![The heads of 18 United Nations agencies have called for an immediate halt to fighting between Israel and Hamas [File: Carlo Allegri/Reuters]](/Uploads/Images/News/2023/11/Image-2043-20231106081137.jpeg)
UN agency, NGO heads make rare joint plea for Gaza ceasefire
The leaders of 18 United Nations agencies and non-profit organisations (NGO) have called for an immediate ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas war, expressing “shock and horror” at the mounting death toll from the conflict.
“We need an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s been 30 days. Enough is enough,” the UN and NGO heads said in a rare joint statement on Sunday. “This must stop now.”
The UN and NGO chiefs, including the leaders of UNICEF, UN Women, the World Food Program, the World Health Organization and Save the Children, described the killings of both Israelis and Palestinians over the past month as “horrific”.
At least 9,770 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, according to authorities in the Hamas-governed enclave.
More than 1,400 people, mainly civilians, were killed in Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel, according to Israeli authorities.
“For almost a month, the world has been watching the unfolding situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory in shock and horror at the spiralling numbers of lives lost and torn apart,” the statement said.
The UN and NGO heads called on all parties to respect their “obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law”, including to protect civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and schools and allow aid into Gaza.
India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, says Modi
India’s economy will become carbon neutral by the year 2070, the country’s prime minster has announced at the COP26 climate crisis summit in Glasgow. The target date is two decades beyond what scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic climate impacts. India is the last of the world’s major carbon polluters to announce a net-zero target, with China saying it would reach that goal in 2060, and the United States and the European Union aiming for 2050.
COP26: What climate summit means for one woman in Bangladesh
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Why China's climate policy matters to us all
China's carbon emissions are vast and growing, dwarfing those of other countries. Experts agree that without big reductions in China's emissions, the world cannot win the fight against climate change. In 2020, China's President Xi Jinping said his country would aim for its emissions to reach their highest point before 2030 and for carbon neutrality before 2060. His statement has now been confirmed as China's official position ahead of the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow. But China has not said exactly how these goals will be achieved.
Deliver on promises, developing world tells rich at climate talks
A crucial U.N. conference heard calls on its first day for the world's major economies to keep their promises of financial help to address the climate crisis, while big polluters India and Brazil made new commitments to cut emissions. World leaders, environmental experts and activists all pleaded for decisive action to halt the global warming which threatens the future of the planet at the start of the two-week COP26 summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow on Monday. The task facing negotiators was made even more daunting by the failure of the Group of 20 major industrial nations to agree ambitious new commitments at the weekend.