Crisis psychologists from the public organization “Crisis Psychological Assistance in the Dnieper and Dnepropetrovsk Region” near a destroyed building in the city of Dnieper. Top news of the day | Wednesday: Ukraine, Gaza, children and conflicts, Uganda UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: attack on the Dnieper, damage to infrastructure in Gaza, UN Security Council meeting on children in conflict situations, Anti-Homosexuality Law in Uganda.
Combat in Ukraine
Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Denise Brown in a statement condemned the attack on the Dnieper River, located in the east of the country. Local authorities and aid workers on the ground say dozens of civilians, including children, have been injured. Several educational institutions and residential buildings were also damaged. Humanitarian organizations have mobilized to help those affected. Meanwhile, fighting on Tuesday and Wednesday in the frontline and border regions of Ukraine reportedly killed several civilians, including children, and damaged civilian infrastructure.
The situation in Gaza
Damage to critical infrastructure in Gaza, as of the end of January 2024, is valued at approximately $18.5 billion. This is equivalent to 97 percent of the combined GDP of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2022. This data is provided by the authors of a new report prepared by the World Bank and the UN. The report also talks about the impact of the destruction on Gazans. 75 percent of the population has fled their homes, and more than a million people are still homeless. Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says UN agencies have suspended night movements in the sector for at least 48 hours to assess security concerns.
Children and armed conflicts
Parties to conflicts around the world all are more likely to impede the delivery of aid to children and deny essential access to humanitarian organizations. Almost 4 thousand such cases were confirmed last year. The highest rates were recorded in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Yemen, Afghanistan and Mali. The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, reported this to the UN Security Council. She called on all parties to conflicts to resolve and facilitate safe, timely and unhindered humanitarian access to children, as well as children’s access to services, assistance and protection.
Discrimination in Uganda
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has expressed concern over the Ugandan Constitutional Court’s decision to uphold the Anti-Homosexuality Law. Turk called on the authorities to completely repeal it, along with other discriminatory laws. The High Commissioner has called on the Government of Uganda to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. According to him, the country’s Constitution and international human rights treaties require equality and non-discrimination for all groups of the population.