Latest news with #UN-affiliated
Axios
a day ago
- Politics
- Axios
How Israel's blockade caused starvation in Gaza
Children are starving in Gaza today as a direct result of the Israeli government's decision four months ago to suspend all aid into the enclave. While that decision has been partially reversed over the last two months, it's had devastating and ongoing implications for vulnerable Palestinian civilians in Gaza, aid groups report. The big picture: At least 16 children under five have died of starvation-related illnesses since July 17 and half a million people are currently experiencing "an extreme lack of food," according to a UN-affiliated report out Tuesday. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza puts the death toll from malnutrition over 100, including at least 80 children. It says 60,000 Palestinians have been killed overall since the war began. The Israeli government denies there is starvation in Gaza. President Trump rejected that claim on Monday, saying "there is real starvation in Gaza — you can't fake that." Between the lines: Gaza was already facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises prior to March, but the ceasefire that began on Jan. 17 significantly improved the situation. Israel's decision to suspend all aid and unilaterally end the ceasefire in March drove the situation to its current desperate state. On the ground: "The sound of children crying from hunger never stops. Every day, people knock on our doors asking for food. Not money — just bread," said Rania Al Shrehi, an International Rescue Committee staffer in Gaza. Flashback: Israel's freeze on all aid into Gaza On March 2, the Israeli government announced it was halting all humanitarian aid and fuel deliveries to Gaza and closing all border crossings. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision was made to pressure Hamas to release more hostages after the first phase of a Jan. 15 ceasefire deal expired. Netanyahu stressed it was made "in full coordination with President Trump and his people." Yes, but: While Hamas was ready to negotiate the second phase of the January ceasefire brokered by the Biden administration in coordination with Trump, Israel never seriously engaged, Axios' Barak Ravid reported. A senior Israeli official privately admitted recently that Israel never intended to extend the ceasefire. At the time, an Israeli official briefed reporters that there was enough food in Gaza to last four to six months. The total blockade on all aid — food, water, medicine and more — would continue for 2½ months, severely straining supplies. Renewed fighting deepens suffering Israel unilaterally resumed the war in Gaza on March 18. Tens of thousands more Palestinians were displaced as the war resumed, and Israel continued to block all aid. As food and other supplies grew more scarce, prices climbed. With Gaza's economy also wrecked by the war, many Palestinians could no longer to feed themselves and their families. Reports of malnutrition spiked, particularly among children. But the Israeli government rejected international appeals to end the blockade, describing it as leverage over Hamas. Friction point: Israel had long claimed international aid shipments played into Hamas' hands because the group diverted the aid and distributed or sold it, gaining legitimacy and funds. Those claims are disputed. Israel's controversial new aid mechanism As the aid freeze continued, Israel worked to establish a new aid mechanism to circumvent the UN and Hamas, with U.S. support. In late May, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was launched. Its mission was to establish "secure distribution centers" for Palestinians to go and receive food. While Israel temporarily reopened some existing aid channels alongside GHF, virtually all aid into Gaza was soon flowing through the new foundation. But there were at least two glaring flaws in the plan. First, the GHF sites are all in southern and central Gaza, meaning there was still almost no aid available in the north. Second, the plan required Palestinians to travel to the aid sites, through Israeli military positions, in the middle of a war. More than 750 people been killed while trying to make their way to the aid sites, according to the UN — reportedly by Israeli troops in several instances. In another incident this month, at least 20 people died in a stampede at a distribution center. Zoom out: GHF says it has provided more than 97 million meals in the last two months. But the nature of the mechanism means people who are physically strong are most able to travel to the centers, jostle for food once there, and transport it home. Women, children and the elderly in particular have struggled to obtain food. Reports of severe malnutrition — and, eventually, starvation — began to intensify over the last several weeks. A recent UN report put it bluntly: "Palestinians in Gaza are starving to death." Israel shifts policy under global pressure Israel has continued to deny there's any starvation in Gaza, but the government began taking tentative steps in July to increase aid. Those moves came as Israel faced international pressure, including threats of sanctions from European countries. On July 6, the Cabinet voted to allow more aid convoys to enter northern Gaza. However, that policy change was implemented haltingly, and the ongoing fighting and instances of looting along the few designated aid routes made distribution difficult. As the crisis continued to deteriorate, Israel and the UN blamed one another for the failure to distribute aid. In late July, Israel announced that it would begin airdropping food into Gaza and allowing Egypt and the UAE to do the same — a tacit admission of how severe the hunger crisis had become. Israel also announced daily humanitarian pauses in parts of Gaza to facilitate aid delivery — something it hadn't done since March. Aid groups and Western leaders welcomed those decisions, but continued to plead for a ceasefire and for the flow of aid to be dramatically increased on the ground. "Air drops are expensive, inefficient and can be dangerous — and when there are clear alternatives, this is simply not the answer," IRC chief David Miliband said. State of play: "Mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths," Tuesday's UN-affiliated Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report states. "Immediate action must be taken to end the hostilities and allow for unimpeded, large-scale, life-saving humanitarian response. This is the only path to stopping further deaths and catastrophic human suffering." What to watch: The Trump administration has backed the Israeli government's handling of the Gaza crisis over the past six months, even as nearly every other Western government has denounced it.
Daily Tribune
4 days ago
- Science
- Daily Tribune
BSA showcases Arab model for strategic space planning
The Bahrain Space Agency (BSA), in collaboration with the UN-affiliated Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia, held a workshop on strategic planning for space programmes, highlighting the Bahraini experience as a regional model. The workshop, attended by representatives from several Arab countries, aimed to foster regional cooperation and unify visions in the space sector. Technologies Yaqoob Al Qassab, Space Engineering Specialist, opened the workshop with a presentation on Bahrain's history in utilising space technologies, the national space policy framework, and the implementation mechanism of the agency's 2024–2028 strategic plan. He emphasised success factors including international cooperation, scientific research investment, national capacity building, and the importance of a supportive infrastructure for space projects. Aysha Al Haram, Chief Satellite Design Department at the BSA, presented a case study on translating strategic plans into tangible projects. Success She highlighted the success of Bahrain's joint satellite with the UAE, 'Light-1' (2021), and the national satellite 'Al Munther' (2025), the first Arab satellite to incorporate embedded artificial intelligence technologies. Al Haram emphasised the pivotal role of young Bahraini talent in successfully delivering these projects. She also outlined Bahrain's approach in linking strategic planning with practical space applications, such as using satellite data to monitor environmental challenges and establishing a satellite imagery lab to support decision-making in urban planning.
Express Tribune
7 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
One-China: envoy lauds Pak stance
Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong has called for an end to what he described as "distortions" of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758, saying that the resolution firmly establishes the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the sole legitimate representative of China, including Taiwan, at the United Nations. In a statement, Ambassador Jiang said certain actors, motivated by geopolitical self-interest, are "spreading the fallacy" that the 1971 resolution did not clarify Taiwan's legal status. "Such narratives are false fabrications aimed at undermining the legal foundation of the one-China principle," he said, adding that these actions constitute "flagrant interference in China's internal affairs" and pose a threat to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. UNGA Resolution 2758, adopted in October 1971 with overwhelming support — including from Pakistan and 22 co-sponsoring countries — recognised the PRC as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations" and expelled the representatives of Taiwan's authorities from all UN-affiliated organizations. Ambassador Jiang emphasized that the resolution "settled once and for all" the question of China's representation at the UN and "embodies in clear logic and solid jurisprudence" the one-China principle. "Taiwan has always been part of China — this is a historical fact, an international consensus, and the key political premise for the UNGA's adoption of Resolution 2758," he said. Citing historical documents such as the Cairo Declaration (1943), Potsdam Proclamation (1945), and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, Jiang said these international agreements reaffirmed Taiwan's return to Chinese sovereignty after Japan's defeat in World War II. The ambassador further stated that after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, it replaced the Republic of China as the sole legal government of the entire Chinese territory, including Taiwan. He noted that attempts by the United States and others to promote a "dual representation" model at the UN were "resoundingly rejected" by the international community. "In fact, even the so-called 'representative' of the Taiwan authorities admitted at the time that 'other countries have always stressed the fact that Taiwan is part of China, which I could not agree more,'" Jiang said. The ambassador highlighted that 183 countries currently maintain diplomatic relations with China based on the one-China principle, and that UN bodiesincluding its Office of Legal Affairsconsistently refer to Taiwan as a "province of China." "The Taiwan authorities do not enjoy any form of government status," he said, citing UN guidelines on terminology.
Axios
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Three things to watch after the big UN climate ruling
A UN court's finding that countries face climate obligations under international law will find its way into climate litigation in multiple venues — as well as diplomatic and policy battles. Why it matters: It's also a win for the nations most vulnerable to climate change, including the Pacific island nation Vanuatu, which spearheaded the push for a decision. Catch up quick: The International Court of Justice found in a 140-page ruling that countries face requirements under various climate, environmental, and human rights agreements. The UN's judicial arm's unanimous opinion finds that "wrongful" acts under international law "require" cessation of those activities. It calls for compensation if a "sufficiently direct and certain causal nexus can be shown between the wrongful act and injury." A few quick things that caught my eye from the decision that will have ripple effects we'll be following for years: 1. It practically invites litigation over fossil fuels. Check out this line (with emphasis added, and remember "state" means country): "Failure of a State to take appropriate action to protect the climate system from GHG emissions — including through fossil fuel production, fossil fuel consumption, the granting of fossil fuel exploration licences or the provision of fossil fuel subsidies — may constitute an internationally wrongful act which is attributable to that State." 2. It tries to pump up those NDCs. The opinion seeks to put stronger scaffolding around the largely voluntary Paris Agreement, including countries' emissions pledges called "nationally determined contributions." That could bring new litigation over nations' NDCs by parties who argue they're too meek or not being implemented, attorneys backing the ruling say. "The court made it very clear that failure to implement an NDC would amount to a lack of good faith and a violation of the state's obligations," said Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, legal counsel for Vanuatu. "The content of the NDC also has to be consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement, including the 1.5°C temperature goal," she said at a news conference, though noted that developed industrial powers face more responsibilities. 3. Don't look for it to sway President Trump."As always, President Trump and the entire Administration is committed to putting America first and prioritizing the interests of everyday Americans," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Axios. Trump is moving the U.S. away from working with UN-affiliated bodies, and is again leaving the Paris Agreement. That said, the advisory opinion claims countries face obligations under multiple pacts the U.S. remains a part of, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Montreal Protocol. The bottom line: The opinion is a BFD — but only to a point.
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Business Standard
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Over 1.1 million Afghans deported from Iran, UN rushes aid amid crisis
In response to the worsening crisis, Tom Fletcher, the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator, has allocated $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to assist returnees from Iran ANI Asia Zia, an Afghan man who left for Iran seven years ago in search of a better future, now finds himself in dire conditions in a returnee camp in Kabul after being forcibly deported, Tolo News reported. Zia, now living with his children in one of the makeshift camps, spoke about the harsh treatment faced during their migration and their current struggles. "We were under pressure, they fined us and deported us, and now we are left with only 200 million tomans, of which only 100 million have been given to us to cover our expenses. The UN also provides aid that's neither enough to live nor to die. Our request is for help. We have no home now," Zia told Tolo News. According to Tolo News, Zia's story reflects the situation of thousands of other Afghan returnees who continue to live between the pain of exile and homelessness in their homeland. The hardships are visibly etched on the faces of his children, shaped by years of displacement in Iran and now life without shelter in Afghanistan. In response to the worsening crisis, Tom Fletcher, the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator, has allocated $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to assist returnees from Iran. The announcement was made by Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Tolo News reported. "There's been a surge of returns from Iran in recent weeks. The new funding will help expand support for the most vulnerable, including women and children, as they arrive in and in their areas of return," Dujarric said. As per Tolo News, the funds aim to bolster life-saving assistance at the borders and provide aid to vulnerable groups. According to UN data, nearly 339,000 people have returned from Iran to Afghanistan in just the first twelve days of July, with over 60 percent being families and 43 percent children under the age of 18. Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, raised the issue of forced deportations during his recent visit to Tehran, urging Iranian officials to halt such actions. The developments come amid increasing pressure on Afghan migrants in Iran, according to Tolo News. Meanwhile, Mohammad Jamal Muslim, a migrant rights activist, expressed disappointment over the UN's approach. "Multilateral meetings might send a message to governments, but unfortunately, on critical issues, the UN takes a selective approach toward Third World countries and has so far done nothing meaningful for the citizens who are in need," he told Tolo News. More than 1.1 million Afghans have been deported from Iran and returned to Afghanistan since the beginning of this year, UN-affiliated organisations confirmed, as reported by Tolo News. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
