The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the Nakba,the 1948 Palestine War,and subsequent conflicts,as well as their descendants,including legally adopted children. As of 2019,more than 5.6 million Palestinians are registered with UNRWA as refugees.
Jan Egeland is a Norwegian diplomat,political scientist,humanitarian leader and former Labour Party politician who has been Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council since 2013. He served as State Secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1990 to 1997 and as United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator from 2003 to 2006.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disasters. It is the successor to the Office of the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator (UNDRO).
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator is a high-level position in the United Nations that heads the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
An under-secretary-general of the United Nations (USG) is a senior official within the United Nations System,normally appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the secretary-general for a renewable term of four years. Under-secretary-general is the third highest rank in the United Nations,after the secretary-general and the deputy secretary-general. The rank is held by the heads of different UN entities,certain high officials of the United Nations Secretariat,and high-level envoys. The United Nations regards the rank as equal to that of a cabinet minister of a member state,and under-secretaries-general have diplomatic immunity under the UN Charter.
Ian Martin is an English human rights activist/advisor and sometime United Nations official. His most recent UN assignment was as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya. From 2015 to 2018 he was Executive Director of Security Council Report.
The United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) is a department of the Secretariat of the United Nations (UN) with responsibility for monitoring and assessing global political developments and advising and assisting the UN Secretary General and his envoys in the peaceful prevention and resolution of conflict around the world. The department manages field-based political missions in Africa,Central Asia,and the Middle East,and has been increasing its professional capacities in conflict mediation and preventive diplomacy. DPPA also oversees UN electoral assistance to Member States of the organization. Established in 1992,the department's responsibilities also include providing secretariat support to the UN Security Council and two standing committees created by the General Assembly concerning the Rights of the Palestinian People and Decolonization. DPPA is based at the UN Headquarters in New York City.
Staffan de Mistura is an Italian-Swedish diplomat,United Nations official and former member of the Italian government.
A blockade has been imposed on the movement of goods and people in and out of the Gaza Strip following Hamas's takeover in 2007,led by Israel and supported by Egypt. The blockade's current stated aim is to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza,although previously stated motivations have included exerting economic pressure on Hamas. Human rights groups have described the blockade as illegal and a form of collective punishment as it restricts the flow of essential goods,contributes to economic hardship,and limits the freedom of movement for Gaza's residents. The blockade and its effects have led to the territory being described as an "open-air prison".
John Ging,an Irish national,was appointed as Director of the Operational Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in New York in February 2011. He oversaw the management of all OCHA field operations worldwide. On behalf of the Emergency Relief Coordinator,he was the day-to-day focal point for supporting Humanitarian Coordinators. Ging was also the lead adviser to the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs on operational decision-making.
There are multiple humanitarian,medical,economic,and industrial effects of the 2008–2009 Gaza War which started with the Israeli air strikes on 27 December 2008 and ended on 18 January with a cease-fire implemented unilaterally by Israel,and later the same day by Hamas and other Palestinian factions. The cease-fire followed twenty-two days of bombardment by land,sea and air which left over 1,300 Palestinians dead and over 5,000 injured,and the death of 13 Israelis. The United Nations Development Programme warned that there will be long-term consequences of the attacks on Gaza because the livelihoods and assets of tens of thousands of Gaza civilians have been affected.
Following the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict,an international conference took place on 2 March 2009 in Sharm El-Sheikh,Egypt,where donor countries and international bodies pledged almost US$4.5 billion for humanitarian and reconstruction aid for the Gaza Strip. These funds bypassed Hamas,with the PA in collaboration with the donor community taking the lead in delivering and distributing the funds. Damage from the Israeli offensive was estimated to be almost $2 billion. However,actual transfers of aid had been beset by difficulties.
Ross Stewart Mountain has spent most of his career in the service of the United Nations working on humanitarian,recovery,development and peacekeeping operations in Asia,Africa,the Middle East,the Caribbean,and the Pacific as well as assignments based in Geneva,Switzerland promoting non-governmental action and managing UN humanitarian operations.
Nikolay Evtimov Mladenov is a Bulgarian politician and diplomat exposed in the Pandora Papers scandal,who served as Bulgaria's Minister of Defense from 27 July 2009 to 27 January 2010 and as the minister of foreign affairs in the government of then prime minister Boyko Borisov from 2010 to 2013. Prior to that,he was a Member of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2009.
Filippo Grandi is an Italian diplomat and United Nations official,currently serving as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He previously served as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and United Nations Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan.
Sigrid Agnes Maria Kaag is a Dutch politician,humanitarian and diplomat. She was the leader of the Democrats 66 (D66) and served as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation,as Minister of Foreign Affairs,and as Minister of Finance.
Philippe Lazzarini is a Swiss-Italian humanitarian who has served as Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) since 2020.
The Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen is a United Nations office created in 2012 to assist the Secretary-General for Yemen.
The Gaza Strip is experiencing a humanitarian crisis as a result of the Israel–Hamas war. The crisis includes both a famine and a healthcare collapse. At the start of the war,Israel implemented a complete blockade on the Gaza Strip,which has resulted in significant shortages of fuel,food,medication,water,and essential medical supplies. This siege resulted in a 90% drop in electricity availability,impacting hospital power supplies,sewage plants,and shutting down the desalination plants that provide drinking water. Widespread disease outbreaks have spread across Gaza.
Palestine–Philippines relations refer to foreign relations between the State of Palestine and the Republic of the Philippines. The two nations have many common points that they should capitalize on with the aim of enhancing bilateral relations. They are members of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue,Group of 77 and the Non-Aligned Movement.
