UN News Today 27 June 2025 |

Gaza: Health system crumbles amid renewed obstacles to aid delivery

The first delivery earlier this week of urgently needed medical goods to enter Gaza in months will provide little relief to the enclave’s people, who continue to be shot and killed while searching for food, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

The development follows reports of another mass casualty incident on Thursday, this time involving a strike on a market in the central city of Deir al Balah.

More than 20 people were killed and approximately 70 others were injured, according to reports.

Providing high-quality medical care is very difficult in the war-torn occupied enclave today, “particularly because we are speaking about a high volume of patients every time”, said WHO medic in Gaza, Dr Luca Pigozzi:

“Definitely, people get shot. They are victim of blast injuries as well and bodily injuries, for sure. And with all the challenges that were described before, I think it’s very also much important to understand that providing high-quality medical care is very much difficult and hard, particularly because we are speaking about high volume of patients every time.”

Health needs are widespread and growing across Gaza, but almost 50 per cent of medical stocks completely depleted, the UN health agency reports.

Myanmar’s corrupt generals have left people in poverty, UN rights chief says

To the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where the UN rights chief Volker Türk has condemned the “corruption and cronyism” of Myanmar’s generals that has left the country’s people poor and yearning for democratic rule.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights’ comments come more than four years since a military coup in Myanmar that sparked an ongoing civil war.

It’s been marked by major rights violations by the armed forces against ethnic and other minorities.

Mr. Türk said that for decades, the military has exploited Myanmar’s economy and its rich natural resources for its own benefit.

But it has lost control of large areas of the country which has left communities empowered, the High Commissioner explained:

“We have seen that there is a new order that is emerging. That, actually, in many areas where the military is no longer present, there is a notable lack of anarchy. We see local governance structures emerge and flourish where women, youth, civil society have risen to the fore and established these local governance structures. So, there is already an alternative in the making as we speak.”

The UN rights chief urged the Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court, so that those responsible for the worst abuses can face justice.

He also repeated his call for an arms embargo and sanctions including on jet fuel and so-called dual-use goods, “to protect the people of Myanmar”.

Viet Nam: UN human rights office welcomes lawmakers’ death penalty reform

Staying with human rights, Viet Nam’s unanimous decision by lawmakers to end the death penalty for a range of offences has been welcomed by the UN rights office, OHCHR.

At the Southeast Asian nation’s Parliament on Wednesday, MPs reduced the number of offences for which the death penalty can be applied from 18 to 10.

The reform applies to offences including espionage, embezzlement and illegal transportation of drugs and it comes into effect on 1 July.

In a statement, OHCHR urged the Viet Nam authorities “to build on [the] historic vote” and abolish the death sentence completely for all crimes.

Until this happens, the UN rights office recommended a moratorium on the death penalty for the remaining offences that remain punishable by death in Viet Nam.

Evidence suggests that executions have “little, if any, effect” in deterring crime, OHCHR said.

Daniel Johnson, UN News

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