World News in Brief: 300,000 displaced in Lebanon, Türk ‘deeply concerned’ over Novaya Gazeta closure, $50 million refugee appeal, World Cities Day

Despite civilians’ willingness to return home, continued Israeli military activity and presence in the south are making it very difficult, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists on Friday. 

This week alone, further demolitions, fires and strikes by Israeli forces were reported across Southern Lebanon, both within the so-called combat zone declared by Israel – from which residents were ordered to evacuate – and beyond it.  

Those who return

Although close to 970,000 people have returned to their communities in the south, their situation is often dire: homes have been damaged, while essential services are disrupted and making a living has become ever more challenging. 

In Nabatieh Governorate, for example, insecurity and restrictions on access to agricultural land are disrupting the olive harvest there. 

In some villages, farmers have been able to harvest for only two days before being forced by the Israeli army to stop doing so.

As part of the humanitarian response, OCHA’s Lebanon Humanitarian Fund has allocated $91 million to support displaced people, returnees, refugees and other communities affected by this year’s escalation.

Russia: Türk ‘deeply concerned’ by forced closure of Novaya Gazeta

UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Friday he was deeply concerned and saddened by the announcement that Novaya Gazeta, a “highly respected” independent Russian newspaper, is being forced to close.

He called it “yet another devastating blow for remaining independent media in the Russian Federation”.

Independent journalism in Russia has faced mounting restrictions for many years, Mr. Türk said, but the pressure has intensified significantly since the country’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 

Restrictions mount

That has come through increasingly restrictive legislation, tighter State controls and the harassment and persecution of journalists.

Novaya Gazeta’s journalists have made an exceptional contribution to independent reporting and the defence of human rights, often at great personal risk, he said. 

They have faced harassment, lawsuits, threats and direct violence.

“Among them was Anna Politkovskaya, who was murdered in 2006 following her reporting on human rights violations during Russia’s military operations in Chechnya,” said the High Commissioner.

He called on Russian authorities to stop measures that stifle reporting on issues of legitimate public concern, and to allow full and free debate with a diversity of voices.

$50 million appeal to help 9 million survive winter 

The UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR, launched a $50 million appeal on Friday to help nine million people survive winter across Afghanistan, Ukraine, Syria and Lebanon.

The funding will help people like Svetlana in Dnipro, Ukraine, whose apartment was targeted and heavily damaged in a drone strike last winter. 

Moments before the attack, Svetlana grabbed her son and ran to the basement. When they emerged, they no longer had anywhere to live.

“A donation means something very tangible. A heater, blankets, warm clothes, cash to pay for fuel, or tarpaulin and tape to repair a blown out window. For some, it may avoid taking on more debt or keep their children off the streets and safe in school,” said UNHCR’s Dominique Hyde. 

Assisting those returning home 

The agency highlighted equally dramatic needs in Afghanistan, which has seen an estimated 6.5 million people returning in recent years, most of them involuntarily. 

Many of the new arrivals have very little and need to build their lives from scratch, Ms. Hyde said. 

She noted that in Syria, around 3.6 million refugees and internally displaced people have returned to what remains of their homes since December 2024, while 15.6 million inside the country need humanitarian assistance.

Urban regeneration key to tackling global housing crisis

Government leaders and urban stakeholders gathered in China’s Fuzhou on Friday to discuss the “immense” global housing crisis, in the words of the UN’s urban development agency UN-Habitat – spotlighting regeneration as a key solution. 

As the world marks World Cities Day, up to 3.4 billion people face inadequate housing conditions, including more than a billion living in informal settlements and slums.

At the same time, ageing infrastructure, soaring housing costs and worsening climate change are placing further strain on cities and their residents.

Regenerating without evicting

Urban regeneration aims to revitalise declining or neglected urban areas through economic, social and environmental improvements

“[It] offers a path forward. By revitalizing existing urban areas, we can create more housing, upgrade infrastructure and improve public spaces, making cities more resilient, inclusive and connected,” said the UN Secretary General in his message for the day.