Tag: peak food

Palestine
UNRWA

Israel blocks Gaza aid, ceasefire teeters

Israel is imposing a total blockade on aid entering the Gaza Strip, raising fears of a return to violence, and of a rapid further deterioration in the dire humanitarian situation in the devastated enclave. The move is intended to pressure Hamas to accept a temporary extension of the first phase of the three-stage ceasefire deal. The second phase was supposed to see Israel and Hamas hammer out a plan for Gaza’s post-war governance. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instead repeatedly expressed support for US President Trump’s widely condemned proposal to expel the 2.1 million Palestinian residents of Gaza and take control of the territory. Arab leaders meeting in Cairo endorsed a $53 billion reconstruction and post-war governance plan as a counter-proposal to Trump’s vision, but it was immediately rejected by the US and Israel. (Photo:  Mohamed Soulaimane al-Astal/TNH)

Palestine
We Are All Hostages

Amnesty: release all Gaza hostages, Palestinian detainees

Amnesty International called for the immediate release of both Israeli and foreign civilians held hostage by Hamas, and of all Palestinians arbitrarily detained by Israel. The organization said that the release of hostages and prisoners should not be conditional upon the result of the next phase of ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel. There are at least 59 hostages remaining in Gaza, the majority of whom are Israelis. Meanwhile, there are more than 4,000 Palestinians held in detention in Israel without charge or trial, which Amnesty called a violation of international law. (Photo: We Are All Hostages)

Syria
Idlib displaced

US aid freeze escalates Syria crisis

Just weeks after US President Donald Trump’s order to freeze foreign aid, Syrians are already seeing medical clinics providing urgent assistance close, water distributions slow down, and bread distribution in many displacement camps grind to a halt. After nearly 14 years of war, the UN estimates that 16.5 million people across Syria are in need of aid. While the December overthrow of Bashar al-Assad has lifted the siege conditions in the country’s north, the need for relief among those facing severe privation, food insecurity, and mass internal displacement remains unrelenting. (Photo: UNHCR)

Africa
Gezira

Sudan’s army advances, abuses multiply

The Sudanese army appears close to retaking the capital city Khartoum from the paramilitary-turned-rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as momentum continues to swing in its favor following nearly two years of conflict. Reports suggest the army has been advancing on multiple fronts, having broken a bruising siege on its Khartoum headquarters last month. It has also won back significant territory in other parts of central Sudan, including Gezira state. Military control, however, has come at a significant cost, with the UN reporting that soldiers and allied militia have been carrying out summary executions of civilians they accuse of being RSF collaborators. Workers in self-organized “mutual aid” groups—the backbone of the humanitarian response in Sudan—have also been targeted in the reprisals. (Map: Sudan War Monitor)

The Caribbean
Havana

Will US-Cuba deal survive Trump?

Outgoing President Joe Biden informed Congress in his final days in office that he would lift the US designation of Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SSOT), as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island. The Cuban government announced it would release 553 prisoners who had been jailed in connection with the 2021 protests on the island. However, the durability of the deal was immediately cast into doubt. Just one day after the policy change, Republican Senator Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, said during his Senate Confirmation hearing that Cuba belongs on the SSOT list. (Photo: Falkenpost/Pixabay)

Palestine
Gaza

Gaza ceasefire: the sobering reality

With the sounds of war starting to fall silent in the Gaza Strip after 470 days of brutal Israeli military assault and siege, a tiny crack of hope has opened for the Palestinian residents of the enclave that they will be able to gather the shattered pieces of their lives and begin the daunting task of rebuilding. But whether the deal reached by Israel and Hamas will lead to a decisive end to the war remains entirely unclear. Under a Trump administration that promises to be even more staunchly pro-Israel than the Biden administration, it’s difficult to imagine Palestinians seeing anything resembling their aspirations for a state being met—or justice and accountability for the crimes committed over the past 15 months. (Photo: Rita Baroud/TNH)

Africa
Sudan

Sudan: US holds RSF responsible for ‘genocide’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias have committed genocide during the country’s ongoing civil war. This would mark the second genocide Sudan has seen in less than three decades, following the Darfur genocide of the early 2000s. Blinken’s statement outlined atrocities perpetrated by the RSF, including ethnically targeted massacres of men, boys and infants, as well as widespread sexual violence inflicted upon women and girls. In tandem with the genocide determination, the US imposed sanctions on RSF leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo Mousa, also known as Hemedti, and seven RSF-linked companies based in the UAE. Hemedti, a former leader of the Janjaweed militia responsible for the Darfur genocide, faces visa restrictions barring him and his immediate family from entering the US. The sanctions also target the RSF’s alleged smuggling of gold to fund operations. (Map: PCL)

Palestine
Gaza

UN experts see ‘potential genocide’ in Gaza

A group of UN human rights experts called for Israel to face immediate accountability and consequences for systemic violations of international law. As the armed assault on Gaza and forced displacement of its population continues unabated, the UN experts warned: “We cannot afford to lose the force of the multilateral system.” They called for full-scale investigation and an end to impunity in a case of “potential genocide.” They called on all states to “take immediate action to hold Israel accountable for its actions and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice… Only through accountability can the rule of law be upheld and human rights protected.” (Photo: Gloucester2Gaza via Wikimedia Commons)

Mexico
corn

Trade panel strikes down Mexico GMO corn ban

A trade dispute panel convened under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ruled that Mexico’s import restrictions on US genetically modified corn violates the accord. The conflict stems from a presidential decree published by Mexico in February 2023 instating an immediate ban on the use of genetically modified corn in dough and tortillas, and a gradual end to its use in animal feed and other products. The panel determined that the ban was not based on science, and contravened the market access required under the USMCA. However, advocacy groups such as Greenpeace are proponents of the corn decree and implored the US to respect Mexico’s sovereignty, arguing that market dominance of patented GMO varieties leads to the decline of indigenous strains and threatens food security. (Photo of indigenous Mexican corn varieties: Feria de Productores via Earth@Home)

Africa
Sudan

Sudan: worst humanitarian crisis ever recorded

The International Rescue Committee declared that Sudan is currently experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis ever recorded. The report states that approximately 30.4 million people—over half of Sudan’s population—are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a staggering figure that accounts for 10% of all people globally requiring aid, despite Sudan representing less than 1% of the world’s population. Health services have been critically impacted, with more than 70% of healthcare facilities nonfunctional and widespread outbreaks of diseases like cholera and malaria threatening already vulnerable populations.(Map: PCL)

Palestine
Gaza

Amnesty International accuses Israel of genocide

In a landmark 300-page report, Amnesty International has accused Israeli authorities of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The report outlines three specific violations of the Genocide Convention: the killing of Palestinians, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions intended to bring about their physical destruction. This assertion comes after a thorough investigation involving interviews with over 200 individuals, satellite imagery analysis, and a review of public statements by Israeli officials. The report highlights the severe impact of Israel’s actions, with over 42,000 Palestinians, including 13,300 children, killed, and 97,000 injured. Entire neighborhoods have been leveled, and crucial infrastructure obliterated, leaving significant parts of Gaza uninhabitable. The humanitarian toll is severe, with civilians enduring desperate conditions, such as lack of clean water and constant bombing. (Photo: Mohammed Zaanoun/TNH)

Greater Middle East
Lebanon

Celebration and sorrow in Lebanon; no respite for Gaza

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be holding, with the US/France-brokered deal prompting thousands of displaced Lebanese civilians to head for their homes in the south. While there were celebrations on the road, so many homes, businesses and lives have been destroyed that the return is also marred by sorrow—with bodies still under the rubble of buildings flattened by Israel’s bombs. The days before the deal were particularly devastating, with Israel levelling an apartment block in central Beirut, reportedly killing at least 29 people. Both sides have traded accusations of violating the truce, which is based on the UN Security Council resolution that ended the 2006 Hezbollah-Israel war. The next 60 days, during which both Hezbollah and Israel are set to withdraw from south Lebanon, will be crucial. While US President Joe Biden hopes to use this momentum to push for a deal in Gaza, no clear progress has been made on that front—meaning there is still no respite for civilians there. Israel is intensifying its bombardment in central Gaza, where medics say its military killed at least 26 people on the day after the Lebanon deal began, and aid—already mostly blockaded by Israel—is reportedly now being looted on a large scale with impunity. (Image via Flickr)