April 26, 2025 No comments
Gaza: UN official warns of 'assault on dignity' as blockade cripples humanitarian response
INTERNATIONAL, 26 April 2025 Humanitarian Aid - The coming days in Gaza are set to be critical, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned on Saturday, as humanitarian operations are severely curtailed amid an intensifying blockade, escalating violence, and soaring humanitarian needs. Speaking to journalists in Gaza City, Jonathan Whittall, OCHA's local Head of Office, painted a dire picture of life under what he called a "total and complete blockade" now approaching its third month. "The coming days in Gaza are going to be critical. Today people are not surviving in Gaza, those that aren't being killed with bombs and bullets are slowly dying," he said. Whittall stressed that humanitarian agencies are unable to meet the soaring needs of civilians due to the...
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April 25, 2025 No comments
Security Council debates precarious path forward for a new Syria
INTERNATIONAL, 25 April 2025 Peace and Security - Syria is undergoing a rocky transition after years of conflict and authoritarian rule. Despite tentative political progress, ongoing violence, deepening economic hardship and a worsening humanitarian crisis highlight the urgent and continued need for international support. Four and a half months after the fall of the Assad regime, the interim authorities have begun taking formal steps towards political reform, the Security Council heard on Friday. These include the formation of a broader, more diverse cabinet and initial plans to establish an interim People’s Assembly. However, the process remains tenuous and incomplete, with many Syrians uncertain of their role in the country’s future. Grave consequences of failure “The challenges are huge, and the situation is extremely fragile,” UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir...
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April 25, 2025 No comments
WFP runs out of food stocks in Gaza
INTERNATIONAL, 25 April 2025 Humanitarian Aid - The World Food Programme (WFP) has run out of food in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues to block the entry of all humanitarian aid into the enclave, home to over two million people. On Friday, WFP announced it had delivered its last remaining supplies to kitchens preparing hot meals which are expected to be completely gone within days. The UN agency warned that it may be forced to end critical assistance to families unless urgent action is taken. Back to ‘breaking point’ “The situation inside the Gaza Strip has once again reached a breaking point: people are running out of ways to cope, and the fragile gains made during the short ceasefire have unravelled,” it said. The kitchens have been the only consistent source of...
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April 25, 2025 No comments
UN Security Council condemns Jammu and Kashmir terror attack
INTERNATIONAL, 25 April 2025 Peace and Security - The UN Security Council has strongly condemned the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday that killed at least 26 tourists and left many more injured, calling for accountability and international cooperation to bring the perpetrators to justice. In a press statement issued on Friday, Council members expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Governments of India and Nepal. They also extended wishes for a speedy and full recovery to those injured in Tuesday’s attack in which a group of gunmen fired on tourists visiting the Himalayan region, which both India and Pakistan claim sovereignty over. “Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most...
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April 24, 2025 No comments
Climate change: How mountain communities are scaling new heights
INTERNATIONAL, 24 April 2025 Climate and Environment - Low-lying islands aren’t the only ones at risk from our warming planet, as mountain communities are now finding. Investment in organic farming, sustainable textiles and eco-tourism is helping mountain communities in Central Asia adapt to global warming, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Thursday, urging greater support for regions often overlooked in climate discussions. Mountain residents relying on family farming are among the world’s poorest people, said the agency’s Director-General Qu Dongyu. Speaking at the International Conference of the Global Mountain Dialogue for Sustainable Development in Bishkek, the FAO chief explained that many alpine people struggle with food insecurity, as climate change, environmental degradation and unsustainable use of resources make it harder to access clean water, food...
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