December 2021 — Page 4 of 17 — Human Rights & Charity

Security Council paves way for aid to reach desperate Afghans

Martin Griffiths, who is also Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, described the Council’s passage of resolution 2615 (2021), tabled by the United States, as “evidence of how seriously Member States take the shocking levels of need and suffering in the country.”

Humanitarian exemption

In passing the text, the Council carved out an exemption for humanitarian assistance and other activities that support basic human needs from sanctions imposed under resolutions 2255 (2015) and 1988 (2011), concerning individuals and entities associated with the Taliban in constituting a threat to peace, stability and security.

Key provisions allow for the processing and payment of funds, other financial assets or economic resources, and the provision of goods and services necessary to ensure the timely delivery of assistance.

The Council strongly encouraged providers to use “reasonable efforts” to minimize the accrual of any benefits – whether as a result of direct provision or diversion – to entities or individuals designated on the sanctions list established by resolution 1988 (2011).

Significantly, it requested the Emergency Relief Coordinator to brief its members every six months and agreed to review implementation of the resolution in a year’s time.

“This humanitarian exception will allow organizations to implement the work we have planned,” Mr. Griffiths stressed, and “give legal assurances to the financial institutions and commercial actors we rely on to engage with humanitarian operators.”

The adoption follows months of discussions in the Council and broader international community about how to stave off economic collapse in Afghanistan following the country’s takeover by the Taliban, considered de-facto authorities, in August and subsequent freezing by Western countries of billions of dollars used by the previous Government to ensure the provision of basic services.

Humanitarian operations next year

According to Mr. Griffiths, humanitarian operations in Afghanistan are set to be the largest anywhere in the world in 2022, reaching some 22 million people.

Some 160 national and international organizations are providing critical food and health assistance, as well as education, water and sanitation, and support to agriculture. “We urgently need to ramp up this work,” he stressed.

He said the impact of lifesaving UN aid depends on cooperation by the de facto authorities and on the flexibility of the funding received. “We must all do everything we can to preserve the life, dignity and future of all Afghans.”

A bleak economic picture

According to the UNDP Socio-economic Outlook for Afghanistan, the country ended 2020 with “significant” economic and development challenges. International partners pledged $13 billion in November 2020 over the following four years.

However, the political change on 15 August 2021 ushered in new conditions. The international community’s non-recognition of the Taliban, coupled with uncertainty arising from the divergence between official announcements and actions on the ground, led to a sudden pause in international aid, and the freezing of Afghan reserves held abroad.

“The drop in foreign aid that previously accounted for 40 per cent of gross domestic product, has had an immediate and significant impact on the economy,” UNDP stated.

The report’s estimate that $2 billion will now be needed to lift the incomes of all poor people up to the poverty line is “indicative of the relief required to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe of an unprecedented scale.”

Iran: UN independent experts condemn secret execution of Kurdish prisoner

The prisoner, Heidar Ghorbani, was secretly executed in Sanandaj Central Prison at dawn on Sunday – without prior notice to his family or lawyer. Prison authorities then secretly buried his body, according to a statement released on behalf of the experts.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran executed Mr. Ghorbani in secret, on the basis of overbroad provisions, following a deeply flawed process, and while his case was still under consideration by the Supreme Court”, said Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

Fear mongering

Mr. Ghorbani was arrested in October 2016, in connection with the killing of three men affiliated with the Basij paramilitary forces – reportedly by individuals associated with an armed opposition group.

He had denied membership of the group, along with any involvement in the killing.

And notwithstanding that a Revolutionary Court concluded that he was unarmed, they still sentenced him to death on a charge of “baghy” (armed rebellion) following an unfair trial and allegations that he was tortured, said the OHCHR release.

“We deeply regret that, despite our multiple interventions on Mr. Ghorbani’s case, the authorities chose to proceed with his execution”, the UN experts said.

In the context of continuing protests and widespread dissatisfaction with the authorities, they worried that such an arbitrary execution had been carried out to “spread fear”.

‘Clear disregard’

The Special Rapporteurs described the act as “yet another sign of clear disregard for their obligations under international human rights law – and for international human rights mechanisms”.

“We call on the Government to halt the imposition and execution of the death penalty”, they underscored.

Previously, the independent experts had raised concerns with the Government of Iran over the death sentence, torture allegations, and fair-trial violations against Mr. Ghorbani and also brought the matter to public attention.

The Government send comments to OHCHR in response.

Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not paid for their work.

Champions of the Earth: Kyrgystan’s environmental entrepreneur

Bishkek, home to roughly one million people, is among the world’s cities with the worst air pollution.
During winter months, it is often trapped under a dome of smog derived both from its natural environment – the city’s temperature is, on average, 5°C warmer than its surroundings – and smoke from the coal which is still used to heat most homes.

Ms. Kolesnikova’s organization, MoveGreen, was the first to monitor the levels of poisonous fine particles in Bishkek’s air. When the first measurements came back, the team at MoveGreen took their message to a population that was ready to listen: Bishkek’s schoolchildren.

Sensors were installed in schools to measure air quality so that classrooms could keep their windows closed when the air pollution was too much. The success of the school-based campaign encouraged Ms. Kolesnikova to convince decision-makers to improve Bishkek’s air quality.

MoveGreen developed an app, now available globally, which displays real-time data about air quality from the two largest Kyrgyz cities, Bishkek and Osh.

Read more about how MoveGreen and Ms. Kolesnikova are helping to improve air quality in Kyrygystan here.

Champions of the Earth

The United Nations Environment Programme’s Champions of the Earth and the Young Champions of the Earth recognize individuals, groups and organizations whose actions have a transformative impact on the environment. Presented annually, the Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared the years 2021 through 2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations together with the support of partners, it is designed to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide.
The Decade aims at reviving billions of hectares, covering terrestrial as well as aquatic ecosystems. A global call to action, the UN Decade draws together political support, scientific research, and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration.
Visit www.decadeonrestoration.org to learn more.
UNEP’s air pollution dashboard provides real-time data on air pollution across the world, its impact on human health and national efforts to tackle this issue.

The UN belongs to young people, deputy chief tells young Costa Rican activists

Ms. Mohammed spoke with young environmental and climate activists there as part of her two-day mission to the Central American country, which concluded on Tuesday.

“The United Nations belongs to you, young people,” she said.

“We must connect the climate negotiations with what is happening in the world. We have to fight for the strengthening of democracy, and participate in the votes, because ultimately democracy is also climate action.”

During their exchange, the activists expressed concerns about the impacts of climate change on the most excluded populations.

Youth speaking up

They assured the UN’s second-in-command that young people are increasingly raising their voices and mobilizing more to demand that countries comply with international agreements.

“We must be more ambitious, move faster for the environment and the climate, but we also need the world to recognize, value, and give the space that young people deserve in climate negotiations,” said Sara Cognuck, one of the young environmental leaders.

Ms. Mohammed urged young people to strengthen how they organize around issues, and to identify ways to fund their causes, to ensure that their voices, as well as their actions, reach every corner of the globe.

For the UN, climate change is the defining issue of our time, and it figured prominently in her discussions with Costan Rican officials, civil society and others.

Promoting joint cooperation

On Monday, Ms. Mohammed met with President Carlos Alvarado and Vice President, Epsy Campbell to identify and promote joint cooperation on environmental protection, climate mitigation and adaption, and also the financing for development that developing countries require.

They further examined how to strengthen actions to serve the most vulnerable populations, such as people of African descent, women, indigenous peoples, migrants, asylum seekers, children and adolescents.

The Deputy Secretary-General’s visit also highlighted Costa Rica’s leadership in mobilizing development finance for middle-income countries, and achieving debt relief, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scale up solutions

The crisis is putting global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at risk. Ms. Mohammed stressed the need for urgent action and ambition.

“We need to go to scale with solutions and overcome the obstacles that lie ahead. The UN is committed to accompanying Costa Rica on this journey to fulfill the promise of the SDGs,” she said.

Ms. Mohammed also discussed Costa Rica’s proposal for a COVID-19 Economic Relief Fund (CFE) and similar initiatives to expand fiscal space there and in other middle-income countries, for green, inclusive and resilient recovery.

Talks also covered innovative financing tools, including so-called “blue” and “green” bonds, and aligning investments in strategic sectors such as social protection and “green” jobs to bolster future resilience.

Linking decarbonization efforts to a just transition was also a focus ahead of the next UN climate change conference, COP27, due to take place in Cairo next year.

Costa Rica taking action

During her mission, Ms. Mohammed also held several meetings with government ministers and leaders from the Central Bank and in areas such as public finance and the private sector, to support the country in its efforts to achieve the SDGs.

“Costa Rica has taken action to address climate change and to strengthen clean energy production with almost all of its electricity coming from renewable sources. It has also managed to protect its right to biodiversity and reverse deforestation, to the point that today 59 per cent of its territory is covered by forests,” said Ms. Mohammed.

She described the country as “an example to show the region and the world that under no circumstances can we abandon our objectives and agreements on climate and sustainable development.”

Meeting local communities

Ms. Mohammed stopped at Las Pailas geothermal plant in Liberia Guanacaste, where she observed Costa Rica’s progress in securing a renewable electricity matrix that currently covers more than 99 per cent of its population.

She also visited women community leaders from Cuajiniquil, Guanacaste, working to preserve mangrove forests, not only as a means of environmental protection but also to ensure sustainable livelihoods.

At the 25 de Julio community in Hatillo de San José, Ms. Mohammed met with migrants and asylum seekers, and to show support for Costa Rica’s efforts towards their inclusion.

She also visited Freedom Park, located in the community of Desamparados, a space focused on local inclusion and environmental protection. It was there that she had the dialogue with young environmentalists.

UN Garden

Ms. Mohammed also planted a tree, inaugurating the UN Garden at the park, and thus affirming commitment to young people and vulnerable communities in Costa Rica and around the world.

The Deputy Secretary finally highlighted the UN’s commitment to jointly organize with Costa Rica the Sustainable Development Forum in March.

The event will bring together leaders from the region, the private sector and civil society, to identify innovative responses to accelerate the 2030 Agenda in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Guterres in Lebanon: Fair elections in 2022, an ‘essential opportunity’ for voices to be heard

“All government institutions are measured on results: social protection, access to electricity and water, education and basic healthcare, good governance and the protection of human rights”, said Secretary-General António Guterres.

‘Critical role’

Speaking at a press conference marking the end of his three-day mission of solidarity, he said that if the country was to return to a path of sustainable recovery, “civil society, women and young people have a critical role to play.”

“Their voices must be heard, and their proposals seriously considered”, he said.

“Free and fair parliamentary elections, held on time in 2022, will be an essential opportunity for the people to make their voices heard.”

Mr. Guterres said he was grateful for having been able to engage with a wide range of Lebanese society, including political and military authorities, and religious leaders.

He also undertook field trips to both the north and south of the country and told reporters it had been “an honour” to be back in a country, dear to his heart.

“But it grieves me to see the people of this beautiful country suffering so much. The people of Lebanon face immense challenges”, he said. “Yet, despite the strains they endure, the warmth and generosity of the Lebanese people continues to shine.”

He said region and the whole world, were thankful for the country’s generosity in giving refuge to Syrians and others, fleeing violent conflict, and commended the country’s “spirit of co-existence and tolerance”.

Accountability

Once again, the Secretary-General stressed the importance of accountability for the deadly blasts at the Port of Beirut in August 2020, which destroyed swathes of the city centre.

Referring to his visit there on a rain-sodden Monday, he expressed deep sympathy for the victims of the devastating explosion that killed more than 200 people — parents, daughters, sons, friends and colleagues from more than 12 countries.

“The United Nations mourns with you,” said the Secretary-General, noting that two children of United Nations staff members were among the younger victims.

“The Lebanese people and the families of the victims deserve answers, so justice that can only be met through impartial, thorough and transparent investigation,” he said, adding that people expect their political leaders to listen to their needs and improve the economy, including through effective government and state institutions, and by effectively fighting corruption.

Blue Line

On Monday, the Secretary-General visited Tripoli in northern Lebanon. On Tuesday, he headed to the southern city of Tyre, telling UN News and other journalists, that he was deeply moved to hear first-hand testimony about the repercussions of the multi-faceted crisis afflicting the nation, on people’s daily lives.

While in the south, the Secretary-General also visited the Blue Line, which runs from Ras al-Naqoura on the Mediterranean Sea through the Syrian-Lebanese-Israeli border line on the Hasbani River, to Mount Hermon or Jabal al-Sheikh.

Around 50 per cent of the 120 kilometer blue line is disputed.

He heard a briefing from the head of UNIFIL’s mission and Force Commander, Major General Stefano del Col, on the challenges and opportunities along this line and the tripartite meetings between the Lebanese and Israeli armies under UNIFIL’s auspices.

“The rockets fired from Lebanese territory and the responses from Israel earlier this year are reminders of the dangers to international peace and security”, noted Mr. Guterres, saying a “miscalculation or misunderstanding could have profound consequences.”

He emphasized in this regard the need for UNIFIL for a “full and unimpeded access throughout its area of operations.”

Women and youth

At UNIFIL headquarters, Mr. Guterres met young peacekeepers working under the UNIFIL banner and was pleased to see a good proportion of women among the ‘blue helmets’. He said that one of his objectives was to ensure that in time, the UN would reach full gender parity.

In a chat with young UNIFIL soldiers, Mr. Guterres asked Kumutha Vijayan, an officer at the Malaysian battalion about her experience with UNIFIL and her engagement with the people in Southern Lebanon.

Officer Vijayan said that she had participated in some training programs on how to engage with the local population, noting that they treat her well and accept her work within the mission.

Asked if she felt they trusted her more because she was a woman, she said, “indeed.”

In this regard, the Secretary-General expressed his deep belief that “women make a very important contribution to our forces. When they have to deal with communities, for example, it is usually easier for women to gain the community’s trust more quickly than men, especially when engaging with women and children.”

Aya Farhat, a field language assistant and UNIFIL’s youngest civilian employee, joined the mission in 2019.

In a conversation with the Secretary-General, she explained what she does, saying her work entailed helping UNIFIL forces in communicating with the Lebanese Army and the community.

“I think communication is very important, and the fact that we deliver the message is very important. It’s a very important part of peacekeeping operations to be able to connect ideas and eventually agree on something.”

Asked how she say the situation faced by locals while touring with the mission’s soldiers, Aya said that the situation was not pleasant, especially after the Covid pandemic, which weighed heavily on most of the population, in addition to the multiple crises in Lebanon, that made it even worse.

Afraid of art?

Lebanon has a vibrant and diverse civil society, with more than 10,000 organisations registered with the Ministry of Interior and municipalities, working on a wide range of issues, in various humanitarian and development fields.

Cultural development has passed through many phases, and recent events such as the Syria crisis next door, the port explosion, and socio-economic meltdown of the nation amid political gridlock, have signalled the beginning of a new phase in the development of Lebanese civil society.

On the last full day of his visit to Lebanon, the Secretary-General met with a group of civil society activists and members of humanitarian organizations, including Kassem Istanbouli, President of the Tyre Art Society.

Mr. Istanbuli called for supporting the cultural sector and its development, to bring about social change, as this is already leading to political change.

“The corrupt authority in Lebanon, which for 30 years has been stealing all the country’s wealth, is afraid of art, because art is what brings people together,” he said, noting the importance of creating a cultural revolution that confronts corruption and makes a difference.

“We are doomed to hope, and we hold on to love,” Kassem said despite his pain, “nothing can bring us together but the arts and sports, this human language that we need to revive.”

A UN for the people

Kassem called on international institutions, including the United Nations, to support the arts so the Lebanese people can create a cultural balance in their country.

Activist Mr Istanbuli, presented Mr. Guterres with an old poster of an Egyptian movie dating from the 1960s, that was screened then by a popular cinema in Tripoli – Lebanon’s oldest cinema – noting that this venerable institution has now become a space where the country’s internal quarrels play out.

Mr. Istanbuli said the poster was very dear to his heart because it is a memory – the memory of the arts and the cultural heritage that must be protected.

Listening to the civil society representatives, the Secretary-General expressed his great admiration for all those who spoke at this meeting, saying that their testimony gives a clear picture of the suffering of the Lebanese people, including examples presented today of children dropping out of school, their yearning to leave their homeland, the confusion of parents about what to do to protect their children in the current situation, as well as the lack of commitment by those in power, to take care of their own citizens.

Mr. Guterres stressed that the United Nations has no political agenda in Lebanon, “our only agenda is to support the Lebanese people”.

In charting a path towards sustainable recovery, civil society, women and young people have a critical role to play, he said.

“Their voices must be heard and their proposals seriously considered.”

End ‘appalling’ Belarus-Poland border crisis, UN rights office urges

OHCHR again called on the two countries to address the matter in line with their obligations under international law.

This follows a visit by a UN human rights team to Poland from 29 November to 3 December. Members were not granted access to the restricted border area, while Belarus denied a request to visit.

Dire conditions

The team interviewed families and individuals who had arrived in Poland via Belarus between August and November, OHCHR Spokesperson Liz Throssell told journalists in Geneva.

Interviewees described dire conditions on both sides of the border, with limited access to food, clean water and shelter, amid freezing temperatures.

“The majority said that, while in Belarus, they had been beaten or threatened by security forces, and also alleged that the Belarusian security forces forced them to cross the border, instructing them when and where to cross, and prevented people from leaving the border area to return to (the capital) Minsk,” said Ms. Throssell, speaking in Geneva.

‘Disturbing allegations’

Several interviewees reported that Belarusian security forces had demanded “extortionate sums for food and water”, she added. OHCHR called on the authorities to investigate these “disturbing allegations.”

The UN team also heard numerous reports of people being immediately and automatically returned to Belarus, including children and individuals who had reportedly requested international protection.

“Recurring practices by the two countries of pushing people up to, or across, the border meant many migrants and refugees the team interviewed had crossed the border multiple times, in both directions,” said Ms. Throssell.

She explained that under current Polish legislation, people who enter the country through unofficial border crossings can be immediately returned.

Determine protection needs

OHCHR urged Poland to review the legislation and instead conduct “meaningful individual assessments” to determine protection needs, in line with international law.

As Poland also systematically detains those migrants and refugees who it has not returned to Belarus, the UN rights office recalled that detention should be “an exceptional measure of last resort” and only for a limited time.

Many of those interviewed said they had not been given proper physical and mental healthcare in detention, and had limited contact with the outside world, including with independent lawyers, human rights monitors and civil society organisations.

Restricted border ‘deeply concerning’

The border area remains restricted, and Ms. Throssell said this lack of access for human rights groups, humanitarian organizations, lawyers and media, is “deeply concerning”.

Additionally, those who support refugees and other migrants, as well as journalists covering the situation, have also reported challenges in doing their work, including cases of harassment and intimidation.

“In an atmosphere dominated by a focus on security and fuelled by anti-migrant narratives, practices and policy choices are being made on both sides that violate the human rights of refugees and migrants,” said Ms. Throssell. 

“We therefore once again urge Belarus and Poland to ensure that refugees’ and migrants’ human rights are at the centre of their actions.”

Sudan protests: Security forces in spotlight over sexual violence allegations

The allegations surfaced after demonstrations in Khartoum on Sunday, where tens of thousands had massed to mark the third anniversary of protests that led to the overthrow of long-time President Omar al-Bashir, in April 2019.

Coup anger

Demonstrators who made for the presidential palace were also protesting against October’s military coup and the political agreement signed later on 21 November, said UN rights office spokesperson Liz Throssell.

Speaking in Geneva, she said that security forces are alleged to have raped or gang raped 13 women and girls.

Two protesters also died after being shot and 300 others were injured, she said. Some were hit by live ammunition or tear gas canisters or beaten by security forces, while others suffered breathing difficulties after inhaling tear gas.

“With further protests planned for this weekend and the weeks ahead, it is crucial that security forces guarantee and protect the right to peaceful assembly and act with full respect for international laws and standards regulating the use of force”, Ms. Throssell insisted.

At a scheduled briefing, the UN rights office spokesperson said that OHCHR’s Joint Human Rights Office in Sudan had learned of the 13 allegations of rape or gang rape.

“We have also received allegations of sexual harassment by security forces against women who were trying to flee the area around the presidential palace on Sunday evening,” she said.

Justice call

Highlighting the “unnecessary or disproportionate use of force, in particular use of live ammunition”, the OHCHR official called for the perpetrators to be identified and prosecuted.

On reported violence and rights violations committed since October’s military coup, which the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights earlier said had betrayed “the courageous and inspiring revolution of 2019”, Ms. Throssell noted that a committee of senior prosecutors had been tasked with an investigation.

But these findings should be made public, “with maximum transparency, with a view to holding to account, including through criminal investigations, those responsible for human rights violations and abuses”, she maintained.

Darfur bloodshed

Elsewhere in Sudan, the UN rights office spokesperson pointed to a deadly uptick in intercommunal violence in Darfur and South Kordofan. Since September, this has resulted in at least 250 civilians killed, 197 injured and more than 50,000 displaced.

Earlier this month, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said that nearly thousands of Sudanese had fled violence in the Jebel Moon, a locality in West Darfur, one of the five Darfur States. More than 2,000 of them, mostly women and children, had sought refuge in neighbouring Chad.

Sudan has some three million internally displaced people, with more than 80 per cent living in the five Darfur States. In 2021, around 200 violent incidents have been reported in Darfur, causing fresh displacement, according to UNHCR.

“There have been serious protection gaps in Darfur, especially following the reduction of state security forces in key areas in Darfur and long delays in implementation of a National Plan for Civilian Protection,” Ms. Throssell said.

Although the national authorities intend to deploy a 3,000-strong temporary joint protection force later this month, the UN rights office spokesperson said it was crucial that they receive comprehensive training on human rights and international humanitarian law first.

“It is also essential that those responsible for the human rights violations and abuses committed are held accountable, regardless of their affiliation,” she said.

Bachelet warning

In her last update on the situation in Sudan to the Human Rights Council, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet condemned the 25 October coup and the arrests that followed as reminiscent of the country’s dark recent past.

“The whereabouts of most of those arrested remains unknown, and they have been held incommunicado, with no access to lawyers or their relatives – enforced disappearances compounding the gravity of their arbitrary arrests,” Ms. Bachelet said, noting how “massive street protests” since the military takeover had been met with excessive use of force by the Sudan Armed Forces, including the use of live ammunition.

Thousands head home voluntarily from Zambia to DR Congo

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said that security had improved sufficiently in DR Congo’s Pweto territory, Haut-Katanga province, for them to go home “in safety and dignity”.

Inter-ethnic clashes as well as fighting between Congolese security forces and militia groups in parts of southeastern DRC in 2017, have uprooted communities.

Through intention surveys carried out in October by UNHCR, some 4,774 refugees expressed their aim to voluntarily return to DRC.

International agreement

The voluntary repatriation, which will continue into 2022, is part of the ongoing 2006 tripartite agreement between UNHCR and the Governments of Zambia and DR Congo.

Partners are supporting the returning refugees by providing voluntary repatriation documents, expedited immigration clearance, health screening and school certificates to allow children to resume their education in the DRC.

“As security has improved in some areas of Haut-Katanga, an estimated 20,000 refugees have spontaneously left Zambia since 2018 to return to their areas of origin – mainly to Pweto territory”, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told journalists in Geneva.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency is working with authorities and development partners – such as Catholic aid confederation CARITAS – in DRC to advance reintegration projects, including education, health and agriculture, and to ensure conditions for safe and dignified returns.

Currently, some 18,000 Congolese refugees farm at Mantapala settlement – established in early 2018 to accommodate displaced people – alongside 5,000 Zambians, across 11 integrated villages.

As Zambia continues to host 103,000 refugees, asylum seekers, and former refugees, including more than 63,000 from DR Congo, over the past three years around 20,000 Congolese have left to return home.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Food Programme (WFP) are assisting in repatriation efforts.

Agency support

The two agencies have provided buses and trucks to help transport refugees, their belongings and food for the journey, Families will receive a cash grant to help them pick up their lives again in the DRC.

“UNHCR will disinfect the buses, provide face masks, hand sanitizers and, together with the authorities, ensure that COVID-19 prevention measures are observed, including loading of buses to half the capacity”, Mr. Baloch said.

UNICEF has improved water and sanitation facilities at the reception centre in Chiengi district, where returning refugees are being housed for the night to process immigration documents, before embarking on the final leg of their journey home.

And Zambian authorities are providing rapid COVID-19 tests for the returning refugees, at the Mantapala Rural Health Centre.

Middle East: Positive steps needed to restore calm

Tor Wennesland painted a grim picture of “clashes, attacks, military operations” and continued settler-related violence amidst a severe fiscal and economic crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

“It is crucial that all parties take immediate steps to lower tensions and restore calm”, he said, warning that if left unchecked, the situation in the West Bank would further deteriorate – impacting security in Gaza and undermining the fragile peace that has held since May.

Detailing occurrences

Devoting his briefing to the implementation of Resolution 2334 (2016), which calls for the cessation of all settlement activities in the OPT, the Special Coordinator said that “violent incidents have unfortunately continued”.

While updating ambassadors on a host of incidents, he said that14 Palestinians had been killed, along with three Israelis, since 29 September.

He mentioned that the most recent confrontation had occurred on Sunday, when hundreds of settlers attempted to enter the Homesh outpost to set up illegal structures, breaking through Israel Security Forces’ (ISF) barricades and using violence against Israeli soldiers, “including hitting one soldier with a vehicle”.

Meanwhile, there have been some positive developments, such as a virtual meeting between United States and Palestinian officials last Tuesday to renew the US-Palestinian Economic Dialogue – the first such meeting in five years.

Exacerbating mistrust

Reminding that Israeli settlements constitute “a flagrant violation” of UN resolutions and international law, Mr. Wennesland drew attention to the advancement of building plans in areas “crucial for the contiguity of a future Palestinian State”, including Atarot and Givat Hamatos.

“I call on the Government of Israel to cease the advancement of all settlement activities immediately”, he said.

The Special Coordinator also raised the alarm over pending evictions of Palestinian families from homes that they have lived in for decades in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem, calling on Israeli authorities to “end the displacement and eviction of Palestinians”, and enable them to “build legally and address their development needs”.

He also welcomed plans for several thousand Palestinians housing units in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Issawiya and in Area C, urging Israel to continue advancing these types of projects and issuing building permits for previously approved Palestinian plans in Area C and East Jerusalem.

“The continuing violence, incitement to violence and attacks against civilians, including acts of terrorism and settler-related violence, exacerbate mistrust and undermine a peaceful resolution to the conflict”, said Mr. Wennesland.

“There can be no justification for such acts; they must be condemned by all… and all perpetrators must be held accountable”.

Deteriorating security

To maintain calm, strengthen Palestinian institutions and restore hope, the parties must make concerted efforts to reverse the deteriorating security and socio-economic situation across the OPT”, the UN official said.

“Furthermore, steps by all parties are urgently needed to shore up the economic and institutional stability of the PA [Palestinian National Authority], including through the implementation of needed reforms”, he added.

And more must be done to solidify the cessation of hostilities and meet the needs of the population in the Gaza Strip.

“For any durable stability, movement and access in and out of the Strip must be improved, with a view to a full lifting of the closures in line with UN Security Council resolution 1860 (2009)”, Mr. Wennesland stated.

Address ‘festering conflict drivers’

In closing, the UN official observed that the rising levels of violence in recent weeks “should be a clear warning to us all”.

“If left unaddressed, the festering conflict drivers…will drag us into yet another destructive and bloody round of violence. We must act now to prevent that from happening”, he said.

Mr. Wennesland urged all parties to take positive steps and implement reforms that increase the PA’s ability to deliver for the Palestinian people while simultaneously halting actions that undermine its authority.

He said 2021 had been “a year of significant shifts in the political context affecting this conflict” that has posed “one of the most challenging set of circumstances to face the Palestinian Authority since its establishment” and maintained his determination to find opportunities next year to reverse the current “negative trajectory”, while working towards constructive engagement.

“The UN remains committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict and end the occupation through the achievement of a two-State solution, in line with relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements”, he concluded.

Libya: Tensions as armed groups mobilize in Tripoli

The development came as Libyans awaited news about the postponement of long-promised landmark elections, due to take place on Friday.

Appeal for dialogue

The current mobilization “creates tensions and increases the risk of clashes that could spiral into conflict,” UNSMIL said in a statement.

“Any disagreements on emerging political or military matters should be resolved through dialogue, particularly at this stage when the country is navigating through a difficult and complex electoral process that should usher in a peaceful transition.”

Libya has faced critical political and security challenges in the decade since the overthrow of former leader Muammar Gadaffi.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has previously described the elections as “an essential next step on the road to peace and stability” in the country.

A delicate moment

UNSMIL warned that the developments in Tripoli “do not bode well” for ongoing efforts towards maintaining the stability, security and political conditions conducive to holding elections that are peaceful, credible, inclusive, free and fair.

The Mission called on all Libyans to exercise restraint at what it called “this delicate moment”.

They were encouraged to work together to create a security and political atmosphere that preserves the country’s progress and enables peaceful elections and a successful transition.

Engagement with stakeholders

Meanwhile, UN Special Adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, continues her engagement with stakeholders towards this objective.

Ms. Williams, who was appointed earlier this month, had previously served as Acting Special Representative and Head of UNSMIL from March 2020 until this past January.

She was at the helm when the mission brokered a historic ceasefire in October 2020 between the two rival administrations battling for power in Libya.

The accord paved the way to a political roadmap and transitional government, and the historic presidential and parliamentary elections.