All articles tagged with #un agencies
The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion on Israel's legal obligations towards UN agencies in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, following a UN request related to Israel's laws affecting UN activities and the provision of humanitarian aid. The opinion addresses Israel's responsibilities to facilitate humanitarian efforts and ensure UN operations are unhindered.
Thousands in north Gaza are facing near-starvation, with UN agencies warning of a possible famine by May if the fighting doesn't cease and aid doesn't increase. Save the Children's Deputy Team Leader for the Gaza response described the desperate situation, with people resorting to eating anything they can find. Aid efforts include food deliveries by ship, airdrops of meals, and concerns about cancer patients struggling to evacuate. The Israeli military has taken control of al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, and there are reports of people being detained after IDF raids on hospitals.
The World Food Programme has halted food aid deliveries to northern Gaza due to unsafe conditions, exacerbating a severe food crisis in the region. UN agencies report acute malnutrition among children and scarce access to food and safe water. The WFP had resumed deliveries but faced attacks and looting, prompting the pause. The situation in Gaza has worsened amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, with the Israeli military offensive and ongoing violence contributing to the humanitarian crisis.
The heads of three major U.N. agencies have warned that Gaza urgently needs more aid to prevent widespread famine and disease, as the death toll in the Israel-Hamas war surpasses 24,000. They cited challenges in aid delivery, including limited border crossings and ongoing fighting, with Israel playing a significant role. The war has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe, displacing most of Gaza's population and pushing a quarter into starvation. The U.N. agencies are calling for new entry routes, increased aid truck allowances, and safe movement for aid workers and recipients. The fighting, now in its 101st day, has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by a lengthy blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt.
UN agencies, including UNFPA, UNICEF, and WHO, have made a plea for international action to end hospital attacks in Gaza. They expressed horror at reports of numerous deaths, including children, in hospitals across Gaza city and other northern areas of the Strip. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that the second largest hospital in Gaza, Al-Quds, is effectively out of service due to fuel shortages. WHO has lost communication with Al Shifa Hospital, the largest in Gaza, where patients have died due to a lack of fuel. The Israeli military denies targeting hospitals, claiming that militants are using them as shields. The agencies called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and unimpeded access to provide fuel, medical supplies, and water to save lives and preserve the healthcare system in Gaza.
Israel's military spokesman announced plans to increase attacks on Gaza as part of its war on Hamas, while several UN agencies called for a ceasefire and humanitarian access in the besieged Palestinian territory. A 20-truck humanitarian aid convoy entered Gaza from Egypt, Arab leaders at a Cairo peace summit condemned Israeli bombardment, and around 100,000 people joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London demanding an immediate ceasefire.
Afghanistan has been hit by a fourth powerful earthquake since October 7, causing further suffering for vulnerable communities already grappling with conflicts and underdevelopment. The latest 6.3 magnitude earthquake has resulted in two deaths and over 150 injuries, adding to the total of 1,500 deaths and 2,000 injuries. Aid organizations are racing against time to deliver assistance before the onset of winter, as affected households have limited food resources and are most constrained in capacity. The humanitarian community has created an initial response plan for recovery, focusing on 114,000 people whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged. However, the response plan is severely underfunded, exacerbating the challenges faced by impoverished communities in Afghanistan.