Gaza: Exodus from Khan Younis compounds pressure on meagre resources
According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, some 1.9 million people – nine in 10 in Gaza – have been forcibly uprooted since 7 October, including people who have been repeatedly displaced. For UN aid agencies and partners, “fuel shortages…
Polio at high risk of spreading within Gaza Strip
Geneva — A senior World Health Organization official expressed alarm Tuesday at the high risk of polio spreading within the Gaza Strip because of dire sanitary conditions in the war-wracked enclave, and that the paralytic disease it causes could spill…
UN chief welcomes agreement between Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas
In response to questions at the regular daily briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said António Guterres “very much welcomes the signing of the Beijing Declaration by the Palestinian factions”, adding that it was “an important step towards…
Yemen: UN envoy warns of threat of return to ‘full-fledged war’ as regional tensions escalate
“The trajectory of the development in Yemen has since the beginning of the year moved in the wrong direction and if left unaddressed could reach a tipping point,” he said. Yemeni Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition have been battling with Houthi rebels, also…
Where do I go now, ask Gazans uprooted by new Israeli evacuation orders
In Khan Younis, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) reported witnessing “thousands of people fleeing” westwards as part of the exodus from the enclave’s southern city amid ongoing hostilities, leaving children traumatized and crying uncontrollably. “Elderly people on the…
Middle East: ‘One rash move could trigger a catastrophe’
“One rash move, one miscalculation could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the borders and, frankly, beyond imagination,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, in a briefing via videoconference. The meeting, called by France, United Kingdom…
UN Special Envoy warns of escalation risk in Syria
He reminded ambassadors that “Syria remains in a state of profound conflict, complexity and division” – one of four key messages he had for ambassadors. His also focused on the plight of Syrian refugees, the need for a political solution,…
Gaza City-bound UN aid convoy comes under Israeli fire, says UNRWA
“Heavy shooting from the Israeli Forces at a UN convoy heading to Gaza City. While there are no casualties, our teams had to duck and take cover” in the incident on Sunday, according to the head of UNRWA, Commissioner-General Philippe…
Iraq to import electricity from Turkey
Baghdad — Iraq said Sunday a new power line will bring electricity from Turkey to its northern provinces as authorities aim to diversify the country’s energy sources to ease chronic power outages. The 115-kilometer (71-mile) line connects to the Kisik…
UN chief expresses deep concern over Israel strikes on Yemen, and risk of regional escalation
In statement, Mr. Guterres noted that Israel had claimed responsibility for the strikes, which took place on Saturday, as a response to previous attacks on Israel by the Houthis – formally known as Ansar Allah – a group which controls…