World News Brief: Schools closed in West Bank, AI in health care, indigenous rights

For more than a year, six schools founded by United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is inaccessible, and six others have been closed, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the reporter in New York.

Ten schools in Area C of the West Bank were recently abandoned due to settler attacks and access restrictions, he added.

On Wednesday, Suzanna Tkalec, deputy UN humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, led a joint humanitarian mission to a former UN school in Gaza that currently hosts 18 refugee families.

Mr Dujarric said that according to the UN aid coordination office, Ocha, The living conditions of these families have been damaged by a lack of access to humanitarian assistance.

“Our humanitarian partners are committed to mobilizing aid to address society’s most pressing needs,” he said.

Aid reaches thousands of people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Even as the Israeli military continues to attack Gaza and launch attacks on the West Bank, Humanitarian workers continue to provide life-saving assistance.

UN partner organizations have distributed more than 378,000 items, including tarpaulins, cleaning equipment and jerry cans to civilians in Gaza in the past month.

In the West Bank, the UN World Food Program (WFP) provided food vouchers and cash assistance to about 286,000 people in June.

But the UN is worried about this necessary supplies may not be available by winter without increased support.

“Without additional funding, depleted supplies cannot be replenished, putting vulnerable families at greater risk, especially as humanitarian teams prepare for winter,” Dujarric said.

WHO urges countries to develop health-specific AI regulations

Artificial intelligence (AI) governance strategies must ensure that technology addresses health disparities in access and treatment, rather than magnifying them. World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday at a press release.

This warning comes as the UN attempts to unite member countries in global AI governance. That WHO and the Government of Portugal begins high level conference in Lisbon on Wednesday, hosting government representatives from 37 countries across six WHO regions to share strategies for the responsible use of AI in healthcare.

In the April reportWHO found that 74 percent of European Union (EU) member states have used AI to aid diagnosis, however only 11 percent have a dedicated AI strategy for health and only eight percent have AI accountability standards if something goes wrong.

“Every country in the world is grappling with the same questions right now: how do we regulate AI responsibly, how do we build the health workforce to use it safely, and how do we ensure AI serves patients, not just those who can afford the technology,” said Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe.

The regulatory push prioritizes patients

In his press release, Dr. Kluge said one reason why AI regulations are so urgent is because patients are already using chatbots to ask about their symptoms.

“Regulating AI in healthcare is difficult,” he said. “But not regulating this is harder – measured in patient harm, loss of trust, and widening disparities.

WHO released guidance on the ethical use of AI in healthcare in 2021, with a focus on how technology can be used safely and ethically to advance the interests of patients and communities

A primary focus of the conference is developing strategies to ensure that patients with limited access to healthcare systems and technology are not left behind as countries and providers adopt AI tools.

“No country should undertake AI transformation alone,” wrote WHO.

Indigenous rights activists face disproportionate harm

The world’s transition to clean energy must not come at the expense of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, UN Human Rights Chair Turkish Volker said on Wednesday at the designated 19th session of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Indigenous rights defenders often face intimidation, harassment, violence, criminalization and prosecution, especially when they defend their lands from development projects such as mining and large-scale agriculture.

Between 2023 and 2025, at least 15 percent of human rights defenders killed or forcibly disappeared worldwide are Indigenous Peoplesaccording to human rights chief.

Türk highlighted the case of Brooklyn Rivera, an indigenous leader in Nicaragua who died in state custody in May, and called on all member states to respect the rights of indigenous peoples.

He also highlighted recent successes such as an indigenous group in Australia which in May received record compensation for mining carried out without their consent.

“The rights of Indigenous Peoples are not a theoretical aspiration for the future; it is an obligation for now, now,” Türk said. “And when those rights are respected, all societies become fairer, more peaceful and more resilient.”

Highlighting the contributions of indigenous peoples

Indigenous Peoples around the world are leading efforts in biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, resource management, peacebuilding and human rights.

“Lasting peace requires inclusion, justice, meaningful participation at every stage and recognition of rights,” he said. “And this must include recognition of the rights of Indigenous Peoples to self-determination and control of their lands.”

The majority population has historically confiscated indigenous communities’ land and resources, denied them self-determination, damaged the environment, and threatened their governance systems and culture, the human rights chief said.

Mr Türk urged Member States to support United Nations Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples and it Global Alliance for Human Rightsboth strengthen the participation of indigenous peoples in international forums.

“Together we can work to put human rights at the center of decision-making everywherehe said.