Conflict

UPDATE: UN Security Council demands immediate cease-fire in Gaza

New York, March 25, 2024 – Breaking its own deadlock for a solution since the Israel-Hamas war broke out five months ago, the UN Security Council voted 14-0 to demand an immediate cease-fire to be respected by all parties during the month of Ramadan and leading to a “permanent, sustainable cease-fire.”

The resolution also demanded “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuringhumanitarian access to address their medical and other humanitarian needs” and “that the parties comply with their obligations under international law in relation to all persons they detain.” The Ramadan began on March 10 and will end on April 9.

The resolution called for “the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to and reinforce the protection of civilians in the entire Gaza Strip.”

The US abstained when the 15-nation council voted 14-0 on the resolution, which was drafted by the council’s 10 elected member states, which are Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland.

The council had not been able to adopt a resolution to demand a cease-fire because of division among the five permanent members. On March 22, Russia and China voted against a US-backed draft resolution that did not directly call for a cease-fire of the Israel-Hamas war and the two countries accused the US of “deliberately misleading the international community” and “playing a game of words” in the face of suffering by the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The negative votes by Russia and China amounted to a veto of the US draft resolution despite the fact that 11 of the 15 council members voted in favor. Russia, China and Algeria voted against. One country abstained: Guyana.

The 11 countries are: Ecuador, France, Japan, Malta Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the US.

The US, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom are permanent members of the UN Security Council and have the power to veto decisions by casting a negative vote. The other 10 members are elected to serve two-year terms.

The US draft resolution said it was “imperative” for “an immediate and sustained ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides” in order to facilitate essential aid delivery and support talks between Israel and Hamas militants to create a sustainable end to the hostilities and to the release of all hostages.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who introduced the draft to the council, said before the vote that the US wants to see “an immediate and sustained ceasefire.” But, “we have to do the hard work of diplomacy” to make that aim a reality and it has to be made “real on the ground”.

“This is why the negotiations are going on in Qatar which will lead to a sustainable cease-fire,” she said, “but we are not there yet unfortunately.”

In addition to making an immediate and sustained ceasefire “imperative” to protect civilians, the draw would have called for an “urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance” to all civilians and lifting “all barriers” to delivering aid at scale to Gazans.

The draft would call on Israel and all armed groups to comply with their obligations under international law, providing protection for humanitarian workers and medical personnel. It also would condemn all acts of terrorism including the Hamas-led attacks of 7 October, the taking and killing of hostages, murder of civilians, sexual violence and condemns the use of civilian buildings for military purposes.

Russia’s Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the US draft did not call for a cease-fire and accused the US of “deliberately misleading the international community.” He also accused the US of “selling a product” to the council by using the word “imperative” in the text.

China’s Ambassador Zhang Ju said the U.S. proposal did not promote an immediate and sustained cease-fire, set preconditions and fell far short of expectations of council members and the broader international community.

“If the U.S. was serious about a cease-fire, it wouldn’t have vetoed time and again multiple council resolutions,” he said. “It wouldn’t have taken such a detour and played a game of words while being ambiguous and evasive on critical issues.”

Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7, 2023, with the surprise attack by Hamas militants against Israel, the council has failed to stop the war or order a humanitarian cease-fire because of the division among the five permanent members.

The US has vetoed three resolutions demanding a cease-fire, with the most recent an Arab-backed measure supported by 13 council members with one abstention on February 20 this year. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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UPDATE: UN Security Council demands immediate cease-fire in Gaza Read More »

UN warns of man-made famine in Gaza affecting more than 1.1 million people

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New York, March 18, 2024 – Acute food insecurity is threatening groups of population in some countries but in Gaza, where the Israel-Hamas war is ongoing, famine could be imminent for more than half of the entire population 2.3 million, said a new study headed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

FAO said in the new publication Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global partnership of 15 organizations that include governments, non-governmental organizations and UN agencies, that 1.1 million people in Gaza are projected to face catastrophic levels of food insecurity between March and July 2024, up from 378,000 in December 2023.

It said nutrition screenings conducted in February show acute malnutrition rates among children in northern Gaza and Rafah have nearly doubled since January.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for action to prevent famine in Gaza, saying, “Palestinians in Gaza are enduring horrifying levels of hunger and suffering.

This is the highest number of people facing catastrophic hunger ever recorded by the Integrated Food Security Classification system –anywhere, anytime.”

“This is an entirely man-made disaster — and the report (IPC) makes clear that it can be halted,” he said and called for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”

“I call on the Israeli authorities to ensure complete and unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza and for the international community to fully support our humanitarian efforts. We must act now to prevent the unthinkable, the unacceptable and the unjustifiable.”

In addition to the acute food insecurity in Gaza, IPC reported similar situations in some periods this year in Haiti, Timor Leste and Somalia.

FAO said the main goal of the IPC is to provide decision-makers with a “rigorous, evidence- and consensus-based analysis of food insecurity and acute malnutrition situations, to inform emergency responses as well as medium- and long-term policy and programming.” It the IPC was originally developed in 2004 to be used in Somalia by FAO’s Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU). “Since then, a global partnership of 15 organizations is leading the development and implementation of the IPC at global, regional and country level. With over 10 years of application, the IPC has proved to be one of the best practices in the global food security field, and a model of collaboration in over 30 countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.”

UN warns of man-made famine in Gaza affecting more than 1.1 million people

New York, March 18, 2024 – Acute food insecurity is threatening groups of population in many countries but in Gaza, where the Israel-Hamas war is ongoing, famine could be imminent for more than half of the entire population 2.3 million, said a new study headed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

It said nutrition screenings conducted in February show acute malnutrition rates among children in northern Gaza and Rafah have nearly doubled since January.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for action to prevent famine in Gaza, saying, “Palestinians in Gaza are enduring horrifying levels of hunger and suffering.

This is the highest number of people facing catastrophic hunger ever recorded by the Integrated Food Security Classification system –anywhere, anytime.”

“This is an entirely man-made disaster — and the report (IPC) makes clear that it can be halted,” he said and called for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.”

In addition to the acute food insecurity in Gaza, IPC reported similar situations in some periods this year in Haiti, Timor Leste and Somalia.

UN warns of man-made famine in Gaza affecting more than 1.1 million people Read More »

UPDATE: UN blasts Russia as Ukraine war enters third year, calling it “an open wound at the heart of Europe”

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New York, February 23, 2024 – United Nations leaders delivered strong criticisms of Russia at meetings of both the UN General Assembly and Security Council convened to discuss the war in Ukraine as it enters a third year.

“The United Nations Charter and international law are our guide to creating a world free from the scourge of war,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the 15-nation Security Council. “Yet Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine directly violated both. Two years on – and a decade since Russia’s attempted illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol – the war in Ukraine remains an open wound at the heart of Europe.”

“It is high time for peace – a just peace, based on the United Nations Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions,” he said.

Guterres said the world is currently “at a chaotic moment” in the wake of the Cold War and a period of unipolarity. “We are now making a turbulent transition to an as-yet uncertain multipolar world. Power relations are unclear, creating a sense of instability and impunity.”

He said the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has set a “dangerous precedent” because it violated international law and principles set out in the UN Charter.

“In any war, everyone suffers. But the people of Ukraine are suffering appallingly from the war inflicted on them by Russia.”

“The war is also hurting the people of Russia,” Guterres said. “Thousands of young Russians are dying on the frontlines. Civilians hit by strikes on Russian cities are also suffering. The danger of the conflict escalating and expanding is very real.

And around the world, the war is deepening geopolitical divides.”

At the meeting of the UN General Assembly, which comprises 193 nations, Dennis Francis, its president, said member states cannot remain blind to the ongoing war or ignore the plight of the Ukrainian people.

The war “is actively undermining the very foundations of our UN Charter – threatening the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity we all committed to hold dear and to defend,” Francis said.

“While the Security Council may be paralyzed by division, let us draw strength from the collective voice of the General Assembly – which has pronounced itself twice condemning the aggression and demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian military forces from the territory of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders,” he said.

“Beyond condemnations, we, the United Nations, must actively work towards a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace in line with the Charter of this organization.” (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

Ukraine war two years on: destruction and displacement – 14.6 million people need humanitarian assistance this year

Oslo/New York, February 21, 2024 – The Russian military invaded Ukraine two years ago on February 24 and the escalating war has inflicted a devastating impact on the country and the population. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said new data from a survey it conducted with over 1,000 participants across Ukraine has revealed that 64 per cent of respondents in areas under Russian occupation reported that they are unable to meet their basic needs like food, water and shelter. Almost half (47 per cent) of people surveyed in the east and south of Ukraine report their houses have been damaged or destroyed and 83 per cent of respondents across the country report that they fear for their lives and others around them, or do not feel safe. The following is a press release from the NRC.

Read New data from a survey conducted by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) with over 1,000 participants across Ukraine. The survey revealed the devastating impacts of the escalation of the war, two years on. The survey which covered topics related to displacement, access to services and the ability of Ukrainians to meet their basic needs, paints a complex picture of a population, particularly those in the east and south, who have been pushed to the limit to survive.

Anjela, 44, from Mykolaiv, and her family have been displaced for almost two years after their house was destroyed.

“We decided to be the first ones to flee the village. We simply took a blanket and tore it into pieces to make white flags. We walked 15 kilometres under the shelling, one after another. We were afraid of being shot so we needed to run fast,” she said. On top of having to flee, in April 2022, Anjela was dealt the devastating blow when her father, who had stayed behind in their home village to look after his parents was killed by a missile.

“People who were still in the village at that time pulled him out from under the rubble, it was all under fire…he did not have half his head. My father was buried, covered in a blanket. He was 65 years old. It’s good that people buried him and put the cross, so at least we knew where his body was. Others did not have this chance.”

Anjela told NRC that it wasn’t until one year later that they were able to have her father’s body exhumed and give him a proper burial in a village near where she and her family are now displaced. She told NRC that he could not be buried in their home village as the local cemetery was now contaminated with mines.

Anjela’s story highlights that in addition to prolonged displacement and the destruction of their homes, many families are also dealing with tragic loss and trauma as the war rages on.

A sobering 37 per cent of respondents to the survey reported that they had lost an immediate or extended family member in the last 24 months.

Data from the report also points to the potential conditions for Ukrainians living in areas of Ukraine currently under Russian occupation. 64 per cent of respondents believed to be in areas under Russian occupation reported that they are unable to meet their basic needs at all, meaning they are struggling to find food, water and shelter.

The level of humanitarian needs in Ukraine remains high. Last year just over two-thirds of the funding needed was covered. This year it is expected that 14.6 million people in Ukraine will need humanitarian assistance.

Two years on, the suffering in Ukraine is becoming a protracted crisis, as people exhaust their resources and struggle to cope. “The daily reality for millions of Ukrainians is living under the constant threat of shelling and death,” said Jan Egeland, secretary general of NRC “It is essential that civilians caught up in conflict are protected, and are able to access lifesaving aid. We have a right – and a duty – to ensure the provision of assistance to civilians, no matter where they are.”

“Humanitarian organisations must be given immediate access to those civilians living in Russian occupied areas,” said Egeland. “Member states must do everything in their power to ensure respect for international humanitarian law in Ukraine, while donor nations must revamp their efforts to ensure continued humanitarian assistance for millions of Ukrainians still desperately in need of aid. The world must not forget Ukraine.”

Notes: Between January and February 2024, NRC and research company Upinion conducted an online survey with conflict affected persons in Ukraine, with a special focus on frontline areas in the east (Dnipro, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia) and south (Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kirovohrad, Kherson, Crimea), and with a focus on elderly people.

A total of 1,090 respondents engaged with the online survey, 80 per cent of whom were women.

The majority of respondents in Ukraine fell within the age range of 46 to 69 (54 per cent), while smaller proportions belonged to younger age categories (31 per cent) or were older than 70 (15 per cent).

In addition to the online outreach, Upinion and NRC undertook active efforts to reach elderly respondents.

Last year just over two-thirds of the funding needed to cover the UN and partners Humanitarian Response Plan for Ukraine was covered, according to Financial Tracking Service. This year it is expected that 14.6 million people in Ukraine will need humanitarian assistance, according to UNOCHA.

NRC has been active in Ukraine since 2014, expanding its efforts after the conflict intensified in February 2022. NRC provided life-saving assistance to just under 500,000 people in Ukraine in 2023 through offices in Lviv, Dnipro, Kyiv, and Odesa, and field offices in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Ternopil, Chernihiv.

Read the full report here. Media contact: Becky Bakr Vindheim, Head of Nordic Advocacy & Media. Advocacy and Media Section, Head Office – Phone: +47 41613766 | Twitter: @BeckyBakr – Norwegian Refugee Council

UPDATE: UN blasts Russia as Ukraine war enters third year, calling it “an open wound at the heart of Europe” Read More »

Humanitarian agencies urge immediate ceasefire in Gaza to avoid catastrophe as civilians are in extreme peril

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Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee

New York/Geneva/Rome, 21 February 2024 – In the less than five months that followed the brutal 7 October attacks and the ensuing escalation, tens of thousands of Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed and injured in the Gaza Strip. More than three quarters of the population have been forced from their homes, many multiple times, and face severe shortages of food, water, sanitation and healthcare – the basic necessities to survive.

The health system continues to be systematically degraded, with catastrophic consequences. As of 19 February, only 12 out of 36 hospitals with inpatient capacity are still functioning, and only partially. There have been more than 370 attacks on health care in Gaza since 7 October.

Diseases are rampant. Famine is looming. Water is at a trickle. Basic infrastructure has been decimated. Food production has come to a halt. Hospitals have turned into battlefields. One million children face daily traumas.

Rafah, the latest destination for well over 1 million displaced, hungry and traumatized people crammed into a small sliver of land, has become another battleground in this brutal conflict. Further escalation of violence in this densely populated area would cause mass casualties. It could also deal a death blow to a humanitarian response that is already on its knees.

There is no safe place in Gaza – Humanitarian workers, themselves displaced and facing shelling, death, movement restrictions and a breakdown of civil order, continue efforts to deliver to those in need. But faced with so many obstacles – including safety and movement restrictions – they can only do so much.

No amount of humanitarian response will make up for the months of deprivation that families in Gaza have endured. This is our effort to salvage the humanitarian operation so that we can provide, at the very least, the bare essentials: medicine, drinking water, food, and shelter as temperatures plummet.

For this, we need: (1) An immediate ceasefire; (2) Civilians and the infrastructure they rely on to be protected, (3) The hostages to be released immediately; (4) Reliable entry points that would allow us to bring aid in from all possible crossings, including to northern Gaza, (5) Security assurances and unimpeded passage to distribute aid, at scale, across Gaza, with no denials, delays and access impediments, (6) A functioning humanitarian notification system that allows all humanitarian staff and supplies to move within Gaza and deliver aid safely, (7) Roads to be passable and neighborhoods to be cleared of explosive ordnance and (8) A stable communication network that allows humanitarians to move safely and securely; (9) UNRWA, the backbone of the humanitarian operations in Gaza, to receive the resources it needs to provide life-saving assistance; (10) A halt to campaigns that seek to discredit the United Nations and non-governmental organizations doing their best to save lives.

Humanitarian agencies remain committed, despite the risks. But they cannot be left to pick up the pieces. We are calling on Israel to fulfil its legal obligation, under international humanitarian and human rights law, to provide food and medical supplies and facilitate aid operations, and on the world’s leaders to prevent an even worse catastrophe from happening.

Signatories:

Mr. Martin Griffiths, Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

Ms. Sofia Sprechmann Sineiro, Secretary General, CARE International

Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Ms. Jane Backhurst, Chair, ICVA (Christian Aid)

Mr. Jamie Munn, Executive Director, International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA)

Mr. Tom Hart, Chief Executive Officer and President, InterAction

Ms. Amy E. Pope, Director General, International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Ms. Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, Chief Executive Officer, Mercy Corps

Mr. Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Ms. Janti Soeripto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children

Ms. Paula Gaviria Betancur, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (SR on HR of IDPs)

Mr. Achim Steiner, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Mr. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Mr. Michal Mlynár, Executive Director a.i., United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat)

Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Ms. Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN Women

Ms. Cindy McCain, Executive Director, World Food Programme (WFP)

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organization (WHO)

US vetoes resolution that called for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war – The UN Security Council met on February 20 and voted on a draft resolution proposed by Algeria on behalf of the 22-nation Arab Group. The draft called for a humanitarian ceasefire and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Gaza. It also condemned “all acts of terrorism” and called on the council to demand that Israel and Hamas “scrupulously comply” with international law, especially the protection of civilians.

Thirteen of the 15-nation council voted in favor of the draft resolution, but the United States cast a veto which effectively canceled the positive votes. The United Kingdom abstained. It was the third time that the U.S. vetoed a resolution that demanded a ceasefire in the war that broke out between Israel and militants Hamas last October 7. Under council voting rules, a draft resolution can be adopted with nine votes provided there is no veto from any of the five permanent council members – the US, Russia, UK, France and China.

Humanitarian agencies urge immediate ceasefire in Gaza to avoid catastrophe as civilians are in extreme peril Read More »

Ukraine war two years on: destruction and displacement – 14.6 million people will need humanitarian assistance this year

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Anjela, 44, from Mykolaiv, and her family have been displaced for almost two years after their house was destroyed.

Anjela’s story highlights that in addition to prolonged displacement and the destruction of their homes, many families are also dealing with tragic loss and trauma as the war rages on.

A sobering 37 per cent of respondents to the survey reported that they had lost an immediate or extended family member in the last 24 months.

A total of 1,090 respondents engaged with the online survey, 80 per cent of whom were women.

In addition to the online outreach, Upinion and NRC undertook active efforts to reach elderly respondents.

Ukraine war two years on: destruction and displacement – 14.6 million people will need humanitarian assistance this year Read More »

UN calls for urgent humanitarian ceasefire as death toll reaches 9,770 in Gaza

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New York, November 6 – The United Nations said the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza demands an immediate ceasefire one month after the Israeli-Hamas war broke out, killing 9,770 people with more than half of them children and women.

The UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, that the death toll since October 7 has reached 9,770 including 4,008 children and 2,550 women. In addition, the ministry said some 2,260 people, including 1,270 children, are reported missing in Gaza, with most presumed to be trapped under the mounting rubble.

The war broke out after Hamas militants in Gaza launched a surprise attack against Israel, killing 1,400 people, according to Israel.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and humanitarian groups launched an appeal for US$1.2 billion to help 2.7 million people, including the entire population of the Gaza Strip and half a million Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

“Gaza is becoming a graveyard for children. Hundreds of girls and boys are reportedly being killed or injured every day,” Guterres said at UN headquarters in New York, adding that more journalists have reportedly been killed over the last month than in any conflict in at least three decades. He said more UN aid worker have been killed than in any comparable period in the history of the UN.

“The parties to the conflict — and, indeed, the international community — face an immediate and fundamental responsibility: to stop this inhuman collective suffering and dramatically expand humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Guterres called for “cool heads and diplomatic efforts” to prevent an expansion of the conflict as the West Bank and East Jerusalem are at a “boiling point” while “a spiral of escalation” is happing from Lebanon and Syria to Iraq and Yemen.

Martin Griffiths, the head of OCHA, said a dozen UN agencies are joining in calling for a humanitarian ceasefire with the message that “enough is enough”, and for the immediate and unconditional release of the more than 240 hostages captured by Hamas and held in Gaza since the start of the war.

Griffiths said all parties in the conflict should respect their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. The humanitarians issued a call

for the protection of civilians and the infrastructure, including hospitals, shelters and schools.

They said in a joint statement that the killings of civilians in Gaza an “outrage” and the fact that 2.2 million residents in Gaza Strip are still cut off from food, water, medicine, electricity and fuel.

The statement said it is “unacceptable… that an entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship”.

UN calls for urgent humanitarian ceasefire as death toll reaches 9,770 in Gaza Read More »

UPDATE: U.N. fears the worst as Israelis and Palestinians face most difficult moments in 75 years

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New York, October 18 – The U.N. Envoy to the Middle East called for an inquiry into the destruction of a hospital in Gaza City that killed hundreds of people and he warned that the current Israeli-Hamas conflict is a “devastating and clearly difficult challenge” to the region and the world.

Tor Wennesland, the special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Emergency, told a U.N. Security Council meeting that the war is “one of the most difficult moments” for Israeli and Palestinian people in the past 75 years.

“The massacre and despicable acts of violence and terror perpetrated by Hamas against Israelis on 7 October are seared into our collective memory. There is no justification or excuse for such acts and I condemn them unequivocally,” he said. “We are facing a devastating and clearly difficult challenge for the region and for the international community. It comes at a moment when the global institutions we need to respond to such a crisis are already stretched.”

“Hundreds of Palestinians were killed – patients, health workers and those seeking shelter – when the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City was struck by lethal fire,” Wennesland said. “The circumstances and responsibility remain obscure and will need to be fully investigated, but the result speaks for itself.”

Israel-Gaza war creates an “utter catastrophe” in humanitarian situation – Fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in the last 11 days has killed thousands of people and displaced over 1 million Palestinians in Gaza who cannot escape bombs and missiles, a U.N. official said, describing the humanitarian situation as an “utter catastrophe” as casualties and destruction are mounting.

Joyce Msuya, a U.N. assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said in a briefing that the death toll in the current conflict has already exceeded that of the 7-week conflict in 2014 between the two sides. More than 2,800 Palestinians have been killed, over 10,850 injured and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble.

Israeli authorities have confirmed that 1,300 Israelis have been killed and more than 4,100 injured while nearly 200 people are kidnapped by Hamas. Msuya said the captives must be “treated humanely; hostages must be released immediately.”

She said 15 staff of the U.N. relief organization in Gaza and five from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement have been killed and U.N. premises in Gaza are among those damaged by the war.

“As hostilities escalate, these numbers will only rise, and an already dire humanitarian situation will continue to deteriorate,” Msuya said. “It is now estimated that as many as 1 million people have fled their homes to other parts of Gaza. In reality civilians have nowhere to go—nowhere to escape the bombs and missiles, and nowhere to find water or food, or to escape the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.”

“As civilians are packed into an ever-smaller area, the essentials they need to survive—shelter, water, food, power and medical care—have all but run out.”

Msuya said the U.N. will continue to engage with the fighting parties and governments with influence to find ways to bring and deliver humanitarian supplies in Gaza and allow U.N. and NGO personnel enter and exit the strip.

“We will continue to demand respect for international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected and humanitarian relief must be facilitated, as international humanitarian law demands. We urge all countries with influence to insist on respect for the rules of war and the avoidance of any further escalation and spillover,” she said.

The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution – A the council meetingon October 18,the U.S. vetoed a resolution that called for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza because it failed to recognize Israel’s right to self-defense even though 12 of the council’s 15 members voted in favor. Russia and the United Kingdom abstained.

The council’s voting rules call for nine countries to vote in favor to pass a resolution, provided there is no veto from any of the five permanent members – the U.S., Russia, United Kingdom, France and China.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she cast the no vote because the resolution failed to “mention Israel’s right of self-defense. Israel has the inherent sight of self-defense as reflected in Article 51 of the UN Charter.”

But Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S., despite its veto, will continue to work closely with all council members on the crisis, “just as we will continue to reiterate the need to protect civilians, including members of the media, humanitarian workers, and UN officials.”

“Yes, resolutions are important, and yes, this Council must speak out. But the actions we take, must be informed by the facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy that can save lives,” she said.

The U.S. veto, which voided the resolution submitted by Brazil, came after the council rejected on October 16 a Russia-backed resolution on Israel-Gaza war, which called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages, aid access and safe evacuation of civilians. Only five countries – China, Gabon, Mozambique, Russia and the United Arab Emirates – voted in favor. Four countries – France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – voted against and six abstained, they are Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Malta, and Switzerland. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

UPDATE: U.N. fears the worst as Israelis and Palestinians face most difficult moments in 75 years Read More »

Israel-Gaza war creates an “utter catastrophe” in humanitarian situation, U.N. says

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New York, October 17 – Fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in the last 10 days has killed thousands of people and displaced over 1 million Palestinians in Gaza who cannot escape bombs and missiles, a U.N. official said, describing the humanitarian situation as an “utter catastrophe” as casualties and destruction are mounting.

She said 15 staff of the U.N. relief organization in Gaza and five from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement have been killed and U.N. premises in Gaza are among those damaged by the war.

“As civilians are packed into an ever-smaller area, the essentials they need to survive—shelter, water, food, power and medical care—have all but run out.”

U.N. Security Council rejects Russia-backed resolution on Israel-Gaza war. The U.N. Security Council, which has not taken any action since fighting erupted, rejected a Russian-backed resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages, aid access and safe evacuation of civilians.

The 15-nation council took a nighttime vote on the resolution on October 16 and only five countries voted in favor. Those countries are: China, Gabon, Mozambique, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

Four countries – France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – voted against and six abstained, they are Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Malta, and Switzerland.

Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the U.N. who introduced the draft resolution to the vote, blamed the “selfish intention of the western bloc” for the council’s failure to adopt the document. “We are extremely concerned by the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the very high risk of the conflict spreading,” Nebenzia said.

But Western countries in the council said they rejected the resolution because it failed to denounce Hamas. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the Russian draft resolution “ignored Hamas’ terrorism and dishonored victims.”

“By failing to condemn Hamas, Russia is giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalizes innocent civilians. It is outrageous, hypocritical and indefensible,” she said. “We cannot allow this Council to unfairly shift the blame to Israel and excuse Hamas for its decades of cruelty,” she said.

Israel-Gaza war creates an “utter catastrophe” in humanitarian situation, U.N. says Read More »

Sudanese people suffer “cruel blow” under the war, need US$3 billion in urgent aid, U.N. says

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Geneva/New York, May 17 – The United Nations has called for US$3 billion in urgent humanitarian aid for some 25 million Sudanese people caught in the war between rival armies as fighting entered a second month in the country.

“This conflict is a cruel blow for the people of Sudan, already staggering under the weight of a desperate humanitarian situation,” said Martin Griffiths, the U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator. “The desire, willingness and impatience of humanitarian agencies to deliver remains as strong as ever.”

Griffiths said the organization, which has kept its humanitarian program and personnel in Sudan regardless of the fighting, now depends on “the generosity of the international community to scale up our response and reach all those in need.”

Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of Coordination Division for Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian in Geneva said fighting that pit military leaders of the Sudanese army against paramilitary forces since April 15 has killed hundreds of people, injured more than 5,000 while millions of people have been confined to their homes, unable to access basic services and essential health care..

“Today, 25 million people – more than half the population of Sudan – need humanitarian aid and protection,” he said. “This is the highest number we have ever seen in the country. The response plan we are launching today reflects that new reality. Through the plan, which is a revised version of the annual Humanitarian Response Plan for 2023, we aim to reach 18 million people.”

The Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan previously launched was revised accordingly to meet new demands under the war by the population for food, healthcare, shelters protection and other critical assistance, the U.N. said. It said the new situation required $2.56 billion, an increase of $800 million from just a few months ago, to help 18 million people until the end of this year, making it the largest appeal ever issued for Sudan.

In addition of the response plan, the U.N. said the Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan seeks $470.4 million to support refugees, returnees and host communities in the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The funds are intended to help over 1 million people, including refugees, returnees and third country nationals.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said: “More than a month into this crisis, countless people remain terrified inside Sudan, and those who have fled across the country’s many borders are in need of help, often finding themselves in places where access is extremely hard and resources strained. Humanitarians are working hard to respond but we need – once again – to call on countries and individuals with the means, to step up and provide the resources so we can help people who have lost everything.”

The U.N. said recent fighting has displaced more than 840,000 people inside Sudan. Over 220,000 refugees and refugee returnees have fled the country, with many Sudanese escaping to Chad and Egypt, and South Sudanese refugees returning home in adverse conditions. Without an urgent resolution, many more will be forced to flee in search of safety and basic assistance.

Sudanese people suffer “cruel blow” under the war, need US$3 billion in urgent aid, U.N. says Read More »

U.N. condemns war in Ukraine as it enters second year

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New York, February 24 – The Russian-led war in Ukraine is a “blatant violation” of the U.N. Charter and international law, with profound impacts on the world, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told a Security Council debate attended by foreign ministers to mark the anniversary of the war.

The war has “unleashed widespread death, destruction and displacement. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure have caused many casualties and terrible suffering,” Guterres said.

“Life is a living hell for the people of Ukraine,” he said, adding that an estimated 17.6 million people, or nearly 40 per cent of Ukraine’s population, require humanitarian assistance and protection and the war has erased 30 per cent of pre-war jobs. More than 8 million Ukrainians have taken refuge in neighboring countries and an estimated 5.4 million others are internally displaced.

He said more than half of all Ukrainian children have been forced from their homes and over 3,000 schools and colleges have been damaged or destroyed. Vital infrastructure is under fire – water, energy and heating systems have been destroyed in the depths of a freezing winter. The UN has recently appealed for $5.6 billion to help millions of people affected by the war

“We need peace — peace in line with the U.N. Charter and international law,” he said. “As we work for peace, we will continue calling for action on many fronts. Protection of civilians must remain the top priority. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop.”

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, supported the call to adhere to the U.N. Charter and dismissed any political proposals contrary to the Charter.

“Any peace that legitimizes Russia’s seizure of land by force will weaken the Charter and send a message to would-be aggressors everywhere that they can invade countries and get away with it,” Blinken told council members. “No member of this council should call for peace while supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine and on the U.N. Charter.”

The 15-nation Security Council meeting took place one day after the General Assembly, which has 193 nations members, voted 141 against 7 to adopt a new resolution that called for a “comprehensive, just and lasting peace” in Ukraine in line with the principles of the U.N. Charter. The countries that voted against: Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea, Mali, Nicaragua and Syria

The vote took place at the end of a two-day emergency session of the U.N. General Assembly during which representatives of more than 80 countries expressed their views on the war that broke out after Russian military forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. A total of 32 countries abstained, including China, Cuba, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and South Africa.

The resolution said efforts to end the year-old war should be consistent with the U.N. Charter, including principles of sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity of states. The resolution is titled “Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”

Since Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022 the U.N. has repeatedly condemned the action as a violation of the U.N. Charter, which calls for resolving disputes through peaceful means, and international rule of law.

Russia has used its veto power as one of five permanent members of the 15-nation U.N. Security Council to blunt all diplomatic action aimed at ending the war. The other permanent members are the United States, United Kingdom, France and China.

On February 25, 2022 the council voted 11-1 on a resolution that demanded an immediate stop of the Russian aggression and the withdrawal of Russian troops. Russia voted no and its veto killed the resolution.

(By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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