Boost for UNRWA as UK decides to restore funding
Sixteen countries pulled funding from the UN agency in January worth $450 million following unproven allegations from Israel that a dozen staff had been involved in the Hamas-led terror attacks on southern Israel on 7 October in which some 1,200…
No end in sight to the ‘war on women’ in Gaza
“They are losing their lives, they are sick, hungry, exhausted, holding families together despite their constant fear and loss,” said Maryse Guimond, speaking from Jerusalem to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York. Ms. Guimond recently concluded a weeklong mission to Gaza – a place she has visited more than…
‘Largest’ displacements so far in Gaza’s war of attrition: UN aid agencies
In addition to deep concerns about all those forcibly uprooted from their shelters and homes, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the delivery of lifesaving rations has become even more difficult than it was already. Meanwhile in New…
Over 1,000 attacks on healthcare in Occupied Palestinian Territory since October
In a press briefing, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the West Bank and Gaza, told journalists there are currently no functional hospitals in the enclave’s southernmost city of Rafah, following Israel’s recent offensive there. The availability of hospital beds…
Security Council debates Gaza crisis, as civilian suffering continues unabated
Addressing ambassadors on behalf of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Chef-de-Cabinet Courtenay Rattray warned that on top of the dire situation in the war-ravaged enclave, the spectre of further regional spillover is increasing by the day. End collective punishment Reiterating his…
Gaza: Multiple strikes kill dozens near UN aid hub as thousands flee fighting
Reports of strikes landing near an aid centre in Deir Al-Balah came from the UN humanitarian office, OCHA, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, who provided updates on the situation in the besieged enclave. “The [aid] operations are continuing,” he told journalists…
Gaza: Fresh airstrikes reported in centre, south, as conflict intensifies
In an update from Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis where victims have been admitted, veteran UN aid official Scott Anderson reported witnessing “some of the most horrific” scenes he had experienced in his nine months in Gaza. “With not…
Gaza: Guterres ‘shocked and saddened’ by deadly strikes on Al Mawasi, as WHO and partners aid medical response
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said via his Spokesperson late on Saturday that he was “shocked and saddened by the loss of lives”. Israeli officials said the attack had been a “precision” strike targeting top Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif…
UN humanitarians report severe displacement and critical needs in Gaza City
He said the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and other partners were present on the trip. “The team said those displaced urgently need food, water, healthcare and protection,” Mr. Dujarric said during his daily…
Gaza: There is no alternative to UNRWA, Guterres declares
Speaking at a pledging conference for the agency, the UN chief outlined the countless challenges facing Palestinian civilians in Gaza who are “forced to move like human pinballs across a landscape of destruction and death”. “Hopelessness is the greatest ally…