January 2024 — Page 3 of 14 — Human Rights & Charity

UNRWA to investigate allegations ‘several’ staffers played role in 7 October attacks

Mr. Guterres has also asked UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini to swiftly investigate and any employees found to have taken part in or “abetted what transpired” in the brutal attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian militants that day to be fired and referred “for potential criminal prosecution”.

“The Secretary-General is horrified by this news,” Mr. Guterres’ spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said in a statement issued on Friday morning in New York, noting in the regular Noon Briefing in New York that the UN chief had been told about the allegations by the UNRWA Commissioner-General “earlier this week”.

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Urgent independent review

An urgent and comprehensive independent review of UNRWA will be conducted, the statement added, a move announced on 17 January.

The UNRWA chief said information had been provided by Israeli authorities of the alleged involvement of some agency staff members.

“To protect the agency’s ability to deliver humanitarian assistance, I have taken the decision to immediately terminate the contracts of these staff members and launch an investigation in order to establish the truth without delay,” Mr. Lazzarini said.

“Any UNRWA employee who was involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” he added.

He reiterated UNRWA’s condemnation of the terror attacks in the “strongest possible terms” and called again for the immediate and unconditional release of all Israeli hostages.

Betrayal of ‘fundamental values’

“These shocking allegations come as more than two million people in Gaza depend on lifesaving assistance that the agency has been providing since the war began,” Mr. Lazzarini said.

“Anyone who betrays the fundamental values of the United Nations also betrays those whom we serve in Gaza, across the region and elsewhere around the world.”

US halts new funding

The United States State Department said in response that it would temporarily pause new funding for UNRWA subject to the investigation into the allegations against staffers.

In a statement, spokesperson Matthew Miller said that there must be “complete accountability for anyone who participated in the heinous attacks”.

Josep Borrell, European Commission Vice President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs, also voiced serious concerns over the allegations of UNRWA staff involvement. In a statement, he called for “full transparency on the allegations and to take immediate measures against staff involved”.

Will developing countries benefit from the renewables boom?

The technology already exists to bring clean energy to rural communities in developing countries that have previously never had access to any kind of electricity. However, as Moritz Brauchle, managing director of Africa GreenTec Madagascar, explains, these countries will continue to need support to turn their backs on fossil fuels.

Africa GreenTec is a social enterprise which provides sustainable energy solutions to some of the 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa currently living without any access to electricity. With backing from the UN, the company installs minigrids – stand-alone networks run on renewable energy – to supply people in a small community or town with clean electricity.

Mr. Brauchle spoke with UN News ahead of the first ever International Day of Clean Energy, marked on 26 January.

UN News: What difference can access to clean electricity make to people’s lives in Madagascar?

Moritz Brauchle: It gives me goosebumps when I think about it. When we began our pilot project in a village in 2021, everything was pitch black by 6pm. The day was over. People would go home, cook and go to bed.

As part of the project, we installed solar street lights, cooling and clean electricity. Now, people are selling ice cream and juice on the streets, and they can go to the cinema. The rice mills that used to run on diesel are no longer polluting the air.

UN News: What proportion of the population is living without electricity?

Moritz Brauchle: Around two thirds, unfortunately. The state utility is struggling with financing to expand the grid and connect more people, and they are currently running on diesel, which is very costly and polluting.

So, we go into areas in sub-Saharan Africa, where the people have no access to electricity whatsoever, and we build solar power plants with battery storage and a distribution network and really create energy access from scratch.

Using solar power, combined with batteries for storage, we can achieve a 20-hour supply of electricity in a day. In the last year and a half, we have had two outages lasting between three and four hours. This is better than many traditional grids.

UN News: Is it possible to connect minigrids to cover a larger area?

Moritz Brauchle: That’s actually what we are currently working on, together with the German development aid agency: interconnecting minigrids to electrify a complete region. That’s what we plan to do in the next couple of years and in the really long run, integrate into a national grid system.

UN News: Your company receives grants and support for your installations in Madagascar. Can this technology be commercially viable in developing countries without this kind of help?

Moritz Brauchle: Yes, but two things would have to change.

First of all, we would have to earn more from carbon emissions certificates. This means receiving more money because we have helped to reduce carbon emissions by either replacing diesel generators or avoiding the need for new ones.

Secondly, we would need support from the state or, if the state is not capable of doing that, from an international organization such as Sustainable Energy For All to set up the grids because it is costly to start from scratch. Once that is done, we don’t need any subsidies to generate the electricity.

UN News: Was it hard to convince the authorities in Madagascar to move to this kind of energy production?

Moritz Brauchle: No, they’re strongly supportive, and we’re getting cooperation from the Energy Ministry. However, they need time. The regulations were set up for diesel generation, and we have to request environmental permits and submit studies. We need to get rid of this to get more people connected more quickly.

Yann Raz/ Africa GreenTec Madagascar

Mahavelona, in rural Madagascar (file)

UN News: What would you say to people in developing countries arguing for the right to develop their fossil fuel reserves?

Moritz Brauchle: We do hear those kind of arguments, and I must say, who are we to tell them to keep those resources in the ground?

For those countries, it’s an income stream. Look at Norway, which is extremely green. It got its wealth from fossil fuel resources.

If we want the Global South to keep oil and gas in the ground, we have to come up with a solution, subsidizing renewable energies and providing compensation for the loss of the income stream.

The Africa GreenTec minigrids projects in Madagascar are supported by the Universal Energy Facility (UEF), which is managed by SEforALL.

Gaza: UN rights office condemns ‘chaotic’ Israeli mass evacuation orders

The OHCHR warning came nearly four months into the war which has seen widespread Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, in response to Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities beginning 7 October in which some 1,200 people were massacred and more than 250 taken hostage.

“Attacks on hospitals, schools, and other places of refuge have repeatedly displaced Palestinians into ever smaller areas, with ever-decreasing access to the essentials needed to sustain life,” said Ajith Sunghay, Head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “Such a failure violates Israel’s obligations under international law.”

No ‘safe’ space

Mr. Sunghay told journalists in Geneva that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) shelling had continued in areas “unilaterally designated” as “safe” including Al Mawasi in western Khan Younis.

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“Even after explosions were reported in Al Mawasi on 22 and 23 January, the IDF continued to order residents of western Khan Younis to move there,” he maintained.

That order was reissued “repeatedly” on 23, 24 and 25 January and reportedly impacted more than half a million people as well as three hospitals which have been under heavy attacks and siege – Nasser Hospital, Al Amal Hospital and the Jordanian Field Hospital – Mr. Sunghay continued.

“I have very grave concerns that these chaotic and mass evacuation orders are ineffective in ensuring the safety of Palestinian civilians, instead placing them in increasingly vulnerable, dangerous, situations.”

Health under attack

Amid Israeli airstrikes and street-to-street fighting between IDF soldiers and Palestinian armed groups, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) also reiterated serious concerns for healthcare workers and patients caught up in the violence.

Since war erupted in Gaza there have been 318 attacks on healthcare in the enclave causing 615 fatalities and 778 injuries, latest WHO data indicates. The violence has impacted 95 healthcare facilities and only 14 hospitals out of 36 still function – seven in the south and seven in the north.

Latest data from Gaza’s health authorities cited by WHO reports that more than 26,000 people have been killed, a full 75 per cent children and women. There have been at least 60,000 registered injuries, but over 8,000 people are missing presumed dead under the rubble, said WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier.

“The few functioning hospitals in Gaza are in absolutely dire circumstances,” he added, noting that the hostilities had prevented access for patients and supplies many times.

Dread of not knowing

“(It’s) like in Nasser hospital right now; people shelter in the area outside under attack, the hospital is basically under siege, nobody can go in, nobody can go out, people not knowing what the next minutes will bring, fearing for their lives,” the WHO spokesperson said.

“As they are in a hospital it should be a refuge for those seeking help, for those injured, for those wounded, for those with diseases.”

In parallel with the violence impacting healthcare in Gaza, the WHO spokesperson noted spiking attacks on healthcare in the West Bank, where there have been 358 attacks in the West Bank resulting in seven fatalities and 59 injuries – more than in Gaza . “The attacks have affected 44 health facilities, including 15 mobile clinics and 245 ambulances,” WHO said in a situation update.

Desperation in Khan Younis, Rafah

Meanwhile, in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, OHCHR officer Mr. Sunghay described scenes of desperation that risked spilling over.

“I met with people who were frustrated, angry and understandably wary… their schools have been destroyed, as have their universities, destroying their hopes for the future,” he said.

Speaking from Amman, Jordan, the OHCHR officer noted that “near-continuous attacks” in recent days have not spared medical facilities and schools in Khan Younis, nor UN facilities and residential areas.

OHCHR and partners also remain seriously concerned about the situation in Rafah, in the far south of the Strip. “I saw displaced people who had been ordered by Israeli authorities to leave their homes, with no provision for their accommodation, literally living on the street, with sewage running in the streets and conditions of desperation conducive to a complete breakdown in order,” Mr. Sunghay said.

“The people I spoke to fear the extreme violence is spilling into Rafah – which will have catastrophic implications for the more than 1.3 million people already crowded there.”

Ukraine war: Political Affairs chief warns against rhetoric fuelling ‘already dangerous conflict’

“We understand both Russia and Ukraine are conducting separate investigations into the incident, and Kyiv has called for an international probe,” Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told ambassadors in the Security Council.

Russia said that there were no survivors from Monday’s crash in the Belgorod region close to the Ukrainian border and stated that 74 people had been on board the military transport plane, 65 of whom were captured Ukrainian soldiers who were part of a prisoner of war (POW) swap.

Moscow claims that the plane was struck by a Ukrainian missile, according to news reports, but Ukraine has said it was not told to ensure the safety of airspace, as on previous occasions when POWs have been exchanged.

President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia in a post on social platform X, formerly Twitter, of “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners of war”, calling for “all the facts to be established” and insisted on an international inquiry.

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Unable to verify

Noting that the United Nations is unable to verify the reports or the circumstances of the crash, Ms. DiCarlo said that “what is clear is that the incident took place in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and ongoing war.”

“To avoid further escalation, we urge all concerned to refrain from actions, rhetoric, or allegations that could further fuel the already dangerous conflict.”

Casualties ‘rapidly rising’

According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, 10,312 civilians have been killed and a further 19,530 injured.

“These figures continue to rapidly rise,” Ms. DiCarlo added, noting casualties resulting from recent strikes.

“The Secretary-General has been unambiguous in condemning all attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur. They are prohibited under international law and must stop immediately,” she said.

Concerns for prisoners of war

The senior UN official also highlighted her deep concerns for POWs on all sides, and their families.

“The recent incident in the Belgorod region, with its claimed link to a planned prisoner exchange, reminds us of the plight of prisoners of war,” she said.

“Notwithstanding the circumstances of yesterday’s incident, the fate of POWs should not be instrumentalized. We urge the parties to continue pursuing exchanges of prisoners of war,” she added.

‘A war of choice’

Ms. DiCarlo, said that the war in Ukraine “is a war of choice”.

“Its tragic consequences are clear for all to see. The longer it lasts, the more death and destruction it causes and the more it eats away at the norms agreed to ensure and maintain a peaceful and secure world,” she said.

Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo briefing the Security Council.

Sudan war ‘a living nightmare for children’: UNICEF Representative

“Sudan is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions. It’s a living nightmare for children,” Mandeep O’Brien said this week in an interview with UN News.

Nearly 10 months have passed since clashes erupted between the Sudanese Army and a rival group known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leaving14 million children in desperate need of lifesaving assistance.

Child displacement crisis

Ms. O’Brien said the fighting has sparked the world’s largest child displacement crisis. More than 3.5 million boys and girls have fled their homes for safer locations, with some uprooted several times.

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The bad news continues as more than 7.4 million young Sudanese do not have access to safe drinking water, putting them at risk of waterborne diseases, and nearly two million are in urgent need of lifesaving vaccines.

Sudan also has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world. More than three million under-fives suffer from acute malnutrition, and 700,000 could die from its severest form unless they receive medical treatment.

Classrooms in the crosshairs

Furthermore, 19 million school-age children are not in the classroom, putting Sudan at risk of becoming one of the worst learning crises in the world.

“Imagine the future of this country if children are not being able to learn,” Ms. O’Brien remarked. “We estimate that if this continues, Sudan would be facing a $26 billion lifetime earning loss.”

Education is a powerful tool for building peace “because when children are in classrooms, they feel safe, protected, and they can peacefully co-exist,” she said.

“These are values that we shouldn’t take for granted. These are values that have to be lived and practiced by children.”

Open schools, pay teachers

UNICEF has been pushing for Sudanese federal and state authorities to re-open schools, but Ms. O’Brien pointed to another barrier to education.

“For that to happen, teachers need to be paid,” she said. “Sadly, since the onset of this war, teachers and other frontline workers have not been paid their salaries, so this has to happen.”

In the interim, UNICEF and partners have been exploring practical solutions and ways to support the safe re-opening of schools where conditions allow, while also working to reach more young learners.

Expanding the ‘learning loop’

“For huge numbers of kids who cannot go to school, who were not registered or enrolled in schools prior to the conflict, we’re trying to bring as many kids as possible into the learning loop, into alternative ways of learning,” she said.

To address their needs, UNICEF and partners have launched child-friendly spaces at gathering points for internally displaced people.

Known as makanna – Arabic for “our place” – these are locations where children can feel safe and protected while also continuing their education through e-learning and tried and tested low-cost digital solutions.

More than 850 makannas have been rolled out across Sudan, reaching more than 250,000 children who also receive psychosocial support to address trauma resulting from the war.

Vaccination campaigns

The conflict has also stretched Sudan’s health system to its limits. UNICEF along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners continue to work with the authorities to provide urgently needed services amid disease outbreaks, in addition to carrying out child immunization campaigns.

Ms. O’Brien said they have vaccinated more than a million children against measles “which is of great concern and is currently spreading as we speak”.

This week marked the start of a campaign to combat measles and rubella, launched with the support of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi). The aim is to vaccinate more than five million children in seven states by the end of the week and 15 million over the coming months.

Appeal for peace

Although fearing that Sudan risks becoming a forgotten crisis as conflict rages in Gaza and deepens in Ukraine, Ms. O’Brien underlined UNICEF’s commitment to stay and deliver on the ground alongside partners.

Last year, they reached over 6.4 million children and families with urgently needed health supplies and screened more than five million under-fives for malnutrition, treating over 300,000 severe cases.

She appealed for more funding to meet the growing needs of children, women and families.

“Most importantly, we need all international and regional efforts to be joined up so that Sudan can find a political solution to this devastation,” she said.“This war has to stop now. Sudan desperately needs peace.”

World News in Brief: ICJ to release emergency measures over Israel genocide allegations, Libya flood repair bill, leprosy stigma continues

Since 7 October when Israel launched its military campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the militant group’s terror attacks in southern Israel that left some 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage, Gaza health authorities have reported at least 25,700 killed and some 63,740 injured.

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In its case, which began earlier this month in the Hague, South Africa asked the Court – a principal organ of the UN – to indicate provisional measures in order to “protect against further severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people under the Genocide Convention”.

Call for immediate end to fighting

Among the measures South Africa has asked for are the immediate suspension of military operations by Israel in the Strip, and that its forces take “all reasonable measures” to prevent genocide.

South Africa also asked the world court to order Israel to prevent forced displacement, allow adequate food and water to reach civilians and ensure that evidence of any potential genocide is preserved.

Provisional measures are a type of temporary injunction or holding measure ahead of a final decision on the dispute. It is likely to take years before a judgement is reached.

The measures are considered mandatory for implementation, but the Court has no means of enforcing them.

Israel argued in presenting its case that the war on Hamas was one purely of defence and “not against the Palestinian people”.

Lawyers for Israel said that provisional measures, if granted, would amount to “an attempt to deny Israel its ability to meet its obligations to the defence of its citizens, to the hostages and to over 110,000 displaced Israelis”.

$1.8 billion needed to restore Libyan communities after catastrophic flooding

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To Libya, where the repair bill for catastrophic flooding last September that affected some 1.5 million people has been estimated at $1.8 billion, according to the UN team there.

More than 4,300 people died and thousands more were reported missing after Storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing strong winds and sudden heavy rainfall that caused dams to burst and destroying thousands of buildings.

Building more resilient homes and public infrastructure is a critically important part of the post-disaster recovery process, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) insisted, in a joint report with the World Bank and the European Union.

Georgette Gagnon, the top UN official in the country, said that “time is of the essence for affected people” in the east, notably the coastal city of Derna, which satellite imagery showed had been all but washed out to sea by the disaster.

Ms. Gagnon noted that the report offered “a clear path forward” for reconstruction, including the creation of a coordinated national platform.

“Let’s channel our collective resources and expertise towards rebuilding, prioritizing the people, their livelihoods and wellbeing,” she said.

Stigma and shame still surround leprosy victims, warn top rights experts

Although leprosy is age-old and can be cured, the disease is still endemic in more than 120 countries, leaving an estimated one to two million people visibly disfigured and lacking support to cope with the stigma they face.

That’s the urgent message from top UN-appointed human rights experts on Thursday who said that some 200,000 new cases of leprosy are registered each year worldwide.

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A trader affected by leprosy waits for customers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

People suffering from leprosy, which is also known as Hansen’s disease, have a right to high-quality support and health care, the rights experts maintained, urging governments and international organizations to make sure their policies and procedures reflect this fundamental requirement.

‘Ex-colonies’

In a statement endorsed by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Women, the rights experts noted that leprosy patients and their families continue to be segregated in “ex-colonies”, kept away from public spaces and interaction with other people.

Ahead of World Leprosy Day on 28 January, the rights experts – who are known as Special Rapporteurs – stressed that affected persons had a right to early detection and treatment as well as rehabilitation and active support.

Children, the elderly and women are particularly affected by leprosy and judgmental attitudes and policies towards the disease, along with minorities and indigenous peoples, the rights experts said.

Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the Human Rights Council. They do not receive a salary for their work and serve in their individual capacity.

Haiti crises have reached ‘a critical point’: UN envoy

“I cannot overstress the severity of the situation in Haiti, where multiple protracted crises have reached a critical point,” said Maria Isabel Salvador, presenting the latest report of the UN political office there, BINUH.

The Caribbean country remains plagued by mounting violence and insecurity at the hands of armed gangs against a backdrop of political, humanitarian and socioeconomic challenges.

Violence spreading

About 83 per cent of the unprecedented surge in killings and injuries occurred in the capital, Port-au-Prince, but violence has spread elsewhere, specifically Artibonite, the largest of Haiti’s 10 departments.

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South of the capital, gangs conducted large-scale attacks to control key zones and continue to systematically use sexual violence in areas under their control, putting women and girls as young as 12 at risk.

Ms. Salvador said that since her last briefing in October, at least 75 people were reported killed by civilian vigilante movements that have emerged as collective defence against the gangs.

Support Haiti’s police

Meanwhile, BINUH has continued efforts to enhance the capacity of the Haitian National Police (HNP), but high attrition rates have further diminished the force’s ability to counter gang violence and maintain security.

The Haitian Government and the international community have stepped up support to the HNP over the past few months, she added.

This has included a 13 per cent increase allocated under the national budget for this fiscal year and the supply of individual protection equipment, armoured vehicles, motorcycles and weapons.

Last October, the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of a multinational security support mission (MSS) to back Haiti’s beleaguered police force, which Kenya offered to lead. A 2022 sanctions regime targeting gang leaders and their financiers was also renewed later that month.

Ms. Salvador said she will continue to encourage all stakeholders to effectively prepare for the mission’s deployment and again appealed for countries to contribute generously towards this end.

Break the cycle

While improving the security situation is essential to break the cycle of overlapping crises besetting Haiti, she stressed that long-term stability can only be achieved through a nationally owned and inclusive political process.

Echoing the UN Secretary-General, she urged all political actors and stakeholders “in and for Haiti” to unite in prioritizing and upholding the interest of the people above all. She noted that “new violent actors have been gaining prominence” in recent months, sparking concerns over their potentially destabilizing role.

“The continuous support to the Haitian National Police, the rapid deployment of the MSS, effective sanctions and a sustained political process” which results in “credible, participatory and inclusive elections” are essential, she said.

These are “fundamental elements to restore security and stability in Haiti, where, consequently, the rule of law, democratic institutions and sustainable development become a reality for its people,” she added.

Arms trafficking ‘blind spot’

The head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ghada Waly, also updated the Council on arms trafficking and illicit financial flows in Haiti.

A UNODC report last October had identified four major sea and land routes being used for illicit firearm and ammunition flows, mainly from the US.

The latest report, published on Wednesday, found that there are 11 recorded informal or clandestine airstrips spread out across Haiti.

“They represent a blind spot that is possibly being used by traffickers and smugglers, bearing in mind that smaller aircraft flying directly between the United States and Haiti are difficult to monitor,” Ms. Wady said.

A regional concern

Regional dynamics are also important as the deepening crisis in Haiti is not occurring in a vacuum, she added, noting that illicit firearms are a growing concern across the Caribbean, “feeding gang-related activity and drug trafficking in a vicious circle”.

The report also documents action to combat corruption and illicit financial flows, “which are major factors enabling violence and organized crime and plaguing Haiti’s own justice institutions”.

“Nevertheless, anti-corruption efforts continue to be impeded by insufficient capacity, lack of forensic equipment and limited expertise in conducting complex investigations,” she said.

The next UNODC report will focus on a detailed analysis of gang dynamics in Haiti.

UN representative on sexual violence in conflict to visit Israel and West Bank

Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, will also visit the occupied West Bank, where she will meet with the Palestinian Authority, civil society organizations, recently released detainees and other relevant actors.

The visit is set to start on Monday and will conclude in early February.

Giving voice to survivors

“The mission of the Special Representative aims to give voice to survivors, witnesses, recently released hostages and those affected, to identify avenues for support, including justice and accountability, and to gather, analyze and verify information to inform reporting to the Security Council in the exercise of her mandate,” her office said in a statement on Thursday.

It is “neither intended nor mandated to be investigative in nature, a mandate which is vested in other entities of the United Nations system, which have expressed their willingness and availability to investigate.”

The mission will include a technical component to gather, analyze and verify relevant information regarding allegations of conflict related sexual violence.

In this regard, Ms. Patten will be accompanied by technical experts with expertise in safe and ethical interviewing of victims and witnesses of sexual violence, on the interpretation of medical and forensic information and on the analysis of open source and digital information.

“The scope and parameters of the visit have been discussed with the relevant authorities with an understanding reached that such a visit is contingent on the ability to operate impartially and independently, which includes unimpeded and confidential access to relevant interlocutors and information,” the statement said.

Stories from the UN Archive: Shakira speaks up for children

The youngest ever Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2003, Shakira Mebarak has since been actively engaged in promoting early childhood education and development. In 2015, when the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted at the United Nations, Shakira took the floor and spoke about the critical early years of a child’s life.

“It is up to us to be the first society to eradicate poverty and bring justice and equality to the most disenfranchised people on Earth,” she said.

Watch UN Video’s latest episode of the Stories from the UN Archive series here.

Catch up on our #ThrowbackThursday Stories from the UN Archive series here, and watch episodes from UN Video’s playlist here, cultivated from the UN Audiovisual Library’s 49,400 hours of video and 18,000 hours of audio recordings. Join us next Thursday for another dive into history.

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UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, international pop star Shakira, speaks at an event in 2015 to urge leaders to join early childhood revolution. (file)

Gaza: Top UN aid official calls for end to attacks on sites sheltering civilians

The death toll from intensified fighting “in the area” of the training centre in the southern city of Khan Younis in recent days has risen to 12 confirmed fatalities and 75 injured – 15 critically – said Thomas White, Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

“Persistent attacks on civilian sites in Khan Younis are utterly unacceptable and must stop immediately… Yesterday, the centre was hit by two shells and caught fire,” Mr. White said, as he condemned the “consistent failure to uphold the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law: distinction, proportionality and precautions in carrying out attacks”.

Terrified – and trapped

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Amid ongoing heavy fighting involving Israeli Defense Forces and Palestinian armed groups around hospitals and shelters in Khan Younis, the UN official warned that staff, patients and displaced people “are trapped inside and lifesaving operations are impeded”.

“A number of missions to assess the situation were denied,” Mr. White maintained, adding that on Wednesday evening “the UN finally managed to reach the affected areas to treat trauma patients, bring medical supplies and evacuate injured patients to Rafah”.

But heavy fighting near the few hospitals that remain partly functional in the southern city including Nasser Medical Complex and Al Amal has left them “effectively encircled”, the UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator reported from Gaza.

Another hospital closes

Amid reports that hundreds of buildings have been demolished in Gaza, Mr. White noted that Al Khair hospital in Khan Younis had now closed “after patients, including women who had just undergone C-section surgeries, were evacuated in the middle of the night”.

The development came as the International Court of Justice prepared to issue a decision in South Africa’s case against Israel over alleged genocide in Gaza.

Since war began in Gaza on 7 October 2023 when Israel launched heavy bombardment in response to Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities that left some 1,200 dead and more than 250 taken hostage, Gaza health authorities have reported that at least 25,700 people have been killed and some 63,740 injured.