Gaza: Acts of war bear hallmarks of atrocity crimes, warn UN humanitarians
Lifesaving supplies in Gaza continue to run dangerously low, nearly four weeks into the total aid blockade and deadly bombardment of the enclave by Israel, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
According to local health authorities in Gaza, from 18 to 25 March, 830 people were killed, including 174 women and 322 children. A further 1,787 were injured.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, told journalists in Geneva that Israeli airstrikes had hit densely populated areas.
Hospitals have also become battlegrounds again, with patients killed in their beds, ambulances shot at and first responders killed, Mr. Laerke told journalists in Geneva:
“It is now day 10 of the return to full-scale war in Gaza after Israel decided to start bombing the enclave again. It has been 10 days of witnessing – because the UN remains on the ground in Gaza – a callous disregard for human life and dignity.”
Maryse Guimond, UN Women Representative for the region, shared testimonies of Palestinians in Gaza who say they will not heed new evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military, on the grounds that “there are no safe places” to go to.
UN teams ramp up response to deadly quake in Myanmar and Thailand
The UN’s top aid official has pledged his support to help the victims of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in central Myanmar and insisted that the global body’s humanitarian teams in the region are “responding fast”.
Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher tweeted that the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund would be mobilised as needed.
News reports quoting sources in the Burmese city of Mandalay, close to the epicentre of the quake, indicate that hundreds have died.
In neighbouring Thailand more than 80 construction workers are missing, according to the Thai deputy prime minister, with a search and rescue operation underway.
The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Myanmar told UN News that reports indicate “significant damage” has occurred in Mandalay state, as well as Nay Pyi Taw, Bago, Magway, Sagaing, Shan and possibly other areas.
Immediate tasks include gathering information about the people impacted, infrastructure damage and immediate humanitarian needs in order to guide a response.
US measles threat remains high, says UN health agency
To the United States, where an ongoing measles outbreak carries a high risk of transmission, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
Seventeen US states have reported 378 cases of measles since 1 January, with two deaths – the country’s first measles-related fatalities in a decade. The first patient to die was an unvaccinated school-aged child in Texas last month.
The UN health agency said that low vaccination coverage linked to the COVID-19 pandemic has made some groups more vulnerable to measles, including vaccine sceptics and others with limited access to healthcare.
Measles is one of the leading causes of death among young children globally; it is a highly contagious and airborne virus that spreads through droplets from the nose, mouth, or throat of infected people.
Daniel Johnson, 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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