Latest news with #UN
Hindustan Times
2 minutes ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
UN flags exclusion of Afghan women in education, jobs under Taliban rule
Four years into the current rule in Afghanistan, women remain excluded from government structures as well as the right to education and work, the UN Special Representative for Women in Afghanistan has said, Tolo News reported. The UN stressed that despite ongoing challenges, it remains committed to investing in organizations, businesses, and ensuring women's participation in international dialogues to safeguard their rights.(AFP) Susan Ferguson stressed that the continuation of this situation is harmful not only to women but to Afghanistan as a whole. She stated: "Regarding education and employment, women and girls are still barred from attending secondary schools, universities, and most jobs. This has destroyed the future of an entire generation of young Afghan girls. The exclusion of women not only harms them personally, but also damages families, communities, and the country as a whole." According to UN findings, half of female employees in civil society organizations have lost their jobs this year due to reduced funding. Ferguson emphasized that Afghan women and girls are bearing the heaviest burden of declining international aid. She added: "Half of female staff in civil society organizations have lost their jobs due to funding cuts. More than one-third of these organizations reported that if the current situation continues, their ability to reach women and girls will be severely reduced, limited, or completely halted." The UN stressed that despite ongoing challenges, it remains committed to investing in organizations, businesses, and ensuring women's participation in international dialogues to safeguard their rights, Tolo News reported. Women's rights activist Faryal Sayedzada told Tolo News: "The deprivation of Afghan girls and women from education will have negative consequences and will harm Afghanistan in the years to come. We hope that with the start of the new academic year, the Afghan government will prepare a procedure that allows Afghan girls to continue their education." Human rights issues, especially women's right to education and employment, remain key points of contention between the international community and Afghanistan's interim government, frequently debated over the past four years. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan recently said that work is underway on this matter in order to obtain proper Sharia approval, Tolo News reported. (ANI)
Sky News
2 minutes ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Tents abandoned as Palestinians flee Israeli advance into Gaza City
Thousands have fled parts of Gaza City in recent days amid airstrikes and advancing Israeli troops, new satellite imagery shows. Israel's advance comes as it prepares to mount a full-scale invasion of the city, where the UN says around one million Palestinians are sheltering. Satellite imagery shows that entire tent camps in southeast Gaza City were emptied between 9 and 17 August as families fled the renewed attacks. The video below shows the moment of an airstrike in southeastern Gaza City on 13 August. Sky News geolocated the footage to a building less than 200 metres from a major tent camp. Another video, taken on 15 August, shows a strike on a building right next to the camp. By the following day, almost all the camp's residents had fled, along with people sheltering at 30 other locations in the area. Fresh vehicle tracks in the area indicate extensive troop movements on the ground. The satellite image below, taken on 17 August, shows at least nine military vehicles in the streets surrounding one former tent camp. Sky News counted 58 military vehicles in the area on 17 August, including 17 bulldozers. The image below shows four IDF vehicles, including a bulldozer, parked next to the remains of one tent camp. Several nearby buildings had been levelled in the days beforehand. Between 9 and 17 August, at least 132 buildings were destroyed in less than one square kilometre of the city. It's unclear how much of the destruction was carried out by IDF bulldozers and how much was a result of airstrikes. On Monday, eyewitnesses reported that Israeli tanks had made further advances into eastern Gaza City. The advances came as Hamas said it had approved a ceasefire deal presented by mediators Egypt and Qatar. Israel has yet to respond to the proposal. Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his country's military to prepare for a full-scale invasion and occupation of the city in order to "free Gaza from Hamas". The UN has said that the invasion risks "catastrophic consequences" for the estimated one million Palestinians sheltering in the city, while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the plan would "only bring more bloodshed".
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 minutes ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Claims Egypt blocking aid to Gaza are ‘a big lie': FM Abdelatty to CNN - Foreign Affairs
Egypt's foreign minister Badr Abdelatty has rejected accusations that Cairo is obstructing humanitarian aid to Gaza as a 'big lie', insisting that Israel alone controls the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing and is responsible for blocking relief supplies. The foreign minister's statements came in an exclusive interview with CNN's Becky Anderson on board a plane on the way to an international press conference on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Monday. Abdelatty explained to Anderson that the Egyptian terminal of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza remained open, while the Palestinian terminal on the other side 'was destroyed by Israel four times by Israel.' 'The Israelis are physically there, preventing any truck or person from moving in. Israel is the main country blocking and putting restrictions on the flow of humanitarian and medical aid,' he said. Abdelatty also warned against attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians through Rafah, describing displacement as a 'red line.' He said: 'There is no moral, ethical, legal, or political justification for displacement. Those people are attached to their homeland. Displacement is a one-way ticket … it means only one objective: the liquidation of the Palestinian cause.' Asked by Anderson about the usefulness of a peace treaty that 'cannot be negotiated,' Abdelatty defended Egypt's 1979 treaty with Israel, calling it 'the main pillar of stability in our neighbourhood.' He stressed that Cairo maintains security and intelligence contacts with Israel, but said the real obstacle is 'the lack of political will' to reach a political settlement. In Rafah, on the Egyptian side, during a joint press conference with Palestinian prime minister Mohamed Mustafa at Rafah, Abdelatty reiterated Cairo's rejection of 'Greater Israel' illusions and any attempt to displace Palestinians, a position Mustafa praised as 'an impregnable barrier' to Israeli plans. On Sunday, Cairo urged other states not to become complicit in any ethnic cleansing efforts as they constituted a war crime under international law. Since 27 July, Egypt has dispatched 17 aid convoys, in collaboration with the UN and its humanitarian partners, to stem famine conditions in Gaza amid a five-month-old Israeli blockade on the strip. However, Israel has prevented the entry of hundreds of aid truck into Gaza by imposing endless inspections of content and arrestining truck drivers. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Days of Palestine
20 minutes ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
360 UNRWA Staff Killed during Gaza Genocide
DaysofPal- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has revealed that it has lost 360 staff members in Gaza since the outbreak of the Israeli war on the territory last October, underscoring what officials describe as one of the heaviest tolls ever borne by a UN humanitarian agency. Marking World Humanitarian Day, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini paid tribute to the agency's frontline workers, stressing that they 'have not given up despite the daily hell they endure.' According to Lazzarini, many of those killed died while on duty, hundreds more have been wounded, and at least 50 employees were detained or held by Israeli forces, with some allegedly subjected to torture before their release. Lazzarini reaffirmed UNRWA's commitment to serving Palestinian refugees 'until a just solution is reached' and said the agency would continue its mission despite mounting challenges. The deaths come as the Israeli occupation has stepped up measures to curtail UNRWA's operations. In October 2024, the Israeli Knesset passed laws banning the agency from carrying out any activities within areas under Israeli sovereignty, stripping it of privileges granted since 1967, and forbidding official Israeli contact with the UN body. Rights experts warn that efforts to dismantle UNRWA are part of a broader campaign to delegitimize the agency. 'It started with questioning its efficiency, then demonizing it as a terrorist body, and now accusing it of complicity in the events of October 7,' said Nidal Azza, director of the BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights. The Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, backed by the United States, has left 62,004 Palestinians dead and 156,230 wounded, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. More than 9,000 remain missing, while famine conditions have claimed the lives of 263 people, including 112 children. Despite international outcry and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt its military campaign, the Israeli occupation continues to press on, leaving Gaza in what humanitarian agencies describe as a state of 'unprecedented catastrophe.' Shortlink for this post:
Days of Palestine
20 minutes ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Al-Nunu: We hope the new proposal will open a path toward ending the war
DaysofPal- Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu confirmed that his Movement has agreed to a new ceasefire proposal presented by Egyptian and Qatari mediators, stressing that the decision was made in the interest of protecting Palestinian civilians and alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Al-Nunu said the proposal represents a middle ground between Hamas's previous stance and Israel's position, confirming that the deal includes U.S. guarantees. 'We hope the new proposal will open a path toward ending the war,' he added. According to Palestinian sources, Hamas and allied factions accepted the plan without reservations. The agreement calls for the redeployment of Israeli forces from northern and eastern Gaza, excluding some areas such as Shuja'iyya and Beit Lahia, alongside the release of Palestinian prisoners, the reopening of the Rafah crossing, and the guaranteed entry of fuel, water, and electricity. The plan also provides for the rehabilitation of hospitals, bakeries, and rubble-clearing equipment. A prisoner exchange is also included, with 140 Palestinians serving life sentences and 60 others with long-term sentences set to be released in exchange for Israeli captives. The deal also stipulates the release of all Palestinian children and women prisoners and the transfer of ten Palestinian bodies for each Israeli body. Implementation of the agreement would begin immediately upon approval, with the UN, the Red Crescent, and other international organizations overseeing humanitarian aid distribution in coordination with Palestinian factions. Egypt's State Information Service confirmed that the proposal has been delivered to the Israeli occupation, saying the ball is now in Tel Aviv's court. Egyptian officials warned that failure to respond positively could prolong the conflict while urging stronger U.S. and international pressure on the Israeli occupation to accept the terms. The move comes amid mounting international concern over Gaza's worsening humanitarian disaster, where more than two years of Israeli military operations have left widespread destruction, severe shortages of food, water, and medicine, and thousands of civilian casualties. Shortlink for this post:
