Latest news with #UNWorldFoodProgram
Washington Post
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Food rations are halved in one of Africa's largest refugee camps after US aid cuts
KAKUMA, Kenya — Martin Komol sighs as he inspects his cracked, mud-walled house that is one rain away from fully collapsing. Nothing seems to last for him and 300,000 other refugees in this remote Kakuma camp in Kenya — now, not even food rations. Funding for the U.N. World Food Program has dropped after the Trump administration paused support in March, part of the widespread dismantling of foreign aid by the United States, once the world's biggest donor.
New Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Hungry Palestinians in Gaza block and offload dozens of UN food trucks
TEL AVIV: Palestinians in the Gaza Strip blocked and offloaded dozens of food trucks, the UN World Food Program said Saturday, as desperation mounts following Israel's monthslong blockade and airstrikes while talks of a ceasefire inch forward. The WFP said that 77 trucks carrying aid, mostly flour, were stopped by hungry people who took the food before the trucks were able to reach their destination. A nearly three-month Israeli blockade on Gaza has pushed the population to the brink of famine. While the pressure slightly eased in recent days as Israel allowed some aid to enter, organizations say there still isn't nearly enough food getting in. Hamas on Friday said it was reviewing a US proposal for a temporary ceasefire. US President Donald Trump said that negotiators were nearing a deal. A ceasefire would pause the fighting for 60 days, release some of the 58 hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and much needed food aid and other assistance, according to Hamas and Egyptian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. The WFP said the fear of starvation in Gaza is high despite the food aid that's entering now. 'We need to flood communities with food for the next few days to calm anxieties and rebuild the trust with communities that more food is coming,' said agency said in a statement. A witness in the southern city of Khan Younis told The Associated Press the UN convoy was stopped at a makeshift roadblock and offloaded by desperate civilians in their thousands. Most people carried bags of flour on their backs or heads. He said at one point a forklift was used to offload pallets from the stranded trucks. The witness spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of reprisal. The United Nations said earlier this month that Israeli authorities have forced them to use unsecured routes within areas controlled by the Israeli military in the eastern areas of Rafah and Khan Younis, where armed gangs are active and trucks were stopped. Israel's military didn't immediately respond to comment.
CBC
29-05-2025
- General
- CBC
UN calls for immediate increase in Gaza food aid after thousands storm warehouse
The UN World Food Program is calling for an immediate scale-up in food deliveries and distribution in Gaza to 'reassure people they will not starve.' The statement came as the agency reported 'hordes of hungry people' broke into one of its warehouses, and at least two people died and several more were injured.
The Guardian
06-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
First Thing: Trump blocks grant funding for Harvard until it meets government demands
Good morning. The Department of Education told Harvard University yesterday that it was ending billions of dollars in research grants and other aid unless the school acceded to a list of demands from the Trump administration that would effectively cede control of the nation's oldest and wealthiest university to the government. The news was delivered to Dr Alan Garber, Harvard's president, in a deeply partisan letter from Linda McMahon, the education secretary, filled with extended diatribes about a series of grievances. The main reason for the crackdown on Harvard is the school's rejection of a long list of demands from the Trump administration's antisemitism taskforce, prompted by campus protests against Israel's bloody military campaign in Gaza. McMahon also accuses the university of 'a systematic pattern of violating federal law'. What impact might the funding suspension have? In its lawsuit fighting against the Trump administration, Harvard said the government's funding cuts would have stark 'real-life consequences for patients, students, faculty, staff [and] researchers' by ending crucial medical and scientific research. Hamas no longer interested in truce talks after Israel's new Gaza plan, senior official says Injured Palestinians are brought to the al-Awda hospital after Israeli forces targeted a vehicle at Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir Al Balah on Monday. It was reported that at least four people were killed in the attack. Photograph: Hassan Jedi/Anadolu/Getty Images A senior Hamas official has told AFP the group is no longer interested in truce talks with Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu announced yesterday a new 'intensified' offensive in Gaza that will involve Israeli troops holding on to seized territory and significant displacement of the population. 'There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip,' Basem Naim said, urging the international community 'to pressure the Netanyahu government to end the crimes of hunger, thirst, and killings' in Gaza. His comments come a day after Israel's military said expanded operations in Gaza would include displacing 'most' of its residents. What is Israel's plan for seizing Gaza? Netanyahu, accused of prolonging the war for his own political survival, did not say how much territory would be seized by soldiers, but said Israeli troops would not go into Gaza, launch raids and then retreat quickly. 'The intention is the opposite of that,' he said. What is the latest with the Israeli aid blockade on Gaza? Hunger is being used as a 'weapon of war', according to a Guardian editorial on Sunday. Flour is said to cost 30 times more than before the war. Aid warehouses are empty. UN World Food Program bakeries closed a month ago when supplies ran out; essential community kitchens are now following. This is despite the strong legal consensus that occupying powers have an absolute duty under the Geneva conventions to permit food to be given to a population in need. Ukrainian drones target Moscow for second night Aftermath of a Ukrainian drone attack in Moscow back in March 2025. Photograph: Reuters Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for the second night in a row, forcing the temporary closure of the capital's airports, Russia's military reported. The consecutive attacks came ahead of Moscow this week marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies over Germany in the second world war. Vladimir Putin tried to call a three-day ceasefire for the 8-10 May anniversary; however, Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, characterised the idea as self-serving and pointless unless it lasted 30 days in line with a US proposal that the Russian president has ignored. What are the details? The Moscow mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said at least 19 Ukrainian drones approached Moscow 'from different directions'. Three social media sites with links to Russian security services – Baza, Mash and Shot – said one drone struck an apartment building near a major road in the south of the capital, smashing windows. There were no reports of casualties. In other news … Louis Theroux in The Settlers on the BBC. Photograph: BBC/Mindhouse Productions/Josh Baker A Palestinian activist who appeared in a Louis Theroux documentary about settlers in the West Bank has reportedly had his home raided by Israeli soldiers. 'They don't see us as equal human beings who deserve the same rights they do,' Issa Amro said. The former vice-president Mike Pence has rebuked Trump over tariffs and his 'wavering' support for Ukraine, saying his import duties are 'not a win for the American people'. Germany's chancellor-elect, Friedrich Merz, was not approved by the Bundestag in Berlin, in a shock first ballot. An X-ray has revealed that a scroll was authored by the Greek philosopher Philodemus, nearly 2,000 years after it was torched by Mount Vesuvius volcano ash in AD79. Stat of the day: 45% of Americans say third world war very likely or fairly likely within five to 10 years Dresden, Germany, in 1945 after Anglo-American bombing. Photograph: Sovfoto/UIG/Getty Images As Europe marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day, a YouGov poll across a range of countries found many believe a devastating third global conflict could break out within a decade. In the US, 14% said it was very likely and 31% said it was fairly likely. Don't miss this: After Canada and Australia, could Donald Trump really be the saviour of center-left politics? (Left to right) Donald Trump, Peter Dutton, Pierre Poilievre, Mark Carney and Anthony Albanese. Composite: Victoria Hart/Guardian design Some have nicknamed it 'the Trump slump' and suggested the phenomenon was spreading. But even after liberal victories in Australian and Canadian elections, experts and analysts disagree over the reviving in fortunes of center-left parties. Climate check: Democratic-led states sue Trump for blocking wind energy projects Turbines operate at the Block Island windfarm, Rhode Island. Photograph: Julia Nikhinson/AP A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general sued on Monday in an attempt to block Donald Trump's move to suspend leasing and permitting of new wind projects, saying it threatens to cripple the wind industry and a key source of clean energy. Last Thing: Met Gala 2025 red carpet – in pictures Zendaya arrives at the 2025 Met Gala. Photograph: John Shearer/WireImage This year's Met Gala theme was 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style', looking back at 300 years of Black fashion alongside the history of Black dandyism. It coincides with a gallery opening of the Met's first ever fashion exhibition devoted entirely to designers of color. Check out what celebrities wore here. Sign up Sign up for the US morning briefing First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you're not already signed up, subscribe now. Get in touch If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@
Leaders
26-04-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Hamas Eyes 5-Year Truce as Food Stocks Run Out in Gaza
The Palestinian movement Hamas has indicated its willingness to accept an agreement that will release all hostages at once in exchange for a 5-year truce. This comes as the UN World Food Program (WFP) warned that food stocks had run out as a result of the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. Five-year Truce Speaking to Agence France Presse (AFP), a Hamas official said on Saturday that the Palestinian movement is pursuing an agreement to end the war in Gaza that would involve the one-time release of all remaining hostages and a five-year truce. 'Hamas is ready for an exchange of prisoners in a single batch and a truce for five years,' the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. New Ceasefire Talks The statements came as a Hamas delegation traveled to Cairo to meet with mediators later in the day for discussions on Gaza ceasefire. Hamas leader, Taher Al-Nono, confirmed that Hamas delegation, led by Khalil Al-Hayya, would meet Egyptian officials in Cairo to discuss the Palestinian movement's vision for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza. Al-Nono stressed that Hamas' arms are not up for negotiations, according to Asharq Al-Awsat. Mediation Efforts In an effort to end the war in Gaza, Egyptian and Qatari mediators have proposed a new formula including a 5-to-7-year truce, the release of all Israeli hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners, a formal end to the war, and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, BBC reported citing a senior Palestinian official. Since the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel collapsed in March, mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US have made several proposals to end the war, but negotiations stalled. Hamas insists that a ceasefire agreement must guarantee a full Israeli withdrawal from the Strip, a prisoner exchange, and the immediate entry of humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, Israel demands the return of all hostages and the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza – a demand that Hamas rejects. Gaza Aid Blockade Israel has imposed a blockade on the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza since March 2 to pressure Hamas to release all the remaining hostages. On Friday, the US President, Donald Trump, said that he pressed the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to allow food and medicine into the Strip, reported Reuters. Replying to questions about aid delivery to Gaza, Trump said that he discussed the matter with Netanyahu. 'Gaza came up and I said, 'We've got to be good to Gaza … Those people are suffering,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. 'We're going to take care of that. There's a very big need for medicine, food and medicine, and we're taking care of it,' he said, referring to opening up access points for aid into Gaza. Critical Situation On Friday, the UN WFP said that it had run out of food stocks in Gaza under the Israeli blockade. In a statement, it said it had delivered the last remaining food stocks to hot meal kitchens in Gaza, which are expected to run out of food in the coming days. 'No humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered Gaza for more than seven weeks as all main border crossing points remain closed. This is the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced, exacerbating already fragile markets and food systems,' the statement noted. 'The situation inside the Gaza Strip has once again reached a breaking point: people are running out of ways to cope, and the fragile gains made during the short ceasefire have unraveled. Without urgent action to open borders for aid and trade to enter, WFP's critical assistance may be forced to end,' it added. The WFP urged all parties to abide by international humanitarian law and allow aid entry to the Strip. 'WFP urges all parties to prioritize the needs of civilians and allow aid to enter Gaza immediately and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law,' the statement said. Short link : Post Views: 2
