UN Mission Announces Establishment of Libyan Political Dialogue Forum Advisory Committee

United Nations Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Stephanie Williams. (AP)
United Nations Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Stephanie Williams. (AP)
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UN Mission Announces Establishment of Libyan Political Dialogue Forum Advisory Committee

United Nations Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Stephanie Williams. (AP)
United Nations Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Stephanie Williams. (AP)

United Nations Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General Stephanie Williams announced the establishment of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum’s Advisory Committee.

The UN Support Mission in Libya received a total of 28 nominations from the LPDF, revealed the mission in a statement on Saturday.

“We commend the enthusiasm demonstrated by the LPDF members in the nomination process. In line with the LPDF’s core principle of inclusivity, the Mission has expanded the membership of the Advisory Committee to 18 members to ensure broad geographical and political diversity as well as the participation of women, youth, and cultural components,” it added.

The Committee’s mandate will be strictly time-bound and its main mission shall be to discuss outstanding issues related to the selection of a unified executive and to put forward concrete and practical recommendations upon which the plenary shall decide.

“The national elections date of December 24, 2021 remains a sine qua non for UNSMIL, a guiding principle and unrenounceable goal,” stressed the mission.

Member of the Higher Council of State Adel Karmos said there are no real concerns that the political process will collapse.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he explained that the international community, represented by the UN mission and countries involved in Libya, has reached a “complete conviction” that the solution to the country’s crisis lies in the political path.

He added, however, that Libyan politicians are concerned that the international community may impose a political solution without consulting them out of its belief that they are unable to reach consensus over a solution.



Gaza: Polio Vaccine Campaign Kicks off a day Before Expected Pause in Fighting

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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Gaza: Polio Vaccine Campaign Kicks off a day Before Expected Pause in Fighting

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio and prevent the spread of the virus began on Saturday, Gaza's Health Ministry said, as Palestinians in both the Hamas-governed enclave and the occupied West Bank reeled from Israel's ongoing military offensives.

Children in Gaza began receiving vaccines, the health ministry told a news conference, a day before the large-scale vaccine rollout and planned pause in fighting agreed to by Israel and the UN World Health Organization. The WHO confirmed the larger campaign would begin Sunday.

“There must be a ceasefire so that the teams can reach everyone targeted by this campaign,” said Dr. Yousef Abu Al-Rish, deputy health minister, describing scenes of sewage running through crowded tent camps in Gaza.

Associated Press journalists saw about 10 infants receiving vaccine doses at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis.

Israel is expected to pause some operations in Gaza on Sunday to allow health workers to administer vaccines to some 650,000 Palestinian children. Officials said the pause would last at least nine hours and is unrelated to ongoing cease-fire negotiations.

“We will vaccinate up to 10-year-olds and God willing we will be fine,” said Dr. Bassam Abu Ahmed, general coordinator of public health programs at Al-Quds University.

The vaccination campaign comes after the first polio case in 25 years in Gaza was discovered this month. Doctors concluded a 10-month-old had been partially paralyzed by a mutated strain of the virus after not being vaccinated due to fighting.

Healthcare workers in Gaza have been warning of the potential for a polio outbreak for months. The humanitarian crisis has deepened during the war that broke out after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were militants.

Hours earlier, the Health Ministry said hospitals received 89 dead on Saturday, including 26 who died in an overnight Israeli bombardment, and 205 wounded — one of the highest daily tallies in months.