Newborn baby in a hospital in Damascus, Syria (archive). Top news of the day | Friday: Yemen, Gaza, Syria, epidemic preparedness, glaciers UN
Top news of the day in the UN and in the world: UN Secretary General condemns escalation in Yemen, killing of journalists in Gaza, humanitarian aid for medical facilities in Syria, International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, International Year of Glacier Preservation.
Strike on airport in Yemen
A delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO), which was at the airport in the Yemeni capital Sanaa during the Israeli airstrike, was not harmed in the attack. This was reported by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was in Yemen to negotiate the release of UN staff held by the Houthis for several months, as well as to assess the state of the health care system and the humanitarian situation in general. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “escalation of the conflict between Yemen and Israel” and reiterated his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN staff and others “arbitrarily detained by the Houthis.”
Journalists in Gaza
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) condemns yet another killing of journalists in Gaza and calls for a thorough and impartial investigation. Five journalists, unarmed and clearly identified as members of the press, were reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike. The Israeli army said the victims were linked to Palestinian armed groups. However, the connection itself does not deprive them of protection as civilians, OHCHR stressed, noting the need for urgent measures to protect all civilians, including journalists, in Gaza.
WHO assistance in Syria
The World Health Organization reported that 50 tons of medical supplies have been delivered to Turkey, which will be handed over to doctors in Syria through the WHO office in Gaziantep. They include trauma kits and medicines for medical facilities in Idlib and northern Aleppo. These materials will help ensure 8,000 emergency operations. Hospitals will also receive 30,000 bags for infusion solutions.
Anti-epidemic preparedness
Although the COVID-19 crisis has passed, a harsh lesson remains: the world is completely unprepared for the next pandemic. This is stated in the message of the UN Secretary-General on the occasion of the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, which is marked on December 27. The UN chief cited outbreaks of monkeypox, cholera, polio and Marburg virus disease as reminders that infectious diseases remain a real danger.
Year of Glaciers
In accordance with the resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly on the initiative of Tajikistan in 2022, 2025 has been declared the International Year of Glacier Conservation. Next year, Tajikistan will host a conference dedicated to this problem. To date, more than a thousand of the country’s 14,000 glaciers have completely melted, and the rate of melting is accelerating.