
Hunger must never be ‘weapon of war': UN
The African Union, for its part, urged donors to provide greater support for the world's poorest continent, which is struggling with poverty, unrest and the effects of climate change.
'Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war,' Antonio Guterres told the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa via video link.
'Climate change is disrupting harvests, supply chains and humanitarian aid,' he said.
'Conflict continues to spread hunger from Gaza to Sudan and beyond,' he warned amid a severely deteriorating crisis in Gaza, whose population of more than two million is facing famine and malnutrition.

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Business Recorder
21 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Gaza and changing diplomatic landscape
EDITORIAL: As public outrage mounts around the world over Israel's relentless assault on Gaza, marked by the death and destruction of countless lives and the use of starvation as a weapon of war, even the US — Israel's staunchest ally — can no longer turn a blind eye to the escalating humanitarian crisis. In a striking departure from the traditional US stance, President Donald Trump, speaking at a press conference in the UK on Monday, contradicted Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's dismissal of starvation concerns in Gaza as 'Hamas propaganda.' Trump expressed serious concern, telling reporters, 'We're going to be getting some good, strong food; we can save a lot of people. I mean, some of those kids — that's real starvation stuff… It's crazy what's going on over there.' His remarks have garnered significant attention, not only because he is US president but also because they signify a change in policy, which has long been characterised by unwavering support for Israel. Meanwhile, France's announcement to formally recognise Palestinian statehood at the upcoming UN General Assembly session in September, coupled with its co-hosting of a UN Security Council conference on the two-state solution alongside Saudi Arabia — an event boycotted by both Israel and the US — marks a significant shift in the diplomatic landscape surrounding the Palestinian issue. For decades, the two-state solution has been the cornerstone of peace efforts, underpinned by numerous UN resolutions, internationally mediated agreements and proposals. Yet, each time, these efforts have been derailed by Israel with active complicity of Western powers, particularly the US. Israel's ongoing settlement expansion plan in the occupied West Bank, its genocidal campaign in Gaza, and the resultant humanitarian disaster have badly hurt the prospects of a peaceful resolution. However, the decision by France and Saudi Arabia to co-host the UNSC conference, with strong support from Pakistan — July's UNSC president — represents a crucial attempt to bring the issue back into the global spotlight. It reaffirms that the two-state solution along the 1967 borders is not merely an aspirational goal but a tangible, necessary path toward resolution. This diplomatic initiative also places increasing pressure on the UK and Germany to step up their support for the two-state solution. For instance, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing pressure, with over 200 lawmakers signing a letter urging him to officially recognise a Palestinian state. For far too long, Western powers have sidestepped actions that could antagonize Israel. But the catastrophic humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza has created a moral and diplomatic imperative for change. The pressure on the UK and Germany will undoubtedly intensify as conditions in Gaza keep worsening. More than 140 UN members have already recognised Palestinian statehood, signalling growing international support for Palestinian self-determination. Whether the UNSC conference's push for an independent Palestinian state can break the longstanding deadlock remains uncertain. Nonetheless, the increasing global consensus is shifting the dynamics of the conflict in ways that could profoundly impact Israel's expansionist ambitions, which, if unchecked, threaten to further entrench its settler-colonial project. Even as peace remains elusive the growing momentum for a two-state solution offers a glimmer of hope that the political inertia may finally be broken. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025


Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Influx of Afghan returnees fuels Kabul housing crisis
Zahra Hashimi fears being evicted from a single basement room that has served as her home since she and her family returned from Iran. Her husband, who works odd jobs, earns about 80 Afghanis per day (a little over a dollar), not enough to pay the rent for the property, which has no electricity or running water. More than 2.1 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran so far this year, according to the United Nations refugee agency. They join earlier rounds of mass expulsions from the neighbouring countries, deported or driven out by fear of arrest. Multiple Kabul property dealers told AFP that rental prices had skyrocketed with the influx of returnees. "Since landlords noticed that refugees (from Iran and Pakistan) were returning, they doubled their rents," said real estate agent Hamed Hassani, calling for the government to "intervene". "We have many refugees who come to ask us for an apartment to rent, and most of them cannot afford what's available," he said. The housing pressures have affected long-time Kabul residents also. Tamana Hussaini, who teaches sewing in the west of Kabul, where rents are lower, said her landlord wants to raise the 3,000 Afghani rent for their three-bedroom apartment. The family of eight tried to move out, but "rents are too high. It's a frustrating situation where you can't stay, but you can't leave either." Weeks after he was forced to return from Iran, Mohammad Mohsen Zaryab was still searching for somewhere to live in Kabul, where rental prices have soared along with an influx of Afghans expelled from neighbouring countries. Zaryab, fled with their meagre belongings to Kabul, expecting the swelling city of eight million to offer the best prospects of finding work in a country where half the population lives below the poverty line. The 47-year-old factory worker, begged landlords to bring down prices of accommodation for his family of eight, only to be told, "If you can't pay, someone else will". He had expected when he returned in July to find more solidarity for Afghans coming "from far away with no home". A year ago, a three-room house would on average cost 10,000 Afghanis ($145) per month, but renters now pay 20,000, said Nabiullah Quraishi, the head of a property dealership. The cost amounts to a fortune for the majority of Afghanistan's 48 million people, 85 percent of whom live on less than one dollar a day, according to the UN. Two years ago, multiple landlords would come to Quraishi's business every month seeking help renting their property. Now, demand outstrips supply, he said. The municipality denies any housing crisis in the city. Major urban development plans, which include building new roads even if it means bulldozing numerous residences, are further straining housing access. "Seventy-five percent of the city was developed unplanned," municipality spokesman Nematullah Barakzai told AFP. "We don't want this to happen again."


Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Hiroshima commemorates 80th anniversary of atomic bombing with global calls for nuclear disarmament
Thousands gathered in Hiroshima to mark the 80th anniversary of the world's first wartime atomic bombing, with survivors, officials, and representatives from over 120 countries renewing calls for global nuclear disarmament. On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped a uranium bomb, codenamed Little Boy, on the western Japanese city, instantly killing an estimated 78,000 people. By year's end, tens of thousands more had died from burns and radiation exposure. The bombing, followed by another on Nagasaki three days later, led to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II. This year's ceremony at Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park featured a record number of international delegates. According to Al Jazeera's Fadi Salameh, the event began with offerings of flowers and water, followed by a moment of silence at exactly 8:15 am—marking the time the bomb detonated. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui then delivered the annual peace declaration, urging the abolition of nuclear weapons. Schoolchildren from across Japan participated in the 'Promise of Peace,' reading messages of hope and remembrance. A representative of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also addressed the gathering, calling for global peace. Mayor Matsui warned of the growing normalization of nuclear weapons among world leaders, particularly as the U.S. and Russia still hold 90% of the world's warheads. 'This mindset undermines decades of peace-building,' he said. 'I urge global leaders to visit Hiroshima and witness the reality of atomic warfare.' Many attendees shared similar fears. 'It feels like history is repeating itself,' said Yoshikazu Horie, 71. 'I want peace for my grandchildren.' The population of survivors, or hibakusha, has fallen below 100,000 for the first time. While Japan advocates for nuclear disarmament, it remains outside the UN treaty banning nuclear weapons.