According to the relief coordination office, OCHA, rainfall since Saturday caused widespread flooding across parts of Idleb and northern Latakia, damaging around 1,800 tents and destroying at least 150 in camps housing displaced families. A local hospital was also forced to suspend operations, with patients having been evacuated and mobile medical teams deployed. Authorities have […]
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, António Guterres conveyed his “heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Nigeria,” and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. “The Secretary-General reiterates the solidarity of the United Nations with the Government and people of Nigeria in their efforts to […]
“I’m ashamed on behalf of the world that we cannot find it in ourselves to be more compassionate, to be more kind, to recognise what people here are going through,” said Tom Fletcher, who heads the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA, during a visit to the Caribbean nation. “I listened to people whose lives have […]
Although the private aid platform run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation continues to receive its own supplies, “we are on a descent into a massive famine”, insisted Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, on Friday. Referring to the latest catastrophic assessment of food insecurity in Gaza from the […]
The UN Security Council is meeting on the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where fresh Israeli evacuation orders have uprooted tens of thousands amid relentless bombardment claiming hundreds of civilian lives in recent weeks – many of them children. “Food is running out. Those seeking it risk being shot. People are dying trying to feed […]
In an alert, the UN agency warned that it faces having to make “drastic cuts” to life-saving food assistance, which may “grind to a halt” in the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya in the coming months as resources run out. WFP noted that the situation for many Sudanese refugees is already dire, more […]
Tom Fletcher was speaking at the annual stock-take of his sector known as the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment, which brings together UN Member States and organizations, humanitarian and development partners, as well as the private sector and affected communities. He said this year’s theme – renew global solidarity for humanity – “could not be more […]
“We have been forced into a triage of human survival,” said Mr. Fletcher. “The math is cruel, and the consequences are heartbreaking. Too many people will not get the support they need, but we will save as many lives as we can with the resources we are given.” New priorities The appeal aims to reprioritise […]
“We value the support of more and more Member States who are joining our call: Let us work,” Mr. Fletcher said, his comments coinciding with the announcement that the US and Israeli-backed aid hub in southern Gaza operating independently of the UN had been suspended on Wednesday. “The world is watching, day after day, horrifying […]
After more than a decade of conflict and severe economic stagnation, lifting the punitive measures will encourage long-term recovery and peacebuilding in Syria, Amy Pope, IOM Director-General, said in a statement. “The lifting of sanctions sends a powerful message of hope to millions of displaced Syrians, both within the country and across the region,” she said. […]
Before granting Mauritius independence in 1968, Britain unlawfully separated the Chagos archipelago to create the British Indian Ocean Territory. In doing so, it expelled 1,500–2,000 islanders to lease Diego Garcia, the largest island, to the United States for joint military use. Under the agreement, the UK will lease the island of Diego Garcia for the […]
“Today will be crucial. Truckloads of lifesaving aid finally on move again,” said top UN aid relief coordinator Tom Fletcher. Hours earlier and in a major development, 198 trucks entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south of the enclave, carrying nutrition supplies, medicines and wheat flour. Announcing the news online, Mr. Fletcher […]
Tom Fletcher said in a statement on Monday that nine UN trucks were cleared to enter the southern Kerem Shalom crossing earlier in the day. “But it is a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed…We have been reassured that our work will be facilitated through existing, proven mechanisms. I am grateful for […]
The UN estimates that in the past few weeks, over 330,000 people have fled into Tawila after the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) launched violent attacks in the Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps and in El Fasher, the regional capital. Over 100,000 people also remain trapped in El Fasher. ‘Massive’ humanitarian needs Since the beginning […]
In a powerful statement on Thursday, Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, condemned Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian assistance as a “cruel collective punishment” of the Palestinian population. “Two months ago, the Israeli authorities took a deliberate decision to block all aid to Gaza and halt our efforts to save survivors of their military […]