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A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 28 december 2023

U.N. appoints a former Dutch deputy premier and Mideast expert

as its Gaza humanitarian coordinator

By EDITH M. LEDERER run Gaza, which doesn’t
Associated Press differentiate between ci-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Sig- vilians and combatants
rid Kaag, the Netherlands’ among the dead.
former deputy prime minis- After U.S. pressure, Israel
ter and a Mideast expert, allowed a trickle of aid in
was appointed the U.N. co- through Egypt, but U.N.
ordinator for humanitarian agencies say that for
aid to war-torn Gaza, the weeks, only 10% of food
United Nations chief an- needs has been enter-
nounced Tuesday. ing Gaza. Last week, Israel
The announcement by U.N. opened the Kerem Sha-
Secretary-General Antonio lom crossing into Gaza and
Guterres follows the Se- truck traffic increased but
curity Council’s adoption an Israeli strike on Thurs-
of a resolution on Friday day morning on the Pales-
requesting him to expedi- tinian side of the crossing
tiously appoint a senior hu- stopped aid pickups, the
manitarian and reconstruc- U.N. agency for Palestinian
tion coordinator for Gaza, refugees, or UNRWA, said.
where more than 2 million Kaag has for years worked
civilians are in desperate in the Middle East, includ-
need of food, water and ing in the Palestinian territo-
medicine, Guterres said Netherland’s Sigrid Kaag arrives for a meeting of eurozone finance ministers at the European ries. She started working for
Kaag, who speaks fluent Council building in Brussels, Monday, May 15, 2023. the United Nations in 1994
Arabic and five other lan- Associated Press in Sudan and has worked
guages, “brings a wealth of also establish a U.N. mech- day,” according to a re- the militant Hamas group’s for UNRWA and as regional
experience in political, hu- anism to accelerate aid port released last Thursday Oct. 7 incursion into south- director for the Mideast for
manitarian and develop- deliveries “through states by 23 U.N. and nongov- ern Israel that killed about the U.N. children’s agency
ment affairs as well as in di- which are not party to the ernmental organizations. 1,200 people. UNICEF. She also served as
plomacy” to her new post. conflict.” Gaza’s entire 2.3 It blamed the widespread The Israel-Hamas war has so assistant director of the U.N.
She is expected to start on million population is in food hunger on insufficient aid far killed more than 20,900 Development Program,
Jan. 8. “She will facilitate, crisis, with 576,000 people entering Gaza. people in Gaza, two-thirds headed the U.N. mission
coordinate, monitor, and at catastrophic or starva- Israel stopped all deliveries of them women and chil- to destroy Syria’s chemi-
verify humanitarian relief tion levels and the risk of of food, water, medicine dren, according to the cal weapons, and was U.N.
consignments to Gaza,” he famine is “increasing each and fuel into Gaza after Health Ministry in Hamas- special envoy for Lebanon
said, adding that Kaag will until October 2017.q

Opposition candidate in Congo alleges police fired bullets as

protesters seek re-do of election

By SAM MEDNICK tion candidates who called and alleged it was extend- als, and many voter cards of his time in office trying
Associated Press the protest. ed illegally. Many polling were illegible as the ink had to gain legitimacy after
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A Some rights groups and in- stations were late in start- smudged. a disputed 2018 election,
main opposition candidate ternational observers also ing, and some didn’t open In some parts of Congo, where some observers said
in Congo accused police have questioned the vote at all. Some lacked materi- people were still voting five Fayulu was the rightful win-
of using live bullets to break days after the election. ner. Some 44 million people
up a protest Wednesday in “I feel bad this is not a almost half the population
the capital, as demonstra- country anymore,” Fayulu had been expected to
tors demanded a re-do said, adding that Congo- vote in this year’s contest.
of last week’s presidential lese will not accept it if The electoral observation
election. President Felix Tshisekedi mission of the National
Holding up a bullet, Martin is declared the winner of Episcopal Conference of
Fayulu told The Associated another term. If there is no Congo and the Church
Press that it landed near revote, the demonstrations of Christ in Congo said
him while he was barricad- will continue, Fayulu said. more than 27% of voting
ed inside his headquarters As of Tuesday evening, Tsh- stations didn’t open and
during a standoff with po- isekedi had nearly 79% of there were 152 reports of
lice. His claim could not be the vote, opposition leader violence, confrontations or
verified. and businessman Moise brawls. That’s based on a
Police said no live bullets Katumbi had about 14% sampling of 1,185 observer
were used, only tear gas, and Fayulu had about 4% reports.
and that they were restor- A member of security forces fires during clashes with of some 6 million counted At least 100 demonstrators
ing order. AP journalists saw supporters of presidential candidate Martin Fayulu outside his votes. The final results are gathered around Fayulu’s
police physically assaulting party’s headquarters, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the expected before the new headquarters on Wednes-
some of the protesters. Congo, Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023 year. day throwing rocks and
Fayulu is one of five opposi- Associated Press Tshisekedi has spent much burning tires. q