News in Brief 11 June 2024 |

This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.

Gaza: ‘High time’ for ceasefire and hostage release, says Guterres 

A comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza linked to the release of all remaining hostages cannot come too soon, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.

The UN chief was speaking at an international conference in Jordan prompted by the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.

He welcomed the Security Council resolution adopted on Monday seeking an end to the war in the shattered enclave, where he said that “the horror must stop”.

“I welcome the peace initiative recently outlined by President Biden and urge all parties to seize this opportunity and come to an agreement. And I call on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. This includes facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid both into and inside Gaza, as they have committed. All available routes into Gaza must be operational – and the land routes are absolutely crucial.”

In Geneva, meanwhile, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, expressed profound shock at the impact of the hostage release operation in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp at the weekend.

OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said that hundreds of Palestinians – many of them civilians – were reportedly killed and injured.

He added that the way the raid was conducted “in such a densely populated area seriously calls into question” whether Israeli forces respected the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution, as set out in the laws of war.

Yemen: UN chief demands release of aid workers held by Houthi forces 

To Yemen, where the arrest of 13 UN personnel by the de facto authorities has been strongly condemned by the Secretary-General, who’s demanded their immediate release. 

The detention of United Nations staff is in addition to the four other UN workers detained and held incommunicado by Houthi opposition in Yemen since 2021 and 2023. 

In his call for the release of the detainees who also include civil society workers, Mr. Guterres said that the “alarming development” raised “serious concerns about the Houthis’ commitment to a negotiated solution” to nearly a decade of conflict.

Mr. Guterres was speaking after a meeting with his Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, in Jordan. They discussed recent developments in Yemen including an escalating crackdown on civic space by the de facto authorities that has reportedly led to the arbitrary detention of dozens of UN, NGO, and aid workers.

49 migrants dead and 140 missing in shipwreck off Yemen coast: IOM

Staying with Yemen, where the UN migration agency, IOM, said on Tuesday that at least 49 migrants have died off the coast when their boat capsized.

The vessel was carrying 260 migrants when the accident happened near Alghareef Point in Shabwah governorate, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). It said that 31 women and six children were among the dead.

Survivors reported that the boat had set out from Bossaso in Somalia on Sunday with 115 Somali nationals and 145 Ethiopians on board.

IOM said that there has been a rising number of migrant journeys from the Horn of Africa to Gulf States, spurred by conflict (SURELY A FACTOR TOO!), political and economic instability, severe droughts and other extreme weather events.

The UN agency provided medical assistance to the survivors and has called for international solidarity to prevent migrants putting their lives at risk, along with improved search and rescue efforts in the region. 

Daniel Johnson, UN News.