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Security Council LIVE: ‘Urgent de-escalation’ needed now amid spike in civilian deaths

gulftimes — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

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The Security Council must use every tool and diplomatic channel to reach an urgent de-escalation, Rosemary DiCarlo, chief of UN political and peacebuilding affairs, told an emergency meeting on Thursday amid escalating deadly Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian civilians. Stay tuned for live updates.

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Covid jabs huge success, but work needed on trust in vaccines – key findings from Covid report

gulftimes — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 13:02:00 +0000

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Immunisation saved hundreds of thousands of UK lives, but vaccine hesitancy remains an issue.

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Trump: Blockade needed to stop Iran blackmailing the world

gulftimes — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 05:49:00 +0000

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A US blockade of Iran’s ports is in place, having begun on Monday, according to Donald Trump.

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'Moment of reckoning' needed in social care, says Louise Casey

gulftimes — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:49:00 +0000

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The chair of the independent commission on social care recommends introducing a full-time dementia tsar, and new fast-track passport system for people diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).

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'I needed a coil to ease the bleeding but I just sat on a waiting list'

gulftimes — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:01:00 +0000

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Elaine Gracey was in a lot of pain but says she was expected to just put up with her menopausal symptoms.

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Safe spaces needed for drug-addicted children, say grieving mums

gulftimes — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 01:03:00 +0000

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Joanna MorrisBBC Shared Data Unit

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The number of children in drug and alcohol treatment has been rising since the coronavirus pandemic

Three women whose teenage sons died after becoming addicted to drugs have told the BBC the system failed their children.

Anita Morris, Nicola Howarth and Kate Roux spoke to the BBC as part of a wide-ranging investigation into the failings of drug treatment for young people.

It found significant disparities in community care and a lack of state-funded residential facilities for under-18s.

Analysis shows more than half of the 16,000 children in drug and alcohol treatment in the past year were 15 or younger.

National Drug Treatment Monitoring System data shows a 13% rise in under-18s seeking support in 2024-25, yet experts and families say many are not receiving the help needed.

The BBC found disparities in community care, gaps in strategy and a shortage of beds for those in crisis.

Will Haydock, from drugs charity Collective Voice, says a consistent national strategy is needed.

His calls are echoed by the three mothers who believe more effective treatment could have saved the lives of their boys – Olly Barnett, Alfie Nichol-Brown and Ben Nelson-Roux.

While they have never met, the women share the same experience of seeing their children battling addiction and having to fight for years to get the right support.

Anita, whose son Olly died at 17, said: “We need safe spaces for children buying £1 tablets off the street and developing addictions.

“We need places for them to get off drugs with proper support, where they’re safe and their parents aren’t watching them in agony, wondering if they’ll die in their bedroom.”

Anita Morris

Olly Barnett ordered drugs from the dark web to self-treat anxiety, his mother said

The majority of children are treated in the community and most will never need residential treatment. For those who do, options are limited.

There are no state-run specialist residential facilities for under-18s in the UK and just a handful of beds available at costly private facilities, the BBC understands.

Experts told the BBC changes in drug trends, including a stark rise in ketamine and solvent use, meant demand was growing for specialist care.

The most commonly used substance by those in treatment in 2024-25 was cannabis, with 86% listing it as problem for them.

Drug treatment is the responsibility of councils to fund and co-ordinate locally.

Olly, Ben and Alfie received community-based support via a network of different services, including social services, the NHS and local drug organisations.

Each of their mothers said collaboration had been lacking and residential treatment impossible to secure.

Anita, who had to manage Olly’s detoxification regime at home, said: “I was told there was nowhere for him to be sent, no detox ward, no in-patient service.

“I looked at going private but with everything I had, the car I could have sold, I would have been lucky to have afforded a week.

“He wouldn’t have relapsed if he’d had proper care, detox and counselling all at the same time – he could have got better.”

Councillor Jill Rhodes, who chairs Cheshire East Council’s adults and health committee, said the authority received one of the lowest Public Health Grants in the country but commissioned a range of drug and alcohol treatment services.

She said it recognised a “clear gap” in residential provision for young people and would “strongly support” a national approach to address the shortfall.

Kate Roux said her “kind, amazing” son had been groomed and exploited since the age of 12

Kate, from Knaresborough in North Yorkshire, described services involved in Ben’s care as “horribly overstretched”.

She said he had been on the books of more than a dozen organisations when she found him dead in an adult homeless hostel at 16.

“Every strand [of his treatment] was done by a different group in the community and they had very little communication with each other, very little communication with us and no joined up plan,” she said.

“As he spiralled, his phone pinged and pinged with Snapchat adverts for drugs and threats from dealers.

“He had drugs workers who saw him a maximum of once a fortnight – they couldn’t compete with that level of coercion.

“He needed a residential place because he never felt safe, we couldn’t make him safe.”

A North Yorkshire Council spokeswoman said Ben had been moved to the homeless shelter as a “last resort following extensive searches for suitable accommodation”.

She said the “heart-breaking situation” highlighted the need for greater national specialist provision.

Kate Roux

Kate Roux said her family was “constantly firefighting” as they helped Ben with his addiction

Nicola Howarth, from Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, said her son Alfie had seen “at least 20” drug workers between the ages of 12 and 17.

“There was no consistency with his care,” she said. “I was always having to kick off and scream like a naughty child to get someone to listen to me.”

Alfie had a cocaine problem so severe he lost nose cartilage and was using “all day, every day”, spending hundreds of pounds a week on his addiction.

His mother could not afford the £23,000 she was quoted for a private residential rehab placement – at the time of his death, she was still saving up.

On Alfie’s 18th birthday, she received a call from an adult residential facility.

She said: “They said they had a bed for him if we still wanted it, but he’d already died.”

Michael Laing, Durham County Council’s corporate director for adult and health services, said an Adolescent Safeguarding and Exploitation team had been set up since Alfie’s death, with support available for young people who needed it.

Nicola Howarth

The day before Alfie died, he told his mother he had had enough and begged her for help

The BBC understands treatment and access to it can differ significantly based on where children live, influenced by local commissioning and funding decisions.

Prevention of Future Deaths reports prepared by coroners following the inquests of Ben and Olly urged the government and councils to act, flagging concerns around drug treatment and the lack of residential facilities for under-18s.

Alexander Frodsham’s report, published following Olly’s 2024 hearing, said the absence of such facilities placed “children at greater risk of relapse and death by overdose” as he highlighted disparities between child and adult treatment.

Gaps in government guidance, a lack of early intervention and prevention strategies, lengthy waiting lists, limited data and evidence gathering, zero-tolerance school policies and poor collaboration were also at the heart of an unequal system, leading experts told the BBC.

‘Children have suffered’

The government’s independent drugs adviser agrees more must be done to ensure high quality treatment for children and young people, including “adequate in-patient facilities” for those with the most complex needs.

Professor Dame Carol Black said children had “suffered” from years of under-investment in treatment services, with the current government now having to “turn around the tanker” and rebuild the sector.

She said improvements had been made in light of her 2020 independent review of drugs, which made recommendations around recovery and prevention, including the need to widen access to treatment.

Dame Carol added: “I’m pleased with where we’ve got to but I want the quality of what we offer to be improved.”

Richard Bailey

The recent growth of teens in treatment can be partly attributed to recommendations set out in Prof Dame Carol Black’s report

Her views are shared by Dr Will Haydock, chief executive of charity Collective Voice, which represents a host of drugs organisations.

He said: “There are still issues with inconsistency, what’s on offer and the routes through which people access it.”

Haydock said the rise in under-18s in treatment could reflect more investment and improved treatment access following Dame Carol’s report.

But he said online dealers, changing drug trends and a higher rate of children with mental health problems had also contributed.

Dr Haydock said a “coherent, co-ordinated package of care” was essential, adding: “Substance use issues are never isolated, they’re always part of someone’s wider life.

“We need to involve mental health services, education and youth justice – and we need national leadership with a clear strategy and plan for reducing harm.”

A cross-government approach, more specialist beds, earlier intervention, additional funding and the implementation of clear national guidance and prevention strategies were among potential solutions suggested by sources including the Children’s Commissioner, the Local Government Association (LGA), drugs charities and rehab workers.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said treatment and recovery funding would be channelled through the Public Health grant by 2026.

He said £3.4bn would be ringfenced for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery across three years.

UKAT’s Nick Dunkley said demand for beds for under-18s significantly outstrips supply in the UK

At UKAT’s Banbury Lodge in Oxfordshire, a residential facility providing treatment for a range of addictions, there are three beds for 16 to 18-year-olds.

Centre manager Nick Dunkley said such facilities offered a comprehensive package of care, available around the clock.

But a 28-day stay at the privately-run rehab costs almost £18,000 – a price out of the reach, he accepted, of many families.

Mr Dunkley acknowledged the “significant” cost and said more state-funded beds should be made available, adding: “Preventative measures are a better alternative to waiting until things are beyond repair.”

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said she was deeply concerned about the “postcode lottery” faced by too many children.

“No matter the issue, children and young people must be able to access the treatment they need close to home, to help them recovery quickly and rebuild stability with support from loved ones,” she said.

Dr Wendy Taylor, of the LGA, called on the government to increase the public health grant to ensure quality support was available and accessible to all.

She said the landscape was very difficult for councils trying to provide treatment within “serious budget stresses”.

‘Reduce the stigma’

Dame Carol said there was “every intention centrally” to rebuild and improve services.

She said: “It is the quality of the people in the service, the speed of that service and the connection with the other things children need that is crucial.”

Drug addiction should be treated as a chronic illness, she said, adding: “We need to reduce the stigma that surrounds it, and that’s everybody’s business.”

The government’s actions come too late for Olly, Ben and Alfie, but their parents believe change could bring hope to others.

Anita said: “There are more children like Olly and to know your child is safe and not going to die in front of you, to know they’ll be cared for and go through a proper withdrawal programme would mean so much to parents. It would save those children.”

Additional reporting by Louise Hobson, BBC North East & Cumbria

If you have been affected by the issues in this story, support and information is available via the BBC Action Line

Gaza: $70 billion needed to rebuild shattered enclave, says UN

gulftimes — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

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At just 41 kilometres long (25.4 miles) and two to five kilometres wide (1.2 to 3.1 miles), few places in the Gaza Strip had been left unscathed by the constant Israeli bombardment before the latest ceasefire came into effect haltingly last Friday.

According to the UN Development Programme Special Representative for the Palestinians, Jaco Cilliers, destruction across the enclave “is now in the region of 84 per cent. In certain parts of Gaza, like in Gaza City, it’s even up to 92 per cent.”

$20 billion needed now

Speaking from Jerusalem, the UNDP’s Mr. Cilliers highlighted the findings of the latest Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA) on Gaza by the UN, the European Union and the World Bank, which estimated the damage at $70 billion.

To kickstart the massive operation, some $20 billion will be required in the next three years alone, he told journalists in Geneva.

The UN development agency is present in Gaza alongside humanitarian partners to provide immediate support to the enclave’s 2.1 million people.

This includes providing clean water, emergency employment, medical supplies, solid waste removal and making homes and public spaces safe by clearing rubble potentially hiding unexploded ordnance or the many thousands of missing Palestinians.

“We’ve already removed about 81,000 tonnes. That is about…3,100 truckloads,” Mr. Cilliers explained. “The majority of the debris removal is to provide access to humanitarian actors so that they can provide the much-needed aid and support to the people in Gaza. But we also help with hospitals and other social services that need to be cleared of debris.”

The UNDP official pointed to “very good indications” from potential donors in support of reconstruction from Arab States, but also from European nations and the United States “which has also indicated that they are going to be coming in supporting some of the early recovery efforts”.

Immediate aid essential

Important as reconstruction is for Gaza’s long-term future, UN humanitarians once again clamoured for the Israeli authorities to open all access points into Gaza, after the remaining 20 living Israeli hostages were freed on Monday and Palestinian prisoners were released from Israel.

The development followed the signing of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel signed on Monday evening in Sharm El-Sheikh by US President Donald Trump, and the leaders of Egypt, Qatar and Turkïye.

Earlier on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the release of all living hostages from Gaza, two years since they were among some 250 taken during Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel on 7 October 2023.

Gaza City testimony

Speaking to UN News from Gaza, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) aid worker Tess Ingram described the story of one family displaced five times by the war:

“I met a family today, Mustafa and Syeda and their children, and they told me that they were among the lucky ones because while Mustafa was pulling rubble out from the building, that is their home, at least he said, we have a home.”

The family was relieved on Monday at the appearance of a water truck, Ms. Imgram told us: “But they live in fear that truck might not turn up today or tomorrow. She also can’t get the medicine she needs and her sons had to walk a really long way today just to buy the basics that she needed to make some bread.

“Families need absolutely everything right now. We need the hundreds of trucks a day that were promised to get into the Gaza Strip.”

Hostage remains

On Tuesday, the focus shifted to the transfer from Gaza of all deceased hostages, an extremely difficult process overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). It remains unclear how many deceased hostages will be transferred by Hamas.

“When it comes to the living hostages or Palestinian detainees – and believe me that’s a big issue for us – we actually don’t know, we know that we have to be ready,” said ICRC spokesperson Christian Cardon, adding that the complex search is getting underway today.

In the meantime, needs in Gaza remain enormous and “fluid”, aid teams report, with more than 300,000 Palestinians heading north to Gaza City since Friday, as the ceasefire agreement seemed to hold.

“The enthusiasm that came from the international community, from people on the ground that this was the beginning of the end of all the suffering and things would change rapidly, is just not being reflected on the ground, day in and day out. We are not getting enough aid in,” said UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson Ricardo Pires.

The Israeli authorities have agreed to allow 190,000 tonnes of relief supplies into Gaza and UN agencies and their partners are scaling up operations rapidly, but a far greater amount is needed overall, humanitarian agencies including the UN aid office, OCHA, have said repeatedly.

“Of course, we are advocating with everyone, and we were there in Sharm El- Sheikh yesterday as well, with 22 heads of state of government, who we are asking to help us push all buttons you can to get this up and running as soon as possible,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke.

Aid hub carnage

Aid teams continue to insist that there needs to be a move away from handing out lifesaving supplies from remote areas including non-UN aid hubs that are difficult to reach and where hundreds of Palestinians have been shot or injured.

“Most of the actors – ICRC included – were not able to organize sufficient distribution of aid inside Gaza,” said Mr. Cardon. “And what we’ve seen instead, it’s people coming back from distribution sites being wounded, if not killed, in many instances…It’s about aid coming to the people and not any more people going to the aid.”

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Help needed to keep weight off after stopping them

gulftimes — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 23:00:00 +0000

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People coming off obesity jabs like Wegovy and Mounjaro should have check-ups for at least a year to make sure they don’t pile weight back on, new advice for the NHS says.

It’s not uncommon for people to regain most of what they shed once they stop treatment, experience shows.

The guidance, from health assessment body NICE, warns weight management is a long-term journey, not a short-term fix.

Patients may need extra support and a plan for how to stay at their new weight, such as eating healthily and hitting the gym or going for walks, it says.

In England alone, obesity affects around one in four adults.

An estimated 1.5 million people are on weight loss jabs in the UK, but the vast majority are paying for them privately so will not be eligible for NHS support as they come off the treatment.

Wegovy (semaglutide) is already available on the NHS on prescription, but only to those most in need (with health problems due to their weight and a high BMI) for a period of two years.

Around 240,000 people are expected to be offered Mounjaro (tirzepatide) over the next three years. There’s currently no specified time limit for being prescribed the drug.

Both drugs help reduce appetite and can lead to life-changing weight loss. They are prescribed alongside programmes that support healthy weight loss through changes to diet and physical activity.

In a Wegovy drug trial, patients regained around two-thirds of their original weight once they came off the injections. It’s a similar story for those on Mounjaro.

New advice from NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, encourages patients to build long-term behavioural habits, use self-monitoring tools, and draw on wider support “from online communities to family-led interventions and local activities.”

Prof Jonathan Benger from NICE said: “Successful weight management doesn’t end when medication stops or when someone completes a behavioural programme.

“We know that the transition period after treatment is crucial, and people need structured support to maintain the positive changes they’ve made.”

Prof Kamila Hawthorn from the Royal College of GPs said: “There is no one-size fits all approach to tackling obesity – what works for one patient will likely not work for another.

“We also need to see a greater focus on prevention, stopping people becoming overweight in the first place so they don’t require a medical intervention later.”

Obesity can cause people difficulties in their daily lives, and put them at more risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.

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‘Both my daughters needed new hearts from organ donors’

gulftimes — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:41:00 +0000

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Cash Murphy

BBC News, South East

Getty Images

The waiting list is at an all-time high

A mum from Surrey who was not on the organ donor register until her two young daughters needed heart transplants has said she realised “how important it is” after her children spent time on the waiting list.

According to new figures by NHS Blood and Transplant, 8,096 patients were on the transplant waiting list as of 31 March – the highest number on record.

This record number includes 95 people in Surrey and does not include the 3,883 patients suspended due to being unfit for transplant or temporarily unavailable.

Jo Perry, from Leatherhead, said she owed both her daughters’ lives to organ donors and called for more people to be on the register.

Her daughters Lucie and Isobel, now 16 and 10 respectively, have each had a heart transplant after being diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition where the left ventricle becomes enlarged and weakened.

Mrs Perry told Radio Surrey that Lucie was diagnosed “out of the blue” at the age of two, before Isobel was confirmed to have the same condition during a check up seven years later.

Referencing Lucie’s diagnosis, she said: “I went from being with the GP in the morning to that in the evening… it’s a lot to get your head around.”

Going through the process again with Isobel was “horrific”, Mrs Perry admitted.

Lucie got a new heart within eight days of being listed, while Isobel – who had complications prior to joining the list – waited just 10 days.

Mrs Perry said the disease meant both children had enlarged hearts.

“It meant that there was more space for a larger heart… so they could have an older child’s heart,” she said.

While in hospital with Isobel, she said the stark reality became apparent.

“There were four children waiting for hearts, and two of them didn’t make it,” she said.

Admitting that she wasn’t previously on the donor register, Mrs Perry said that these experiences shifted her perspective.

“I believe you can’t be willing to take something without being willing to give back,” she said.

“My daughters would have both died if they hadn’t got that heart… we got very lucky, twice.”

Opt-in system

Dave Webb from Walton-on-Thames now lives a full life, but it was an entirely different story just six years ago as the 52-year-old awaited a new heart.

Mr Webb was born with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which muscle tissues of the heart become thickened without an obvious cause.

“In my adult years – in my 20s onwards – I begun to realise that I did have some symptoms and I couldn’t function as well as, say, other people,” he told BBC Radio Surrey.

The 52-year-old’s deteriorating condition meant that he reached a crossroad by his mid-40s.

“If I didn’t receive a transplant, I wouldn’t last for many more years,” he said.

Mr Webb was “very, very fortunate” to only be on the waiting list for four weeks, and after receiving a new heart at the age of 46, said he felt completely rejuvenated.

Alongside getting back into sport, he spends time meeting other transplant patients and has really relished “celebrating the gift of life that we’ve been given”.

Referencing the opt-in system that has been in place since 2020, Mr Webb says the most important thing is that people “make their wishes known” to family.

“They hold the ultimate key, because when something does happen, they have to be referenced and they have to agree,” he added.

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‘Political courage’ needed to end war in the Middle East: Top UN envoy

gulftimes — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

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Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Special Coordinator Sigrid Kaag emphasised that peace in the Middle East is possible.

“We can achieve a future where a safe and secure Israel exists alongside a viable and independent Palestinian State. This requires continued, concerted effort, dedication and political courage by all parties,” she said.

She urged Council members to ensure Gaza remains an integral part of a future Palestinian State, and that the enclave and the West Bank including East Jerusalem are unified politically, economically and administratively.

At the same time, she said there should be no long-term Israeli military presence in Gaza – although Israel’s legitimate security concerns must be addressed.

Four key asks

“We need to commit to ending the occupation and a final resolution of the conflict based on UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements,” Ms. Kaag said, outlining four priorities.

These include sustaining the ceasefire agreement while securing the release of all hostages and preventing escalation in the West Bank, where violence continues to rise.

There must be reform of the Palestinian Authority which governs the West Bank and clarity on its role in post-war Gaza; and the mobilisation of financial and political backing to rebuild the shattered enclave.

Both sides must ‘fully honour’ ceasefire deal

Ms. Kaag welcomed the release of 30 Israeli and foreign nationals held in Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal – and a further four bodies of those deceased – reiterating that all remaining hostages must be released unconditionally.

She condemned Hamas’ treatment of hostages, including reports of ill-treatment and public displays under duress, demanding that access must be given immediately to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to those still captive.

On the Palestinian side, she noted that 1,135 prisoners and detainees have been released, though reports of ill-treatment during detention remained concerning.

She also updated the Council on humanitarian efforts, noting that aid deliveries had increased since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January and that medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt began on 1 February.

“The resumption of hostilities must be avoided at all costs. I call on both sides to fully honour their commitments to the ceasefire deal and conclude negotiations for the second phase,” she said.

Sigrid Kaag, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ad Interim, briefs the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.

Rebuilding Gaza

Highlighting the scale of destruction, Ms. Kaag cited an assessment by the World Bank, EU, and UN, which estimated that $53 billion will be needed for recovery and reconstruction.

Arab states are leading discussions on rebuilding, with Egypt set to host a reconstruction conference.

“The UN is ready to support reconstruction efforts. Palestinian civilians must be able to resume their lives, to rebuild, and to construct their future in Gaza. There can be no question of forced displacement,” she said.

Situation in the West Bank

While international attention is focused on Gaza, Ms. Kaag warned that violence is escalating in the West Bank, amid Israeli military operations, settler violence and severe movement restrictions.

“I am alarmed by the killing of a pregnant woman and young children during these operations. Such incidents must be thoroughly investigated and those responsible held accountable,” she said.

She also reported Israel’s advancement of plans for 2,000 new housing units, the continued expansion of settlements and the accelerated eviction and demolition.

“These developments along with continued calls for annexation, present an existential threat to the prospect of a viable and independent Palestinian State and thereby the two-State solution,” Ms. Kaag warned.

Regional situation

Beyond Gaza and the West Bank, Ms. Kaag also addressed both Lebanon and Syria, which have been drawn in and destabilised by the Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah conflict.

She welcomed the formation of a new Government in Lebanon, calling it an opportunity for stability and urging the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 to prevent further escalation.

In southwest Syria, Ms. Kaag expressed concerns over violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, urging all parties to uphold their commitments.

More to follow…

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