Residents of Lebanon flee fighting in neighboring Syria. Top stories of the day | Wednesday: Ukraine, Nansen Prize, Lebanon, Azerbaijan UN
Top stories of the day in the UN and around the world: humanitarian workers continue to provide emergency aid to residents of Ukraine, the people of Moldova will be recognized with a UN prize, peacekeepers report escalation in Lebanon, Azerbaijan prepares to host the Climate Conference.
Humanitarian aid to Ukraine
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that attacks in southern and eastern Ukraine this week have killed and wounded dozens of civilians, and damaged homes, schools and a hospital. According to local authorities and UN partners in Kherson, about 20 civilians, including children, were injured in Monday’s shelling. Humanitarian workers continue to provide emergency assistance, including in Chornomorsk in the Odessa region, where shelling yesterday and today left five civilians injured and damaged several homes and a hospital. The UKGV also reports that this week interdepartmental convoys delivered essential supplies to the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
Refugee Rights Prize
Five activists will receive this year’s Nansen Refugee Award, it was announced Wednesday. In addition, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) annual human rights award will give an honorary mention to the people of Moldova, which took in millions of refugees in the days following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The 2024 global laureate will be Sister Rosita Milesi, a Brazilian nun, lawyer, social worker and activist who has been advocating for the rights of internally displaced people for nearly 40 years.
The Situation in Lebanon
Shooting between the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah continues to escalate, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. According to him, UN peacekeepers have recorded air strikes by Israeli forces and their ground operations. Hezbollah also continues to shell Israel. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) confirmed that Israeli troops left their positions near the UNIFIL post on Tuesday, but continued to move along a nearby road. Numerous incidents have caused damage to UN positions, but there have been no reports of any injuries to peacekeepers, Dujarric said. He called on all parties to abide by their obligations under international law and return to full implementation of resolution 1701.
Conference in Azerbaijan
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed arrived in Azerbaijan to take part in preparations for the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), which will be held in Baku from 11 to 22 November. On Wednesday morning, Mohammed addressed the High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on a new collective goal for climate finance. She called for scaled-up financing and a just transition for all countries. Mohammed also met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. UN Deputy Chief Stresses Importance of Achieving Significant Results at COP29.