Latest news with #FarhanHaq
Scoop
18 hours ago
- General
- Scoop
Gaza: Search For Food Puts Lives On The Line
9 June 2025 Since the end of May, aid distribution in Gaza has been carried out by a mechanism backed by Israel and the United States bypassing UN agencies and their established partners, which has been plagued by deadly incidents and chaos. On Monday, UN partner the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that 29 casualties arrived at its field hospital in west Rafah that morning, eight of whom had died. Almost all had explosive trauma wounds, with two others suffering gunshot wounds. Forced to choose 'The UN reiterates that civilians must always be protected,' said Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, speaking from Headquarters in New York. ' No person, anywhere, should be forced to choose between risking one's life and feeding one's family.' Fuelling aid efforts Meanwhile, fuel stocks in Gaza are dangerously low, putting further strain on critical services and humanitarian operations. Mr. Haq said that some 260,000 litres of fuel were looted in northern Gaza over the weekend. Prior to this, the UN had repeatedly tried to reach these stocks to retrieve them, but the Israeli authorities denied these attempts – with 14 denials since 15 May. 'Our attempts to reach fuel supplies in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, also continue to be denied,' he added. 'The UN warns that unless a solution is found in the coming days, the entire aid operation could come to a standstill.' 'Desperate, starving people' Mr. Haq also updated on efforts to bring desperately needed humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip, where the entire population, more than two million people, faces famine conditions. On Monday, the UN led a mission to deliver supplies that entered the enclave via the Kerem Shalom border crossing to Gaza City, which was still ongoing. Since Israel allowed limited amounts of aid to enter on 19 May, the UN and partners have only been able to collect about 4,600 metric tonnes of wheat flour from Kerem Shalom. 'Most of it was taken by desperate, starving people before the supplies reached their destinations. In some cases, the supplies were looted by armed gangs,' he said. Resume aid flow now Mr. Haq emphasized that as the occupying power, Israel bears responsibility when it comes to public order and safety in Gaza. 'That should include letting in far more essential supplies, through multiple crossings and routes, to meet humanitarian needs and help reduce looting,' he said. UN partners working on food security estimate that between 8,000 and 10,000 metric tonnes of wheat flour is required to reach all families across Gaza with at least a single bag. He stressed that 'the sustained and unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza must resume as soon as possible.' Dangerous routes, driver shortages and delays He said no missions to collect supplies from Kerem Shalom took place at the weekend as Israel informed that the crossing would remain closed on Friday and Saturday. Humanitarians also continue to face major impediments that affect their ability to conduct these operations, including unacceptably dangerous routes, a severe shortage of vetted drivers, and delays. West Bank update Mr. Haq also touched on the situation in the occupied West Bank. He said operations by the Israeli forces in the north have continued over the past week, destroying roads and disrupting Palestinians' access to essential services. The UN and partners continue to respond, including by providing water, sanitation and hygiene assistance to tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians.
Days of Palestine
24-05-2025
- Health
- Days of Palestine
94% of Gaza's Hospitals Damaged, Health System Near Collapse
The United Nations reported on Friday that Gaza's healthcare system is on the verge of collapse, with at least 94% of hospitals either damaged or destroyed amid Israel's ongoing military campaign. Half of Gaza's hospitals are now completely non-operational, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), as cited by UN spokesperson Farhan Haq during a press briefing. 'The intensification of hostilities has brought Gaza's already weakened health system to a breaking point,' Haq warned. In just the past week, four major hospitals in Gaza were forced to suspend operations due to direct attacks or evacuation orders. WHO also documented 28 separate attacks on health facilities in Gaza in the past seven days alone — a staggering figure that represents four times the average daily rate of such assaults since October 2023. 'This means that 4% of nearly 700 attacks on healthcare in Gaza since October occurred just this week,' Haq said. On the humanitarian front, Haq confirmed that the UN moved another batch of approximately 100 truckloads of aid to the Kerem Shalom crossing on Thursday, with around 35 trucks picked up on the Palestinian side and taken further into Gaza. However, insecurity remains high as 15 truckloads of food aid intended for bakeries were looted overnight. 'Hunger, deprivation, and anxiety over whether food aid is coming in are all contributing to rising insecurity,' he added, urging Israeli authorities to allow 'far greater volumes of assistance – faster, more consistently, and transported along safer routes.' Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that settler violence has intensified. An entire Bedouin community near Ramallah was forced to dismantle their homes and flee. Between May 13 and 19 alone, OCHA recorded at least 28 settler attacks causing injuries and property damage. The growing destruction of healthcare infrastructure, coupled with surging food insecurity and settler violence, underscores the deepening humanitarian catastrophe across the Palestinian territories. Shortlink for this post:
See - Sada Elbalad
16-05-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
UN Rejects to Partner with US-backed Humanitarian Organization to Distribute Aid in Gaza
Taarek Refaat A UN spokesperson said Thursday that the organization will not participate in a newly established US-backed body distributing aid in Gaza, arguing that its mechanism does not adhere to the principles of neutrality and independence. Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said in a statement, "I have made it clear that we engage in aid operations that are consistent with our core principles. We have repeatedly stated that this distribution plan is not consistent with our core principles, including the principles of impartiality, neutrality, and independence, and we will not participate in it." read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War
Saba Yemen
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
UN: We will not participate in US plan to distribute aid in Gaza
New York - Saba: The United Nations said it will not participate in the body recently established with US support, which intends to distribute aid in Gaza, considering that its mechanism does not adhere to the principles of neutrality and independence pursued by the United Nations. UN spokesman Farhan Haq said in media statements Thursday evening that the United Nations is committed to providing aid in Gaza, but in accordance with its fundamental principles, and that it will not participate in an aid distribution process that does not comply with those principles. The UN spokesman explained that the body established by the United States will play a role that perpetuates the process of forced displacement and increases pressure on both the population and the displaced. The Zionist enemy has imposed a comprehensive ban on the entry of goods and aid into the Gaza Strip for more than two months. The United Nations stated that this has led to the destruction of the lives of 2.2 million Palestinians and the near-total destruction of the basic infrastructure on which civilians depend for their survival in the Strip. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN rejects US-backed Gaza aid plan, citing lack of neutrality
The United Nations has said it will not take part in a US-backed humanitarian operation in Gaza because it is not impartial, neutral or independent, as Israel pledged to facilitate the effort without being involved in aid deliveries. 'This particular distribution plan does not accord with our basic principles, including those of impartiality, neutrality, independence, and we will not be participating in this,' deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters on Thursday. The US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will start work in Gaza by the end of May under a heavily criticised aid plan that the UN aid chief Tom Fletcher described as a 'fig leaf for further violence and displacement' of Palestinians in Gaza. Speaking to reporters in Antalya, Turkiye, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday acknowledged the criticisms and said Washington was open to any alternative plan to get aid to civilians 'without Hamas being able to steal it'. 'We're not immune or in any way insensitive to the suffering of the people of Gaza, and I know that there's opportunities here to provide aid for them,' Rubio said after speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on Thursday. 'There are criticisms of that plan. We're open to an alternative if someone has a better one,' he said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Thursday that the UN 'has a solid and principled operational plan to deliver humanitarian aid and life-saving services at scale and immediately across the Gaza Strip'.Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies, and has blocked the delivery of all humanitarian assistance to Gaza since March 2, demanding Hamas release all remaining captives. A report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative released on Monday said the Gaza Strip 'is still confronted with a critical risk of famine' after more than a year and a half of devastating war, with the vast majority of its approximately 2.1 million people at severe risk. In a bid to address some concerns, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has asked Israel to expand an initial limited number of so-called secure aid distribution sites in Gaza's south to the north within 30 days. It has also asked Israel to let the UN and others resume aid deliveries now until it is set up. 'I'm not familiar with those requests, maybe when they went into Jerusalem, but I will tell you that we appreciate the effort of the United States,' Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters on Thursday. 'We will not fund those efforts. We will facilitate them. We will enable them,' he said. 'We will not be the ones giving the aid … It will be run by the fund itself, led by the US.' Israel and the US have urged the UN and aid groups to cooperate and work with the foundation. It is unclear how the foundation will be funded. A Department of State spokesperson said no US government funding would go to the foundation. A fact sheet on the foundation, circulating among the aid community last week, listed respected former UN World Food Programme chief David Beasley as a potential adviser. However, a source familiar with the effort said Beasley was not currently involved.
