At least 377 children have died in 2021 as a result of rising temperatures in Europe and Central Asia. Top news of the day | Wednesday: Ukraine, Palestine, famine, heat in Europe and Central Asia UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the office of a humanitarian organization was damaged by a strike in Kharkov, violations of the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank, in 2023, every 11th person in the world would go hungry, heat in Europe and Central Asia kills almost 400 children in year.
Shelling of Kharkov
Early this morning, the office of UN partner Swiss Mine Action Foundation (FSD) in Kharkov was significantly damaged by an airstrike. This was reported by representatives of UN humanitarian agencies in Ukraine. According to available information, no one was injured, but the building, as well as vehicles and equipment, suffered significant damage. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the destruction has impacted the Fund’s ability to provide critical assistance in the war-torn region.
The situation in the West Bank
According to the latest OCHA data, more than 820 Palestinian-owned structures have been demolished in the West Bank since the beginning of the year. At this rate, a record 1,400 buildings could be demolished by the end of the year, surpassing the previous high of 1,177 in 2023. Meanwhile, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor said on Wednesday that Israeli authorities “continue to target human rights defenders” in the West Bank. The five activists were reportedly beaten, humiliated and forced to sign documents in Hebrew they did not understand, an independent expert claims.
Extreme heat
In 2021, rising temperatures in countries will result in rising temperatures in 2021, according to an analysis of new data from 23 countries that was released by UNICEF on Tuesday. Europe and Central Asia killed at least 377 children. Half of them died from heat-related illnesses within the first year of life. The report also found that extreme heat was responsible for the loss of more than 32,000 years of healthy life among children and adolescents in the region. UNICEF calls on governments in Europe and Central Asia to develop strategies to reduce the impact of heat waves on their populations, with a focus on children.
Food security
In 2023, according to the State of Food Security and Nutrition report released on Wednesday by five UN specialized agencies. the number of hungry people was approximately 733 million: this is one in 11 in the world and one in five in Africa. Despite some progress in some areas, alarmingly high numbers of people still face food insecurity and malnutrition. Globally and across all age groups, rates of undernutrition combined with overweight and obesity have risen sharply.