UN News Today 09 October 2024 |

‘No end to hell’ in northern Gaza, warns UN aid agency chief

The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, warned on Wednesday that there’s “no end to hell” in northern Gaza, where lifesaving relief has shut down.

The warning from Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA comes amid renewed evacuation orders from the Israeli military, which he said many people “are refusing, because they know too well that no place anywhere in Gaza is safe”.

The local authorities in Gaza have reported intense Israeli bombardment in the north of the shattered enclave where ground operations are also underway. Jabalia refugee camp is now surrounded, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said at the weekend.

In an online post, Mr. Lazzarini said that “intensified military operations in the north” have forced UNRWA to shut down lifesaving services.

The UNRWA chief said that seven of the UN agency’s schools-turned-shelters are now being evacuated, while only two out of eight water wells in Jabalia camp are still operational.

UN aid coordination office, OCHA, meanwhile, has warned that southern Gaza “is completely overwhelmed and cannot accommodate more people”, while aid teams say that about 50,000 people have already moved from North Gaza towards Gaza city.

Lebanon is ‘on the verge of all-out war’, the UN Secretary-General warns

To Lebanon, which the UN Secretary-General has warned is on the verge of all-out war.

António Guterres’s dire assessment of the hostilities came as the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported “relentless” and “amplifying” Israeli bombardment of previously unaffected areas.

Latest data from the Lebanese health ministry indicates well over 2,000 deaths and more than 9,800 injuries since 8 October 2023, when Hezbollah rocket fire increased into northern Israel, as the war in Gaza erupted.

Most casualties in Lebanon have happened in the last two weeks, amid intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations in southern Lebanon.

According to the UN human rights office, OHCHR, 25 per cent of Lebanese territory is affected by Israeli military displacement orders.

They’re being issued “on a daily basis” for more than 100 villages and urban neighbourhoods across southern Lebanon, forcing people up to 30 kilometres north.

End ‘collective amnesia’ over COVID-19, says UN health agency WHO

“Collective amnesia” about how bad the COVID-19 pandemic was should not prevent us from protecting ourselves and our loved ones from the ongoing spread of respiratory diseases as the northern hemisphere prepares for winter.

That’s the message from the UN World Health Organization (WHO), which insisted on Wednesday that coronaviruses like COVID and influenza “must be taken seriously”, as they are particularly dangerous for at-risk groups including the elderly, pregnant women and people suffering from existing or chronic illness.

“Collective amnesia on COVID-19 has set in and this is concerning,” said WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge. “Individuals, communities, and countries understandably want to move on from the trauma of the pandemic years,” he said, “but COVID-19 is still very much with us, co-circulating with other respiratory viruses.”

In the past month until 22 September, health authorities in WHO’s European region reported just over 278,000 COVID-19 cases and 748 deaths. Those numbers are higher than any other WHO region and are likely underestimates, the UN health agency said.

With more, here’s WHO Europe spokesperson Bhanu Bhatnagar:

“COVID-19 is still very much with us, alongside other respiratory viruses. Key protective measures include staying at home when sick, practising hand and cough hygiene, and ensuring proper ventilation.”

According to WHO, 53 countries across Europe and Central Asia still register up to 72,000 deaths from seasonal influenza, accounting for approximately 20 per cent of the global burden.

“The vast majority of these deaths can be prevented,” said WHO’s Dr Kluge, who insisted that the most vulnerable “must be protected” by being given a vaccine, which is proven to prevent illness and severe outcomes.

Refugee agency awards top honour to campaigning nun

A Brazilian nun has scooped the UN refugee agency’s top award for her decades of work championing the rights of migrants and refugees.

Sister Rosita Milesi, who’s 79, helps vulnerable people on the move to access food, healthcare, shelter, documentation and work in Brazil.

She’s one of five women from around the world whose work has highlighted the challenges faced by refugees and migrants by providing and campaigning for solutions, as Babar Baloch from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, explains:

“She has told us that she decided to dedicate herself to refugees and migrants and she’s inspired by the growing needs of the people who are on the move but also she felt the urge to help these people, to welcome them, to integrate refugees.”

All too often, women face heightened risks of discrimination and violence, especially when forced to flee…“Sister Rosita is one of five female winners of UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Awards which clearly showcase how women also play a critical role in the humanitarian response and in finding solutions.”

The Roman Catholic nun directs the Migration and Human Rights Institute, a frontline humanitarian agency in Brasilia.

UNHCR highlighted Sister Milesi’s work as a lawyer, saying it was “instrumental” in shaping public policy – notably Brazil’s 1997 refugee law, which helped to improve refugee rights, in line with international standards.

Daniel Johnson, UN News. 

Music composed and produced by Joachim Harris. All rights reserved.