Archive for January 2nd, 2026

02/01/2026

Europe Is Paying Libya to Torture Migrants on Its Behalf

Human Wrongs Watch

By Melissa Pawson*

On a rescue ship in the Mediterranean, a survivor tells of their detainment in Libya, which the EU helped to support
 

Migrant people and refugees await rescue by a civilian boat in the Mediterranean after setting sail from Libya | David Ramos/Getty Images

13 December 2025 (openDemocracy)** —The boat took us all by surprise that morning. It was spotted by a crew member on lookout on our top deck, and soon, what had been a pinpoint on the horizon quickly became a distinct wooden boat, tightly packed with people, all waving and shouting. No one was wearing a lifejacket.

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02/01/2026

UN Chief Condemns Israeli Amendments Targeting UNRWA Operations

Human Wrongs Watch

(UN News)* — The UN Secretary-General has condemned amendments adopted by Israel’s Knesset to a law aimed at ceasing the operations of the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA), saying the measures must be immediately repealed.

UNRWA Headquarters in East Jerusalem
UNRWA | UNRWA Headquarters in East Jerusalem. (file)

The amendments, adopted on 29 December, to the Law to Cease UNRWA Operations “seek to further impede UNRWA’s ability to operate and carry out its mandated activities,” said a statement issued by the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

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“The Law and its amendments are inconsistent with the status and international legal framework applicable to UNRWA and must be immediately repealed,” it added.

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02/01/2026

2026: Hundreds of Thousands of Palestinians Remain Uprooted, Many Living in Makeshift Tents Pitched on Bare Ground or Squeezed into Damaged Buildings

Human Wrongs Watch

(UN News)* — As 2026 begins, residents of the Gaza Strip are confronting life in displacement camps and among the ruins of destroyed neighbourhoods – facing deep uncertainty after months of war and devastation.

 
A young Palestinian girl wearing a Santa Claus outfit, standing among the tents of displaced families in northern Gaza City.
UN News | A young Palestinian girl wearing a Santa Claus outfit, stands in front of tents belonging to displaced families in northern Gaza City.
 
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain uprooted, many living in makeshift tents pitched on bare ground or squeezed into damaged buildings without reliable access to water, electricity, healthcare or sanitation. Winter rains have compounded the hardship, flooding shelters and turning camp pathways into heavy mud.
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