Syria: UN scales up aid deliveries as regional fighting continues
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at a regular news briefing in New York that aid trucks from Türkiye to Idlib via Bab Al-Hawa are continuing to get through with vital assistance to communities in need. “Yesterday, 43 trucks carrying…
West Bank security situation remains alarming, warn UN aid agencies
The violence has seen exchanges of fire between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants – and the use of bulldozers in refugee camps for the first time in 20 years which have destroyed public services, including vital electricity and water networks….
Success for polio campaign in Gaza while West Bank tensions continue
The campaign has been extended until Wednesday to ensure full coverage, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing in New York, citing UN humanitarian coordinators. As of Monday, the third day of the campaign, some…
‘Political courage’ needed to end war in the Middle East: Top UN envoy
Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Special Coordinator Sigrid Kaag emphasised that peace in the Middle East is possible. “We can achieve a future where a safe and secure Israel exists alongside a viable and independent Palestinian State. This requires…
New polio vaccination drive begins in Gaza
JABALIA, GAZA STRIP — A third mass polio vaccination campaign began in Gaza on Saturday, AFP journalists reported, with the aim of delivering the first dose to nearly 600,000 children across the Palestinian territory. Scores of children under the age…
New round of polio vaccinations begins in Gaza
It follows a campaign last year that reached hundreds of thousands of young children under the age of 10. Polio virus was recently detected in wastewater samples in Gaza, indicating that circulation is ongoing, thus putting young lives at risk….
Gaza: Nearly 148,000 receive cash aid since ceasefire began
Since the ceasefire on 19 January, some 138,000 Palestinians have benefited from cash assistance, including people with disabilities and pregnant and breastfeeding women. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that market conditions across Gaza have improved since the ceasefire took…
UNDP calls for long-term investment to support recovery in Syria
Fourteen years of conflict have unravelled nearly four decades of economic, social and development progress. Today, nine out of 10 Syrians are living in poverty, and one in four is jobless. The report warns that at current growth rates, the…
UN chief condemns ‘abhorrent and appalling’ treatment of hostages’ remains by Hamas
Hamas militants said the bodies of the four people who were returned to Tel Aviv on Thursday morning were those of a mother and two children from the Bibas family, along with 84-year-old peace activist Oded Lifshitz. It is the…
Interview: Young Palestinians in East Jerusalem shut out of UNRWA training centre
Agency chief Philippe Lazzarini said that Israeli forces and personnel from the Jerusalem local authority “forcefully entered” the Kalandia Training Centre and ordered its immediate evacuation. “At least 350 students and 30 staff were present and impacted. Tear gas and…