Destruction in Khan Yunis, Gaza. Top news of the day | Wednesday: Ukraine, Slovakia, Gaza, Georgia UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: humanitarian aid and evacuation in the Kharkov region, the UN Secretary General about the attack on the Prime Minister of Slovakia, the opening of a hospital and threats to humanitarian work in Gaza, the law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” » in Georgia.
Humanitarian assistance in the Kharkov region
UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine Denise Brown is in Kharkiv and yesterday she condemned the ongoing attacks across the city and Kharkiv region. On May 14 alone, repeated strikes reportedly injured civilians, including children, and damaged homes and a school. Brown welcomed the $3.75 million in funding to bolster the current response. Since May 10, the UN and its partners have been providing assistance to people who fled to Kharkov from border and front-line settlements in the Kharkov region. Humanitarian organizations provide support with housing, transportation, food, as well as psychological and material assistance.
Attack on the Prime Minister of Slovakia
UN chief Antonio Guterres strongly condemned Wednesday’s attack against Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. This was announced by the Deputy Head of the Secretary General’s Press Service. According to him, the thoughts of the UN head are addressed to the Prime Minister and his loved ones at this difficult moment. According to media reports, the attack on Robert Fico took place in the city of Gandlova, where a visiting meeting of the Slovak government was taking place. The shooter was detained.
The situation in Gaza
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis is expected to officially open in the coming days. The hospital was previously one of the largest in Gaza, but was seriously damaged during the fighting. Last week, the facility resumed providing dialysis services to patients who could no longer be treated in Rafah, OCHA said. However, humanitarian organizations in Gaza and beyond continue to face serious obstacles. On Tuesday, Israeli settlers in the West Bank attacked trucks carrying humanitarian supplies. Several trucks were damaged and cargo was damaged, OCHA said.
Foreign Influence Transparency Act
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Thursday said that the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence adopted by the Georgian Parliament undermines freedom of expression and association. Passed on May 14, the law declares civil society organizations and media that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from foreign sources to be “organizations acting for the benefit of a foreign power” and requires them to register as such. Türk called for the law to be repealed and dialogue to begin with interested media and civil society organizations, as well as human rights activists.