Interviews

The UN appointed independent expert on the sale and exploitation of children is calling on governments to make so-called “voluntarism” – tourists who are ostensibly volunteering as charity workers – better regulated to prevent potential abuse and sexual exploitation. 

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is “indescribable” and “unprecedented” as the battle between extremist Palestinian armed groups and Israeli forces escalates.

That’s according to a senior UN official with humanitarian office OCHA inside the enclave, speaking to UN News on Wednesday.

“Every hour that passes brings more fighting and devastation,” Hamada El Bayari told us.

Families escaping the shelling and bombardment in Gaza have sought refuge in premises belonging to UNRWA, the UN agency that supports Palestine refugees across the Middle East.

Some of the agency’s 13,000 staff members are among them, said Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communications, who is based in Amman, Jordan.

She told UN News's Ezzat El-Ferri that despite displacement and loss – of loved ones, neighbours and even colleagues – these “unsung heroes” continue to deliver, even while fearful for their own lives.

Poverty and lack of education are pushing boys into joining armed groups and forcing girls to marry way before they should, warns Virginia Gamba, UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.  

Her latest report documents more than 27,000 instances of grave violations against children caught up in war, including use in conflict, killing and maiming, and rape and sexual violence. 

It also reveals a worrisome rise in attacks against schools, with nearly half carried out by government forces.

Amid ongoing Israeli reprisals in the Occupied Palestinian Territory following Hamas’s massive attack against Israel at the weekend, more than 73,000 people in Gaza have now sought shelter in UN schools there. 

That’s the latest from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which expects the number of new arrivals to increase, while the violence continues to escalate. 

Aftershocks continue to be felt from the deadly earthquake that pummeled parts of western Afghanistan on Saturday, a senior official with the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Monday.

Roughly 1,300 people were killed in the disaster, which struck just west of the city of Herat, affecting eight villages. Those injured or otherwise impacted are estimated to be in the tens of thousands.

Dr. Alaa Abouzeid, WHO Health Emergency Team Lead in Afghanistan, said some people who were treated for mild injuries are now living in tents because they have nowhere else to go.

Needs are immense among people who fled Karabakh for Armenia, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reports.

The UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency has rushed to support women and girls, helping them to maintain their dignity amidst the chaos of displacement.

More than 2,000 pregnant women are among the refugees and UNFPA is also making sure that hospitals and health facilities can assist them, especially with some 230 women set to deliver next month.

In one week, more than 100,000 people arrived in Armenia from Karabakh, including around 30,000 children. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is among humanitarian agencies mobilized to help the refugees.

UNICEF Representative in Armenia Christine Weigand said children arrive there very tired, hungry and in a state of shock. Their immediate needs are very much linked to health issues. 

Lebanon’s refugee population is especially vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation campaigns, making navigating the country’s multi-layered humanitarian crises increasingly challenging.

That's according to Imran Riza, UN Resident Coordinator in Lebanon, who has overseen the UN humanitarian mission in Lebanon since September last year.