Separately, reports indicate that at least 51 people are feared dead following a shipwreck off the coast of Tobruk, Libya.
The information remains incomplete and the IOM is working to clarify the reported deaths.
Smuggled during the storm
“These tragedies once again underscore the deadly consequences of migrant smuggling and smuggling networks that continue to operate with impunity,” the IOM said.
The reported shipwrecks occurred during Cyclone Harry, an exceptionally violent Mediterranean storm.
The agency recalled that smuggling migrants on unseaworthy and overcrowded boats is a criminal act and is “even more reprehensible” in these circumstances, as people were knowingly sent to sea in conditions that posed an almost certain risk of death.
UN welcomes recovery of remains of last Israeli hostage in Gaza
The United Nations has welcomed reports that the remains of the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza have been recovered.
At his regular press conference on Monday, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said the Organization expresses its condolences to the family of Ran Gvili, the Israeli citizen whose remains were reportedly recovered.
“From day one, the Secretary-General and the rest of the UN leadership had been calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in Gaza,” Dujarric said.
Mr. Gvili was among more than 250 Israeli citizens and foreigners kidnapped by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups during their attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 1,250 Israeli citizens and foreigners were also killed.
Ceasefire implementation ‘absolutely critical’
The spokesperson also emphasized that the full implementation of the ceasefire agreements in Gaza is “absolutely critical.”
The Secretary-General urges all parties to move forward “in good faith and without delay” with the subsequent phases of the US-led ceasefire plan, he added, including facilitating sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access, particularly through the Rafah crossing, and respecting international humanitarian law.
The UN will continue to support the full implementation of the agreement, Dujarric stressed.
ICC: Former Philippine president declared fit to participate in pre-trial proceedings
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been declared fit to participate in pre-trial proceedings, the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Monday.
Duterte faces charges of committing crimes against humanity, murder and attempted murder in the Philippines as part of his so-called “war on drugs” campaign between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019, while in office.
At the ICC, pretrial proceedings are when judges confirm the identity of a suspect and ensure that the charges are understood. This phase comes after an investigation and is then followed by the trial itself.
The court initiates criminal cases against people for war crimes or crimes against humanity. Read our explanation of the course, here.
Indefinite suspension call
Duterte’s lawyers had sought to indefinitely suspend the pretrial proceedings, arguing that the former president was not fit to take the stand.
However, after a medical examination by a panel of independent experts, the investigation division decided that Duterte can participate in the process, which will begin in late February.
Crisis in Haiti: FAO leads 90-day planting project to increase resilience
In Haiti, rising gang violence has created a serious hunger crisis that UN teams are working to resolve. A quick solution is a 90-day seed-to-harvest campaign supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The initiative responds to the fact that much of Haiti’s rural population depends on agriculture for a living and allows highly vulnerable families to grow food in just 90 days, even in the midst of the crisis.
More than 100,000 people supported
The agency supported more than 140,000 people last year by distributing more than 210 tons of seeds to 76,000 farmers.
This resulted in more than 7,500 tons of food in a country where more than 5.7 million Haitians face high levels of acute food insecurity.
“In Haiti, where families endure relentless crises, agriculture remains the daily anchor that sustains households and the seedbed for rebuilding resilient livelihoods,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol.
The UN agency needs $108 million to support 860,000 people in Haiti through its emergency food production and livelihood protection projects.