Latest news with #UN-led
Scoop
2 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
UN Rights Office ‘Horrified' By Deadly Violence At Gaza Food Distribution Sites
18 June 2025 The UN human rights office (OHCHR) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on Wednesday called on the Israeli military to cease the use of lethal force near aid convoys and food distribution sites. It cited 'repeated incidents' of Palestinians being shot or shelled while seeking food, warning that such attacks could constitute war crimes under international law. 'We are horrified at the repeated incidents, continuously reported in recent days across Gaza, and we call for an immediate end to these senseless killings,' the office said in a statement. Hundreds killed Since 27 May, when the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an initiative backed by Israel and the United States began food distribution in southern Gaza – bypassing the established UN-led system – hundreds have been killed and many more wounded near four distribution points or while waiting to pick up aid. In one of the deadliest recent incidents, Israeli military reportedly shelled a crowd waiting for UN food trucks in southern Gaza on 17 June, killing at least 51 people and injuring some 200 others, according to Gazan health authorities. A day earlier, three Palestinians were reportedly killed and several injured in a similar incident in western Beit Lahiya. ' There is no information to suggest that the people killed or injured were involved in hostilities or posed any threat to the Israeli military or to staff of GHF distribution points,' OHCHR said. Protect civilians, aid workers The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which has managed to dispatch only 9,000 metric tons of food within Gaza over the past month – a fraction of what is required for the 2.1 million people in need – echoed calls for immediate protection of civilians and aid workers. 'Far too many people have died while trying to access the trickle of food aid coming in,' the agency said in a separate statement. 'Any violence resulting in starving people being killed or injured while seeking life-saving assistance is completely unacceptable.' Massive scale-up needed The UN emergency food relief agency said the fear of starvation and desperate need for food is causing large crowds to gather along well-known transport routes, hoping to intercept and access humanitarian supplies while in transit. ' Only a massive scale-up in food distributions can stabilize the situation, calm anxieties and rebuild the trust within communities that more food is coming,' it said, calling urgently for safer convoy routes, faster permissions, restored communication channels and additional border openings. 'The time to act is now. Delays cost lives. We must be allowed to safely do our jobs,' the agency said.
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Business
- Middle East Eye
Israeli documents reveal further American interests in firm guarding Gaza aid hubs
Business registration documents filed in Israel last month by a private US contractor operating in Gaza reveal a wider network of Americans linked to a controversial aid plan whose funding has remained opaque as more than 400 Palestinians have been killed seeking food from its sites. Safe Reach Solutions (SRS) is providing security and logistics for the sites recently set up as part of the plan, which has seen the UN-led aid distribution system in Gaza sidelined and replaced by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Questions about the foundation's funding have plagued it for weeks, leading reporters to look for answers in the wilds of Delaware, a state known for its culture of corporate secrecy where GHF was registered earlier this year. While the organisation's backers remain a mystery, a Middle East Eye investigation based on registration documents filed by SRS in Israel last month show a confluence of former US government contractors, investors, and firms representing ultra-rich individuals involved in the for-profit company. The revelations come as the US State Department is reportedly considering providing $500m to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Safe Reach Solutions registered as a foreign company in Israel on 14 May, less than two weeks before GHF began operations in Gaza, documents filed with the Israeli Corporations Authority records show. The registration process was initiated by Nurit Dagan, a lawyer with Israeli law firm Herzog, Fox and Neeman, and Christopher James Oates, who is only described in one sparse document as an American with no further details. Screenshot of initial paperwork filed for Safe Reach Solutions with the Israeli Corporations Authority on 13 May 2025 An individual with the same name is the founder and managing partner of a Lake Forest, Illinois-based investment firm called Nio Advisors, which has previously partnered with McNally Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm which has already confirmed that it has a stake in SRS. Since 2021, McNally Capital and Nio Advisors have acquired at least three government contractors, each of which are focused on national security. One of the companies is Orbis, a Virginia-based consultancy. It was while working for Orbis late last year that Phil Reilly, the former CIA officer who now heads SRS, reportedly worked on a study for new models to outsource food distribution in Gaza to private companies and foundations. McNally Capital and SRS did not respond to requests for comment from MEE about whether Nio Advisors was involved. Nio Advisors, which was incorporated in Delaware in 2015, has no website, nor any contact details that MEE could find. In a further attempt to reach Oates, MEE also contacted Disruptive Industries, a UK-based technology start-up founded by a former British military intelligence operator in which Oates serves as a director, but did not receive a response. Also listed in the company's Israeli filing as an officer of SRS is Charles Africano. Screenshot of Safe Reach Solutions registration filing with the Israeli Corporations Authority made on 14 May 2025 A Linkedin account for an individual with the same name shows that he worked for Academi, the private security contractor previously known as Blackwater before it merged with a competitor to become Constellis Holdings. A Charles Africano is also listed as a point of contact for Circinus, a Virginia-based defence contractor which made headlines during Donald Trump's first administration after its founder, top Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy, pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate foreign lobbying laws. Broidy was pardoned by Trump in 2021. SRS did not respond when MEE asked if it could confirm that the Africano on the filing was the former Circinus employee, and attempts to reach Africano through the number on the Circinus website led to a disconnected number. 'Execution site': Palestinians face death collecting food at US-Israeli Gaza aid points Read More » Reilly has previously worked for both Constellis as senior vice president of special activities and Circinus where he served as a board member. The Israeli filing also lists the Wyoming-based Two Ocean Trust LLC, a wealth management company which serves as SRS's registered agent in the US, as the sole director of the company. The trust says it partners with families to manage multi-generational wealth, delivering "customised investment and trust solutions to ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices and foundations" and offers "unique access to Wyoming's tax advantages, modern trust laws and enhance privacy protections". Wyoming, like Delaware, is a state increasingly known for its corporate secrecy, with a recent International Consortium for Investigative Journalist report showing that it had surpassed Delaware for the most corporate registrations per capita. MEE asked Two Ocean Trust whether the firm was acting on behalf of McNally Capital, Nio Advisors or any other clients in its role with SRS, or if it was working for the trust alone. Joel Revill, Two Ocean's CEO, told MEE: 'As a publicly chartered trust company, Two Ocean Trust serves many clients. It does not own Safe Reach Solutions." Lawyers warn of complicity Since GHF launched its operations three weeks ago, MEE's Gaza-based journalist has reported that at least 420 Palestinians have been killed and more than 3,000 others injured by Israeli fire near three aid distribution sites in central and southern Gaza. 'You go there to get food, but you never know if you'll make it back,' one Palestinian in Gaza told MEE this week, describing the hubs as 'an execution site'. GHF has rejected reports that Palestinians have been killed near its distribution sites. Ex-CIA officer running Gaza aid security advised Boston Consulting Group Read More » "To date, not a single incident has occurred at or in the surrounding vicinity of GHF sites, nor has any incident occurred during our operating hours. Our distribution model is secure and designed specifically to prevent such tragedies, even under extreme pressure," the foundation said in a statement this week. The US-based Center for Constitutional Rights has warned the foundation that it may be prosecuted for aiding war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. A letter sent to GHF mentions the role Safe Reach Solutions is playing. Also copied into the letter was Christoph Schweizer, CEO of the Boston Consulting Group, which was reportedly critical in designing and maintaining the foundation's business operations. Earlier this month, the global consultancy announced that it had withdrawn from the project and fired two employees, saying that they had carried out unauthorised work in violation of company policies. The firm has engaged outside counsel to investigate its involvement. Questions remain about how involved the firm was in developing the security side of the aid operation. As MEE has reported, Reilly was still a senior advisor at BCG when Safe Reach Solutions was registered in the US. MEE asked SRS, Two Ocean Trust and McNally Capital whether they were concerned about reports of the killings of Palestinians near the distribution sites. None of the companies responded.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Lee reaffirms support for UN's contribution to world peace
KANANASKIS, Canada -- President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday said in a brief meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that South Korea will remain steadfast in providing support for UN's contribution to world peace and prosperity, according to the presidential office. Lee also underscored UN-led international solidarity to navigate multifaceted crises, during his meeting with Guterres, Lee's office said in a statement. According to Seoul, Guterres acknowledged South Korea's contribution to achieving international peace and security, dealing with human rights issues, fostering sustainable growth and tackling climate change, asking Lee for South Korea's continued support for addressing global issues.
Morocco World
4 days ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Western Sahara: Panama Renews Support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan
Rabat – Panama renewed its support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan as a serious, credible, and realistic basis to resolve the dispute over Western Sahara. Panama's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez, reaffirmed his country's unwavering support for Morocco's territorial integrity on Monday following a meeting with his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, today in Rabat. During a press conference, the Panamanian minister stressed that Morocco's 2007 Autonomy Plan 'should be the only solution in the future,' noting that his position on the dispute is clear and firm – backing the Moroccan initiative as a path toward a lasting resolution. Morocco's autonomy initiative has been enjoying growing support with over 113 countries – seeing it as the most or only feasible political framework to end the dispute. In November last year, Panama suspended diplomatic relations with the self-styled SADR, a separatist group controlled by Algeria and run by Polisario's leadership. 'The Republic of Panama , prioritizing national interests and remaining faithful to the fundamental principles of its foreign policy, reaffirms its conviction in the objectives and values that guide multilateralism and reiterates its commitment to continue supporting the efforts made by the Secretary General and the international community, under the framework of the UN, toward a peaceful, just, sustainable, and acceptable solution for the parties concerned with the Sahara issue,' a statement from the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Following the official announcement, Panama announced its support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative as the basis for a just and lasting solution to the dispute. It also recalls the importance of advancing the political process on the international level, supporting the UN-led political process in finding a mutually acceptable and agreed-upon solution to the dispute. During his working visit, the Panamanian foreign minister also delivered a written message to King Mohammed VI from the president of the country Jose Raul Moulino. A statement published by Morocco's news agency said the message 'Reflects the will of the Heads of State of both countries to strengthen the positive momentum in Morocco-Panama relations and to elevate them to broader horizons of cooperation and complementarity in the service of the two friendly nations.' Tags: 2007 Autonomy planAlgeria and the Sahara
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN tight-lipped on outcome of talks with Congolese rebels
The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has held talks with Rwanda-backed rebels about protecting civilians in areas under their control in the east. Bintou Keita, the UN secretary general's special representative, said the rebels spoke of wanting a peaceful solution to the crisis, which escalated in January with their capture of the major city of Goma. She said she had brought "a spirit of listening and exchange" to the discussions in Goma on Friday. Little more detail has been released about any progress made at the summit. But in a short written statement, Ms Kieta said it formed part of ongoing "joint efforts begun several months ago for the benefit of the population", and that it came at a critical moment. Photos released from the meeting showed Ms Keita boarding a helicopter towards the eastern warzone for the summit, and also of her team sat across from leaders of the Congo River Alliance - which includes the M23 rebel group. These were not the UN-led first talks since the takeover of Goma, but they are the highest profile. Earlier this year the UN peacekeeping force, known as Monusco, was unable to stop the rebel group advancing and seizing large swathes of territory from the Congolese army. M23 rebels attacked some Monusco peacekeepers. Since the start of this year, the M23 has made major advances in the mineral-rich east, including taking Goma in January. The conflict has led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians in the last few months, with thousands of people killed. Airports in the cities of Goma and Kivumu remain closed and livelihoods have been disrupted, with many civil servants and other workers not receiving their pay. On Friday, almost 250 South African soldiers who were deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo arrived back home as the first part of a phased withdrawal from the eastern warzone. They had been part of a force sent by the southern African bloc (Sadc) to assist the Congolese army, but 20 of its soldiers were later killed during an M23 advance which prompted the decision to leave. At a meeting on Saturday, Monusco said its leader Ms Keita met a top Sadc commander in a show of mutual appreciation for the "support and solidarity" they had shown each other "in these recent, difficult months". Additional reporting by Emery Makumeno, Samba Cyzuzo and Cecilia Macaulay What's the fighting in DR Congo all about? Ex-DR Congo president returns from self-imposed exile, party says Rare antelope captured on camera as experts say under 100 exist Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
