Fewer and fewer aid shipments reach people in Gaza, US Veto on Gaza, Russia veto on Sudan, ICC warrants at last amid attempts to kneecap the prosecutor, Hezbollah, Lebanon, and US agree on Lebanon ceasefire, but nothing heard from Israel, Trump and the UN.
Afghanistan
International Children’s Peace Prize - Nila Ibrahimi won the prize for her “courageous work to fight for the rights of girls". The ‘I Am My Song’ campaign was influential in convincing Kabul’s education authority to overturn a ban on schoolgirls singing in public. (CNN “Afghan girl who encouraged others to sing wins children’s peace prize”)
COP29
Far from reality? - Humanitarians are trying to carve out a role for their expertise within the larger climate movement. “..some also worry that the jargon-heavy policy talk and negotiations happening at COP summits or in capital cities feel a long way from the urgency of today’s spiraling crises.”(The New Humanitarian, “In Baku humanitarians try to define their role”)
Gaza
Aid deliveries - Despite strong indications of imminent famine in parts of Gaza, aid delivery has deteriorated badly. Israel’s ban on UNRWA will make things far worse. (The New Yorker “Why the humanitarian situation is worse than ever”)
US Again Vetoes Ceasefire - The US for the 4th time vetoed a SC resolution calling for a ceasefire. (Al Jazeera, “US vetoes UN Security Council resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire”)
Displaced - “Mawasi is a heaving mass of displacement, with well over a million Gazans living in tents, temporary shelters or in the open air, forcibly evacuated from their homes elsewhere in the Strip, often many times over. “We don't know where we have to go.” Shared by Baquer Namazi (Sky News “Mass displacement in Gaza with people unsure where to go”)
ICC
Warrants, at last! - “In issuing the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, the I.C.C. judges resisted months of public and private pressure from Israeli leaders and their allies, including U.S. officials and some in Europe. Over the summer, numerous states, lawyers, researchers and human rights groups filed briefs arguing for or against the court’s jurisdiction in the matter. Karim Khan, the prosecutor who applied for the warrants, has said he received death threats. Court officials have also said they have been increasingly targeted by cyberattacks over the past year.” (NYTimes, “ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant”)
Prosecutor investigated - The investigation into the ICC’s prosecutor becomes increasingly complex. Khan argues that the allegations against him are part of a campaign designed to block his request for international arrest warrants related to war crimes in Gaza. Allegations of ‘inappropriate conduct’ with a female lawyer were originally to be handled internally, but then moved to an external investigation. Now there is wrangling over which body should conduct the investigation, given that Khan’s wife had previously worked with the investigators and had contacted the alleged victim. (The Guardian, “ICC prosecutor’s UN ties may jeopardize integrity….”
Lebanon
Toll on children - at least 231 children have been killed and 1,330 injured. Over the past 3 weeks an average of 3.5 children have been killed and 9.5 wounded per day. At least 400,000 children have been displaced according to UNICEF. Washington Post, “Israel’s war on Hezbollah takes terrible toll on Lebanon’s children”
Hezbollah and Lebanon agree on US backed ceasefire - “The US-backed proposal aims to achieve a 60-day cessation of hostilities and is being portrayed as the basis of a lasting ceasefire, according to the Lebanese official, adding that terms lie within the parameters of UN Resolution 1701 which ended the Lebanon-Israel war of 2006. The resolution stipulates that the only armed groups in the area south of Lebanon’s Litani River should be the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces. Shared by Baquer Namazi (CNN “US envoy heads to Beirut as Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire talks gain momentum”)
Middle East Peace - Interview with outgoing UN Coordinator for the Peace Process, Tor Wennesland. “..this was the biggest stress test the UN has been exposed to on this file ever, …..over the last 14 months without any degree of success …..we are at the point where diplomacy has failed” UN News, “the point where diplomacy has failed”)
Myanmar
Landmines - More people have been killed or maimed in Myanmar than in any other country with 1,003 killed in 2023. (The Telegraph, "Myanmar overtakes Syria and Ukraine in landmine deaths")
Sudan
International Children’s Peace Prize - Nila Ibrahimi won the prize for her “courageous work to fight for the rights of girls". The ‘I Am My Song’ campaign was influential in convincing Kabul’s education authority to overturn a ban on schoolgirls singing in public. (CNN “Afghan girl who encouraged others to sing wins children’s peace prize”)
COP29
Far from reality? - Humanitarians are trying to carve out a role for their expertise within the larger climate movement. “..some also worry that the jargon-heavy policy talk and negotiations happening at COP summits or in capital cities feel a long way from the urgency of today’s spiraling crises.”(The New Humanitarian, “In Baku humanitarians try to define their role”)
Gaza
Aid deliveries - Despite strong indications of imminent famine in parts of Gaza, aid delivery has deteriorated badly. Israel’s ban on UNRWA will make things far worse. (The New Yorker “Why the humanitarian situation is worse than ever”)
US Again Vetoes Ceasefire - The US for the 4th time vetoed a SC resolution calling for a ceasefire. (Al Jazeera, “US vetoes UN Security Council resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire”)
Displaced - “Mawasi is a heaving mass of displacement, with well over a million Gazans living in tents, temporary shelters or in the open air, forcibly evacuated from their homes elsewhere in the Strip, often many times over. “We don't know where we have to go.” Shared by Baquer Namazi (Sky News “Mass displacement in Gaza with people unsure where to go”)
ICC
Warrants, at last! - “In issuing the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, the I.C.C. judges resisted months of public and private pressure from Israeli leaders and their allies, including U.S. officials and some in Europe. Over the summer, numerous states, lawyers, researchers and human rights groups filed briefs arguing for or against the court’s jurisdiction in the matter. Karim Khan, the prosecutor who applied for the warrants, has said he received death threats. Court officials have also said they have been increasingly targeted by cyberattacks over the past year.” (NYTimes, “ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant”)
Prosecutor investigated - The investigation into the ICC’s prosecutor becomes increasingly complex. Khan argues that the allegations against him are part of a campaign designed to block his request for international arrest warrants related to war crimes in Gaza. Allegations of ‘inappropriate conduct’ with a female lawyer were originally to be handled internally, but then moved to an external investigation. Now there is wrangling over which body should conduct the investigation, given that Khan’s wife had previously worked with the investigators and had contacted the alleged victim. (The Guardian, “ICC prosecutor’s UN ties may jeopardize integrity….”
Lebanon
Toll on children - at least 231 children have been killed and 1,330 injured. Over the past 3 weeks an average of 3.5 children have been killed and 9.5 wounded per day. At least 400,000 children have been displaced according to UNICEF. Washington Post, “Israel’s war on Hezbollah takes terrible toll on Lebanon’s children”
Hezbollah and Lebanon agree on US backed ceasefire - “The US-backed proposal aims to achieve a 60-day cessation of hostilities and is being portrayed as the basis of a lasting ceasefire, according to the Lebanese official, adding that terms lie within the parameters of UN Resolution 1701 which ended the Lebanon-Israel war of 2006. The resolution stipulates that the only armed groups in the area south of Lebanon’s Litani River should be the Lebanese army and UN peacekeeping forces. Shared by Baquer Namazi (CNN “US envoy heads to Beirut as Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire talks gain momentum”)
Middle East Peace - Interview with outgoing UN Coordinator for the Peace Process, Tor Wennesland. “..this was the biggest stress test the UN has been exposed to on this file ever, …..over the last 14 months without any degree of success …..we are at the point where diplomacy has failed” UN News, “the point where diplomacy has failed”)
Landmines - More people have been killed or maimed in Myanmar than in any other country with 1,003 killed in 2023. (The Telegraph, "Myanmar overtakes Syria and Ukraine in landmine deaths")
Sudan
Russian veto - “Dmitry Polyanskiy said while the UNSC’s role is to help the warring parties achieve that, it “should not be done by imposing upon the Sudanese, through a council decision, the opinion of its individual members”. (Al Jazeera “Russia vetoes Sudan ceasefire resolution”)
Ukraine
1,000 days of war - UNICEF reports at least 2,406 children have been killed over the past 1,000 days of war. "Children have been killed in their beds, hospitals, and playgrounds, devastating families who suffer the loss of their young ones or are forced to confront life-altering injuries," said UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell. (The Pinnacle Gazette, “Ukraine War has devastated children”)
UN
New OCHA chief - Tom Fletcher has taken over Martin Griffiths post as USG for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief. He said, ““The impact on civilians of conflict, climate change, inequality and injustice is growing at a staggering rate,” he said. I will defend our humanitarian movement and humanitarian values, and battle to make us more efficient, strategic, inclusive and innovative. We must win afresh the argument for international solidarity”.(UN News “New UN Relief chief takes office”)
USA
Trump and the UN - “The funny thing is that Trump does not really have a fixed view of the U.N.,” said Richard Gowan, U.N. director for the International Crisis Group think tank. Gowan expects that Trump won’t view the world body “as a place to transact serious political business but will instead exploit it as a theater to pursue a conservative global social agenda.” (AP News - “The UN faces uncertainty as Trump returns to the Presidency”)
Ukraine
1,000 days of war - UNICEF reports at least 2,406 children have been killed over the past 1,000 days of war. "Children have been killed in their beds, hospitals, and playgrounds, devastating families who suffer the loss of their young ones or are forced to confront life-altering injuries," said UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell. (The Pinnacle Gazette, “Ukraine War has devastated children”)
UN
New OCHA chief - Tom Fletcher has taken over Martin Griffiths post as USG for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief. He said, ““The impact on civilians of conflict, climate change, inequality and injustice is growing at a staggering rate,” he said. I will defend our humanitarian movement and humanitarian values, and battle to make us more efficient, strategic, inclusive and innovative. We must win afresh the argument for international solidarity”.(UN News “New UN Relief chief takes office”)
USA
Trump and the UN - “The funny thing is that Trump does not really have a fixed view of the U.N.,” said Richard Gowan, U.N. director for the International Crisis Group think tank. Gowan expects that Trump won’t view the world body “as a place to transact serious political business but will instead exploit it as a theater to pursue a conservative global social agenda.” (AP News - “The UN faces uncertainty as Trump returns to the Presidency”)
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