Gaza, Peru, physical exercise, drug use… Wednesday’s news

Heavy shelling reported in refugee camps in central Gaza

Attacks by Israeli forces continue, with air, land and sea bombardments throughout the Gaza Strip, said the Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) this Wednesday. Airstrikes were especially intense in central Gaza, especially in the Bureij, Maghazi and Nuseirat refugee camps and in eastern Deir Al Balah.

The ground offensive by Israeli forces continues to increase, especially in the southern regions of Gaza City and eastern Rafah, aggravating the humanitarian crisis and considerably destabilizes humanitarian aid flows.

In this regard, the agency noted that, between June 1 and 23, 42 coordinated humanitarian assistance missions planned in northern Gaza were facilitated by Israeli authorities, while the remaining 44 were denied access, They were prevented or canceled for logistical, operational or security reasons.

For its part, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

https://twitter.com/ochaopt/status/1805922024142832019 this Wednesday new demolitions in five West Bank towns.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, as of June 24, at least 37,626 Palestinians have been reported dead in the Strip since October 7.

The Committee against Forced Disappearances asks Peru to make its laws comply with international law

The UN Committee against Forced Disappearances* warned this Wednesday that the bill presented to the Peruvian Congress that establishes the statute of limitations for crimes against humanity or war crimes contravenes international standards.

Furthermore, it risks undoing the progress made to combat impunity for enforced disappearances and guarantee access to justice, truth and reparation for victims, the Committee noted.

For this reason, he asked the country that all the regulations approved by Congress comply with international human rights law.

“The approval of bill 6951/2023-CR would constitute a clear violation of the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances, ratified by Peru on September 26, 2012,” added the Committee, which also stressed the importance of that the State guarantee that no act of forced disappearance goes unpunished.

One third of the world’s adults are at risk of disease from not doing enough physical activity

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned this Wednesday that almost a third (31%) of adults worldwide, approximately 1.8 billion people, did not reach recommended levels of physical activity in 2022.

The latest data points to a worrying trend of physical inactivity among adults, which has increased by about 5 percentage points between 2010 and 2022.

If the trend continues, the agency expects inactivity levels to continue rising to reach 35% in 2030.

The agency recommends that adults perform about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes of intense physical activity per week.

According to the data collected, physical inactivity remains more common among women than men worldwide, with inactivity rates of 34% versus 29%. In addition, people over 60 are less active than other adults, underlining the importance of promoting physical activity among older people.

Inactivity puts adults at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and cancers such as breast and colon.

Cocaine production grew by 20% in 2022

A record 2,757 tons of cocaine were produced in 2022, an increase of 20% compared to 2021, according to the latest World Drug Report 2024.

Prepared by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the document reveals that the increase in the supply and demand for cocaine has coincided with a increase in violence in states along the supply chainespecially in Ecuador and the Caribbean countries.

“Drug production, trafficking and consumption continue to exacerbate instability and inequality, while causing incalculable damage to people’s health, safety and well-being,” declared the agency’s executive director.

Ghada Waly added that there is a need to provide evidence-based treatment and support to all people affected by drug use and invest much more in prevention.

Regarding the number of people who consume drugs, it has increased to reach 292 million in 2022, which represents an increase of 20% in 10 years.

The agency estimates that 64 million people worldwide suffer from drug use disorders, but only one in 11 receives treatment. Furthermore, only one in 18 women with drug use disorders receives treatment, compared to one in seven men.