Former President Jair Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting Brazil coup by AFP, news agencies   12 Sep. 2025   The former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, has been sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison after being found guilty of plotting a military coup.   A panel of five Supreme Court justices handed down the sentence just hours after they had convicted the former leader.   They ruled he was guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his rival, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Four of the justices found him guilty while one voted to acquit him. Bolsonaro, who is 70, now faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.   Bolsonaro was found guilty of five charges, all relating to his attempt to cling to power after he was beaten in the 2022 election.   Prosecutors said he had started to plot to stay in power long before, proposing a coup to military commanders and sowing unfounded doubts about the electoral system. They also said that Bolsonaro knew of a plan to assassinate Lula and his vice-presidential running mate, as well as a Supreme Court Justice.   The justices found he had led a conspiracy and also convicted seven of his co-conspirators, including senior military officers. Among them are two former defence ministers, a former spy chief and former security minster.   While the plot failed to enlist enough support from the military to go ahead, it did culminate in the storming of government buildings by Bolsonaro's supporters on 8 January 2023, the justices found. Order was quickly restored and more than 1,500 people were arrested.   Alexandre de Moraes - the justice who oversaw the trial said Brazil had come close to descending into authoritarianism.   "We are slowly forgetting that Brazil almost returned to its 20-year dictatorship because a criminal organisation, comprised of a political group, doesn't know how to lose elections," he said before casting his guilty vote.   Brazil's recent history and the decades it spent under military rule were also invoked by Justice Carmen Lucia who compared the attempted coup to a "virus", which, if left to fester, can kill the society in which it has taken hold. She said Brazil's democratic order had been at risk, warning that "there was no immunity to authoritarianism".   26 Nov. 2024   Brazil's Bolsonaro 'fully aware' of 2022 assassination plot against Lula, police report says. (AFP, agencies)   Brazil's former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro was alleged to have "actively participated" in a 2022 coup plot to prevent his elected successor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office and was "fully aware" of a plan to assassinate him, his vice president, and a Supreme Court judge in an explosive police report unsealed on Tuesday.   Bolsonaro was also "fully aware" of the alleged plan by elite soldiers to assassinate Lula, said the report, which has been handed to Brazil's attorney general.   Attorney general Paulo Gonet is examining these explosive allegations to see if evidence supports charges being laid against Bolsonaro and 36 other people named as co-conspirators.   The 884-page report drawn up after a nearly two-year police investigation urges Gonet to indict Bolsonaro and the others for planning an attempted coup and seeking to "violently overthrow the democratic state."   The document details alleged collusion between Bolsonaro and some of his officials, including members of his military brass, to claim fraud in 2022 elections won by Lula and to use decrees to sideline the Supreme Court.   "The then-President of the Republic, Jair Bolsonaro, actively participated in the creation of the coup plan, being directly involved in the drafting of documents and strategies to remain in power, even after the electoral defeat," the report said.   "He was one of the central figures in the meetings to define the steps and actions to be taken," it alleged.   The report was made public by the Supreme Court judge overseeing the case, Alexandre de Moraes - one of the targets of the alleged assassination plot.   That alleged plot, which police said was codenamed "Green and Yellow Dagger," led to the arrests last week of four elite soldiers and a police officer. They were suspected of planning to poison Lula in 2022.   Bolsonaro, president between 2019 and 2022, has denied the coup allegation. The 69-year-old former army captain lost October 2022 elections to Lula, who was previously president between 2003 and 2010.   Multiple investigations have been launched in Brazil over suspected plots against Lula and his administration.   An insurrection that took place in Brasilia on January 8, 2023, when thousands of Bolsonaro supporters stormed the capital's presidential palace, the Congress building and the Supreme Court, was the most striking of those seen publicly.   Investigations continue into that upheaval, which echoed scenes from the United States two years earlier, when supporters of Donald Trump protesting President Joe Biden's election win attacked the US Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021.   Among those named as co-conspirators in the alleged coup were: Bolsonaro's defense minister, General Walter Braga Netto; the head of Bolsonaro's conservative Liberal Party, Valdemar Costa Neto; Ailton Goncalves Moraes Barros, a retired military man already indicted in two other investigations; Colonel Alexandre Castilho Bitencourt da Silva; and Admiral Almir Garnier Santos.   Bolsonaro has already been declared ineligible to hold public office until 2030 for having made unsubstantiated claims of fraud in Brazil's electronic voting system.   He has been prohibited from leaving the country while a vast probe named "Tempus Veritatis" ("the time of truth" in Latin) continues. The investigation has already swept up several of Bolsonaro's closest aides.   http://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/11/26/brazil-s-bolsonaro-fully-aware-of-plan-to-murder-lula-in-2022-coup-plot_6734228_4.html http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/brazil/2024/11/bolsonaro-planned-acted-in-and-oversaw-coup-plot-says-federal-police.shtml http://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/26/brazil-almost-suffered-far-right-military-coup-police-report-claims
	Renewed fighting in Gaza: Civilians must be protected. The denial of lifesaving aid must end by UN News, UNICEF, Inter-Agency Standing Committee   23 Aug. 2025   Gaza Strip: Famine confirmed in Gaza Governorate, projected to expand (IPC)   As of 15 August 2025, Famine (IPC Phase 5)—with reasonable evidence—is confirmed in Gaza Governorate. After 22 months of relentless conflict, over half a million people in the Gaza Strip are facing catastrophic conditions characterised by starvation, destitution and death. Another 1.07 million people (54 percent) are in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), and 396,000 people (20 percent) are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).   Between mid-August and the end of September 2025, conditions are expected to further worsen with Famine projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. Nearly a third of the population (641,000 people) are expected to face catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5), while those in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) will likely rise to 1.14 million (58 percent). Acute malnutrition is projected to continue worsening rapidly.   Through June 2026, at least 132,000 children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition—double the IPC estimates from May 2025. This includes over 41,000 severe cases of children at heightened risk of death. Nearly 55,500 malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women will also require urgent nutrition response.   Despite limited data, conditions in North Gaza Governorate are estimated to be as severe—or worse—than in Gaza Governorate.   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-134/en/   Remarks on Gaza at the UN press briefing by Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. (Geneva, 22 August 2025):   "Please read the IPC report, cover to cover. Read it in sorrow and in anger. Not as words and numbers but as names and lives. Be in no doubt that this is irrefutable testimony. It is a famine. The Gaza Famine.   It is a famine that we could have prevented, if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land.   It is a famine that hits the most vulnerable first. Each with a name, each with a story. That strips people of dignity before it strips them of life. That forces a parent to choose which child to feed. That forces people to risk their lives to seek food.   It is a famine that we repeatedly warned of. But that the international media has not been allowed in to cover. To bear witness.   It is a famine in 2025. A 21st century famine watched over by drones and the most advanced military technology in history. It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.   It is a famine on all of our watch. Everyone owns this. The Gaza Famine is the world’s famine. It is a famine that asks ‘but what did you do?’ A famine that will and must haunt us all.   It is a predictable and a preventable famine. A famine caused by cruelty, justified by revenge, enabled by indifference and sustained by complicity.   It is a famine that must spur the world to more urgent action. That must shame the world to do better. It is a famine that therefore also asks ‘… and what now will you do?’   My ask, my plea, my demand to Prime Minister Netanyahu and anyone who can reach him: Enough. Ceasefire. Open the crossings, north and south, all of them. Let us get food and other supplies in, unimpeded and at the massive scale required. End the retribution. It is too late for far too many. But not for everyone in Gaza. Enough. For humanity’s sake, let us in".   http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-says-gaza-famine-must-spur-world-urgent-action http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/famine-confirmed-first-time-gaza http://www.wfp.org/news/famine-confirmed-first-time-gaza http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165702 http://www.savethechildren.net/news/children-starved-plain-sight-famine-confirmed-gaza-save-children http://www.care.org/media-and-press/famine-confirmed-in-gaza-as-assault-on-gaza-city-looms/ http://www.rescue.org/press-release/all-famine-thresholds-now-surpassed-gaza-city-irc-urges-government-israel-enable-aid http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/un-human-rights-occupied-palestinian-territory-israeli-plan-take-full-control-gaza-city-will-lead-further-killings-and-displacement http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/september/emptying-gaza-city-drives-civilians-into-starvation-and-forcible-transfer http://www.msf.org/doctors-cannot-stop-genocide-world-leaders-can http://www.ochaopt.org/content/when-gaza-burned-children-starved-hospitals-collapsed-did-you-act http://www.ochaopt.org/content/humanitarian-situation-update-321-gaza-strip http://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/we-express-our-profound-alarm-and-distress-at-the-ipc-data-on-gaza-that-unequivocally-confirms-famine-in-gaza-joint-statement-on-famine-in-gaza http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/11/democratic-senators-gaza-ethnic-cleansing   8 Aug. 2025   Israel’s proposed military takeover of Gaza City would mark ‘a dangerous escalation’.   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed grave concern over Israel’s decision to “take control of Gaza City”, his Spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.   The announcement following an Israeli cabinet meeting “marks a dangerous escalation and risks deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians, and could further endanger more lives, including of the remaining hostages,” it said.   The statement noted that Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure a humanitarian catastrophe.   The UN chief warned that this further escalation will result in additional forced displacement, killings and massive destruction, compounding the unimaginable suffering of the population.   He reiterated his urgent appeal for a permanent ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access across Gaza, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.   “The Secretary-General once again strongly urges the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law,” the statement continued.   Mr. Guterres recalled that in an Advisory Opinion last July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that Israel is under an obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities, to evacuate all settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and to bring to an end its unlawful presence there as rapidly as possible.   “There will be no sustainable solution to this conflict without an end to this unlawful occupation and the achievement of a viable two-State solution,” the statement concluded, stressing that “Gaza is and must remain an integral part of a Palestinian State.”   Meanwhile, civilians continue to be killed and wounded in Gaza, where even basic tasks such as finding food and water have become impossible, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update.   "The devastating convergence of a hunger crisis, a collapsing healthcare system, widespread destruction of critical infrastructure and nearly two years of war is having a catastrophic toll on people, particularly on the most vulnerable".   "Aid entering into Gaza remains far below the minimum required to meet people’s immense needs. The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to try to do everything possible to bring assistance inside Gaza. However, missions continue to face significant delays and other impediments that prevent the UN from delivering aid at scale".   OCHA welcomes all efforts to provide aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it, but reiterates that the most efficient way to bring in supplies is by road. It is imperative that aid is allowed to enter through all crossings and via all available corridors so that the UN and its partners can deliver it at scale in a safe and dignified manner through their community-based mechanisms, reaching the most vulnerable.   OCHA continues to stress the urgency of a permanent ceasefire, to provide adequate assistance and aid to the desperate population in Gaza and to call for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages".   Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said: "On all evidence to date, this further escalation will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes. The war in Gaza must end now. And Israelis and Palestinians must be allowed to live side by side in peace.   Instead of intensifying this war, the Israeli Government should put all its efforts into saving the lives of Gaza’s civilians by allowing the full, unfettered flow of humanitarian aid. The hostages must be immediately and unconditionally released by Palestinian armed groups. Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel must also be immediately and unconditionally released".   In Israel, tens of thousands of protestors have taken to the streets demanding an immediate end to the war in Gaza, and negotiations to secure the immediate release of the remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165612 http://www.unocha.org/news/ocha-urges-security-council-summon-courage-end-inhumanity-gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-ukraine-democratic-republic-congo-mozambique   Palestinian Territories: Foreign Minister’s Statement (Extract: 21 July 2025)   We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now.   The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.   It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law.   The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.   We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively.   We call on all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law. Proposals to remove the Palestinian population into a “humanitarian city” are completely unacceptable. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law.   We strongly oppose any steps towards territorial or demographic change in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The E1 settlement plan announced by Israel’s Civil Administration, if implemented, would divide a Palestinian state in two, marking a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution.   Meanwhile, settlement building across the West Bank including East Jerusalem has accelerated while settler violence against Palestinians has soared. This must stop.   We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose.   This statement has been signed by:   The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK; The EU Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management   http://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/news-stories/news/joint-statement-humanitarian-situation-gaza-2025-08-12_en http://theelders.org/news/elders-call-decisive-measures-states-halt-unfolding-genocide-and-famine-gaza http://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/foreign-and-security-policy/the-death-of-eu-values-in-gaza-8470 http://civiliansinconflict.org/press-releases/civic-and-more-than-80-organizations-call-on-us-congress-to-uphold-us-law-and-suspend-security-assistance-to-israel/ http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-133/en/ http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/july/as-mass-starvation-spreads-across-gaza-our-colleagues-and-those-we-serve-are-wasting-away http://www.warchild.net/news/in-gaza-starvation-doesnt-just-kill/ http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-warns-security-council-erosion-rules-war-gaza-demands-urgent-response http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-executive-director-catherine-russells-remarks-humanitarian-situation-children http://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/open-gates-save-starving-gaza http://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/walking-corpses   June 2025   UN General Assembly adopts Gaza ceasefire resolution. (UN News)   Meeting in emergency session, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional and lasting ceasefire in Gaza.   The move followed the Security Council’s failure to pass a similar resolution last week due to a lone veto by permanent member the United States.   The resolution was backed by 149 Member States, with 12 voting against and 19 abstaining. Among those opposing the resolution were the United States and Israel, who were joined among others by Argentina, Hungary and Paraguay.   End starvation as weapon of war   Brought forward by over 20 countries, it strongly condemns the use of starvation as a weapon of war, demands a full lifting of the Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid, and insists on the protection of civilians under international law.   Although General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, they carry significant political and moral weight.   On 4 June, the Security Council failed to adopt its draft resolution after a veto by the United States, a permanent member.   Meanwhile, famine conditions continue to threaten lives across Gaza, and reports persist of civilians being killed or injured while trying to access food at distribution points operated independently of the UN but supported by Israel and the US.   UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang said that “the horrors in Gaza must end” after 20 months of war. He criticised the Security Council’s ongoing paralysis and inability to fulfil its core responsibility to uphold peace and security.   He called the situation on the ground “unacceptable”, highlighting the deprivation of food, water and medicine for civilians, the continued captivity of hostages, and the need for urgent international action.   Key elements of the resolution:   Ceasefire: Calls for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire by all parties.   Hostages: Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other armed groups.   Implementation: Urges the full and immediate implementation of Security Council resolution 2735 (2024), including the ceasefire, hostage and prisoner exchanges, return of displaced persons, and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.   International law: Reaffirms that all parties must uphold international humanitarian and human rights law, with particular attention to civilian protection and accountability for violations.   Starvation as a weapon: Strongly condemns the use of starvation and the denial of aid as tactics of war.   Humanitarian access: Demands the full, safe and unimpeded delivery of aid – including food, medicine, water, shelter and fuel – throughout Gaza.   Detention practices: Calls for the humane treatment and release of those arbitrarily detained, and the return of remains.   ICJ advisory opinion: Recalls the request for an urgent advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on Israel’s obligations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.   End of blockade: Demands Israel immediately lift the blockade on Gaza and open all border crossings for aid deliveries.   Accountability: Urges Member States to take necessary steps to ensure Israel complies with its international legal obligations.   UN and humanitarian personnel: Calls for full respect for the work and immunity of UN staff and humanitarian workers.   Protection of aid workers: Urges both humanitarian and UN bodies to ensure the safety of their personnel.   Medical neutrality: Underscores the duty to protect medical workers, health facilities, and transport routes.   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-133/en/ http://www.savethechildren.net/news/mass-starvation-spreads-across-gaza-more-100-ngos-make-urgent-plea-allow-life-saving-aid http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/07/as-mass-starvation-spreads-across-gaza-our-colleagues-and-those-we-serve-are-wasting-away http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-regional-director-middle-east-and-north-africa-edouard-beigbeder-3 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/un-agencies-warn-key-food-and-nutrition-indicators-exceed-famine-thresholds-gaza http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-president-calls-urgent-collective-action-states-end-suffering   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164346 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-5000-children-diagnosed-malnutrition-gaza-strip-may http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/gazas-taps-running-dry-fuel-crisis-deepens-daily-struggle-families http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164656 http://www.ochaopt.org/content/humanitarian-situation-update-297-gaza-strip http://www.ochaopt.org/publications   May 2025   Gaza Strip: IPC Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Special Snapshot | April - September 2025   Nineteen months into the conflict, the Gaza Strip is still confronted with a critical risk of Famine. Over 60 days have passed since all humanitarian aid and commercial supplies were blocked from entering the territory. Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks. The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with half a million people (one in five) facing starvation.   From 11 May to the end of September 2025, the whole territory is classified in Emergency (IPC Phase 4), with the entire population expected to face Crisis or worse acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above).   This includes 470,000 people (22 percent of the population) in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5), over a million people (54 percent) in Emergency (IPC Phase 4) and the remaining half million (24 percent) in Crisis (IPC Phase 3).   This marks a significant deterioration compared to the previous IPC analysis (released in October 2024) and the already dire conditions detected between 1 April - 10 May 2025. During this time, 1.95 million people (93 percent) were classified in Crisis or worse (IPC Phase 3 or above), including 244,000 people (12 percent) in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) and 925,000 (44 percent) in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).   Between 1 April and 10 May, acute malnutrition (AMN) was at Alert and Serious levels (IPC AMN Phase 2 and 3). However, experience has shown that acute malnutrition can worsen rapidly, and latest data indicate a deteriorating trend that is expected to persist. Consequently, acute malnutrition in North Gaza, Gaza and Rafah governorates will likely reach Critical levels (IPC AMN Phase 4) between 11 May and end of September.   Between mid-January and mid-March 2025, the ceasefire allowed a temporary alleviation of acute food insecurity and malnutrition conditions in parts of the Gaza Strip. However, the ongoing blockade imposed in early March reversed the situation. Since 18 March, the escalating conflict has displaced over 430,000 people, further disrupted access to humanitarian assistance, markets, health, water and sanitation services, and caused additional damage to remaining essential infrastructure.   All 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP) closed at the beginning of April due to lack of supplies, and food stocks for most of the 177 hot meal kitchens are reportedly exhausted.   All preventive nutrition supplies have run out in UNICEF and WFP warehouses. Food prices are soaring daily, with wheat flour ranging from USD $235 per 25 kg in Deir al-Balah to USD $520 in Gaza and Khan Younis - a 3,000 percent increase since February 2025. Latest data show many households resorting to extreme coping strategies. A third reported collecting garbage to sell for food, while a quarter indicated that no valuable garbage remains. Observations reveal that social order is breaking down.   The plan announced on 5 May by Israeli authorities for delivering food and non-food items across the governorates is estimated to be highly insufficient to meet the population’s essential needs for food, water, shelter and medicine.   Moreover, the proposed distribution mechanisms are likely to create significant access barriers for large segments of the population. In light of the announced large-scale military operation across the Gaza Strip and the persistent inability of humanitarian agencies to deliver essential goods and services, there is a high risk that Famine (IPC Phase 5) will occur in the projection period (11 May – 30 September). The latest announcements suggest that this worst-case scenario is becoming more likely.   Immediate action is essential to prevent further deaths, starvation and acute malnutrition, and a descent into Famine. This entails ending hostilities, ensuring unrestricted humanitarian access, restoring essential services and commercial flows, and providing sufficient lifesaving assistance to all in need.   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-124/en/ http://www.wfp.org/news/risk-famine-across-all-gaza-new-report-says http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-calls-security-council-act-decisively-prevent-genocide-gaza http://www.unicef.org/emergencies/children-gaza-need-lifesaving-support http://www.who.int/news/item/12-05-2025-people-in-gaza-starving--sick-and-dying-as-aid-blockade-continues http://www.unocha.org/news/briefing-note-un-coordinated-plan-resume-humanitarian-aid-deliveries-gaza   http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/joint-donor-statement-humanitarian-aid-gaza http://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-from-the-leaders-of-the-united-kingdom-france-and-canada-on-the-situation-in-gaza-and-the-west-bank http://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2025/06/canada-imposes-fourth-round-of-sanctions-on-facilitators-of-extremist-settler-violence-against-civilians-in-west-bank.html   http://theelders.org/news/elders-call-collective-action-governments-end-palestinian-suffering-gaza http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/06/19/joint-statement-on-the-eu-israel-association-agreement-review http://www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/news/2025/05/un-women-estimates-over-28000-women-and-girls-killed-in-gaza-since-october-2023 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/turk-deplores-gaza-escalation-pleads-global-action-stop-more-killings http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/bond-responds-uk-france-canada-statement-and-joint-donor-statement-gaza http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/oxfam-reaction-announcement-israel-will-allow-limited-amount-aid-gaza http://cafod.org.uk/news/media/press-releases/gaza-food-supplies http://actionagainsthunger.ca/story/avert-humanitarian-catastrophe-gaza/   2 May 2025   UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the situation for children in the Gaza Strip after two months of aid blockade:   “For two months, children in the Gaza Strip have faced relentless bombardments while being deprived of essential goods, services and lifesaving care. With each passing day of the aid blockade, they face the growing risk of starvation, illness and death – nothing can justify this.   “Families are struggling to survive. They are trapped, unable to flee in search of safety. The land they used to farm has been destroyed. The sea they used for fishing has been restricted. Bakeries are closing, water production is declining, and market shelves are almost bare. Humanitarian aid has provided the only lifeline for children, and now it is close to running out.   “In the past month, over 75 per cent of households have reported deteriorating access to water – they don’t have enough water to drink, are unable to wash their hands when needed, and often forced to choose between showering, cleaning, and cooking.   “Vaccines are quickly running out and diseases are spreading – especially acute watery diarrhoea, which now accounts for 1 in every 4 cases of disease recorded in Gaza. Most of these cases are among children under five, for whom it is life-threatening.   “Malnutrition is also on the rise. More than 9,000 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year. Hundreds more children in desperate need of treatment are not able to access it due to the insecurity and displacement.   “International humanitarian law requires authorities to ensure that the population under their control is treated humanely. This not only includes ensuring that civilians have the food, medicine, and essential supplies they need, but also ensuring sufficient hygiene and public health standards. All parties to the conflict must allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance. And they must allow and facilitate all relevant UN entities to carry out those activities for the benefit of the local population.   “UNICEF remains in the Gaza Strip, doing what we can to support and protect children. But the aid blockade and more than 18 months of war are pushing Gaza’s children to the brink. We reiterate our call for the aid blockade to be lifted, for the entry of commercial goods into Gaza, for the release of the hostages, and for the protection of all children.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-situation-children-gaza-strip http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-124/en/ http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/humanitarian-situation-update-286-gaza-strip http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/05/gaza-un-anti-racism-committee-decries-halt-food-aid-urges-immediate http://www.ohchr.org/en/media-centre/news-situation-occupied-palestinian-territory-israel-and-lebanon Visit the related web page
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