United Nations News July 23 |
Where do I go now, ask Gazans displaced by new Israeli evacuation order
Gaza residents displaced by the latest Israeli military evacuation order have abandoned shelters and homes to “flee for their lives,” with few belongings and no idea where they will go, UN humanitarian agencies said on Tuesday.
In Khan Younis, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported seeing “thousands of people fleeing” west, as part of an exodus from the city, amid ongoing fighting.
“Children were visibly traumatized and crying uncontrollably, while the elderly and disabled were being dragged on donkey carts or pushed in wheelchairs through the sand,” said Louise Wateridge, UNRWA Senior Communications Officer.
Meanwhile, the UN health agency has expressed concern about the impact of a possible polio outbreak in Gaza, amid dire sanitation conditions and lack of access to health care.
Dr. Ayadil Saparbekov, Head of Health Emergencies at the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, warned that polio and other infectious diseases could cause more deaths than fighting:
“There are different infectious disease outbreaks that could happen in Gaza, we had hepatitis A confirmed last year, and now we could have polio… This would be a very bad situation that we could face in Gaza and we could have more people dying from different infectious diseases than from injuries.”
Attacks on civilians in Burkina Faso force thousands to flee to neighboring Niger
Attacks on civilians in eastern Burkina Faso by non-state armed groups have forced thousands to flee to neighbouring Niger in search of safety, the latest development in a worsening emergency, UN humanitarian agencies have warned.
In a warning, the UN refugee agency, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeessaid previous attacks in recent weeks along Burkina Faso’s border with Niger had led to a “wave” of people fleeing into the Nigerien city of Téra in the Tillabéri region, despite the “already dire” humanitarian situation there.
Tillabéri has been the target of attacks by non-state armed groups and UNHCR warns that asylum seekers face charges of involvement in the violence – and are be forcibly repatriated if the Government does not recognize their refugee status.
According to UNHCR, Tillabéri is currently home to at least 223,400 internally displaced people from Niger and at least 36,500 Burkina Faso asylum seekers.
The incident comes after years of unrest in Burkina Faso, where more than a third of the country operates outside the control of the country’s military, which took power in 2022.
More broadly, the stability of the Sahel region has been threatened for years by the rise of armed groups. Starting in northern Mali, jihadist-linked rebels have moved south, bringing lawlessness to northern Burkina Faso and western Niger – with attacks likely to expand and continue.
Olympic spirit of peace inspires UN secretary-general’s call for ceasefire
Finally to Paris, where the Olympic Games are scheduled to open on Friday – and where the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will make a call for “peace for all.”
In a message highlighting the power of sport to “bring hope, transcend cultures and unite people”, Mr Guterres will stress that “this is also the ideal of the United Nations”.
And just as the ancient Greek kings agreed to cease hostilities so that their athletes and spectators could participate in the Games, the Secretary-General called on all those engaged in war today to respect the “spirit of the Olympic Truce to lay down their arms”.
Instead of conflict, nations and people should “build bridges, promote solidarity and strive for the ultimate goal: (that is) peace for all,” Mr. Guterres said as he praised Olympic and Paralympic athletes participating in the 2024 sports celebration.
