David Nabarro, British physician who led UN response to Ebola and COVID-19, dies
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, confirmed Nabarro's death on social media platform X.
' David was a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals,' Tedros wrote Saturday. 'His work touched and impacted so many lives across the world.'
King Charles knighted Nabarro in 2023 for his contributions to global health after he served as one of six special envoys to the WHO on COVID-19. He won the 2018 World Food Prize for his work on health and hunger issues.
He also was a candidate for the top job at the WHO in 2017 but lost out to Tedros in the final round of voting. Nabarro left the U.N. later that year.
The 4SD Foundation, a social enterprise in Switzerland focused on mentoring the next generation of leaders in global sustainable development, said its strategic director died at his home Friday in a 'sudden passing.' Other details were not immediately available.
'David's generosity and unwavering commitment to improve the lives of others will be sorely missed,' the foundation wrote on its website Saturday.
Survivors include his wife, Flo, as well as his five children and seven grandchildren.
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The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘We are dying slowly, save us': starvation takes hold in Gaza after a week of appalling milestones
The people of Gaza did not need this week's official confirmation from UN-backed hunger experts that the 'worst-case scenario of famine' was unfolding there. For months they have watched as their children waste away. 'All my children have lost nearly half of their body weight,' said Jamil Mughari, a 38-year-old from Maghazi in central Gaza. 'My daughter, who is five years old, now weighs only 11kg. My son Mohammad has become just skin and bones. All my children are like this. 'I myself used to weigh 85kg, and now I'm down to 55.' He was struggling to sustain the strength required to find food for his family. 'Sometimes, while walking in the street, I feel dizzy and that I'm about to collapse, but I force myself to stay upright. I also sometimes experience shivering,' he said. Over the course of the week, Gaza passed two appalling milestones. The official Palestinian death toll passed 60,000, although the real figure, including those buried under the rubble from Israeli airstrikes, is likely to be far higher. The human cost is likely to continue to rise steeply as starvation catches up with bombs and gunfire as an indiscriminate killer. On Tuesday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a panel of experts from the UN and other aid organisations, which had long warned of the threat of famine, confirmed that the line had been crossed. 'The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip,' the IPC said, as it called for a ceasefire to prevent further 'catastrophic human suffering'. The 2.2 million people of Gaza have long been experts in hunger, forced to scavenge for food each day in the face of Israel's deliberate and severe restrictions to aid deliveries. Mughari said that food was almost nonexistent: 'We can go for a week or two without any flour. Sometimes we only have one meal a day, which is lentils, and sometimes we find nothing at all to eat – we spend the day drinking water just to feel full.' His family has had to move seven times since the war began, forced to flee repeated Israeli offensives. But there was no way to escape the hunger that now grips the entire territory. 'Sometimes we get lentils from donations or charitable people, or we borrow some money to buy them, that's it,' he said. 'We don't receive any food aid from soup kitchens; those are only for certain camps, in small quantities. 'They [Israelis] spread news about aid coming in, but only the strong and those with weapons seize the trucks and sell the goods at extremely high prices. How can the poor afford to buy them at such prices?' The four food distribution sites across Gaza run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are open for only a few minutes a day, leading to huge crowds of desperate people, who have come under Israeli fire while seeking humanitarian assistance, leading to mass casualties. Mansoura Fadl al-Helou, a 58-year-old widow, is too frail to go to the distribution points and refuses to let her son go, for fear he would not come back alive. 'The situation there is terrible and very dangerous. The worst part is the chaos among the men – people pushing and throwing each other to the ground,' she said. 'Only my one son is here, but I always stop him from going near the aid trucks because of the danger posed by the army. I couldn't bear to see him come back to me as a martyr.' Mughari has undergone open-heart surgery and all his children are under 12. Even if they wanted to risk their lives for the chance of finding food, they are unable to. 'I try to remain steadfast so I can provide my children with anything to eat,' he said. 'We have sent many messages to the world, but no one has moved. We no longer know what to say. All I can tell the world is that we are dying slowly, save us from this tragedy.' Among the horrors the Israel-Gaza war has brought to its people, the torture of parents seeing their children starve and being powerless to save them is surely one of the worst. 'My youngest daughter is 14 years old, and her ribcage bones are clearly visible due to extreme weakness and malnutrition,' said Abu al-Abed, a father from Deir al-Balah. 'I have four daughters and three sons. They suffer from dizziness and fatigue because of the lack of food. If I, their father, feel this way, how much worse must it be for them?' He said they did not receive any aid and that the food market was expensive and they could afford to buy only a little there. 'The prices are extremely high; they haven't reached such levels of inflation even in European countries. And here in Gaza, there is no source of income at all. 'There used to be soup kitchens in the area, but now they no longer exist. There are no places that provide free food any more. He said he no longer believed the world had any sense of responsibility. 'For years, they boasted about human rights and the protection of lives. What I see now is that all of this was a lie, we were deceived by these slogans. 'If we had asked them to protect the rights of animals in Gaza, they would have responded immediately and done the impossible. But when it comes to the rights of the Palestinian people, no one remembers us or feels for us, not the Arabs, not the Muslims, not the Christians, no one.' The official IPC recognition of what the people of Gaza knew only too well – that they are starving – brought some faint hope that the outside world would finally stir itself to act, though long experience did not bring much confidence that would happen. Al-Helou said: 'We have been suffering from this famine for a long time, and no one has acted. I hope that through this message, the world will finally move to help us and save us from this slow death.' The news of the UK's pledge to recognise Palestine in September, barring a ceasefire and a fundamental change in direction from Israel, impressed her even less. 'I don't know what would change if the British government recognises the state of Palestine. What kind of state has no sovereignty, no right to self-defence?' she asked. 'It's a good step to recognise us and the state of Palestine, but it should be a real recognition – not symbolic. A state with real rights, real sovereignty, and a people with rights like any other nation.'
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Viral photo of 'starving' child in Gaza is misleading
This has led President Donald Trump to say he wanted to boost U.S. humanitarian efforts in war-torn Gaza. Hamas terrorists in Gaza started the war on Oct. 7, 2023, when they attacked Israel, slaughtering and kidnapping hundreds of Israeli citizens. Palestinian civilians are now paying the price for those atrocities. Opinion: Trump is racking up GOP wins no one else could. What do Never Trumpers say now? "We can save a lot of people," Trump said July 28, while meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland. "I mean, some of those kids are - that's real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can't fake it." But what if you can? New York Times does damage control after misleading image The photograph of one mother and child in particular has created a firestorm. The New York Times published a lengthy report online about alleged starvation in Gaza on July 24, featuring 18-month-old Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq. Photos show a child in distress, with his bones painfully visible. His mother tries to comfort him. The Times then ran the story on its print front page July 25, with the photo of the child and his mother as the leading image. The caption says the child was "born healthy" but is suffering from "severe malnutrition." Yet, it turned out there was more to the story. Five days after the story was published, on July 29, The Times issued an editor's note (buried at the bottom of the article) as well as a brief statement on its communications social media page that offered readers much-needed context. The note "clarifies" that the child suffers from serious "pre-existing health problems." "We have since learned new information, including from the hospital that treated him and his medical records, and have updated our story to add context about his pre-existing health problems," a Times spokesperson said in the statement. "This additional detail gives readers a greater understanding of his situation." That's putting it mildly. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. The Times certainly wasn't alone in running images of Mohammed. Others, including CNN, did as well. After all, a picture paints a thousand words. And these photos went viral, making Mohammed the face of starving children across Gaza. It also buoyed the narrative pushed by the media and progressives that Israel is at fault for blocking aid from flowing to the Palestinians in need. Opinion: Sydney Sweeney's jeans ad triggers liberals. She looks good. They don't. Too many journalists have abandoned truth for advocacy But thanks to the reporting of independent journalists and pushback from Israel officials, the truth has come out. The state of Israel posted on social media another photograph of the mother and child, which features the child's older brother, who appears healthy. The contrast makes it clear that there's much more contributing to Mohammed's condition than lack of food. "BBC, CNN, Daily Express, and The New York Times spread a misleading story using a picture of a sick, disabled child to promote a narrative of mass starvation in Gaza - playing into the hands of Hamas's propaganda war," the post states. Share your opinion: Are you concerned about starvation in Gaza? Should US do more to help? Tell us. | Opinion Forum Americans deserve the full story. For instance, David Makovsky, director of the program on Arab-Israel Relations at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, recently pointed out on X that a United Nations report shows that "87% of its 2,010 food trucks in Gaza (85% by tonnage) from May 19-July 29 were 'intercepted' - either peacefully by crowds or forcefully by armed actors." In other words, Hamas is intercepting food meant for civilians. That's worth reporting. Trump is right to feel empathy for the innocent civilians in Gaza, especially the children. But it's Hamas who deserves the blame for their plight - not Israel. As Trump noted in a July 31 Truth Social post, "The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!" The truth is that Hamas is using the suffering of those who live under its grip to try to achieve its aims. That's the real tragedy. Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@ or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
'New cotton bud'. Plastic hygiene product should be banned
A group of 20 organisations, including campaigns, charities and businesses, has issued the letter urging the Scottish Government to ban them. Flossers join a long list of personal hygiene and other products that have littered Scotland's coastlines, including not only cotton buds, but wipes, plastic cutlery, sanitary towels, pharmaceutical blister packs, Covid masks, interdental brushes and straws. Some, like cotton buds and straws, have been banned. But others continue to make their way into waterways, landfill and sewage systems, contributing to the rising deluge of global plastic pollution that is showing no signs of slowing. The call comes in the run up to the final round of talks for the UN global plastics treaty, which is looking at how to tackle both plastic waste and plastic at source. This new form of waste is just one element in the rising tide of pollution driven by production levels are set to triple by 2060. 'The dental flosser may be a small, innocuous-looking item,' the letter observes, 'but single use dental flossers are being sold in multi-packs by most supermarkets and pharmacies, and they are littering our streets, parks and beaches. We have collated photo evidence of these items across Scotland, from the pristine beach of the island of Colonsay, to the city streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow, to the east coast by St Abbs." A move like this, the authors point out, would align with the [[Scottish Government]]'s forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy, which has targets to reduce plastic production and waste, as well as the New Plastics [[Economy]] Global Commitment, which the [[Scottish Government]] signed in 2018. A dental flosser found on the Isle of Colonsay (Image: Rachael Revesz) Concerned signatories include campaigner and social media influencer Laura Young, also known as 'Less Waste Laura', who led the campaign against disposable electric vapes and Don MacNeish, a founder of the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), one of the voices in David Attenborough's recent Ocean documentary. Some of the signatories are clean up groups who have noticed the rise in dental flossers in litter picks. Marion Montgomery of Paws on Plastic said: 'They are something that our members find regularly on walks, in parks, on streets. Not only are they an example of unnecessary single use plastic but they also pose a potential risk to animals and an environmental hazard for generations.' Waste from Arrochar litter sink (Image: The GRAB Trust) Beach cleaners from Scottish Coastal Clean Up observed that the flossers tended to be found "wherever we find wipes". The letter points out that while dental flossers, also called, 'dental harps', 'may be more accessible for some people to maintain dental hygiene', there are alternative products. Even so-called 'eco flossers', it notes, are problematic since they are made from 'equally harmful bioplastics'. 'We urge policy makers to turn the tide against our throw-away culture by banning the sale of an item that is barely used for a few seconds before it spends decades, if not centuries, in landfill," the letter said. In recent years Scotland has banned plastic straws, drink stirrers and polystyrene food containers. "We've charged a fee on plastic bags," says the letter, "and we've banned single use vapes. These have been bold moves, and they've had a remarkable impact. READ MORE: Scottish scientists discover new threat to marine life: sunscreen meeting plastic 'The beach crunched': Scotland's extreme beach cleans Less than 10% of plastic produced globally comes from recycled materials – study The problem, Ms Young pointed out, is that the flosser is just one of many single-use items contributing to wider plastic pollution, with ever more new items entering the market. 'Plastic dental flossers are yet another example of unnecessary single-use waste polluting our environment. I've seen them in towns and cities, littering streets and clogging gutters, and on our beaches, alongside other toiletry-related waste like plastic cotton buds, tampon applicators, and wet wipes.' Progress, she noted, has already been made on some items, with bans like plastic cotton buds and straws. 'But the rest? Still polluting our environment and wasting resources.' "It's frustrating that we continue to act only after these plastics become a visible problem. We need upstream solutions, not piecemeal bans. The United Nations Global Plastics Treaty meeting this month is a chance for us collectively to go beyond voluntary pledges and weak commitments. We need binding global action that holds corporations accountable, enforces plastic reduction targets, and redesigns the systems driving overconsumption. "Individuals can choose better, businesses must do better, and governments must act faster and smarter. The planet can't wait." Kat Jones, director of Action to Protect Rural Scotland, said that the ban would be a "start" but that laws are needed "to encourage and incentivise producers make responsible products." "Producers are constantly inventing new types of throw-away item while persuading us that we can't live without them. The one-use flosser is an absolute prime example. "Until producers can turn their skills in innovation and technical knowhow to the service of sustainability, rather than thinking of the next throw-away gimmick, we are always going to be battling waste, litter and the pollution of our seas item by item." Personal hygiene litter collected by beach clean artist Lil Vischer (Image: Vicky Allan) The letter is also not the only one to be issued as the UN Global Plastic Treaty talks begin in Geneva, calling for action and commitment from the Scottish Government. Another open letter to the first minister, from 18 groups including Friends of the Earth Scotland and Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, has outline the damage created by plastic, and called for the Scottish Government to act now to prevent further harm. Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland said: 'We all want a future free from plastic pollution, but the Scottish Government is failing to take the actions needed to protect people and nature from the growing harms of the plastics crisis. "Promises at an international level will only be meaningful if they are backed up with action at a local level. Industry-backed solutions, such as recycling, do not address the underlying cause of the plastics crisis – that there is too much plastic to begin with and more is being made every day. 'It doesn't have to be this way. The Global Plastics Treaty is an incredible opportunity internationally, and a chance for the Scottish Government to reset the way plastics are used in Scotland too. 'There are practical steps the Scottish Government should be taking today to halt the plastics crisis. These include immediately banning the burning of plastic waste, forcing companies to be responsible for cleaning the products they sell, and investing in reuse services.' A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'Scotland was the first part of the UK to implement a ban on some of the most problematic single-use plastic products and we continue to work with our partners to reduce many sources of plastic pollution as possible and also to support the removal of rubbish from our seas and coastline. 'In addition, the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 increases the powers available to the Government to take action on waste in Scotland, and we are also progressing with international efforts to address major pollution sources such as plastic pellets, as well as supporting the removal of rubbish from our seas and beaches.'
