“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 predominantly rural region of Androy has been beset by a series of humanitarian crises which have affected the most vulnerable people there, including mothers-to-be, however the delivery of simple, inexpensive maternity kits is encouraging more women to access a range of services that will help keep them and their babies healthy.
Ahead of the International Day of the Midwife, celebrated annually on 5 May, Jeanne Bernadine Rasoanirina, a midwife in Behara, in Androy, spoke to UN News’s Daniel Dickinson about the challenges of reaching the poorest women.
“This is a very poor rural area, and many women are too ashamed to come to the health centre to have their babies delivered because they don’t even have the money for transport or to buy clean cloth in which to wrap their newborn. They don’t want other people to know they are poor.
UN News/Daniel Dickinson
The mothers-to-be who come here get all the support they need to give birth, and it’s free of charge, thanks to the government as well as UN agencies, including [the UN reproductive health agency] UNFPA.[The UN Children’s Fund] UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) provide important nutrition advice and support, which complements our work and is essential to keeping mothers and their children healthy.
Even though I have done this job for 19 years, it still really saddens me when women arrive who don’t have the means to look after themselves. They may be wearing dirty clothes, which is a sign of poverty, but also a lack of knowledge or respect for cleanliness.
In the last week, I have delivered three babies and over the past month, I attended over 330 antenatal and postnatal consultations, so there is definitely a demand for services.
UN News/Daniel Dickinson
Jeanne Bernadine Rasoanirina sits at her desk with the recently delivered maternity kits.
Maternity kits
I think more women will be encouraged to come to the health centre, as yesterday we had a delivery of 240 maternity kits [supported by UNFPA] for the first time in over a year, which will last about three months.
The kits include everything a mother needs to give birth – gloves, gauze, umbilical cord clip and a syringe for the delivery and then cloth wraps and clothes in which to dress the baby. They will remove the shame that mothers feel.
It is frustrating that we have not had a consistent supply as this small item can make a big difference. It means more women will come to our health centre, which is a safer place to give birth. In 2023, we had only successful births; there were no deaths. We don’t know how many women gave birth at home nor how many children and mothers died as a result. There is definitely a risk of death if a woman doesn’t come here to deliver her baby.
Polygamy
There are still many cultural barriers to safe childbirth in the south of Madagascar. Children are considered a sign of wealth, even if families don’t have the means to look after them properly, so it is common to have many children, sometimes as many as 10.
Polygamy is also practiced, and some men have up to five wives and want to have children with all of them. We provide information here and offer training about these issues, but we must always be sensitive about the local culture.”
Small island developing States are particularly vulnerable to climate change consequences, such as rising sea levels and heavy rains that cause flooding, increasing ocean temperatures that affect coral reefs and fishing and frequent hurricanes destroying homes and livelihoods. These countries often suffer from fragile economic conditions and don’t have the means to help their citizens to cope with these problems.
In the face of such uncertain conditions, many young people are deciding that they want and need urgent changes to ensure that they have a world worth living in. Around the world, they are leading strikes, protests and demonstrations and gaining the skills needed to find solutions.
At a coffee shop in Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, UN News met some of the country’s leading young voices on the environment to find out what Trinidadians think about the climate emergency and how to address it.
Priyanka Lalla, a teenage climate activist and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) youth advocate for the eastern Caribbean, represented Trinidad and Tobago at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow; Joshua Prentice, a climate and ocean scientist, has worked with the United Nations on projects related to chemicals and waste; and Zaafia Alexander is the 18-year-old founder of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) devoted to raising awareness of the climate crisis and elevating the voices of Caribbean youth on the international scene.
UN News/Brianna Rowe
Priyanka Lalla is a Trinidadian teenage climate activist and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) youth advocate for the eastern Caribbean.
UN News: What inspired you to advocate for change?
Priyanka Lalla: I grew up in a beautiful region with lush biodiversity, and I have seen the destruction and damage caused by storms, particularly after Hurricane Maria struck the Leeward Islands in 2017.
I think there’s often a narrative that individual action does not create great impact. But it does, which is why I advocate for individual action and to empower young people and show them that we do have power.
Joshua Prentice: Discussions are happening now that will shape our future, and our voices need to be included in all negotiations. This is why I decided to attend climate conferences and ensure that youth are represented, particularly from my region.
Zaafia Alexander: For me it was an excruciatingly passionate geography teacher. They helped me understand why climate change should be a key topic of conversation in Trinidad and Tobago.
Also, I was angry. It seemed to me that no one was taking any action, that no one my age was talking about the problem and that youth weren’t included in crucial decisions that affect us.
UN News/Brianna Rowe
Joshua Prentice is a Trinidadian climate and ocean scientist.
UN News: You have all told me that not enough young people are getting involved in advocating for climate action. Why do you think that is?
Joshua Prentice: I think that this is a by-product of it not being pushed more in the school system growing up. It trickles down from parents as well. They need to teach their children good recycling practices and why we should we take care of the environment. However, thanks to the internet and social media, young people are starting to be more engaged.
Zaafia Alexander: This is why education and advocacy are so important. So many Trinidadians are not aware of the severity of the crisis or how it directly affects Trinidad and Tobago and other small island developing States. It’s not a part of the syllabus.
Joshua Prentice: And many young farmers don’t understand how climate change is affecting their crops and their land because of things like drought and flooding.
Zaafia Alexander: It’s ironic that we are heavily affected, but so many of us don’t understand why we’re seeing fluctuating weather patterns, sea level rises and increased temperatures or that mankind is primarily to blame.
Priyanka Lalla: Yes, it’s the same marginalised coastal communities that are hit by flash flooding every year. Their homes are washed out, they lose their belongings, young children are forced out of education because their schools are destroyed and they don’t have the resources to build back. Sometimes they are forced to give up on education and are forced into child marriage or child labour.
UN News/Brianna Rowe
Zaafia Alexander is Trinidadian teenage climate activist, and founder of an environmental NGO.
UN News: Some activists advocate for changes in legislation to address the climate crisis. Is this something you’re interested in pursuing?
Joshua Prentice: As someone who practices environmental law, I can say that it’s very hard to update legislation. There needs to be immense public outcry for a law to change. However, in recent years we have made some progress because of public pressure.
But, reaching out directly to the ministries directly overseeing this area can help. Youth activists should contact them and ask for their concerns to be taken up in cabinet. There are also NGOs in Trinidad that talk directly to ministers. By getting involved with them, you have a better chance of being heard.
Priyanka Lalla: We need the support of our ministries, our policymakers, our governments. We also need the support of our young people, educators, homemakers. It needs to be a collective effort.
I think that accountability comes from the voice of the young people. We continue to keep our governments, our policymakers, NGOs and various organisations accountable. But, I think we also need to acknowledge the good that has been done already and acknowledge it to make people feel empowered and inspired to continue.
UN News: Trinidad has benefited from oil reserves over many years. Should the country stop exploiting this fossil fuel resource?
Joshua Prentice: As an advocate for sustainable development and clean energy, I think that we should stop it. However, I exist in the real world as well. There are a lot of things that need to be done in the country, and we cannot afford to just leave oil and gas, which is by far its biggest revenue generator, overnight.
There have been steps taken to diversify the country and move away from our dependency on oil and gas, and I do believe that we want to go further in this direction.
Priyanka Lalla: Within the next few decades, we need to make that transition, even though it is taking longer than we’d like, for the sake of our people and the sake of our biodiversity.
The call comes amid reports of an imminent offensive by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militia against the city, which could threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons currently sheltering there.
At least 43 people, among them women and children, have been killed in fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF – backed by their respective militia – since 14 April, when the RSF began its push into El Fasher, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR).
The office added that civilians trapped in the city – the only one in Darfur still in the hands of the SAF – are afraid of being killed should they attempt to flee. The dire situation is compounded by a severe shortage of essential supplies as deliveries of commercial goods and humanitarian aid have been heavily constrained by the fighting and access challenges through RSF-controlled territory.
Plunged into turmoil
Sudan has been plunged into turmoil since fighting erupted between SAF and paramilitary RSF, last April.
More than 14,000 people have been killed and thousands more wounded, amid reports of abhorrent sexual and gender-based violence.
The war has also displaced over six million civilians within Sudan and a further 1.8 million across its borders, against a backdrop of a massive crisis that has left 25 million people in need of humanitarian aid and protection.
End military build-up
In a statement, Security Council members called on SAF and RSF to end the build-up of military forces and to take steps to de-escalate the situation and comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.
Council members also repeated their call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, leading to a sustainable ceasefire.
They urged all Member States to refrain from external interference that seeks to foment conflict and instability and instead to support efforts for a durable peace.
They also reminded all parties to the conflict and Member States to adhere to their obligations to comply with the arms embargo measures as stipulated in resolutions 1556 (2004) and 2676 (2023).
He and others spoke to Eline Joseph, who works for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Port-au-Prince with a team which provides psychosocial support to people who have fled their homes because of the violence and insecurity.
She spoke to UN News about her working life and supporting her family.
“I have to say it has become more difficult to do my job as I am unable to move about freely and provide care to displaced people, especially those who are located in red zones, which are too dangerous to visit.
Daily life continues on the streets of Port au Prince, despite the insecurity.
The insecurity in Haiti is unprecedented – extreme violence, attacks by armed gangs, kidnappings. Nobody is safe. Everyone is at risk of becoming a victim. The situation can change from minute to minute, so we have to remain vigilant at all times.
Loss of identity
Recently, I met a community of farmers who were forced, due to gang activity, to leave their very fertile land on the hills outside Petionville [a neighbourhood in the southeast of Port-au-Prince] where they grew vegetables.
One of the leaders told me how they have lost their way of life, how they could no longer breath the fresh mountain air and live off the fruits of their labour. They are now living in a site for displaced people with people they do not know, with little access to water and proper sanitation and the same food every day.
He told me that he is not the person that he once was, that he has lost his identity, which he said was all he possessed in the world. He said he no longer amounts to anything.
I have heard some desperate stories from men who have been forced to witness the rape of their wives and daughters, some of whom were infected with HIV. These men could do nothing to protect their families, and many feel responsible for what happened. One man said that he felt worthless and was having suicidal thoughts.
Workers from a local UN NGO partner, UCCEDH, assess the needs of displaced people in downtown Port-au-Prince.
I have listened to children who wait for their fathers to come home, dreading that they may have been shot dead.
Psychological support
Working on the IOM team, we provide the psychological first-aid for people in distress, including one-to-one and group sessions. We also make sure they are in a safe place.
We offer relaxation sessions and recreational activities to help people unwind. Our approach is people-centred. We take into account their experience and introduce elements of Haitian culture, including proverbs and dances.
I have also organized counselling for older people. One woman came up to me after a session to thank me, saying that this was the first time she had been given the opportunity to put into words the pain and suffering she was experiencing.
Family life
I also have to think of my own family. I am forced to raise my children within the four walls of my home. I can’t even take them out for a walk, just to breathe fresh air.
When I have to leave the house for shopping or work, my five-year-old daughter looks me in the eyes and makes me promise that I will return home safe and sound. This makes me very sad.
My 10-year-old son told me one day, that if the president, who was murdered in his home, is not safe, then no-one is. And when he says that and tells me that he has heard that the bodies of murdered people are being left on the streets, I don’t really have an answer for him.
At home, we try and have a normal life. My children practice their musical instruments. Sometimes we will have a picnic on the veranda or have a movie or karaoke night.
With all my heart, I dream that Haiti will once again be a safe and stable country. I dream that displaced people can return to their homes. I dream that farmers can return to their fields.”
Rokaya needed time to recover after illness forced her to quit as a live-in maid in Malaysia and return home to Indramayu, West Java. However, under pressure from her agent who claimed two million Rupiah for her initial placement, she accepted an offer of work in Erbil, Iraq.
There, Ms. Rokaya found herself responsible for taking care of a family’s sprawling compound—working from 6 a.m. until after midnight, seven days per week.
As exhaustion worsened the headaches and vision problems that had originally forced her to leave Malaysia, Ms. Rokaya’s host family refused to take her to a doctor and confiscated her mobile phone. “I was not given any day off. I barely had time for a break,” she said. “It felt like a prison.”
Physical and sexual abuse
The hardships Ms. Rokaya endured will be familiar to the 544 Indonesian migrant workers the UN migration agency (IOM) assisted between 2019 and 2022, in association with the Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Union (SBMI). Many of them experienced physical, psychological and sexual abuse overseas. That caseload comes despite a moratorium Jakarta imposed on work in 21 countries in the Middle East and North Africa in 2015, following Saudi Arabia’s execution of two Indonesian maids.
To mitigate the humanitarian impact of trafficking in person, IOM works with Indonesia’s Government to shore up the regulatory environment on labour migration; trains law enforcement to better respond to trafficking cases; and works with partners like SBMI to protect migrant workers from exploitation – and, if necessary, repatriate them.
Rokaya stands in front of her house in Indramayu, West Java.
“Cases like Ms. Rokaya’s underscore the need for victim-centric approaches and for strengthening the protection system to prevent migrant workers from falling prey to trafficking in persons,” says Jeffrey Labovitz, IOM’s Chief of Mission for Indonesia.
After a clandestinely recorded video of Ms. Rokaya went viral and reached SBMI, the government intervened to get her released. However, she says her agency illegally extracted the cost of her return airfare from her wages and—with a hand around her throat—forced her to sign a document absolving them of responsibility. She now knows better: “We need to really be careful about the information that is given to us, because when we miss key details, we pay the price.”
Ms. Rokaya is relieved to be back home, she adds, but has no recourse to claim the money extorted from her.
It is an all-too-common situation, says SBMI’s chairman Hariyono Surwano, because victims are often reluctant to share details of their experience overseas: “They fear being seen as a failure because they went overseas to improve their financial situation but returned with money problems.”
It is not only victims’ shame that affects the slow progress of trafficking case prosecutions. Legal ambiguity and the difficulties authorities face prosecuting cases also pose obstacles, compounded by the police sometimes blaming victims for their situation. SBMI data shows around 3,335 Indonesian victims of trafficking in the Middle East between 2015 and the middle of 2023. While most have returned to Indonesia, only two per cent have been able to access justice.
Around 3.3 million Indonesians were employed abroad in 2021, according to Bank Indonesia, on top of more than five million undocumented migrant workers the Indonesian agency for the protection of migrant workers (BP2MI) estimates are overseas. More than three quarters of Indonesian migrant labourers work low-skill jobs that can pay up to six times more than the rate at home, with some 70 per cent of returnees reporting that employment abroad was a positive experience that improved their welfare, according to the World Bank.
“I’m willing to keep going, even if it takes forever,” says fisherman Mr. Saenudin, a trafficking survivor.
Unpaid 20-hour days
For those who become victims of trafficking, the experience is rarely positive. At SBMI’s Jakarta headquarters, fisherman Saenudin, from Java’s Thousand Islands, explained how in 2011 he signed a contract to work on a foreign fishing vessel, hoping to give his family a better life. Once at sea, he was forced to work 20-hour days hauling in nets and dividing catch and was only paid for the first three of his 24 months of gruelling labour.
In December 2013, South African authorities detained the vessel off Cape Town, where it had been fishing illegally, and held Mr. Saenudin for three months before IOM and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs helped him and 73 other Indonesian seafarers to repatriate.
In the nine years since, Mr. Saenudin has been fighting to recover 21 months of missing pay, a legal battle that forced him to sell everything he owns except his house. “The struggle tore me from my family,” he says.
An IOM survey of more than 200 prospective Indonesian fishers provided actionable insights to the government for enhancing recruitment processes, associated fees, pre-departure training, and migration management. In 2022, IOM trained 89 judges, legal practitioners, and paralegals on adjudicating trafficking in persons cases, including the application of child victim and gender-sensitive approaches, as well as 162 members of anti-trafficking task forces in East Nusa Tenggara and North Kalimantan provinces.
For Mr. Saenudin, improvements in case handling can’t come soon enough. Still, the resolve of the fisherman shows no cracks. “I’m willing to keep going, even if it takes forever,” he said.
In a tradition that started when he served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to shine a light on Muslim communities in distress, Mr. Guterres arrived in Cairo on Saturday, where he reiterated his urgent calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and the cessation of violence, notably in Gaza and Sudan. His visit underscores the UN’s commitment to addressing pressing humanitarian concerns in conflict zones.
During his time in Egypt, the Secretary-General will journey to northern Sinai, a region deeply impacted by conflict. There, he met with Palestinians in El Arish, demonstrating solidarity with those affected by the violence, and with UN humanitarian workers in Rafah on the Egyptian side to discuss strategies to alleviate the suffering of those caught in the midst of conflict.
UN Photo/Mark Garten
UN Secretary-General António Guterres (left) meets a Palestinian patient at a hospital in El Arish in Egypt.
Meetings with Palestinian families
Early Saturday, the UN chief met with Palestinian civilians and their families at the General Hospital in El Arish, Egypt, saying he “was extremely moved by their stories, experiences and hardships they have endured”.
At the nearby Rafah border crossing with Gaza, he told journalists that Ramadan is a time for spreading the values of compassion, community and peace. His visit comes a day after China and Russia vetoed a US-proposed draft resolution that would have had the Security Council deem it imperative to impose a ceasefire and get sorely needed aid into the enclave.
“It is monstrous that after so much suffering over so many months, Palestinians in Gaza are marking Ramadan with Israeli bombs still falling, bullets still flying artillery still pounding and humanitarian assistance still facing obstacle upon obstacle,” he said.
“Fasting with you on Ramadan, I am deeply troubled to know so many people in Gaza will not be able to have a proper iftar.”
Palestinians in Gaza – children, women, men – remain stuck in a non-stop nightmare, he said, with communities obliterated, homes demolished, entire families and generations wiped out and hunger and starvation stalking the population.
Aid delays are a ‘moral outrage’
“Here from this crossing, we see the heartbreak and heartlessness of it all,” he said, pointing to a long line of blocked relief trucks on one side of the gates and the “long shadow of starvation on the other”.
“That is more than tragic; moral outrage,” he said, adding that “any further onslaught will make everything worse” for Palestinian civilians, hostages and all people of the region.
Calls for hostage release and ceasefire now
All this demonstrates that it’s more than time for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for “an ironclad commitment by Israel for total, unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza”, he said, emphasizing that in the Ramadan spirit of compassion, it’s time for the immediate release of all hostages.
He also urged all UN Member States to support the “lifesaving work led by the backbone of all Gaza relief operations, UNRWA”, the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees.
Pledging to continue working with Egypt to streamline the flow of aid, he had a message for Palestinians in Gaza: “you are not alone.”
UN staff deliver humanitarian supplies in the north of the Gaza Strip.
‘It’s time to truly flood Gaza with aid’
“People around the world are outraged by the horrors we are all witnessing in real time,” he said. “I carry the voices of the vast majority of the world who have seen enough, who have had enough and who still believe that human dignity and decency must define us as a global community.”
That is “our only hope”, he said.
“It’s time to truly flood Gaza with lifesaving aid; the choice is clear: either surge or starvation,” he said. “Let’s choose the side of help – the side of hope – and the right side of history.”
“I will not give up,” he stated, “and all of us must not give up in doing all we can for our common humanity to prevail.”
Children in Gaza hold lanterns to celebrate the advent of Ramadan.
Annual Ramadan solidarity trip
In a symbolic gesture of solidarity, Mr. Guterres will partake in a Ramadan iftar with refugees from Sudan, who have fled their homeland due to ongoing hostilities there.
He is expected to emphasize the importance of peace and stability, particularly during the sacred month of Ramadan, urging all parties to observe a cessation of hostilities.
Moreover, the Secretary-General will engage in discussions with Egyptian officials, furthering diplomatic efforts to address regional challenges and foster cooperation in conflict resolution.
Visits to UNRWA in Jordan
Following his engagements in Egypt, Mr. Guterres will proceed to Amman, Jordan, continuing his Ramadan solidarity trip. In Jordan, he will visit facilities of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which provides essential services to the population, highlighting the UN’s commitment to supporting vulnerable communities amid crises.
During his time in Amman, the Secretary-General will share in a Ramadan iftar with Palestine refugees and UN staff, underscoring the importance of compassion and unity during times of adversity.
He is also scheduled to hold meetings with Jordanian officials, reinforcing collaborative efforts to address regional challenges and promote peace and stability.
As the world grapples with ongoing conflicts and humanitarian emergencies, Secretary-General Guterres’ Ramadan solidarity trip serves as a reminder of the UN’s unwavering commitment to upholding humanitarian principles and fostering peace in the most challenging of circumstances.
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.”
“The child deaths we feared are here,” Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement issued on Sunday.
At least 10 children have died from dehydration and malnutrition at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north in recent days, according to reports.
Helplessness and despair
Ms. Khodr warned that “there are likely more children fighting for their lives” in one of the few remaining hospitals in the enclave, and perhaps even more in the north who cannot access care at all.
She said parents and doctors must feel an unbearable sense of helplessness and despair when they realize that lifesaving aid is being kept out of reach, even though it is just a few kilometres away.
“But worse still are the anguished cries of those babies slowly perishing under the world’s gaze,” she said.
“The lives of thousands more babies and children depend on urgent action being taken now.”
Concern for northern Gaza
UNICEF fears more children will die unless the war ends and barriers to humanitarian relief are immediately resolved.
Ms. Khodr said the widespread lack of nutritious food, safe water and medical services, is a direct consequence of the impediments to access and multiple dangers facing UN humanitarian operations.
The situation is impacting children and mothers, hindering their ability to breastfeed their babies. This is especially the case in northern Gaza, where people are hungry, exhausted, and traumatized, with many clinging to life.
Aid restrictions ‘costing lives’
“The disparity in conditions in the north and south is clear evidence that aid restrictions in the north are costing lives,” she said.
UNICEF and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) conducted malnutrition screenings in the north in January. Teams found that nearly 16 per cent of children aged two and under, one in six, are acutely malnourished.
Similar screenings conducted in the south in Rafah, where aid has been more available, showed that five per cent of children in this age group are acutely malnourished.
Avert famine, save lives
“Humanitarian aid agencies like UNICEF must be enabled to reverse the humanitarian crisis, prevent a famine, and save children’s lives,” Ms. Khodr said.
“For this we need reliable multiple entry points that would allow us to bring aid in from all possible crossings, including to northern Gaza; and security assurances and unimpeded passage to distribute aid, at scale, across Gaza, with no denials, delays and access impediments.”
She recalled that UNICEF has been sounding the alarm since October that the death toll in Gaza would increase exponentially if a humanitarian crisis emerged and was left to fester.
The situation has only worsened, and last week the agency warned that an explosion in child deaths was imminent if the burgeoning nutrition crisis was not resolved.
“Now, the child deaths we feared are here and are likely to rapidly increase unless the war ends and obstacles to humanitarian relief are immediately resolved,” she said.
Set up as a sort of ‘world parliament on the environment’, UNEA aims to define priorities for environmental policies and develop international legislation on the matter.
Why is UNEA important?
The 2024 Environment Assembly, or UNEA-6, is expected to host a record 6,000 delegates, including seven Heads of State and 139 Ministers and Vice-Ministers, as well as experts, activists, and industry representatives.
UNEA was created in 2012, as an outcome of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held in Brazil. Since its establishment, the Assembly has ushered in a new era of multilateralism with environmental issues given the same level of importance as such global concerns as peace and security, and health.
Due to the discussions at the Environment Assembly’s 2022 session, negotiations have begun on the first legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
What’s at stake for UNEA-6?
The central theme of UNEA-6 will be multilateral environmental agreements and how they can help overcome the triple planetary crisis of climate chaos, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Despite the socio-economic uncertainties that arose in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the current growing geopolitical tensions, the last two years have been marked by very important victories for environmental cooperation.
For instance, in 2022, the UN General Assembly recognized the universal human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, opening space for constitutional and legal changes at the country levels in favor of the environment and humanity.
That same year, the historic Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was approved, with measures to protect 1 million species of animals and plants that are on the verge of extinction.
In June 2023, the 193 UN Member countries signed the so-called High Seas Treaty, to conserve marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdictions.
UNEA-6 has set aside a day during its session that will be dedicated to discussion of these and other successes, and consideration of how governments can take broad and unified actions, including adequate financing, to implement the multilateral agreements they have signed.
At the same time, UNEA-6 will not just focus on new commitments, but on fulfilling all those that already exist.
UNEP
What are the priority topics?
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), has highlighted the six priority areas for UNEA-6: Water scarcity; responsible mining; mineral management, especially phosphorus; climate-altering technologies; financing environmental actions; and implementation of the Kunming-Montreal framework.
According to Ms. Andersen, “All we need to do is get together and deliver on these global solutions that we have promised to each other so that we can secure the future for all of humanity, living on a healthy and thriving planet.”
Negotiations ahead of and during the event are focused on the proposed resolutions presented by Member States and the ministerial declaration that will be adopted at the conclusion of the Assembly. The resolutions aim to identify and prioritize common challenges and possible solutions. They also define priority areas of work for UNEP.
At UNEA-6, 20 resolutions and 2 decisions will be debated, covering topics such as solar radiation modification, mining, desertification, circularity of the sugar cane agroindustry, highly dangerous pesticides, increasing the resilience of ecosystems and communities to drought, regional cooperation for air quality, among others.
In the Environment Assembly, resolutions are expected to be approved by consensus. In practice, this means that every member present has the right to veto a decision. Therefore, the week leading up to the conference is essential for delegations to review draft texts and avoid or overcome impasses. Negotiations often extend into the week of the conference, with closed-door sessions that can go on late into the night.
As the world’s highest decision-making body on the environment, UNEA aims to help restore harmony between humanity and nature, improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable people.
UNEP will purchase certified carbon credits to offset travel emissions from funded participants as part of its annual environmental inventory process to offset greenhouse gas emissions, as well as several other measures to reduce the environmental impact of the conference.
“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.
Teams of volunteer medical staff, engineers and other emergency experts across the country are addressing civilian needs amid the current bout of violence and insecurity stemming from clashes with rival military forces in April 2023.
So far, ERRs have reached more than four million civilians, bucking bureaucracy and finding innovative solutions.
UN News met with three young volunteers who visited UN Headquarters in New York to attend meetings with officials and actors in the humanitarian field.
The goal is simple: reach those facing the risk of death, famine, disease and difficulty obtaining drinking water, electricity and communication services.
Needs are great
Needs are great, they said. The ongoing conflict has led to the departure of humanitarian agencies, collapse of state institutions and interruption of basic services in large parts of the country amid soaring civilian casualties and large-scale displacement.
More than 7.4 million people have been forced to leave their homes in search of safety within and outside Sudan.
Operating in states across the country, ERRs function like a “local emergency government”.
‘Filling a vacuum’
After the outbreak of war, Hanin Ahmed, a young Sudanese activist with a master’s degree in gender and specializing in peace and conflict, founded an emergency room in the Omdurman area with one of her colleagues.
She and her colleagues visited UN Headquarters to, among other things, shed light on the Sudan issue, which she said does not receive enough attention despite the catastrophic deterioration of the situation on the ground.
“We are united by humanitarian work and the sense of responding to the repercussions of war and helping people,” she told UN News.
The emergency rooms contribute to filling part of the vacuum left behind when international humanitarian organizations left, Ms. Ahmed explained.
Each initiative enjoys intense community participation by young people of all political orientations, she said, highlighting some of their success stories, from assisting victims of sexual violence to providing pathways to safety.
“Through our youth networks and our personal relationships, we were able to open safe corridors to evacuate citizens from neighbourhoods under attack and take them to shelter centres,” Ms. Ahmed said.
“We are proud of that.”
“But, we face theft and are exposed,” she said. “Young people are targeted, arrested and killed while they work in very difficult conditions.”
A simple, practical structure ‘away from bureaucracy’
The efforts expanded after the war broke out in April.
“We tried to find a simple and practical structure to carry out tasks, away from bureaucracy,” he said. “So far, we have been able to provide food, electricity, water and protection services to nearly four million people in Darfur and Khartoum.”
Where there is a need, ERRs take action. Unstable electricity services are addressed by volunteers carrying out maintenance operations.
Amid spreading violence, emergency rooms have so far been able to evacuate about 12,000 people, including more than 800 from the Al-Fitaihab area in Omdurman in December, Mr. Al-Ebaid said.
Children and women queue to collect clean and safe water in Zalingei town in central Darfur.
‘An emergency local government’
Darfur emergency rooms coordinator AbuZar Othman said these initiatives amount to “a local emergency government” that seeks to provide continuous humanitarian services managed by Sudanese men and women “in order to build solidarity that preserves our social fabric and dignity and covers our needs”.
Pointing to the enormous suffering that people in Darfur have been experiencing due to the armed conflicts since 2003 through the current war, he said violations against civilians “have risen to being described as crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing, leaving behind an extremely complex humanitarian, economic and social reality”.
At a time when the war is expanding alongside intertwined challenges, he said establishing emergency rooms in four states is a decisive step towards providing the necessary support and rapid response to citizens’ needs.
From the spread of weapons to ethnic tensions, Mr. Othman said the challenges are broad, including addressing the ongoing agricultural and grazing sector crises, interruptions of communications networks and a lack of health services.
Finding innovative solutions
At UN Headquarters, the three volunteers called on the international community to recognize emergency rooms as an actor in the humanitarian field and provide support to them.
“We are trying to adapt to all the challenges that exist and find innovative solutions to them, but we still need development, and we need a strong system that is compatible with all these challenges,” Ms. Ahmed said.
“We in emergency rooms cannot cover all the needs in conflict areas, therefore, we ask the international community and international organizations to shed light on the Sudanese issue and to put pressure to silence the sound of guns, protect civilians and provide more support to help those affected by the war.”
Fast facts
What are emergency response rooms (ERRs)?
Informal community-led initiatives in Sudan
Driven by local actors, including growing numbers of youth
Mobilized during the COVID-19 pandemic
Expanded following the outbreak of war in 2023
Rapid responders to urgent needs
Providers of essential humanitarian services to affected populations
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.
In a statement on Sunday, the UN chief said that the Organization is promptly responding to the extremely serious allegations that several UNRWA personnel were involved in the 7 October terror attacks in southern Israel.
An investigation by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the highest investigative body in the UN system, was immediately activated.
“Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution,” Mr. Guterres said.
“The Secretariat is ready to cooperate with a competent authority able to prosecute the individuals in line with the Secretariat’s normal procedures for such cooperation,” he added.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini had previously announced on 17 January a full, independent review of the agency.
Out of the 12 individuals implicated, nine were immediately identified and terminated by the UNRWA head. One is confirmed dead, and the identities of the remaining two are being clarified.
Vital humanitarian efforts at risk
Over two million civilians in the Gaza Strip depend on lifesaving aid provided by UNRWA. The Agency operates shelters for over one million people and has been providing food and healthcare since the start of the conflict.
However, its current funding is insufficient to meet all requirements to support them in February.
Acknowledging the concerns of the countries that halted funds and expressing his own horror at the accusations, Mr. Guterres strongly appealed to the governments that suspended contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations.
“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences. But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized,” he said.
“The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met.”
“We honour their memory. We stand with the survivors, their families and descendants. We pledge never to forget – nor let others forget the truth of what happened,” he said.
The International Day of Commemoration is marked annually on 27 January, the date on which the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration and extermination camp was liberated in 1945.
This year’s observance, on the theme ‘Recognizing the Extraordinary Courage of Victims and Survivors of the Holocaust’ pays tribute to the bravery of all those who stood up to the Nazis, despite the grave risks.
‘We must remember’
Mr. Guterres underscored the ongoing relevance of the commemorative day in today’s world, where antisemitic hate is spreading rapidly, particularly online.
“But today of all days, we must remember,” he said, “that demonization of the other and disdain for diversity is a danger to everyone … and that bigotry against one group is bigotry against all.”
‘We must resolve’
Quoting the former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Jonathan Sacks, the UN chief reminded the international community that “the hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews.”
“So today – especially in the wake of the abhorrent 7 October terror attacks by Hamas — we must resolve to stand up against the forces of hate and division,” he said, calling for strongly condemning all forms of racism, hatred and prejudice.
Mr. Guterres emphasized the imperative to speak out against discrimination and intolerance, insisting on the defense of human rights and the dignity of every individual.
“Let us never lose sight of each other’s humanity, and never let down our guard,” he urged.
“To all who confront prejudice and persecution, let us clearly say: you are not alone. The United Nations stands with you.”
‘Our essential duty’
Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) called for strengthening our commitment to sharing the memory of the victims of the Holocaust “to pass the torch on to future generations.”
“To honour the victims, but also to train future generations to identify and combat hate speech, this International Day reminds us of our essential duty to remember,” she said.
“May we remain vigilant,” she added, recalling the warning given by Hungarian writer and camp survivor Imre Kertész, that “Auschwitz was not an accident of history, there are many signs that its repetition is possible.”
UN Photo/Manuel Elías
Sisters Selma Tennenbaum Rossen and Edith Tennenbaum, survivors from Poland, address the UN Holocaust Memorial Ceremony, held in observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims.
At the ceremony in New York on Friday, Holocaust survivors Christian Pfeil and sisters Edith Tennenbaum Shapiro and Selma Tennenbaum Rossen shared their stories, alongside a prayer by Cantor Daniel Singer, and performances by violinist Doori Na, singers Petra and Patrik Gelbart.
Displayed for all visitors to see, the tiny charcoal coloured block of Moon rock spent three decades in storage and made its re-appearance after a rigorous security process.
To Anne Soiberg-Friedkin, who works in facilities management at UN Headquarters, having a piece of the Moon reflects the immense feats of humanity.
“It’s so significant, it should be on display,” she told UN News. “It’s one of the newest gifts on display, even though it was given to us many many moons ago.”
A symbol of mankind’s potential
The first successful Moon mission, led by the US space agency, NASA, returned with about one tonne of lunar rocks, which were shared across the world with nations and scientific institutions. A priceless insight into planetary science, experts have dated samples to about four billion years ago.
The UN’s foray into outer space matters began in the 1950s. By 1992, it had established the Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), mandated to ensure its peaceful use for the benefit of all.
Amid the ongoing cold war, the UN welcomed United States astronauts freshly returned from their Moon walk with a ceremony in August 1969.
“I’m sure the flight of Apollo 11 brought to us a renewed realization of what we, as members of the human race, can accomplish on this planet with our resources and technology if we are prepared to combine our efforts and work together for the benefit of all mankind,” said then UN Secretary-General U Thant.
Astronaut Neil Armstrong echoed that message while addressing the crowd gathered at UN Headquarters.
“I can tell that you share with us the hope that we citizens of Earth, who can solve the problems of leaving Earth, can also solve the problems of staying on it,” Mr. Armstrong said.
The Moon is not for sale
However, the Moon rock “gifts” are really just a loan, as it is illegal to own a piece of the celestial body, Ms. Soiberg-Friedkin explained.
The rules were set out in the General Assembly-adopted Outer Space Treaty, which entered into force in 1967. The instrument declared that no one can own outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies. That is why security for a piece of it is so important.
NASA’s guidelines were at the forefront, when it came to getting the Moon rock back on display. It took four years of planning ahead of its reappearance on UN Day on 24 October 2023, Ms. Soiberg-Friedkin said.
To prevent theft or damage to the invaluable rocks, stringent rules offered three choices: provide 24-hour security officer tours; a security officer alongside a locked and secure display unit; or installing a camera, the selected option.
The PVBLIC Foundation sponsored a camera for round-the-clock monitoring, Ms. Soiberg-Friedkin designed a bespoke case the UN Carpentry Shop built and an appropriate location was determined: the starting point of official UN tours.
UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata
The Moon rock was first displayed at UN Headquarters in 1970.
The gifts that keep on giving
Aside from the Moon rock, 193 Member States, individuals and institutions have kept up an official and unofficial gift giving tradition since the UN was founded in 1945. Its collection features such scientific terrestrial innovations as replicas of the first Russian Sputnik, which traversed the Earth’s orbit in 1957, and of a barjil, an ancient air conditioner that has been used to cool indoor temperatures in the Middle East and Asia for 3,000 years.
More recent gifts also dot the campus, including a set of modern chairs in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber, donated by Sweden. The North Delegates Lounge showcases China’s massive Great Wall tapestry that took 26 technicians one full year to weave. Switzerland fitted out the iconic GA-0200 anteroom behind the General Assembly Hall podium for hosting Heads of State awaiting their time to address the world body, and Qatar plushily furnished the East Lounge.
Throughout UN Headquarters in New York, more than 240 official gifts are on display alongside many more donated to the Organization. Ask a UN tour guide to tell you more or check out the UN’s gift registry here.
UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata
US astronauts and representatives present UN Secretary-General U Thant with a piece of lunar rock and the UN flag that accompanied astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, Jr. and Michael Collins on their journey to the Moon in 1969. (file)
Selvan is heading out on his motorcycle to buy groceries from a nearby shop in the city of Jaffna in Sri Lanka, but the direct sunlight disturbs him, making it hard to concentrate, blurring his vision as his panic grows: he is back on a sinking ship packed with more than 300 other people, pounded by relentless waves, struggling to control his body.
Steering his motorcycle through traffic, Selvan, 47, struggles for breath, hits the brake and snaps back to reality. The momentary relapse of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not a new experience for him.
In November 2022, he was one of 303 Sri Lankan migrants, including dozens of women and children, stranded on a sinking vessel in the waters between the Philippines and Viet Nam for 28 days before being rescued. Many others report having similar experiences.
Thanks to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its partners, Selvan and many others chose a safe, voluntary passage back to Sri Lanka, where they are currently benefiting from the UN agency’s ongoing efforts to address the root causes of why they risked their lives on that perilous lifechanging journey.
Achieve and sustain income growth of the poorest 40 per cent of the global population
Empower and promote social, economic and political inclusion
Ensure equal opportunities by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices
Improve regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions
Facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the largest increase in inequalities between countries in three decades.
Financial crisis sparks dangerous rumours
“The economic crisis took a toll on all of our lives,” said Selvan, a former well-respected warden at a well-known national college who spent his spare time rearing animals on a farm. “Even livestock farming became difficult when there was a ban on all imports, including fertilizers. My earnings as a public sector worker were not enough to survive.”
Amid the crippling crisis, rumours flew around town of a large ship waiting offshore en route to Canada, he said.
“I am a father of four and, as the sole breadwinner of the family, the responsibility for their wellbeing rests squarely on my shoulders,” he said. “Call it desperation, but I saw this as the sole lifeline to escape these financial hardships and get a job. I needed to find a way for my kids to continue their education.”
Selvan chased the swirling townwide whispers. Tracking down an agent facilitating the journey, who demanded a hefty sum of $4,000, he staked everything on this endeavour, selling his house and his wife’s jewellery and leaving his permanent job, all in hope of a brighter future for his children.
Many businesses, especially microenterprises like Ankita’s shop, were severely impacted by the financial crisis in Sri Lanka.
False promises
The rumour spread. In another town about 50 km away, Ankita and her husband sold her small tailoring shop after languishing for months without customers. Using her house as collateral, she paid an agent $7,000 for them to stake a claim onboard a ship towards a better future.
“We had no choice but to believe them” – Ankita recalls dealing with smugglers
“We had no choice but to believe them,” she said, describing how the agent had arranged for travel to Myanmar, took away their passports to “process visas” and told them to wait in a small hotel room for months.
“The visa never came and neither did our passports,” she said.
Finally, the day of departure arrived. Instead of the promised “large ship”, a fragile boat awaited them which set sail overcrowded with passengers including 22 women and 14 children.
‘Everyone feared for their lives’
On the second day of the journey, seawater started seeping into the boat, so the crew members fled in an emergency raft, promising to return with a new vessel; they never did.
“When the boat crew didn’t return for days, we found ourselves stranded in the middle of nowhere,” Ankita said. “We were surviving on small packages of rations that we had brought for the journey.”
Hunger gnawed at them throughout the days at sea, but the main problem was thirst. So, they collected rainwater in rusty buckets to drink, she said.
“Everyone feared for their lives and regretted setting foot on board,” Ankita said, adding that 28 days would pass before a Japanese vessel responded to their distress signals.
Reduce all forms of violence and related death rates
End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and violence against children
Promote rule of law at national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice
Reduce illicit financial and arms flows, and combat organized crime
Reduce corruption and bribery
Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions
Strengthen relevant institutions to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime
More than 108.4 million people had been forcibly displaced by the end of 2022, over 2.5 times the number reported a decade ago.
Multinational rescue mission
The rescue mission was a joint effort, including Sri Lanka’s Navy and the regional Singapore-based Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres.
Upon the migrants’ safe arrival in Vung Tao, Viet Nam, IOM deployed a protection team. Partnering with the Government and the Sri Lankan Embassy in Hanoi to provide such immediate assistance as food, medical aid and emergency shelter, the UN migration agency worked with authorities to help with the migrants’ voluntary return, said Sarat Dash, mission chief of IOM Sri Lanka and Maldives.
“We coordinated closely with Sri Lankan and Vietnamese authorities for the issuance of temporary travel documents, as the smugglers had confiscated the migrants’ passports,” he said.
The voluntary return occurred in two batches, with IOM facilitating medical check-ups and travel arrangements from Viet Nam back to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and onwards to Jaffna.
“When IOM informed us of an opportunity to go back home, I accepted it in a heartbeat,” Selvan said. “But, as the day drew near, I experienced a mix of emotions knowing the country’s precarious financial situation and the fact that I had pawned all my life-long savings and house. It was my family’s encouragement that reaffirmed my conviction to go back and start afresh.”
A proud farm owner, Selvan struggled to sustain his livestock during the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
Rebuilding their lives
Selvan’s struggle8s were far from over. Most of the returning migrants found themselves jobless and saddled with debt.
“It wasn’t the scornful mocking from community members that bothered me; rather, it was not being able to get my job back, to which I had dedicated over 20 years,” he said, adding that he now works full-time on his farm, paying monthly instalments to clear his debts. “However, without a decent job and stable income, it leaves us with mere pennies to make ends meet.”
The UN migration agency in Sri Lanka currently provides reintegration support and works with States and local authorities to provide basic psychosocial counselling, skills training opportunities and facilitate referral support, ensuring longer-term solutions for rescued migrants.
IOM supported the voluntary return and reintegration of the Sri Lankan people rescued following 28 days adrift at sea.
Turning tides towards safe migration
“The economic situation in the country remains fragile and volatile,” Mr. Dash said. “As these rumours gain traction, there is an urgent need for international cooperation to expand pathways for safe, orderly and regular migration, providing practical alternatives that could more effectively dissuade potential migrants from embarking on such perilous journeys.”
While those who have returned insist they would never make the journey again, rumours of a new ship to Canada waiting offshore persist, with brokers lurking in the shadows and preying on people’s socioeconomic vulnerabilities.
Selvan has words of warning.
“Conduct thorough research, and always go through professional consulates,” he said. “My message to all aspiring migrants is never opt for irregular channels in your migration journey, and never blindly trust the rumours you hear.”
Learn more about IOM and its ongoing efforts to help migrants 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.
!["I’m willing to keep going, even if it takes forever,” says fisherman Mr. Saenudin, a trafficking survivor.](https://global.unitednations.entermediadb.net/assets/mediadb/services/module/asset/downloads/preset/Collections/Embargoed/28-03-2024-IOM-Indonesia-01.jpg/image1024x768.jpg ""I’m willing to keep going, even if it takes forever,” says fisherman Mr. Saenudin, a trafficking survivor.")
![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.")
