Volker Türk said the “heinous” shootings targeting a Hannukah celebration on Bondi Beach revealed once again that “anti-Semitism is real and heinous”.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the killings were motivated by “extremist ideology.” The suspected shooters, Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed, 24, are believed to have pledged allegiance to the ISIL terror group.
Video of Ahmed al Ahmed, filmed fighting one of the attackers with one of the weapons used in the assault, went viral and the fruit shop owner was hailed as a hero whose intervention saved many lives.
“Reaffirm our commitment to our common humanity”
THE UN human rights chief said the mass shooting was another reminder of the “hate crimes and hate speech that are all too common in our world today.”
He added that it is time to “reaffirm our commitment to our common humanity and collectively fight this scourge.”
Mr. Türk said this deadly anti-Semitic attack must not sow more hatred and division.
“I stand in solidarity with the victims and those who courageously helped and protected them,” he concluded.
UNHCR chief Grandi calls for solidarity to counter toxic scapegoating rhetoric
Asylum is becoming increasingly politicized as humanitarian funding declines – and it is in this context that it is essential to reaffirm global support for refugees, the head of the UN refugee agency has said (UNHCR) said Monday.
Speaking at a key meeting on refugees in Geneva, UN High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said host countries taking in asylum seekers must be told: “You are not alone.”
“Solidarity saves lives,” Mr. Grandi insisted, highlighting the “endless atrocities” that have affected the world’s most vulnerable people, from Myanmar to Sudan to Ukraine.
He said it had been a year in which refugees were frequently vilified and scapegoated “with their suffering cynically used by traffickers for profit”, as well as by politicians to win votes.
Mr. Grandi reflected on a year of repeated attacks on the 1951 Refugee Convention “and on the very institution of asylum.”
Global Compact
It has been almost a decade since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Global Compact on Refugees, to promote international solutions and support for host countries.
The agreement resulted in commitments that have made a real difference in the lives of refugees and the communities that host them, insisted Mr. Grandi.
He said that since 2023, thousands of commitments have been made to support solutions for refugees, with more than $2.6 billion already provided to support more inclusive policies in host communities.
Going forward, the High Commissioner insisted that host countries would need more help to strengthen their support systems for those uprooted from their homes.
Ukraine: Humanitarian teams respond as Russian attacks continue
In Ukraine, UN-backed humanitarian partners continued to offer a lifeline to at-risk communities on Monday, after large Russian strikes targeted homes and other critical infrastructure over the weekend.
An update from the United Nations aid coordination office, OCHAdocumented attacks in the port cities of Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kherson, involving 300 missiles and drones.
These strikes cut off electricity, water and heating to around a million people.
Humanitarian teams also provided emergency shelter and protection to residents of Zaporizhzhia after an attack on Sunday morning injured several residents, damaging homes and a shopping center.
“With freezing temperatures, aid is urgent” while essential services are restored, OCHA said in a statement.
Authorities report that between December 12 and Monday, hostilities and frontline attacks across the country killed at least nine civilians and injured more than 70 others, including three children.
The Odessa region suffered repeated attacks that injured six civilians and damaged energy infrastructure over the weekend. As a result, the city of Odessa – home to more than a million residents – was left without electricity, heat and water.
Breakdowns in Odessa
“While electricity has been restored to around 100,000 consumers and water supply has resumed, 20,000 residents remain without heat this morning,” said UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.
In the neighboring Mykolaiv region, attacks damaged the power supply and injured five civilians, including a child.
The Kherson region was also hit hard, with around 20 civilians injured. In the city of Kherson, more than 40,000 residents remain without heating following damage to the combined heat and power plant earlier this month.
With temperatures falling around freezing or below and snowfall reported in parts of the country, attacks on critical energy infrastructure are leading to widespread water and heating outages across the country, Haq added.
“Our humanitarian partners, with support from the UN, are providing hot meals, bottled water, shelter materials, water trucking and psychosocial support. »
We acknowledge The European Times for the information.