The Gaza Strip has begun clearing debris from major roads and humanitarian supply routes. Main news of the day | Wednesday: Gaza, children, South Sudan, textile waste UN
Main news of the day in the UN and around the world: more than a million people in the Gaza Strip have received food aid, more than 213 million children will need humanitarian aid this year, civilians in South Sudan suffer from intercommunal violence, more than 92 million tons of textile waste are generated worldwide every year.
Help Gaza
More than a million people in the Gaza Strip have received food aid since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect nearly three weeks ago, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has stepped up its operations, distributing food rations, hot meals, cash assistance and supplies to local bakeries in the enclave. WFP teams are also clearing debris from major roads and aid routes. OCHA Director-General Tom Fletcher continues his visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to assess the scale of the aid needed.
Humanitarian Aid for Children
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that more than 213 million children in 146 countries will need humanitarian assistance this year. In addition, the proportion of children living in conflict zones has almost doubled: from 10 percent in the 1990s to almost 19 percent today. UNICEF Director-General Catherine Russell recalled that in 2024, almost half of UNICEF’s humanitarian funding went to five emergencies, as the funds were earmarked. The head of the Fund called for an urgent change in this situation by increasing the share of regular resources and flexible humanitarian funding.
Intercommunal Violence in South Sudan
The head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, told the Security Council that civilians, in particular women and children, continue to suffer from intercommunal violence. The rapporteur also touched on the impact of the conflict in Sudan on South Sudan. Since the conflict began in April 2023, the number of refugees and returnees from Sudan has exceeded one million people. Meanwhile, more than 9 million South Sudanese already require some form of humanitarian assistance.
92 million tons of textile waste
More than two billion tons of solid municipal waste are generated worldwide every year, including 92 million tons of textile waste. From 2000 to 2015, global clothing production doubled, while its lifespan decreased by 36 percent. Recycling services are unable to cope with such an avalanche, and almost three billion people live in regions where solid waste collection services do not exist at all. Pollution of the planet threatens human health and leads to serious economic losses, experts from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) note and call on governments, civil society and businesses to take part in initiatives to create waste-free production.