UN condemns Israeli strikes on Lebanon
We begin in the Middle East, where the UN has strongly condemned the massive wave of Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon which killed hundreds of people and damaged civilian infrastructure.
The bombardment on Wednesday came in the wake of a ceasefire deal between the United States and Iran following more than a month of war that has impacted countries across the Middle East and beyond.
Israel said it was targeting Hezbollah militants, who began firing on its territory in solidarity with Iran just days after the Iran war erupted.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his call to all parties to immediately cease hostilities and pursue diplomatic means to end the conflict.
His Personal Envoy for the Middle East Conflict, Jean Arnault, is currently in Iran to support peace efforts.
More than 200 killed in Lebanon strikes, but many victims still missing: WHO
The attacks against Lebanon’s capital Beirut and other areas in the country marked “one of the largest waves of Israeli strikes so far” according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.
More than 200 people were killed and over 1,000 injured, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, citing interim assessments by the authorities.
Healthcare workers and first responders were among those who lost their lives, WHO Representative in Lebanon Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar told UN News.
“Many victims remain missing under the rubble, and hospitals continue to receive reports of the unidentified bodies, actually, and body parts that have been recovered. This highlights the devastation of scale of this attack.”
The strikes have added to the death toll in Lebanon. WHO reported that more than 1,500 people have been killed and nearly 5,000 injured since the Iran war began in late February.
Lebanon’s health system is also under mounting pressure. WHO has documented more than 100 attacks on healthcare, and emergency, surgical and intensive care services are under severe strain.
Funding shortfalls threaten support to Sudanese refugees in Chad
Moving now to Chad, where more than a million Sudanese refugees risk losing out on essential food, shelter and other support due to funding cuts, as the war in their homeland approaches the three-year mark.
The warning comes from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the World Food Programme (WFP).
They said “essential assistance to the refugees will be drastically scaled back even further in the coming months” unless a $428 million shortfall is met.
Chad is hosting some 1.3 million people who have fled Sudan, with the majority – over 900,000 – arriving since the start of the war that erupted in April 2023.
Host communities continue to receive new arrivals, including nearly 15,000 since the start of the year.
Dianne Penn, UN News
Source of original article: United Nations (news.un.org). Photo credit: UN. The content of this article does not necessarily reflect the views or opinion of Global Diaspora News (www.globaldiasporanews.com).
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