The 13th and possibly last mission under Brazil’s Operation Cedar Roots carried 150 passengers, including elderly persons and children, back to safety. For many, the relief of reaching Brazilian soil was tempered by the devastation they left behind. “I’m very happy, very thankful for this repatriation operation, which sent a...
“Immediately after the ceasefire came into force at 4am, residents of south Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut and the Bekaa (valley) began their return after months of forced displacement,” said the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. “Heavy traffic [was] observed on the highway from Beirut to the south since the...
Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and combatting hate speech and mis- and disinformation are part of the plan to bolster peace and mutual understanding as Heads of State and Government, including kings, presidents and prime ministers from Cabo Verde, Senegal and Spain, unanimously adopted the Cascais Declaration. Named...
The development follows dire assessments from UN aid teams about the cost of “relentless” Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs since the weekend, resulting in extensive damage and significant casualties, and forcing more people to flee their homes. “The High Commissioner reiterates his call for an immediate ceasefire to put...
The UN Interim Force Lebanon (UNIFIL) is also seriously concerned by numerous strikes on the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) despite their declared non-involvement in the hostilities, he added. The LAF have reported that at least 45 soldiers have been killed in recent attacks. Deadly escalation Mr. Dujarric stressed that such...
Peacekeepers have witnessed the “shocking” destruction of villages in southern Lebanon along the UN-patrolled Blue Line that separates the country from Israel, along with ever-deeper Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground incursions and continuing Hezbollah attacks, the UN said on Tuesday. While the Mission’s monitoring capabilities are limited because of the...
Amid the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues efforts to keep hospitals up and running and to evacuate patients requiring specialized treatment, a senior official with the UN agency said in Cairo on Monday. ...
The update from UN agencies also reported that Israeli strikes have left more than 3,100 people dead and over 13,800 injured since October last year. Turning to the hospitals in conflict areas – Tyre and Jbeil Bint, Marjeoun, Baabda, Lebanon Mount and Baalbek – eight are non-functional, nine are semi-functional and...
According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, the updated death toll – which includes fatalities recorded since 8 October 2023 – is 58 per cent higher than the 1,900 people killed during the 34-day conflict in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah. “Across the country, at least 71 people were...
A new Israel airstrike hit the border post of Joussieh, where many Lebanese and Syrian people are crossing to escape the violence. “Humanitarian structures are also struck,” said Filippo Grandi, head of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in a social media post early Saturday. “Even fleeing (and taking care of...
The strike occurred in Hasbaya in Nabatiyeh, outside the area of operations of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The building housed several journalists and other media personnel. Expressing concern, Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq, stressed: “When journalists, protected under international humanitarian law, are targeted, so too are our...
Speaking at the International Conference in Support of Lebanon’s People and Sovereignty held in Paris, Imran Riza expressed grave concerns for civilians. “As hostilities persist, humanitarian needs grow unchecked, and suffering intensifies,” he expressed. The Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, told the conference concrete action to end hostilities was need...