Tag Archives: threatens

Peacekeepers find weapons trove in southern Lebanon, as drought threatens millions

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On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) discovered rocket launchers, rocket shells, mortar rounds, bomb fuses and a tunnel containing munitions in separate incidents in Sectors East and West, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

All finds were referred to the Lebanese Armed Forces in line with standard procedure.

UNIFIL also observed continued Israel Defense Forces activity, including an airstrike in Sector West and artillery fire from south of the Blue Line – which separates Israeli and Lebanese armed forces – into Sector East.

To strengthen Lebanese military capacity, the mission has been training personnel in surveying and removing explosive devices, securing contaminated sites and navigating mined areas.

“Such training activities are crucial now as the Lebanese Armed Forces engages daily in identifying and securing areas contaminated with unexploded ordnances and explosive remnants of war,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Complex operational space

Southern Lebanon remains a challenging operational environment, where UNIFIL works to implement Security Council resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah militants.

The Mission’s mandate includes monitoring the cessation of hostilities, supporting the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the south, and helping to ensure that the area between the Blue Line and the Litani River remains free of unauthorized weapons.

The region has experienced recurring tensions, including a sharp escalation last year marked by numerous Israeli airstrikes and ground operations. These incidents have affected local communities and resulted in damage to several UN positions, and injuries to several ‘blue helmets’ serving with UNIFIL.

Unprecedented water crisis

Lebanon’s largest reservoir, Lake Qaraoun, has dropped to its lowest level on record, the Litani River National Authority said.

Inflows during this year’s wet season reached just 45 million cubic metres – compared to an annual average of 350 million – following months of low rainfall and an intense heat wave.

The decline comes amid a wider nationwide emergency.

In early July, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-led water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) group reported that rainfall had fallen by more than half in many regions along with decreased snow-melt, and several reservoirs and aquifers had dried up.

A water pumping station in southwest Lebanon damaged during the recent conflict.

Health risks rising

The drought is affecting all sectors, from agriculture and healthcare to education and local governance. An estimated 1.85 million people live in areas highly vulnerable to drought, with more than 44 per cent of the population dependent on costly and often unsafe water trucking services.

The severe strain on public water systems have been compounded by damaged infrastructure stemming from the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah and electricity shortages.

Health risks are rising, particularly in overcrowded settlements with poor sanitation, where residents may resort to unsafe water sources, heightening the threat of waterborne disease outbreaks, the WASH cluster warned.

Food security worries

The drought has also caused a sharp decline in food production and increased reliance on expensive imports, deepening food insecurity.

Wildfire risks are also mounting due to prolonged dry conditions.

The WASH cluster warned that without urgent international support to restore water systems and protect vulnerable communities, the crisis could further destabilize an already fragile nation.

Libya: UN urges restraint as military buildup threatens renewed violence in Tripoli

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In a statement late on Wednesday (local time), the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expressed deep concern over continued reports of armed group mobilisation in densely populated areas, urging all parties to refrain from the use of force and inflammatory rhetoric.

“The Mission strongly urges all parties to avoid any actions or political rhetoric that could trigger escalation or lead to renewed clashes,” it said.

UNSMIL stressed that protection of civilian lives and property under international law remains a binding obligation for all political and security actors.

“Those responsible for attacks against civilians will be held accountable,” the Mission said.

Pursue dialogue, not violence

The Mission reiterated its support for the implementation of security arrangements developed by the Truce and Security and Military Arrangements Committees, emphasising that “forces recently deployed in Tripoli must withdraw without delay.”

It also underscored that dialogue – not violence – remains the only viable path to achieving sustainable peace and stability in Tripoli and across Libya.

The appeal comes amid reports of military movements in the capital and renewed clashes between armed groups, reflecting the persistent volatility that has plagued Libya since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Political stalemate

The country remains divided between rival administrations in the east and west, with unity efforts repeatedly stalled.

A UN-brokered ceasefire signed in 2020 raised hopes for national elections, but progress has been hampered by political deadlock and sporadic outbreaks of violence – particularly in Tripoli.

In May, clashes erupted in several districts of the capital, reportedly triggered by the killing of a prominent militia leader. The fighting, which involved heavy weaponry in densely populated areas, forced hundreds of families to flee and further strained the city’s already fragile infrastructure.

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In South Asia, anaemia threatens women’s health and economic futures

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The warning, issued jointly by UN agencies and the regional socio-economic bloc SAARC on Wednesday, underscores South Asia’s status as the “global epicentre” of anaemia among adolescent girls and women.

An estimated 259 million already suffer from the condition, which impairs the body’s ability to carry oxygen, contributing to chronic fatigue, poor maternal outcomes, and reduced educational and economic participation.

“This is a clarion call for action,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, Regional Director for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which together with the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and SAARC prepared the analysis.

“When half of all adolescent girls and women in South Asia are anaemic, it is not only a health issue – it is a signal that systems are failing them.”

A far-reaching but preventable condition

Anaemia doesn’t just affect women and girls – it contributes to 40% of the world’s low birth weight cases and affects child growth and learning, particularly in poorer households.

The economic toll is staggering: anaemia costs South Asia an estimated $32.5 billion annually, perpetuating cycles of poverty and poor health.

Yet, the condition is preventable and treatable. Proven solutions include iron and folic acid supplementation, iron- and vitamin-rich diets, better sanitation and infection control, and stronger maternal health services.

Experts stress that multi-sector collaboration is critical for sustained progress.

A nurse speaks to women about nutritious food in western India’s Sabarkantha district, were many women and girls suffer from iron deficiency.

Integrated efforts crucial

In nearly every country, progress hinges on strengthening health systems, expanding nutrition programmes, and reaching adolescent girls and women in marginalised communities.

Sri Lanka, where 18.5 per cent of women of reproductive age are anaemic, is scaling up its national nutrition initiative, focusing on the most affected districts.

India and Pakistan are also seeing encouraging signs. In India, high-burden states are integrating iron supplementation into school and maternal care programmes. Pakistan has piloted community-based nutrition initiatives linked to reproductive health services, enabling early detection and follow-up care.

In Bangladesh, school-based health initiatives are reaching adolescents with fortified meals and health education, coordinated across health, education, and agriculture ministries.

Community-driven action works

The Maldives and Bhutan are prioritising early prevention through childhood nutrition, food fortification, and public awareness campaigns. Though smaller in population, both are investing in anaemia surveillance and inter-ministerial collaboration.

Nepal stands out for its equitable results: since 2016, the country has cut anaemia among women of reproductive age by 7 per cent, with larger declines in poorer areas. Its female community health volunteers are key, providing counselling and referrals in remote regions and linking vulnerable households to public services.

Man Kumari Gurung, a public health nurse in Karnali Province, credits the achievements to a range of community-driven efforts.

“Pregnant women receive eggs, chicken and nutritious food through programmes like Sutkeri Poshan Koseli (Nutrition Gift for New Mothers),” she said. “Cash grants also help with transport to hospitals, supporting safer births and better nutrition.”

A nurse checks a pregnant woman’s weight and vital signs at a clinic in Galigamuwa, Sri Lanka.

Everyone has a role

Ending anaemia requires leadership and teamwork. Governments must lead, but communities, health workers, schools, and families all play a part.

Stronger health systems, better data, and coordinated action across sectors can help girls and women reach their full potential – building healthier communities and stronger economies.

“Young people and mothers are at the heart of South Asia’s development goals. Ensuring that they are healthy, nourished and empowered is not just a moral imperative, it is a strategic investment in the future of our societies,” said Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of SAARC.

AI threatens one in four jobs – but transformation, not replacement, is the real risk

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One in four jobs worldwide is potentially exposed to what’s known as generative artificial intelligence – or Generative AI – according to a new joint study from the UN labour agency (ILO) and Poland’s National Research Institute. The study finds that transforming job descriptions, not widespread job loss, is the more likely result.

Generative AI (GenAI) refers to systems that can create content such as text, images, code or data summaries in response to user prompts. As such tools become more widely used, they are expected to reshape the tasks employees perform each day.

The new ILO-NASK index draws from nearly 30,000 real-world job descriptions using worker surveys, expert reviews and AI models to identify occupations most susceptible to AI driven change.

“Few jobs consist of tasks that are fully automatable with current AI technology,” the authors write. “Transformation of jobs is the most likely impact of GenAI.”

GAVI Alliance/Evelyn Hockstein

A baby has his general health recorded by a data clerk.

Women face disproportionate exposure

The study finds that in high-income countries, jobs considered at the highest risk of AI-driven task automation account for 9.6 per cent of female employment – nearly three times the share for men.

Worldwide, 4.7 per cent of women’s jobs fall into the highest-risk category, compared with 2.4 per cent for men.

This disparity is due largely to the overrepresentation of women in clerical and administrative roles, which are among the most exposed occupational groups.

These jobs often involve tasks such as data entry and document formatting and scheduling, functions that AI technologies can already perform efficiently.

While these roles are unlikely to disappear entirely, the report warns that partial automation could reduce job quality, leading to fewer responsibilities, stagnating wages and growing insecurity.

Without targeted training or role redesign, some workers – particularly women – may face limited opportunities to adapt.

A global, unequal picture

The report also identifies stark differences across regions. In high-income countries, 34 per cent of jobs are in occupations exposed to GenAI, compared to just 11 per cent in low-income countries.

Middle-income regions such as Latin America and parts of Asia fall somewhere in between.

Europe and Central Asia show the highest gender disparities, driven by high female employment in clerical roles and widespread digital adoption.

Regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Arab States currently show lower overall exposure but could still experience significant disruption if AI technologies spread without safeguards.

The study cautions that lower exposure does not equal lower risk. In regions where digital access is limited or labour protections are weak, even small-scale automation could destabilise vulnerable sectors.

Turning insight into action

To ensure that the transition to generative AI supports rather than displaces workers, ILO urges governments, employers and workers’ organisations to act decisively.

Central to the recommended response is the need to strengthen access to digital skills and training, particularly for women and those working in clerical or administrative roles.

The agency also highlights the importance of integrating AI planning into broader labour market and education policies.

Preparing workforces for transformation will require not only technical training, but also supportive infrastructure, modernised curricula, and alignment between employers’ needs and national policies.

Inclusivity’s a must

At the heart of this transition, authors stress, must be inclusive social dialogue. Workers should have a say in how GenAI is introduced and used in the workplace, and their experiences must inform decisions about implementation.

Without this engagement, the risks of unequal outcomes, including widening gender gaps and declining job quality, will be much greater.

Finally, the report emphasises that regions with limited digital access must not be left behind. Expanding infrastructure and ensuring equitable access to technology are critical steps in enabling all countries to shape the future of work on their own terms.

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Gaza: ‘Worst-case scenario’ unfolds as brutal aid blockade threatens mass starvation

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Speaking from Gaza City OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherevko told journalists in Geneva that a friend of hers “saw people burning a few days ago from the explosions – and there was no water to save them.”

Since all entry points into the war-torn enclave were “sealed by the Israeli authorities for the entry of cargo” in March, the “worst-case scenario” was triggered, Ms. Cherevko said: supplies are depleting while the conflict rages on.

“Food stocks have now mainly run out, water access has become impossible,” she told journalists in Geneva.

As the veteran aid worker spoke, she noted that a “very violent fight” for access to water was taking place downstairs from her, with people throwing rocks and firing shots at a water truck which was pulling away.

No childhood

The OCHA spokesperson said that every day she was seeing children “who have been deprived of their childhood for many months,” and elderly people “rummaging through piles of trash” in search of food and combustible material for cooking, in the absence of fuel.

During a visit on Thursday to Patient Friends Hospital, a paediatric hospital in Gaza City which had been attacked several times during the war, she heard reports of rising malnutrition rates.

“Hospitals report running out of blood units, as mass casualties continue to arrive,” Ms. Cherevko stressed, while precious fuel is being rationed.

Malnutrition cases among children in Gaza are increasing due to a lack of food.

Running on empty

“Gaza is inching closer to running on empty,” she added.

Ms. Cherevko said that UN humanitarians are “in constant contact” with the Israeli authorities and are advocating for border crossings to reopen. “We have mechanisms that mitigate diversion [and] ensure that aid reaches the people it’s intended to reach,” she said.

“We are ready to resume delivery at scale as soon as the crossings reopen, Ms. Cherevko insisted. “We stand by our pledge to remain principled and continue relieving people’s suffering, wherever they may be.”

In an appeal to the Israeli authorities on Thursday, the UN’s top humanitarian official and OCHA chief Tom Fletcher said, “Lift this brutal blockade. Let humanitarians save lives”.

Mr. Fletcher reaffirmed the urgent need for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023, who “should never have been taken from their families” and stressed that “aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip”.

Gazans queue for food in January 2025 when it was more widely available in the enclave.

Generational horror

Ms. Cherevko said that over the past one and a half months, 420,000 people have been “once again forced to flee, many of them with only the clothes on their backs, shot at along the way, arriving in overcrowded shelters, as tents and other facilities where people seek safety, are being bombed”.

“I worry that five, 10, 20 years from now, we will look at our children and grandchildren in shame and we will not be able to explain to them why we could not stop this horror,” she concluded.

“How much more blood must be spilled before enough becomes enough?”

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