Hurricane Milton on a satellite image. Top news of the day | Tuesday: UNRWA, Ukraine, Lebanon, Hurricane Milton UN
Top news of the day in the UN and in the world: UN Secretary General comments on Israel’s plans to ban UNRWA, WHO and European Observatory to support funding for rehabilitation assistance for Ukrainians, UN calls to prevent Lebanon from becoming “another Gaza”, Hurricane Milton poses a serious threat to Florida.
Bill to Ban UNRWA in Israel
The UN Secretary-General expressed deep concern on Tuesday over plans by the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to vote on a bill banning the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in the country. According to Antonio Guterres, he sent a message to this effect directly to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The document, if adopted, would undermine efforts “to alleviate human suffering and reduce tensions in Gaza and throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” the UN chief stressed. He warned that the consequences would be “catastrophic.”
The Healthcare System of Ukraine
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Observatory on Health Policy are conducting a study in Ukraine that will assess the availability of rehabilitation services in the country and subsequently develop policies to improve the situation. The WHO notes that after the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, the needs of Ukrainians for rehabilitation assistance have increased sharply.
Humanitarian crisis in Lebanon
Aid agencies in Lebanon face a near-impossible task of helping 1.2 million people who have fled their homes because of Israeli bombing and evacuation orders, U.N. agencies said. The U.N. launched an appeal for $426 million in aid about a week ago, but so far just over 12 percent of that amount has been received. According to the World Food Programme, more than 200,000 people are taking refuge in 973 official shelters in Beirut and northern Lebanon, with 773 of the shelters overcrowded.
Atlantic hurricanes
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has warned that Hurricane Milton poses an extremely serious threat to Florida, USA, which was battered by Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago. Milton, a powerful Category 4 hurricane, is expected to make landfall in Florida on October 9. WMO spokeswoman Claire Nullis said the hurricane had sharply intensified in the past 24 hours. Such intensification, she said, is becoming more common, driven in part by warming ocean surfaces. Nullis also noted that there are currently three hurricanes active in the Atlantic, an exceptionally high number for October.