World News in Brief: UN launches Hormuz evacuation plan, UNICEF youth champion killed in Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire ‘largely holding’

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will begin implementing an evacuation plan for more than 11,000 seafarers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, the UN agency announced on Tuesday.

The development follows months of hardship and distress for thousands of innocent seafarers and comes on the heels of the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.

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The large-scale operation will be carried out in cooperation with Iran, Oman, other coastal States, the United States and the maritime industry. 

IMO had secured the necessary safety guarantees and verified conditions for safe navigation, the agency’s Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, said in a statement.

Paying tribute to 14 seafarers that lost their lives during the most recent escalation of the Middle East conflict, Mr. Dominguez underlined that IMO remains fully committed to ensuring the safety of seafarers and the continuity of global trade.

Speaking to the media during his daily briefing from New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the operation represents a significant step towards easing the “humanitarian impact on thousands of seafarers who have faced months of uncertainty, restricted movement and mounting welfare concerns”.

Gaza: UNICEF youth champion killed

Shelling, gunfire, bombing and airstrikes continue to harm and kill civilians across the Gaza Strip amid dire living conditions in shelters and tents where more than 80 per cent of Palestinians are now living, according to UN agencies on the ground.

Children remain in harms way, according to a new UN report released on Tuesday.

A 17-year-old girl named Raghad – a UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Youth Champion – was killed on her way to sit for her high school exam, the UN agency reported in a social media post.

“We reiterate that we condemn the killing of any civilians, including children, and they must always be protected,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

Dismal shelter assessments

Meanwhile, partners leading on the management of displacement sites yesterday released the findings of an assessment covering nearly 1,600 displacement sites hosting about 1.7 million people, or about 80 per cent of Gaza’s population. 

“The findings confirm that displaced people remain in extremely poor conditions, with limited access to essential services, limited access to also humanitarian supplies, inadequate lighting and energy, weakened health services, disrupted water supply and exposure in general to insecurity,” the UN Spokesperson said.

“To give you a few examples,” he continued, “at least 59,000 individual shelters accommodate more than eight people, while about 38,500 people are estimated to be sleeping in the open.”

Unexploded bombs, rodents and open sewage

In addition, an estimated 600,000 people in the assessed sites lack sufficient access to drinking water, half of the sites lack visible drainage and nearly half reported fire hazards near shelters, Mr. Dujarric said. 

Rodent infestations are reported in 80 per cent of the sites, and open sewage and accumulated waste are present in more than half of them.

In almost 250 sites, hosting nearly 250,000 people, there were reported incidents with unexploded ordnance.

Lebanon: Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire ‘largely holding’

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported “the latest ceasefire announced for Lebanon on 19 June appears to be largely holding,” the UN Spokesperson said.

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However, peacekeepers did observe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground and air activities, including tank fire and blocked roads. Drone activity was recorded near UNIFIL positions. In one instance, an armed drone flew over twice at altitudes ranging from 50 to 150 metres. 

“We urge all parties to adhere fully to the ceasefire and refrain from any escalation, particularly during this delicate period of ongoing negotiations,” the UN Spokesperson said.

11,000 destroyed buildings in south

A new UN Development Programme (UNDP) assessment, conducted with the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research, highlights the scale of the damage in southern Lebanon.

More than 11,000 residential buildings were found to be completely destroyed and another 2,200 partially damaged.

“For many families, this means there is simply no home to return to,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Fragile humanitarian landscape

On the humanitarian front, UNIFIL facilitated 12 aid missions by three agencies in Sector West in coordination with the UN relief agency, OCHA.

“On the ground, our colleagues tell us that the humanitarian situation remains fragile and uncertain for families seeking to return to their homes, even after the latest ceasefire,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Some 19,000 people left collective shelters overnight, reducing the total from 109,000 yesterday to just more than 90,000 on Tuesday.

Continued uncertainty, widespread destruction and the threat posed by unexploded ordnances continue to prevent safe and sustainable returns.   

“We and our partners continue to call for the protection of civilians and for conditions to allow displaced families to return home voluntarily, safely and of course with dignity,” the UN Spokesperson said.