World News in Brief: UNAMA concern over migrant deaths, ‘war tactics’ in the West Bank, UN political chief underscores support for Somalia
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed its deep concern over disturbing reports that Iranian border police opened fire on a group of Afghan migrants, resulting in deaths and injuries.
The alleged attack occurred on 14 to 15 October in the Kala Gan border area of Iran’s Sistan Province near the Iran-Pakistan border.
The organisation Haalvsh, which focuses on Baloch rights in Iran, has claimed that up to 260 civilians may have been killed or wounded. However, these figures remain unconfirmed.
Afghanistan’s de facto authorities stated that an investigation into the incident has begun. UNAMA’s Human Rights Service is in contact with the DFA regarding the matter.
UNAMA has called for a “thorough and transparent investigation” into the reported attack. The mission emphasised that the “rights, of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are protected by international law.”
© UNICEF/Alaa Badarneh
Families are being displaced from their homes in Jenin in the northern West Bank due to an escalation of violence.
West Bank Palestinians facing deadly ‘war-like tactics’, warns OCHA
Palestinians continue to face “war-like tactics” used against them by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Friday.
According to OCHA, from 8 to 14 of October, Israeli forces in the West Bank killed nine Palestinians, including a child. Another 104 were injured, including nine youngsters.
“Israeli forces accused most of those fatalities of being involved in attacking Israelis,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke.
The olive harvest which takes place during October and November and is “an economic lifeline for tens of thousands of Palestinian families in the West Bank” has also been targeted, Mr. Laerke warned, with hundreds of olive trees and saplings “vandalized, sawed off, or stolen”.
Killed picking olives
“Yesterday, a Palestinian woman was reportedly killed while she was harvesting olives in Jenin. This follows 32 attacks by Israeli settlers this month on Palestinians engaged in the ongoing olive harvest happening right now.”
The woman was with her family and other community members on land near the Wall separating Israel and the West Bank.
According to information gathered by the UN rights office, OHCHR, the harvesters were not posing any threat whatsoever when Israeli security forces fired multiple shots at them without prior warning.
The arbitrary killing comes in the context of intensified, organized attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian harvesting teams to sabotage the olive harvest, along with use of force by Israeli security forces to block Palestiniansˈ access to their lands in an apparently arbitrary manner.
During the first week of the official Palestinian olive harvest season OHCHR recorded dozens of incidents of violence against Palestinian harvesters and disruption of access to olive groves.
Among other alarming incidents, on 13 October, Palestinian landowners from Qusra, Nablus, found 115 of their trees cut down with a chainsaw after resisting harassment and threats by settlers and security forces to vacate their groves.
Mr. Laerke said that although there has been settler violence for “a very long time, this year is extraordinary”.
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He noted that about 160,000 people have had their work permits for Israel cancelled, depriving families of livelihoods and income.
Senior official underscores UN support for Somalia
The UN political affairs chief concluded a two-day visit to Somalia on Friday where she reaffirmed the world body’s support for the country’s efforts towards peace- and state-building.
Rosemary DiCarlo said the UN has been a longstanding partner to Somalia and remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting the Government and people.
“Together, we aim to build on the commendable achievements and priorities agreed upon to address key development challenges facing the country – we stand ready to work alongside the Federal Government of Somalia to accomplish this,” she added.
Achievements and transitions
While in the capital, Mogadishu, Ms. DiCarlo met with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and senior members of his team for wide-ranging discussions, in addition to meeting with representatives of civil society, international partners and the diplomatic community.
In her meeting with the President, Ms. DiCarlo noted Somalia’s many achievements in the past year, including debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, the accession to the East African Community, and the lifting of the arms embargo.
Looking forward, she offered her congratulations on Somalia taking up a seat on the UN Security Council starting next year. She also underscored the commitment of the UN to continue to support Somalia in the period ahead and to work closely on the proposed transition of the UN mission in the country, UNSOM.
Ms. DiCarlo also met with Ambassador Mohammed El-Amine Souef, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission for Somalia and Head of the AU Transition Mission there, ATMIS.
They discussed ATMIS’s upcoming transition to the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) which begins in January.
