World news in brief: Deaths in the West Coast, Venezuelan rights violations, debt soaring worldwide

Israel’s large-scale campaign in the north continues, OCHA said in a daily update that there had been 27 deaths “when lethal war tactics” were deployed, according to humanitarians, including 10 killed by airstrikes.

“Four members of the Israeli forces were killed by Palestinians during the same period in Hebron and Jenin provinces,” OCHA reported.

UN humanitarian agencies called on Israeli forces to “adhere to international law enforcement standards, which state that lethal force and firearms should only be used as a last resort when there is an imminent threat of death or serious injury.”

OCHA also reiterated that humanitarian access must always be facilitated.

OCHA added that since October 7, Israeli forces have increased movement restrictions in the Israeli-controlled city of Hebron, disrupting the livelihoods and services of thousands of Palestinians.

“These restrictions are exacerbating the already difficult living conditions there.”

Syria’s health crisis

OCHA also warned on Wednesday that half of all health facilities in northwest Syria – the last opposition stronghold – were at risk of closing by the end of the year.

Services are being cut due to a lack of funding, with this year’s appeal receiving only about 26 per cent of the $4.1 billion needed to help nearly 11 million people in need across the country.

Venezuela: Human rights experts voice deep concern over alleged violations surrounding presidential vote

A group of independent human rights experts on Wednesday expressed deep concern over allegations of serious human rights violations related to Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election.

In a statement, more than 20 special rapporteurs and human rights monitors noted that teams appointed to monitor the controversial vote, including election observers invited by the Government, “reported a lack of transparency and integrity”.

“We found high levels of defencelessness among citizens, human rights defenders, people involved in social and community work, journalists and all those considered to be in opposition,” the UN said. Human Rights Council– the appointed experts said.

“The information received indicates that this situation arose in a context characterized by the Attorney General’s arbitrary use of the criminal justice system against these groups, the criminalization of human rights advocacy, widespread corruption, impunity and the lack of an independent judicial system capable of investigating serious human rights violations.”

Long list of violations

They noted that before, during and after the July vote, a range of violations were documented including arbitrary arrests, excessive use of force against protesters, unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, harassment, unlawful dismissals, repression and prosecution of political opponents.

The press release added that many citizens “protested peacefully to express their dissatisfaction with the election irregularities.”

Experts received reports of more than 1,300 cases of arbitrary detention, including of children, adolescents, older people, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples, women and LGBTIQ+ people, as well as enforced disappearances.

At least 21 people were killed, allegedly by non-state actors supported by security forces.

“There is evidence of a systematic pattern of human rights violations that undermine the full enjoyment of fundamental rights and increase the risk of death to anyone who criticizes the Government,” the experts said.

Over the past five years, experts have submitted at least 22 letters to the Government, revealing a general picture of serious and systematic human rights violations. Most received no response, they said.

Special Rapporteurs serve in their individual capacity, independent of the United Nations system or any national government. They are not employees of the United Nations and receive no salary.

Public debt bubble swells to record $97 trillion

Global public debt has nearly doubled since 2010, reaching a record $97 trillion in 2023, according to new data from the United Nations agency for trade and development, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Rising interest rates are putting further pressure on government budgets, especially in developing countries.

Today, more than 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more money on debt interest payments than on education or healthcare, highlighting the urgent need for accurate and timely debt data.

UNCTAD of World Debt DashboardDeveloped in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Regions, it provides policymakers, researchers, journalists and the public with easily accessible data to help address the complexities of global, regional and national debt.

The dashboard covers 18 key indicators across 188 countries, allowing users to assess current debt situations, compare them with other countries around the world, and observe changes over time.

UNCTAD says intuitive filters and interactive charts make it easy to customize searches and explore specific areas of interest.