International
The UN warns that the humanitarian aid that has entered Gaza through the border crossings has been halved
The United Nations warned this Friday that the volumes of humanitarian aid that have been able to reach Gaza from its various border crossings have been halved since May, when the Rafah crossing was closed.
The deputy spokeswoman for the UN Secretary-General, Florencia Soto Niño, indicated at a press conference today that that aid has decreased from a daily average of 169 trucks in April to less than 80 trucks in June and July.
In addition, at the Kerem Shalom junction, the aid received has fallen by more than 80% in the last three months, Soto Niño said.
Last May, the Israel Defense Forces reported the closure of this crossing, in the south of the Gaza Strip and key to the entry of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, after an alleged new missile attack by Hamas.
According to the spokeswoman, humanitarian assistance missions that require coordination with the Israeli authorities continue to be denied or prevented.
As of Thursday, Israel facilitated only 24 of the 67 planned aid missions in northern Gaza and it is the same scenario in the south, where of about 100 humanitarian missions, only about half could be completed.
The rest were denied, prevented or canceled for security, logistical or operational reasons, he explained.
Soto Niño also added that 60,000 Palestinians were forcibly relocated in the last 72 hours due to Israel’s evacuation orders in Jan Yunis (south of the Gaza Strip).
The Israeli Army ordered last Saturday the displacement of civilians from the southern neighborhoods of that city in the direction of the Mawasi area, whose perimeter is increasingly small.
Thus, the spokeswoman said that it is considered that more than 80% of the Gaza Strip has received evacuation orders since October last year.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
International
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Venezuelan diplomatic mission provided no explanation for its decision on Monday.
“It is regrettable,” a ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open and will continue to work in that direction.” The ministry also emphasized that the Nobel Committee operates entirely independently from the Norwegian government.
In its announcement, the Nobel Committee stated that Machado met the criteria established by Alfred Nobel, “embodying the hope for a different future, where the fundamental rights of Venezuelans are heard.”
International
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Thousands of military personnel and civilians in Mexico worked tirelessly on Tuesday to clear roads blocked by the torrential rains of recent days, which have left more than 300 communities cut off across central and eastern regions of the country. Authorities also launched mass fumigation efforts in several affected areas to prevent the spread of dengue fever.
The official death toll remains at 64, though dozens of people are still missing. President Claudia Sheinbaumacknowledged that the government does not yet know the full situation in many of the isolated villages, which range in population from 500 to 1,000 inhabitants.
“The reopening of roads is one of the greatest urgencies,” Sheinbaum said. “It’s essential to guarantee air bridges, food supplies, clean water, and a proper census of the isolated communities so we can determine the condition of every person living there.”
Private construction companies are also assisting the effort with heavy machinery and technical support to help reopen highways and reconnect rural areas.
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Caracas shuts embassy in Oslo without explanation following Machado’s Nobel win
Sheinbaum: Urgent to restore access to towns cut off by heavy rains
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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