UN Director of operations: UNRWA cannot feed 200,000 Palestinian children in its schools

IManar Jibrin manarjibrin at gmail dot com - IMEMC & Agencies, 27.11.07. In a message delivered Tuesday to members of the British Parliament in the UK daily the Independent, John Jeng, Director of operations for UNRWA, called on members of the British Parliament to "use their influence to bring an end to the sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip." Jeng branded the sanctions as "harsh penalties" and criticized the Israeli cabinet for declaring the region a "hostile entity," adding that the reduction of fuel and electricty to the coastal region had had a grave impact on the medical sector, in addition to destroying the economy and disabling sanitation networks in population centres. The Director added that the sanctions were doomed to fail in their stated objective, adding that UNRWA did not have sufficient food supplies to cover the 200,000 Palestinian children who attend UNRWA schools in the Gaza Strip.

Translated by Manar Jibrin-IMEMC News

I diritti umani? Ci pensa l’Iran

Francesca Paci, La Stampa, 25/08/07. L'Iran, rivela il quotidiano Yedioth Ahronot, è stato appena chiamato dalle Nazioni Unite a far parte del comitato organizzatore della Conferenza Mondiale contro il Razzismo del 2009, un team di venti Stati guidati dalla Libia che si riunirà dal 27 al 31 agosto a Ginevra per «analizzare le misure contro le discriminazioni e la xenofobia già adottate a Durban nel 2001».

Torture e fustigazioni
Acqua bollente e scariche elettriche sono le «tecniche» più utilizzate dagli agenti del ministero della Sicurezza contro i prigionieri politici, spesso sottoposti anche a «lavaggio del cervello». Se l’articolo 38 della Costituzione vieta l’uso della tortura, il potere giudiziario di fatto la consente. Sovente poi chi viene sorpreso a bere alcool è punito con decine di frustate in pubblico. Impiccagioni pubbliche
Sono almeno 161 le esecuzioni - spesso tramite impiccagione - avvenute in Iran da inizio anno, 177 nel 2006. Punibili con la pena capitale sono l’ omicidio, i reati a sfondo sessuale, apostasia, blasfemia, traffico di droga, spionaggio, adulterio e prostituzione. Molti i minorenni (all’epoca del reato) giustiziati: quelli in attesa di esecuzione attualmente sono almeno 71.
Lapidazioni
Secondo il codice penale iraniano, gli uomini vengono sepolti fino alla vita e con le mani legate dietro la schiena, le donne sepolte fino al collo. Le pietre che vengono lanciate loro contro non devono essere molto grandi per evitare di uccidere subito i condannati. Messa ufficialmente al bando nel 2002, la lapidazione è ancora largamente praticata in Iran.

Israel Told to Ease Palestinian Movement

JERUSALEM -- Israel must provide more freedom of movement in the West Bank and open crossings into Gaza to avoid driving even more Palestinians into poverty after Hamas seized the coastal strip two months ago, the United Nations Mideast envoy said Wednesday.

Israel's decision to shut Gaza's borders to all but humanitarian aid in the wake of Hamas' takeover is threatening an already badly damaged economy _ and "this shows every sign of getting worse," Michael Williams said in an interview with The Associated Press and two other media outlets.

"We do not see how that can be changed short of opening additional crossing points, particularly Karni," Williams said, referring to Gaza's main cargo crossing with Israel.

Earlier this month, the U.N. warned that Gaza soon will become entirely dependent on foreign aid and face "disastrous consequences" if the Hamas-run territory remains sealed off. A Palestinian business group warned that at least 120,000 more Gazans could lose their jobs.

President Mahmoud Abbas set up a moderate government in the West Bank after Hamas took control of Gaza. Hamas has charged that Abbas' government, made up of pro-Western officials of the Fatah movement, does not want the crossings opened because such a move would help the Islamic group hold on to power in Gaza.

Diplomats and other officials in contact with the Abbas government privately confirm that this is the case. However, Fatah officials deny it, aware that saying so publicly could open it to charges of colluding with Israel.

Williams praised Israel's recent release of Palestinian prisoners and transfer of millions of dollars in frozen tax funds to Abbas' government. But Williams said he is "concerned that we haven't seen further steps," and urged Israel to release more prisoners and dismantle illegal settlement outposts in the West Bank.

"An elementary constituent of economic development is freedom of movement, and to a very considerable extent that does not exist in the West Bank," he said.

Williams also said he was concerned by an increase in Israeli killings of militants in Gaza in recent days, as well as by reports of human rights violations by Gaza's new Hamas rulers.

Williams began his tenure as U.N. special coordinator for the Middle East in May. He said he will be leaving the job in a few weeks, however, to assume the position of Mideast envoy for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.