UN News Today 04 December 2024 |

305 million people need lifesaving help next year, says UN’s top aid official

Multiple unending conflicts, climate change and a glaring disregard for long-established international humanitarian law are set to leave a staggering 305 million people in need of lifesaving assistance next year, the UN’s top aid official warned on Wednesday.

Relief chief, Tom Fletcher said at the launch of the Global Humanitarian Overview by the agency he leads, aid coordination office, OCHA, that the world is “on fire” with the most vulnerable people in the world paying the largest price.

OCHA is appealing for $47.4 billion to provide life-saving aid in more than 30 countries and nine refugee-hosting regions.

Dire as OCHA’s new humanitarian assessment is on behalf of more than 1,500 humanitarian partners, it’s expected that only 190 million people from over 300 million total will be reached.

A lack of funding is just one of the reasons why, in countries where populations have endured decades of violence and instability.

As the UN’s newly appointed top aid official, Mr. Fletcher pledged to visit the capitals of the world “to bash down doors” of government in search of new partnerships and solidarity for the world’s most vulnerable people.

“It’s not just the fact of so many conflicts at the same time, it’s the duration of those conflicts; the average length is 10 years. So, we’re not closing off conflicts before the next ones are starting. And the fact that those conflicts are so ferocious and the impact on civilians is so dramatic. I mentioned Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine as examples of that, with this disregard of international law and in every case, obstruction of our work.”

Lebanon ceasefire still ‘delicate’, warns Humanitarian Coordinator

The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah to end the fighting in Lebanon will require “continuous international engagement” if it’s to succeed, along with robust monitoring.

That’s the view on Wednesday from UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Reza, who warned after a joint visit to Nabatieh – alongside local authorities and humanitarian partners – that violations of the “delicate” 60-day ceasefire are ongoing.

He said a period of stability is essential to ensure the protection of civilians, praising the strong collaboration between the Lebanese Government and aid partners.

“The humanitarian response is evolving with the changing needs on the ground,” he added, noting that around 600,000 internally displaced are beginning to head home.

He warned there will be challenges ahead with so many homes destroyed and infrastructure heavily damaged.

Southern areas like Nabatieh have experienced an “overwhelming level of destruction”, he said, with access to healthcare, water and education still limited.

UN experts voice alarm over executions in Saudi Arabia

Finally, to Saudi Arabia, where independent UN human rights experts have voiced alarm after three Egyptian nationals were executed there on 3 December, with three more foreign nationals now facing imminent execution.

The Human Rights Council-appointed experts noted that “a previously announced unofficial moratorium in 2021 on the use of death penalty for drug- related offences,” appears to have been lifted.

Foreign nationals represent 75 percent of drug-related executions which have taken place so far this year, they said, and are often in “a situation of vulnerability” requiring specific measures to be taken to ensure they can access “legal safeguards”.

Two Egyptians currently awaiting execution on death row have been made to witness other inmates being taken away for execution.

They emphasised that the “execution of sentenced persons whose guilt has not been established beyond reasonable doubt constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of life”.

With 304 executions carried out in Saudi Arabia so far this year, the experts urged authorities to conduct a judicial review of those who remain on death row.

Sarah Daly, UN News

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