'Unseen' News and Views
(UN News)* — Israeli airstrikes and shootings near aid hubs run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial US and Israel-backed initiative, have seen a dramatic increase in deaths and injuries leading to amputations, compounding the suffering of Palestinians struggling to stave off malnutrition and starvation as the conflict continues.
“Across the globe, people continue to be harassed, attacked – and even killed – simply for what they believe… Places of worship are desecrated. Communities are terrorized. Online platforms are flooded with hate…
Participants at event on “Interfaith harmony: Implementing the Transformative Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals”, co-organized by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the Committee of Religious NGOs (2016). PHOTO:UN Photo/Manuel Elias
.. These acts are not only abhorrent – they are a threat to our shared humanity,” stated the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, on the occasion of this year’s International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief (22 August).
(UN News)* — The International Criminal Court (ICC) has strongly rejected new sanctions announced by the United States on Wednesday [] against four more of its personnel in a renewed push surrounding investigations into US and Israeli officials
(UN News)* — The Israeli military has escalated attacks across Gaza City, reportedly deciding to press ahead with plans to take full control which will only lead to further “mass killings of civilians” and displacement, UN human rights officials warned on Wednesday [].
13 Aug 2025 – But did you know? Is this discussed now when the UN turn 80 in October? No, politicians, media and scholars generally focus on war and ignore humanity’s most important peace-maker.
“UNITED NATIONS, Aug 12 2025 (IPS) – The United Nations, facing a liquidity crisis, has been threatening to lay-off about 20 percent of its estimated 37,000 employees world-wide: a proposed move that has triggered widespread protests from staff unions both in New York and Geneva.”
Thus starts Thalif Dean’s analysis in a recent IPS article.
The UN is in a liquidity crisis!!!???
This is an issue the whole world should talk about NOW.
This is a situation that every thinking person should condemn in the strongest possible terms:
The preambular words of the UN Charter displayed at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York. Credit: UN Photo/Mark Garten
US President Donald Trump last June issued a Proclamation titled Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States From Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats.
This White House proclamation –a virtual black List –restricts travel into the U.S. by nationals from 19 countries who will be refused US visas.
The list includes Afghanistan, Myanmar, Burundi, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen. In addition, Egypt is under review.
(UN News)* — The small trickle of aid entering Gaza is totally insufficient to alleviate starvation and displacement in the Strip, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday [].
On 19 August, we mark the World Humanitarian Day — a time to honor those who step into crises to help others, and to stand with the millions of people whose lives hang in the balance.
This year the message is clear: the humanitarian system is stretched to its limits; underfunded, overwhelmed and under attack.
Where bombs fall and disasters strike, humanitarian workers are the ones holding the line keeping people alive, often at great personal risk. But more and more those who help are becoming targets themselves.
In 2024 alone over 380 humanitarian workers were killed. Some in the line of duty, others in their homes. Hundreds more have been injured, kidnapped or detained, and there is reason to fear 2025 could be worse.
Plastic waste washes ashore in the Maldives archipelago. Credit: UNDP
– Negotiators in Geneva adjourned what was expected to be the final round of plastics treaty negotiations on Friday [15 August 2025] without reaching an agreement, a failure that environmentalists blamed on the Trump-led United States, Saudi Arabia, and other powerful nations that opposed any effort to curb plastic production—the primary driver of a worsening global pollution crisis.
Al-Kufra, Libya, 11 August 2025 – Khartoum mornings once carried a familiar rhythm. The call to prayer echoed softly through the narrow streets, blending with the clatter of market stalls opening and the sound of children shuffling to school.
For 45-year-old NourAlhuda, life pulsed with structure and meaning.
She had spent 16 years teaching Arabic and Islamic studies, her voice steady and firm in the classroom, her presence respected in the community.
“Teaching was more than a job for me,” she explains. “It gave me purpose.”
IOM’s health centre in Al-Kufra provides critical care and hope to displaced Sudanese women like NourAlhuda and Arafa. Photo: IOM 2024/Mouaid Tariq Duffani
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HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 