News in Brief 5 December 2023 |

This is the News in Brief from the United Nations. 

WFP forced to ‘pause’ food aid distribution in northern Yemen

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday that it was being forced to pause the distribution of food aid to needy families in northern areas of Yemen under the control of authorities in and around the capital Sana’a.

The region has been under the control of opposition Houthi forces since internationally recognized Government forces were driven out of the city in 2015.

WFP said that despite negotiating with the authorities for nearly a year to provide a more limited aid programme that would reach around 6.5 million in need, versus the current 9.5 million, no agreement has been reached.

The scaled down programme would match available resources to the neediest families, said WFP, adding that ending distribution for now, was a “difficult decision” that had been reached in consultation with donors.

Food stocks in areas under the Sana’a Based Authorities’ control “are now almost completely depleted and resuming food assistance, even with an immediate agreement”, could take up to four months due to supply chain disruptions, the agency added.

WFP said it would continue its programmes to limit the impact of the pause, “for as long as the agency has sufficient funding” and cooperation from the Houthi authorities.

In areas of Yemen under Government control, food distribution will continue with a heightened focus on the most vulnerable, the agency added.

Desperation intensifies in Gaza

The situation for Gazans is “getting worse by the hour”, the UN health agency WHO said on Tuesday, after some of the heaviest Israeli shelling in the enclave since Hamas militants massacred some 1,200 people in southern Israel and took around 240 hostages on 7 October.

Speaking from the southern city of Rafah, Dr. Rick Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) regional representative, described further bloodshed after the resumption of Israeli bombing last Friday.

He said there had been intensified bombing going on throughout the south, noting that in the last couple of days there had also been “a vastly increasing number” of internally displaced people travelling from central Gaza.

Echoing those concerns, UN Children’s Fund spokesperson James Elder cited international humanitarian law that obliges military forces to “take all feasible measures” to protect civilians.

He said it was unacceptable to unilaterally declare that they should go to “so-called safe zones”, he insisted.

Giving human rights a ‘sporting chance’

And finally, the Sporting Chance Forum got underway in Geneva on Tuesday bringing together players from across the sporting world to discuss the future of sport and human rights, engage in collective action, and make pledges that will help shape the coming decades in this important field.

SCF23 is officially part of the UN’s Human Rights 75 initiative, which celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

UN rights chief Volker Türk, said that advancing human rights in sports can catalyze social transformation. 

He also raised strong concern over racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia in sport.

Athletes, family members, and fans from minority communities, all face frequent abuse, which is able to thrive in a culture of near impunity, he warned.

He highlighted the case of Brazilian football player, Vinícius Júnior, who has faced hateful racist slurs in recent month on the pitch of legendary football club Real Madrid, highlighting what he said was a grim reality that is often minimized by industry insiders.

Gender inequality and discrimination against women and LGBTIQ+ people “also remain widespread”, Mr. Türk warned.

Matt Wells, UN News.