Photo by UN News Service In the 300 days since the agreement to end hostilities in Gaza came into force, at least 300 children have died. Top news of the day | Thursday: Gaza, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Hiroshima UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: 300 children died in Gaza in 300 days, cases of loss of external power supply have become more frequent at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, rising prices for fertilizers threaten the wheat harvest in Afghanistan, on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, the UN calls for complete nuclear disarmament.
Death of children in Gaza
In the 300 days since the cessation of hostilities agreement between Hamas militants and the Israel Defense Forces came into effect, at least 300 children have reportedly died in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced this on Thursday. UNICEF emphasized that Palestinian families are now forced to huddle in approximately one-third of the sector’s territory – among destroyed buildings and rubble. Commenting on reports of negotiations on a peace plan, UNICEF officials welcomed recent announcements of “steps towards an end to hostilities” and increased supplies of humanitarian aid.
Incidents on ZNPP
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, said today that the recent increase in cases of loss of external power supply at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant indicates the vulnerability of the power grid that supplies power to the plant. Grossi stressed the need for further efforts to prevent a nuclear accident. Over the past week, Zaporizhia NPP has twice lost access to external power supply. This brings the total number of such incidents since the beginning of the conflict to 24. Half of these occurred in the last four months.
Afghanistan: Wheat harvest at risk
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today warned that rising fertilizer prices caused by the Middle East crisis are jeopardizing Afghanistan’s 2027 wheat harvest. FAO is calling on the international community to provide more than $38 million to provide 600,000 farmers with access to fertilizer and certified wheat seeds ahead of the planting season. Experts note that due to low soil fertility, wheat yields in Afghanistan are directly dependent on the use of fertilizers.
Anniversary of the Bombing of Hiroshima
Eighty-one years ago, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The city was turned into ruins, tens of thousands of people died, and humanity found itself face to face with the catastrophically destructive force of nuclear war. This must never happen again, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said at a memorial ceremony in Hiroshima, speaking on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General. She called for progress towards complete nuclear disarmament.