Gaza: ‘Sickening normalisation’ of suffering, amid attacks on people and aid convoys
Ongoing military operations by Israeli forces in Gaza continue to cause devastation, with mounting civilian casualties and a critical lack of humanitarian aid for the desperate population.
According to local media reports, 30 Palestinians were killed in the central Gaza area overnight on Friday due to airstrikes, said Senior Emergencies Officer for UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, Louise Wateridge, speaking to reporters in Geneva:
“We’ve seen absolutely horrific images from the scene. There are parents looking for their children, children covered in dust and blood, looking for their parents, multiple injuries on top of the casualties reported, and people still buried under the rubble.”
The strikes came only one day after the UN General Assembly passed a resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Ms. Wateridge said daily pain and suffering has become the norm for Palestinians in Gaza. Hospitals are overwhelmed, with doctors struggling to treat life-threatening injuries, prevent infections, and address treatable illnesses.
“Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita anywhere in the world. Many are losing their limbs in scenarios such as this, they’re undergoing surgeries without anaesthesia.”
According to UNRWA, nearly 26,000 people overall have suffered life-changing injuries in the last 14 months – all requiring rehabilitation services, particularly for amputations and spinal cord injuries.
Despite continued attacks on its premises and staff, UNRWA has provided 6.7 million medical consultations since the war between Israeli forces and Hamas militants began, in October 2023.
Syria: De facto authorities offer ‘constructive’ support to UNHCR’s work
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has resumed full services for those crossing the Syrian border, after temporarily suspending many activities during the fighting which led to the overthrow of the Assad regime, the agency’s representative in Syria said on Friday.
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa told reporters in Geneva more than 13 million had been forced from their homes during the 14 years of brutal conflict, and UNHCR has been a constant presence on the ground.
Thousands of Syrian refugees have started returning to the country from Lebanon via the official Masnaa border point and other unofficial crossings.
At the same time, other Syrians have fled in the opposite direction.
Refugees are also returning from Türkiye through the Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salam border crossings to north-west Syria.
Around 2,000 Syrians crossed the main border with Lebanon on Thursday, heading back to Idlib, to rural Damascus, to the capital itself, to Daraa, to Aleppo, and other locations.
A main challenge is that there are no immigration authorities on the Syrian side, Mr. Vargas Llosa said, as the de facto authorities have not yet established new border controls.
He said UNHCR’s been told by the de facto authorities in control of the main cities the agency’s work is appreciated, and the authorities will provide the “necessary security” to protect UN workers.
The senior refugee agency official said citizens returning to their homeland had three key expectations, going forward:
“First, a peaceful political transition at the top. Second, tolerance, reconciliation, and acceptance in communities where Syrians are returning. And third, Syrians need not just immediate relief, but an injection of international support to resume a dignified life.”
Georgia: UN experts condemn ‘pattern of repression’ in Georgia
UN independent human rights experts on Friday condemned what they say is a pattern of repression and rights violations in Georgia, as the Government there seeks to suppress popular protests in the country following weeks of turmoil.
The experts highlighted “daily violence” by State security forces against peaceful protestors, mass arbitrary arrests and a Government “smear campaign” aimed at young people, civil society and human rights defenders.
Widespread protests have been taking place since the announcement last month by the Prime Minister that Georgia would suspend its pursuit of European Union membership.
Protests have been largely peaceful, despite reports of some use of violence by demonstrators, mainly in response to the use of force by police.
More than 350 protesters have been detained, according to the Government, with a majority reporting ill-treatment by police. Protestors are being prosecuted en masse with total impunity for the attacks carried out by State forces, the independent experts said.
“We are seriously concerned that the repression may escalate,” the experts added, ahead of presidential elections on Saturday where the ruling party that opposes EU accession is expected to vote in its preferred candidate, following an opposition boycott.
Special Rapporteurs and other UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts are not UN staff and receive no salary for their work.
Matt Wells, UN News
Music composed and produced by Joachim Harris. All rights reserved.
Source of original article: United Nations (news.un.org). Photo credit: UN. The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views or opinion of Global Diaspora News (www.globaldiasporanews.com).
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