In One Day: More Than 100 Coronavirus-Related Deaths in Tunisia

A Tunisian receives a dose of the coronavirus vaccine (dpa)
A Tunisian receives a dose of the coronavirus vaccine (dpa)
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In One Day: More Than 100 Coronavirus-Related Deaths in Tunisia

A Tunisian receives a dose of the coronavirus vaccine (dpa)
A Tunisian receives a dose of the coronavirus vaccine (dpa)

Tunisia has reported 1,405 new coronavirus cases and more than 100 deaths, which indicates that the third wave continues.

The death toll from the virus rose by 101 to 11,016 in the country, the Tunisian Health Ministry said in a statement.

A week ago, Tunisia saw the highest-ever number of coronavirus-related deaths, 119.

The occupation of resuscitation and oxygen beds reached 90 percent and 70 percent respectively on May 3, the Ministry reported.

On its Facebook page, it tallied 512 patients in the ICU and 177 patients on ventilators.

Since the start of the national vaccination campaign on March 13, a total of 425,000 Tunisians received the vaccines, with more than 103,000 receiving the two doses.

The campaign is progressing at a slow pace, making it challenging to vaccinate around 5.5 persons this year (which is half the population).

Member of the Tunisian Scientific Committee Dr. Amanullah Al-Masadi said the Committee recommended a 2-day curfew on Eid al-Fitr.

The Committee further suggested a curfew among cities as of May 8, in addition to preventing gatherings and celebrations of all kinds, he added.

Masadi stressed that these restrictive measures aim to reduce the spread of the pandemic.



Argentina Withdraws from UN Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon

 UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles ride along a street amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Marjeyoun, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon November 19, 2024. (Reuters)
UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles ride along a street amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Marjeyoun, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon November 19, 2024. (Reuters)
TT

Argentina Withdraws from UN Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon

 UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles ride along a street amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Marjeyoun, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon November 19, 2024. (Reuters)
UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles ride along a street amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, in Marjeyoun, near the border with Israel, southern Lebanon November 19, 2024. (Reuters)

Argentina has notified the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon of its withdrawal from the force, a UNIFIL spokesperson said on Tuesday, in the first sign of cracks in the unity of the mission following attacks it has blamed on Israel.

The 10,000-strong United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission is deployed in southern Lebanon to monitor the demarcation line with Israel, an area where there have been hostilities between Israeli troops and Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters for over a year.

"Argentina has asked its officers to go back (to Argentina)," UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said in response to a question about a newspaper report.

He declined to comment on the reason for their departure, referring the question to Argentina's government.

Argentina is one of 48 countries contributing peacekeepers to UNIFIL, with a total of three staff currently in Lebanon, a UN website showed. It did not immediately respond to Tenenti's comments.

UNIFIL has previously referred to "unacceptable pressures being exerted on the mission through various channels".

Peacekeepers have refused to leave their posts despite more than 20 injuries in the past two months and damage to facilities which UNIFIL blames on the Israeli military.

Israel has denied such incidents are deliberate attacks. Israel says UN troops provide a human shield for Hezbollah fighters and has told UNIFIL to evacuate from southern Lebanon for its own safety - a request that the force has rejected.

Tenenti said there was no broader indication of declining support for the mission.

"The idea is to stay. So there is no discussion of withdrawing at all," he said.

He said that its monitoring activities were "very, very limited" because of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict and repairs to some of its facilities.

"We're still working on fixing some of the positions, but this has been definitely a very difficult moment, because we've been deliberately attacked by the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) in recent months, and we're doing our utmost to rebuild the areas," he said.

Israel's military did not immediately comment on Tenenti's remarks.