UNRWA delivers canisters of water to Gaza. Top news of the day | Friday: Sudan, UNRWA, Israel, WHO UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: another wave of escalating violence in Sudan, a statement by the UN Secretary General on the situation around UNRWA, Volker Türk’s appeal to the Israeli authorities, Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
Escalation of violence in Sudan
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concern about the impact of the escalation of violence on the civilian population of Sudan, especially in the Kordofan region and North Darfur state. In Southern Kordofan state, the humanitarian situation in the besieged towns of Dilling and Kadugli continues to deteriorate, with both communities isolated, supplies rapidly dwindling, and prices for food and other essential goods soaring. Conflict and instability also lead to massive population movements.
Statement by the UN Secretary General on the situation surrounding UNRWA
The UN Secretary-General condemned the adoption by the Israeli Knesset of amendments to the law to terminate the activities of the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). These amendments are aimed at further limiting the agency’s ability to operate and fulfill its mandate, António Guterres said. In addition, according to the Secretary General, they contradict the international legal status of UNRWA and must be immediately cancelled. The UN chief reiterated his strong support for UNRWA and reminded Israel of its obligations under the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN.
Message from Volker Türk to the Israeli authorities
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has called on Israeli authorities to abandon plans to introduce legislation that would exclusively apply the death penalty to Palestinians, both in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel. According to Volker Türk, such proposals are contrary to international law in a number of respects. The amendments submitted to the Israeli Knesset would lower the threshold for the death penalty. They raise serious concerns among human rights defenders due to discrimination against Palestinians and violations of their due process rights, as well as other violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
Cervical Cancer Awareness Month uterus
Every two minutes a woman dies from cervical cancer. The World Health Organization (WHO) reminds us of this. January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. WHO experts emphasize that the disease can be completely eliminated. This requires that 90 percent of girls receive the vaccine, 70 percent of women receive appropriate screening, and most patients receive the necessary treatment. According to WHO, cervical cancer is most common among women without access to health services, mainly in low- and middle-income countries. The highest incidence and mortality rates are found in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and Southeast Asia.