All articles tagged with #ngos
Israel is taking unprecedented steps to de-register major international aid groups in Gaza and the West Bank, citing ideological reasons and security concerns, which threatens humanitarian aid delivery amid ongoing conflict and a declared famine in Gaza.
The US Department of State has designated three foreign NGOs—Al Haq, Al Mezan, and PCHR—for engaging in efforts by the ICC to investigate Israeli nationals, asserting that the ICC's actions are politicized and infringe on US and Israeli sovereignty, which the US opposes and will respond to with sanctions.
Over 130 charities are calling for the shutdown of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, citing violations of humanitarian norms, increased violence, and unsafe conditions for Palestinians seeking aid, with reports of Israeli forces firing on civilians at aid sites and concerns over the militarization of aid efforts.
Russian-affiliated hackers known as Void Blizzard have targeted over 20 NGOs and other organizations in Europe and North America using sophisticated phishing attacks, including fake Microsoft Entra login pages, to steal sensitive data and gather intelligence related to Russian strategic interests, especially concerning Ukraine and NATO countries.
The Russian government summoned U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy over alleged support of three NGOs in Russia, demanding the U.S. government to stop any assistance to their activities, which they claim violate Russian law. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that further support of the NGOs would be considered a violation of Russian law and also cautioned against the spread of disinformation in the context of the upcoming elections. This comes amidst heightened tensions as the widow of opposition politician Alexei Navalny calls for protests during the upcoming presidential elections, and follows Russia's summoning of Germany's ambassador over an alleged leaked conversation about military support for Ukraine.
The leaders of 18 United Nations agencies and non-profit organizations have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas conflict, expressing shock and horror at the mounting death toll. They condemned the killings of both Israelis and Palestinians and called on all parties to respect international humanitarian and human rights law. The group also highlighted the denial of essential goods and services to the population of Gaza and the targeting of aid workers, with over 100 attacks against healthcare reported.
Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has written a letter of complaint to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, expressing astonishment over Germany's plans to finance two migrant NGOs operating in Italy without coordinating with the Italian government. Meloni, who campaigned on a tough line on immigration, wants "structural solutions" to the migration issue and believes Germany should focus on assisting migrants on its own soil. The private letter was made public by the Italian government, and the issue of migration has strained relations between Germany and Italy in recent weeks.
A boat carrying 500 migrants, including pregnant women, has gone missing in the Mediterranean Sea after reporting engine failure. Despite search efforts by NGOs and the Italian coast guard, no sign of the vessel or any shipwreck has been found. Meanwhile, the Italian coast guard has rescued 1,098 migrants in two separate operations, but they are not connected to the missing boat.
The Biden administration has authorized all Border Patrol sectors to begin "safe" mass releases of migrants to city streets if non-governmental organizations (NGOs) don't have the capacity to hold them. Customs and Border Protection facilities are already over capacity in multiple sectors, and tens of thousands more migrants are expected to surge into the United States once the Title 42 public health order is lifted on May 11. The predominantly single adult migrants are expected to be encouraged by the belief they have a greater chance of being admitted into the U.S. once the order ends.