occupied Palestinian territory

19 NOVEMBER 2018

(AS DELIVERED)
Mr. President,

Members of the Security Council,

In recent days we have witnessed another dangerous escalation of violence in Gaza that risked unleashing an armed conflict with catastrophic consequences for two million impoverished Palestinian people who live under the control of Hamas and have endured three wars and crippling Israeli closures.

At 6:30pm on Saturday, 17 November 2018, a clash broke out between members of two families in the Al-Tufah neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The documentation by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights shows that the armed exchange resulted in the death of Shafiq Ktai’, 37, who was shot in the chest and stomach with live fire, and Abdulrahman Al-Ghoul, 10, who was shot in neck after apparently wandering into the area where the dispute was occurring. Two other persons were injured, one of them moderately, according to doctors at Al-Shifa Hospital.

The Gaza Strip faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, impacting the livelihoods and access to essential services by its two million residents. This crisis has been driven by over 11 years of an Israeli blockade and an unsolved internal Palestinian divide, exacerbated since March 2018 by the massive increase in Palestinian casualties in the context of demonstrations taking place near Israel’s perimeter fence, as well as limited escalations in hostilities.

BACKGROUND

Longstanding restrictions on the movement of people and goods to and from Gaza have undermined the living conditions of about two million Palestinians in that area. Many of the restrictions, originally imposed by Israel in the early 1990s, were intensified after June 2007, following the Hamas takeover of Gaza and the imposition of a blockade. These restrictions continue to reduce access to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future.

(Al-Bireh – 14/11/2018): PRCS’ EMTs evacuated seven martyrs and provided emergency medical care to 22 Palestinians wounded as a result of Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip over the past three days.

In coordination with ICRC, the Society’s Disaster Management Team surveyed homes damaged during the shelling of the Gaza Strip. Damages were assessed and needs identified with a view to providing relief aid to affected families.

This monthly digest comprises threats and incidents of violence affecting the delivery of aid.
It is prepared by Insecurity Insight from information available in open sources.

Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami Response

New safety, security and access information

01 October 2018: On Sulawesi island, the National Disaster Management Authority asked international NGOs to pull out and announced that it would only authorise certain selective forms of foreign aid. No reason was given for this decision. Sources: IRIN and The Guardian

Commissioner-General’s statement: Special Political and Decolonization Committee
New York, 9 November 2018

Excellencies, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to present my annual report to the General Assembly on UNRWA’s work for Palestine refugees in the Near East.

As per established practice, while the written report before you describes trends and events in 2017, my presentation will update you about significant developments in 2018.

A ceasefire agreement has brought Israel and Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas back from the cusp of yet another calamitous war. However fragile, it offers a rare opportunity for all parties to finally break the cycle of recurring hostilities that has killed thousands since 2007.

What’s new? For the first time since the 2014 war, a plan for a long-term ceasefire between Hamas and Israel started to take hold in early November, only to be disrupted by the largest escalation in over four years. The ceasefire has been restored, but it remains fragile.

HIGHLIGHTS

Geneva – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 103,347 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea in 2018 through 14 November. Spain topped 50,440 – more irregular arrivals to Spain through 45 weeks of 2018 than all arrivals during the past three years combined.

This marks the fifth straight year arrivals of irregular migrants and refugees have topped the 100,000 mark, although this year’s totals are low compared to those at this time in 2017 (156,708) and 2016 (343,158).

GA/PAL/1416

General Assembly Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People
392nd Meeting (AM)

Briefing Members, Special Rapporteur Covering Human Rights in Occupied Palestinian Territories Calls Gaza ‘Crisis on Top of a Catastrophe’

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is a global norm, unanimously adopted by heads of state and government at the 2005 UN World Summit, aimed at preventing and halting Genocide, War Crimes, Ethnic Cleansing and Crimes Against Humanity. R2P stipulates that:

Ramallah, November 14, 2018 – World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, Ferid Belhaj, completed a three-day visit to the West Bank and Gaza. This was Belhaj’s first visit since taking over as Regional Vice President, and was aimed at reviewing first-hand the territory’s current economic and social challenges.

Africa

Burkina Faso

02 October 2018: In Ouro-Aou village, Est region, a primary school was ransacked by Islamic State militants. No further details specified. Source: ACLED

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Overview

During the first nine months of 2018, just under 25,100 refugees were submitted by UNHCR for resettlement' to 19 countries in Europe.2 This is 24% less than the same period in 2017, but already two-thirds more than the average rate of 15,400 submissions per year during the previous 10 years.

Security Incidents and Access Constraints

Africa

Cameroon

05 October 2018: In Tole region, Fako department, soldiers entered an IDP camp and began shooting, leaving three civilians dead. No further information specified. Source: ACLED

Central African Republic

31 October 2018: In Batangafo town, Ouham prefecture, clashes between unidentified armed groups led to three IDP camps being set on fire, leaving around 27,000 persons without a home. Sources:
RJDH, MSF and ACLED

GA/SPD/687
14 NOVEMBER 2018

Delegates warned today about escalating tensions in the Gaza Strip, with some welcoming the recently brokered ceasefire in the enclave, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) concluded its general debate on Israel’s practices affecting the human rights of people in occupied Arab territories.

Ref.: 106.2018

The Israeli military launched an extensive series of attacks on Monday and Tuesday, 12-13 November 2018, that targeted residential buildings and civilian objects throughout the Gaza Strip. The bombardment followed an operation conducted by Israeli forces on Palestinian territory that resulted in the killing of at least seven people in Khan Younis, south Gaza. The Israeli military strikes caused massive destruction to property, including to Al Mezan's office, displacement of families, and spread intense fear among the population.

Executive Summary

Threats and violence affecting emergency care

Africa

South Africa

06 October 2018: In Mthatha town, King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality, two unidentified gunmen hijacked an ambulance with a driver still in it parked outside the Libode Clinic. Hours later, the police found the driver tied up in a forest and the ambulance abandoned nearby. Source:
Sowetan Live

Asia

The Philippines