The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has risen to 37,718, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.
During the past 24 hours, the Israeli military killed 60 people and wounded 140 others, bringing the total death toll to 37,718 and injuries to 86,377 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out in early October 2023, it added.
The entire Gaza Strip is at high risk of famine, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned on Wednesday.
The alarm was raised as a new report has shown that almost the entire population is facing "acute food insecurity, with 1 in 5 Gazans being on the verge of famine," FAO stated.
Around 459,000 people in Gaza, or 22 percent of the population, are in a state of "catastrophic food insecurity," while almost the entire population (96 percent) is facing "crisis levels of acute food insecurity or higher," according to the paper published by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Global Initiative.
The situation is a result of the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict and current restrictions on humanitarian convoys into Gaza.
Meanwhile, the conflict in Gaza has had a devastating impact on the education system. Schools have been damaged or destroyed, and many teachers and students have been killed or displaced.
As of June 17, the conflict had resulted in the destruction of 110 schools and universities, with 321 schools and universities partially damaged. The war has claimed the lives of over 10,000 students, according to the Hamas-run media office in Gaza.
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 37,718: health authorities
Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 37,718: health authorities
The 54th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) was held in Asuncion, Paraguay from Wednesday to Friday, with a focus on integration and security for the sustainable regional development.
Attending the assembly were representatives from OAS member states, 74 permanent observers and some civil society organizations.
Under the theme of "Integration and Security for the Sustainable Development of the Region," the delegations expressed their pleas for peace, democracy, equality and multilateral work among countries.
Hours before the opening ceremony in Asuncion, the situation in Bolivia, a neighboring country to Paraguay, was top on the agenda.
According to the Bolivian government, Gen. Juan Jose Zuniga on Wednesday led the attempted coup in Palacio Quemado, the government palace, which is located in Murillo Square in the city of La Paz, in a failed bid to oust President Luis Arce from office.
"We do have a very deep concern about the indigenous people in Bolivia, and hopefully this coup d'etat that didn't happen, that things go smoothly," said Clement Chartier, former president of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples.
The assembly also dedicated its statements to the improvement of democracy in Haiti and also to the promotion of human rights throughout the continent. A resolution was approved for continued efforts toward the immediate restoration of security, and the strengthening of humanitarian aid in Haiti.
Haiti has long suffered serious political and social crises, especially after then President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in 2021. There are around 200 armed gangs in the country disturbing the social order. The rise of armed gangs, the surge of violence incidents and the increase of lynching cases have forced Haitians to live in humanitarian disasters in terms of safety, health care and food supplies.
54th OAS General Assembly held in Asuncion, with focus on regional security
54th OAS General Assembly held in Asuncion, with focus on regional security
