Afrique

Le navire-citerne Ottoman Sincerity a quitté, le 14 août 2026, le terminal maritime de Sèmè-Kpodji après avoir embarqué une cargaison d'un million de barils de pétrole brut nigérien « Meleck ». Cette opération constitue la première cargaison commercialisée conjointement par la Société nigérienne du pétrole (SONIDEP) et le groupe algérien Sonatrach, dans le cadre de l'accord conclu entre les deux entreprises le 22 juillet 2026.

Le pétrole brut nigérien coule sur les côtes béninoises. Une cargaison d'un million de barils a embarqué le 14 août 2026. Ce chargement selon La Marina, a été effectué sous la supervision d'une mission mixte présente à Cotonou du 9 au 15 août. À l'issue des opérations, Ottoman Sincerity a levé l'ancre avec cette première cargaison destinée aux marchés internationaux.

Sèmè-Kpodji, une infrastructure essentielle pour le pétrole nigérien
Cette opération confirme l'importance stratégique du Bénin dans l'acheminement du pétrole brut nigérien. Enclavé et dépourvu d'accès direct à la mer, le Niger dépend de l'oléoduc transfrontalier de quelque 2 000 kilomètres développé par CNPC/WAPCO pour transporter sa production depuis le bassin pétrolier d'Agadem jusqu'au littoral béninois.

Sur les 2 000 kilomètres de l'infrastructure, environ 675 kilomètres traversent le territoire béninois. Le terminal de Sèmè-Kpodji constitue ainsi le principal point d'évacuation maritime du brut nigérien vers les marchés extérieurs.
Les exportations pétrolières via cette infrastructure se poursuivent malgré la fermeture de la frontière terrestre entre le Bénin et le Niger intervenue en 2023. La continuité de ces opérations illustre le caractère stratégique du corridor pétrolier pour les deux pays.

Une opération aux enjeux économiques et diplomatiques
Le départ de cette cargaison intervient alors que les relations entre Cotonou et Niamey connaissent une phase d'apaisement. Cette dynamique a notamment été marquée par le déplacement du président Romuald Wadagni à Niamey le 2 juin 2026.

Les questions liées au transport du pétrole et à la réouverture de la frontière terrestre demeurent toutefois distinctes. Un comité d'experts bénino-nigérien travaille sur les conditions d'une reprise complète des échanges, mais aucune date officielle n'a encore été annoncée.

Sur le plan économique, le transit du pétrole nigérien constitue une source de revenus pour le Bénin à travers les droits et prestations liés à l'acheminement et à l'exportation du brut. La poursuite des opérations à Sèmè-Kpodji contribue ainsi à renforcer la vocation du pays comme plateforme logistique et énergétique régionale.

L'entrée de Sonatrach dans la commercialisation du brut nigérien pourrait par ailleurs donner une nouvelle dimension à ce corridor pétrolier, en diversifiant les partenaires commerciaux et en renforçant le rôle du terminal béninois dans l'accès du pétrole nigérien aux marchés internationaux.

F. A. A.

BBC Sport Africa revient sur les moments forts de la CAN féminine 2026, où le Cameroun a été sacré champion pour la première fois de son histoire, bien qu'il ne se soit pas qualifié pour la phase finale.

A Zakpo Adagamè, une localité de la commune de Bohicon, dans le département du Zou, le chauffeur d'un camion benne a perdu le contrôle et percuté plusieurs installations électriques de la Société béninoise d'énergie électrique (SBEE) dans la soirée de ce lundi 17 août 2026. Un point de vente de l'essence de contrebande a été également touché, mais l'incendie ne s'est pas déclaré.

Plus de peur que de mal après l'accident d'un camion à Bohicon. Le chauffeur a perdu le contrôle de son véhicule et percuté plusieurs installations électriques dans la soirée de ce lundi 17 août 2026, à Zakpo Adagamè.
Le camion a d'abord traversé le trottoir, avant de percuter un poteau électrique et un autre de haute tension. Un point de vente de l'essence de contrebande a été également touché. Selon le bilan du propriétaire, sept bouteilles de 20 litres d'essence et plusieurs autres bouteilles de petites capacités ont été renversées. Ce qui porte à plus de 150 litres, la perte enregistrée sur son étalage.

Une équipe de la SBEE s'est dépêchée sur les lieux pour examiner les dégâts et rétablir la fourniture de l'énergie électrique.
Aucun blessé ni de perte en vie humaine n'a été enregistré. L'éclatement de deux pneus du véhicule serait à l'origine de l'accident.

F. A. A.

Indigenous Peoples' organisations have called for better support for their meaningful participation at COP 17 and across this year’s Rio Conventions gatherings. Credit: Anastasia Rodopoulou/IISD/ENB

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 18 2026 (IPS)

Indigenous communities have long advocated for the environment through the lens of their traditional knowledge systems and cultures. But much more work needs to be done to translate their presence into influence.

A new report from Nia Tero, an international nonprofit that aims to strengthen Indigenous guardianship over ancestral lands and waters, examines the factors that have limited Indigenous Peoples’ influence in global environmental decision-making.

The report, “Beyond Fragmentation: Advancing Coherence, Equity, and Indigenous Leadership Across the Rio Conventions”, was formally launched at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), or COP17, currently underway in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, during a side event focused on strengthening coherence across the Rio Conventions.

The UNCCD is one of three climate frameworks that emerged from the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It, along with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is one of the landmark global conventions that address environmental crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and desertification in the modern age.

This year, all three conventions will be hosting climate conferences, starting with UNCCD COP17, which makes it an appropriate occasion to launch the report, according to Margarita Mora, Chief Programmes Officer at Nia Tero.

The goal of the report, Mora told Inter Press Service, is to “encourage Parties, UN bodies, and funders to better support Indigenous Peoples’ meaningful participation here and across this year’s Rio Conventions gatherings”.

Margarita Mora, Chief Programmes Officer, Nia Tero. Credit: Nia Tero

“Launching the report at COP17 helps draw greater attention to the UNCCD, which remains the least known of the three Rio Conventions, and starts a conversation we can carry into the climate and biodiversity COPs later this year,” said Minnie Degawan of the Kankanaey-Igorot, an indigenous group from northern Luzon, Philippines, and the Managing Director, FSC Indigenous Foundation.

The report examines Indigenous Peoples’ recognition and participation in the Rio Conventions. Climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation are all interconnected. These all impact lands and territories, which are “central to Indigenous Peoples’ identity, cultures, and ways of life,” Degawan, the report’s author, told Inter Press Service.

Drawing on expert interviews and surveys with participants, the report reveals what it describes as a fragmented response to these issues. While environmental harms are interconnected, they are governed through their frameworks, institutions and funding streams. This siloed approach to the Rio Conventions presents challenges to Indigenous Peoples. Representatives may be expected to attend multiple conferences where they discuss related issues through different institutional structures. Thus, they address topics like safeguards, territorial governance, and traditional knowledge separately.

Minnie Degawan of the Kankanaey-Igorot, an indigenous group from northern Luzon, Philippines, and the Managing Director, FSC Indigenous Foundation. Credit: SC Indigenous Foundation

The recognition of Indigenous Peoples has seen considerable progress since the Rio Conventions were first introduced. Traditional leaders and activists have advocated for the formal acknowledgement of Indigenous rights in these climate frameworks, their efforts spanning decades. The report notes that this recognition is not consistent across the frameworks.

Neither the UNFCCC nor the UNCCD explicitly referenced Indigenous Peoples or their rights in their original texts. However, subsequent decisions, provisions and ongoing advocacy have strengthened the recognition of Indigenous Peoples, their rights and their participation within the two frameworks. On the other hand, the CBD directly references Indigenous and local communities in its original framework, acknowledging their dependence on biological resources in accordance with traditional knowledge that is relevant to biodiversity efforts.

Since then, Indigenous people’s engagement within the Rio Conventions can be measured in a few ways, including a broader recognition of them as stakeholders within these processes, participation in formal and informal conferences, and a recognition of traditional knowledge in addressing environmental challenges.

While the visibility and participation of Indigenous representatives has increased over the years, this does not necessarily translate into meaningful influence when it comes to decision-making processes. The decisions in these frameworks are largely determined by the States, with insufficient input from Indigenous Peoples at these conferences. Indigenous Peoples still attend climate conferences as observers, with limited influence in formal text negotiations. The influence should “[go] beyond having Indigenous Peoples in the room”, Degawan said.

As she elaborates in the report, Indigenous Peoples’ participation in text negotiation is somewhat limited. Most of their involvement in climate conferences takes place in side events or informal dialogues. This is ironic, given that the report was launched at a side event. Structural barriers such as language constraints, accreditation issues, travel and visa issues and insufficient funding only further limit opportunities.

This is also indicative of a wider issue of the cost of participation. Indigenous representatives are expected to attend multiple meetings, which require extensive investments and resources. This is in service to increasing their visibility, but at present it creates a risk of burnout and a concentration of knowledge and expertise among what is a relatively small group of experienced negotiators and technical experts.

All of these factors emphasise the need to improve conditions for Indigenous Peoples to enact meaningful influence in climate discussions. “It means creating the conditions for Indigenous Peoples to actually shape decisions – from setting priorities and contributing to negotiating texts before they are finalised to influencing how commitments are implemented and financed,” Degawan said.

What Degawan and the report observe is that representatives can build on existing benchmarks within the Rio Conventions and identify where their participation has been stronger, so they can apply these strategies across all three. This would mean building greater coherence among existing structures so that different institutions and actors work together in a way that reflects the interconnected nature of environmental challenges and the realities Indigenous Peoples experience. For their part, Nia Tero are dedicating their efforts to supporting coordinated Indigenous engagement during UNCCD COP17.

“The goal is not to create new benchmarks, but to ensure that progress in one convention can help raise the standard for meaningful Indigenous Peoples’ participation across the others,” Degawan said.

“The real measure of progress is whether participation translates into meaningful influence over negotiations and decisions affecting Indigenous Peoples and ancestral territories. Full, meaningful inclusion of Indigenous Peoples at this and the following Rio Conventions COPs will put the international community – not just Indigenous Peoples – in the best position to achieve humanity’s shared goals for a healthy, prosperous planet,” said Mora.

The report recommends that the convention secretariats move beyond making rhetorical commitments and take practical steps, including improving Indigenous Peoples’ access to negotiating spaces and providing them with more opportunities to input into negotiating texts. These bodies should also strengthen safeguards to ensure Indigenous participation mechanisms are not treated in isolation.

Progress in their participation across the Rio Conventions warrants reflection on Indigenous Peoples’ representation in other frameworks. Within the context of broader structural changes, such as those introduced under the UN80 initiative, there have been questions of consolidating mandates in the name of increasing efficiency in the UN system, which should serve every member of the international community.

Degawan warned that Indigenous representatives are concerned over a potential weakening of the hard-won gains in recognition and formal spaces within the UN system. Any reforms should therefore, she said, build on these gains rather than roll them back.

The full report is available at www.niatero.org/RioReport

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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La Bibliothèque nationale du Bénin lance, à partir de ce mercredi 19 août 2026, « Parole d'auteurs », une série de rencontres littéraires destinées à rapprocher les auteurs du public et à célébrer la richesse de la création littéraire béninoise.

Pendant près d'un mois, huit auteurs béninois se succéderont dans la salle d'animation de la Bibliothèque nationale, à Porto-Novo, pour partager leurs œuvres, leurs parcours et leurs expériences avec les amoureux du livre.

Ces rencontres, ouvertes aux enseignants, chercheurs, étudiants, élèves et à tous les passionnés de littérature, seront placées sous le signe de l'échange, de la découverte et de l'inspiration.

Le premier rendez-vous est prévu ce mercredi 19 août. Les rencontres se poursuivront jusqu'au 11 septembre, les mercredis de 15 h à 17 h et les vendredis de 9 h à 11 h.

À travers cette initiative, la Bibliothèque nationale du Bénin entend renforcer son rôle dans la promotion du livre, de la lecture et de la création littéraire nationale. L'entrée est libre et gratuite.

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Les travaux de la première session extraordinaire du Conseil économique et social (CES) s'ouvrent ce mardi 18 août 2026.

La première session extraordinaire du Conseil économique et social (CES) démarre ce mardi 18 août 2026. Deux principales activités seront au cœur des travaux. Il s'agit de l'examen et l'adoption du nouveau règlement intérieur de l'institution. Cette étape cruciale vise à adapter le fonctionnement interne du CES aux exigences des récentes réformes de sa loi organique, promulguée en juillet 2026.

Le Plan stratégique 2027-2031 du Conseil sera officiellement lancé au cours de cette session. Cette importante activité sera l'occasion pour les participants de donner le coup d'envoi officiel de l'élaboration de cet outil de gouvernance moderne, pensé pour inscrire l'action de l'institution dans une dynamique prospective à long terme.
Les travaux prévus pour durer trois jours, sont placés sous la présidence de Abdoulaye Bio Tchané, président du CES.

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SBI7 Secretariat in a huddle. Credit: IISD/ENB | Danny

By Stella Paul
NAIROBI, Aug 18 2026 (IPS)

Despite record participation in global biodiversity reporting and planning processes, countries remain off track to meet the world’s 2030 biodiversity goals, according to discussions that concluded this month at two key meetings under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Delegates left Nairobi with a package of recommendations on conservation, finance, business accountability and implementation that will now move to COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, where governments will assess collective progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

The warning emerged from two back-to-back meetings under the Convention on Biological Diversity: the 28th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-28), held from 27 July to 1 August 2026, and the seventh meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-7), held from 4 to 12 August 2026. Together, the meetings were the last major negotiating session before COP17, which kicked off yesterday (August 18, 2026), where governments will conduct the first formal review of collective progress towards the KMGBF and consider measures to speed up implementation in the second half of the decade.

A Global Review Reveals the Gap Between Commitment and Delivery

The first global review of the KMGBF dominated discussions across both meetings. The review came at the halfway point between the adoption of the framework in 2022 and its 2030 deadline, drawing on an unprecedented volume of national submissions. By February 2026, 172 parties had submitted national biodiversity targets aligned with the framework, while 130 parties had filed national reports on implementation.

The assessment also examined 85 National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), more than 180 commitments from non-state actors, submissions from multilateral organisations, and dozens of case studies from Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Taken together, the submissions painted a mixed picture. Governments have integrated the framework into national planning processes at an unprecedented rate, but progress remains uneven. The review found encouraging movement on several conservation-related targets, while action on biodiversity finance, subsidy reform, business accountability and inclusive governance lagged behind. It also exposed significant weaknesses in monitoring and reporting, with countries citing data gaps, financial constraints, limited technical capacity and institutional challenges as barriers to tracking progress.

The overarching conclusion was clear: despite growing engagement, the world is not on track to achieve the framework’s 2030 targets.

“It is true that progress is being made across all targets. However, implementation is not yet happening at the pace and scale needed to achieve the KMGBF. Fewer than half of aligned national targets assessed by Parties are currently on track, with some of the largest gaps in mobilising biodiversity finance, reforming harmful subsidies, addressing business impacts and dependencies, and shifting toward sustainable consumption,” said Astrid Schomaker, executive secretary of the CBD.

Jennifer Tauli Corpuz, of IIFB, spoke at the SBI on August 9. She called for Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ greater engagement in decision-making processes. CREDIT: IISD

Wildlife, Technology and Emerging Governance Challenges

The implementation gap was reflected across several of the issues discussed in Nairobi, from wildlife management and emerging technologies to business accountability and biodiversity finance.

Discussions on sustainable wildlife management and synthetic biology highlighted the growing complexity of biodiversity governance. Delegates debating sustainable wildlife management moved well beyond questions of species conservation, examining how biodiversity policies intersect with livelihoods, equitable benefit-sharing, community participation and the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The discussions reflected a growing recognition that conservation measures are more likely to succeed when they incorporate social and economic considerations alongside ecological objectives. Representing the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB), Jennifer Tauli Corpuz argued that effective wildlife management depends on the “transparent, structured and meaningful participation” of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in decision-making processes.

Synthetic biology presented a different set of challenges. While delegates broadly agreed on the need to strengthen capacity-building, scientific cooperation and knowledge-sharing, discussions also exposed ongoing questions about how international biodiversity institutions should respond to rapidly evolving technologies. As scientific innovation advances, governments are increasingly being asked to balance potential benefits with concerns related to governance, risk management and oversight.

Taken together, the two agenda items illustrated how biodiversity negotiations are evolving. Future CBD discussions are likely to focus increasingly on balancing ecological objectives with technological innovation, social equity and effective governance.

Business Accountability Under Greater Scrutiny

A major focus of SBSTTA-28 was the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Business and Biodiversity Assessment, which examined how companies and financial institutions influence biodiversity outcomes.

Presenting the findings, IPBES Chair David Obura said the assessment identifies more than 100 practical actions that companies can take across their operations, supply chains and financial portfolios to reduce biodiversity impacts and support nature recovery.

“Businesses can no longer be seen only as drivers of biodiversity loss. They are also an essential part of the solution,” Obura said, adding that companies already have tools available to begin addressing biodiversity risks and dependencies.

The assessment linked many recommendations to KMGBF Target 15 on business disclosure and accountability. Negotiations highlighted continuing debates over disclosure requirements, supply-chain transparency and biodiversity impact reporting, underscoring growing expectations that corporate biodiversity impacts be measured rather than merely acknowledged.

The opening plenary of the 28th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-28) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. CREDIT: Ahmed Nayim Yussuf/UNEP

Finance Emerges as a Central Political Challenge

At SBI-7, discussions shifted from technical issues to implementation challenges, including resource mobilisation, capacity-building, biodiversity mainstreaming and the Convention’s financial mechanisms.

The prominence of finance was closely linked to the findings of the global review, which identified finance among the weakest-performing areas of the framework. Although biodiversity finance has increased since the KMGBF was adopted, the review concluded that progress remains insufficient and that the 2025 milestone of mobilising USD 20 billion annually in international biodiversity finance was likely not achieved. Countries also reported continued challenges in securing financial resources, technology transfer and technical support needed for implementation.

These findings shaped much of the discussion at SBI-7, where delegates debated resource mobilisation, the Convention’s financial mechanism and the role of the Cali Fund, which is intended to channel private-sector contributions toward biodiversity conservation. While broad agreement exists on the need for greater biodiversity finance, significant differences remain over how resources should be raised, governed and distributed.

Echoing concerns raised by many developing countries, a delegate from the African Union stressed that “adequate, predictable and accessible financial resources are essential conditions for developing countries to translate global commitments into concrete national actions”.

“Ambition alone is not enough to accelerate implementation: it requires commensurate means,” he added.

Youth and Gender Advocates Push for More Inclusive Governance

Youth representatives from the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) welcomed progress on sustainable wildlife management but argued that current recommendations do not go far enough on business accountability, calling for stronger provisions on transparency, traceability and biodiversity impact assessments throughout wildlife-related supply chains. More broadly, youth advocates also called for greater inclusion in biodiversity decision-making. “A global review of progress is incomplete if it does not reflect the information, concerns, needs and priorities of youth and other rights-holders,” said a GYBN delegate.

Preparations ahead of COP17 have also drawn greater attention to gender-responsive biodiversity governance. In Armenia, the CBD Women’s Caucus, together with the Armenian COP17 Presidency, the CBD Secretariat and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, organised a training programme to strengthen women’s participation in biodiversity policy processes.

Mrinalini Rai of Women4Biodiversity argued that women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and local communities are not simply stakeholders but rather “key actors in the implementation, monitoring and review of the framework.” She said their knowledge systems, leadership and contributions are fundamental to ensuring biodiversity policies are “equitable, inclusive and effective”.

These discussions reflect a growing recognition that implementation challenges are not only technical or financial but also institutional and that broader participation is essential to strengthening biodiversity governance and implementation.

Looking Ahead to COP17

Despite the challenges identified in the review, Schomaker expressed optimism about the road to COP17.

“I think that we can all leave Nairobi with a sense of satisfaction at what we have accomplished here, but the task awaiting us in Yerevan in nine weeks will take all the stamina and determination that Parties can summon.”

When governments gather in Yerevan in October for COP17, they will face a clear challenge: turning commitments into the financial, institutional and policy action needed to keep the framework’s 2030 goals within reach.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Des experts ont indiqué à BBC Verify que la pollution provenant d'un navire attaqué le 3 août s'est propagée et menace la faune sauvage vulnérable.

Des experts ont indiqué à BBC Verify que la pollution provenant d'un navire attaqué le 3 août s'est propagée et menace la faune sauvage vulnérable.

La chanteuse béninoise Angélique Kidjo sera honorée ce mardi 18 août 2026 d'une étoile sur le célèbre Hollywood Walk of Fame, à Los Angeles. À la veille de cette cérémonie historique, le gouvernement béninois salue une distinction qui vient couronner quatre décennies d'une carrière internationale exceptionnelle.

Une nouvelle consécration pour Angélique Kidjo. La chambre de commerce de Hollywood dévoilera, ce mardi 18 août, la 2854 étoile du Hollywood Walk of Fame au nom de la star béninoise dans la catégorie « enregistrement ».

Avec cette distinction, Angélique Kidjo devient la première artiste africaine à recevoir une étoile sur le Hollywood Walk of Fame. Une reconnaissance qui, selon le gouvernement béninois, vient consacrer une carrière qui a contribué à faire rayonner les musiques d'Afrique de l'Ouest sur les plus grandes scènes internationales.

Cinq fois lauréate d'un Grammy Award et auteure de 18 albums, Angélique Kidjo figure également parmi les personnalités les plus reconnues du continent et du monde. Elle a notamment été classée par le magazine Time parmi les 100 personnalités les plus influentes de la planète et désignée par Forbes comme la femme la plus influente d'Afrique.

« Au-delà de son œuvre musicale, elle porte, à travers la fondation Batonga qu'elle a créée, un engagement constant pour l'éducation et l'autonomisation des filles au Bénin et au Sénégal, prolongeant sur le terrain social le rayonnement qu'elle offre à son pays sur les grandes scènes internationales enregistrement », ajoute le gouvernement Béninois.

Le Bénin représenté à Los Angeles

Pour marquer l'importance de cette consécration, le président de la République, Romuald Wadagni, a dépêché à Los Angeles le ministre de la Culture, des Arts et du Patrimoine, Yassine Latoundji, ainsi que l'ambassadeur du Bénin aux États-Unis, Agniola Ahouanmenou. Le gouvernement adresse à Angélique Kidjo, « au nom du peuple béninois tout entier, ses plus vives et chaleureuses félicitations ».

Le Hollywood Walk of Fame est une célèbre promenade située à Los Angeles, aux États-Unis, connue pour ses milliers d'étoiles dédiées aux personnalités qui ont marqué l'industrie du divertissement. Les étoiles récompensent des artistes et professionnels dans plusieurs catégories, notamment le cinéma, la télévision, la musique, la radio et le spectacle vivant. Chaque étoile porte le nom de la personnalité honorée et est incrustée dans le trottoir de Hollywood Boulevard.

Peacekeepers from Italy serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on a foot patrol with the Lebanese Armed Forces along the Blue Line in south Lebanon. Credit: UN Photo/Pasqual Gorriz

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 18 2026 (IPS)

Since the collapse of the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon announced in June, the humanitarian situation in Lebanon has deteriorated sharply. Marked by high casualties, immense destruction to civilian infrastructure, and widespread displacement, access to essential services has become increasingly strained as the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is scheduled to end its operations by the end of the year.

Over the course of the summer, UNIFIL has recorded a “near daily presence” of Israeli forces in Lebanese airspace and military activities on the ground. Between August 7 and 8, Israeli forces fired 455 projectiles into south Lebanon, alongside 97 breaches of Lebanese airspace. 229 of these projectiles hit Lebanon on August 8 alone, marking the highest single-day total since June 21.

According to UN Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq, the majority of airspace violations involved drones, with smaller numbers attributed to helicopters and fighter jets. In recent weeks, peacekeepers noted a large presence of unguarded weapons, unexploded ordnance, and improvized explosive devices in their areas of operation.

On August 12, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued a flash update on the latest humanitarian developments in Lebanon. According to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health, there have been at least 4,335 deaths and 12,277 injuries recorded as of August 10, including 355 deaths and 276 injuries since the June 19 ceasefire.

The escalation in bombardment has resulted in immense damage to critical infrastructure, agricultural land, and residential buildings. The August 5 demolition of a well and the August 7 fires at Chaqra and Wadi Saluki water stations in the Nabatieh Governorate have left Lebanese water systems increasingly strained. Furthermore, extensive fires from incendiary strikes have ravaged forests and farmlands in western Bekaa Governorate, resulting in significant losses in land and agricultural yields.

“Demolition of this type raises huge flags about compliance with international humanitarian law,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk, describing the recent hostilities as a “wholesale destruction” of civilian homes. “I met yesterday a man who told me that he returned to his village in this zone … south of this so-called yellow line. The Israelis were there; they prevented him from going anywhere close to it, and he saw how the village was demolished.”

On August 5, approximately 130 families were newly displaced from Mansouri to Tyre, marking the first displacement order since July 11. OCHA states that approximately 352,793 people remain displaced across Lebanon, including 22,800 displaced civilians in 232 collective shelters, where they face persistent challenges accessing basic services.

In these shelters, limited fuel supply has resulted in the collapse of electricity and water systems, compounding health, hygiene, and safety risks. The vast majority of displaced families lack access to healthcare, medication, and protection services, while relying on cash assistance to survive.

Humanitarian organizations have expressed alarm over the impending conclusion of UNIFIL’s mandate at the end of the year, arriving at a time when lifesaving operations are most urgently needed. Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted that the U.S. and Lebanon strongly opposed extending the mandate. While there is broad support from the other members of the Council, any measures to extend the mandate or delay its termination are subject to a veto from the U.S.

“Pulling the plug on UNIFIL without a robust international force in place would effectively abandon millions of Lebanese civilians to an uncertain and potentially disastrous fate,” said Louis Charbonneau, UN director at HRW. “UN missions may not be a lasting solution, but the peacekeepers are a crucial deterrent against attacks on civilians and human rights abuses.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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