UN News Today July 18 |

‘Largest’ displacements so far in Gaza’s war of attrition: UN aid agencies

UN humanitarians issued a fresh alert on Thursday about having to cut rations in Gaza where fresh evacuation orders by the Israeli military have prompted “the largest displacements since October” across the enclave.

In addition to deep concerns about all those forcibly uprooted from their shelters and homes, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the delivery of lifesaving rations has become even more difficult than it was already, with many distribution points forced to shut down.

In July so far, WFP has provided more than 600,000 people in Gaza with food assistance, and more than 500,000 people with food parcels and wheat flour.

It has reported having to further reduce rations in Gaza city to ensure broader coverage for those newly displaced, according to an update from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, which also reported that the Israeli military on Wednesday stopped all aid missions from going north of Wadi Gaza, the river valley which divides the enclave in two.

“This means humanitarian workers were unable to reach any of the hundreds of thousands of people in need, said OCHA, adding that it was also “impossible” for aid teams “to collect supplies from the northern entry point of Erez West – the border crossing between northern Gaza and Israel.

The UN aid office also noted multiple reports of military activity along the Israeli military road that separates north and south Gaza, as some 450 people crossed from Gaza city in the north to Deir al Balah governorate further south on Wednesday alone, compared to just over 1,000 previously.

“Some of those new arrivals told aid workers that Israeli troops had shot at people trying to cross, forcing some of them to turn around,” the UN aid agency said.

Rights abuses in CAR detention centres need urgent response: UN experts

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has joined the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, or CAR, in a call for immediate action to address human rights violations in detention centres there.

In a new report published on Thursday, OHCHR and the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSCA describes evidence of torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, along with a lack of food and water.

Thousands are being held in overcrowded centres across CAR with limited access to basic resources.

Here’s OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan:

“Some detainees have been waiting to go on trial for several years. That is why the authorities need to speed up the reforms that they have started, the experts said. For example, more resources are required to provide better healthcare and nutrition. The authorities should also fully comply with the legal time limits that restrict detention, pretrial detention should remain the exception and of course, those responsible for violations must be held accountable.”

The report covers January to December 2023 and highlights that time limits on detention are ignored and that there is excessive use of pre-trial detention.

The report shows malnutrition, poor healthcare and hygiene, have led to disease outbreaks in some prisons. It calls for more resources to meet detainees’ basic needs.

It also notes some progress however. UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of MINUSCA, Valentine Rugwabiza, acknowledged Government efforts to address these issues, including more frequent court sessions and prison renovations. They pledged UN support to respect human rights and the rule of law in CAR.

UNFPA: A woman dies every two hours during pregnancy or childbirth in Yemen

Despite a lull in Yemen’s nine-year war – the destruction of healthcare there has meant a woman dies every two hours during pregnancy or childbirth.
That’s according to UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA, which said that Yemen has high rates of preventable maternal deaths, with 5.5 million women having no, or limited access to reproductive health services.

Six out of 10 births occur without a skilled midwife which increases the risk of complications and deaths, UNFPA noted.

On 10 July, the Yemeni government announced a 70 per cent reduction in international funding for the health sector and called on regional and international organizations to provide sustainable support to maintain essential health services.

The UN says the war has destroyed most sectors in Yemen, including healthcare and caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Needs are immense with 18.2 million people – over half the country’s population – requiring humanitarian assistance and protection services.