Destruction in Tyre, Lebanon (November, 2024). Top News of the Day | Tuesday: Ukraine, Lebanon, Iran, Bird Flu UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: aid to Ukrainians in the areas of health care and food, $371.4 million for humanitarian operations in Lebanon, an increase in the number of executions in Iran, a fatal case of bird flu in the USA.
Humanitarian aid to Ukraine
From January to November 2024, 2.6 million people in Ukraine received health assistance, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported. This included distributing medicines, improving people’s access to health care, and supporting the efforts of local services. In turn, the World Food Program said that in 2024, the organization supported 1.6 million Ukrainians. In addition to food, WFP provided cash assistance and ensured the demining of agricultural lands.
Financing for Lebanon
The UN and the Government of Lebanon have called for an additional $371.4 million to provide emergency humanitarian assistance in the country between January and March 2025. The funds will provide food aid, winter support for Lebanese, emergency repairs to buildings and the protection of civilians. It will also address issues with health care, access to water and education infrastructure. The Government of Lebanon and humanitarian organizations are calling on the international community to increase its support for efforts to overcome the consequences of the conflict.
Death penalty in Iran
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed deep concern over the sharp increase in the number of executions in Iran last year. At least 901 people were reportedly executed in the country in 2024, including about 40 in just one week in December. By comparison, Iran has executed 853 people in 2023, according to available data. Turk called on the Iranian government to immediately stop carrying out executions and impose a moratorium on the death penalty, with the goal of abolishing it altogether.
The Spread of Bird Flu
Following the announcement of the first fatal bird flu infection in the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed that the threat to the general public remains minimal. WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that the H5N1 virus that causes the disease does not spread among people, but rather is transmitted through contact with poultry or livestock. Harris said the WHO still assessed the risk to the general public as low, with the focus on protecting workers in certain industries.