World News in Brief: Reduced violence in Lebanon, shortages in Gaza, rising debt impacts development funding

The development comes in the wake of the agreement between the United States and Iran, announced on Sunday, after more than three months of fighting and wider war across the Middle East and the Gulf region. 

A UN force, UNIFIL, has been deployed for nearly 50 years in southern Lebanon, where hostilities escalated between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants in March. 

Drop in violations 

Mr. Dujarric said the Mission recorded 38 violations of Lebanese airspace by Israeli forces on Monday, down from 83 the previous day. 

The number of trajectories of projectiles also dropped markedly during this period, from 705 to 174. Of these, 169 were attributed to Israeli forces and five to Hezbollah. 

UNIFIL also continues to monitor Israeli ground activities across its area of operations, including armoured movements and logistical and engineering activities.  

Families on the move 

Meanwhile, humanitarians report that some displaced families are cautiously returning to their communities following the announcement of the US-Iran deal. 

The number of displaced people in collective shelters has decreased from around 134,000 on Friday to 124,000, according to the Lebanese authorities. Moreover, some 2,700 people in the South governorate reportedly left collective shelters on Monday. 

Mr. Dujarric said it remains unclear whether these movements represent temporary returns to assess homes and property or are more long term. 

“While violence has decreased since Sunday, incidents in southern Lebanon continue to be reported, which has a direct impact on people’s ability to check on their homes or to move around,” he said, adding that the presence of unexploded ordnance also remains a very serious concern. 

The Spokesperson reiterated the UN’s call for the protection of civilians and for returns to be safe, voluntary, informed and supported by sustained humanitarian access and assistance for those who need it.  

Fuel shortages strain essential services in Gaza 

Humanitarian agencies continue to respond to urgent and emerging needs across the Gaza Strip, but shortages of fuel, engine oil and spare parts are severely constraining essential services, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA has warned. 

Reduced supplies are undermining water production, distribution, wastewater treatment and solid waste management although prioritized fuel allocations have allowed limited operations to continue. 

Aid partners are stepping up efforts to address a growing pest infestation. The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is leading pesticide application efforts, while UNICEF and UNRWA are supporting public awareness campaigns and community safety measures. 

Food assistance reached nearly 420,000 people during the first two weeks of June, including food parcels, high-energy biscuits and flour, covering around 75 per cent of minimum daily caloric needs. 

Continued support 

Meanwhile, efforts to support livelihoods continue. More than 2,200 herders received animal feed in early June, while over 1,000 farmers have received conditional cash assistance since late March to help restart crop production across Gaza. 

Despite ongoing support, humanitarian partners stressed that needs remain immense and reiterated calls for sustained access, adequate fuel supplies and increased funding to scale up lifesaving assistance. 

Rising debt costs squeeze development funding: New UN report 

Rising borrowing costs are leaving many developing countries with less money to invest in schools, healthcare, infrastructure and climate action, according to a new report released on Tuesday by the UN trade agency, UNCTAD. 

Between 2018 and 2024, 99 developing countries, which are home to 5.5 billion people, saw rising interest payments reduce the fiscal space available for development, the new report found. 

The report shows how rising external borrowing costs, shorter repayment periods and persistent risk premiums are putting growing pressure on public finances. 

Here are some key findings: 

• Developing countries received far less external finance than developed countries in 2024. External sources accounted for 11 per cent of investment financing in developing economies, compared with 38 per cent in developed economies 
• External financial inflows to developing countries fell 18 per cent between 2014 and 2024, while domestic financing rose 60 per cent 
• Africa received only 10 per cent of total external inflows to developing countries, despite accounting for 22 per cent of the developing world’s population while Asia and the Pacific attracted more than 70 per cent 

Widening financing gap 

At a time when developing countries continue to pay significantly more for external financing than developed economies, UNCTAD called for national reforms and stronger international action to reduce financing costs and expand the scale of and access to affordable, long-term finance.