Gaza: UN envoy condemns deadly strike in Beit Lahiya
UN humanitarians described desperate scenes in northern Gaza on Wednesday amid reports of ongoing bombardment by the Israeli military and a declaration by local authorities that the town of Beit Lahiya is now a disaster zone.
The development follows an Israeli strike on an apartment block on Tuesday that reportedly left at least 90 Palestinians reported killed or missing, including at least 25 children.
Tor Wennesland, the UN’s top negotiator in the Middle East, issued a statement condemning the “appalling incident”.
He said, “this horrific strike is yet another in a deadly series of recent mass casualty incidents, alongside a massive displacement campaign, that raises serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law.”
He also “unequivocally condemned the widespread killing and injury of civilians of Gaza, and the endless displacement of the population”.
The UN envoy emphasized the need for a ceasefire now, and the release of all hostages held by Hamas, saying “this endless spiral of death and destruction must end immediately.”
Belarus’s engagement with UN rights system at historic low, warns expert
Engagement by Belarus with the UN human rights system has reached “its lowest historical point”, a top independent rights expert said on Wednesday.
UN Special Rapporteur for Belarus Anaïs Marin warned that over the course of her six-year mandate, the human rights situation in the country “has tremendously deteriorated” – not least since a crackdown on mass public demonstrations following the contested 2020 presidential elections.
She said that “over the past four years, Belarus has been overtly defying international institutions in reaction to their scrutiny over the repressions of unprecedented scale and intensity”.
Ms. Marin delivered her final report to the General Assembly which detailed how Belarus had “persistently failed to follow recommendations of UN human rights bodies and mechanisms”.
These include the establishment of a national human rights institution, the abolition of the death penalty, ensuring separation of powers and fair trial guarantees.
Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.
UN migration agency expands mpox plan in Africa
As the mpox outbreak spreads across parts of Africa, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is seeking nearly $28 million to protect and support migrants, internally displaced people (IDPs) and “mobile populations” against the disease.
Communities they interact with will also be covered.
IOM noted that since August, confirmed cases of mpox across Africa have risen sharply from over 2,800 in 12 countries to more than 9,300 in 34 countries.
The mpox virus spreads through close contact with infected persons and is disproportionately affecting IDPs, migrants, and highly mobile populations living in cross-border communities, the UN agency said.
The appeal follows an initial $18.5 million request issued in August to assist countries affected in the East, Horn and Southern Africa.
This plan has been expanded to cover multiple countries through February 2025.
It aims to provide health screenings and risk communication for migrants and IDPs, and community engagement within affected communities.
Other measures include supporting cross-border coordination between governments and local communities, and assisting countries with strengthening response at key borders and points of entry in high-risk areas across the continent.
Dianne Penn, 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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