Since the offensive began earlier this month, hundreds of people have been killed, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, with more than 60,000 others displaced again, many fearing they may never return.
Civilians are reportedly trapped under rubble, while the sick and wounded lack access to life-saving care. They also face severe shortages of food and shelter, amid reports of family separations and mass detentions.
“The plight of Palestinian civilians trapped in North Gaza is unbearable,” read a statement from the UN chief’s Spokesperson.
Mr. Guterres warned that the “widespread devastation and deprivation” caused by Israel’s military operations – particularly around Jabalya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun – have made life “untenable” for the Palestinian population there.
Despite repeated efforts to deliver essential humanitarian supplies, including food, medicine, and shelter, access continues to be denied by Israeli authorities, with few exceptions, putting countless lives in jeopardy.
Adding to the crisis, the postponement of the final phase of the polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza has endangered thousands of children.
Little regard for international law
“This conflict continues to be waged with little regard for the requirements of international humanitarian law,” the statement noted.
Mr. Guterres emphasised that the parties to the conflict must respect and protect civilians, including humanitarian workers and first responders, whose essential work must be facilitated and protected, not impeded and jeopardized.
“In the name of humanity, the Secretary-General reiterates his calls for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and accountability for crimes under international law,” the statement concluded.
Catastrophic situation
On Saturday, other top UN officials echoed the urgent calls for a halt to Israel’s military actions in northern Gaza.
Joyce Msuya, acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, warned that the entire population of northern Gaza is “at risk of dying”, calling for an immediate stop to “blatant disregard for basic humanity” by Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as “catastrophic”, highlighting the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system amid ongoing attacks on hospitals and healthcare workers, calling for an immediate ceasefire to save lives.
This follows Israeli airstrikes in southern suburbs of the city that targeted the leader of the Hezbollah armed group, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed, according to media reports.
The development comes amid escalating violence between Israeli forces and Hezbollah along the UN-patrolled line of separation in southern Lebanon known as the Blue Line, against the backdrop of the nearly year-long war in Gaza.
Avert all-out war
The Secretary-General’s Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, issued a statement stressing that “this cycle of cycle of violence must stop now, and all sides must step back from the brink.”
“The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, as well as the wider region, cannot afford an all-out war,” he said.
Mr. Guterres urged the parties to recommit to the full implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and immediately return to a cessation of hostilities.
Resolution 1701 was adopted in August 2006 and aimed to end the war that erupted in Lebanon that year between Israel and Hezbollah. It called for an end to hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the establishment of a demilitarized zone.
The Secretary-General also reiterated his longstanding appeal for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages held in the enclave.
Families on the move
The attacks in Beirut have sparked a new wave of mass displacements.
In response, UN children’s agency, UNICEF, has expanded shelter operations to support families forced to move.
Emergency supplies are being distributed to more than 5,000 people, UNICEF said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
Meanwhile, the number of people heading to Lebanon’s border with Syria is “growing rapidly”, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
The new arrivals, who include women, children and elderly persons, “are exhausted after hours of travel without food and water”, UNHCR said in a tweet.
Airstrikes displace thousands
Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have forced thousands to flee their homes, including Palestine refugees living in the country.
Cross-border incidents have displaced 211,319 people since October 2023, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Teams from the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, are responding, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Saturday in a tweet.
Trauma, uncertainty and fear
UNRWA has opened seven emergency shelters across the country which are currently hosting 1,600 people, including Lebanese citizens and Palestinian and Syrian refugees.
“Many are traumatized due to the ongoing bombardment, uncertainty and fears,” Mr. Lazzarini said. “For some, it is trauma re-lived given repeated cycles of conflict over the decades.”
He warned that a further expansion of the war will only bring more suffering for civilians.
Mr. Lazzarini ended the tweet by stressing that civilians must be protected, while civilian infrastructure must not be targeted.
The sun beats down on the fertile fields of Bolívar, Colombia, where lush green valleys stretch towards the distant Andes mountains. It’s a picture of idyllic rural life, but beneath the surface lies a complex and painful past. For decades, this region was ravaged by armed conflict, leaving communities shattered and livelihoods destroyed.
Saray Zúñiga, a proud Palenquera woman, knows the cost of conflict all too well. Palenqueras are women from the San Basilio de Palenque communities, descendants of African slaves who fought for their freedom and established a unique cultural haven. They are known for their vibrant attire and their tradition of selling fruit, preserving a rich heritage that is recognized by UNESCO.
“I was displaced five times; my children grew up in displacement,” she says, her voice heavy with the weight of memory. “We in Palenque never thought this could happen, that there would be massacres and rapes. We were persecuted, and many of my friends at the time are not alive today.”
Saray’s story is echoed by countless others in Bolívar. Farmers were forced from their homes, their fields trampled, their harvests stolen. The once-thriving agricultural communities were reduced to ghost towns, their inhabitants scattered across the country.
But in 2016, a glimmer of hope emerged. The Colombian government signed a peace agreement with the FARC rebel group, marking the end of over 50 years of conflict. As part of the deal, the government committed to enhancing rural development and partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to help implement this goal.
A key turning point was the implementation of the FAO-Sweden joint project, Territorial Transformation, Resilience and Sustainability. This initiative focused on improving rural livelihoods by strengthening agricultural production, promoting sustainable land use, and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. It also empowered women through skill development and leadership opportunities.
With FAO’s support, farmers like Saray began the long and arduous process of rebuilding their lives. They reclaimed their land, re-established their farms, and formed cooperatives to gain better access to markets. It wasn’t easy. The scars of conflict ran deep, and trust was hard to come by. But slowly, with patience and perseverance, the communities began to heal.
Today, Bolívar is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Farmers are not only growing crops but also cultivating peace. They’re working together to protect the environment, promote sustainable agriculture, and build a brighter future for their children.
Saray, once a victim of conflict, is now a beacon of hope. She stands proudly in the Toro Sonrisa Ecological and Artisanal shop & restaurant, a bustling hub of activity where farmers sell their produce and traditional Palenque sweets. “This is happiness,” she says, her eyes sparkling with joy. “We have recovered our tranquility.”
But the journey towards lasting peace and prosperity is far from over. The farmers of Bolívar, with their resilience and determination, are writing a new chapter in their history.
Discover the full extent of the Bolivar community’s inspiring journey and the transformative power of agriculture on the FAO website.
“Humanitarian facilities in Rafah are forced to close one after another…The flow of humanitarian aid supplies into Gaza, already insufficient to meet the soaring needs, has dropped by 67 per cent since 7 May,” reported the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, amid reports that kitchens, clinics and hospitals are shutting down.
Until Israeli troops seized and closed the Rafah border crossing in the very south of the Strip, it had been the key entry point for food, water, fuel and medicine into Gaza as well as the route for sick and wounded people to leave for treatment.
Powerless to help against famine threat
Echoing those concerns, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that there was little the agency “can currently do in Rafah, with stocks very low and mobility severely restricted”.
According to WFP, the West Erez crossing in northern Gaza “is functional, but not reliable”. Gate 96 further south and the Erez crossing are also “inaccessible” and access is so “constrained” to southern parts of Gaza that it risks causing the same catastrophic levels of hunger witnessed in the north.
Tactical gain
The development comes as the Israeli military said that it had secured “tactical control” of a narrow 13 kilometre (eight mile) stretch of land between Gaza and Egypt.
In a statement on Wednesday, an Israeli Defence Forces spokesperson reportedly claimed that rocket launchers had been used to attack Israel from the Philadelphi Corridor.
A senior Israeli official also reportedly told national radio Wednesday that fighting in Gaza could be expected to last until the end of the year, at least.
Dire humanitarian situation
After nearly eight months of war, the entire population of Gaza of 2.2 million people is almost exclusively dependent on humanitarian assistance, including food.
Although desperately needed supplies have been delivered on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Abu Salem, or Kerem Shalom, crossing located close to Rafah, UN humanitarians have repeatedly stressed that it is not safe to fetch them amid ongoing hostilities, impassable roads, unexploded weapons, fuel shortages and delays at checkpoints.
“Adults and children are beyond exhausted from constant displacement, hunger, and fear,” WFP said in its latest situation update. “They are desperate for the war to end, as are humanitarian workers on the ground, who are largely displaced and dispersed along with the people they are meant to serve.”
The UN food agency meanwhile confirmed that lifesaving aid relief and fuel from Egypt had crossed into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing.
“This is an important step, but we need sustained access. We need all border crossings and crossing points within Gaza to be open,” it said, adding that although some commercial goods had reached the enclave, “people cannot afford the high prices”.
“We need more aid to enter through the south because people need dietary diversity, access to healthcare and water.”
In its latest update, the UN food agency said that in the north, aid teams are distributing food parcels, wheat flour, hot meals and supporting bakeries.
In central areas, WFP is prioritising hot meals to reach more people with fewer resources. It noted that faster assistance is now possible thanks to a recently introduced self-registration tool that allows people to update their location.
Just four bakeries now operate in Gaza City, and one recently opened in Jabalia, providing bread in the north. Out of the 17 bakeries WFP operates in Gaza, only 11 are functioning owing to the lack of fuel and other essentials.
In Rafah the healthcare situation remains perilous, with only one hospital still functional, the World Health Organization said, referring to Al Emirati Maternity Hospital. This compares with three partially functional hospitals earlier this month. “An Najjar Hospital was evacuated on 7 May and Al Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah ceased operations on 27 May,” WHO said, following reports quoting the hospital’s director that this happened after two medical staff were killed when the hospital’s gate was hit.
Other aid operations that have closed this week in Rafah reportedly include a field hospital and kitchen run by UN partners the Palestinian Red Crescent and World Central Kitchen.
Al Mawasi strike
To date, at least 36,171 Palestinians have been killed and 81,420 injured in Gaza, OCHA said, citing Gazan health authorities, since Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel on 7 October prompted intense Israeli bombardment across the enclave.
“Mass casualties” were also reported on Tuesday after an unconfirmed airstrike on a site for forcibly displaced people in the coastal Al Mawasi area, southwest of Rafah. The UN aid office cited the Gazan ministry of health, which reported 21 fatalities and 21 injuries.
“I am appalled and shocked by the terrifying news arriving from Kharkiv”, said Ms. Brown in a statement. “This afternoon, in broad daylight as people – despite all the horrors they endure every day in this city – were trying to go about their day, their lives were shattered by yet another attack by the Russian Armed Forces. The strike hit a busy shopping centre with scores of civilian casualties and massive damage to civilian facilities”.
The senior UN official added that attacks by Russian forces hitting civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop, and noted that intentionally directing an attack against civilian infrastructure is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
The strike is reported to have hit the Epicentr K home improvement store in the north of the city. In a social media post, the mayor of Kharkiv, Ihor Terekhov, described it as “pure terrorism”. According to UN sources, a second attack on Saturday is believed to have caused some 12 casualties.
Following Russian advances, the northeastern Kharkiv region is now on the frontline of the war in Ukraine. According to a spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, about 35 civilians in the region have been killed and 137 injured since Russian armed forces launched cross-border attacks on 10 May; more than half of those killed and injured were over 60 years old and were unable or unwilling to leave their homes.
“Once again, nearly half of the population of Rafah or 800,000 people are on the road,” Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote in post on the social media platform X. formerly Twitter.
He said that following evacuation orders demanding people to flee to so-called safe zones, people mainly went to the middle areas in Gaza and Khan Younis, including to destroyed buildings.
No safe passage or protection
“When people move, they are exposed, without safe passage or protection,” he said. “Every time, they have to start from scratch, all over again.”
Mr. Lazzarini said the areas that people have escaped to do not have safe water supplies or sanitation facilities.
He cited the example of Al-Mawassi, describing it as “a sandy 14 square kilometre agricultural land, where people are left out in the open with little to no buildings or roads.”
The town, located on Gaza’s southern coast, “lacks the minimal conditions to provide emergency humanitarian assistance in a safe and dignified manner.”
He said that more than 400,000 lived in Al-Mawassi before the recent escalation, but now it is “crammed and cannot absorb more people”, which is also the same in Deir al Balah.
‘No place is safe’
“The claim that people in Gaza can move to ‘safe’ or ‘humanitarian’ zones is false. Each time, it puts the lives of civilians at serious risk,” Mr. Lazzarini stated.
“Gaza does not have any safe zones,” he added. “No place is safe. No one is safe.”
The situation is again being made far worse by the lack of aid and basic humanitarian supplies, he continued, noting that humanitarians do not have any more supplies to give out, including food and other basic items.
Meanwhile, key crossings into Gaza remain closed or are unsafe to access as they are located near or in combat zones. Mr. Lazzarini also highlighted the critical need for fuel, which is essential for aid distribution.
Land routes crucial
He said only 33 aid trucks have made it to southern Gaza since 6 May – “a small trickle amid the growing humanitarian needs and mass displacement.”
“While we welcome reports on first shipments arriving at the new floating dock, land routes remain the most viable, effective, efficient and safest aid delivery method,” he said.
Earlier on Saturday, the UN Spokesperson’s Office said the World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed that 10 truckloads of food were transported to its warehouse the previous day via the floating dock, which was installed by the United States military.
“Some of the shipment included high-energy biscuits for WFP to distribute, but there were also commodities for other humanitarian partners to distribute, which included rice, pasta, and lentils,” the note said.
Mr. Lazzarini emphasized that the land crossings into Gaza must re-open and be safe to access. ”Without the re-opening of these routes, the deprivation of assistance and catastrophic humanitarian conditions will persist,” he said.
Ceasefire now
He underlined the obligations of the parties to the conflict, starting with rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in need, wherever they are located.
“The displaced population must have access to basic survival items, including food, water, and shelter, as well as hygiene, health, assistance and above all safety,” he said.
Humanitarian relief teams also need safe and free movement to access people in need, and protection wherever they may be, and the parties are also obligated to protect civilians and civilian objects everywhere.
“Above all, it is time to agree on a ceasefire,” he concluded.
“Any further escalation in the fighting will only wreak more havoc on civilians and make it impossible to finally have the peace and stability that Israelis and Palestinians desperately need and deserve.”
The incident occurred in the vicinity of Sake, just 20 kilometers from Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu.
The wounded peacekeepers, who were part of Operation Springbok initiated last November to safeguard civilians in the region, sustained their injuries amidst the ongoing fighting, where UN troops have been assisting Government forces in order to protect vulnerable civilians.
In a strongly-worded statement issued by his Spokesperson, UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack, emphasizing that it could amount to a war crime under international law.
Expressing his wishes for a swift recovery for the injured peacekeepers, he reiterated calls for all armed groups, Congolese and foreign fighters alike, to immediately cease hostilities and engage in the disarmament process.
Furthermore, the UN chief emphasized the necessity for M23 to withdraw entirely from territory it has occupied and conform to the agreements outlined in the Luanda communiqué of November 2022, to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC.
Bintou Keita, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the DRC and head of the UN mission MONUSCO, joined in the condemnation, denouncing the attack .
She said that one of the wounded ‘blue helmets’ had suffered severe injuries and all have been evacuated for appropriate medical care.
The peacekeepers had been deployed for several weeks as part of Operation Springbok in the restive North Kivu area, working jointly with Government troops in military operations. Ms. Keita reaffirmed MONUSCO’s commitment to support investigations in the hopes of bringing those responsible to justice.
The Secretary-General and his Special Representative reaffirmed MONUSCO’s resolve to further implement its protection of civilians mandate from the Security Council and work alongside Congolese defence and security forces to reinforce joint and unilateral patrols to protect civilians.
March marks the thirteenth anniversary of the conflict in Syria, with systematic atrocities and untold suffering of civilians.
According to UN estimates, 16.7 million people, equivalent to 70 per cent of the total population, will require humanitarian assistance in 2024. Roughly half the pre-war population remains displaced inside or outside Syria.
Compounding the crisis, a series of earthquakes struck the country’s north in February last year, claiming nearly 5,900 lives, severely damaging infrastructure, and exacerbating the vulnerability of millions already struggling to meet their basic needs.
Entire communities are struggling to survive, as humanitarian funding has dropped to an all-time low. In 2023, for instance, only $2.02 billion or 37.4 per cent – was received against the $5.41 billion required for UN-led humanitarian efforts.
A solution that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people, restores the country’s sovereignty, unity, independence, and territorial integrity, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015) and create the conditions necessary for the voluntary return of refugees in safety and dignity, he said.
Protect civilians
“We need civilians and civilian infrastructure to be protected,” the UN chief emphasized.
Alongside, he also called for a strategic approach to countering terrorism, in line with international law; sustained and unhindered humanitarian access throughout Syria; and urgent and adequate funding to sustain critical aid operations.
“It is long past time for key parties to step up and meet these needs. An entire generation of Syrians has already paid too high a price,” he added.
End impunity
Mr. Guterres also highlighted that arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, sexual and gender-based violence, torture, and other violations continue and pose an obstacle to sustainable peace in Syria.
“We all have a responsibility to end impunity,” he said.
“Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Syrian victims, survivors and their family members count on it.”
“I endured the artillery’s roar, the fire in the nursery, yet I stand tall,” read the lyrics. “I weathered the paralyzing fear under the covers, felt everyone turn their backs, yet I stand tall.” When he wrote the song in October, shortly after the war began, Marwán, whose father grew up in UNRWA tents in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, decided to donate the rights to raise donations for the Spanish committee of UNRWA, the United Nations agency for Palestinian Refugees.
“UNRWA is the lifeline that sustained my father since birth. He was born in a refugee camp and attended an UNRWA school, where he received all his education until he was 18. It’s always been there for him, providing food, support, education,” he explains in an interview with Beatriz Barral from UN News. “They continue to support millions of Palestinians, all Gazans, and it was the least I could do. Without a political solution, there’s little more we can do than rally and offer our help”.
The “Urgent Lullaby for Palestine” addresses “brutal injustices and the deprivation of rights,” the “neglect Palestinians face from the international community,” yet it repeats in each verse: they endure.
“Despite the neglect, the abandonment, the bombings, the atrocities inflicted on children, the deaths… I want to spotlight Palestinian resilience, their ability to keep going, even in dire conditions,” he explains.
Marwán has visited the West Bank several times, where distant relatives of his father still reside. He even recorded a song in front of what was his father’s school in Tulkarm.
Marwán – Nana Urgente para Palestina
Asked about accusations against UNRWA, Marwán expresses deep sorrow. “To label UNRWA as problematic or supportive of terrorism is utterly unprecedented and nonsensical. It solely strives to aid people in the direst circumstances and bring dignity to Palestinian lives time and time again. That’s all that concerns me. I’m focused on supporting UNRWA. Regardless of criticism directed at me for aligning with UNRWA, or criticism against UNRWA itself, it doesn’t faze me. I march on, saddened by the lack of support, by governments withdrawing aid, but we press on,” he says.
Marwán urges anyone hesitant to donate to UNRWA to “thoroughly research what’s happening in Palestine.”
“Learn about UNRWA’s work since 1948, which has been impeccable and significant. I would urge them to consider that a genocide is occurring, and that Palestinians truly rely solely on UNRWA. It’s as straightforward as that. They have nothing else, but the funds received through UNRWA,” he argues.
The suspension of funds to UNRWA is “an appalling disgrace”
UNRWA schools are serving as shelters for displaced people in Gaza.
Presenting the song at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid on Tuesday, with Spain’s Minister for Youth and Childhood Sira Rego in attendance, Marwán described the suspension of funds as “heartbreaking.” This comes after Israel accused several workers of involvement in the October 7 attacks, that left 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage, despite UNRWA firing the employees and launching an investigation.
With his song, he hopes to prevent the Gaza war from fading into obscurity.
“In Palestine, human rights violations occur daily We’re not talking about a conventional war between two countries, one defending itself against the other”, he says.
“I only place faith in international judicial intervention”
Marwán is appalled by what he terms “flagrant violations of international law.”
“After World War II, international legal mechanisms were established to prevent such atrocities, yet people are circumventing international laws. Even the countries that talk the most about defending human rights are the ones that are most supporting this, but they are the countries that have the most power in the UN because they have the right to veto [in the UN Security Council],” he laments.
The artist sharply criticizes the media coverage of the war, requiring individuals to seek information “via Twitter, through accounts of Palestinian journalists, or on Instagram.”
“We’re allowing a genocide to happen in prime time, with journalism aiding the perpetrators. It’s hard to comprehend. It’s because there are vested interests. There’s no other explanation than Western self-interest. There cannot be any other explanation,” he says.
Marwán believes a solution and a peaceful future can only be achieved through “international judicial intervention.” “It’s the only beacon of hope right now,” he concludes.
UNRWA Spanish National Comitte
The singer Marwan performs the “Urgent Lullaby for Palestine” at the presentation at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, Spain, in an event organized by the Spanish committee of UNRWA.
Editor’s note: The opinions expressed by the interviewee are his own and do not represent the position of the United Nations Organization.
The warning from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, comes nearly four months since Israel commenced a devastating bombing campaign in response to Hamas-led terror attacks on 7 October that left some 1,200 people butchered in southern Israeli communities and more than 250 taken hostage.
“In recent days, thousands of Palestinians have been fleeing to the south to Rafah, which is already hosting over half of Gaza’s population of some 2.3 million people,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke.
Repeating deep concerns that nowhere in Gaza is safe amid reports of Israeli shelling on the periphery of Rafah on Friday, Mr. Laerke told journalists that most of the new arrivals were “living in makeshift structures, tents, or out in the open. Rafah is now a pressure cooker of despair and we fear for what happens next.”
To date, 100,000 people in Gaza “are either dead, injured, or missing and presumed dead” as a result of bombing raids and fighting on the ground between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
Sixty per cent of the 27,019 fatalities reported by the enclave’s health authorities have been women and children, the UN health agency reported, with more than 66,000 now injured and requiring medical care that remains difficult to access.
Highlighting the “extremely challenging” task of replenishing hospitals and medical centres throughout the wartorn enclave, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Dr. Rick Peeperkorn explained that of 15 planned missions to the north in January, three had been carried out, four had been impeded by impassable routes, one postponed and eight were denied.
Dr Peeperkorn added that of the 11 planned missions to the south last month, four had gone ahead, two were postponed, two were impeded either because checkpoints opened late or owing to excessive delays. Authorisations were denied for three missions.
“Lack of safety guarantees and humanitarian corridors in Gaza are making it increasingly challenging to safely and rapidly carry out humanitarian operations,” the WHO official said, speaking from Jerusalem. “Lack of sustained access to hospitals could dismantle the health system.”
The development came as UN Children’s Fund UNICEF reported that at least 17,000 children in Gaza are unaccompanied or separated.
“Each one, a heartbreaking story of loss and grief,” said Jonathan Crickx, UNICEF Chief of Communication in the State of Palestine.
Speaking from Jerusalem to journalists in Geneva, the UNICEF official described meeting youngsters in Gaza earlier this week. Among them was 11-year-old Razan who lost almost all her family during a bombing raid in the first weeks of the war.
“Her mother, father, brother, and two sisters were killed,” Mr. Crickx continued. “Razan’s leg was also injured and had to be amputated. Following the surgery, her wound got infected. Razan is now being taken care of by her aunt and uncle, all of whom have been displaced to Rafah.”
Because of the lack of food, water and shelter, extended families are struggling to look after themselves, let alone orphaned or unaccompanied children, the UNICEF officer said.
“I met these children in Rafah. We fear that the situation of children who have lost their parents is much worse in the north and the centre of the Gaza Strip.”
Many displaced people are living in tents in Tal Al-Sultan neighbourhood, in the southern Gaza Strip.
When war began on 7 October, life changed dramatically overnight for mother-of-four Hala, as it did for the more than two million Palestinians who live in the Gaza Strip. She kept a diary of her experiences and shared it with the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA).
It recounts her struggles to find safety in an abandoned apartment in the southern city of Rafah, her attempts to remain in contact with her family amid communications and electricity cuts, and the lack of food and sanitation.
You can read the diary entries, with photos of Hala and her family in Gaza, here.
Leaders from the 120-member bloc met amid deep division globally, including rising geopolitical tensions, climate catastrophe, widespread poverty and raging conflict in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza.
Danger and constraints
“Following the abhorrent Hamas attacks on 7 October, the wholesale destruction of Gaza and the number of civilian casualties in such a short period are totally unprecedented during my mandate,” the Secretary-General said, noting that the UN has also been affected as 152 staff have been killed.
Although humanitarians are doing their best to deliver aid, they face constant bombardments and daily dangers, amid enormous constraints posed by damaged roads, communication blackouts and access denials.
Meanwhile, disease and hunger are deepening, he said.
He said people are dying not only from bombs and bullets, but from lack of food and clean water, hospitals without power and medicine, and gruelling journeys to ever-smaller slivers of land to escape the fighting.
Prevent conflict spillover
“This must stop. I will not relent in my call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” Mr. Guterres said.
“And we must do all we can to prevent spillover of this conflict across the region — in the West Bank, across the Blue Line between Israel and Lebanon, and in Syria, Iraq and the Red Sea.”
He added that refusal to accept the two-State solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and the denial of the right to statehood for the Palestinian people, are unacceptable.
“This would indefinitely prolong a conflict that has become a major threat to global peace and security; exacerbate polarization; and embolden extremists everywhere,” he said.
NAM leadership
The NAM was established in the midst of the Cold War, when leaders of newly independent countries sought a neutral stance and avoided joining either of the two major power blocs, headed by the United States and the Soviet Union.
Mr. Guterres said the “swirl of uncertainty and instability” in the world today offers new opportunities for countries and the organization to lead the way towards deeper cooperation and shared global affluence – the theme of the summit.
As global affluence depends on peace which requires institutions that reflect today’s world, he pointed to the need to reform bodies such as the UN Security Council which is “paralyzed by geopolitical divisions that block effective solutions.”
Recalling that the NAM has long highlighted the issue, he said the UN Summit of the Future in September offers a unique opportunity to consider reforms and promote ideas to rebuild trust and strengthen multilateral collaboration.
Sustainable development
Meanwhile, countries are moving backwards in achieving sustainable development, another requirement for peace. People are going hungry and communities lack access to basics such as healthcare, clean water, proper sanitation and education.
Mr. Guterres repeated his call for reforming the “outdated, unjust and unfair global financial system” so that all countries benefit, and urged governments to invest in education, health, nutrition and social protection systems.
Last September, world leaders meeting at the UN demonstrated support for both a $500 billion annual stimulus package to boost sustainable development and his call to reform the global financial system.
At the COP28 conference two months later, countries operationalized the long-awaited Loss and Damage Fund to support nations that are most vulnerable to climate change. However, contributions so far have been limited, and developed countries have not fulfilled many of their longstanding commitments on climate finance, he said.
The Secretary-General urged the NAM to hold leaders to keep these promises this year.
Some 613 people have died within facilities as a result since 7 October last year and more than 770 have been injured, according to latest data on healthcare attacks from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Condemning the continuing fighting and bombardment, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said that the “ongoing reduction of humanitarian space plus the continuing attacks on healthcare are pushing the people of Gaza to breaking point”.
Children in the Gaza Strip face a deadly triple threat to their lives, as cases of diseases rise, nutrition plummets and the escalation in hostilities approaches its fourteenth week.
Thousands of children have already died from the violence, while living conditions for children continue to rapidly deteriorate, with increasing cases of diarrhea and rising food poverty among children, raising the risk of mounting child deaths.
Hundreds of facilities hit
WHO’s online platform covering attacks on healthcare indicated that more than 550 medical facilities and vehicles had been impacted in the almost 100 days since constant Israeli airstrikes began in Gaza.
The attacks have affected 94 healthcare sites including 26 hospitals damaged out of a total of 36 in the enclave.
Catherine Russell noted young lives are “increasingly at risk from preventable diseases and lack of food and water. All children and civilians must be protected from violence and have access to basic services and supplies.”
Cases of diarrhoea in children under five rose from 48,000 to 71,000 in just one week starting 17 December, equivalent to 3,200 new cases of diarrhea per day.
She said the significant increase indicated child health in Gaza is “fast deteriorating”. Before the escalation in hostilities, an average of 2,000 cases of diarrhea in children under five were recorded per month.
Relief effort stymied
In a statement released by Eri Kaneko, Spokesperson for aid coordination office OCHA, humanitarians made clear on Thursday that the speed and volume of relief is being continually hampered by conditions on the ground.
“The UN and our humanitarian partners are committed to and continue to do all they can to meet the growing needs in Gaza. However, the operating environment and response capacity continues to be hindered by security risks, mobility constraints, delays and denials”, she said.
“Multiple inspections, long queues of trucks and difficulties at crossing points continue to hamper operations. Inside Gaza, aid operations face constant bombardments, with aid workers themselves killed and some convoys having been shot at.
She made clear other challenges include poor communications, damaged roads and delays at checkpoints.
“An effective aid operation in Gaza requires security, staff who can work in safety, logistical capacity and the resumption of commercial activity.”
142 UNRWA staff killed
Meanwhile, the UN agency providing help to Palestinians, UNRWA, said that the total number of staff killed since the beginning of hostilities stands at 142.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees also reported that since 7 October last year, up to 1.9 million people have been displaced across the Gaza Strip, some multiple times.
This number represents over 85 per cent of the population of the Gaza Strip, UNRWA said, adding that families have been forced to move “repeatedly in search of safety”.
Nearly 1.4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) now shelter in 155 UNRWA facilities across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip.
This figure includes 160,000 in the north and Gaza City according to data last revised shortly after the escalation began.
Another 500,000 people “are in close vicinity of these installations and receiving assistance” from UNRWA, the UN agency said in an update.
IOM launches $69 million appeal
The UN’s migration agency IOM launched an urgent appeal on Friday for $69 million to support its response to rising and critical humanitarian needs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The appeal also covers neighbouring countries affected by the ongoing hostilities in Gaza.
In a statement, IOM said that hundreds of thousands of civilians need aid desperately. But getting help to them continues to be hampered by “long clearance procedures for humanitarian aid trucks at the border (and) the intense ground operation and fighting”.
“Frequent disruption” to communication networks has also prevented humanitarian aid coordination, the UN agency said “along with insecurity, blocked roads and scarcity of fuel”.
Outside Gaza, IOM noted that deteriorating security situation along border areas between Israel and Lebanon has forced some 76,000 people from their homes in southern Lebanon.
The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) was deployed to Mali in 2013 following a violent insurrection by separatist rebels attempting to take control of the north of the country and a subsequent military-led coup.
Established by UN Security Councilresolution 2100, the mission included more than 15,000 troops and personnel who served in cities and towns around the country.
“I think our work impacted the lives of many civilians in Mali,” said El-Ghassum Wane, outgoing Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of MINUSMA.
Tackling range of challenges
In its decade of operations, MINUSMA aided Mali in tackling multiple challenges. Among the UN’s most challenging peacekeeping missions, it has suffered more than 300 fatalities of its troops and personnel amid continuing extremist violence and rampant insecurity across much of the north and centre.
On Saturday evening, the UN Secretary-General expressed his deepest gratitude to MINUSMA personnel, including the Head of Mission, Mr. Wane, who “has provided outstanding leadership in a challenging context”, said Stéphane Dujarric, the UN spokesperson.
Paying tribute to the 311 MINUSMA personnel who lost their lives and the more than 700 who were injured in the cause of peace during the 10 years the Mission was deployed in Mali, he and “the entire United Nations family stands in sympathy and solidarity with the loved ones, friends and colleagues of the fallen staff as we remain inspired by their selfless devotion to the cause of peace”, Mr. Dujarric said.
Mr. Guterres also recognized “the key role MINUSMA has played in protecting civilians, the mission’s support to the peace process, including by ensuring respect for the ceasefire in the context of the 2015 peace and reconciliation agreement, as well as to the transition, its efforts towards the restoration of State authority and the provision of peace dividends to the population”, Mr. Dujarric said.
MINUSMA/Harandane Dicko
Election officials in Mali prepare materials for the second round of the presidential elections on the day of the vote at a polling station in the Banaconi district in Bamako in 2018. (file)
Supporting political process
MINUSMA supported the political process and carried out a number of security-related stabilization tasks, with a focus on major population centres, protecting civilians, human rights monitoring, creating conditions for providing humanitarian assistance and the return of displaced persons as well as preparing free, inclusive and peaceful elections.
The peace operation also was tasked with using all necessary means to address threats to the implementation of its mandate, which included the protection of civilians under imminent threat of physical violence and protection of UN personnel from residual threats, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment.
UN Photo/Marco Dormino
A UN civilian staff member explains the mandate of the peacekeeping mission, MINUSMA, to students in Bamako, Mali, in 2013. (file)
Mission terminated
Mali’s foreign affairs minister requested the withdrawal of MINUSMA in a related UN Security Council meeting on 16 June. On the same day, the transitional government issued a communiqué reiterating its demand for the UN mission to leave without delay.
UN peacekeeping mandates are determined by the Security Council, but politically and practically, missions cannot operate without the support and cooperation of the host authorities.
On 30 June, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2690 effectively terminating MINUSMA’s previous mandate and requesting the transfer of its tasks as well as the safe and orderly drawdown and withdrawal of the Mission by 31 December 2023, to be followed by a liquidation period.
UN Photo/Marco Dormino
A Rwandan peacekeeper from the MINUSMA Formed Police Unit speaks with children while patrolling the streets of Gao in northern Mali.
Integrated withdrawal plan
To fulfill this goal, MINUSMA developed an integrated withdrawal plan based on ensuring the safety and security of UN personnel, meeting the 31 December deadline, safeguarding the mission’s legacy and preserving an environment conducive to long-term UN engagement in Mali.
Since 1 July, MINUSMA has gradually withdrawn its personnel and handed over its bases to Malian civilian authorities where possible.
The start of the liquidation period begins on Monday, 1 January 2024.
A smaller team and the rear parties of troop- and police-contributing countries will remain at sites in Gao and Bamako to oversee the orderly transportation of assets and appropriate disposal of UN-owned equipment, the UN spokesperson said.
In this regard, the UN chief is counting on the transitional government’s full cooperation to ensure this process is completed as soon as possible, he added.
MINUSMA leaves, but UN will stay
MINUSMA chief Mr. Wane said the mission might be leaving, but the UN will remain in Mali.
“UN funds, agencies and programmes were in Mali well before the deployment of MINUSMA and will stay in Mali well after the withdrawal,” he said.
MINUSMA/Sylvain Liecht
UN peacekeepers from Chad patrol the streets of Kidal, Mali, in 2016. (file)
Echoing that statement, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to work with the Malian people and transitional government towards the restoration of constitutional order, as well as the promotion of peace and security and sustainable development, his spokesperson, Mr. Dujarric, said.
The entire UN system, including the 21 agencies, funds and programmes of the Country Team in Mali, in collaboration with the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and the Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel, will continue its support in pursuit of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development in the country.
These efforts include advancing the UN-Government of Mali jointly agreed objectives of the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2020 to 2024, Mr. Dujarric added.
For a look back at MINUSMA’s efforts over the past decade, take a look at our photo essay here.
UN Photo/Marco Dormino
Residents of Timbuktu pass by Djingareyber Mosque, among the historical architectural structures that earned the city the designation of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
At least 18 civilians were killed and more than 100 injured in an attack on Belgorod, said Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General in the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UN DPPA), briefing the Council on the latest developments.
Russia had called for the emergency meeting following reported attacks on Belogorod. Located about 40 km north of the Ukrainian border, Belgorod is home to more than 300,000 residents.
The emergency session was held less than 24 hours after the Council convened a meeting on Ukraine following large scale attacks by Russia against Ukrainian towns and cities.
‘We unequivocally condemn attacks’
“We unequivocally condemn all attacks on cities, town and villages, in Ukraine and in the Russian Federation,” Mr. Khiari said. “Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law, are unacceptable and must end now.”
He said that even as the Council meets today, reports of new air raid alerts were also coming in from across Ukraine, including in the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Cherkasy, Poltava and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
Indeed, just a few hours ago, the city of Kharkiv was reportedly attacked, resulting in civilians injured and civilian infrastructure damaged, he said.
Civilian deaths in Belgorod
Mr. Khiari said attacks on locations in the Belgorod city centre reportedly resulted in damage to civilian infrastructure, including the regional government office and the medical college of Belgorod State University.
“The strikes were reported as among the deadliest cross-border attacks on the Russian Federation since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, launched in violation of the UN Charter and international law,” he said.
At the same time, he said, the Russian military authorities reported separate overnight Ukrainian drone attacks in the Bryansk, Oryol, Kursk and Moscow regions of Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported new overnight Russian drone attacks targeting the Kherson region, he said.
“As the war continues, we will see more Ukrainian and Russian civilians killed and injured,” he said. “Protection of civilians must be the main priority. The fighting and bloodshed must cease, the war must come to an end.”
United Nations
Vassily Nebenzia (centre), Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Russia, addresses the Security Council.
Russia: EU complicit in ‘terrorist attack’
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the city centre of Belgorod was struck with missiles and attacks using prohibited cluster munitions as well as Czech-produced Vampir missiles. Targets included a sports centre, ice skating rink and a university.
“This is a deliberate act of terrorism,” he said, requesting Czechia and other Western States to account for where their assistance is going.
“There’s no use pretending,” he said. “The European Union countries are complicit in the crimes committed by the gang in Kyiv.”
Council members: Civilians should not be a target
Council members roundly condemned attacks targeting civilians.
Schools should be safe havens for children, said UAE Deputy Ambassador Mohamed Issa Abushahab.
“Civilians must be protected, and civilian objects should not be targets for attacks,” he said.
French Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière echoed a point raised by several Council members, emphasizing that if Russian troops were not on Ukrainian soil, “we wouldn’t be here this afternoon”.
Calls for Russia to end war
The United Kingdom’s representative Thomas Patrick Phipps said that Russia is trying to draw equivalence to Friday’s Council meeting on Russian strikes against Ukrainian cities and towns.
However, Russia started this war and can end it, he said.
Many speakers agreed, calling on Russia to withdraw from Ukrainian territory and end hostilities.
The United States’ representative John Kelly said Russia alone is responsible for starting this war, in violation of the UN Charter.
“As long as Russia persists, the US will support Ukraine in its right to defend itself,” he said, calling on Moscow to immediately end the war and for the protection of all civilians on all sides in every conflict.
China’s representative Geng Shuang was deeply concerned about the long, drawn out crisis in Ukraine.
“There are no winners in conflict,” he said, reiterating China’s willingness to work towards a peaceful solution.
United Nations
Serhii Dvornyk, Counsellor and Political Coordinator at Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations, addresses the Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security.
Ukraine: Still recovering from Russia’s ‘horrendous’ strikes
Ukraine’s representative Serhii Dvornyk said his country is “still recovering from Friday’s horrendous strikes”.
“Just hours ago, Russia again terrorized Kharkiv with S-300 missiles, hitting a residential building and a hotel,” he said. “Since this morning a number of cities and villages in Ukraine have come under Russian fire.”
They include Dnipro, Nikopol and Vyshetarasivka in Dnipropetrovsk region, Kharkiv, Vovchansk, Kupyansk and Velyka Shpakivka in Kharkiv region and Antonivka and Tomina Balka in Kherson region.
“The Security Council convened yesterday and is meeting again today, and you should be ready to meet tomorrow, the day after tomorrow – every day that the Russian war against Ukraine lasts,” he said. “Because as long as this war, unleashed by the Kremlin dictator, endures, the toll of death and suffering will continue to grow.”
Once “Russia’s bloody war” is over there will be no more human suffering, no more civilian casualties in Europe and no more reason for further Security Council meetings on this issue, he said.
Watch the meeting here, and visit UN Meetings Coverage for full summaries of this and other UN meetings, in English and French.
“A traumatized and exhausted population” is being “crammed into a smaller and smaller sliver of land,” UN emergency relief chief Martin Griffiths warned on social platform X on Friday.
But serious obstacles persist to bringing more aid to those in need amid relentless Israeli bombardment and intense fighting on the ground.
UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA cited reports from Gaza’s health authorities that half of all the pregnant women seeking safety in shelters in the Strip suffer from thirst, malnutritionand a lack of health care, there is a lack of vaccinations for newborns and one in every two displaced children faces dehydration, malnutrition and disease.
Some 1.9 million Gazans, or 85 per cent of the enclave’s population, have been internally displaced since the start of Israel’s retaliation following Hamas’ deadly terror attacks in southern Israel on 7 October.
Dire overcrowding
According to OCHA, the latest wave of displacement was prompted by an intensification of hostilities in the southern town of Khan Younis and central Gaza’s Deir al Balah, as well as evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military.
Some 10 days ago Rafah was already estimated to be the most densely populated area in Gaza, exceeding 12,000 people per square kilometre, OCHA said, which is more than in New York City.
Aid access compromised
Despite a UN Security Council resolution adopted last week calling for a scale-up in aid deliveries to the enclave, access to people in need has remained overwhelmingly insufficient.
Only 76 trucks entered Gaza from Egypt through the Rafah crossing on Thursday, “well below the daily average of 500 truckloads (including fuel and private sector goods) that entered every working day prior to 7 October”, OCHA noted.
“You think getting aid into Gaza is easy? Think again,” the UN’s Mr. Griffiths wrote on X on Friday. He listed the impediments faced by humanitarians working to help people in the Strip, including “three layers of inspections before trucks can even enter”, insufficient entry points, “constant bombardment” and damaged roads.
“This is an impossible situation for the people of Gaza and for those trying to help them. The fighting must stop,” he insisted.
Last week UN chief António Guterres said that “an effective aid operation in Gaza requires security; staff who can work in safety; logistical capacity; and the resumption of commercial activity”.
“These four elements do not exist,” he concluded.
‘Race against time’ to bring food
Despite the challenges, humanitarians have continued doing their utmost to assist desperate Gazans. On Thursday the UN World Food Programme (WFP) distributed food parcels for 10,000 displaced families in makeshift camps in Rafah.
OCHA reported that some 200 community leaders were identified to collect assistance on behalf of surrounding families in their communities, with each parcel covering a family’s food needs for 10 days.
“Incredible to see the collab[oration] between the team and communities as we race against time to deliver life-saving food in Gaza,” WFP representative in Palestine Samer AbdelJaber wrote on social platform X.
The distribution was set to continue on Friday after time and safety constraints meant that only 45 per cent of people targeted with assistance were reached on the first day.
Last week, humanitarians warned that more than one in four households in Gaza were enduring “catastrophic” hunger. The risk of famine occurring in the Strip within the next six months was confirmed by the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, which showed that the entire population of Gaza, some 2.2 million people, is living with “crisis or worse” levels of acute food insecurity.
Middle East – West Bank, Lebanon, Israel & other regions | Security Council | United Nations
Follow this page and @UN_News_Centre on X, formerly Twitter, for updates.
11:05 AM
José Javier De La Gasca, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ecuador, which holds the Presidency of the Security Council for December, called the meeting to order.
Israel has been invited to the meeting, as has the been the Observer State of Palestine.
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs; Marwan Muasher, Vice President for studies at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and former Deputy Prime Minister of Jordan; and a representative from the Norwegian Refugee Council will brief the meeting.
10:35 AM
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), a non-permanent member called for the emergency meeting, and a senior UN official from the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) is expected to brief ambassadors.
The meeting follows a resolution adopted last week by the Security Council calling for a scale-up in aid deliveries to civilians in the Gaza Strip. The resolution passed with 13 votes in favour, and the US and Russia abstaining.
Tensions in occupied West Bank
Earlier this month, Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Envoy for the Middle East Peace Process, voiced “deep concerns” over escalating tensions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Briefing the Security Council on 19 December, he noted “intensified armed exchanges” between Palestinians and Israeli security forces, predominantly in the context of Israeli operations, which led to exceedingly high levels of fatalities and arrests.
Mr. Wennesland also expressed alarm at lethal attacks carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and by Palestinians against Israelis in the occupied West Bank and Israel.
“All perpetrators of violence must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice,” he stressed.
Earlier today, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cited reports from Gazan health authorities that half of all the pregnant women seeking safety in shelters suffer from thirst, malnutrition and a lack of healthcare. There is a lack of vaccinations for newborns and one in every two displaced children faces dehydration, malnutrition and disease.
Some 1.9 million Gazans, or 85 per cent of the enclave’s population, have been internally displaced since the start of Israel’s retaliation following Hamas’ deadly terror attacks in southern Israel on 7 October.
Locations in the north and south of the enclave were hit as Israeli ground forces also reportedly pushed into central areas, along with the firing of rockets by Palestinian armed groups into Israel, prompting concerns from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, about the safety of civilians uprooted time and again.
Rafah governorate in the southern Gaza Strip is now “bursting at the seams”, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza Tom White said on X – formerly Twitter – late on Tuesday, his video post showing a long line of cars crawling forwards tail to bumper, laden with mattresses strapped down and other belongings.
Roads smashed
In its latest update on the crisis, UN aid coordination office OCHA said that Israeli forces had reportedly carried out “heavy” bombardment from air, land and sea “across most of the Gaza Strip, specifically the Middle Area” from 23 to 26 December.
This included “more than 50 strikes” from 24 to 25 December on three refugee camps – Al Bureij, An Nuseirat and Al Maghazi – that reportedly killed dozens and hindered the work of aid teams confronted by destroyed roads connecting the camps.
It has been more than 80 days since Israeli Defense Forces’ bombardment of the Strip began, in response to Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel, in which roughly 1,200 people were massacred and approximately 240 others were taken hostage.
The enclave’s health authority has reported that at least 20,915 Palestinians have been killed there since 7 October – including 858 people between last Saturday and Tuesday. “About 70 per cent of those killed are said to be women and children…Many people are missing, presumably buried under the rubble, with many still waiting for rescue or recovery.”
OCHA also reported that 164 Israeli soldiers have died with another 874 injured during ground operations in Gaza.
Renewed health fears
The development followed a new evacuation order issued by the Israeli Defense Forces impacting people living in Gaza’s middle area. At the same time, UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette Touma issued a fresh warning about the dire situation impacting people sheltering in tented camps in the south.
“You have 400 people sharing one toilet,” Ms. Touma said, echoing repeated concerns about disease spread linked to the lack of basic necessities including water, sanitation and food.
UN humanitarians have already described how hungry Gazans have stopped aid trucks en route to their destination to offload food, amid repeated warnings that it is becoming impossible to meet the needs of all those in the south, where population density is estimated at 12,000 people per square kilometre (about 7.5 miles).
Four people, including two girls under the age of 10, were killed in the incident, which occured in the Croix de Bouquet district.
Four other family members were kidnapped.
‘Unprecedented’ escalation in crime
Similar attacks occurred in the same neighbourhood a week ago, said Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, in a statement issued on Tuesday.
“Regrettably, such killings are not isolated,” he added. “From July to September 2023 alone, Haiti has witnessed 88 grave violations of children’s rights, with 37 of these resulting in the tragic loss of lives or injuries during armed conflicts.”
Rampant gang violence, mainly affecting the capital city, continues to plague the Caribbean country, where nearly half the population, roughly five million people, needs humanitarian support.
Mr. Maes said major crimes, including homicides and kidnappings, are escalating at an unprecedented rate, particularly in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite department.
Between July and September, the Haitian National Police recorded a staggering 1,239 homicides, compared to 577 in the same period in 2022. Abductions also surged to 701 victims, representing a shocking 244 per cent increase.
Furthermore, in areas controlled by armed groups, places such as schools, health facilities and protection services have also come under attack.
Protect civilians, respect humanitarian law
UNICEF and partners have repeatedly called for the protection of civilians, in particular children and women, and for the respect of international humanitarian law.
“Killing children is a grave violation of human rights,” said Mr. Maes.
He added that the repeated attacks, and access restrictions caused by the violence and insecurity, are hampering the ability to reach people in need.
He underlined UNICEF’s commitment “to take all measures to ensure the safety of children and their families and to reduce the suffering of the victims.”
World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Medical Teams coordinator Sean Casey said that “100-plus patients” had been brought into Al-Aqsa Hospital on Monday in the space of 30 minutes, following reported blasts, including near Al-Maghazi refugee camp.
All of them needed urgent treatment for serious wounds, the WHO official told UN News, while “about 100” more lifeless bodies were brought into the hospital at around the same time.
Trapped under the rubble
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, also expressed deep concern on Tuesday at the ongoing “intense” bombing of central Gaza involving more than 50 strikes by the Israeli Defense Forces.
Attacks have killed more than 100 Palestinians since 24 December, OHCHR reported, adding that this was particularly concerning given that Israeli forces had “ordered residents from the south of Wadi Gaza to move to Middle Gaza and Tal al-Sultan in Rafah”.
Three refugee camps were hit, OHCHR spokesperson Seif Magango said in a statement, naming Al Bureij, Al-Nuseirat and Al-Maghazi. “Two strikes hit seven residential buildings in Al-Maghazi camp, killing an estimated 86 Palestinians and injuring many more,” he said. “An unknown number of people are still believed to be trapped under the rubble.”
Tedros ire
In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus condemned the “carnage” caused by Israeli airstrikes in retaliation for Hamas’s 7 October terror attacks on communities in southern Israel, in which some 1,200 people were slaughtered and another 240 taken hostage.
“WHO is extremely concerned about the unbearable strain that escalating hostilities are putting on the few hospitals across Gaza that remain open – with most of the health system decimated and brought to its knees,” the WHO chief said on Monday.
In a social media post, WHO’s Mr. Casey described the situation in Al-Aqsa Hospital as a “bloodbath”. He pointed to a boy of nine, Ahmed, who lay dying on the floor of the facility after sustaining terrible blast injuries as he crossed the street near Nuseirat.
‘It’s a bloodbath’
“We’ve seen children, women, young men, old men and women, people bleeding out,” he said, noting that patients could not easily be referred elsewhere for lifesaving treatment. “There’s blood everywhere in these hospitals at the moment. We’re seeing almost only trauma cases come through the door, and at a scale that’s quite difficult to believe. It’s a bloodbath as we said before, it’s carnage.”
The development follows a joint WHO and UN aid coordination office (OCHA) Christmas Day visit to Al-Aqsa Hospital to assess needs after strikes in Gaza’s central area at the weekend.
Although Al-Aqsa Hospital has medical supplies and fuel to run generators, Mr. Casey confirmed that the facility was taking in far more patients than its bed capacity and staff could handle, meaning that many injured patients would not survive the wait for treatment.
This situation was happening up and down the Gaza Strip, the WHO official continued, speaking from the UN Joint Humanitarian Operations Centre in Rafah in the south, that also doubles as a medical facility.
Fighting all night long
“There’s nowhere actually safe in Gaza,” he continued. “Right now in Rafah outside the door of this building, 50 metres from where I am sitting right now, there’s a camp of thousands of people who have been settled here…They’re in plastic shelters, plastic sheeting shelters right outside the door. And last night, we heard fighting almost all night long with reports coming in during the day today of many, many injuries presenting to the hospitals here in the south.”
Hospital capacity in Gaza is about 20 per cent of what it was before the 7 October escalation but “almost all” hospital services have stopped functioning, the WHO officer explained. “Either because the facilities themselves have been affected, because the staff have been forced to flee, because they’ve run out of power or they’ve run out of medical supplies, or staff have not been able to access them.”
Waiting to die
Providing an update about gravely ill patients in northern Gaza who he said previously were “waiting to die” in a church in the grounds of one hospital, Mr. Casey said that many were still “sleeping on pews” on Monday. The level of destruction “is so incredible, is so significant the roads are full of rubble”, he continued, highlighting the logistical difficulties of reaching the most vulnerable.
“We still need to do more to try to move these patients, but the options are becoming more and more limited as health facilities become less accessible, as health workers themselves are displaced,” he said.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, around 20,000 people are believed to have been killed in the latest escalation to date.
And in a related development, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the number of Palestinian properties demolished and related displacement in the nearby occupied West Bank have reached record levels.
Latest data from OCHA indicates that 1,094 structures have been razed so far this year with 2,127 people uprooted, a record high matched only in 2016, when more than 1,500 people were displaced.
![The singer Marwan performs the "Urgent Lullaby for Palestine" at the presentation at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, Spain, in an event organized by the Spanish committee of UNRWA.](https://global.unitednations.entermediadb.net/assets/mediadb/services/module/asset/downloads/preset/Libraries/Production%20Library/070224_Gaza_UNRWA_Spain_Marwan1.jpg/image1170x530cropped.jpg "The singer Marwan performs the "Urgent Lullaby for Palestine" at the presentation at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, Spain, in an event organized by the Spanish committee of UNRWA.")
