Daily World Briefing, June 20

Iran's atomic chief urges IAEA to end "inaction," condemn Israeli attacks

Iran's atomic chief on Thursday called on the United Nations nuclear watchdog to immediately end its "inaction" and condemn Israeli attacks on Iran's "peaceful" nuclear facilities, according to the semi-official Fars News Agency.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami made the remarks in a letter addressed to President of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi following an Israeli strike on the Arak heavy water research reactor facility in Khondab County in Markazi province early Thursday.

Eslami called on the IAEA to immediately end its "inaction" and condemn Israel's actions, which are in contradiction with international law.

119 Chinese evacuated from Israel to Egypt

One hundred and nineteen Chinese citizens were evacuated from Israel to Egypt on Thursday through the Taba border crossing in Egypt's South Sinai province.

After completing the necessary procedures, the evacuees entered Egypt from the crossing around 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT) and were then guided onto buses.

According to the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, the people evacuated from Israel include 117 students and two Hong Kong residents, who will be transferred to Cairo.

"China is highly concerned about our compatriots overseas. Their well-being and safety are always our priority," said Liao Liqiang, Chinese Ambassador to Egypt.

UN warns of looming famine in Yemen

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Thursday issued a warning about the emergence of famine hotspots in Yemen in the coming months.

"Food insecurity in Yemen remains at alarming levels. Millions are in acute hunger and pockets of famine could emerge in the coming months. We must act now to save lives," OCHA said in a brief statement on social media platform X.

On Wednesday, Yemeni Foreign Minister Shaya Zindani held discussions with Julien Harneis, the United Nations resident coordinator in Yemen, focusing on mobilizing international resources to address the country's deteriorating humanitarian situation, according to a statement from the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The humanitarian response to the Yemeni crisis has been severely hampered by funding shortfalls. In May, the United Nations reported that the 2025 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan was less than 10 percent funded, calling for urgent international support to prevent the country from sliding into a humanitarian catastrophe.

UN chief calls for investment in development to prevent conflict

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called for investment in development to prevent conflict.

Prevention is the best cure for instability and conflict. And there is no better preventive measure than investing in development, he told a Security Council open debate on poverty, underdevelopment and conflict.

"Peace is not built in conference rooms. Peace is built in classrooms, in clinics, in communities. Peace is built when people have hope, opportunity and a stake in their future," he said. "Investing in development today means investing in a more peaceful tomorrow."

He warned that the world is losing ground in this respect.

"After decades of steady progress, we're facing a development emergency. Ten years after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, two-thirds of the targets are lagging," said Guterres. "And developing countries are being battered and bruised by limited fiscal space, crushing debt burdens and skyrocketing prices."■