Since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has systematically dismantled the rights of women — half its population — making it a global outlier with no parallel in the modern world, UN-Women reports. Half of Afghan women interviewed leave home only once or twice a month due to severe restrictions.
The West Bank is at the breaking point with Israeli settler violence reaching unprecedented levels, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov warned today. So far this year, the UN has documented over 1,430 incidents, many of them deadly, impacting about 260 Palestinian communities.
Yemen faces a greater risk of renewed large-scale conflict than at any point since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022, Hans Grundberg, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Yemen, warns. Mr. Grundberg is engaging intensively with the Yemeni parties, regional actors and global partners on options for de-escalation.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said the benchmark measure of world food commodity prices edged up in July, as heatwaves and energy price dynamics pushed up quotations for cereals, vegetable oils and sugar. Global wheat prices surged by 5.8 per cent amid concerns over disruptions to Black Sea export flows.
The Food and Agriculture Organization today warned that rising fertilizer prices are threatening Afghanistan’s 2027 wheat harvest ahead of what could be one of the country’s most promising wheat-growing seasons in years; it is appealing for $38.3 million to enable up to 600,000 farms access to fertilizer and certified wheat seed.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk concluded his visit to Jordan today, where he met with senior officials, representatives of the National Centre for Human Rights and civil society. He acknowledged Jordan’s leadership as a major refugee hosting country and in advocating for respect for international humanitarian law.
In Venezuela, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that 200,000 people affected by devastating earthquakes five weeks ago have received hot meals, healthcare, safe water, shelter, legal and psychological support through the joint efforts of the UN, aid partners, local communities and the authorities.
In Gaza, air strikes, shelling and shooting continued over the weekend, reportedly killing dozens of people, including civilians, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. Gaza’s Ministry of Health documented over 150 fatalities in July, the highest reported monthly death toll so far this year.
In Yemen, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Indrika Ratwatt has allocated $10 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to respond to rapidly scale up emergency food and critical health, water and sanitation services. More than 18 million people, over half of the population, are facing acute food insecurity.
By 2050, Latin America will have 38.3 million fewer school-age people, a study by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) found. It recommends integrating data on migration, births, enrolment and location to safeguard investment in education.
