If the situation in Yemen does not change for the better soon, the country could face a critical moment. Top news of the day | Tuesday: Yemen, Gaza, Russia, Olympics UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the critical situation in Yemen, threats to the safety of civilians and UN staff in Gaza, a statement by UN experts on repression of journalists in Russia, the visit of the UN chief to Paris for the opening Olympics.
Critical situation in Yemen
Events in Yemen have been on an unfavourable trajectory since the beginning of the year, and if the situation does not change, the country could reach a critical moment. This was stated by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg to members of the Security Council. According to him, the parties to the conflict reported on Monday an agreement to loosen controls over the banking and transport sectors. As the rapporteur noted, this was the result of several months of intensive work by his office aimed at finding solutions. Grundberg welcomed the parties’ readiness for dialogue in the economic sphere, but, according to him, the risks of a full-scale war remain in Yemen.
Threats to the safety of civilians and UN staff in Gaza
In recent weeks, Gazans have had to leave even those shelters that operate under the UN flag. Juliette Tuma, spokeswoman for the United Nations Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said this in an interview with the UN News Service. Commenting on yesterday’s attack on a UN convoy, she noted that UNRWA has faced at least five similar incidents – despite the fact that the movement of humanitarian transport is always closely coordinated with the Israeli authorities. “In every war, including the war in Gaza, there are rules, and they must always be respected,” Tuma emphasized.
UN experts on repression against journalists in the Russian Federation
The verdicts of Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, announced on the same day, were a serious alarm signal for all journalists in Russia. Independent UN experts warn about this. A court in Yekaterinburg, as stated in a statement by UN human rights activists, sentenced a correspondent for the American newspaper Wall Street Journal to 16 years in prison on “far-fetched” charges of espionage. Radio Liberty correspondent Alsu Kurmasheva, they said, received six and a half years in prison on a “groundless” charge of disseminating false information about the Russian army. The document notes that, along with Gershkovich and Kurmasheva, at least 33 journalists are currently detained in Russia, which indicates a dangerous trend of increasing repression of independent media and dissidents since the start of a full-scale war in February 2022.
Visit of the UN head to Paris for the opening of the Olympics
On Friday, July 26, the UN Secretary-General will be in Paris, where at the invitation of the International Olympic Committee and the French government, he will take part in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games. In an address broadcast at the ceremony, the Secretary General will call for the Olympic Truce. This message was already presented on Tuesday at the session of the International Olympic Committee in Paris. On Friday, the Secretary-General will meet with the head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, and will also hold a number of other bilateral meetings.