UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told correspondents during the daily briefing on Friday that this also includes mortar shells and damaged rockets.
Since the last cessation of hostilities between Lebanon and Israel in November 2024, the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFILE) has stepped up efforts to support the Lebanese Armed Forces in tackling illicit weapons and military infrastructure and expanding state authority in the south.
Mr Dujarric said UNIFIL continued to observe Israeli forces conducting military activities in the area of operations, including mortar fire from south of the Blue Line of Separation.
“We emphasize once again that these acts of interference must stop,” he said.
The government in Beirut is the only authority
Ambassadors at the Security Council reiterated their full support for UNIFIL and urged “all parties to take all measures to respect the safety and security” of peacekeepers and their premises.
They called on all parties to fulfill their obligations under the November 2024 cessation of hostilities arrangement, as well as their obligations under international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians.
The Council urged the international community to “intensify its support for the LAF” so that they can fully engage in the south.
According to a recent press release from the UN human rights office, the LAF has recorded almost daily violations of the November ceasefire and the Israeli Defense Forces have confirmed that they have since carried out more than 500 airstrikes on what it claims are Hezbollah targets.
‘Lives are built’ in the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR) is at a crossroads and now is the time to transform fragile stability into sustainable progress through joint humanitarian, development and peace efforts, the UN agency said Deputy Assistant Coordinator after visiting the country.
Joyce Msuya met with senior government officials, displaced families, community leaders and local aid workers and credited those on the front lines of the crisis as the backbone of the relief effort and those who keep hope alive.
‘Dedication in action’
“Everywhere I went in the Central African Republic I saw commitment in action: leading communities, supporting partners, building lives,” she says. posted on social media.
Ms Msuya noted that while one in three people still need assistance, improved security in some regions has allowed displaced people to return home.
The deputy assistant chief also announced an allocation of $8 million from the CAR Humanitarian Fund for urgent priorities in the towns of Zemio and Birao.
‘No level of lead is safe’: WHO
Lead is found in many everyday products such as paint and cosmetics, but that does not make it safe.
The World Health Organization (WHO) issued an update in advance on Friday International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week runs from October 19 to 25, stating that lead exposure remains one of the world’s most widespread but preventable health threats.
Children face the greatest threat
According to the WHO, the metal is linked to about 1.5 million deaths per year, mainly from cardiovascular disease, and causes irreversible neurological and behavioral damage, especially in children, who absorb lead more easily.
While some progress has been made, including a ban on lead in gasoline and efforts by many countries to limit lead in paints, the WHO says comprehensive bans on the production, import, sale and use of lead-based paints must be implemented and strictly enforced.
“No amount of lead is safe. Every child deserves a future without this poison,” said Ruediger Krech, director of the agency’s environment, climate change and migration division.
“We call on governments, communities and healthcare providers to act decisively to eliminate lead exposure and protect the health and potential of the next generation,” he added.
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