of hostages in Gaza, the evacuation of third-country nationals and the necessary massive scale-up of the delivery of humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza,” Guterres said in a statement, CNN reported.

“Regrettably, instead of the pause, I was surprised by an unprecedented escalation of the bombardments and their devastating impacts, undermining the referred humanitarian objectives,” Guterres said.

Guterres also said the UN is “extremely concerned” about its staff in Gaza after communications links were badly disrupted by an aerial assault overnight.

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini earlier Saturday said that, while he was able to contact a few UNRWA colleagues in Rafah via a satellite phone, he has not heard from the “vast majority” of his team.

Guterres, who is currently in Doha, also thanked Qatar for “mediation initiatives”, including the release of some hostages.

“”I reiterate my strong appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” Guterres continued.

“I want to repeat what I said yesterday. This is the moment of truth. Everyone must assume their responsibilities. History will judge us all,” the statement concluded.

An overwhelming majority of nations – 120 countries – voted on Friday for a United Nations resolution calling for a “sustained humanitarian truce” in Gaza, even as Israel’s military announced it is “expanding ground operations” in the besieged enclave.

The United States and Israel were among the 14 countries that voted against the resolution. The European Union has stopped short of calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, instead appealing for humanitarian “pauses”.

The post UN Chief: Israel’s “Unprecedented Escalation” in Gaza Impairing Humanitarian Aid appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.

UN chief welcomes renewal of Black Sea Grain Initiative

News Agency nabakhabar — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 11:48:53 +0000

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday welcomed the renewal of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had been due to expire on Saturday.

More than 11.1 million tonnes of essential foodstuffs have been shipped as part of the agreement involving Türkiye, Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations, since it was signed on 22 July.

‘Deeply moved’

Speaking from Cairo, where Mr Guterres was en route from the G20 summit in Bali to the COP 27 climate conference in Sharm el Sheikh, he said in a video tweet that he was “deeply moved” and grateful that an agreement had been reached in Istanbul.

The UN chief also expressed his deep commitment to remove the “remaining obstacles to the unimpeded exports of Russian food and fertilizers”, as these remain “essential” to avoid a food crisis next year.

‘Discreet diplomacy’

He also praised the role of Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, noting that Istanbul has become an “essential centre for discreet diplomacy to solve dramatic problems”.

He expressed deep gratitude to the Turks for their generosity and “very effective commitment”.

In a separate statement, Mr Guterres insisted that the United Nations remained “fully committed” to supporting the initiative’s Joint Coordination Centre which oversees ship movements to and from Ukraine, “so that this vital supply line continues to function smoothly”.

Essential tool against hunger

He said both agreements signed three months ago “are essential to bring down the prices of food and fertilizer and avoid a global food crisis.

“The Black Sea Grain Initiative continues to demonstrate the importance of discreet diplomacy in the context of finding multilateral solutions.”

Yuri is a farm worker in Baranove, Odeska oblast. Since the beginning of the war 
in February, the entire agriculture sector in Ukraine has suffered from 
limited options to export produce.

Multilateralism in action

In a series of tweets, the President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, commended all parties to the agreements on grain and fertilizer and expressed his gratitude to the Secretary-General for his leadership and “unrelenting commitment” to restoring the world’s food supply.

He said the initiative was “a strong example of crisis management in action, and shows “what is possible when diplomacy, dialogue and multilateralism are prioritised.”

He added that it would help ease the suffering of millions impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

UN trade and development chief, Rebeca Grynspan, who was one of the chief negotiators who brokered the Secretary-General’s grain initiative, tweeted that it was “good news for global food security and for the developing world.”

She added that “solving the fertilizer crunch must come next”.

The post UN chief welcomes renewal of Black Sea Grain Initiative appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.

UN chief: Countries bound for COP27 must make climate action ‘the top global priority’

News Agency nabakhabar — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 18:45:52 +0000

As government representatives begin to finalize the agenda for the COP27 climate change conference in Egypt next month, the UN chief told journalists in New York that the work ahead is “as immense as the climate impacts we are seeing around the world”.

Speaking to reporters in New York, as the pre-COP meeting got underway in Kinshasa, Secretary-General António Guterres laid out the worsening impacts worldwide.

“A third of Pakistan flooded. Europe’s hottest summer in 500 years. The Philippines hammered. The whole of Cuba is in a black-out. And here, in the United States, Hurricane Ian has delivered a brutal reminder that no country and no economy is immune from the climate crisis,” he highlighted.

And while “climate chaos gallops ahead, climate action has stalled,” he added.

Faulty maths

The top UN Official underscored the importance of COP27 while warning that the collective commitments of G20 leading industrialized nations’ governments are coming “far too little, and far too late”.

“The actions of the wealthiest developed and emerging economies simply don’t add up.,” he said, pointing out that current pledges and policies are “shutting the door” on limiting global temperature to 2°C, let alone meeting the 1.5°C goals.

Mr. Guterres warned, “we are in a life-or-death struggle for our own safety today and our survival tomorrow,” saying there is no time for pointing fingers or “twiddling thumbs” but instead requires “a quantum level compromise between developed and emerging economies”.

“The world can’t wait,” he spelled out. “Emissions are at an all-time high and rising”.

And he said that while pursuing their own “drop-in-the-bucket initiatives” international financial institutions must overhaul their business approaches to combat climate change.

Backsliding

Meanwhile, as the planet burns, the Ukraine war is putting climate action on the back burner and the dynamic climate actors in the business world continue to be hampered by “obsolete regulatory frameworks, red tape, and harmful subsidies that send the wrong signals”.

Meaningful progress must be made to address loss and damage beyond countries’ abilities to adapt as well as financial support for climate action, upheld by the UN chief

Decisions must be made now on the question of loss and damage as “failure to act” will lead to “more loss of trust and more climate damage,” he said, describing it as “a moral imperative that cannot be ignored”.

Action ‘litmus test’

COP27 is “the number one litmus test” of how seriously governments take the growing climate toll on the most vulnerable countries.

“This week’s pre-COP can determine how this crucial issue will be handled in Sharm el-Shaikh,” he informed the media, noting that the world needs clarity from developed countries on the delivery of their $100 billion pledge to support climate action in developing countries.

Moreover, adaptation and resilience funding must represent half of all climate finance; multilateral development banks “must raise their game”; and emerging economies need support to back renewable energy and build resilience.

While the Resilience and Sustainability Trust led by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a good start, major multilateral development bank shareholders must be the driving force for transformative change, he continued.

“On every climate front, the only solution is solidarity and decisive action”.

The Secretary-General chief upheld that by showing up at COP27 in Sharm el-Shaikh, all countries – led by the G-20 – can demonstrate that “climate action truly is the top global priority that it must be”.

Step up climate adaptation support

Meanwhile, in Kinshasa, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned environment ministers and others that the window of opportunity to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis is closing.

She stressed that greater support for climate adaptation in developing countries “must be a global priority”, particularly progress on adaptation finance.

Ms. Mohammed recalled that at last year’s COP26 conference in Glasgow, developed nations had promised to double adaptation support to $40 billion dollars a year by 2025.

The UN deputy chief called for a clear roadmap on how the funding will be delivered, starting this year.

She added that $40 billion is “only a fraction of the $300 billion that will be needed annually by developing countries for adaptation by 2030”.

Counting every moment

Ms. Mohammed underscored that the world “desperately needs hope”.

“We need progress…that shows that leaders fully comprehend the scale of the emergency we face and the value of COP, as a space where world leaders come together to solve problems and take responsibility,” she said.

“Every moment counts”.

The deputy chief said that it is time to prove that we are moving in the right direction “with an outcome that shows our collective commitment to addressing the climate crisis because people, and the children here today, and the planet matter”.

The post UN chief: Countries bound for COP27 must make climate action ‘the top global priority’ appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.

UN chief calls for an end to ‘nuclear blackmail’ and risk of ‘humanitarian Armageddon’

News Agency nabakhabar — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 18:26:45 +0000

In an era of “nuclear blackmail”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday urged countries to step back from the threat of potential global catastrophe and recommit to peace.

The UN chief was speaking at an event to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, held as the annual debate in the General Assembly Hall draws to a close.

“Nuclear weapons are the most destructive power ever created. They offer no security — just carnage and chaos. Their elimination would be the greatest gift we could bestow on future generations,” he said.

The threat of ‘humanitarian Armageddon’

Mr. Guterres was addressing world leaders, foreign ministers, other senior government officials and civil society gathered in the Trusteeship Council at UN Headquarters in New York.

He recalled that the Cold War had brought humanity “within minutes of annihilation.” Yet decades after it ended, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, “we can hear once again the rattling of nuclear sabres,” he said.

“Let me be clear. The era of nuclear blackmail must end. The idea that any country could fight and win a nuclear war is deranged. Any use of a nuclear weapon would incite a humanitarian Armageddon. We need to step back.”

Disappointment and determination

The Secretary-General also spoke of his disappointment after countries failed to reach a consensus at a conference last month to review the landmark Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the only binding commitment to the goal of disarmament by States which officially stockpile nuclear weapons.

Following four weeks of intense negotiations at UN Headquarters, delegations left without an outcome document because Russia objected to the text about its control over Ukrainian nuclear facilities.

The UN chief pledged not to give up and urged countries “to use every avenue of dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation to ease tensions, reduce risk and eliminate the nuclear threat.”

New vision and commitment

Mr. Guterres underscored the need for a new vision for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, pointing to his New Agenda for Peace. It calls for meaningful disarmament and developing a common understanding of the multiple threats facing the international community.

“We need to take into account the evolving nuclear order, including all types of nuclear weapons and their means of delivery. And we need to address the blurring lines between strategic and conventional weapons, and the nexus with new domains of cyber and outer space,” he said.

As the General Assembly debate ends, the Secretary-General called for countries to leave New York with a new commitment to work towards a peaceful future.

“Without eliminating nuclear weapons, there can be no peace. There can be no trust. And there can be no sustainable future,” he said.

Ukraine war raising risks

The President of the UN General Assembly, Csaba Kőrösi, was frank in his remarks, stating that the war in Ukraine has raised credible risks of global nuclear disaster.

“I am particularly appalled by the recurring, thinly veiled threats of nuclear strikes. Tactical strikes, it is often added, but we all know that such a conflict would never stay at the tactical level,” he said.

The nuclear threat on the Korean Peninsula also continues to pose an unacceptable risk to the region and to the world, he added.

“Meanwhile, arsenals across the world are filled with more than 13,000 warheads. Investments in these weapons continue to increase, while too many people struggle to buy food, educate their children, and keep warm.”

Return to disarmament

Mr. Kőrösi wondered how the world had arrived at this situation after decades of efforts to promote both nuclear disarmament and awareness about the existential threat that nuclear weapons pose to humanity.

More importantly, he wondered how this deadlock could be overcome, stressing that achieving a nuclear-free world is the UN’s top disarmament priority, now more than ever.

“As a global community, we must find the courage to return to the path of disarmament, for the sake of people and the planet. To start, safeguarding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty shall remain an iron principle for all future talks on disarmament and non-proliferation,” he said.

Mr. Kőrösi called for countries to renew their commitment to fully implement the treaty, comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, and “refrain from actions and rhetoric that destabilize international peace and security.”

Ratify test-ban treaty

He also addressed the status of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which opened for signature 25 years ago.

The CTBT has yet to enter into force because it must be signed and ratified by 44 specific nuclear technology holder countries, eight of which have yet to ratify it: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pakistan and the United States.

“I call on the remaining Annex 2 countries to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty without delay, allowing it to finally enter into force – as 174 Member States have already ratified it and now eight Member States are yet to do so,” he said.

End mistrust and confrontation

Meanwhile, negotiations on a proposed Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty, which are long overdue, must begin immediately, he added.

“In this critical moment, let us reverse the trend of mistrust and confrontation, and instead focus on rational compromises and wise solutions,” said the General Assembly President.

“Let us honor this commemorative day with a renewed and genuine determination towards a world free of these weapons of the Apocalypse.”

The post UN chief calls for an end to ‘nuclear blackmail’ and risk of ‘humanitarian Armageddon’ appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.

UN chief to rich nations: ‘Open wallets’ and ‘hearts’ for developing countries to purchase Ukrainian grain

News Agency nabakhabar — Sat, 20 Aug 2022 13:19:34 +0000

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for wealthier countries to help developing nations purchase Ukrainian grain as supplies begin returning to global markets, in an appeal from the Black Sea port of Odesa on Friday, World Humanitarian Day.

Ships carrying grain have been leaving there under a recent UN-brokered agreement, and Mr. Guterres said Odesa was a symbol of what countries can achieve when they work together for the common good.

Speaking to journalists, the UN chief revealed that it was a moving experience to be at the port, where he witnessed wheat being loaded onto a ship.

“It’s obviously a reason for joy,” he said. “But it is also emotional because of the sadness I feel looking into this wonderful harbour and looking into these terminals practically empty with the possibility that this harbour has to develop; that Ukraine and the whole region being cut off because of the war”.

Vessels of hope

The Odesa port had been paralyzed for months due to the war, which meant that “a critical transportation line from a global breadbasket was cut”, he said.

Things are changing under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the deal to unblock grain and fertilizer exports, signed barely a month ago by Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye and the UN.

Since then, 25 ships have departed from Odesa and other Ukrainian ports, and more are on the way, said Mr. Guterres, speaking alongside Ukraine’s Infrastructure Minister, Oleksandr Kubrakov.

The ships have transported over 600,000 tonnes of grain and food products, namely wheat, corn, sunflower oil, and soybeans.

“But each ship is also a vessel of hope,” he said.  “Hope for Ukrainian farmers finally rewarded for their harvest – with storage being freed up for more. Hope for seafarers and the larger shipping community, knowing that it is once again possible to sail through the Black Sea safely and efficiently.  And, most of all, hope for the world’s most vulnerable people and countries”.

Support for developing countries

The UN chief issued a special call to rich nations on behalf of vulnerable people everywhere who are bearing the brunt of the global food crisis.

“As these ports open, I appeal for wealthier countries to also open their wallets and their hearts. After all, the movement of grains doesn’t mean much to countries that cannot afford it,” he said.

“It is time for massive and generous support so developing countries can purchase the food from this and other ports – and people can buy it.   Developing countries need access to financing now.  They need debt relief now.  They need resources to invest in their people now”.

The Secretary-General also called for more action to ensure full global access to Ukrainian food products, and Russian food and fertilizer, through the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

While no one ever expected the agreement would equal “smooth sailing”, it is unprecedented both in scope and scale, he said, adding that there is still a long way to go.

Mr. Guterres explained that getting more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices.

“But let’s not forget that what we see here in Odesa is only the more visible part of the solution.  The other part that is also important, that we have been defending, relates to the unimpeded access to the global markets of Russian food and fertilizer, which are not subject to sanctions”.

It is important that all governments and the private sector cooperate to bring them to market, because “without fertilizer in 2022, there may not be enough food in 2023″, he warned.

The Secretary-General underlined his deep commitment to these objectives, which he said will only happen if all parties cooperate.

Peace for Ukraine

He stressed the need to continue efforts towards improving global food supply and stabilizing markets and working for peace in line with the UN Charter and international law.

“Today, Odesa is more than just a shipping center.  This port is a symbol of what the world can do when we commit to working together for the common good,” he said.

“The Ukrainian people have been suffering so much. They have witnessed so many deaths and so much destruction that it is legitimate to aspire for peace. But again, I repeat peace in line with the UN Charter, peace in line with international law.  That is the best way to mark World Humanitarian Day and help set the course for a more just and peaceful world for all”.

The post UN chief to rich nations: ‘Open wallets’ and ‘hearts’ for developing countries to purchase Ukrainian grain appeared first on News Agency nabakhabar.