Latest news with #RavinaShamdasani
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Controversial aid foundation opens second Gaza distribution point
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) announced the opening on Wednesday of a second distribution centre for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, following the chaotic launch of its controversial operation the previous day. Food aid from eight trucks was distributed without incident from the new distribution centre, the foundation said in a statement. At the two distribution centres, 14,550 food packages had so far been distributed, it said. Each package should feed 5.5 people for three and a half days, amounting to an overall 840,262 meals. New food supplies had also arrived at the first distribution station in Rafah, the GHF said. Earlier, delays were reported following disturbances at the centre's opening on Tuesday. Contradictory claims about operation launch The UN Human Rights Office reported earlier on Wednesday that one person had been killed and 47 injured in chaotic scenes during Tuesday's launch of the controversial relief operation in the south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli troops had fired shots during the relief operation, according to information made available to the UN agency, its spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told dpa on Wednesday. The foundation rejected the claims however. "This is false," the foundation said. No shots had been fired at Palestinian crowds in the centre and there had been no casualties, it added. The Israeli military had previously stated that soldiers fired warning shots outside the centre. Challenging conditions The foundation said that the centre was neither overrun nor destroyed, contrary to media reports of chaos and looting. "GHF anticipated that the SDS [Safe Distribution Site] may experience pressure due to acute hunger and Hamas-imposed blockades, which create dangerous conditions outside the gates," the foundation wrote. It said that order was restored "without incident." "As in all emergency response situations, particularly in conflict zones, this type of reaction from stressed beneficiary populations is expected, and we remain prepared to continue providing life saving assistance should disruptions occur," the GHF added. The activities are now due to be expanded to all four planned locations. "Operations will continue scaling across all four sites, with plans to build additional sites across Gaza in the weeks ahead," the foundation noted. Israel seeking to circumvent Hamas The desperate situation of many people in the embattled coastal strip has deteriorated further in the face of a months-long blockade of aid supplies by Israel, despite a recent easing. The largely destroyed area, populated by around 2 million Palestinians, severely lacks food, drinking water, medicines and almost all everyday necessities. The Israeli government wants to make the GHF responsible for the distribution of aid supplies in future. In this way, Israel seeks to bypass UN aid organizations and other international volunteers. With the distribution strategy supported by the United States, the Israeli government says it wants to prevent Hamas from diverting supplies for its own purposes and reselling them to pay for fighters and weapons. UN representatives say that Israel has provided no evidence of this occurring, while rejecting cooperation with the GHF. UN aid workers believe that the limited number of initially planned GHF distribution points will force people in the region to undertake long and hazardous trips through conflict zones to access the aid. 'Momentary' loss of control On Tuesday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu merely spoke of a "momentary loss of control" in the aid distribution. He said the aim was to establish a "sterile zone" in southern Gaza for the protection of Palestinians. Many Palestinians fear a new wave of flight and expulsion from the Gaza Strip, similar to those that followed the founding of the Israeli state in 1948 and during the Six-Day War in 1967. Israel's actions in the coastal strip, where dozens of deaths are reported daily as a result of Israeli attacks, have come under heavy international criticism. The crisis in the coastal region has drastically worsened since the Gaza war began in October 2023. The war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history: militants from Hamas and other Islamist groups killed around 1,200 people in an attack on the south of the Jewish state and abducted more than 250 as hostages to the Gaza Strip. According to the health authority controlled by Hamas, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war in the Gaza Strip. This figure, which is difficult to verify independently, includes both fighters and civilians. Hostages held for 600 days The relatives of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza were on Wednesday marking the fact that their loved ones have been in the hands of Hamas for 600 days. According to Israeli sources, at least 20 hostages are currently still alive in the Gaza Strip. For three other abductees, it is unclear whether they are still alive. Additionally, the remains of 35 abductees are in the sealed-off area, which has numerous underground tunnel systems.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
UN: One killed and dozens injured in chaotic Gaza aid operation
One person was killed and 47 were injured during a controversial relief operation in the south of the Gaza Strip, according to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Office. Israeli troops had fired shots during Tuesday's relief operation organized by the newly established Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to information available to the UN agency, its spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told dpa on Wednesday. Israeli media and eyewitness reports spoke of chaotic scenes at the GHF distribution centre, which is reported to have been stormed and looted. The Israeli military said that its troops had fired warning shots outside the centre. Shamdasani said the UN office was attempting to verify the reports it had received from sources on site and ascertain further details. She added that the number of injured had not been finalized and could change. There was no indication that the US guards working for the GHF had opened fire, Shamdasani said. Israeli media reported initially that US guards had fired warning shots. Palestinian rescue workers later reported that three people had been killed and dozens injured by shots fired by Israeli troops. Foreign media are prevented by the Israeli authorities from entering the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government intends to make the GHF responsible for aid distribution in the Gaza Strip, while UN organizations have rejected cooperation with the foundation. UN aid workers believe that the limited number of initially planned GHF distribution points will force people in the region to undertake long and hazardous trips through conflict zones to access the aid.
Arab News
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
UN rights office in ‘very serious' financial situation
GENEVA:The UN rights office based in Geneva says it is facing a dire financial situation amid deep US funding cuts, but its chief insisted there is no 'panic.' News reports this week suggested that the funding chaos gripping the United Nations had left its human rights agency panicked over a dramatic budget shortfall. 'I have seen and read all sorts of unfounded rumors: that we are all moving to Vienna, that 70 percent of staff will move to the field except management,' UN rights chief Volker Turk told a town hall meeting with staff on Thursday, according to excerpts seen by AFP. 'None of this is true.' Swiss daily Le Temps reported on Thursday that 'a wind of panic' was sweeping over the agency, suggesting it was considering relocating away from pricey Geneva to Vienna, Nairobi and other sites. Reports of mass layoffs and cuts to operations have become commonplace at UN agencies since US President Donald Trump's return to power in January. He has moved to slash the amount of money his country gives to UN agencies — reversing America's previous status as the largest contributor to many of their budgets. The rights agency, which counts 2,000 employees, including around 900 in Geneva, has yet to announce any layoffs, but Turk acknowledged it was facing 'a very complex time.' Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani also told AFP the agency was 'in a very serious financial situation,' but stressed: 'We are not in a state of panic.' 'That was a regrettable and unfair characterization,' she said. 'We are clearly facing unprecedented crises, but it is our response to these difficult times that defines us as an organization,' she said. In his remarks at Thursday's town hall, Turk stressed that the agency had had an 'organizational effectiveness exercise' in the works for a while, denying that plans to relocate more staff from Geneva were sparked by a UN-wide overhaul. 'We had already foreseen decentralization of certain functions,' he said. 'We remain committed to this approach of shifting relevant functions and posts to the regional offices, so that we can deliver more effectively worldwide. This includes moving managerial posts.' Turk stressed that 'the move to strengthen our regional presences has already been endorsed by the General Assembly, most recently in relation to our presences in Brussels, Beirut, Bangkok, Panama City, Dakar, Pretoria, Nassau and Yaounde.' The UN-wide initiative launched by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March to streamline operations as world body grapples with new budget realities 'can help us build on this momentum,' Turk said.
Saudi Gazette
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
More than 400 killed by rebels in Sudan says UN
LONDON — More than 400 people have been killed in recent attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's Darfur region, says the UN citing "credible sources". Last week, the RSF launched an intense ground and aerial assault on refugee camps surrounding the city of El-Fasher in an attempt to seize the last state capital in Darfur held by their rival, the Sudanese army. The two warring sides have been locked in a bloody power struggle since April 2023. This has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis and forced millions to flee their homes. The UN said it had verified 148 killings between Thursday and Saturday, but warned the toll was much higher. UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told the BBC their verification process was still ongoing and their number didn't include Sunday's violence. "Credible sources have reported more than 400 killed," said Ms Shamdasani. At least nine humanitarian aid workers were among those killed, the UN said. The refugee camps that surround El-Fasher - Zamzam and Abu Shouk - provide temporary homes to more than 700,000 people, many of whom are facing famine-like conditions. In a statement released on Saturday, the RSF said it was not responsible for attacks on civilians and that scenes of killing in Zamzam were staged to discredit its forces. The following day, the group said it had completed a "successful liberation" of the camp from Sudan's army. The RSF accused the army of using Zamzam as "a military barracks, and innocent civilians as human shields". El-Fasher is the last major town in Darfur under army control and has been under siege by the RSF for a year. Sudan's brutal civil war will enter its third year on Tuesday. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called on all parties involved to "renew their resolve to take meaningful steps towards resolving the conflict". Ahead of a conference on Tuesday in London to mark the conflict's two-year anniversary, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced a £120m food and aid package for Sudan. He said Sudan's stability is "vital for our national security". The UK will co-host the talks alongside the African Union and European Union. — BBC
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More than 400 killed by rebels in Sudan says UN
More than 400 people have been killed in recent attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan's Darfur region, says the UN citing "credible sources". Last week, the RSF launched an intense ground and aerial assault on refugee camps surrounding the city of El-Fasher in an attempt to seize the last state capital in Darfur held by their rival, the Sudanese army. The two warring sides have been locked in a bloody power struggle since April 2023. This has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis and forced millions to flee their homes. The UN said it had verified 148 killings between Thursday and Saturday, but warned the toll was much higher. UN spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told the BBC their verification process was still ongoing and their number didn't include Sunday's violence. "Credible sources have reported more than 400 killed," said Ms Shamdasani. At least nine humanitarian aid workers were among those killed, the UN said. The refugee camps that surround El-Fasher - Zamzam and Abu Shouk - provide temporary homes to more than 700,000 people, many of whom are facing famine-like conditions. In a statement released on Saturday, the RSF said it was not responsible for attacks on civilians and that scenes of killing in Zamzam were staged to discredit its forces. The following day, the group said it had completed a "successful liberation" of the camp from Sudan's army. The RSF accused the army of using Zamzam as "a military barracks, and innocent civilians as human shields". El-Fasher is the last major town in Darfur under army control and has been under siege by the RSF for a year. Sudan's brutal civil war will enter its third year on Tuesday. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called on all parties involved to "renew their resolve to take meaningful steps towards resolving the conflict". Ahead of a conference on Tuesday in London to mark the conflict's two-year anniversary, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced a £120m food and aid package for Sudan. He said Sudan's stability is "vital for our national security". The UK will co-host the talks alongside the African Union and European Union. The children living between starvation and death Famine looms in Sudan as civil war survivors tell of killings and rapes Thousands flee fresh ethnic killings in Sudan Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
