The UN continues to provide basic humanitarian assistance in Gaza despite increasingly difficult conditions. Top news of the day | Monday: Ukraine, Gaza, climate, Bicycle Day UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: new victims in Kharkov, a million who fled from Rafah, forecast for the transition to the La Niña phenomenon, June 3 – World Bicycle Day.
Strikes on Kharkov
Attacks on Kharkov in eastern Ukraine continued over the weekend and into Monday, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Local authorities report civilian casualties, including children, and damage to civilian infrastructure. According to the authorities, since the escalation of the war in 2022, almost 90 children have been killed and more than 320 injured in the Kharkov region alone.
The situation in Gaza
A million people have already fled from Rafah in southern Gaza, representatives of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday. According to UNRWA, thousands of families were forced to seek shelter in heavily damaged buildings in Khan Younis. The UN agency continues to provide basic humanitarian assistance despite increasingly difficult conditions. According to UNRWA, some 690,000 women and girls lack access to hygiene products. Meanwhile, on Monday, independent UN human rights experts called on all countries to recognize the State of Palestine, as 146 UN member states have already done.
El Niño and La Niña
The El Niño phenomenon observed throughout 2023 and 2024 contributed to a surge in global temperatures and extreme weather events. A return to La Niña conditions is likely to occur later this year, according to a new bulletin from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This is associated with the cooling of parts of the ocean surface in combination with changes in the tropical circulation of the atmosphere. However, according to WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett, the end of El Niño does not mean a pause in long-term climate change as the planet will continue to warm due to greenhouse gases.
Bicycle transport
On June 3, an event dedicated to World Bicycle Day was held at the UN headquarters. Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the UN Aksoltan Atayeva noted that as a country that came up with the idea of celebrating World Bicycle Day, Turkmenistan highly appreciates the efforts of governments, organizations and individuals who advocate for the promotion of cycling. Speaking at the event, UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis and UN Deputy Chief of Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua called on countries to take action to protect and improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. After the ceremony, a bike ride took place, in which diplomats and staff of the UN Secretariat took part.