February 2, 2024

*) 'Everyone in Gaza is hungry' : UN chief appeals for heightened aid UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urgently called for increased humanitarian aid into Gaza because of severe hunger, mass displacement and a crumbling humanitarian system. "I call for rapid, safe, unhindered, expanded and sustained humanitarian access throughout Gaza," Guterres wrote on X. "Everyone in Gaza is hungry. 1.7 million people have been displaced. The humanitarian system is collapsing," he said, highlighting the critical situation. *) Hamas receives truce proposal 'positively' — Qatar Hamas has given "initial positive confirmation" to a proposal for the cessation of fighting in Gaza and the release of hostages, Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman has said. US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators met with Israeli intelligence officials in Paris on Sunday where they proposed a six-week pause in the Gaza war and a hostage swap for Hamas to review. "That proposal has been approved by the Israeli side and now we have an initial positive confirmation from the Hamas' side," Majed al Ansari told an audience at a Washington-based graduate school. Ansari emphasised that a challenging path lies ahead in the negotiations. *) $54B aid package to Ukraine sends 'strong message to Putin' — EU European Council President Charles Michel has announced that all 27 EU countries have sealed a deal on additional €50 billion or $54 billion aid to Ukraine. “We have a deal,” Michel said in a post on X. The announcement came despite staunch objections from Hungary in December and in the days leading up to Thursday's summit in Brussels. *) War between rival generals in Sudan displaces 8M people: UN The number of people uprooted by the war between rival generals in Sudan is around eight million, the United Nations has said. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, who was later to visit Sudan, rallied international donors to open their wallets to fight the crisis, describing the situation as "serious" on Wednesday. "Since April 2023, so less than a year ago, eight million people have been displaced from their homes in Sudan," he said, adding that more than 1.5 million had fled to six neighbouring countries. *) Spain's Catalonia declares drought emergency for Barcelona Spain's northeastern Catalonia region has declared a drought emergency for Barcelona and the surrounding area, which will now face tighter water restrictions following three years without significant rain. The head of the regional government of Catalonia, Pere Aragones, announced on Thursday that the step after reservoirs in the Mediterranean region fell below 16 percent of their capacity. That level is the benchmark set by the authorities for the application of a new round of water-saving measures that will affect some six million people.