Humanitarian workers are braving dangerous conditions to provide relief for people in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, and they will not give up on their efforts, the departing chief of the United Nations humanitarian office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory told reporters on Thursday.
Andrea De Domenico, Head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)'s branch in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, held his last press briefing remotely in Jerusalem as Israeli authorities decided not to renew his visa, which was to expire on Thursday.
De Domenico said there are many international aid workers in Gaza like him who failed to have their visas renewed.
The OCHA official said that over the past 10 months, he has seen the "absolute physical and psychological exhaustion of an entire population." The OCHA warned that the hostilities, repeated evacuation orders, access impediments and other challenges are hampering efforts to reach Gazans with life-saving assistance.
Stressing that his work cannot be done remotely, De Domenico said employees of U.N. agencies and other international NGOs will keep providing humanitarian aid for people in Gaza and strive to bring peace and dignity to them.
"We learned through these ten months to satisfy ourselves with little step forward, [with] the mere fact that, the list that I made earlier about all the efforts and the delivery that the humanitarian communities and that includes NGO staff, national and international that are proudly and bravely doing their job every day in very dangerous circumstances," he said.
"We need simply to build upon this and increase our ability to reach and deliver [aid supplies to] people. We need to bring peace and dignity to people. That's the two things that they ask and we are not giving up on this," said the official.
The OCHA said despite all these challenges, the World Food Programme (WFP) reached nearly 1.2 million people with food, including wheat flour, or hot meals last month, although with reduced and irregular rations.
According to the office, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA, launched a back-to-learning program for children in Gaza. In its first phase, UNRWA will expand ongoing psychosocial support activities, focusing on arts, music and sports and raising awareness of the risks of explosive ordnance. It will then transition to include informal learning activities, with reading, writing and math lessons.
U.N. not to give up on humanitarian operations in Gaza: official
U.N. not to give up on humanitarian operations in Gaza: official
A park director and a landscape architect in Sofia shared stories about how peonies have helped strengthen the cultural connection between China and Bulgaria.
In the fall of 2024, as China and Bulgaria marked 75 anniversary of their diplomatic ties, Heze City, known as the 'peony capital' of China, transplanted 280 peony plants to Sofia's South Park, the largest urban green space in the capital of Bulgaria, sharing this iconic Chinese cultural treasure with the Bulgarian public.
The park's Commemorative Peony Garden, created to celebrate 75 years of Sino-Bulgarian friendship, is now the new home to these Chinese flowers.
In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) at the garden, park director Milena Vaseva reflected how the idea for the garden was proposed and brought to life.
"The garden with Chinese peonies became possible thanks to the wonderful initiative of the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and China, as well as thanks to the generous donation from Heze City, which provided 280 Chinese peonies specifically for our South Park," said Vaseva.
She also praised her Chinese colleagues who visited Sofia last year and collaborated with local staff to create the shared peony garden.
"What impressed me most in working with my colleagues from Heze was their professionalism and their excellent organization skills, their kindness, warm attitude, and generosity," said Vaseva.
For Vaseva, peonies serve as a cultural ambassador, symbolizing the blooming friendship between the two countries.
"The language of nature and beauty is universal. Creating a garden requires great care and dedication. So, we hope that through caring for this shared garden, it will become one of many reasons for continuing our fruitful cooperation. And, of course, for creating lasting and beautiful friendships between Heze and Sofia, as well as between Bulgaria and China, anyone who loves nature, beauty, and flowers is welcome here in May. We expect our park to be adorned with fragrant, beautiful peonies from China," she added.
Landscape architect Stavri Fotev also values the cultural ties fostered through flowers with the Chinese counterparts, and expressed hope that such connections will continue to grow in the future.
"We further enrich this area. Here, we have already planted herbaceous peony varieties, which are well-known in Bulgaria and have been used since ancient times. With the planting of the peony tree, which has also been used since ancient times in China, we are creating a connection between the Bulgarian peony on one side and the Chinese tree peony on the other side," he said.
"Thus, a continuous connection was established, which was very productive and beneficial between us and the Chinese specialists, and I believe that this fruitful cooperation will continue in the future," Fotev added.
Peonies bridge friendship between China, Bulgaria
