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☆ Putin did not commit to renew Syria cross-border aid access -U.S. official
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Washington and several other members of the 15-member Security Council are pushing to expand the cross-border operation, which U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock has described as a "lifeline" for some 3 million Syrians in the country's north. The U.S. official described the upcoming renewal as a test of whether the United States and Russia could work together. The U.N. Security Council first authorized a cross-border aid operation by U.N. and nongovernmental organizations into Syria in 2014 at four points. Last year, it reduced that access to one crossing point from Turkey due to opposition from Russia and China over renewing all four. Russia has vetoed 16 resolutions related to Syria and was backed by China for many of those votes.

Persons: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Kevin Lamarque GENEVA, Mark Lowcock, Biden, Putin, United Nations Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Humeyra Pamuk, Chris Reese Organizations: U.S, Villa La Grange, REUTERS, United Nations Security Council, Security, The U.S, . Security, U.N, United Nations, Western, Thomson Locations: Russia, Geneva, Switzerland, Syria, Washington, The, United States, Turkey, China, France, Britain

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden during their meeting in Moscow March 10, 2011. But Biden intends to bring up the issue and has suggested he wants Russian authorities to crack down on such cybercriminals. Putin has said Moscow would be willing to hand over suspects if any deal cuts both ways. Putin had made clear that Ukraine is a 'red line' and that he wants Washington to steer clear. Russia recalled Anatoly Antonov, its ambassador to Washington, in March after Biden said he believed Putin was a "killer", while John Sullivan, the U.S.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Joe Biden, Alexander Natruskin, Biden, Putin, NAVALNY Biden, Washington, Anatoly Antonov, John Sullivan, Paul Whelan, Trevor Reed, Viktor Bout, Konstantin Yaroshenko, Alexander Lukashenko, Lukashenko, SYRIA Biden, Mark Lowcock, Bashar al, Assad Organizations: Russian, U.S, REUTERS, FBI, Colonial Pipeline Co, meatpacker JBS SA of, HUMAN, Nuclear Forces Treaty, West, NATO, NBC, Kremlin, Security, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Washington, Geneva, Ukraine, Syria, Russia, United States, meatpacker JBS SA of Brazil, Russian, Europe, UKRAINE, Crimea, Ukraine's, Kyiv, U.S, BELARUS, Belarus, SYRIA

☆ Most farmers in Ethiopia's Tigray are planting crops, says gov't after UN famine warning
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File PhotoNAIROBI, June 15 (Reuters) - Ethiopia's state agriculture minister said on Tuesday a majority of farmers in the Tigray region were planting crops on time, after the United Nations warned of famine in the area following conflict that has displaced more than two million people. The federal government also expects a "significant portion" of farmers who fled the fighting to return to their land in the next month, he added. However, planting remains delayed in 15 of Tigray's 61 districts in northern parts of the region, Ahmed said. read moreTigrayan officials have also said that Eritrean soldiers are blocking farmers in some areas from planting crops. Fighting since November between Ethiopia's government and the region's ousted ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, caused farmers to abandon their fields just before the main harvest.

Persons: Baz Ratner, Sani Redi Ahmed, Ahmed, Abiy, Mark Lowcock, Ayenat, Maggie Fick, Gareth Jones Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations, National Meteorological Agency, U.N, The United Nations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Shire, Tigray, Ethiopia, NAIROBI, Addis Ababa

☆ Ethiopia U.N. envoy says Eritrea troops to leave Tigray 'soon'
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-15 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, June 15 (Reuters) - Eritrean troops in Ethiopia's Tigray region are expected to "definitely leave soon," Ethiopia's U.N. envoy said after a top U.N. official told the Security Council on Tuesday that Eritrea's soldiers were using starvation as a weapon of war. Eritrea said in April that it had agreed to start withdrawing its troops from Tigray. read moreIn April, Eritrea's U.N. ambassador, Sophia Tesfamariam, rejected allegations of sexual violence and starvation by Eritrean troops as false and "outrageous." Eritrean troops entered the conflict to support the Ethiopian government. In April, the Security Council issued a statement of concern about the humanitarian situation.

Persons: U.N, Mark Lowcock, Lowcock, Eritrea's U.N, Sophia Tesfamariam, Taye, Selassie Amde, Amde, Geraldine Byrne Nason, Barbara Woodward, Michelle Nichols, Chris Reese Organizations: YORK, Security, Ireland, Ethiopian, Russia, Thomson Locations: Ethiopia's Tigray, Tigray, New York, Eritrea, China

☆ U.N. readies for more displaced Afghans after troop withdrawal
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-14 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Grandi pointed to a deadly attack last week on an international demining organization in northern Afghanistan, which killed 10 people. "This is a tragic indicator of the type of violence that may be resurfacing in Afghanistan and with the withdrawal of the international troops this is possibly or likely going to become worse," Grandi said. After 20 years, the United States has started a withdrawal of its remaining 2,500 troops in Afghanistan and aims to be completely out of the country by Sept. 11. Grandi said strong international support was needed for peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Lowcock said that until a few years ago there had been a lot of international attention in Afghanistan.

Persons: Giorgos Moutafis, Filippo Grandi, Grandi, Osama bin Laden, Mark Lowcock, Biden, Lowcock Organizations: Refugee Rescue, REUTERS, Reuters, UNHCR, NATO, United States, United, Nations, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Skala Sikamias, Lesbos, Greece, Nations, U.N, United States, U.S, Australia, New Zealand, Georgia, Qaeda

☆ Outgoing U.N. aid chief slams G7 for failing on vaccine plan
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-14 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.N. humanitarian coordinator Mark Lowcock attends a news conference following a joint mission to Afghanistan and Pakistan at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, September 10, 2018. REUTERS/Denis BalibouseOutgoing U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock slammed the Group of Seven wealthy nations on Monday for failing to come up with a plan to vaccinate the world against COVID-19, describing the G7 pledge to provide 1 billion doses over the next year as a "small step." "These sporadic, small-scale, charitable handouts from rich countries to poor countries is not a serious plan and it will not bring the pandemic to an end," Lowcock, who steps down on Friday, told Reuters. "The G7, essentially, completely failed to show the necessary urgency." "What the world needed from the G7 was a plan to vaccinate the world.

Persons: Mark Lowcock, Denis Balibouse, Lowcock, vaccinating, Antonio Guterres Organizations: United Nations, REUTERS, COVID, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Geneva, Switzerland, United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada, Cornwall, England

Now hunger is stalking the Tigray region again, and a senior UN official alleges that starvation is being used as a weapon of war. In some of his strongest public comments to date on the crisis, the UN's top humanitarian official, Mark Lowcock, accused Eritrean forces of "trying to deal with the Tigrayan population by starving them." Minister of Information Yemane Gebremeskel has previously said accusations that Eritrean soldiers are blocking or looting aid are "fabricated." Some residents accused Amhara forces of stealing their crops and livestock, or chasing them off their farms. Continuing harassment from Eritrean forces meant that no one was plowing the land for the next crop, farmers told aid workers.

Persons: Baz Ratner, Abiy, Mark Lowcock, Lowcock, Gebremeskel, Abiy's, Billene Seyoum, Mitiku Kassa, Muluneh, Adan Muez, Tadesse Aregawi, Adan, Tadesse, Tsasie, Adigrat, OCHA, Eritreans, Abera, Gebrehiwot, Abebe, Mizan Berhanu, Fano, Katharine Houreld, Giulia Paravicini, Dawit Endeshaw, Silvia Aloisi, Alexandra Zavis, Janet McBride Organizations: REUTERS, UN, United Nations, Reuters, Ethiopian, Risk Management Commission, Hospital, UNICEF, Sans, MSF, Food, Relief Society of Tigray, U.S . Agency for International Development, The U.S . Embassy, Eritrean Defense Forces, EDF, Eritrean, Amhara, Billene, Thomson Locations: Shire, Tigray, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Amhara, Adigrat, Eritrean, Mekelle, That's, Hunger, Kola Tembien district, The U.S, Axum, Adwa, Ziban, Fano, Addis Ababa

☆ 'There is famine in Ethiopia right now,' says UN aid chief
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-10 | by ( Eleanor Pickston | Nima Elbagir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

(CNN) Over 350,000 people in Ethiopia's conflict-ravaged Tigray region are experiencing dire hunger, finds a new report by the United Nations and other aid groups. "There is famine in Ethiopia right now," United Nations aid chief Mark Lowcock warned on Thursday. According to the global Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system, which evaluates food insecurity and malnutrition around the world, substantial parts of the Tigray region are currently in an "IPC 5 Catastrophe" status -- its most severe rating. The situation is expected to worsen through September, the report also says. USAID distributes supplies to residents in the town of Hawzen, in central Tigray, who hadn't received much-needed aid for two months.

Persons: Mark Lowcock, hadn't Organizations: CNN, United Nations, Food, USAID Locations: Tigray, Ethiopia, Amhara, Afar, Hawzen

Displaced people are seen at the Shire campus of Aksum University, which was turned into a temporary shelter for people displaced by conflict, in the town of Shire, Tigray region, Ethiopia, March 15, 2021. REUTERS/Baz RatnerAn unpublished analysis by United Nations agencies and aid groups estimates some 350,000 people in Ethiopia’s conflict-torn Tigray region are in famine conditions, according to an internal U.N. document seen by Reuters on Wednesday. "On the risk of famine, it was noted that the unpublished IPC analysis figures were being disputed by the Ethiopian government, notably the estimated 350,000 people across Tigray believed to be in IPC 5 famine conditions," the June 7 document read. Famine has been declared twice in the past decade - in Somalia in 2011 and in South Sudan in 2017, according to the IPC. Fighting in Tigray broke out in November between government troops and the region's former ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

Persons: Baz Ratner, Mark Lowcock, Abiy, U.N, Stephane Dujarric Organizations: Aksum University, REUTERS, United Nations, Reuters, Integrated, Tigray of, Inter, Agency, Ethiopian, IPC, UNICEF, Refugees, World Health Organization, International Committee, Cross, Foreign Ministry, Embassy, Troops, Thomson Locations: Shire, Tigray, Ethiopia, Ethiopian, New York, London, Somalia, South Sudan, Eritrea

☆ U.S. envoy to U.N. to visit Syria border ahead of Russia showdown
▼ + stars: | 2021-06-01 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will visit the Turkish border with Syria this week ahead of a likely showdown with Russia in the U.N. Security Council over the extension of a cross-border humanitarian aid operation. Thomas-Greenfield will "convey the United States' strong support for humanitarian access into Syria and the U.S. commitment to the people of Syria," said one U.S. official. The 15-member Security Council first authorized a cross-border aid operation into Syria in 2014 at four points. A resolution to extend council approval needs nine votes in favor and no veto from any of the five permanent members Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain. Several council members, including the United States, are pushing to expand the cross-border operation.

Persons: Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Mike Segar, Mark Lowcock Organizations: U.S, United Nations, . Security, REUTERS, Thomas, Turkey, Turkish, Security, U.S ., Thomson Locations: U.N, New York, U.S, Turkish, Syria, Russia, United States, Turkey, China, France, Britain

☆ There's no such thing as 'precision' when you're bombing a city
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-28 | by ( Charli Carpenter | World Politics Review | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Many states and armed groups use explosive violence in urban areas, and its effects are inherently indiscriminate. Like most democracies whose air wars kill large numbers of civilians, Israel claims the moral high ground. By contrast, according to Israel, Hamas was targeting Israeli civilians directly and intentionally. That is because explosive weapons in densely populated urban areas simply cannot be used in a precision manner or be limited in the ways envisioned by the Geneva Conventions. In Gaza, for example, hundreds of civilians were killed and over 1,000 injured by "precision" weapons Israel claimed were aimed solely at Hamas.

Persons: Israel, Mustafa Hassona, Mark Lowcock, Lowcock, Majdi, Russia's, Abdel Kareem Hana, Charli Carpenter Organizations: Hamas, United Nations, Getty Images Israel, Brown University, International Network, Violence, International Committee, ICRC, UN, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Locations: Israel, Gaza, Beit Hanoun, Geneva, Gaza City, United States, Saudi Arabia, New York

☆ U.N. aid chief warns: don't cut Syria cross-border 'lifeline'
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-26 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The United Nations logo is seen on a window in an empty hallway at United Nations headquarters during the 75th annual U.N. General Assembly high-level debate, which is being held mostly virtually due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in New York, U.S., September 21, 2020. REUTERS/Mike SegarUnited Nations aid chief Mark Lowcock appealed to the Security Council on Wednesday not to cut a cross-border aid "lifeline" to some 3 million Syrians in the country's north as veto-power Russia questioned the importance of the long-running operation. The cross-border operation – which is a lifeline for more than 3 million people – cannot be substituted," Lowcock told the council. The 15-member Security Council first authorized a cross-border aid operation into Syria in 2014 at four points. Several council members are pushing to increase the number of cross-border aid access points.

Persons: Mike Segar, Mark Lowcock, Lowcock, United Nations Richard Mills, Dmitry Polyanskiy Organizations: United, United Nations, General Assembly, REUTERS, Mike Segar United, Security, U.S, Western, Thomson Locations: United Nations, New York, U.S, Mike Segar United Nations, Russia, Syria, Turkey, China, United States, France, Britain, Damascus, Idlib

☆ Biden says humanitarian access must be granted in Ethiopia's Tigray region
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinPresident Joe Biden called on Wednesday for the withdrawal of Eritrean and Amhara forces from Ethiopia's Tigray region and said immediate humanitarian access must be granted to avoid widespread famine in the conflict-torn area. Troops from the neighboring region of Amhara and the nation of Eritrea entered the war to support the government. read more"Belligerents in the Tigray region should declare and adhere to a ceasefire, and Eritrean and Amhara forces should withdraw," Biden said in a statement. The president said Ethiopian and Eritrean forces "must allow immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access to the region in order to prevent widespread famine." read moreU.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeff Feltman will return to the region next week, Biden said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Evelyn Hockstein, Biden, Mark Lowcock, Lowcock, ”, Africa Jeff Feltman Organizations: Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Atlantic, REUTERS, Ethiopian, Troops, Eritrean, Humanitarian Affairs, Security Council, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Amhara, Ethiopia's Tigray, Tigray, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Africa

☆ Humanitarian aid arrives in Gaza as rebuilding efforts get underway
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-22 | by ( Adela Suliman Is A London-Based Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

As residents picked through rubble and continued to take stock of the damage in the Gaza Strip, humanitarian aid arrived in the long impoverished region on Saturday, less than 48 hours after a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was declared. The United Nations said it had released $22.5 million, which would go towards rebuilding damaged water and electricity infrastructure and disposing of explosive ordnance. Over 77,000 Palestinians were displaced and unable to leave Gaza, during the 11-days of fighting that ended late Thursday, the U.N. said in a statement. Many have now begun to return home, although at least 1,000 people had their homes completely destroyed or severely damaged, it added. Adi Vaizel looks at the damage caused to his house in Ashkelon, Israel, on Thursday, after it was hit by a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Mark Lowcock, Abdel Fattah El, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Adi Vaizel, Amir Cohen, Nadeen Abed al, Lateef, Ron Ariely's, Ariely Organizations: United Nations, Emergency, Al, NBC, Gaza Health Ministry, White, Hamas, U.S, State Department, Reuters Locations: Gaza, Israel, Egypt, Jerusalem, Ashkelon

☆ Live Updates: France Leads Push for Cease-Fire in Gaza, but Fighting Drags On
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-19 | by ( Rick Gladstone | Shashank Bengali | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

Live Live Updates: France Leads Push for Cease-Fire in Gaza, but Fighting Drags On The conflict spilled into a 10th day, with tenuous hopes for a truce. In the brief summary, the White House said that Mr. Biden “expressed his support for a cease-fire,” while stopping short of calling for one. Monday’s phone call reflects Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu’s complicated 40-year relationship. For his part, Mr. Netanyahu is fighting for his political life at home while trying to sustain support in Washington. With Mr. Biden now in the Oval Office, the men are again trying to sustain mutual trust amid larger forces driving them apart.

Persons: Khalil Hamra, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, “, ”, Hosam, Mark Lowcock, Biden, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Geraldine Byrne Nason, ” Rick Gladstone, Netanyahu, Joseph R, Debbie Hill, Ilan Goldenberg, Obama, —, Jeremy Ben, Ami, “ He’s, Jen Psaki, Mr, Biden “, Netanyahu’s Organizations: ., Associated Press, United Nations Security Council, Gaza Health Ministry, United, Hamas, United Nations, Credit, The New York Times, . Security, American, Security Council, Israel, Middle East Security, Center, New, New American Security, Democratic, J, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, White House, Air Force, Mr, Embassy Locations: Gaza, France, Israel, Israeli, Egypt, Qatar, United Nations, U.N, Hosam Salem, Jordan, United States, U.S, Jerusalem, New American, Washington, Israel’s

☆ Live Updates: House to Vote on Creating a Commission to Investigate the Capitol Riot
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-19 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | Madeleine Ngo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

Live Live Updates: House to Vote on Creating a Commission to Investigate the Capitol Riot The vote is expected to be largely partisan after the Republicans’ leader, Representative Kevin McCarthy, and his team urged his members to vote no. The House is set to vote to create an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Mr. McCarthy’s opposition to the bill on Tuesday was followed by a statement from his leadership team encouraging a “no” vote. In rejecting the commission, Mr. McCarthy essentially threw one of his key deputies, Representative John Katko of New York, under the bus in favor of shielding Mr. Trump and the party from further scrutiny. “Enough said.” Mr. Katko predicted a “healthy” number of Republicans would still vote for it.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Stefani Reynolds, Kevin McCarthy of, Donald J, McCarthy, Trump, ” Mr, Mitch McConnell of, John Katko, Katko, Nancy Pelosi, ”, Pelosi, “, Steny H, Hoyer, Mr, “ It’s, Chuck Schumer, Schumer, Donald Trump, ” Biden, Biden, Erin Scott, Bill Kelly, David M, Santos, “ You’re, Barack Obama, Khalil Hamra, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Hosam Salem, Mark Lowcock, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Geraldine Byrne Nason, ” Rick Gladstone, Gary Peters, Todd Young, Handy Kennedy, Michael M, Alan Rappeport, Jim Lo Scalzo, Fuad El, Nancy, Steve Scalise, Scalise’s, Robert G, Kramer, James E, Robert Kadlec, Kadlec, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Chris Hamby, Sergio Flores, children’s Organizations: Republicans, Capitol, Republican, Credit, The New York Times, Senate, Democratic, Homeland Security, Democrats, U.S . Coast Guard Academy, ., U.S . Coast Guard, ”, United, U.S, U.S . Coast, Associated Press, United Nations Security Council, Hamas, United Nations, Security Council, American, Democrat, Congress, Department of Agriculture, Bank, Agriculture Department, Emergent, Trump, Health, Human Services Department’s, Refugee, Border Patrol Locations: Gaza, California, Kevin McCarthy of California, America, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, New York, Maryland, Ford, Michigan, New London, Afghanistan, United States, U.S ., Washington, France, Israeli, Egypt, Qatar, United Nations, Israel, U.N, Jordan, U.S, China, States, Indiana, Beijing, Cobbtown, Black, Baltimore, Louisiana, South Carolina, Del Rio , Texas, Dallas, El Paso, Erie, Pa

☆ Live Updates: Republicans Push Party Members to Vote Against Capitol Riot Commission
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-19 | by ( Nicholas Fandos | Madeleine Ngo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

Live Live Updates: Republicans Push Party Members to Vote Against Capitol Riot Commission The House will vote Wednesday evening on a bill to create a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack, and Republican leaders who do not support it may face a wave of defections. President Biden will deliver the commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s graduation. This will be the second time Mr. Biden has addressed the academy’s graduating class. Credit Credit... Erin Scott for The New York TimesG.O.P. House Democrats are expected to unanimously back the commission, and President Biden formally endorsed it on Tuesday.

Persons: Biden, Netanyahu, ‘, Erin Scott, Kevin McCarthy, Stefani Reynolds, Kevin McCarthy of, Donald J, Trump, “, Mitch McConnell, Trump’s, McCarthy, John Katko, McCarthy’s, Katko, ”, Bennie Thompson, Mitch McConnell of, McConnell, Khalil Hamra, Benjamin Netanyahu, Karine Jean, Pierre, Ms, Jean, Mr, Israel, Hosam Salem, Mark Lowcock, Jim Tankersley, Rick Gladstone, Bill Kelly, David M, Santos, “ You’re, Barack Obama, Chuck Schumer, Gary Peters, Todd Young, Schumer, Handy Kennedy, Michael M, Alan Rappeport, Jim Lo Scalzo, Fuad El, Nancy, Steve Scalise, Scalise’s, Robert G, Kramer, James E, Robert Kadlec, Kadlec, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, Chris Hamby, Sergio Flores, children’s Organizations: Party, Capitol Riot, Republican, U.S . Coast Guard, United States Coast Guard, Credit, The New York Times, Capitol, The New York Times Republican, Trump, Republicans, Mr, Democrats, Democratic, Republican Party, Democrat, Senate, ., Associated Press, Hamas, House, Air Force, United States Coast Guard Academy, United Nations Security Council, United, United Nations, U.S . Coast Guard Academy, ”, U.S, U.S . Coast, Congress, Department of Agriculture, Bank, Agriculture Department, Emergent, Health, Human Services Department’s, Refugee, Border Patrol Locations: California, Kevin McCarthy of California, New York, Mississippi, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, ’, Gaza, Israel, Washington, France, Israeli, Egypt, Qatar, United Nations, U.N, Ford, Michigan, New London, Afghanistan, United States, U.S ., China, States, Indiana, Beijing, Cobbtown, Black, Baltimore, Louisiana, South Carolina, Del Rio , Texas, Dallas, El Paso, Erie, Pa

☆ Israel and Hamas May Reach Cease-Fire Soon, Officials Say
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-19 | by ( Ronen Bergman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +39 min

Israel and Hamas May Reach Cease-Fire Soon, Officials Say Both sides said they were close to an agreement to end more than a week of fighting. Israeli officials say cease-fire may be reached within two days. But delays in reaching a possible cease-fire have taken place because the Egyptians, who are helping coordinate the negotiations, have had trouble contacting senior Hamas officials. Israeli media has reported that Israeli officials do not expect the bombing to stop until Friday at the earliest. Israeli officials have said that as long as rockets continue to be fired at Israel from Gaza, Israel will continue to bomb the territory.

Persons: Biden, Tsafrir, Meir Ben, Netanyahu, Marwan Issa, Gilad Shalit, ‘, Hosam, Benjamin Netanyahu, Karine Jean, Pierre, Ms, Jean, Mr, ”, Heiko Mass, Khalil Hamra, Abu Marzouq, Mark Lowcock, Jim Tankersley, Rick Gladstone, Mousa Abu Marzouq, Khan Younis, Israel, Ronen Bergman, Richard Pérez, Riad Ishkontana, Suzy, Abdel Kareem Hana, Ishkontana, Zein, “, Mohammed Deif, Mohammed Abed, Deif, Hidai Zilberman, Mahmud Hams, Widad, Ali, —, Khan, Dan Bilefsky, Hassan Salem, Deir, Kai Pfaffenbach, Moshe Kantor, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Owen Jones, conflating, “ you’re, you’re, Maya Alleruzzo, Yahel Kurlander, Thais, Kan, Kurlander, ” Israel, Yusef Abu Hussein, Jen Psaki, Psaki, ” Ignacio Miguel Delgado, Latifeh Abdellatif, West Bank Nasser Nasser, Israel Corinna Kern, West Bank Majdi Mohammed, City Mahmoud Illean, West Bank Hazem Bader, Samar Abu Elouf, CGTN, Wang Yi, Mr Wang, Bat Yam, Amir Levy, Rashida Tlaib, Debbie Dingell, Doug Mills, Tlaib, doesn’t, ” Mr, Tlaib’s, Muftia Tlaib, Luke Broadwater Organizations: Associated Press Israel, Israel, Biden, United Nations, Credit, The New York Times, Hamas, House, Air Force, United States Coast Guard Academy, Mr, United Nations Security Council, Video, Press, ., Palestinian Information Center, Shifa, Associated Press, Agence France, Israel Defense Forces, Tel Aviv, Qassam, West Bank, Police, Reuters, European Jewish, Central Council of, Embassy, Metropolitan Police, Twitter, Associated Press Foreign, Hai College, White House, Aqsa Voice, Nawa Online Women Media Network, North, Committee, Protect Journalists, Eye, Associated, West Bank Agence France, Israeli Embassy, China Central Television, CGTN, Global Times, Jewish, Facebook, Jewish Guard, Troops, Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center . Credit, New York Times, Democratic, Ford, “ Locations: Israel, Gaza, Israeli, Sderot, Gaza . Credit, Washington, Iran, Cairo, Gaza City, Hosam Salem, France, U.N, Egypt, Rimal, The New York Times Israel, Khan, Associated Press GAZA, Gen, Tel, Sheikh Radwan, Hebron, Lebanon, Europe, Frankfurt, Bonn, Germany, Münster, North London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Jewish, ”, Gelsenkirchen, United States, Turkey, London, Hyde, West London, British, Palestine, Ashkelon, Palestinian, Al Jazeera, East, North Africa, East Jerusalem, Ramallah, West Bank, Jaffa, Nablus Jaafar Ashtiyeh, Nablus, West, City, Bethlehem, Samar, Beijing, China, Xinjiang, India, Detroit, Michigan, “, Dearborn

CNN's efforts to reach Axum were thwarted by both Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers multiple times over several days. Ethiopian soldiers block CNN's path, threatening the team with detention. CNN was informed by aid agencies that they had also been turned back by Eritrean soldiers manning the same checkpoint. Ethiopian military sources in the region confirmed to CNN that Eritrean soldiers were in control of key checkpoints along the route to Axum. That report was corroborated by humanitarian workers in Tigray, who said they had "protection" issues around distributing aid in some areas as civilians were later robbed of the aid by Eritrean soldiers.

Persons: Biden, aren't, Abiy Ahmed, Antony Blinken, Ned Price, Blinken, Alex Platt, Mark Lowcock, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, gurney, Girmay, we're, Thomas Thompson, hadn't, Tigray's Abiy, Emily Dakin, Meskel, Hannibal, haltingly, Bethlehem, Gianluca Mezzofiore, Katie Polglase, Read Organizations: CNN, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Abiy, Ethiopian National Defence Force, Command, USAID, Eritrean Defence Forces, EDF, Sans Frontieres, Axum University, Referral Hospital, Referral, UN, Food, World Peace Foundation, Emergency, Tigray's, Axum Teaching Locations: Tigray, Tigray's, Mekelle, Axum, Africa, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Adigrat, Greenfield, Ethiopian, Chila, Hawzen, Samre, Mekele

☆ U.N. Yemen envoy to stay in job until successor announced
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-12 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths speaks during a news conference following talks at the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, Germany April 12, 2021. John MacDougall/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoU.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed veteran British diplomat Martin Griffiths as the world body's new aid chief on Wednesday, and said Griffiths would continue as the U.N. Yemen mediator "until a transition has been announced." read moreHe will be the fifth British person in a row to be the U.N. aid chief. Griffiths has been trying to mediate an end to the conflict in Yemen for the past three years. U.N. aid chief Lowcock told the Security Council on Wednesday: "The humanitarian crisis in Yemen – complementing what Martin has just said on the political situation – is trapped also in a relentless downward spiral."

Persons: Yemen Martin Griffiths, John MacDougall, Antonio Guterres, Martin Griffiths, Griffiths, Mark Lowcock, U.N, Joe Biden, Tim Lenderking, Lowcock, Martin Organizations: Nations, Foreign Ministry, Reuters, Security, Thomson Locations: Yemen, Berlin, Germany, British, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Iran

United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths speaks during a news conference following talks at the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, Germany April 12, 2021. John MacDougall/Pool via REUTERSUnited Nations Yemen mediator Martin Griffiths has been tapped to become the world body's new aid chief, several sources told Reuters on Tuesday, as the U.N. tries to avert several famines and help vaccinate the globe against the novel coronavirus. Lowcock, a former senior British aid official, took up the post in 2017. Griffiths has been trying to mediate an end to the conflict in Yemen for the past three years. The six-year-long Yemen conflict has caused the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and U.S. President Joe Biden has made ending it one of his top foreign policy priorities.

Persons: Yemen Martin Griffiths, John MacDougall, Martin Griffiths, Griffiths, Mark Lowcock, Lowcock, Antonio Guterres, Joe Biden Organizations: Nations, Foreign Ministry, REUTERS United Nations, Reuters, European Institute of Peace, Saudi, U.S, United Nations, The United Nations, Thomson Locations: Yemen, Berlin, Germany, REUTERS United Nations Yemen, British, Saudi Arabia, Iran, South Sudan, Nigeria, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Mali, Ethiopia's Tigray, South Sudanese

☆ Eritrea admits presence in Ethiopia's Tigray, tells U.N. withdrawing
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-16 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Baz RatnerEritrea told the United Nations Security Council on Friday that it has agreed to start withdrawing its troops from Ethiopia's Tigray region, acknowledging publicly for the first time the country's involvement in the conflict. Eritrean forces have been helping Ethiopian federal government troops fight Tigray's former ruling party in a conflict that began in November. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed last month acknowledged the Eritrean presence and the United Nations and the United States have demanded that Eritrean troops withdraw from Tigray. The Security Council has been briefed privately five times since the conflict began. "The allegations of rape and other crimes lodged against Eritrean soldiers is not just outrageous, but also a vicious attack on the culture and history of our people."

Persons: Baz Ratner, Mark Lowcock, Sophia Tesfamariam, Tigray's, Abiy Ahmed, Lowcock, Tesfamariam Organizations: REUTERS, United Nations Security, Eritrea's Ministry of Information, Eritrean, Ethiopian, United Nations, Security, Ethiopian Defense Force, Reuters, The Security, Thomson Locations: Adwa, Tigray, Ethiopia, Ethiopia's Tigray, Eritrea, United States, Ethiopian

☆ Sexual violence being used as weapon of war in Ethiopia's Tigray, U.N. says
▼ + stars: | 2021-04-15 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin AbdallahSexual violence is being used as a weapon of war in Ethiopia's Tigray region, where girls as young as 8 are being targeted and some women have reported being gang-raped over several days, U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock said on Thursday. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said it was time for the Security Council to "speak with one voice" on Tigray. Starvation as a weapon of war is a violation," Lowcock said. read more"There is no doubt that sexual violence is being used in this conflict as a weapon of war," Lowcock said, adding the majority of rapes were committed by men in uniform, with accusations made against all the warring parties. The United Nations and the United States have demanded that Eritrean troops withdraw from Tigray.

Persons: Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah, Mark Lowcock, Lowcock, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Thomas, Fasika Amdeselassie, Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia's U.N, Taye Atskeselassie Amde, Yemane Gebremeskel Organizations: REUTERS, . Security Council, United Nations, Security Council, Russia, Reuters, Ethiopian, Humanitarian Affairs, . Security, Eritrean, Thomson Locations: Tigray, Sudan, Ethiopia, Ethiopia's Tigray, U.S, China, Eritrea, United States, New York

☆ U.N. seeks $10 billion for Syrians as humanitarian needs soar
▼ + stars: | 2021-03-30 | by ( Robin Emmott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United Nations will urge international donors to pledge up to $10 billion on Tuesday to help Syrians fleeing a decade of civil war in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that the need for humanitarian support has never been so great. Slideshow ( 2 images )In the fifth annual conference to keep Syrians refugees from starvation, the event hosted by the European Union will seek $4.2 billion for people inside Syria and $5.8 billion for refugees and their hosts in the Middle East. “It has been ten years of despair and disaster for Syrians,” said U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock. “Our infrastructure is ruined,” said Khaled Hboubati, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society. “Humanitarians are here to help but the ultimate responsibility lies with parties to the conflict,” he said.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, ”, Mark Lowcock, Antonio Guterres, Khaled Hboubati, Peter Maurer, “ Organizations: United Nations, European Union, Crescent, Red Crescent Society, International Committee Locations: BRUSSELS, Syria, Russian, Syrian, “, Russia, Iran

☆ U.N. raises $6.4 billion for Syrians as humanitarian needs soar
▼ + stars: | 2021-03-30 | by ( Robin Emmott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -International donors pledged $6.4 billion in humanitarian aid on Tuesday to help Syrians fleeing a decade of civil war, but short of a $10 billion goal as governments struggle with weakened economies in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial institutions and donors have also agreed low-interest loans worth $7 billion, said Janez Lenarcic, the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management. PLEDGESGermany pledged 1.738 billion euros ($2.04 billion), its largest amount in four years. REUTERS/Huseyin Aldemir/File PhotoBritain pledged 205 million pounds ($281.16 million), although David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, said the amount was lower than the 300 million pounds pledged last year, urging London to provide more. The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement urged international donors to help rebuild Syria, particularly to repair critical health, water and electricity services.

Persons: Janez Lenarcic, Bashar al, Assad, Mark Lowcock, “ We’ve, ”, Greece's Kastanies, Huseyin Aldemir, David Miliband, Antony Blinken, Josep Borrell, “, ” Borrell, Peter Maurer Organizations: International, European Union, The United Nations, Crisis Management, United Nations, REUTERS, International Rescue, Crescent Movement, International Committee, EU Locations: BRUSSELS, Syria, Germany, Qatar, United States, Edirne, Turkey, London, U.S, Russian, Syrian

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