(UN News)* — As the pall of starvation hangs over Gaza, UN agencies have sounded the alarm over deadly violence at food distribution points, where over 400 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in recent weeks while trying to access desperately needed humanitarian aid.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on called on the Israeli military to cease the use of lethal force near aid convoys and food distribution sites.
It cited “repeated incidents” of Palestinians being shot or shelled while seeking food, warning that such attacks could constitute war crimes under international law.
A girl at the Mother and Child Health Center in Mogadishu, Somalia, visited by the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. PHOTO:UN/Tobin Jones
“The horror of these heinous crimes echoes long after the guns fall silent.
Too often, perpetrators walk free, cloaked in impunity, while survivors often bear the impossible burden of stigma and trauma.
(UN News)* — Civilian deaths in conflict surged by 40 per cent last year, according to new data released by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) with already marginalised groups facing disproportionate levels of discrimination.
At least 48,384 individuals – mostly civilians – were killed in 2024, based on casualties recorded by OHCHR.
“Behind every statistic is a story. Behind every data point, a person,” said UN rights chief Volker Türk.
This alarming rise in civilian deaths exposes major failures to protect some of the most vulnerable in both peacetime and conflict situations, “painting a picture of a global human rights landscape in need of urgent action,” he said.
Unsplash/Jon Tyson | UNESCO says that hate speech is on the rise worldwide.
“It is an alarm bell: the louder it rings, the greater the threat of genocide,” he warned.
As part of its core mission to combat hatred, discrimination, racism and inequality, the UN is stepping up efforts to challenge hate speech wherever it arises.
“Hate speech is poison in the well of society. It has paved the way for violence and atrocities during the darkest chapters of human history,” Mr. Guterres added.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 