NewzIntel.com

Category: NGOs

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: One Year in Detention: Heads of United Nations agencies and INGOs renew demand for release of staff detained in northern Yemen

    Source: Oxfam –

    This week marks one year since dozens of personnel from the United Nations, non-governmental and civil society organizations, and diplomatic missions were arbitrarily detained by the Houthi de facto authorities in northern Yemen. Others have been detained since as far back as 2021. Today, we reiterate our urgent demand for their immediate and unconditional release.

    As of today, 23 personnel from the UN and five international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) remain arbitrarily detained. Tragically, one UN staff member and another from Save the Children have died in detention. Others have lost loved ones while being held, denied the chance to attend their funerals or say goodbye.

    Our arbitrarily detained colleagues have spent at least 365 days – and for some, over 1000 days – isolated from their families, children, husbands, and wives, in flagrant breach of international law. The toll of this detention is also weighing heavily on their families, who continue to endure the unbearable pain of absence and uncertainty as they face another Eid without their loved one.

    Nothing can justify their ordeal. They were doing their jobs, helping people in desperate need: people without food, shelter, or adequate healthcare.

    Yemen remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with more than 19 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, many of whom rely on it for survival. A safe and enabling environment for humanitarian operations, including the release of detained personnel, is essential to maintaining and restoring assistance to those in need. Humanitarian workers should never be targeted or detained while carrying out their mandates to serve the people of Yemen.

    The prolonged detention of our colleagues has had a chilling effect across the international community, undermining support for Yemen and hindering humanitarian response. It has also undermined mediation efforts for lasting peace.

    We acknowledge the release of one UN and two NGO personnel and the recent release of an Embassy staff member. We call on the de facto authorities to deliver on their previous commitments, including those made to the Director-General of the World Health Organization during his mission to Sana’a in December 2024.

    The UN and INGOs will continue to work through all possible channels to secure the safe and immediate release of those arbitrarily detained.

    Signatories: 

    • Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP
    • Amitabh Behar, OXFAM International Executive Director
    • Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO
    • Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director
    • Cindy McCain, WFP Executive Director
    • Hans Grundberg, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen
    • Inger Ashing, Chief Executive Officer, Save the Children International
    • Michelle Nunn, President and CEO, CARE
    • Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO
    • Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Biggest-ever aid cut by G7 members a death sentence for millions of people, says Oxfam

    Source: Oxfam –

    • Aid cuts could cost millions of lives and leave girls, boys, women and men without access to enough food, water, education, health treatment
    • G7 countries are making deliberate and deadly choices by cutting life-saving aid, enabling atrocities, and reneging on their international commitments
    • Low and middle-income countries face reduced aid, rising debt, and trade barriers — a perfect storm that threatens development and recovery.

    The Group of Seven (G7) countries, which together account for around three-quarters of all official development assistance (ODA), are set to slash their aid spending by 28 percent for 2026 compared to 2024 levels.  

    It would be the biggest cut in aid since the G7 was established in 1975, and indeed in aid records going back to 1960, reveals a new analysis by Oxfam ahead of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.

    “The G7’s retreat from the world is unprecedented and couldn’t come at a worse time, with hunger, poverty, and climate harm intensifying. The G7 cannot claim to build bridges on one hand while tearing them down with the other. It sends a shameful message to the Global South, that G7 ideals of collaboration mean nothing,” said Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar.

    2026 will mark the third consecutive year of decline in G7 aid spending – a trend not seen since the 1990s. If these cuts go ahead, G7 aid levels in 2026 will crash by $44 billion to just $112 billion. The cuts are being driven primarily by the US (down $33 billion), Germany (down $3.5 billion), the UK (down $5 billion) and France (down $3 billion).

    “Rather than breaking from the Trump administration’s cruel dismantling of USAID and other US foreign assistance, G7 countries like the UK, Germany, and France are instead following the same path, slashing aid with brutal measures that will cost millions of lives,” said Behar.

    “These cuts will starve the hungry, deny medicine to the sick, and block education for a generation of girls and boys. This is a catastrophic betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable and crippling to the G7’s credibility,” said Behar.

    Economic projections show that aid cuts will mean 5.7 million more people across Africa will fall below extreme poverty levels in the coming year, a number expected to rocket to 19 million by 2030.  

    Cuts to aid are putting vital public services at risk in some of the world’s poorest countries. In countries like Liberia, Haiti, Malawi, and South Sudan, US aid had made up over 40 percent of health and education budgets, leaving them especially exposed. Combined with a growing debt crisis, this is undermining governments’ ability to care for their people.

    Global aid for nutrition will fall by 44 percent in 2025 compared to 2022:

    • The end of just $128 million worth of US-funded child nutrition programs for a million children will result in an extra 163,500 child deaths a year.  
    • At the same time, 2.3 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition – the most lethal form of undernutrition – are now at risk of losing their life-saving treatments.
       

    One in five dollars of aid to poor countries’ health budgets are cut or under threat:  

    • WHO reports that in almost three-quarters of its country offices are seeing serious disruptions to health services, and in about a quarter of the countries where it operates some health facilities have already been forced to shut down completely.
    • US aid cuts could lead to up to 3 million preventable deaths every year, with 95 million people losing access to healthcare. This includes children dying from vaccine-preventable diseases, pregnant women losing access to care, and rising deaths from malaria, TB, and HIV.

    G7 countries are not just reneging on commitments to global aid and solidarity, they are fuelling conflicts by allowing grave violations of international law, like in Gaza where people are facing starvation. Whether in Ukraine, the occupied Palestinian territory, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or elsewhere, civilians must always be protected, and aid is often the first line of protection they get. G7 countries are illuminating a double standard that risks more global instability, conflict and atrocities.  

    While G7 countries cut aid, their citizen billionaires continue to see their wealth surge. Since the beginning of 2025, the G7 ultra-rich have made $126 billion, almost the same amount as the group’s 2025 aid commitment of $132 billion.  

    At this pace, it would take the world’s billionaires less than a month to generate the equivalent of the G7’s 2025 aid budget.

    By taxing the super-rich, the G7 could easily meet their financial commitments to end poverty and climate breakdown, whilst also having billions in new revenue to fight inequality in their own countries.  

    “The world is not short of money. The problem is that it is in the hands of the super-rich instead of the public. Rather than fairly taxing billionaires to feed the hungry, we see billionaires joining government to slash aid to the poorest in order to fund tax cuts for themselves,” said Behar.

    Oxfam is calling on the G7 to urgently reverse aid cuts and restore funding to address today’s global challenges. More than 50 years after the United Nations set the target of 0.7 percent for aid spending, most G7 countries remain well below this.  

    Oxfam is also urging the G7 to support global efforts led by Brazil and Spain to raise taxes on the super-rich, and to back the call from the African Union and The Vatican for a new UN body to help manage countries’ debt problems.
     

    According to OECD Data Explorer, the combined annual aid expenditure of the G7 in 2024 was $156.694 billion. Canada spent $7.323 billion, the United States $61.821 billion, Japan $17.583 billion, France $15.047 billion, Germany $31.382 billion, Italy $6.534 billion, and the United Kingdom $17.005 billion.

    Donor Tracker estimates that the decline in combined annual aid spending of the G7 countries for the period 2024 to 2026 will be -$44,488 billion.

    In 2024, aid from G7 countries declined by 8 percent, and projections for 2025 point to a sharper drop of 19 percent.

    Modelling using finds that 5.7 million more Africans would fall below the US$2.15 extreme poverty income level in the next year if Trump’s administration succeeds in its aid-reduction ambition. This assumes a 20 percent reduction of aid to Africa, considering that some US aid would be maintained as the US alone accounted for 26 percent of aid to Africa before the cuts.

    The dismantling of USAID and major aid reductions announced by Western donors threaten to undo decades of progress on malnutrition. A 44 percent drop in funding from 2022 levels could lead to widespread hardship and death.

    Up to 2.3 million children with severe acute malnutrition risk losing life-saving treatment, warns the Standing Together for Nutrition Consortium.

    There are 2,968 billionaires in the world, and 1,346 live in G7 countries (45 percent). 
     

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Oxfam reaction to the 2025 G7 Summit

    Source: Oxfam –

    Oxfam is deeply concerned by the outcomes of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis. At a time when urgent global crises demand bold and united action, the summit fell short of delivering the leadership the world needs.  

    Oxfam said that nowhere was this more apparent than in how this G7 totally missed its chance to exert any meaningful pressure toward peace in the Middle East. Even its call for a de-escalation between Israel and Iran, which is desperately needed, was corrupted by geo-political partiality and bias.

    Oxfam calls for an immediate end to hostilities in the region because civilian victims are paying the price and the death toll is rising. As global attention shifts to Israel’s attacks on Iran and the consequences of military escalation between the two countries, Israel’s relentless assault on Gaza continues—killing civilians and blocking independent humanitarian agencies from delivering life-saving aid. 

    Twenty-three years ago, the 2002 G8 Summit in Kananaskis marked a moment of ambition, where leaders committed to an Africa Action Plan and development cooperation. Returning here as the G7, that spirit of global solidarity and cooperation was painfully absent.  

    This G7, by stark contrast, is instead pursuing the largest aid cuts in its history at a time of rising global need. With a planned 28% reduction by 2026 compared to 2024, these cuts are not just a policy failure but put the lives of millions of people at risk, especially those already facing hunger, poverty, and ever-worsening effects of climate change.

    “The G7 has once again missed an opportunity to show global solidarity and take collective action to end conflicts, address climate change and reduce poverty and inequality. Cutting international aid to ramp up military spending is short-sighted and not the solution. In fact, it is a worrying signal for the further erosion of human rights, global stability and equity,” said Oxfam G7 lead, Jörn Kalinski.

    Although progress has been made in striking strategic partnerships with the Global South for critical minerals and renewable energy supply chains, it shouldn’t serve as a smoke screen to the current climate crisis. Climate finance and fossil fuel phase out must be prioritized as countries work towards a just transition that benefits everyone.

    This G7 did little in Kananaskis to tackle the world’s multiple crises and instead it further helped to enable a global culture of impunity when it could have committed to concrete actions to prioritize people’s lives over profit and power.

    In a world grappling with war, rising inequality, food insecurity, and climate breakdown, the G7’s retreat from responsibility is not only morally indefensible but also strategically short-sighted. 
     

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Environmental justice Fashion waste from top UK brands found polluting endangered turtles’ habitat in Ghana Discarded clothes from Next, Asda and M&S found in protected wetlands threatened by fast-growing waste dumps Clothes discarded by UK consumers and exported to Ghana have been found in a… by Stefano Gelmini June 18, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Discarded clothes from Next, Asda and M&S found in protected wetlands threatened by fast-growing waste dumps

    Clothes discarded by UK consumers and exported to Ghana have been found in a huge new dumpsite growing inside internationally protected wetlands, an Unearthed and Greenpeace Africa investigation reveals. 

    Stills and footage of the waste dumps and the UK-branded clothing available here.

    Unearthed reporters have found garments from UK high-street brands Next, George at Asda, and Marks & Spencer inside the protected nature site home to rare birds and three species of turtles.

    The clothes were located at or close to two open-air waste dumps that have recently appeared inside the wetlands. Clothing items from M&S, Zara, H&M, and Primark were also found at a sprawling third dump just on a riverbank just outside the nature reserve, from where fashion waste often floats downstream, polluting the wetlands.

    Scientists are concerned about the impact on local wildlife of the microplastics and chemicals released from textile waste. Locals complain that their fishing nets, waterways and beaches are clogged with synthetic fast fashion exported to Ghana from the UK and Europe.

    Ghana is the world’s largest importer of used clothing, with 15 million items of discarded garments arriving each week [1]. The UK sent more fashion waste to Ghana last year – 57,000 tonnes according to UN trade data – than to any other country except the UAE [2]. But local officials estimate about 40% of each bale is unusable – torn, stained, or unsuitable for the climate. 

    This overspill has overwhelmed Accra, resulting in new waste dumps appearing just outside the capital. Unearthed reporters found two fast-growing tips inside a critical biodiversity area, the Densu Delta, designated a “Ramsar site”: a wetland of “international importance” under the Convention on Wetlands. One of the dumps, Glefe, has been established for just four years, according to Google Earth historical images, and it already looms taller than a two-storey building in places. The second, Akkaway, is less than a year old but rapidly expanding.

    The protected nature site provides a habitat for birds such as rare roseate terns, which migrate from the UK, and curlew sandpipers, which visit from the Arctic tundra. The endangered leatherback and green turtles lay their eggs on the conservation area’s beach, as does the Olive Ridley turtle, known for nesting en masse on the same beach where it hatched [3]. 

    Local people rely on the ecosystem for fishing and salt production. Unearthed has spoken to local fishermen who describe hauling in textile waste in their nets and blame it for a decline in fish stocks.

    Commenting on the findings, Greenpeace UK’s plastic campaigner Laura Burley said:

    “It’s heartbreaking to see a protected nature site turning into a waste dump because of our addiction to fast fashion. A dress designed to be worn just once or twice before being thrown away could pose a threat to rare birds and marine turtles in these protected wetlands for decades to come, while also harming people’s livelihoods. And with the majority of these garments made of plastic fibres, our throwaway clothes are adding to the plastic pollution choking our oceans. The UK government should force fashion retailers to take some responsibility for the waste they create while backing strong targets to cut plastic production in the UN Global Plastics Treaty.”

    Dr Jones Quartey, a wetland ecologist at the University of Ghana, told Unearthed that disposing of textiles in wetlands could cause irreparable harm. “This is dangerous – more so when we don’t know what chemicals are in the textile waste,” he said. “The bioaccumulation and biomagnification of microplastics in aquatic organisms and humans could pose risks such as physical damage, chemical exposure and disruption of biological processes.”

    When contacted by Unearthed, the fashion labels acknowledged that the industry faces challenges around processing textile waste. M&S, George, and Primark said they run “take-back” schemes to help address the issue. H&M, Zara, and George said they would support an extended producer responsibility framework to hold labels accountable for their products’ end-of-life impact.  

    Read the full investigation here.

    ENDS

    Contact: Greenpeace UK news team at press.uk@greenpeace.org and on 020 7865 8255

    Stills and footage of the waste dumps and UK-branded clothes, as well as interviews with local people, can be downloaded here.

    Notes

    1. From a Greenpeace Africa report: https://www.greenpeace.org/africa/en/press/56381/fast-fashion-slow-poison-new-report-exposes-toxic-impact-of-global-textile-waste-in-ghana/
    2. UN trade data:
      https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow?Frequency=A&Flows=X&CommodityCodes=6309&Partners=all&Reporters=826&period=2024&AggregateBy=none&BreakdownMode=plu
    3. https://ghanawildlife.org/densu.html

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: G7 leaders fail to stand up and propel climate action

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Toronto, Canada, G7 leaders have failed to deliver outcomes that advance bold climate action, as the shadow of a stand-off with the US held back urgently needed progress.

    Tracy Carty, Climate Politics Expert, Greenpeace International said: “As G7 leaders grapple with how to de-escalate multiple conflicts they can ill afford to ignore another threat to global stability – the worsening climate emergency.” 

    “But even before the latest intensification in the Middle East, the climate had already been sidelined, as the G7 – under Canada’s leadership – tiptoed around Trump’s climate denialism. The leaders of these nations – among the most responsible for global emissions – cannot retreat and hide.”

    “The G7 must urgently work towards bold action to cut emissions, hold the fossil fuel industry accountable, and ensure big polluters pay their fair share for the climate damage already unfolding across the globe.”

    Keith Stewart, Senior Energy Strategist, Greenpeace Canada said: “Canada is literally a country on fire, but despite wanting to discuss an improved joint response to wildfires, it allowed the summit to end with a statement on the issue that included no mention of tackling the climate crisis fuelling the latest disaster.”

    “This was a wasted opportunity as Canada ducked away from a confrontation with Trump. But true leadership requires standing up to climate denialists and fostering cooperation instead of deepening climate culpability. The G7 cannot abdicate its responsibility to lead the charge for bold, urgent global action to cut emissions and the time to act is now.”

    ENDS

    Contacts:

    Aaron Gray-Block, Climate Politics Communications Manager, Greenpeace International, [email protected]

    Gaby Flores, Communications Coordinator, Greenpeace International, +1 214 454 3871, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Togo: Authorities must investigate allegations protesters were tortured and end crackdown on dissent

    Source: Amnesty International –

    The Togolese authorities must investigate allegations that protesters were subjected to torture, following protests earlier this month, and respect their commitments to protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, Amnesty International said today.

    Dozens of people were arrested on 5 and 6 June in Lomé after taking to the streets to protest against a government crackdown on dissent, the cost-of-living crisis and changes to the constitution that could allow the current President of the Council of Ministers Faure Gnassingbé to remain in power indefinitely.

    Fifty-six people were released on 9 June, according to the public prosecutor. Three protesters are still detained as of 17 June, according to several sources.

    By banning protests and repressing them with force, the authorities are in breach of international law.

    Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s interim Regional Director for West and Central Africa

    While detained, several protesters were subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, according to testimonies gathered by Amnesty International.   

    “These Togolese protesters are being harshly punished solely for expressing their opinions. By banning protests and repressing them with force, the authorities are in breach of international law which protects the right to protest. They have also failed to respect the commitments they made during the last Universal Periodic Review, including the prohibition of torture in all its forms; and the investigation of alleged acts of torture,” said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s interim Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “The crackdown on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must end immediately.”

    In a statement read out on television on 9 June, the public prosecutor referred to ‘individuals [who] in groups noisily occupied the public thoroughfares […], orchestrating raucous noises and erecting barricades’, even though ‘no declaration of a public demonstration had been registered’, which in his view constituted ‘aggravated disturbance of public order’.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: Crime and policing bill an attack on our ‘proud legacy of protest’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty International stages powerful ‘human timeline’ highlighting over 100 years of protest  

    From suffragettes to Bristol Boycott: a legacy of defiant movements  

    The Crime and Policing Bill seeks to further erode right to protest    

    Amnesty International has organised a ‘human timeline’ outside Parliament to highlight Britain’s ‘proud history of defiant movements’, ahead of the Report stage debate on the Crime and Policing Bill on the 17th June. It is the fourth anti-protest bill introduced in Parliament in just four years.  

    The proposed legislation would give police sweeping new powers, including the ability to ban face coverings at protests, impose restrictions on protests based on vague rules around being in the ‘vicinity’ of religious buildings, and compel people, including protesters, on limited visas to leave the country if they receive a police caution.   

    The bill follows last year’s Criminal Justice Bill, part of the former government’s sustained crackdown on peaceful protest. Protesters now face increasing criminalisation, with some receiving prison sentences for nonviolent action that exceed those given for serious violent crimes. 

    The protest outside Parliament today features real-life activists and actors representing key historical movements and holding placards: 

    • The Suffragettes  

    “They told us to stay at home, but we won women the right to vote” 

    “They called us ‘terrorists’ but we helped bring about a fairer society” 

    “They called us naive, but we advocated for a safer world” 

    “They called us ‘irresponsible’, but we helped to make racial discrimination in employment unlawful” 

    “They called us “deviants”, but we won equal rights and respect” 

    “They called us annoying but we tackled discrimination against people with disabilities” 

    “They called us powerless, but we continue to expose the injustice of housing in the UK” 

    “They called us eco-mobs, but we made it impossible to ignore the plight of our planet” 

    • Black Lives Matter  

    “They called us ‘thugs’ but we continue to uncover institutional racism” 

    “They call us hate marches, but we won’t stop campaigning against apartheid and genocide” 

    By demonstrating the breadth of protest over the past 100 years, and the rights and freedoms that were won, the stunt shows their true power in making the world a better, more equitable place. 

    Kerry Moscogiuri, Amnesty International UK’s Director of Campaigns, said:  

    “The UK has a legacy of defiant movements – where demonstrations both large and small, have shaped a fairer and more just society. 

    “From the Suffragettes  and the Anti-Apartheid Movement to the Bristol Bus Boycott or the UK’s first Pride march, these protesters faced fierce resistance in their time. Yet today, we celebrate the rights and freedoms they fought so hard to win. 

    “The new Crime and Policing Bill is the fourth piece of legislation in as many years aimed at clamping down on our right to protest. It’s yet another example of the Government attacking our ability to hold them to account beyond the ballot box – undermining our freedom of speech. Had such laws existed in the past, many of the historic protests we now celebrate might not have been possible. 

    “We have a proud history of protest and we must continue on that path, not follow the tide of authoritarian laws that’s undermining freedom globally.” 

    A spokesperson for Grenfell United, said:  

    “The power of protest should never be forgotten. Our Silent walks serve both to remember those we lost, and to show that Grenfell issues are not localised, they are a national problem. Building safety affects thousands of people across the country, whether leaseholder, private or social housing tenant, and our gatherings show those responsible the pace of change is too slow, and the risk to life too high. 

    “The Crime and Policing Bill is part of a growing trend on the crackdown of the right to protest. This is a deeply concerning trend for communities who turn to protest as a result of the grave injustices they have faced. By walking in our thousands each year, we show those in power we will never forget what was done to us, what needs to happen, and that the nation is behind us in our fight for Justice” 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: This hurricane season Greenpeace USA helps deliver Uncle Sam’s disturbing message to America

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Greenpeace USA deployed a banner at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters to assist in making Uncle Sam’s message to the country crystal clear: this hurricane season, you are on your own. It was in esponse to the Trump Administration’s recent gutting of federal emergency response capacity.
    © Tim Aubry / Greenpeace

    WASHINGTON, DC (June 17, 2025) –  Tuesday, Greenpeace USA deployed banners at FEMA headquarters to assist in making Uncle Sam’s message to the country crystal clear: this hurricane season, you are on your own. 

    Photos and videos are available here.

    In response to the Trump Administration’s recent gutting of federal emergency response capacity, Greenpeace USA Deputy Climate Director John Nöel said: 

    “At this point, it’s not even shocking, but it still bears repeating: the Trump Administration can’t just get rid of critical infrastructure to address natural disasters – and then declare hurricanes extinct. But that’s exactly what it’s trying to do. On the heels of NOAA (another agency being dismantled) saying this hurricane season could be especially intense – and possibly more deadly – The Trump White House now wants to scrap FEMA, the agency that could help Americans survive it. This agency has long served as a lifeline for communities recovering from natural disasters – but even prior to cuts, it was struggling to keep up with worsening disasters and an administration that’s been tying aid to political alignment. 

    “Without federal support, states will have to raise taxes on working people and businesses in order to fill budget gaps created by extreme weather. While Americans face increasingly deadly hurricanes and floods Trump is firing the staff from agencies that track and coordinate emergency response while carrying out Big Oil’s wishlist that slashes climate funding when communities need it most. This only ensures Americans pay with not just the cost of their lives, businesses, and homes, but also higher energy bills, disaster relief taxes, and skyrocketing insurance premiums.

    “As the Trump administration abandons its responsibility to protect Americans, it is time for governors to step up and make polluters, specifically oil and gas corporations, pay for the crisis they’ve created instead of your constituents.” 

    Contact: Madison Carter, Greenpeace USA National Press Secretary, [email protected]

    Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: South Asia celebrates World Ocean Day in solidarity with impacted communities from the Kerala shipwreck disaster

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    8th June, 2025. Greenpeace India marked World Oceans Day 2025 with a powerful celebration at Chandrabhaga Beach in Konark, Odisha, where stunning sand art featuring a majestic turtle took centre stage to highlight the critical role the ocean plays in sustaining biodiversity, regulating the climate, and supporting coastal communities. The action also comes in solidarity with the Kerala population and the urgent need for transparency, cleanup and accountability in response to the late shipwreck accident and its ongoing consequences.

    This year, World Ocean Day precedes the opening of the United Ocean Conference, from 9th to 13th June in France, where world leaders will convene to discuss their commitments for the protection of the global ocean. In the meantime, the dramatic impacts of the recent MSC ELSA 3 shipwreck offshore Kerala (on May 25th) keep unfolding with fuel and hazardous cargo threats looming at sea, while broken containers of unknown cargo and insane amounts of plastic pellets have been washing ashore in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, India — amid monsoon weather conditions impeding initial environmental assessment and clean-up initiatives. Just 4 years after the X-Press Pearl disaster in Sri Lanka, the region’s marine life, unique coastal ecosystems, and fisher communities are facing yet another shipping disaster with lasting consequences, of which the scale remains to be fully understood.

    “What exactly was in the containers, and who will be held accountable for the damage to marine biodiversity and fragile ocean ecosystems, as well as the loss of coastal livelihoods and the harm to the local economy ?” said ocean conservationist and founder of Friends of Marine Life, Robert Panipilla. “We are calling on local authorities and the MSC company to release the full cargo manifest of the MSC ELSA 3. The people in South India have the right to know and expect a detailed statement on the circumstances of the accident, as well as a comprehensive clean-up and compensation plan from MSC, who have not yet communicated two weeks after the shipwreck. When the decarbonization of the shipping industry and global plastics pollution are discussed at the UN Ocean Conference, major profitable shipping companies such as MSC can no longer shy away from their responsibility in such disasters, whereas marine life is choking on plastic pellets and fishing communities are being starved out,” added Amruta S. N., Campaigner at Greenpeace India.

    In Solidarity, Greenpeace deployed a documentation team in Kerala straight after the disaster — and this past week the organisation has run several activities with ocean stakeholders, youth groups, and fisherfolks to convey the same message across the region: “One Ocean, Many Lives” in Khulna, Bangladesh; Galle and Colombo, in Sri Lanka; and Odisha and Chennai, in India.

    “With these events to celebrate World Ocean Day, we also want to deliver a joint message of hope together with our partners across the region. We demand our leaders quickly ratify the global High Seas Treaty to protect 30% of our oceans [1], as well as listen to the voice of small-scale fishers and the wisdom of coastal communities for the sustainable management of coastal resources and bottom-up profits to the local economies,” says Anita Perera, Campaigner at Greenpeace South Asia.

    Media Contacts:

    Nibedita Saha
    Media Officer at Greenpeace India
    Phone: +91 7045066118
    Email: [email protected]

    Amruta S. N., Campaigner at Greenpeace India
    Phone: +918304010458
    Email: [email protected]

    Anita Perera, Campaigner at Greenpeace South Asia – Sri Lanka
    Phone: +94773925597
    Email: [email protected]

    Greenpeace media statement following the Kerala shipwreck disaster:
    https://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/story/18544/greenpeace-india-statement-on-hazardous-cargo-ship-sinking-off-kerala-coast/

    [1] In 2022, during the UN Biodiversity COP15, states agreed on a target of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030, a figure supported by scientists for several years. 2.7% of the global ocean is currently fully or highly protected from human activities, and the figure is just 0.9% for areas of the high seas, which are beyond national jurisdiction. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: ‘We were only asking for our rights’: Tunisian authorities punish mobilization for socioeconomic and environmental rights

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Against the backdrop of a deepening cost of living and environmental crisis and despite repeatedly committing to upholding economic and social justice for the most disadvantaged, over the past five years Tunisia’s authorities have targeted individuals from marginalized and impoverished communities for peacefully protesting or striking over socioeconomic and environmental issues, Amnesty International said in a new report published today.  

    The report, ‘We were only asking for our rights and dignity’, highlights how Tunisia’s authorities have arrested, investigated or prosecuted people for peacefully protesting or striking over socioeconomic and environmental issues such as poor working conditions, pollution and access to water using vague charges of “obstruction.”    

    Between February 2020 and January 2025, the authorities have targeted at least 90 peaceful protesters, activists, trade unionists, and workers simply for exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, to form and join a union, and to organize and participate in strikes.  

    Instead of using vague ‘obstruction’ charges to stifle or punish expressions of peaceful dissent or dissatisfaction over basic rights related to environmental or labour-related concerns Tunisia’s authorities should be working to safeguard and uphold the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in line with their international human rights obligations.

    Sara Hashash, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

    “The right to freedom of peaceful assembly is fundamental to a thriving society and serves as a crucial means to strengthen human rights and protect workers’ rights,” said Sara Hashash, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.   

    “This report highlights a worrying pattern of unjust criminalization of peaceful activism, usually at a local level where communities or workers have mobilized for their basic socioeconomic or environmental rights. It is another, less visible, manifestation of the repression of peaceful dissent within a broader crackdown on human rights and the rule of law in Tunisia and further threatens civic space in the country. 

    “Instead of using vague ‘obstruction’ charges to stifle or punish expressions of peaceful dissent or dissatisfaction over basic rights related to environmental or labour-related concerns Tunisia’s authorities should be working to safeguard and uphold the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in line with their international human rights obligations.” 

    Amnesty International has investigated nine cases as illustrative examples of a wider pattern of criminalization of peaceful assemblies using “obstruction” charges, cases which are likely to be under-reported due to their localization, the lack of access to human rights organization by affected communities and the fear of reprisals from authorities and employers.  

    The organization interviewed 26 people, eight of their lawyers and four family members to document these cases involving the investigation, arrest or prosecution of 90 people using “obstruction” charges. These vaguely formulated provisions do not meet the principle of legality and do not proscribe an internationally recognized criminal offence.  

    The legal proceedings were initiated in reprisal against peaceful assemblies or union activism, often affiliated with the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), and have sought to deter protesters and others from participating in future protests and strikes. Among those targeted, 16 were arrested and detained for periods ranging between three days and 20 months. Individuals targeted include residents and environmental rights activists who protested for their right to water and a healthy environment, and workers and unionists who organized protests and strikes over employment and working conditions.  

    As one striking female worker from a shoe factory in Kairouan stated: “It was the last straw, we decided to take action… We are not protected from chemicals we use in the factory… in the summer we have to work in very high temperatures; there is no water, no respect for our welfare… If you get sick you get a pay cut… You are dismissed if unable to work… There is always a lot of verbal abuse and insults.”  

    She described how they were summoned by police in November 2024 right before the constitutive meeting for a new union: “[They] wanted us to say that [we were] manipulated into doing something illegal, or that we had other suspicious motives, but there was no basis to it. We were only asking for our rights and our dignity.” 

    While most of the individuals concerned were convicted and sentenced to fines or suspended prison terms, or have not been detained pending trial, this pattern has a chilling effect on individuals considering voicing concerns over their social, economic, and environmental rights.  

    A local resident from the town of Bargou in the northern region of Siliana who participated in a protest about access to water in February 2023 stated: “It was barely a protest, we stood on the side of the road holding signs, there wasn’t any disruption. They [the police] summoned dozens of people for that’” 

    A local activist from the eastern region of Sfax, convicted for his involvement in an environmental protest movement in June 2023, told Amnesty International: “Everyone was taken to court. It was a way to silence us… to say close your mouth or you will go to prison”. 

    In February 2020, authorities summoned a group of women forestry maintenance workers in Sfax following a sit-in to protest their working conditions. Police asked them to sign statements in which they would commit not to protest again, infringing on their right to peaceful assembly.  

    Compounding this, in five of the cases documented, serious violations of the right to a fair trial and due process took place, including instances where defendants’ rights to information and adequate defense were denied.  

    In eight of the nine cases investigated, authorities used Article 136 of the Penal Code on “obstruction of work,” and in one case, they used Article 107 of the Penal Code on “obstruction of a public service.”  

    “Obstruction” charges have at times also been used as part of a set of charges brought against prominent political and civil society figures who expressed their opposition to President Kais Said, such as judge Anas Hmedi and opposition party leader Abir Moussi. 

    “The arbitrary application of these vaguely worded ‘obstruction’ legal provisions, coupled with fair trial violations, violates Tunisia’s international human rights obligations and sends a chilling message to anyone daring to speak out for their rights,” said Sara Hashash.  

    “Tunisia’s authorities must immediately quash convictions and drop charges in all cases relating t individuals’ participation in peaceful street protests and labour strikes. They must also repeal Articles 107 and 136 of the Penal Code or amend them in line with international human rights standards.” 

    Following President Kais Saied’s power grab on 25 July 2021, Tunisian authorities have escalated a wider crackdown on human rights including the right to freedom of expression and all forms of dissent, using repressive laws and unfounded charges to prosecute and arbitrarily detain political opponents, journalists, human rights defenders and civil society activists, lawyers and other perceived critics, while eroding judicial independence and the rule of law.  

    The rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Tunisia is a state party. Under international human rights law, states have an obligation to tolerate temporary obstruction caused by a peaceful assembly, such as disruption of road traffic, pedestrian movements, or economic activity. The mere obstruction of movement or traffic cannot be equated with violence.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Escalating insecurity forces MSF to close Ulang hospital in South Sudan

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • After two violence incidents earlier this year, MSF has been forced to close our hospital in Ulang county, South Sudan, and end our support to 13 community-based health facilities.
    • This has left 150,000 people with less access to healthcare, in an area where MSF’s maternal services are a lifeline.
    • All parties to conflict in South Sudan must adhere to international humanitarian law, cease such indiscriminate attacks, and ensure the protection of medical facilities, health workers, and patients.

    People in remote areas of Upper Nile state in South Sudan are suffering from a lack of access to healthcare, since attacks on medical boats and armed looting in medical facilities since the beginning of the year have forced Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to close our hospital and end our support to 13 community-based healthcare facilities in Ulang county. The closure of MSF’s hospital has left an area of more than 200km from the Ethiopian border to Malakal town without any functional specialised healthcare facility. MSF calls on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law, cease such indiscriminate attacks, and ensure the protection of medical facilities, health workers, and patients.

    Since February 2025, South Sudan has experienced its worst spike in violence since the 2018 peace deal. Fighting between government forces and armed youth militias has escalated across multiple states, including Upper Nile, Jonglei, Unity, and Central Equatoria. This has led to mass displacement, widespread civilian casualties, and a total collapse of already fragile public services.

    Despite these closures, MSF remains dedicated to supporting the healthcare needs of displaced and vulnerable people in Ulang and Nasir counties. We have a mobile emergency team assessing needs who are prepared to provide short-term healthcare services wherever security conditions and access allow. MSF continues to provide healthcare services in our other projects in Upper Nile state, including in Malakal and Renk counties.

    An escalating trend of violence against healthcare

    In January 2025, MSF faced an attack by unidentified gunmen near Nasir, shooting at our boats as they returned from delivering medical supplies to Nasir County hospital. This attack forced us to suspend all outreach activities in Nasir and Ulang counties, which included medical referrals by boat along the Sobat River that allowed women to deliver their babies safely.

    Nyamer Kuok holds her newborn baby, Kech Bol, at the maternity ward of the MSF hospital in Ulang, Upper Nile state, South Sudan, October 2024.
    Nasir Ghafoor/MSF

    In April 2025, armed individuals forced their way into the hospital in Ulang where they threatened staff and patients and looted the hospital so extensively that MSF no longer had the necessary resources to continue operations safely and effectively.

    “They took everything: medical equipment, laptops, patients’ beds and mattresses from the wards, and approximately nine months’ worth of medical supplies, including two planeloads of surgical kits and drugs delivered just the week before. Whatever they could not carry, they destroyed,” says Zakaria Mwatia, MSF head of mission for South Sudan.

    Within a month, another MSF hospital was bombed in Old Fangak, a town in the neighbouring Jonglei state, leaving the facility completely non-functional. This is part of a worrying rise in attacks on healthcare facilities in South Sudan.

    Local communities depended on MSF for prenatal care

    “During my third pregnancy, I decided to come to the hospital well in advance before my delivery. I lost my two first children because I did not make it to the hospital on time,” says Nyapual Jok, a young mother from the outskirts of Ulang county.

    Nyapual had been transported to the hospital by one of MSF’s boat ambulances, since she lives in a remote village far away from Ulang hospital. Ulang, a vast flood-prone area, is characterised by spotted remote villages which often suffer severe mobility restrictions during the rainy seasons. MSF ran boat transportation services to ensure access to healthcare to mothers like Nyapual.

    “It’s very hard to access healthcare here. If we had a hospital closer during my previous deliveries, maybe my children would be alive today,” adds Nyapual.

    Nyapual shared her story in November 2024, only two months before the attack on the same boats which helped her deliver her baby safely.

    Facility closures create gaps that are difficult to fill

    The attacks’ effect of stopping medical referrals by boat has had fatal consequences for the people living in remote areas in the region. People in Ulang and Nasir counties had to wait for days, sometimes even weeks, to get a boat to take them to Ulang hospital. In desperate situations, they would walk for days through a muddy landscape – a land that is nearly impossible to cross on foot during rainy season. 

    “She was in labour when she suffered birth complications – she had to get to a hospital as soon as possible,” says Veronica Nyakuoth, an MSF midwife at the Ulang hospital, about a patient she attended to in the maternity ward. “Normally, MSF mobile teams would have been able to pick her up by boat, but since that service was cut off, instead she had to wait two days for a private boat to take her. When she finally made it to Ulang hospital, it was too late: the team could not find a heartbeat from the twins she was carrying in her womb.”

    150,000 people cut off from care

    With the closure of the hospital and the withdrawal of support to the decentralised facilities including transportation of patients, more than 150,000 people will now face even more difficulties accessing healthcare in Ulang county and more might face the tragic fate that Veronica’s patient had to suffer. Over 800 patients with chronic illnesses such as HIV, tuberculosis, and others have lost access to treatment due to the closure of MSF services in the area.

    Nyapual Jok, a young mother from the outskirts of Ulang county We need a hospital nearby that can help mothers and children. Without it, many will suffer and lose their lives.

    Nyapual Jok has her consultation with Veronica Nyakuoth, MSF midwife supervisor, at the MSF hospital in Ulang, Upper Nile state, South Sudan, October 2024.

    “We need a hospital nearby that can help mothers and children. Without it, many will suffer and lose their lives,” says Nyapual.

    MSF in Ulang

    Since 2018, MSF had been providing vital health services in Ulang including trauma, maternal and paediatric care. The teams also supported 13 facilities to offer essential healthcare services. Over the past seven years, MSF teams carried out more than 139,730 outpatient consultations, admitted 19,350 patients, treated 32,966 cases of malaria, and assisted 2,685 deliveries, among other essential services. During this time, MSF also provided support to Nasir County hospital and responded to multiple emergencies and disease outbreaks.

    Nyapual’s story, along with those of many others, serves as a stark reminder that healthcare is a fundamental right and should never be a target. The consequences of attacks to healthcare are more than the damage to a building; it’s the loss of hope, safety, and the chance for a healthier future. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Peru: Granting amnesty to those responsible for human rights violations is turning our backs on thousands of victims

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Lima, 13 June 2025. Amnesty International rejects bill 7549, approved by Congress on the first vote, which proposes granting amnesty to members of the Armed Forces, the Police, members of self-defense committees and State officials who have not received a final sentence in “cases related to the fight against terrorism in the period 1980-2000”. Likewise, it establishes a “humanitarian amnesty” for people over 70 years of age who have a final sentence with the quality of res judicata or are in the process of serving a sentence.

    The approval of this bill violates and jeopardizes access to justice, truth and reparation for thousands of victims and their families, as it puts a stop to the ongoing criminal action against alleged perpetrators of crimes under international law and spares punishment for those who have been found responsible for crimes such as extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, torture and sexual violence.  

    This amnesty, if definitively approved, will impact at least 156 cases with a final sentence whose perpetrators – who are currently serving sentences for crimes against humanity and serious human rights violations – will be released. In addition, it would put an end to hundreds of cases under investigation and trial, such the Putis (Ayacucho) massacre in 1984, where 123 people were killed. 

    “Thousands of families have been seeking justice, truth and reparation for decades. To close the wounds of the internal armed conflict, it is essential that all victims have access to their rights. It is essential to think about a reasonable timeframe for the victims, and that means that it is important to strengthen investigations and prosecutors’ offices, not to eliminate processes and penalties for the perpetrators of serious human rights violations”, said Marina Navarro, executive director of Amnesty International Peru. 

    Thousands of families have been seeking justice, truth and reparation for decades. To close the wounds of the internal armed conflict, it is essential that all victims have access to their rights.

    Marina Navarro, executive director of Amnesty International Peru. 

    Regional and international human rights standards clearly state that amnesties are inadmissible for cases of serious violations and crimes against humanity, such as those committed in Peru between 1980 and 2000. Granting amnesties to the alleged perpetrators and those responsible for these acts represents a serious breach of the international obligation acquired by the Peruvian State to investigate, prosecute and punish those who commit serious human rights violations, and to guarantee access to justice for the victims.

    On the other hand, ensuring the life and guaranteeing the right to health of a person deprived of their liberty is a legitimate concern, but each case must be reviewed individually and evaluated proportionately, so that any measure taken does not prejudice the right of victims of human rights violations and their families to justice. 

    “It is very worrying that in Peru, instead of strengthening guarantees of non-repetition, a law that prescribes crimes against humanity was approved last year, and today approval is being sought for a generalized amnesty project. You cannot turn your back on victims and family members who have been waiting for justice for decades. We will continue to demand justice, truth, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition for the victims and Peruvian society”, Navarro said. 

    You cannot turn your back on victims and family members who have been waiting for justice for decades. We will continue to demand justice, truth, reparation and guarantees of non-repetition for the victims and Peruvian society.

    Marina Navarro, executive director of Amnesty International Peru. 

    Faced with this risk of impunity, we urge the Peruvian Congress to reject this initiative, and the justice authorities to strengthen investigations that guarantee access to justice, truth and reparation for victims. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Urgent action needed at SB62 as Amazon, climate slip closer to tipping points

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Bonn, Germany – Worsening rates of Amazon deforestation, record temperatures exceeding 1.5°C and chronic government policy inertia around climate action and finance demand an urgent response from delegates the next two weeks at the UN climate negotiations in Bonn.

    A key moment on the road to COP30 in Brazil, the annual June intersessional meetings (SB62) in Bonn take place against a backdrop of climate-fuelled disasters and increasing deforestation rates in the Amazon. The ongoing forest loss is bringing the Amazon closer to a tipping point.

    An Lambrechts, Biodiversity Politics Expert, Greenpeace International said: “Now more than ever, we need an action plan to end deforestation. The world is hurtling toward a climate and biodiversity catastrophe, but as COP30 moves to the Amazon under Brazil’s presidency, there is a significant opportunity to accelerate protection and restoration of critical ecosystems.”

    “At COP28 the world agreed to halt deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, but there is no coherent UNFCCC plan yet to implement that goal beyond the expectation that parties include it in their NDCs and act at the national level. A transformative COP30 forest outcome that addresses fragmentation and delivers a five-year Action Plan starting next year can make the difference.”

    “Delegates in Bonn must seize the moment and work towards a radical shift in climate ambition and pave the way to address the 1.5°C ambition gap. Countries’ 2035 climate action plans, due this year, must ramp up emissions cuts and deliver on the COP28 decision to “transition away from fossil fuels”. 

    Tracy Carty, Climate Politics Expert, Greenpeace International said: “Climate inaction is costing lives! As emissions rise unchecked, our chances of limiting warming to the Paris goals recede and impacts escalate. We need to act faster and bolder to give ourselves the best chance possible.” 

    “The weak finance deal agreed at COP29 is constraining many developing countries’ ability to raise ambition and the finance gap risks undermining trust and progress in this year’s negotiations. Rich countries must urgently increase public finance support – and making big polluters, like the fossil fuel industry, pay for the damage and destruction is a vital part of the solution.”

    Anna Cárcamo, Climate Politics Specialist, Greenpeace Brazil said: “Bonn will be a key moment to advance important agendas leading to COP30 and Brazil as the incoming COP Presidency has signalled that it will focus on moving forward with adaptation, just transitions and implementation of the COP28 decision, including the goals to eliminate deforestation and to transition away from fossil fuels.” 

    “While all countries must act together to implement these critical agendas and goals, Brazil should lead with coherence, by continuing to address deforestation and reconsidering the expansion of fossil fuel extraction, especially in the Amazon.”

    ENDS

    Photos and videos are available in the Greenpeace Media Library.

    Notes:

    1. Bonn Climate Change Conference media briefing

    2. Proposal for a COP30 action plan for forests

    3. Legal briefing on maximising synergies to address the climate and biodiversity crises

    Contacts:

    Aaron Gray-Block, Climate Politics Communications Manager, Greenpeace International, [email protected]

    Gaby Flores, Communications Coordinator, Greenpeace International, +1 214 454 3871, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    Join the Greenpeace WhatsApp Update Group

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Global: Urgent action needed as climate crisis leads to devastating new harms to human rights

    Source: Amnesty International –

    States must urgently deliver ambitious climate action by mapping out a just transition away from fossil fuels in all sectors to prevent even worse human rights harms around the world, Amnesty International said in a new briefing to mark the start of the Bonn Climate Conference which takes place between 16-26 June.

    Despite the challenges posed by the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, increases in authoritarian practices globally and the growing environmental devastation of the escalating armed conflicts in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan and Ukraine, among others, it is not too late for states to find common ground and ramp up climate ambition for the planet and the rights of current and future generations.

    In 2024, for the first time, the world breached the threshold of 1.5°C of global heating above pre-industrial levels. During the hottest year on record, wildfires ripped through Latin America, the Caribbean was hit by the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record, and parts of Central Europe were deluged with three months’ worth of rain in five days as the climate emergency worsened, driven by human activity and the continued burning of fossil fuels.

    “The devastating new human rights harms resulting from climate change will escalate dramatically unless global heating is kept in check. More people will be driven deeper into poverty, lose their homes or suffer the effects of drought and food insecurity. Despite the deepening climate crisis, governments’ action to limit fossil fuel production and use has been wholly inadequate,” said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Climate Justice Advisor.  

    “Governments are in thrall to fossil fuel companies which have sought to downplay climate harms and discredit climate science. States continue to provide subsidies to these companies, effectively incentivizing the continuation of the fossil fuel industry. Everyone has the right to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment – but as the climate crisis intensifies, this right, and others, are under growing threat.”

    Across the globe, unnatural disasters exacerbated by climate change, such as worsening droughts and severe floods, are damaging harvests and leading to food scarcity and water shortages, contributing to displacement, migration and conflict.

    Protecting and listening to grassroots voices

    Marginalized frontline and fence line communities that use fossil fuels the least continue to suffer some of the worst impacts of climate change. They include subsistence farmers, Indigenous Peoples and those living in low lying island states, threatened by rising sea levels and more powerful storms, or those living beside fossil fuel production and transport facilities.

    For example, Pakistan contributes less than 1% of greenhouse gas emissions annually but is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate disasters. In a report published last month, Amnesty International documented how increasingly frequent floods and heatwaves are leading to preventable deaths, particularly among young children and older adults.

    Despite the urgency of the climate crisis, those demanding action from the authorities are being harassed, stigmatized, attacked and criminalized. Around the world, environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs) are risking their lives and liberty for defending their lands and communities’ right to a healthy environment, such as the Warriors for the Amazon in Ecuador.

    “The voices, views, knowledge and wisdom of Indigenous Peoples, frontline and fence line communities and human rights defenders must be incorporated into climate policies, plans and action.

    Ann Harrison, Amnesty International’s Climate Justice Advisor

    The conference is an opportunity to spotlight the situation in COP29 host Azerbaijan, where environmental human rights defender Anar Mammadli and journalist Nargiz Absalamova who reported on environmental issues remain behind bars. Other journalists who reported on the human rights situation including during COP29 were arrested afterwards in apparent reprisals. Brazil, the host of COP30, is one of the most dangerous countries for EHRDs, who face killings, violence, threats and stigmatization for their work.

    “The voices, views, knowledge and wisdom of Indigenous Peoples, frontline and fence line communities and human rights defenders must be incorporated into climate policies, plans and action,” said Ann Harrison.

    “Once again, we have heard reports of limited badges and visa problems for those from the majority world wishing to attend the conference in Bonn. Nor are the COP Host Country Agreements – a key tool that must be strengthened to ensure freedom of expression and peaceful assembly for participants – available publicly as a matter of routine.”

    Climate finance must be addressed

    Amnesty International is also calling for states to tackle climate finance. Currently, lower-income countries are paying more in debt repayments than they are receiving as climate finance from high-income countries.

    High income historically high emitting countries are most responsible for climate change, yet continue to shirk their obligations to provide climate finance to lower income countries to cut emissions and to help communities to adapt to climate change, as well as providing reparations for loss and damage, which could ease the burden in countries suffering climate harms.

    “Taxing fossil fuel companies, corporate windfall profits and high net worth individuals, as well as ending subsidies and investments in fossil fuels and ending global tax abuses, could raise over USD 3 trillion per year which could go a huge way towards the cost of tackling climate change,” said Ann Harrison.

    Huge changes need to be made

    The Bonn Climate Conference is a key preparatory moment for the annual UN Climate Conference, which takes place as COP30 later this year in Brazil – a country that wants to publicly lead a message of global environmental protection. Yet, internally some of its institutions are taking actions contrary to this agenda, including requiring less stringent licensing for environmentally destructive projects and expanding fossil fuel production.

    “If climate change is to be taken seriously and to keep global warming below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, we need to see concrete progress with clear timelines towards massively scaled-up needs-based climate finance, particularly for adaptation and loss and damage, in the form of grants, not loans, with those most responsible for emissions contributing the most,” said Ann Harrison.

    Amnesty International is calling for states commit to a full, fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase out through just transitions across all sectors, without relying on risky and unproven technologies or offsets that do not lead to genuine emissions reductions. It is also calling for inclusive discussions around climate change, involving the people most affected by it, and ensuring they can meaningfully access these high-level negotiations without discrimination.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: EU hypocrisy fuelling suffering in Gaza

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Brussels – The hypocrisy and inaction of the European Union and its Member States have allowed Israel to freely continue its massacre of Palestinians in Gaza with total impunity, said Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in a press conference in Brussels today. MSF calls for impartial needs-based aid to be facilitated into the Gaza Strip at scale, the protection of civilians, and the immediate restoration of a sustained ceasefire; European governments must act decisively to expedite this.

    For more than 20 months, Israeli authorities and forces have inflicted a punishing campaign, including large-scale forced displacement, ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in Gaza. On a daily basis, our teams witness patterns consistent with genocide through deliberate actions by Israeli forces – including mass killings, the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure, and blockades choking off access to food, water, medicines, and other essential humanitarian supplies. Israel is systematically destroying the conditions necessary for Palestinian life. Gaza’s homes, hospitals, markets, water networks, roads, and power grids have been demolished, not by disregard but by design.

    Children hold their empty pots at a community kitchen in northern Gaza, Palestine, February 2025.
    Nour Alsaqqa/MSF

    The European Union (EU) and European governments have the political, economic, and diplomatic means to exert real pressure on Israel to stop this assault and open Gaza’s border crossings to unhindered humanitarian aid. These are not theoretical instruments. They can be effectively mobilised in defence of international law and to protect civilians.

    However, up to this point, the EU and its member states appear to have abdicated their political leadership to do so. Worse, recent statements European States have made, critical of how the war is being waged, highlights their hypocrisy as they continue to supply the weapons being used to kill, maim, and burn people who end up in our hospitals.

    “The war in Gaza is one of the most egregious, deadly and ruthless wars waged on a people of our time,” says Christopher Lockyear, MSF Secretary General. “It is an orchestrated massacre of Palestinian people. It is purposeful ethnic cleansing.” 

    “Stopping this requires political courage, legal responsibility, and moral commitment,” says Lockyear. “The scale of suffering in Gaza demands more than empty rhetoric.”

    Aid has been weaponised, used as leverage, conditioned, or blocked entirely. Since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its activities on 27 May, as part of the US-Israeli scheme to instrumentalise aid, hundreds of Palestinians have been treated in hospitals, and scores have been killed, after being shot at these aid distribution sites while waiting to receive the basic necessities for survival.

    “The imposed system of aid delivery is not only a failure, but it is dehumanising and dangerous,” says Lockyear. “It exposes thousands of Palestinians to unnecessary risks, leading to bloodshed that can be avoided if humanitarian organisations are allowed to provide aid impartially and safely, at the necessary scale that is so desperately need in Gaza.”

    Today, Nasser hospital, southern Gaza’s main referral hospital for thousands of patients in the area, is barely able to continue working, due to repeated evacuation orders and movement restrictions on staff and patients. In recent weeks, MSF teams admitted over 500 patients requiring medical care to the hospital, while supporting the hospital’s medical staff to respond to repeated mass casualty influxes from constant bombings and attacks. 

    “Humanitarian organisations have set up makeshift hospitals to fill the gap, but they can in no way replace regular hospitals,” says Lockyear. “The remaining hospitals must be protected, and the entry of aid facilitated. Failure to do so will cost yet more lives.”

    MSF, like many organisations, has repeatedly called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, unfettered humanitarian access, and respect for international humanitarian law – including the protection of medical staff and facilities.

    Several governments continue to express concerns about the horrific situation in Gaza, but their statements that invoke concern with adherence to IHL are shrouded in hypocrisy as they continue to send the arms that kill and maim the children we treat.

    “What people are experiencing in Gaza is beyond unbearable: it must stop now,” says Lockyear. “As this military onslaught against a besieged people rages on, the hypocrisy of EU states who speak but don’t act, is more obvious by the day.” 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: Amnesty International calls for the release of British father, Ahmed Al-Doush, ahead of appeal hearing on Father’s Day

    Source: Amnesty International –

    As families across the UK celebrate Father’s Day on June 15, British national Ahmed Al-Doush will have a scheduled appeal hearing to review his ten-year prison sentence in Saudi Arabia.

    Manchester-based Ahmed was sentenced to ten years in prison last month on May 10, 2025. His family and UK legal team understand that he was tried and convicted under terrorism legislation for social media posts and for associating with an individual critical of the Saudi government.

    However, the trial has been marred by a lack of transparency regarding the exact charges and evidence, even to the UK government. Information indicates that he is being tried for exercising his right to free expression and has faced multiple violations of his fair trial rights.

    Ahmed, a senior business analyst with Bank of America, was arrested while on a family holiday in August 2024. His domestic lawyer in Saudi Arabia has refused to share details of the charges and evidence nor provided a copy of the judgment and sentence to Ahmed’s family or UK legal team. At the time of arrest, his wife, Amaher, was in the late stages of pregnancy, meaning Ahmed missed the birth of his fourth child.

    Ahmed has faced numerous violations of his fair trial rights following his arrest. He has been subjected to extensive interrogation without legal representation, where he was forced to sign a statement before being informed of the charges against him. For over two and a half months after he was first detained, his family had no contact with him and received no information about his condition or the reasons for his detention. He was also denied consular access. Since then, contact with his family and UK-based legal team has been severely restricted, and he has been threatened with losing access to communication with them if he tries to disclose anything regarding his trial, proceedings, treatment, or health.

    Haydee Dijkstal, Barrister at 33 Bedford Row Chambers and counsel for Ahmed Al-Doush, stated: “The UK government must demand answers and clarity on a process that has been marked by a lack of transparency, even to the UK government regarding its own citizen. It should take a strong stand against a British national’s imprisonment for ten years for allegedly exercising his right to free expression. This is essential to fully protect a British national’s rights, as well as the rights of his wife and four British children living in the UK who have been thrown into an unexpected and incomprehensible nightmare.”

    Amaher Al-Doush, wife of Ahmed, expressed her feelings: “Frankly, I have no faith in the Saudi government to deliver justice in the appeal. I’m completely disillusioned with both the Saudi and UK governments on every level. The children have been making Father’s Day cards at school, at a time when other families are celebrating it’s incredibly painful for them, especially as we prepare to mark Eid without their father once again. They’re really struggling.

    “I’m exhausted too. The pressure is relentless, not just emotionally, but physically and mentally. Honestly, I’m so overwhelmed that I struggle to even speak about it anymore. At the heart of it all, what matters most is that my husband, the father of my children, is still not home. None of the efforts so far have brought him back.”

    Eilidh Macpherson, Campaigns Manager for Individuals at Risk at Amnesty International UK, said: “We reiterate our urgent call on the Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ahmed Al-Doush if he is being held solely for peacefully exercising his human rights. He must be allowed to return to his family in the UK without delay. In the meantime, Saudi authorities must uphold his fair trial rights, promptly share his court documents, and guarantee regular access to both his family and legal counsel.

    “We also urge the UK government to take all necessary steps to secure his immediate and unconditional release. The arbitrary detention of another British national abroad cannot be tolerated. Immediate and decisive action is essential.”

    ENDS

    Amnesty media contacts: 

    Out of hours: media@amnesty.org.uk / 07721 398984 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Northern Ireland: Anti-racism rally hears criticism of politicians for ‘fanning the flames of hate’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Addressing an anti-racism rally in Belfast today, Amnesty International Northern Ireland director Patrick Corrigan, will say:

    “Once again, racism has shown its ugly face on our streets. We have come very close this week to the loss of life. We are just one petrol bomb away from racially motivated murder.

    “Too many political representatives have chosen to fan the flames of hate rather than put them out. By linking immigration to crime, by blaming migrants for pressure on housing or public services, they seek to turn neighbour against neighbour.

    “This rhetoric is not only dangerous — it is dishonest. It gives cover to racism.

    “People working in our hospitals, in social care or in factories are not the problem. People fleeing war, persecution or poverty are not the problem. Racism is the problem.

    “When leaders suggest that migrants are to blame for our social ills, they distract from their own failures to address those challenges.

    “What Northern Ireland needs is not more division. It needs real leadership — leadership that stands up for human rights, that protects all communities, and that recognises the value of diversity.

    “We call on every political party to end the language of scapegoating. To condemn racist attacks without qualification. To commit to serious action against hate crime, and to put in place an Executive anti-racism strategy which is worthy of the name.”

    The rally, called ‘stop the violence, stop the hate’ is due to take place at Belfast City Hall today (Saturday) at 12 noon.

    ENDS 

    Amnesty media contacts: 

    Patrick Corrigan, email: Patrick.Corrigan@amnesty.org.uk / 07740 623155 

    Out of hours: media@amnesty.org.uk / 07721 398984 

    View latest press releases

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  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace USA Slams U.S. Seabed Mining Plans off American Samoa

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Victor Pickering, a Greenpeace International activist from Fiji displays a banner reading “Our Pacific Is Not Yours To Destroy” in front of the Maersk Launcher, a ship chartered by DeepGreen, one of the companies spearheading the drive to mine the barely understood deep sea ecosystem. The Rainbow Warrior is in the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific to bear witness to the deep sea mining industry. Part of the ongoing ‘Protect the Oceans’ campaign.
    © Marten van Dijl / Greenpeace

    Washington, D.C. (June 13, 2025) — In response to the Department of the Interior’s announcement yesterday of the publication of a Request for Information and Interest to explore the potential for seabed mineral leasing offshore American Samoa, Arlo Hemphill, Greenpeace USA’s Deep Sea Mining Campaign Lead, said: “Greenpeace USA is deeply disappointed that the Department of Interior is considering seabed mineral leasing near American Samoa — a U.S.territory that has placed a moratorium on the industry in its waters. This move disregards the sovereignty and voices of Pacific communities and opens the door to an industry that threatens their environment, culture, and livelihoods. 

    “The Pacific is not a sacrifice zone. Its people should not be forced to host a destructive industry they’ve clearly rejected. We urge the American public to stand in solidarity with those communities and send a resounding message during the public comment period: the deep sea is not for sale.” 

    This announcement follows President Trump’s executive order advancing deep sea mining in both U.S. and international waters — a move widely condemned by environmental organizations, Pacific Indigenous leaders, and other nations, including France, China, and the European Commission. Deep sea mining company, Impossible Metals, submitted a request to commence a leasing process for the exploration and potential mining of critical minerals in the deep sea off the coast of American Samoa in April. 

    Deep sea mining poses irreversible threats to biodiversity, imperils fragile ecosystems, and could have unforeseen impacts on the ocean’s carbon cycle, potentially impacting the climate crisis.

    Despite U.S. backpedaling, momentum for ocean protection continues to grow. As of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, which concluded today in Nice, 37 countries have now publicly supported a moratorium on deep sea mining. There has also been significant progress toward ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty, a key agreement towards the goal of protecting at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030 — a critical threshold scientists say is needed to restore marine health and safeguard biodiversity.

    To meet this target, protection must extend across both national and international waters. Countries must not only ratify the Global Ocean Treaty, but also take bold domestic action to ban unsustainable extractive industries, such as deep sea mining, and ensure that local and Indigenous communities are at the center of marine conservation planning and decision-making processes.

    Contact: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA, [email protected]  

    Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

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  • MIL-OSI NGOs: “We’re Not Just Marching – We’re Building the Future”: Joburg Youth Lead the Charge for Green Jobs This Youth Day

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Johannesburg, 13 June 2025 –  Hundreds of young people flooded the streets of Johannesburg in a powerful call for economic justice through climate action. Backed by Greenpeace Africa, they waved hand-painted placards, their chants echoing across pavements, in a shared urgency drawn together by a generation raised on promises — and now demanding delivery. This Youth Day, South Africa’s youth were not just commemorating the past; they marched for a future they refuse to be excluded from.

    At the heart of their demand was a clear message: a Just Transition must mean green jobs for young people, now.

    “We don’t want to be statistics anymore. We want to be builders of the new economy,” said Aphiwe, a 24-year-old graduate who’s been unemployed for over a year. “Give us the skills. Give us the tools. Let us work — not just survive.”

    With youth unemployment sitting above 60%, South Africa’s young people are caught in a worsening economic storm. Yet they also represent the country’s greatest untapped human resource; bold, informed, and ready to act. The renewable energy sector offers a lifeline: up to five times more jobs than the fossil fuel economy.

    But that opportunity remains out of reach for many. Through this march, the youth-  in a memorandum presented to the labour ministry – demanded access to skilling and upskilling programmes, inclusion in climate and economic planning, and investment in clean energy infrastructure that benefits communities, not corporations.

    “South Africa’s young people aren’t just demanding jobs. They’re demanding a future where those jobs are sustainable, dignified, and part of solving the climate crisis,” says Siyabonga Myeza, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Africa.

    This isn’t the first time youth have taken to the streets on June 16, a date seared into South African memory. In 1976, students marched for the right to education. In 2025, they march for the right to work, to be heard, and to live on a planet that hasn’t been plundered past repair.

    “This generation sees the link between economic injustice and climate injustice. Their message is clear: we cannot afford to wait any longer,” said Cynthia Moyo, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Africa.

    Greenpeace Africa stands shoulder-to-shoulder with these young leaders, calling on the South African government, private sector, and civil society to honour their vision, not with speeches but with action.

    This Youth Day, the call will ring out from city streets and rural corners alike:
    “No jobs on a dead planet. No future without the youth.”

    ENDS.

    For more information, contact:

    Ferdinand Omondi, Communication and Story Manager, Greenpeace Africa, email: [email protected], cell: +254 722 505 233

    Greenpeace Africa Press Desk:[email protected]

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  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UNOC3: “Fine words must now translate into action”, Greenpeace comment

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Nice, France, The UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) concludes today with significant progress made towards the ratification of the High Seas Treaty and a strong statement on a new plastics treaty signed by 95 governments. Once ratified, it will be the only legal tool that can create protected areas in international waters, making it fundamental to protecting 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. 50 countries, plus the European Union, have now ratified the Treaty.

    Deep sea mining rose up the agenda in the conference debates, demonstrating the urgency of opposing this industry. The expectation from civil society and a large group of states, including both co-hosts of UNOC, was that governments would make progress towards stopping deep sea mining in Nice. UN Secretary General Guterres said the deep sea should not become the wild west. French President Macron said a deep sea mining moratorium is an international necessity. Four new countries pledged their support for a moratorium at UNOC bringing the total to 37. Attention now turns to what actions governments will take in July to stop this industry from starting.

    Megan Randles, Greenpeace Head of Delegation regarding the High Seas Treaty and progress towards stopping deep sea mining said: “High Seas Treaty ratification is within touching distance, but the progress made here in Nice feels hollow as this UN Ocean Conference ends without more tangible commitments to stopping deep sea mining. 

    “We’ve heard lots of fine words here in Nice, but these need to turn into tangible action. Countries must be brave, stand up for global cooperation and make history by stopping deep sea mining this year. They can do this by committing to a moratorium on deep sea mining at next month’s International Seabed Authority meeting. We applaud those who have already taken a stand, and urge all others to be on the right side of history by stopping deep sea mining.”

    Following this UNOC, attention now turns to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) meetings in July. In the face of The Metals Company teaming up with Trump to mine the global oceans, the upcoming ISA provides a space where governments can come together to defend the deep ocean by adopting a moratorium to stop this destructive industry.

    Negotiations on a Global Plastics Treaty resume in August. 

    John Hocevar, Oceans Campaign Director, Greenpeace USA said: “The majority of countries have spoken when they signed on to the Nice Call for an Ambitious Plastics Treaty that they want an agreement that will reduce plastic production. Now, as we end the UN Ocean Conference and head on to the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Geneva this August, they must act. The world cannot afford a weak treaty dictated by oil-soaked obstructionists. 

    “The ambitious majority must rise to this moment, firmly hold the line and ensure that we will have a Global Plastic Treaty that cuts plastic production, protects human health, and delivers justice for Indigenous Peoples and communities on the frontlines. Governments need to show that multilateralism still works for people and the planet, not the profits of a greedy few.”

    Nichanan Thantanwit, Project Leader, Ocean Justice Project said: “Coastal and Indigenous communities, including small-scale fishers, have protected the ocean for generations. Now they are being pushed aside by industries driving ecological collapse and human rights violations. 

    “As the UN Ocean Conference ends, governments must recognise small-scale fishers and Indigenous Peoples as rights-holders, secure their access and role in marine governance, and stop destructive practices such as bottom trawling and harmful aquaculture. There is no ocean protection without the people who have protected it all along.”

    The anticipated Nice Ocean Action Plan, which consists of a political declaration and a series of voluntary commitments, will be announced later today at the end of the conference. None will be legally binding, so governments need to act strongly during the next ISA meeting in July and at plastic treaty negotiations in August. 

    ENDS

    Photos and Video available in the Greenpeace Media Library.

    Contacts:

    James Hanson, Head of Communications, Greenpeace Protect the Oceans campaign, +44 7801 212 994, [email protected] 

    Magali Rubino, Global Media Lead, Greenpeace Protect the Oceans campaign, +33 7 78 41 78 78, [email protected] 

    Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

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  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Oceans British actors, authors, musicians and environmentalists urge UK government to ‘stop failing the ocean’ Photos of some of the signatories available here Some of the UK’s best-loved stars have joined a call on the UK government to stop failing the ocean and sign the… by Alexandra Sedgwick June 11, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    • Photos of some of the signatories available here

    Some of the UK’s best-loved stars have joined a call on the UK government to stop failing the ocean and sign the Global Ocean Treaty into law, as the pivotal UN Ocean Conference is taking place in Nice this week. 18 more states ratified the Treaty yesterday, bringing the total so far to 49, but embarrassingly there is no sign of action from the UK government. 

    Household names and longtime ocean, climate and nature ambassadors Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, Bonnie Wright (who was in Nice for the summit), Dan Smith, Cel Spellman, Meera Sodha and Mya-Rose Craig are together appealing to the Foreign Secretary David Lammy to urgently sign the Global Ocean Treaty (also known as the High Seas Treaty) into UK law. Prime Minister Keir Starmer must support the legislation being brought to parliament before the summit ends on Friday.

    Their joint statement said: 

    “All life on earth depends on healthy oceans, yet they are under threat like never before. I urge the Foreign Secretary David Lammy to protect the oceans by rapidly passing the Global Ocean Treaty into UK law. It’s high time the UK got onboard. The Treaty is our best chance to achieve protection of 30% of the ocean by 2030, which scientists agree is essential for marine life to survive and thrive. The UK has turned up empty handed to a pivotal UN Ocean Conference where countries are committing to ocean protection right now. The UK must stop failing the ocean and swiftly join the 49 states that have already ratified. David Lammy has to ensure the Treaty legislation is tabled by the end of this vital conference.”

    After a flurry of ratifications on day one of the UN Global Ocean Conference, 49 states (plus the European Union) have now signed the Treaty into law, including 14 EU countries, but the UK is notably absent from this list[1][2]. A total of at least 60 states is required to bring the Treaty into force, and this threshold could be reached as soon as this week, but so far there’s no sign the UK will be included in the leading pack of countries. 

    The UN Ocean Conference (9-13 June) is the most significant political moment about the ocean since the agreement of the Global Ocean Treaty by the UN in 2023. Dozens of Heads of State are attending, according to the organisers. This level of attendance, and the diplomatic efforts of the organisers, provide an opportunity to set a high level of ambition for global ocean protection for the coming years. Ahead of the conference the UK government announced a package of domestic ocean protection measures but international action is also urgently needed to deliver on the commitment to protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030.

    Chris Thorne, Greenpeace UK senior oceans campaigner, said:

    “The UK government wants to be a leader on climate and nature, but 49 countries have beaten them to it on ocean protection. This vital international agreement could soon enter into force and begin delivering protection at sea on a scale we’ve never seen before. We’re tantalisingly close to a huge moment for the planet and the UK government could have pushed us closer. Embarrassingly, despite having had 20 months to do it, it hasn’t even begun the parliamentary process to sign the Treaty into UK law. 

    “All life on Earth depends on the ocean. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy must stop failing it, and bring legislation to parliament before the summit concludes on Friday. The government must also loudly support calls for a global moratorium on deep sea mining. Global ocean protection cannot wait, and Starmer’s government shouldn’t either. This historic Treaty can help to protect a third of our blue planet from threats like industrial fishing, which devastates marine life. The UK needs to get onboard.”

    Actress Emma Thompson in Svalbard, Norway as part of a Greenpeace campaign. © Nick Cobbing / Greenpeace

    Mya-Rose Craig, ornithologist, writer, environmentalist and activist, said: 

    “We stand at a crossroads. In my lifetime, I’ll either witness the devastation of marine life and the decimation of coastal communities – or I’ll see a world where the oceans are properly protected, with thriving ecosystems, wildlife and people. Healthy oceans are also fundamental to tackling the climate crisis. I sailed to the Arctic with Greenpeace a few years ago, where I saw the Arctic sea ice shrinking. Each year, the sea ice retreats even further. But this is just one threat – destructive fishing, shipping, oil drilling and deep sea mining all pose a risk. Time is fast running out for governments to protect the oceans and the UK needs to deliver on its promises right now. Foreign Secretary David Lammy must ratify the Global Ocean Treaty immediately. It is the only tool that can help protect 30% of the oceans by 2030.”

    Cel Spellman, actor, writer and presenter, said: 

    “The health and balance of our bountiful oceans are at a critical tipping point. What happens at the UN Ocean Conference will define the future of our oceans; for the plant & wildlife species that call them home, for the communities that rely on them, and for the future of our precious planet. There is no other option than ensuring 30% of our oceans are protected, it’s as simple as that. Nothing less will suffice. The warning signs are there, the science is clear. If you want to understand why this is the case and how we’ve got in this mess, I implore you to watch or read Ocean with David Attenborough.”

    Dan Smith, Bastille playing guitar on board the Arctic Sunrise. © Tavish Campbell / Greenpeace

    Greenpeace UK is calling on the UK government to:

    • Prioritise ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty 
    • Speak out in favour of a global moratorium on deep sea mining and use diplomatic influence to build support for this and the multilateral system
    • Implement a full ban on all forms of destructive fishing, including bottom trawling, in all UK marine protected areas
    • Work with the UK Overseas Territory of Bermuda and other nations to champion one of the world’s first high seas sanctuaries in the Sargasso Sea. This stunning ecosystem supports a plethora of iconic wildlife including humpback whales, sharks, dolphins and sea turtles

    ENDS

    Photos of some of the signatories are available in the Greenpeace Media Library here

    Contact: Alex Sedgwick, Greenpeace UK press officer, alexandra.sedgwick@greenpeace.org, 07739 963301. 

    Notes for editors: 

    1. Palau, Chile, Belize, Seychelles, Monaco, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Cuba, Maldives, Singapore, Bangladesh, Barbados, Timor Leste, Panama, St. Lucia, Spain, France, Malawi, Antigua and Barbuda, Marshall Islands, Republic of Korea, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal, Slovenia, Dominica, Norway, Romania, Albania, Bahamas, Belgium, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Denmark, Fiji, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Malta, Mauritania, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam.
    2. The European Union has also ratified the Treaty, in its capacity as an ‘enhanced observer’ at the UN.However, EU ratification does not count towards the total of 60 ratifications by UN member states required for the Treaty to enter into force.

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  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Nigeria: Pardon for executed Ogoni Nine activists ‘falls far short’ of real justice

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to the announcement on Wednesday that the Nigerian government has pardoned the Ogoni Nine, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria’s Director, said:

    “This is welcome news but it falls far short of the justice the Ogoni Nine need and deserve – the Nigerian government must recognise formally that they are innocent of any crime and fully exonerate them.

    “The Ogoni Nine, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa, Nigeria’s leading author and campaigner, were brutally executed by a regime that wanted to hide the crimes of Shell and other oil companies that were destroying – and continue to destroy – the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people across the Niger Delta as a result of their devastating oil spills and leaks. 

    “The execution of these activists nearly 30 years ago has given the Nigerian government and oil companies, including Shell, licence to crackdown on protests and intimidate people in the Niger Delta who have been demanding justice and an end to their toxic pollution.

    “Full justice for the Ogoni Nine is only a first step – much more needs to be done to get justice for communities in the Niger Delta, including holding Shell and other oil companies to account for the damage they have done and continue to do. They must pay the Niger Delta’s communities full compensation for the devastation their oil spills and leaks have caused and clean up their toxic mess before they leave the region.”

    The Ogoni Nine

    Ken Saro-Wiwa, environmental activist and writer, Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Felix Nuate, Paul Levula, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo and Daniel Gbokoo, were executed after a blatantly unfair trial on 10 November 1995. Officially accused of involvement in murder, the men had in fact been put on trial because they had challenged the devastating impact of oil production by Shell, in the Ogoniland region of the Niger Delta. Shell has been accused of complicity in the unlawful arrest, detention and execution of the nine men.

    Niger Delta devastation

    For 60 years Shell and other oil companies have been responsible for oil spills and leaks due to poorly maintained pipelines, wells and inadequate clean-up attempts that have ravaged the health and livelihoods of many of the 30 million people living in the Niger Delta – most of whom live in poverty. People can’t fish anymore because their water sources, including their wells for drinking water, are poisoned and the land is contaminated which has killed plant life, meaning communities can no longer farm. 

    The Ogale and Bille communities as well as the Bodo community are taking Shell to the UK’s Royal Courts of Justice demanding the oil giant cleans up the oil spills that have wrecked their livelihoods, health and caused widespread devastation to the local environment.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Nigeria: Ogoni Nine pardon ‘falls far short’ of real justice  

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to the announcement on Wednesday that the Nigerian government has pardoned the Ogoni Nine, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International Nigeria’s Director, said: 

    “This is welcome news but it falls far short of the justice the Ogoni Nine need and deserve – the Nigerian government must recognise formally that they are innocent of any crime and fully exonerate them. 

    “The Ogoni Nine, led by Ken Saro-Wiwa Nigeria’s leading author and campaigner, were brutally executed by a regime that wanted to hide the crimes of Shell and other oil companies that were destroying – and continue to destroy – the lives and livelihoods of tens of thousands of people across the Niger Delta as a result of their devastating oil spills and leaks.  

    “The execution of these activists nearly 30 years ago has given the Nigerian government and oil companies, including Shell, licence to crackdown on protests and intimidate people in the Niger Delta who have been demanding justice and an end to their toxic pollution. 

    “Full justice for the Ogoni Nine is only a first step – much more needs to be done to get justice for communities in the Niger Delta, including holding Shell and other oil companies to account for the damage they have done and continue to do. They must pay the Niger Delta’s communities full compensation for the devastation their oil spills and leaks have caused and clean up their toxic mess before they leave the region.” 

    Background 

    The Ogoni Nine 

    Ken Saro-Wiwa, environmental activist and writer, Barinem Kiobel, John Kpuinen, Baribor Bera, Felix Nuate, Paul Levula, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo and Daniel Gbokoo, were executed after a blatantly unfair trial on 10 November 1995. Officially accused of involvement in murder, the men had in fact been put on trial because they had challenged the devastating impact of oil production by Shell, in the Ogoniland region of the Niger Delta. 

    Shell have been accused of complicity in the unlawful arrest, detention and execution of nine men. 

    Niger Delta devastation 

    For 60 years Shell and other oil companies have been responsible for oil spills and leaks due to poorly maintained pipelines, wells and inadequate clean-up attempts that have ravaged the health and livelihoods of many of the 30 million people living in the Niger Delta – most of whom live in poverty. People can’t fish anymore because their water sources, including their wells for drinking water, are poisoned and the land is contaminated which has killed plant life, meaning communities can no longer farm. 

    The Ogale and Bille communities as well as the Bodo community are taking Shell to the UK’s Royal Courts of Justice demanding the oil giant cleans up the oil spills that have wrecked their livelihoods, health and caused widespread devastation to the local environment. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Italy: New case of journalist targeted with Graphite spyware confirms widespread use of unlawful surveillance   

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to the publication of a Citizen Lab report identifying Italian journalist Ciro Pellegrino and another who has chosen to remain anonymous, as the latest targets of Paragon’s spyware in Europe, Elina Castillo Jiménez, Advocacy and Policy Advisor on targeted surveillance at Amnesty International, said: 

    “The discovery that Paragon’s highly invasive Graphite spyware has been unlawfully used against yet another journalist in Italy, Ciro Pellegrino – adding to a list of other targets – confirms the rampant widening and systemic pattern of spyware abuse  in Italy, and elsewhere in Europe.   

    “While the recent Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic (COPASIR) report confirms that Italy’s intelligence services used highly-invasive Graphite spyware to target activists, it sought to justify the use on national security grounds. It also denied the targeting of journalist Francesco Cancellato. This new finding that another Italian journalist has been targeted with Graphite spyware, raises more questions. 

    “The use of spyware against activists and journalists by Italian authorities and the lack of transparency and cooperation undermine international norms that Italy is bound by and raises serious concerns about its commitment to the Pall Mall Process and its Code of Practice for States, which seeks to stop the abuse of commercial spyware which undermine freedom of expression. 

     “We urge Italian authorities to fully disclose the details of these targeting operations and to facilitate pathways for reparation to the victims. When governments fail to respond adequately to credible allegations of surveillance abuse, they send a dangerous message that impunity is the norm” 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Opera, ice cream, activism – daughter of jailed Uyghur scholar shares Father’s Day memories

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Jewher Ilham will not see her father, the Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, this Father’s Day. In fact, she has not seen him since 2013, when he was detained by the Chinese authorities and later sentenced to life in prison on baseless charges of “separatism”. Here Jewher, who has campaigned tirelessly for her father’s release and against repression of Uyghurs in their homeland in western China, recalls some of her fondest memories of him.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: Actor and Director, Maisie Richardson-Sellers becomes Amnesty International UK Ambassador

    Source: Amnesty International –

    ‘I grew up witnessing the impact of Amnesty’s crucial work. It is a true honour to be joining forces in raising awareness and pushing for the protection and implementation of human rights’ – Maisie Richardson-Sellers 

    Amnesty International UK is delighted to announce actor-director Maisie Richardson-Sellers as its newest Ambassador.  

    The actor is a long-standing supporter of Amnesty UK and an outspoken advocate for gender and racial justice. She has worked closely with Amnesty supporting a number of campaigns, particularly highlighting gender justice and the plight of refugees in the UK.  

    Maisie uses her platform to advocate for marginalised communities, and is a passionate advocate for the power of interlacing art and activism. She is the founder of ‘Barefaced Productions’, a production company that seeks to tell the stories of and provide a platform for marginalised voices through both fiction and documentary filmmaking. Maisie also pushes for increased representation behind the camera, in writing rooms, and at every stage of the creative process. 

    She has appeared in a number of leading films and TV programmes including the currently airing season 2 of “Nine Perfect Strangers”, the upcoming new series “Talamasca”, as wel as BBC’s “Wolf Hall” season 2, Channel 4’s “The Undeclared War’, Netflix’s “The Kissing Booth 2+3”, The CW’s “The Originals”, the CW’s  “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. Her theatrical directorial debut was “for coloured girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow was enuf”, and her screen debut was, “Sunday’s Child” which follows a young queer woman of colour on her journey to self-acceptance. The film’s creative team and crew was deliberately led by women of colour in order to reflect the story being told. 

    Holly Parker-Monks, Amnesty International UK’s Artists and Ambassadors Manager, said: 

    “It’s fantastic having Maisie represent Amnesty as an Ambassador – her passion for social justice, her life-long support and determination to use her profile to help improve the rights of people wherever they are, from gender justice to people seeking asylum in the UK is invaluable.   

    “We look forward to an exciting future of having Maisie at the forefront of some of our key campaigns” 

    Maisie Richardson-Sellers said: 

    “My family have supported Amnesty since I was a child, and I grew up witnessing the impact of Amnesty’s crucial work. It is a true honour to be joining forces in raising awareness and pushing for the protection and implementation of human rights and policy. The current genocide being committed in Gaza shines a horrifying spotlight on just how necessary this work is. I am committed to supporting Amnesty in the fight for racial justice, migrant rights, women’s rights LGBTQAI+ equality and beyond. Every single voice makes a difference, it’s time to unite and demand lasting change.” 

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  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Satellite imagery reveals total razing of Khuza’a in May 2025 in further evidence of Israel’s wanton destruction and genocide in Gaza

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty International’s analysis of satellite imagery and verification of video footage reveals how Israeli forces completely razed what remained of the town of Khuza’a in the southern occupied Gaza Strip over the course of two weeks in May 2025.  

    The analysis underscores the urgent need to investigate the Israeli military for the war crimes of wanton destruction and collective punishment. It also provides fresh evidence of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.  

    The findings of this research indicate a pattern of deliberate destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure, including some of Gaza’s most fertile agricultural land, undertaken by Israel as part of a calculated plan to impose on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life designed to bring about their physical destruction, in whole or in part. Amnesty International’s previous research uncovered a pattern of Israeli destruction of civilian areas between December 2023 and May 2024 without imperative military necessity during efforts to expand a “buffer zone” along the eastern perimeter of Gaza.   

    The latest images from May 2025 illustrate how Khuza’a, a town in the Khan Younis governorate, once home to approximately 11,000 Palestinians, has been entirely reduced to rubble in less than two weeks after a significant part of the town had already been destroyed in 2024. This evidence strongly suggests Israel is continuing its pattern of destroying civilian areas in the absence of imperative military necessity, given that the methodical destruction went significantly beyond tactical engagements. While some destruction may be attributed to shelling, air strikes or fighting during combat, much of the destruction appears to have been deliberately and methodically carried out outside active combat. 

    The annihilation of Khuza’a is a chilling testament to Israel’s ongoing campaign of systematic destruction in Gaza, transforming entire towns into desolate landscapes of dust and rubble.

    Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International.

    “The annihilation of Khuza’a is a chilling testament to Israel’s ongoing campaign of systematic destruction in Gaza, transforming entire towns into desolate landscapes of dust and rubble,” said Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International.  

    “The scale of this destruction far exceeds any conceivable military necessity and points to a deliberate campaign by Israeli forces to render the area uninhabitable.” 

    The destruction of some of Gaza’s most fertile agricultural land, including land essential to the production of food, must be seen in the context of Israel’s use of starvation as a method of warfare. For 77 days beginning on 2 March 2025, Israeli authorities completely blocked the entry of food and other supplies essential to the survival of the civilian population. While it has recently allowed a trickle of aid in, the militarization of aid distribution has made access to food both extremely deadly and dehumanizing. Coupled with mass displacement and systematic destruction or denial of access to sources of food production, Israel has engineered an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, which is part and parcel of the genocidal conditions of life it has imposed in Gaza. 

    A town erased: May 2025 timeline of destruction  

    The extent of destruction in Khuza’a unfolded rapidly throughout May 2025. Between 14 and 15 May Palestinian media reported Israeli air strikes and artillery shelling in the area, likely in preparation for the deployment of ground troops.  By 17 May, satellite imagery analyzed by Amnesty International’s Evidence Lab showed new heavy vehicle tracks crossing from Israel directly into Khuza’a . It was also on 17 May that the Israeli military announced the launch of operation “Gideon’s Chariots,” signalling an expansion of its offensive in the occupied Gaza Strip. While Palestinian media reported that Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters targeted an Israeli tank in Khuza’a with an RPG on 20 May, the scale of subsequent destruction indicates far more than tactical engagement.  

    Further visual evidence of the devastation emerged swiftly. By 27 May, drone footage circulated on social media and verified by Amnesty International, provided undeniable, detailed visual evidence that large sections of Khuza’a had been completely reduced to rubble over the preceding days. A video posted on social media and verified by Amnesty International showed three unarmoured excavators bringing down what was left of a building in Khuza’a, suggesting that there was no major perceived threat to the soldiers operating them and that this was not a combat zone.  

    In a statement on 25 May Israeli military commander Lt. Col Dor Yoetz declared in a letter to troops they had set out to “eliminate the terrorist nest known as Khirbat Ikhza’a [ a different name used in Hebrew to refer to Khuza’a]”. He said that within a few days they defeated their enemy, and that “Khirbat Ikhza’a no longer exists”.  

    The dire reality was confirmed by the municipality of Khuza’a itself on 31 May, which released a statement on its Facebook page asserting that “the amount of destruction in the town exceeds all estimates, putting the town entirely out of service.” This recent devastation follows earlier reports from the municipality in February 2025, stating that much of the town had already been destroyed. An Israeli displacement order issued in mid-March, forced residents to abandon what little remained. This displacement order was particularly devastating for residents who had attempted to rebuild their lives in Khuza’a and rehabilitate their homes and lands following widespread destruction in late 2023 and early 2024. 

    Mohammed Hamdan Qudaih, a 66-year-old farmer and resident of Khuza’a displaced multiple times, described to Amnesty International how his family’s farmland, once their entire livelihood, and their three-story home were destroyed. He said his four children all work with him on the land where they would plant tomatoes, peppers and molokhiya. They were first displaced in December 2023.  

    “When we returned to Khuza’a in June 2024, most of our crops had been destroyed and most of the land was destroyed, so we started rehabilitating it and repairing the greenhouses,” he said, but he and his family were again forced to flee on 18 March 2025.  

    “Displacement is worse than death, believe me,” he added. “I’ve heard that they [Israeli forces] razed the land, but I refuse to believe that my greenhouses are gone… now I just want to return to see what happened to my land and we just want to go back.” 

    Satellite imagery analyzed by Amnesty International shows the area around where Mohammed Hamdan Qudaih’s home and greenhouses were located was destroyed over the course of a week from 18 to 23 May 2025.   

    A pattern of wanton destruction and collective punishment 

    The recent razing of what had remained of Khuza’a is not an isolated incident but rather a continuation of a systematic and unlawful pattern of destruction by the Israeli military in Gaza.  

    Amnesty International’s previous research analyzed satellite imagery and social media videos between October 2023 and May 2024 and identified newly cleared land along Gaza’s eastern perimeter with Israel, ranging from approximately 1km to 1.8km wide. Over 90% of buildings within this area—more than 3,500 structures—appeared destroyed or severely damaged, and over 20km² of agricultural land showed a significant decline in health and density of crops according to data acquired from UNOSAT 

    In many documented cases, including the initial waves of destruction in Khuza’a itself from late 2023, the destruction occurred after Israeli forces had taken operational control of the areas, meaning they were not a direct result of ongoing combat. The presence of unarmored excavators in May 2025 suggests this was also the case with the recent razing of Khuza’a.  

    While Israel claims such destruction is being carried out for security purposes, they must abide by international humanitarian law. The “imperative military necessity” exception for property destruction is narrowly defined and not applicable to the wholesale razing of civilian areas, especially when alternative measures exist and when the destruction is disproportionate to any legitimate military purpose.  

    “The international community must not stand by while Israel is systematically dismantling essential civilian infrastructure, destroying agricultural land and collectively punishing Palestinians in Gaza,” said Erika Guevara Rosas.  

    This is genocide and it must end now.

    Erika Guevara Rosas.

    “The effective erasure of Khuza’a in May 2025 demands an independent and impartial investigation. This blatant act of wanton destruction, coupled with the ongoing pattern of razing civilian areas across Gaza, represents not only Israel’s brazen disregard for international law and the fundamental rights of Palestinians, but also its calculated plan to transform Gaza into a wasteland, destroy its social fabric and continue inflicting on Palestinians conditions that would lead to their physical destruction. This is genocide and it must end now.” 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/OPT: Fresh evidence of genocide – satellite imagery reveals total razing of Khuza’a in southern Gaza

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Home to 11,000 Palestinians, Khuza’a has been entirely reduced to rubble

    Evidence suggests the destruction exceeds military necessity and indicates a deliberate campaign by Israeli forces to render the area uninhabitable

    ‘Displacement is worse than death, believe me’ – Mohammed Hamdan Qudaih, repeatedly displaced farmer from Khuza’a

    ‘[This is] a calculated plan to turn Gaza into a wasteland, destroy its social fabric and impose conditions aimed at the physical destruction of Palestinians’ – Erika Guevara Rosas

    Amnesty International’s analysis of satellite imagery and verification of video footage reveals how Israeli forces completely razed what remained of the town of Khuza’a in the southern occupied Gaza Strip over the course of two weeks in May 2025.

    The analysis underscores the urgent need to investigate the Israeli military for the war crimes of wanton destruction and collective punishment. It also provides fresh evidence of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.

    The findings of this research indicate a pattern of deliberate destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure, including some of Gaza’s most fertile agricultural land, undertaken by Israel as part of a calculated plan to impose on Palestinians in Gaza conditions of life designed to bring about their physical destruction, in whole or in part. Amnesty’s previous research uncovered a pattern of Israeli destruction of civilian areas between December 2023 and May 2024 that didn’t have a military imperative during efforts to expand a “buffer zone” along the eastern perimeter of Gaza. 

    The latest images from May illustrate how Khuza’a, a town in the Khan Younis governorate, once home to approximately 11,000 Palestinians, has been entirely reduced to rubble in less than two weeks after a significant part of the town had already been destroyed in 2024. This evidence strongly suggests Israel is continuing its pattern of destroying civilian areas in the absence of imperative military necessity, given that the methodical destruction went significantly beyond tactical engagements. While some destruction may be attributed to shelling, air strikes or fighting during combat, much of the destruction appears to have been deliberately and methodically carried out outside active combat.

    Erika Guevara Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, said:

    “The annihilation of Khuza’a is a chilling testament to Israel’s ongoing campaign of systematic destruction in Gaza, transforming entire towns into desolate landscapes of dust and rubble.

    “The scale of this destruction far exceeds any conceivable military necessity and points to a deliberate campaign by Israeli forces to render the area uninhabitable.

    “The international community must not stand by while Israel is systematically dismantling essential civilian infrastructure, destroying agricultural land and collectively punishing Palestinians in Gaza.

    “The effective erasure of Khuza’a demands an independent and impartial investigation. This blatant act of wanton destruction, coupled with the ongoing pattern of razing civilian areas across Gaza, represents not only Israel’s brazen disregard for international law and Palestinians rights, but also a calculated plan to turn Gaza into a wasteland, destroy its social fabric and impose conditions aimed at the physical destruction of Palestinians. This is genocide and it must end now.”

    The destruction of some of Gaza’s most fertile agricultural land, including land essential to the production of food, must be seen in the context of Israel’s use of starvation as a method of warfare. For 77 days beginning on 2 March this year, Israeli authorities completely blocked the entry of food and other supplies essential to the survival of the civilian population. While it has recently allowed a trickle of aid in, the militarisation of aid distribution has made access to food both extremely deadly and dehumanising. Coupled with mass displacement and systematic destruction or denial of access to sources of food production, Israel has engineered an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, which is part and parcel of the genocidal conditions of life it has imposed in Gaza.

    A town erased: Timeline of destruction

    The extent of destruction in Khuza’a unfolded rapidly throughout May. Between 14 and 15 May, Palestinian media reported Israeli air strikes and artillery shelling in the area, likely in preparation for the deployment of ground troops.  By 17 May, satellite imagery analysed by Amnesty’s Evidence Lab showed new heavy vehicle tracks crossing from Israel directly into Khuza’a. It was also on 17 May that the Israeli military announced the launch of operation “Gideon’s Chariots“, signalling an expansion of its offensive in the occupied Gaza Strip. While Palestinian media reported that Palestinian Islamic Jihad fighters targeted an Israeli tank in Khuza’a with an RPG on 20 May, the scale of subsequent destruction indicates far more than tactical engagement.

    Further visual evidence of the devastation emerged swiftly. By 27 May, drone footage circulated on social media and verified by Amnesty, provided undeniable, detailed visual evidence that large sections of Khuza’a had been completely reduced to rubble over the preceding days. A video posted on social media and verified by Amnesty showed three unarmoured excavators bringing down what was left of a building in Khuza’a, suggesting that there was no major perceived threat to the soldiers operating them and that this was not a combat zone.

    In a statement on 25 May Israeli military commander Lt. Col Dor Yoetz declared in a letter to troops they had set out to “eliminate the terrorist nest known as Khirbat Ikhza’a [a different name used in Hebrew to refer to Khuza’a]”. He said that within a few days they defeated their enemy, and that “Khirbat Ikhza’a no longer exists”.

    The dire reality was confirmed by the municipality of Khuza’a itself on 31 May, which released a statement on its Facebook page asserting that “the amount of destruction in the town exceeds all estimates, putting the town entirely out of service.” This recent devastation follows earlier reports from the municipality in February, stating that much of the town had already been destroyed. An Israeli displacement order issued in mid-March, forced residents to abandon what little remained. This displacement order was particularly devastating for residents who had attempted to rebuild their lives in Khuza’a and rehabilitate their homes and lands following widespread destruction in late 2023 and early 2024.

    Mohammed Hamdan Qudaih, a 66-year-old farmer and resident of Khuza’a displaced multiple times, described to Amnesty how his family’s farmland, once their entire livelihood, and their three-story home were destroyed. He said his four children all worked with him on the land where they would plant tomatoes, peppers and jute. They were first displaced in December 2023.

    “When we returned to Khuza’a in June 2024, most of our crops had been destroyed and most of the land was destroyed, so we started rehabilitating it and repairing the greenhouses,” he said, but he and his family were again forced to flee on 18 March.

    “Displacement is worse than death, believe me,” he added. “I’ve heard that they [Israeli forces] razed the land, but I refuse to believe that my greenhouses are gone… now I just want to return to see what happened to my land and we just want to go back.”

    Satellite imagery analysed by Amnesty shows the area around where Mohammed Hamdan Qudaih’s home and greenhouses were located was destroyed over the course of a week from 18 to 23 May. 

    A pattern of wanton destruction and collective punishment

    The recent razing of what had remained of Khuza’a is not an isolated incident but rather a continuation of a systematic and unlawful pattern of destruction by the Israeli military in Gaza.

    Amnesty’s previous research analysed satellite imagery and social media videos between October 2023 and May 2024 and identified newly cleared land along Gaza’s eastern perimeter with Israel, ranging from approximately 1km to 1.8km wide. Over 90% of buildings within this area – more than 3,500 structures – appeared destroyed or severely damaged, and over 20km² of agricultural land showed a significant decline in health and density of crops according to data acquired from UNOSAT.

    In many documented cases, including the initial waves of destruction in Khuza’a itself from late 2023, the destruction occurred after Israeli forces had taken operational control of the areas, meaning they were not a direct result of ongoing combat. The presence of unarmored excavators in May suggests this was also the case with the recent razing of Khuza’a.

    While Israel claims such destruction is being carried out for security purposes, they must abide by international humanitarian law. The “imperative military necessity” exception for property destruction is narrowly defined and not applicable to the wholesale razing of civilian areas, especially when alternative measures exist and when the destruction is disproportionate to any legitimate military purpose.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Delhi’s Informal Workers Join Hands with IMD to Strengthen Heatwave Warning Services. 

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    In a landmark initiative aimed at making weather forecasting more inclusive and accessible, vendor networks across Delhi and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and collaborative joined hands to ensure heatwave warnings effectively reach to the community. As a part of this collaboration, IMD’s daily weather forecasts and heat wave alerts are being simplified and translated into easy-tounderstand local languages. These messages are now being shared through community WhatsApp groups and being prominently displayed at vending carts, labour chowks, and waste segregation points through posters and handwritten notices across the city. 

    Spearheaded by Greenpeace India in collaboration with various informal workers’ associations and the IMD, the initiative places informal worker collectives, who are among the most affected by extreme heat, at the heart of climate resilience efforts. The aim is to develop a grassroots early warning system by leveraging the trust and reach of street vendors, gig workers, and daily wage labourers as frontline communicators of weather alerts. 

    For the first time, communities at high risk of heatwave impacts are playing a lead role in the dissemination of IMD’s heatwave alerts, ensuring early action where it is needed most. IMD is supporting the effort by co-creating simplified, user-friendly heatwave warnings in Hindi in partnership with community members, ensuring the forecasts are not only understood but are also actionable. This people-centric model empowers communities to adapt the alerts into localised formats, turning everyday workers into climate messengers. It marks a significant step toward realizing the vision of “early warning for all” by making IMD’s advisories more relevant and impactful on the ground. 

    In this context, a multi-stakeholder workshop was organised jointly by IMD, Greenpeace India and informal worker associations. The workshop brought together street vendors, outdoor and informal workers, to promote a holistic approach to heatwave preparedness. It focused on raising awareness of the health risks posed by extreme weather—especially heatwaves—and explored ways to integrate early warning systems and health advisories into the daily routines of informal workers. 

    This workshop & collaboration go beyond mere weather information dissemination—it represents a vital step toward building local resilience and empowering communities to act on early warnings. It underscores that extreme heat requires a coordinated and systemic response whereby the peoplepowered actions are not only possible but also essential for effective, efficient and actionable early warning services for all. 

    “This collaboration is not just about sharing information—it’s about building local resilience and enabling communities to act on that information. It is a call to recognise extreme heat as a national disaster demanding urgent, systemic response. With rising deaths and hospitalisations, we  need community-led early warning systems to prevent and prepare for adverse impacts and also robust public infrastructure, health services to respond effectively to the crisis. The Delhi Rising campaign shows that people-powered action is not only possible, but it’s perhaps the most essential,” said Amruta Greenpeace India representative.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Northern Ireland: Racist violence fuelled by disinformation and irresponsible political rhetoric

    Source: Amnesty International –

    In response to the continued racist and violent disorder spreading across Northern Ireland, Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Director, said:

    “We are in the midst of a racist pogrom. Families have already lost their homes, and lives may soon be lost unless this violence ends now. We are only a petrol bomb away from someone being killed.

    “This violence is being fuelled by racist hatred – stoked by disinformation on social media and amplified by politicians who irresponsibly conflate immigration with crime and social issues which affect all communities.

    “We need politicians to speak truthfully about immigration, not echo vague concerns from the streets or false claims on social media that profit off lies.

    “According to the 2021 census, only 3.4% people in Northern Ireland are from minority ethnic backgrounds. That means 96.6% are not. We remain the whitest and least diverse part of the UK and Ireland.

    “While immigration has gradually increased over the last decade, crime rates have fallen – except for racially motivated hate crime, which is now higher than sectarian hate crime. People from immigrant and minoritised communities are far more likely to be victims of hate crime than anyone else.

    “Recent research from the Northern Ireland Assembly highlights migrant workers are vital in sustaining essential public services, including hospitals and community care. We must do more to protect their rights to live free from harassment and violence – we should recognise, thank, and celebrate them for their contributions to and enrichment of our communities.”

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