News in Brief 24 January 2024 |

This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.

Displacement misery continues for Gazans, UN humanitarians warn

Amidst ongoing conflict in Gaza, UN humanitarians expressed deep concern for the most vulnerable Palestinians facing displacement on Wednesday forced to flee intensifying fighting and Israeli evacuation orders. 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on social platform X of the growing risk of disease and collapsing health services in Gaza, with 16 out of 36 hospitals only functioning partially. 

Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, noted no respite in atrocities due to fighting in Gaza since October, citing over 25,000 reported deaths, inadequate healthcare, and thousands of homes turned into rubble.

The UN agency for Palestine, UNRWA, reported massive further displacement in Khan Younis, with new refugees arriving and setting up tents along the Gaza-Egypt border. The situation facing 1.3 million forced to move has “deteriorated dramatically.” 

Diseases like meningitis and hepatitis C are spreading, and education for hundreds of thousands of children through UNRWA schools is at a standstill. 

UN humanitarians scale up cholera response in Somalia

The spread of cholera and acute watery diarrhoea is continuing in Somalia, with over 470 new cases registered in recent days, including nine deaths, aid coordination agency OCHA warned on Wednesday.

Most incidents are concentrated in the areas that experienced severe flooding late last year. 

More than 18,300 cases were reported during last year; more than half of them children under five.

OCHA is leading the response, setting up new treatment centres in flood-affected areas and running extensive community education and awareness campaigns through health workers and outreach teams. 

Alongside Somalia’s Ministry of Health, humanitarians in the country have activated a national cholera task force and developed a six-month plan to scale up the response, which will require some $5.6 million. 

With preparations for anticipated April to June flooding now underway, insufficient funding remains a critical concern, UN humanitarians emphasized. 

On Education Day, UNESCO trains teachers to counter hate speech

UNESCO, the UN agency for culture, science, and education, is highlighting the key role teachers can play in curbing the rise of hate speech worldwide.

Marking the International Day of Education on Wednesday, UNESCO says education and classroom teaching in particular is pivotal to countering narratives that fuel prejudice, discrimination, and violence. 

According to UNESCO, a study conducted in 16 countries last year revealed that 67 per cent of Internet users have encountered hate speech online.

Some 85 per cent of respondents expressed concern about the impact of disinformation. 

In her statement for the day, Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO, emphasized the urgent need to prioritize education as a tool to promote the values of human dignity and peace, adding that “if hatred starts with words, peace starts with education”.

To address this pressing concern, the agency organized a one-day online training for thousands of teachers. 

The workshop equipped educators with tools to identify, confront, and prevent hate speech incidents.

UNESCO also brought together ministers, academic leaders and educators from around the globe at an event in New York – home to UN Headquarters – to discuss the role education can play in achieving sustainable global peace. 

Matt Wells, UN News.