Andrea de Domenico was speaking via videoconference to journalists in New York, briefing them on developments in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. He said although humanitarians welcome recent Israeli commitments to improve aid facilitation in Gaza, “we are dealing with this dance where we do one step forward, two steps backwards; or two steps…
Echoing new dire assessments of the catastrophic situation in the devastated enclave, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) issued a new ceasefire call so that humanitarian relief can be brought into Gaza to help rebuild hospitals including Al Shifa, which has been “basically destroyed” after a recent Israeli incursion. “The management is trying to get the…
Special Representative Abdoulaye Bathily told the Security Council that since the end of 2022, UN-led efforts to resolve Libya’s political crisis have encountered national and regional pushbacks, “revealing an intentional defiance to engage in earnest and a tenacity to perpetually delay elections”. “With a deep sense of disappointment, it is disheartening to witness individuals in…
Addressing a high-level meeting on tourism as part of the General Assembly’s first ever Sustainability Week, Dennis Francis said it was a vital driver of economic growth and empowerment. In 2023, the sector contributed three per cent to the global gross domestic product (GDP), amounting to $3.3 trillion, and employed one in every ten people…
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum provides a platform for young people to have a dialogue with diplomats on challenges affecting their well-being. Discussions are centred around five of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – ending poverty; zero hunger; climate action; peace, justice and strong institutions, and partnerships to make the goals…
The UN-backed $3.24 billion humanitarian response plan for 2024 is only five per cent funded. Organised by the UN along with the Governments of Ethiopia and the United Kingdom, the conference aims to hear commitments that will enhance life-saving aid to approximately 15.5 million people in 2024. An immediate funding of $1 billion is required…
UN Secretary-General António Guterres celebrated the achievements and contributions of people of African descent from across the world, while addressing the forum via video message, but also acknowledged existing racial discrimination and inequalities Black people continue to face. He said the establishment of the Permanent Forum shows a dedication from the international community to address these…
A year to the day since heavy fighting erupted between Sudan’s rival militaries, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of a further escalation, including an imminent attack on El-Fasher in North Darfur. “The Sudanese people have been subjected to untold suffering during the conflict which has been marked by indiscriminate attacks in densely…
“Six months into the current military offensive, more housing and civilian infrastructure has now been destroyed in Gaza as a percentage, compared to any conflict in memory,” said the experts, who included Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967. In a statement, the experts estimated…
With attention over the weekend focused on the Middle East he said the conflict between the national army and Rapid Support Forces militia had turned into “a war being waged on the Sudanese people.” “It is a war on the many thousands of civilians who have been killed, and tens of thousands more maimed for…
