Food aid in Gaza. Daily Top Stories | Friday: Middle East, Ukraine, Cervical Cancer, FAO Index UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the head of UNRWA on the Israeli bill to ban the agency’s activities, the situation at the Ukrainian nuclear power plants, the month of awareness about cervical cancer, the reduction of the food price index.
The situation in the Middle East
The Knesset bill to ban the activities of the UN Refugee Agency (UNRWA) in the occupied Palestinian territory will come into force in just under four weeks, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini has warned. According to him, since the start of the war in Gaza, the agency has become a “lifeline” for 2 million Palestinians. Thus, 6.7 million medical consultations were conducted (more than 1,600 per day), almost 2 million people received food aid. The agency’s work is irreplaceable, Lazzarini emphasized. Meanwhile, a WHO representative, speaking at the UN Security Council today, cited horrifying statistics: seven percent of the population of Gaza has been killed or wounded as a result of the military actions that began after the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
Ukraine’s energy infrastructure
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is reviewing information gathered during recent missions to Ukrainian power substations following intense airstrikes on the country’s energy infrastructure, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said on Friday. The attacks, Grossi said, including a major one on December 25 that again reduced reactor power at the country’s three operating nuclear power plants, had reduced the stability of the power grid. All affected reactors subsequently returned to full power.
Cervical Cancer
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. It is the fourth most common cancer among women. Thus, according to the latest data, in 2020, 604 thousand new cases of the disease were registered in the world, 342 thousand women died. As emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO), it is extremely important to recognize the symptoms of the disease in time. These include unusual bleeding, heavy discharge, discomfort in the vagina, pain in the back, legs or pelvic area, loss of weight and appetite, fatigue, swelling of the legs.
Food Prices
In December 2024, the value of the FAO Food Price Index was 0.5 percent lower than its November value: lower prices for sugar, dairy products, vegetable oils and cereals offset higher meat prices. Despite steady monthly increases for most of the year, average global prices in 2024 remained below their 2023 level.