• English

Category: Humanitarian Aid

World News in Brief: Rising West Bank violence, dialogue critical in Kosovo, free detained Afghan activist

Stability in the West Bank is vital to the prospects of peace in Gaza, UN Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland said over the weekend, warning against further escalation. He also said civilian attacks, including settler violence, need to end.

Meanwhile, the new Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, visited Gaza for the first time on Sunday since taking up the post earlier in April. 

“He saw firsthand the catastrophic situation in Gaza and how the ongoing hostilities are affecting people,” Mr. Dujarric said. 

Mr. Hadi visited sites in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah, including a shelter for displaced people and a health centre, and spoke with members of the community.

He also spent the night in Rafah, where 1.4 million people are sheltering in dire living conditions, lacking basic necessities, including water, food, shelter and healthcare. 

UN partners were able to provide hot meals, bread and flour to people in Gaza last week, with support from the World Food Programme (WFP). 

Further, two emergency medical teams have been positioned in northern Gaza to support Kamal Adwan and Al Awda hospitals. 

Good faith dialogue critical to move forward in Kosovo

The UN Special Representative in Kosovo has highlighted the importance of open communication and dialogue in resolving long-standing issues between Belgrade and Pristina and between Kosovo Serb communities and the Pristina authorities.

Caroline Ziadeh, who also heads the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), delivered her biennial briefing to the Security Council in New York on Monday.

“One of the key common observations is dissatisfaction with the level of progress being achieved through political dialogue and the direct effects this has upon the security situation. The level of mistrust unfortunately remains high and must be addressed,” she said.

Ms. Ziadeh reported on recent setbacks that hamper efforts to build trust among Kosovo’s ethnic communities through political dialogue. 

She underlined the importance of the full implementation of the European Union-facilitated agreements and for the sides to remain committed to constructive engagement and finding practical compromises.

“Good faith dialogue, communication and mutual understanding mark the path forward. Progress is born from actions undertaken with the willingness to forge compromises,” she said.   

Afghanistan: Rights experts call for release of detained activist

Seven independent UN experts are calling for the immediate release of Afghan human rights defender Ahmad Fahim Azimi, who has been detained for more than six months. 

Mr. Azimi was imprisoned on 17 October by the de facto authorities along with his colleague Siddiqullah Afghan, who was recently released. 

In addition to being a human rights defender, Mr. Azimi advocates for girls’ education and is the head of the Better Thinking Centre and director of the Digital Citizen Lab in Afghanistan. 

The experts have been communicating with the Afghan authorities regarding this case.  

“We urge the de facto authorities to also release Mr. Azimi without delay. There is no justification for his detention,” they said. 

The experts also expressed concern over the arrests of multiple human rights defenders and education activists in Afghanistan, seemingly for their advocacy for women and girls’ education.

“Access to education is a fundamental right. It is essential that those who strive to expand this right are supported and protected, not persecuted,” they said.

The experts were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues.

They serve in their individual capacity, are not UN staff, are independent of any government or organization and are not compensated for their work. 

UN envoy urges international solidarity with Haiti as gang violence spirals

“Today, it pains me to note that all speeches and callings had not avoided that some of the worst scenarios for Haiti have become realities in recent months and weeks,” said Maria Isabel Salvador, who also heads the UN mission in Haiti, BINUH.

Speaking from the capital, Port-au-Prince, she said it was impossible to overstate the increase in gang activity in the city and beyond, along with the deterioration of the human rights situation and the deepening of the humanitarian crisis.

Last October, the Security Council authorized the deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission (MSS) to assist Haiti’s embattled police force.  

Although more than five million people, roughly half the population, are going hungry and hundreds of thousands have been displaced,  a $674 humanitarian appeal for Haiti is less than nine per cent funded.

Attacks and confrontations

Ms. Salvador recalled that in early March, gangs mounted coordinated attacks against key state infrastructure, including several police stations and two of the main prisons in Port-au-Prince, as well as educational and health facilities, and religious sites. 

They also launched several attacks against the Presidential Palace, sparking violent clashes with the Haitian National Police (HNP), leading to multiple casualties. Furthermore, gang confrontations around the international airport have forced all commercial airlines to halt services.

She noted that roughly 2,500 persons were killed or injured due to gang violence during the first quarter of the year. This represents a 53 per cent increase over the previous reporting period, making it the most violent quarter since BINUH began recording statistics two years ago.

Deploy Multinational Support Mission

Ms. Salvador said the national police – assisted by Haiti’s “modest” Armed Forces and advised by BINUH and other international partners – have deployed immense efforts to contain the violence while being targeted by the gangs. 

“Nevertheless, the severity of the current crisis underscores the gaps in capacity within the national structures and the urgent need for international assistance, namely through the immediate deployment of the MSS,” she said.

On the political front, she noted that Haitian stakeholders have worked to put their differences aside in efforts to find a common path towards restoring democratic institutions, including establishing a Transitional Presidential Council following the resignation announcement by Prime Minister Ariel Henry in March. 

Security critical for progress

A number of other bodies are also expected to be established, including a National Security Council and a Provisional Electoral Council “which is urgently required to set plans in motion for the organization of elections.”

Ms. Salvador noted that despite the recent positive developments on the political front, improving the security situation remains a condition sine qua non for further progress. 

“I cannot stress enough the need to assist Haiti with its efforts to reestablish security,” she said. 

“One and a half years since Haiti requested assistance to enhance security and more than six months since this Council authorized the deployment of the MSS, we must continue to stress the importance of its urgent deployment.”

Catherine M. Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF), briefs the Security Council meeting on the question concerning Haiti.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Catherine M. Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF), briefs the Security Council meeting on the question concerning Haiti.

Children in the crosshairs

Catherine Russell, head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), appealed for greater support for the humanitarian plan for Haiti.  Of the roughly 5.5 million Haitians who need assistance, three million are children.

She said boys and girls are being injured or killed in the violence each day. Some are being recruited, or join armed groups out of sheer desperation. Recent UNICEF data indicates that anywhere from 30 to per 50 cent of armed groups have children in their ranks.

“Women and girls continue to be targeted with extreme levels of gender-based and sexual violence,” she added.

“Last year, thousands of cases of sexual violence were reported, many of which were perpetrated against children. The true number of cases is likely much higher.”

Humanitarian activities have also fallen victim to the violence as access to the port in the capital has been cut off because of armed group operations in the area.

Ms. Russell said nearly 300 containers of humanitarian supplies are now stranded, including 17 UNICEF containers loaded with nutrition supplements, as well as neonatal, maternal and medical supplies. 

Ghada Waly (on screen), Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, briefs the Security Council meeting on the question concerning Haiti.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Ghada Waly (on screen), Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, briefs the Security Council meeting on the question concerning Haiti.

Stand with Haiti

The Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Ghada Waly, said the violence “is made possible by the continued influx of guns into Haiti and is supported by corruption.”

Recent events also suggest concerning signs of collusion between different gangs, she added.

The latest wave of violence saw reported fighting between gangs, but also signs of collaboration between certain groups to carry out attacks.

Furthermore, the attacks targeting key infrastructure were another reminder of the significant increase in firepower that the gangs possess, as weapons continue to flow into Haiti.

“We must stand with Haiti’s institutions and citizens in confronting violence, corruption, and chaos, and in working for a more stable and secure future for the people of Haiti,” she said.

.

Hungry for data: Tackling food insecurity in rural Indonesia

“I was not aware that vegetables were that important or how to grow them,” said the 25-year-old farmer from Idas in West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. “Now I do.”

She, along with 50 of her neighbours in this village among the rolling hills of northwest Borneo, received vegetable seeds and the opportunity to participate in a training course on how to grow tomatoes, cucumbers and peanuts, foods that should make their families less prone to diseases.

Kornelia Icha sorts through peanuts she has grown on her land.
UN Indonesia

Kornelia Icha sorts through peanuts she has grown on her land.

Evidence, not intuition

Idas was one of just four out of 160 villages in the district targeted for government intervention thanks to data-based policymaking. Using a rigorous, data-focused methodology developed by the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP), the district’s Food Security Office published a recommendation to all local government offices to concentrate efforts on these settlements. 

It supported the government’s aim of providing targeted assistance to prevent stunting, a condition to which chronic.

“Without research and hard data, even the best-intentioned attempts to decrease food security vulnerability are like a shot in the dark,” said Nur Affandi, Head of the Food Security Office in Singgau, the regional capital. “In order to target interventions correctly and create policy that really makes a difference, we must base our work on evidence, not intuition.”

Much of that evidence is presented through the Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas. Developed jointly by WFP and the National Food Agency, the atlas visualises key food security data for all 514 cities and districts in Indonesia, a vast country of 280 million people.

On it, each subdistrict and village is given one of six priority classes of vulnerability, based on indicators such as access to running water, the amount of agricultural land per person and access to a medical facility. 

The composite index takes into account these various indicators and, based on that, automatically identifies which villages and subdistricts are vulnerable to food insecurity.

Rice is the staple food of many households in West Kalimantan.
UN Indonesia

Rice is the staple food of many households in West Kalimantan.

In 2019, Idas fell into the priority one or “highly food insecure” category. Since then, the dirt road connecting it to main roads in the area has been partially repaired to ease villagers’ access to markets and therefore improve their overall economic condition.

Seeds have been distributed to families to help them vary their diets along with pepper plants to diversify their income away from reliance solely on rubber and palm oil. The few families who did not have clean running water are now hooked up to the village’s water system.

The result? Idas is no longer considered highly food insecure.

Thank science

“A major improvement,” a proud Mr. Affandi said with a broad smile. “It’s not thanks to us; it’s thanks to science.”

His approach of data-based policymaking is seen as a pilot to emulate, particularly in poorer areas of the country, such as East Nusa Tenggara province and its capital city, Kupang.

A Regent’s Decree prepared in 2022 by the Kupang district government, the Regional District Development Planning Office and WFP mandated all local authorities, including those in charge of health care, agriculture and social support, to use the Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas to target their food and social support. The province has over 309 subdistricts, 37 per cent of which were found to be vulnerable to food insecurity in 2021.

The rehabilitation of roads is essential to the development of the rural community of Idas.
UN Indonesia

The rehabilitation of roads is essential to the development of the rural community of Idas.

In East Nusa Tenggara, more than 20 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, and nearly 40 per cent of children under age five are stunted. Stunting prevents a child from reaching their full cognitive and physical potential. 

Countrywide, just over 20 per cent of children under age five were stunted in 2022.

“Using the Atlas for planning enables us to refine our focus and target food insecurity interventions accordingly,” says Marthen Rahakbauw, Head of the Kupang District Regional Development Planning Office.

To-do list

While the progress is tangible, a lot of work remains to be done.

“WFP is supporting the National Food Agency to work with other cities and districts to also mandate the use of the Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas,” said Jennifer Rosenzweig, the acting Country Director for WFP in Indonesia: “We need more examples like Sanggau and Kupang districts to systematically reach people who are most vulnerable to food insecurity across the country.”

For Kornelia Icha, who says she can only afford to eat what she and her relatives can grow themselves, the vegetables make a major difference in her diet.

Her and her husband’s base income comes from selling the milky latex they extract from around 200 rubber trees; this earns them around 60,000 Indonesian rupiah ($4) a day, which is supplemented by income from odd jobs and the occasional sale of peanuts.

“We are not poor,” she said. “But, we could certainly never eat as many vegetables as we do now after we started growing them.”

War in Sudan is ‘a crisis of epic proportions’ as atrocities abound

The Sudanese people have endured “unbearable suffering” since the conflict started just over a year ago when an outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) “brutally interrupted the political transition”, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said.

“This is a crisis of epic proportions; it is also wholly man-made,” she told ambassadors, stressing that both parties have failed to protect civilians.

Over 14,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands wounded, half the country’s population – 25 million people – need lifesaving assistance and more than 8.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes, including 1.8 million refugees.

Widespread atrocities

“Allegations of atrocities abound,” she said, citing reports of widespread use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, of the recruitment of children by parties to the conflict and of extensive use of torture and prolonged arbitrary detention by both parties.

She said the UN stands ready to redouble efforts with its multilateral partners – including the African Union, Intergovernmental Authority for Development, the League of Arab States and key Member States and partners – to help end hostilities and foster inclusive and effective international mediation.

She said the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, has engaged with national, regional and international stakeholders to promote the coordination of mediation initiatives, and the recent humanitarian conference in Paris emphasised the need for unity of purpose and action to end the fighting in Sudan.

Rosemary DiCarlo (centre), Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Sudan and South Sudan.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías

Rosemary DiCarlo (centre), Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Sudan and South Sudan.

External actors fuelling war

At the same time, all warring parties must uphold their obligations under international law and adhere to the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan, Ms. DiCarlo said, calling on all actors to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further bloodshed.

However the rival armies have been able to keep fighting in no small part thanks to the material support they receive from outside the Sudan, she said, adding that these external actors continue to flout the Council’s sanctions regime to support a political settlement and to fuel the conflict.

“This is illegal, it is immoral and it must stop,” she said. “At this critical moment, in addition to global support for aid, we need to redouble our efforts to achieve peace in the Sudan.”

A child is screened for malnutrition in Gezira state in Sudan.
© UNICEF/Ahmed Elfatih Mohamdeen

A child is screened for malnutrition in Gezira state in Sudan.

‘The elephant in the room’

Echoing that point, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, High Representative for the Silencing the Guns initiative of the African Union Commission, said external interference has been “a major factor” stymying efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and to stop the war.

“External support in terms of supply of war materiel and other means has been the main reason why this war has lasted for so long,” he said via videolink from Post Sudan. “It is the elephant in the room.”

For its part, the African Union has been proactive, he said, recalling its swift action five days after the outbreak of fighting to form a mechanism to coordinate efforts as well as its subsequent drafting of a roadmap to peace and appointment of a High-Level Panel on Sudan.

Decades of development wiped out

Yet, the ongoing year-long war has already set Sudan back several decades, he said, adding that “it will take more than a generation to rebuild Sudan to its pre-war state.”

He said the war has also led to egregious violations of international human rights law, international humanitarian law and the laws governing the conduct of war.

“It must end,” he said, emphasising that the Jeddah process must speedily recommence with the full participation of the African Union to bring about an unconditional ceasefire to end Sudan’s suffering.

Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Sudan and South Sudan.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías

Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Sudan and South Sudan.

Humanitarian conditions worsening

Edem Wosornu, director of operations and advocacy at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that one year on, the outlook for the people of Sudan is “bleak”.

Extremely concerning levels of conflict-related sexual violence continue to be reported, and aid workers, health workers and local volunteers are being killed, injured, harassed and arrested with impunity, she said, speaking on behalf of UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.

In addition, the spiralling violence in recent weeks poses an extreme and immediate danger to the 800,000 civilians who reside in El Fasher and risks triggering further clashes in other parts of Darfur, where more than nine million people are in dire need of assistance, she said.

Famine prevention plan

Meanwhile, food insecurity in Sudan has reached record levels, with 18 million people are facing acute hunger, a number that is set to surge as the lean season fast approaches, Ms. Wosornu said, noting that OCHA had launched a famine prevention plan last week.

“If we are to avert famine, the parties must take urgent steps to facilitate humanitarian relief for all civilians in need, as required under international humanitarian law,” she said.

What is needed now is scaled up action to protect humanitarian workers to deliver lifesaving aid, more funds and more international engagement to silence the guns, she said.

A school and centre for displaced people in West Darfur, supported by Save the Children, were destroyed in late April 2023 due to ongoing fighting in Sudan. (file)
© UNOCHA/Mohamed Khalil

A school and centre for displaced people in West Darfur, supported by Save the Children, were destroyed in late April 2023 due to ongoing fighting in Sudan. (file)

‘The people of Sudan cannot wait’

“We need a fundamental change in the way we support Sudan,” Ms. Wosornu said. “The people of Sudan cannot wait another month, week or even day for their suffering to stop. Every day that passes puts more lives at risk.”

Expressing gratitude for pledges made at the recent Paris humanitarian conference on Sudan, she said funds must be disbursed as soon as possible and that “we have a very narrow window to respond”.

“Within the coming six weeks, we need to preposition lifesaving supplies before the rainy season starts in June. We need to get seeds into the hands of farmers before the planting season in June, and cash into the pockets of displaced people before they fall even deeper into hunger.”

While OCHA will “do everything we can”, Ms. Wosornu said “we cannot do this alone.”

“We need your help,” she told Council members. “Now is the time to act, before it is too late. Millions of lives depend on us.”

Sudan: Famine risk is real, FAO warns

Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience, is in the country as part of UN interagency response to the food security crisis driven by the war between rival military forces, now in its second year. 

“We’re here because the risk of famine is real. The food security situation is concerning. But we have an opportunity to respond,” he told UN News, speaking from the coastal city of Port Sudan. 

Funding and access 

Across Sudan, 18 million people – more than a third of the population – are going hungry. 

Mr. Paulsen appealed for more support for farmers, who are preparing their land now to plant crops in June.  

FAO requires $104 million to support just over 10 million Sudanese this year but has received less than 10 per cent of the funding.  

He said safe access is also a priority, both for Sudanese farmers and the UN agency. 

This interview has been edited for clarity and length. 

Rein Paulsen: There’s a number of actions that both can and need to be taken right now, and I do think it’s vitally important that we underscore one key point at the outset.  The crop and food supply assessment mission, which looked at 2023 numbers, showed a 46 per cent reduction nationally in terms of the production of key crops, so wheat, sorghum, millet, and also rice and maize.  

That deficit is not going to be possible to be made up with just in-kind food assistance or with cash distributions. It’s indispensable that we support vulnerable farmers and farming communities to either restart their production themselves or further bolster what’s underway.  

FAO has a three-pronged strategy. A key component is around crops for the two main seasons, so cereals for this upcoming season and then key vegetables for the second season, but also attention to livestock. So many of those who are in acute food insecurity also rely on, livestock, and so being able to support those animals with emergency fodder and key vaccinations, all of which help to ensure that households that are food insecure continue, for example, to have access to milk production from their goats.  

All of this is indispensable for effective famine prevention efforts. We have a window of opportunity, and that window is right now.  

UN News:  In your meetings with the parties, do you receive any guarantees that they will do what they can to avoid a further deterioration of the food security situation? 

Rein Paulsen: I had the opportunity on this mission to meet with authorities here in Port Sudan.  The discussions we’ve had have gone very well. We have a strong technical collaboration and I expect that collaboration to continue.  

We work on a number of different technical areas with authorities, including around desert locust control and prevention.  We’re likely to see the Government announce in the coming days, or in the coming weeks, that the desert locust control operations have been fully successful.  

We’ve talked about the priorities to respond to the situation now being shared with all of the stakeholders there, articulated clearly in the interagency famine prevention plan. And we hope that we get all the support required to be able to deliver on the response.

There are two key sets of challenges for FAO, and I think generally one set of challenges around funding and another around access. Both need to be addressed for us to be able to prevent the risk of famine from unfolding.  

The funding issue is a real challenge. We have less funding this year than we did last year, and the food insecurity situation is worse this year than last year, so those two trends are heading in the wrong directions. 

UN News: Can you tell us what it’s like to be a farmer in Sudan, or an average Sudanese person living in a in a rural area today?  

Rein Paulsen: I had a chance to visit with some farming communities that FAO has been supporting last year. The families that we met with were describing a situation where, in addition to everything that’s happening in various parts of the country around conflict – and we do know that conflict is the main driver of the crisis – that wasn’t the case with the families that we met. They also faced challenges when it comes to climate dynamics and challenges.  

We were in fields looking at crops that have been harvested, but we were also looking at earth dams that have been washed away earlier this year as a result of flooding in the past. And so, there’s a precarious reality for vulnerable farming households that needs attention. 

I think it’s really important to understand that the situation of those in acute food insecurity is nuanced and different by specific location and locality. But for me, the main takeaway from the engagement with these communities was that I saw production taking place.  

We saw ripe tomatoes being harvested and going into local markets – again a reminder that it’s possible to do impactful, life-changing, lifesaving work, even in challenging environments.  

UN News: Sudan is very fertile, and like you said, there’s a lot of potential for food production. But obviously there are reasons preventing farmers from reaching their lands. Can you give us some of those main reasons?  

Rein Paulsen: If we look particularly at the situation over this last year, conflict is clearly the main driver when it comes to the current hunger crisis and food insecurity.  

Nine out of ten people facing emergency food insecurity are in the conflict hotspots, so in Darfur, the Kordofan region, the Khartoum area, and recently also in Al Jazeera state which is often described as the breadbasket in terms of production nationally. 

We’ve also heard reports from farmers about inability to access their plots of land. And for us, as a specialised technical agency, it’s not just about giving inputs to farmers. We also provide technical assistance, but they obviously need access to their land to prepare it.  

They need access to the land to plant and to monitor and surveil their crops, and then to be able to harvest. This issue of being able to access farming land is key and a major priority and concern.  

UN News: You spoke earlier about agricultural support to mitigate the food insecurity crisis. Can this still be effective even as the conflict rages on?  

Rein Paulsen: We’ve been able to demonstrate that it’s possible to deliver at scale, even in very challenging circumstances. Just last year, FAO supported more than five million Sudanese people with emergency agricultural assistance.  

We provided to more than a million farming households more than 10,000 metric tonnes of key seeds, including sorghum, millet, as well as okra. And we did that across 15 states. It was only in West Darfur and Central Darfur that we had challenges in terms of delivery. 

So, it’s possible to deliver at scale, and in terms of access, it’s possible to work. Obviously, the situation is very dynamic, and we do hope and request and continue to work with all of the actors and stakeholders. 

This year, our plan is to support more than 10 million Sudanese people with emergency agricultural assistance. The plans are ambitious but fully justified in line with the evolving situation. I would say funding is a very real challenge, and we need to be guided by evidence, we need to be focused on those contexts and situations where we have high levels of acute food insecurity, and there needs to be funding commensurate with the level of needs that exist. And we strongly feel that Sudan merits and deserves a lot more attention than it’s currently receiving.  

Retaliatory spiral in Middle East must end, says UN chief after strikes on Iran

“The Secretary-General condemns any act of retaliation and appeals to the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond,” he said in a statement issued by his Office.

Echoing those concerns, UN atomic energy agency chief Rafael Grossi urged “extreme restraint” from all sides, after more than six and a half months of war in Gaza that have fuelled fears of a wider regional conflict. Echoing those concerns, UN atomic energy agency chief Rafael Grossi called for “extreme restraint” from all sides, after more than six and a half months of war in Gaza that have fuelled fears of a wider regional conflict.

“IAEA can confirm that there is no damage to Iran’s nuclear sites…Director-General Grossi “continues to call for extreme restraint from everybody and reiterates that nuclear facilities should never be a target in military conflicts,” the International Atomic Energy Agency said in a tweet, after unconfirmed media reports that possible drone strikes had targeted the Iranian province of Isfahan, which is home to nuclear facilities and military garrisons. 

In Geneva, too, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) urged all parties “to take steps to de-escalate the situation” rapidly. 

“(We) call on third States, in particular those with influence, to do all in their power to ensure there is no further deterioration in an already extremely precarious situation,” said OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence.

Hunger and fear

In Gaza, aid teams offered new insight into the dangers faced by Palestinian civilians – particularly pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers – as a result of the “wanton destruction” of vital medical equipment and widespread “dehydration, malnutrition and fear” among Palestinians.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Dominic Allen, Representative for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) for the State of Palestine, said that there were indications that the number of complicated births is nearly twice what it was before war erupted.

“There is absolutely an increase in the numbers,” he said, adding that pre-war, around 15 per cent of births required some form of emergency obstetric care. Today, some doctors have reported “a doubling of what they previously had dealt with and this is due to malnutrition, dehydration and fear, which impact the pregnant woman’s ability to give birth safely and carry their baby to full term safely”, the UNFPA official said.

‘Wanton destruction’

Mr. Allen described his latest mission to Gaza to assess the impact of Israeli attacks on healthcare at embattled hospitals in the north, central and southern governorates.

It was clear that the last remaining hospitals in the enclave including its second-largest, Nasser Hospital, are “clinging to life themselves whilst they are a lifeline for the pregnant women of Gaza”, Mr. Allen insisted, via video link from Jerusalem. “What I saw, it breaks my heart…It’s indescribable. What we see there is, medical equipment, purposefully broken; ultrasounds – which you will know is a very important tool for helping ensure safe births – with cables that have been cut, screens of complex medical equipment like ultrasounds and other with the screens smashed. So, purposeful, wanton destruction in the maternity ward.”

Before intense Israeli bombardment began in response to Hamas-led terror attacks across southern Israel on 7 October, Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis had a maternity ward which UNFPA teams have supported and supplied for years.

In order to be fully functional again the hospital will need reconditioned water and sanitation services and repairs to damaged electricity generators, at a bare minimum. “But I stood beside the warehouse (where) we delivered supplies many months ago and it was literally burning; there’s so much work to do in terms of trying to re-establish that lifeline,” Mr. Allen said.

‘Palpable’ fear

The UNFPA mission which began on Monday 8 April and ended this Wednesday was carried out in partnership with the UN World Health Organization (WHO), the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

The objective was to visit around 10 hospitals in Gaza, among them Al Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza which was “overwhelmed with trauma patients” and not supporting maternity care. 

At Emirati Hospital in the south of the enclave, Mr. Allen recounted meeting the medical director of the facility who said that  “he no longer sees normal-sized babies”.

Turning to Rafah and continuing fears of an Israeli incursion, the UNFPA officer underscored the “great sense of fear” hanging over the more than 1.2 million people sheltering there.

“There is a palpable fear from the Gazans who I spoke with – the midwives, doctors, pregnant women, my fellow colleagues, who are in Gaza…Right now it’s a haven for 1.2 million Gazans; it’s not a safe haven, but it’s a haven at least.”

Guterres appeals for maximum restraint in the Middle East

“Failure to make progress towards a two-State solution will only increase volatility and risk for hundreds of millions of people across the region, who will continue to live under the constant threat of violence,” he said.

Regional conflict, global impact 

With the Middle East “on a precipice”, he appealed for maximum restraint, warning against the far-reaching consequences. 

“One miscalculation, one miscommunication, one mistake, could lead to the unthinkable – a full-scale regional conflict that would be devastating for all involved – and for the rest of the world,” he said. 

Mr. Guterres reiterated his strong condemnation for Iran’s large-scale attack on Israel on Saturday, and an earlier assault on the Iranian consulate in Damascus which Tehran attributed to Israel, saying “it is high time to end the bloody cycle of retaliation.” 

End Gaza hostilities 

Stressing that the international community must work together to prevent any actions that could push the entire Middle East over the edge, he highlighted the need for diplomacy that would lead to de-escalation, starting with Gaza. 

“Ending the hostilities in Gaza would significantly defuse tensions across the region,” Mr. Guterres said, repeating his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate release of all hostages held in the enclave.

“The horrific terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on 7 October, including mass killings, the use of sexual violence, torture, and the taking of hostages, were an intolerable denial of the most basic values of humanity, and a breach of the most fundamental rules of international law,” he added.

 ‘Humanitarian hellscape’ 

Meanwhile, nearly seven months of Israeli military operations in Gaza “have created a humanitarian hellscape”. Tens of thousands have been killed, including more than 13,800 children, and two million Palestinians are now living under the threat of famine.

Israel recently made several commitments to improve aid delivery, he said. For example, three convoys from the World Food Programme (WFP) were authorized to use the Erez Crossing into northern Gaza to deliver food parcels and wheat flour over a three-day period this week.

Yet, “apparent progress in one area is often cancelled out by delays and restrictions elsewhere”, meaning that “the impact is limited, and sometimes nil.” 

‘Quantum leap’ in aid 

The Secretary-General called for “a quantum leap in humanitarian aid” to avert imminent famine in Gaza, and further preventable deaths from disease.

Conditions on the ground must also be addressed so that humanitarian agencies can safely deliver aid, he added, noting that nearly 250 aid workers have been killed, including more than 180 UN personnel.

“Delivering aid at scale requires Israel’s full and active facilitation of humanitarian operations, including through a functioning humanitarian notification system – and improved and direct communications between humanitarians and military decisionmakers on the ground,” he said.

West Bank violence 

Mr. Guterres also highlighted “the explosive situation” in the occupied West Bank.  More than 450 Palestinians, including 112 children, have been killed since 7 October. Seventeen Israelis, including a child, have also been killed there and in Israel during the same period.

Additionally, the reported killing of a 14-year-old Israeli boy over the weekend sparked a new wave of armed settler attacks against at least 37 Palestinian villages. Four Palestinians were killed, including a 17-year-old boy. 

“The backdrop to this appalling surge in violence is the continued expansion of Israeli settlements – in themselves a violation of international law – and repeated large-scale Israeli operations in Palestinian areas,” he said. 

Condemning the violence, Mr. Guterres urged Israel to take immediate steps to end the unprecedented levels of settler violence, hold perpetrators to account, and protect the Palestinian population from attacks, violence and intimidation. 

Blue Line, Red Sea 

Efforts towards regional de-escalation must also address the extremely fraught situation in Lebanon, particularly along the Blue Line which marks the frontier between the south of the country and northern Israel, Mr. Guterres continued.

“Exchanges of fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah are exacting a mounting toll on civilian communities in Israel and Lebanon. Dozens of civilians have been killed and tens of thousands displaced on both sides of the Blue Line,” he said, appealing for restraint. 

He also drew attention to the crisis in the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels in Yemen continue to launch attacks against merchant and commercial ships, disrupting global trade.

He urged the international community to unite to prevent escalation in the Red Sea, adding that the people of Yemen must be supported in their efforts towards a just and sustainable peace. 

Ziad Abu Amr, Special Representative of the President of the State of Palestine, addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Ziad Abu Amr, Special Representative of the President of the State of Palestine, addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Palestine: Support full UN Membership 

The Special Representative of the Palestinian President, Ziad Abu Amr, said the plight of the Palestinian people started over a century ago and is still ongoing.  

“We are still longing to practice our right to self-determination to live in freedom, security and peace in an independent State, similar to other countries around the world. We have made and continue to make great sacrifices to achieve this goal,” he told the Council. 

He said granting Palestine full membership at the UN will lift some of the historic injustices that succeeding generations of Palestinians have been subjected to. 

The decision will also be an important pillar to achieve peace in the region because the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in its different dimensions now extends beyond the borders of Palestine and Israel and impacts other parts of the Middle East and the world.  

“Therefore, we believe that it is high time for the Security Council to shoulder its historic responsibility to give justice to the Palestinian people by adopting a resolution to accept Palestine as a full member of the United Nations,” he said. 

“Those who are trying to disrupt and hinder the adoption of such a resolution, they are not helping the prospects of peace between Palestinians and Israelis and the prospects for peace in the Middle East in general,” he added. 

Council due to vote on Palestinian membership 

The Security Council is due to vote in just a few hours’ time in New York on whether to recommend Palestine for full membership, which if approved, would then go to the wider General Assembly. Read our full explainer here on Palestine’s decades-long bid. 

Turning to Gaza, Mr. Abu Amr said the comprehensive war waged by Israel has claimed the lives of over 35,000 Palestinians and wounded 80,000, mostly women, children and the elderly, and the majority of the enclave has been destroyed. 

“Gaza will come back. What will be destroyed is the occupation,” he said. 

“We call on you today more than ever, to swiftly intervene and take the necessary measures to compel Israel to put an end to its aggression, to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance to a starving people, to immediately withdraw from the Gaza Strip, to comply with international law and the resolutions of international legitimacy.” 

Ambassador Gilad Erdan of Israel addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías

Ambassador Gilad Erdan of Israel addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

A ‘sick reward’: Israel 

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan chastised the Council for not meeting even once to discuss ways to advance the release of the hostages held in Gaza or issuing condemnations against the “heinous 7 October massacre” by Hamas. 

“Rather than condemning Hamas’s atrocities or taking action, real action, to bring our hostages home, this Council will be voting upon a resolution to recommend granting the Palestinian Authority full membership status,” he said. 

He stated that the resolution will have zero positive impact for any party, cause destruction for years to come and harm any chance for future dialogue. 

Mr. Erdan said six months after the most brutal massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the Security Council was seeking to reward the supporters and perpetrators with Statehood. 

“The child-murdering Hamas rapists are watching this meeting and they are smiling. There is no bigger prize for terror than today’s meeting,” he said. 

He also listed the criteria for admission to the UN, whose membership is open to all peace-loving States. 

“The Palestinian Authority has absolutely no control over Gaza. You all know it; everyone knows it,” he said. “So, who is the Council voting to recognize today and give full membership status to: Hamas in Gaza? Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Nablus? Who is going to be in charge?” 

He said that while this alone “is grounds enough to reject this sick reward for Palestinian terror,” the Palestinian Authority “is the opposite of a peace-loving entity” as it has not condemned the 7 October attacks.

Ambassador Robert A. Wood of the United States addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
UN Photo/Manuel Elías

Ambassador Robert A. Wood of the United States addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

New US sanctions on Iran

United States Deputy Permanent Ambassador Robert Wood condemned Iran’s direct attack on Israel, which his country had helped to foil.

“It is vital that the international community is united in condemning Iran’s reckless escalatory acts, which pose a direct threat to international peace and security, destabilize the region, and endanger its own people,” he said.

In response, the United States announced new sanctions against several officials connected to Iran’s drone programme, as well as suppliers and customers of one of its largest steel producers, and automobile companies.

The Security Council must also not let Iran’s actions go unanswered, he continued. 

He said evidence is clear that Iran has armed militant group Hezbollah. It has also armed, facilitated and enabled Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and on vessels in the Red Sea, all in clear violation of Council resolutions. 

Additionally, Iran has transferred Shahed one-way attack drones used in attacks against multiple UN Member States.

“Iran has provided significant funding and training for the military wing of Hamas, which as we know, perpetrated unspeakable acts of cruelty on October 7 against Israelis, Americans, and citizens from countries all over the world. This longstanding Iranian support continues to contribute to the current crisis in Gaza,” he added. 

Meanwhile, the US continues to work towards an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, he said, as part of a deal to release the hostages and deliver additional, increased humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians. 

Mr. Wood noted that his country is committed to achieving credible, timebound, and irreversible steps toward a two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians. 

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian of Iran addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian of Iran addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Iran: Israel attack ‘necessary’

The Foreign Minister of Iran, Dr. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said the 1 April attack on the country’s embassy in Damascus showed yet again that Israel does not hesitate to violate the fundamental immunity of diplomatic premises and personnel.

He regretted that the Council had not taken any action in response to Iran’s official and repeated requests to prevent further Israeli attacks on its interests. 

Iran recently had also shown considerable restraint, he added, but “was faced with the continuation of the White House’s green light granted to the Israeli regime as well as the continued inaction of the Security Council in preventing these attacks.”

Therefore, the attack on Israel last weekend “was first and foremost necessary, because Iran had no other option,” he said, adding that operations focused solely on two Israeli military bases used in the embassy attack.

“Iran’s legitimate defence and countermeasures have been concluded. Therefore, the terrorist Israeli regime must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests,” he said.

Mr. Amir-Abdollahian assured the Council of Iran’s commitment to promoting regional peace and stability.

He said the Council “must compel the rogue and rebel regime of Israel to immediately stop the war and genocide in Gaza.” 

World News in Brief: Rights chief Türk urges peace in DR Congo, Haiti aid update, food insecurity in Timor Leste

The huge central African nation has seen years of violence in the restive but resources-rich east, which have uprooted millions of people – some 2.7 million in North Kivu alone and more than seven million nationally.

“What breaks my heart is to see a population exhausted by violence, exhausted by conflict, exhausted by the horrors of their daily life”, Mr. Türk told journalists on Thursday in the capital Kinshasa.

“They need to have a future. They need to see a future. And we all need to work towards that.”

Mr. Türk noted that although the DRC “is one of the richest countries in the world” because of its immense natural resources, “this wealth is unfortunately not available to the population because there is violence”.

Over 25 million people need humanitarian help in the DRC and UN humanitarians have warned that epidemics are rampant – particularly cholera, with 50,000 suspected cases and 470 deaths in 2023, the worst since 2017.

Measles cases have more than doubled too, to over 320,000, with deaths tripling to over 6,000 last year.

UN continuing to reach thousands in Haiti with critical assistance

The UN and aid partners are continuing to reach hundreds of thousands of people with critical assistance, amid ongoing violence in the capital, Port-au-Prince.  

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported their staff were able to reach more than 18,000 people with cash transfers on Wednesday and 210,000 children across the country received a school meal, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

As part of the agency’s emergency response, food rations were distributed to about 8,000 people.

Gangs in the capital control from 80 to 90 per cent of the streets which has fuelled a socio-economic crisis stemming from years of political turmoil culminating in the recent resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was forced out of office last month.

More than 360,000 have been displaced across Haiti and around 100,000 are living in temporary sites in deplorable conditions.

Unprecedented rights violations

Human rights chief Volker Türk said earlier this month the scale of violations “is unprecedented in Haiti’s modern history” with gangs attacking police station, prisons, public buildings and carrying out murders and kidnappings.

Sexual violence is pervasive and more than 5.5 million Haitians, mainly children, are dependent on aid. With around 44 per cent of the population food insecure, conditions are too dangerous to scale up assistance at scale.

Despite the ongoing crisis, WFP is managing to distribute hot meals to over 13,000 of those most in need across Port-au-Prince.

Runaway inflation, climate shocks, rising prices rock Timor Leste

A new report on food insecurity across Timor Leste released on Thursday reveals deteriorating levels of food insecurity in 12 of the Southeast Asian nation’s 14 municipalities.

The country is suffering through the highest inflation rate in a decade, successive climate shocks and soaring food prices.

An estimated 360,000 people, around one in four of the population, are grappling with crisis levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above); of which 18,500 people are facing emergency conditions (IPC Phase 4), said WFP.

The situation is predicted to worsen from May to September during the post-harvest season, when food access normally improves.

“The 2024 Acute IPC Analysis provides the government with vital findings that will enable us to plan targeted support for communities in urgent need of food assistance, and to improve food security overall”, said Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Forestry, Marcos da Cruz.

WFP Country Director and Representative for Timor-Leste Alba Cecilia Garzon Olivares said that with intensifying climate shocks and record inflation, the latest IPC Analysis makes it clear “urgent action is required now to avert a further deterioration in Timor-Leste’s food insecurity”.

“WFP remains committed to supporting the government and other partners in reversing this trend and strengthening nutrition-sensitive social protection systems.”

The IPC Analysis uses a set of internationally recognized tools and procedures to estimate the food insecurity situation in any given country. Check out our full explainer here.

‘Insidious campaign’ by Israel is denying life-saving aid to Gaza says UNRWA chief

UNRWA is the “backbone” of the aid effort in support of over two million Gazans displaced and battered by war with more than 33,000 killed – mostly women and children – and over 76,000 injured said UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini.

UNRWA briefing HIGHLIGHTS

  • The agency is a ‘stabilizing force’, providing the backbone of the entire aid operation in Gaza
  • A man-made famine is tightening its grip but UNRWA is being denied permission to delivery enough life-saving aid
  • UNRWA is facing an Israeli campaign ‘to push it out of the Occupied Palestinian Territory’
  • 178 UNRWA workers have been killed and 160 premises destroyed or damaged – killing more than 400 Gazans
  • Mr. Lazzarini demanded an independent investigation into the blatant disregard for protection of humanitarian workers during the conflict
  • UNRWA is ‘firmly committed’ to implementing any recommendations to strengthen neutrality safeguards
  • Dismantling UNRWA would have “lasting repercussions” and will condemn “an entire generation to despair”
  • Palestinians and Israelis share a long history of grief and loss. We must recognize “that they are equally deserving of a peaceful and secure future”

For summaries of this and other key UN meetings, visit our colleagues at the UN Meetings Coverage in English and French

5:23 PM

UNRWA must not be broken: Jordan

Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan said Israel wanted to break UNRWA, the backbone of humanitarian efforts in Gaza, urging Member States not to allow this.

UNRWA deserves your support because only UNRWA has the ability to meaningfully help Palestinians in Gaza, who are starving, and provide vital services to Palestinian refugees across the region.

The disinformation campaign the Israeli government has been spreading against UNRWA must not shape the world’s view of the agency, he said.

Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi of Jordan addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

UNRWA has nothing to hide and it has faced up to its responsibilities, committing to fix any wrongdoings or shortfalls – should any be found. 

He said Israel’s “witch hunt” had started long before allegations were made against a dozen staffers.

The purpose of the attack on UNRWA is to destroy the rights of Palestinian refugees but it will not succeed, he told ambassadors.

UNRWA must be protected now, in the same way it has been protected in the past. 

4:55 PM

‘The time has come to defund UNRWA’: Israel

Israel’s Ambassador Gilad Erdan said UNRWA was “one of the weapons” crafted by the General Assembly which was only prolonging the Middle East conflict.

“UNRWA, the organization that so many of you [UN members] fund, is the UN’s single biggest obstacle to a solution,” he said, stressing that the agency “is creating a sea of Palestinian refugees, millions of them, indoctrinated to believe that Israel belongs to them”.

“The end goal is to use these so-called refuges and their libelous right of return – a right that doesn’t exist – to flood Israel and destroy the Jewish State,” he added.

Ambassador Erdan said that just because “UNRWA has a thin layer of Europeans in charge of collecting donations and garnering support, it does not change the fact that UNRWA is a Palestinian organization fully committed to the Jewish State’s destruction.”

Ambassador Gilad Erdan of Israel addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Which other group of refugees, he asked, has a UN body dedicated to them, while there are millions of other refugees in other crisis zones aided only by UNHCR – the UN refugee agency.

“UNRWA is the world’s biggest advocate for a ‘one-State solution’, a Palestinian State from the river to the sea,” he said.

“There are alternatives to UNRWA, among them NGOs and other UN agencies,” said the Israeli Ambassador.

“Israel cannot and will not allow UNRWA to continue in Gaza as it did in the past, I repeat there are alternatives to UNRWA, and it is up to you [UN members] if they can succeed…the time has come to defund UNRWA,” he concluded.

4:48 PM

Palestine: Ground invasion and airstrikes must end

Ziad Abu Amr, Special Representative of the President of Palestine, expressed his appreciation for UNRWA and all other humanitarians providing critical relief.

“We salute your courage and your dedication as you carry out this noble humanitarian mission, risking your own lives to provide relief for our people,” he said, while offering his condolences to those killed performing their duties.

Mr. Ziad said lives cannot be saved or relief provided in Gaza as long as Israel continues its ground invasion and air strikes.

Ziad Abu Amr, Special Representative of the President of the State of Palestine, addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

He call for international pressure to increase on Israel to ensure respect for international law, including international humanitarian law.

Stating that “massacres” against innocent people in Gaza have been ongoing for six months, he asked: is it not “high time for this killing, this destruction and displacement to stop?”

He recalled the General Assembly resolution that established UNRWA and gave it its mandate:

“This is when the question of the Palestinian refugees is solved. Based on that, the General Assembly renews UNRWA’s mandate periodically – despite every attempt and campaign to cut if off from the United Nations,” he said.

Mr. Ziad added that the agency is “not a mere humanitarian project”, stressing that it is a “historic witness” of the commitment and obligation by the international community regarding Palestinian refugees forced from their homes after the 1948 Nakba.

Children walk through partially destroyed streets in Jenin in the West Bank.
© UNICEF/Alaa Badarneh

Children walk through partially destroyed streets in Jenin in the West Bank.

4:26 PM

UNRWA must reform to ensure neutrality: France

Representative of France Nathalie Broadhurst said her country would pay its annual contribution for 2024, to allow UNRWA’s humanitarian operations to continue. 

She said all crossing points must be opened up so that the UN can deliver aid at scale, including to the north. 

The agency plays “an indispensable” and important role for refugees and host countries while advocating for a just, equitable, realistic, and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Deputy Permanent Representative Nathalie Broadhurst of France addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

However, 75 years after its creation, UNRWA must be reformed and ensure absolute respect for the principle of neutrality, she continued.

The allegations that some UNRWA employees participated in the October 7 terrorist attacks against Israel are extremely serious.

France took note took note of the interim report of the independent external audit led by a former French foreign minister, whose final conclusions will be made public in a matter of days.

France will be extremely vigilant regarding the full implementation of the report’s recommendations to ensure UNRWA fully respects the “humanitarian principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality” which it must operate under.

Hostages being held must be released without delay and a ceasefire implemented, ahead of a two-State solution. The Palestinian Authority has a key role to play and she urged members to support the French draft resolution currently under discussion.

4:20 PM

Israel must end smear campaign against UNRWA: China

China’s Deputy Ambassador Geng Shuang said UNRWA was indispensable for the humanitarian efforts in Palestine, and cannot be replaced.

He urged Israel to stop interfering with UNRWA’s work. China supports an independent investigation on the allegations against certain members of UNRWA’s staff, but the results should not be predetermined, he said.

Geng Shuang, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of China, addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

China also rejects vicious attacks on the agency in the absence of any solid evidence and called on Israel to end its smear campaign.

He reiterated China’s call for an immediate ceasefire because providing aid while bombardment continues is simply an impossible task. 

He called on the US to remain impartial, urging the international community to take measures which would force Israel to respect Security Council resolutions. 

Mr. Shuang said the Council was due to vote on Palestine’s full UN membership bid within days and China is hopeful they will prevail.  

4:17 PM

UNRWA critical to aid effort in Gaza: UK

UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward recalled the mandate assigned to UNRWA some 75 years ago saying it remains “as important as ever”.

She said UNRWA’s work was “critical” to aid delivery in the Gaza Strip, calling on Israel to allow the agency and other humanitarian entities “unhindered access” in the enclave, particularly in the north.

Ambassador Barbara Woodward of the United Kingdom addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

“UNRWA is the main provider of humanitarian relief within Gaza and other UN and humanitarian actors depend on UNRWA’s distribution network to get aid to those in need,” she said.

Ambassador Woodward further recognized the agency’s role in providing health and education services, providing humanitarian support across the Middle East region, stressing its importance to regional stability, especially during the current crisis.

She said the UK was appalled by allegations that some UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October attacks on Israel, noting the ongoing investigations.

“We also emphasize the importance of UNRWA continuing robust management reform, including stronger independent oversight and better detection systems, and we look forward to seeing the findings and recommendations of former French Foreign Minister [Catherine] Colonna’s independent review into UNRWA neutrality processes and systems,” she added.

“As our Prime Minister said this week, we will clarify the UK’s position on funding once we have reviewed these,” she said.

3:59 PM

US: ‘Deeply concerned’ Israel has not done enough to protect lives

US Ambassador Robert Wood, Deputy Permanent Representative, said the conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of the number of aid workers killed.

“These incidents are unacceptable, humanitarian workers must be protected,” he stressed, adding that the US is “deeply concerned Israel has not done enough to protect humanitarian aid workers or civilians.”

He recalled the draft resolution introduced by the US at the Security Council last month and reiterated the call for protection of humanitarians.

Deputy Permanent Representative Robert A. Wood of the United States addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

“As President [Joe] Biden conveyed to Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu on 4 April, that Israel must ‘implement a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers’,” he said.

“US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by Israel’s immediate and sustained actions on these steps,” he added.

Ambassador Wood further noted that the US paused additional funding to UNRWA over allegations that its personnel were involved in the 7 October attacks, and that the US Congress has since prohibited additional contributions until at least March 2025.

“We urge UNRWA and the wider UN system to take all steps necessary to strengthen the neutrality of the organization and improve UNRWA’s sustainability,” he said, while recognizing UNRWA’s “indispensable role” in distributing aid and maintaining continuity of care in Gaza.

“We urge UNRWA’s continued humanitarian access in Gaza and the lifting of onerous restrictions on its work,” he added.

3:48 PM

UNRWA’s role is indispensable: Russia

Russia’s Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said his country had repeatedly warned that in the absence of a full-fledged, sustainable ceasefire, “all of our humanitarian efforts are doomed.”

Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia of the Russian Federation addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

No amount of voluntary deconfliction will help if one of the sides is determined to continue hostilities, especially when signals are received from one Security Council member, the United States, that Council resolutions do not have binding force.

The last resolution 2728 calling for a ceasefire during Ramadan, is clearly not enough, he added.

In these circumstances, the role of UNRWA is irreplaceable. If UNRWA cannot function, we will have “yet another illegal and immoral tool” for the collective punishment of millions of Palestinians “in dire need of aid.”

He condemned attempts to discredit the agency, calling for the restoration of all funding, even before the investigations are concluded. Russia will continue providing comprehensive assistance he added, as UNRWA’s work is not humanitarian, but also has an important stabilizing effect on the entire Middle East region. 

3:26 PM

UNRWA: ‘Indispensible lifeline’ says Malta

Speaking in his national capacity Foreign Minister of Malta, Ian Borg said UNRWA was “an indispensable lifeline for Palestine refugees” in Gaza, the West Bank and elsewhere in the region, as well as a “stabilizing force”

“Preserving the lifesaving role and operations of UNRWA must be our primary objective,” he stressed.

He also voiced deep concern over the continued hostilities and the harrowing humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, and ongoing attacks against humanitarian and medical personnel.

Foreign Minister Ian Borg of Malta addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

“We are witnessing an entire population being brought to the brink of conflict-induced starvation, with credible reports that famine has already taken hold in the north [Gaza].”

Foreign Minister Borg welcomed the UN’s swift response in the establishment two investigations into the “deeply concerning” allegations of involvement of UNRWA staff in the 7 October terror attacks.

He also welcomed the independent review into UNRWA’s neutrality, noting that the interim report indicated “UNRWA has in place a significant number of mechanisms and procedures to ensure compliance with humanitarian principal of neutrality.”

“We now look forward to outcome of both inquiries…and call on all parties to fully cooperate with these inquiries,” he said, urging donors to resume “desperately needed funding.”

3:32 PM

UNRWA is a pillar of Palestine: Algeria

Ahmed Attaf, Minister for foreign affairs of Algeria, said UNRWA was the last glimpse of hope for the Palestinian people. It embodies the ideals and the values on which this Organization is built.

UNRWA is the best and most authentic witness to the modern “Nakba” – referencing the mass expulsion of Palestinians by Israel in 1948 – and it has been targeted in a shameful way and on a fallacious pretext to ensure its destruction.

Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf of Algeria addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

It reflects the plight of Palestinian refugees and their right to go back to their homeland. UNRWA is a pillar of Palestine, he said. 

The international community must protect it, facilitate its vital activities, and stop any Israeli attempt to transfer its work to other humanitarian agencies.  

He called on all countries to resume funding for UNRWA

Algeria calls all countries to resume their financial contributions to UNRWA and said his country would make an exceptional contribution of $15 million, on top of other national contributions.

The Palestinian cause is indivisible, and we are convinced that Israel cannot be allowed to act in defiance of the entire international community, he said. The two-state solution cannot be held hostage by what he called Israeli manipulation.

A UN staff member surveys the widespread destruction in Khan Younis.
© UNOCHA/Themba Linden

A UN staff member surveys the widespread destruction in Khan Younis.

3:15 PM

‘Insidious campaign’ to end UNRWA aid operation in Gaza: Lazzarini

UNRWA is the backbone of the aid effort to stop Gaza slipping into famine, Mr. Lazzarini told ambassadors, and beyond that it has championed Palestinian development for decades.

“Today an insidious campaign to end UNRWA’s operations is underway, with serious implications for international peace and security”, he said.

Now it faces an existential threat as relentless bombing and “a merciless siege have transformed Gaza beyond recognition.”

Children have begun to die of malnutrition and dehydration, he said, while food and clean water are just across the border.

Stopped from saving lives

“But UNRWA is denied permission to deliver this aid and save lives. This outrage is occurring despite consecutive orders by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to increase the flow of aid into Gaza – which can be done if there is the political will”, he added.

Security Council members “have the power to make a difference”, he declared, with an overwhelming majority of Member States backing UNRWA.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
UN Photo/Evan Schneider

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini addresses the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

The Israeli Government “seeks to end” the agency and requests to deliver aid to the stricken north are being repeatedly denied.

Mr. Lazzarini noted the challenges UNRWA has been facing since the war started, including attacks on its premises and staff, killing 178 personnel and damaging or destroying over 160 premises.

Demand for independent investigation

He said their premises have been used for military purposes, by Israeli forces, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, and its headquarters occupied militarily.

UNRWA personnel detained by Israeli security forces have shared “harrowing accounts” of mistreatment and torture in detention.

“We demand an independent investigation and accountability for the blatant disregard for the protected status of humanitarian workers, operations, and facilities under international law,” he stressed.

“To do otherwise would set a dangerous precedent and compromise humanitarian work around the world.”

The UNRWA chief addressed the allegations against individual agency personnel of involvement in the 7 October attacks: “Horrified by the allegations, I immediately terminated the appointments of those concerned,” he said, noting the investigation ordered by the Secretary-General as well as the independent review on how UNRWA upholds its neutrality.

He added that despite the prompt and decisive actions, a significant amount of donor funding remains suspended, with serious operational implications.

Committed to review findings

“Be assured that we remain firmly committed to implementing the recommendations of the review and to strengthening existing safeguards against neutrality breaches,” Mr. Lazzarini said.

He also warned that dismantling UNRWA will have “lasting repercussions”.

“It will make nearly impossible the formidable task of bringing half a million deeply distressed girls and boys back to learning,” he said, stressing that “failing to deliver on education will condemn an entire generation to despair – fueling anger, resentment, and endless cycles of violence.

“A political solution cannot succeed in such a scenario.”

“I urge you to commit to a genuine political process culminating in a solution that can bring peace to Palestinians and Israelis,” he told ambassadors, calling for an acknowledgement that a political process alone will not guarantee a sustainable peace.

“We must recognize – and reflect in our words and actions – that Palestinians and Israelis share a long and profound experience of grief and loss. That they are equally deserving of a peaceful and secure future.”

3:10 PM

The meeting is just getting underway with the Foreign Minister of Malta Ian Borg presiding, since his country holds the presidency for the month.

Members stood for a minute of silence in memory of all those humanitarian workers killed in the line of duty.

Members of the UN Security Council stand to observe a minute of silence in memory humanitarian workers killed in the line of duty in Gaza.

1:40 PM – Philippe Lazzarini has said the agency is facing a “deliberate and concerted campaign” to undermine its operations at a time when it’s crucial services – delivered by over 12,000 mostly local staff in Gaza – are most needed.

So far, some 178 UNRWA officials working in Gaza have been killed since Israel’s bombardment and military campaign began last October.

In January, the Israeli Government presented the UN with information accusing 12 UNRWA employees of taking part in the 7 October terror attacks but has yet to provide that evidence to the organisation. UNRWA nevertheless terminated their employment and began an internal investigation.

The UN chief also set up an independent review overseen by a former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, which is due to report at the end of this week.

Funding crisis

Some 16 countries led by the United States announced a funding freeze for UNRWA – or suspension of future funding – in response to the allegations of collusion but some of those countries have since reversed course and resumed funding.

Mr. Lazzarini wrote to the General Assembly, which provides UNRWA its mandate, and later briefed Member States in March, saying the agency was at “breaking point” across the region and under serious threat of grinding to a halt. 

Israel’s announcement in late March that they would no longer approve any UNRWA food convoys into northern Gaza meant that the clock is ticking “faster towards famine”, he said on X, formerly Twitter.

 

Diplomacy continues in New York

Ambassadors last met on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza on 5 April when they heard top UN aid officials make an appeal for the Security Council to help end the carnage there six months on from the start of the conflict.

The Maltese mission which holds the presidency for the month of April said in a post on X, that there will be a vote on a draft resolution put forward by Algeria this coming Friday. 

The draft is focused on the diplomatic push by some countries to admit Palestine as a full Member State of the UN, in the wake of the crisis in the Middle East.  

Although a special committee on UN membership did not come up with a conclusive recommendation this week, the Algeria draft recommends to the General Assembly that the State of Palestine “be admitted to membership in the United Nations.”

Here’s a reminder of the HIGHLIGHTS from the Council meeting on 25 March which passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan:

  • The UN Security Council adopts a resolution tabled by its 10 non-permanent members (E-10) demanding a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, by a vote of 14 in favour to none against, with one abstention (United States)
  • Resolution 2728 also calls for the immediate release of hostages and for ensuring humanitarian access to Gaza
  • The Council rejected a Russia-proposed amendment that would have called for a permanent ceasefire
  • The US ambassador said her delegation “fully supports” the critical objectives of the draft
  • Algeria’s ambassador says the ceasefire will end “the bloodbath”
  • “This must be a turning point,” says the ambassador for the observer State of Palestine
  • The draft’s lack of condemnation of Hamas is “a disgrace”, says Israel’s ambassador

For summaries of UN meetings, visit our colleagues at the UN Meetings Coverage in English and French

$2.8 billion appeal for three million people in Gaza, West Bank

The development came amid reports of ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip including Gaza City in the north, Rafah in southern Gaza and central Gaza, where more than dozen people were believed to have died in an apparent missile attack on a refugee camp on Tuesday.

Video images reportedly from Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah showed injured and dead victims including children after the strike on Maghazi refugee camp in the centre of the enclave.

Hunger peril

Wednesday’s appeal covers assistance to 3.1 million people between now and the end of the year. 

It envisages helping 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip where food insecurity experts have warned that imminent famine looms in the north after more than six months of intense Israeli bombardment and a ground offensive, launched in response to Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel last October.

Street vendor kids 

“Famine is imminent in the northern governates and projected to occur anytime between now and May 2024; more than half the population of Gaza is facing catastrophic levels of hunger,” OCHA said, adding that markets lack basic food items and rely on informal suppliers offering aid rations. 

“A concerning trend identified is the rise of reselling humanitarian aid in markets, particularly informal street vendors, many of whom are young children.”

Leading the appeal, OCHA noted that the funding request covered the requirements of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which continues to be “the backbone” of the humanitarian response in Gaza and the West Bank.

UNRWA’s key role

“Two thirds of the population of Gaza – 1.6 million people – are Palestine refugees registered with UNRWA,” OCHA said, adding that nearly one million of the 1.7 million displaced people now shelter across 450 UNRWA and public shelters, or in the vicinity of the UN agency.

OCHA added that UNRWA has more than 13,000 staff in Gaza, with more than 3,500 engaged in aid relief. “In times of emergency, (UNRWA’s) support is extended to the broader population,” it said, adding that the UN agency also serves 1.1 million Palestine refugees and other registered persons in the West Bank, of whom 890,000 are refugees. 

Water plight

Lack of access to clean water continues to be a major humanitarian concern, OCHA noted, with only one of three water pipelines coming from Israel still operational at only at 47 per cent capacity.

There are also fewer than 20 groundwater wells which only work “when fuel is available” and no fully functional wastewater treatment systems, OCHA reported, adding that sewage overflow has happened “in many areas adding to the public health risk across Gaza”. 

Rafah concerns

Citing a recent WASH assessment led by UNICEF, OCHA noted that it had found that within the 75 sites assessed in Rafah – covering a population of approximately 750,000 people – one third had water sources that were unsafe for drinking.

This included 68 per cent of the UNRWA collective centres, and average water availability was just three litres per person per day.

Following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Gaza earlier this month, humanitarians have voiced repeated concerns about a military operation against Hamas’s military wing by Israeli Defense Forces in the city of Rafah which borders Egypt and where more than a million people currently shelter.

Needs remain dire in northern Gaza amid ongoing aid obstacles including refusals from Israeli authorities to allow access for humanitarian missions.

Tedros concern

In a social media post on Wednesday, UN World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted how Monday’s mission to Gaza City had been “severely delayed, leaving less time” to assess damage and requirements at the devastated Al-Shifa Hospital and Indonesian Hospital.

“The removal of dead bodies at Al-Shifa is still ongoing,” Tedros said on X. “The emergency department is being cleaned by health workers and burnt beds have been removed. The safety of the remaining construction still needs a thorough engineering assessment.”

The Indonesian Hospital is now empty but efforts are underway to open it again, Tedros said.

The Palestinian Medical Relief Society medical point is admitting trauma patients but remains “in dire need of fuel and medical supplies”, which the UN health agency chief pledged to deliver. 

“The level of destruction of Gaza’s hospitals is heartbreaking. We again call for hospitals to be protected, not attacked or militarized.”

Latest data from the enclave’s health authorities indicates that at least 33,800 Palestinians have been killed and over 76,500 wounded in Gaza since 7 October. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139 and dozens of people are still being held captive in Gaza. 

Some 259 Israeli soldiers have been killed in ground operations in the enclave with more than 1,570 injured, according to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

Humanitarian action

Wednesday’s appeal replaces a previous call for funds in October 2023 that was updated in November and extended through March 2024. 

The $2.8 billion figure represents only part of the nearly $4.1 billion that the UN and partners estimate is required to meet the needs of the most vulnerable but it reflects what aid teams believe is implementable over the coming nine months.

Later on Wednesday, the UN Security Council was due to discuss the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, with a briefing by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

 

Donate to the humanitarian response in Gaza

Get help now

Send a message with a description of your problem and possible ways of assistance and we will contact you as soon as we consider your problem.

    [recaptcha class:captcha]