Israel to allow Jordan and UAE to resume Gaza aid airdrops

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary BBC World Service – July 25, 2025

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1. Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: Israel Permits Resumption of Aid Airdrops

Overview: As the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorates, Israel has announced the impending allowance for Jordan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to resume airdropping essential humanitarian supplies into the region. This decision comes amid escalating concerns over mass starvation and the blockade's severe impacts on the Palestinian population.

Key Points:

• Airdrop Details: Israeli officials stated that Jordan could commence the first aid airdrop as early as the day of the announcement (00:47).

• Humanitarian Impact: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that one in five children in Gaza City is now malnourished. Mai El Wawada, Communications Officer for Medical Aid for Palestinians in Deir Al Birla, emphasized the dire conditions:

  "The starvation conditions that we are living through are just beyond severe. [...] We demand the immediate entry of food supplies and a ceasefire, nothing less." (01:55)

• Israeli Stance: Israeli spokesman David Mensah accused the UN of collaborating with Hamas to impede food distribution, asserting that Hamas is exacerbating the crisis by looting aid supplies:

  "Hamas is the problem. They loot trucks, they block distribution, they weaponize hunger and they deliberately endanger their own people." (02:31)

• UN and Aid Agencies' Response: Middle East correspondent Yoland Nell highlighted the challenges faced by the UN and aid organizations in coordinating with Israeli authorities, citing bureaucratic and logistical hurdles. Additionally, Medicine Sans Frontier accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war—a claim Israel vehemently denies.

• Tragic Human Stories: Palestinian photojournalist Ahmed Al Ahrini shared heart-wrenching images and accounts of children suffering from extreme hunger, illustrating the profound human cost of the blockade (07:22).

Implications: The ongoing blockade and mutual accusations between Israel and Palestinian authorities have stalled ceasefire negotiations, raising fears of prolonged and intensified humanitarian suffering in Gaza.

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2. Thailand-Cambodia Border Clashes: Evacuations and War Concerns

Overview: Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia have surged following unexpected military clashes near the Cambodian border, resulting in the evacuation of over 130,000 Thai nationals and raising fears of a potential broader conflict.

Key Points:

• Clash Details: An exchange of fire between Thai and Cambodian soldiers led to casualties on both sides. Thailand reported the expulsion of the Cambodian ambassador prior to the incident, exacerbating tensions (10:37).

• Government Responses: Rear Admiral Sura Sant Kongsiri of Thailand issued warnings for civilians to evacuate combat zones to minimize collateral damage. Similarly, Cambodian authorities have denounced Thai actions as aggressive and unprovoked.

• Analyst Insights: Middle East correspondent David Mensah explained that while such military engagements are not uncommon, the recent use of multi-launch rockets by Cambodia signifies an escalation:

  "The rockets... caused a lot of destruction. [...] The rhetoric on both sides is very indignant, very angry." (12:10)

• Potential for Escalation: Despite the heightened tensions and nationalist fervor, Mensah remains cautiously optimistic that diplomatic efforts, bolstered by ASEAN members, will prevent a full-scale war:

  "I think within days, we'll see some kind of diplomacy." (13:42)

Implications: The conflict underscores the fragile stability in the Southeast Asian region. Economic struggles and political unpopularity may have fueled the confrontations, but regional cooperation is expected to steer the nations back towards dialogue.

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3. Comic Con 2025: A Hub of Global Geek Culture in San Diego

Overview: San Diego hosts the annual International Comic Con, the world's largest fan convention celebrating comic books, science fiction, and geek culture. This year's event features notable appearances and significant announcements, contributing over $180 million to the local economy.

Key Points:

• Notable Guests:

  • George Lucas: Making his first appearance, the creator of Star Wars is set to discuss the upcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art slated to open in Los Angeles in early 2026 (16:28).

  • Trey Parker and Matt Stone: Creators of South Park will return to the convention after nearly a decade, delighting long-time fans (16:28).

• Fan Experience: Attendees, including K.J. Matthews, an entertainment news journalist, highlighted the community aspect and the excitement of interacting with creators and fellow enthusiasts:

  "It's so special because [...] we're all setting aside time in our adult schedules to come do this thing and see each other." (15:37)

• Economic Impact: The convention not only celebrates fan culture but also significantly boosts San Diego's economy through tourism and related expenditures.

Implications: Comic Con continues to be a pivotal event for the entertainment industry, offering a platform for major announcements and fostering a vibrant global community of fans and creators.

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4. Haiti's Escalating Crisis: Gang Control and Rising Sexual Violence

Overview: Haiti faces a severe deterioration in its security landscape, with gangs controlling approximately 90% of the country, particularly the capital, Port-au-Prince. The situation has led to a dramatic increase in sexual violence, especially against women and girls.

Key Points:

• Security Situation: United Nations designated expert William O'Neill reports a stark rise in gang-dominated territories, complicating efforts to restore governance and safety (18:36).

• Sexual Violence: There has been a tripling of sexual violence cases over the past four years, with collective rapes becoming alarmingly prevalent. Notably, half of the gang members responsible are minors, adding another layer of horror to the crisis:

  "The predominant form of sexual violence now in Haiti are collective rapes, and the perpetrators are quite young." (19:15)

• Impact of Aid Cuts: Ongoing reductions in foreign aid, particularly from the United States, have crippled Haiti's capacity to support survivors and combat gang influence. Charlotte Gallagher emphasizes the need for increased support:

  "Cuts of this magnitude are really, really devastating." (20:00)

• Call to Action: Addressing the crisis requires bolstering the Haitian National Police, enhancing the multinational force led by Kenya, and stopping the flow of weapons into Haiti to weaken gang power (21:04).

Implications: The compounded challenges of gang control, sexual violence, and insufficient international support threaten Haiti's stability and the well-being of its most vulnerable populations, necessitating urgent and coordinated intervention.

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5. Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Prisoner Exchanges Amidst Ongoing Warfare

Overview: In the protracted Ukraine-Russia conflict, a notable area of agreement between the adversaries is the exchange of prisoners of war. Nearly 7,000 Ukrainian and Russian soldiers have been repatriated, offering a glimmer of hope amid bleak war conditions.

Key Points:

• Prisoner Exchange Stories: The release of Maxim, a Ukrainian Marine held for three years, exemplifies the personal costs of the conflict and the significance of prisoner swaps:

  "For people like Maxim and his family, those swaps are a second chance at life and a glimmer of hope in a bitter and brutal war." (24:05)

• Maxim's Experience: Captured during the Siege of Mariupol, Maxim endured severe abuse and survives with lasting trauma. His reunion with his family symbolizes resilience and the human spirit's endurance despite prolonged captivity (22:05).

• Ceasefire Prospects: While prisoner exchanges represent a minimal breakthrough, comprehensive ceasefire negotiations remain elusive, with the broader conflict continuing unabated.

Implications: Prisoner exchanges serve as a critical humanitarian measure within the Ukraine-Russia conflict, offering relief and closure to affected families while underscoring the complex dynamics hindering peace talks.

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6. Innovative Training Techniques for Guide Dogs: Remote-Controlled Squirrel Cars

Overview: Advancements in guide dog training have led to the development of remote-controlled squirrel cars, a novel method to teach guide dogs to resist distractions and maintain focus during their duties.

Key Points:

• Training Challenges: Guide dogs must navigate various distractions, such as squirrels, bikes, and other animals, without losing focus on guiding their owners. Traditional training methods using real-life distractions are unpredictable and difficult to control.

• Squirrel Car Technique: Dr. Karen Brady of the Guide Dogs charity explains how remote-controlled cars equipped with toy squirrels provide a controlled environment to incrementally train dogs to ignore distractions:

  "Having one that we can control in the form of a toy squirrel tied to a remote control car makes it easy for us to set our dogs up for success in these situations." (25:05)

• Training Process: The method involves gradually increasing the challenge by varying the speed and unpredictability of the squirrel car, eventually translating this training to real-world scenarios where dogs must remain focused despite actual distractions.

• Additional Techniques: Similar remote-controlled devices are used to simulate other potential distractions, such as cats or moving vehicles, ensuring comprehensive training for guide dogs.

Implications: This innovative approach enhances the effectiveness of guide dog training programs, improving the safety and reliability of guide dogs for visually impaired individuals by ensuring they remain attentive and focused in dynamic environments.

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Conclusion

The Global News Podcast for July 25, 2025, delivered comprehensive coverage of significant global issues, from the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Thailand-Cambodia border tensions to the deteriorating security and sexual violence in Haiti. Additionally, it highlighted moments of human resilience in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and showcased innovative solutions in guide dog training. This episode underscores the BBC World Service's commitment to providing in-depth analysis and diverse perspectives on pressing international affairs.

For more information or to share your thoughts on this episode, contact the Global News Podcast team at [e-mail] or follow them on X@BBCWorldService using the hashtag #globalnewspod.

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Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction by Alex Ritson
• 00:47 – Israel to permit aid airdrops
• 01:55 – Mai El Wawada on Gaza’s starvation
• 02:31 – David Mensah accuses UN and Hamas
• 03:10 – Yoland Nell on Israeli and UN positions
• 05:20 – Visual portrayal of suffering in Gaza
• 07:22 – Ahmed Al Ahrini’s photojournalism
• 10:37 – Overview of Thailand-Cambodia clashes
• 12:10 – David Mensah on military tensions
• 13:42 – Potential for diplomatic resolution
• 15:37 – Comic Con experiences
• 16:28 – K.J. Matthews and William O'Neill on Comic Con
• 18:36 – Haiti’s security and sexual violence crisis
• 19:15 – Charlotte Gallagher on collective rapes
• 20:00 – Impact of U.S. aid cuts on Haiti
• 21:04 – Solutions to Haiti’s gang problem
• 22:05 – Maxim’s captivity and release
• 24:05 – Significance of prisoner swaps
• 25:05 – Dr. Karen Brady on guide dog training

(Note: Links for timestamps are placeholders and would typically navigate to specific sections of a transcript or digital document.)

Transcript

[Alex Ritson]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson and at 14 hours GMT on Friday 25th July, these are our main stories. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, Israel has said it will allow Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to resume airdropping humanitarian supplies shortly. Thailand has evacuated more than 100,000 people from areas near the Cambodian border. As the Thai Prime Minister says clashes, the two neighbors could develop into war. Also in this podcast, Friday is going.

[K.J. Matthews]

To be the Evil Queen, of course, and then I have Poison ivy. So a little DC for you.

[Alex Ritson]

Thousands of science fiction fans are in San Diego, in California for this year's International Comic Con convention as we record this podcast. Israel has said it will soon allow Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to resume airdropping humanitarian aid into Gaza. Israeli officials said Jordan could carry out the first airdrop as early as today. Several countries and aid groups say Israel's continued and long running blockade of the Palestinian territory has led to mass starvation. The main UN agency for Palestinians, unrwa, says that one in five children is now malnourished in Gaza City. With the situation getting worse every day. And as the humanitarian crisis worsens, there's increasing uncertainty over the future of ceasefire talks. After the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams from Qatar. Mai El Wawada is the communications officer for medical aid for Palestinians in Deir Al Birla in central Gaza. She sent us this message.

[Mai El Wawada]

The starvation conditions that we are living through are just beyond severe. In the last period we were receiving cases of who hadn't eaten for days, children and pregnant women. No one has gone to bed with a full stomach in months. Everyone is tired, exhausted, drained. Situation is no longer bearable. Just with one of our partners, we recorded the deaths of four children with severe acute malnutrition in just a few days. And we fear more to come. We demand the immediate entry of food supplies and a ceasefire, nothing less.

[Alex Ritson]

An Israeli government spokesman, David Mensah, accused the UN of working hand in glove with Hamas to manipulate the supply of food.

[David Mensah]

No one wants to see Gaza suffering, certainly not people in this country. It is an outrage that anyone, any ordinary Gaza, should suffer. What's been happening right now is that while we've been facilitating aid every single day, Hamas is the problem. They loot trucks, they block distribution, they weaponize hunger and they deliberately endanger their own people.

[Alex Ritson]

I put that Israeli claim to our Middle east correspondent Yoland Nell in Jerusalem.

[Yoland Nell]

This does chime with what we've been hearing regularly from Israeli Officials. Just a day ago, the Israeli military showed journalists stockpiles of food, other humanitarian aid sitting in distribution for points on the Gaza side and was placing again the blame for starvation in Gaza on the un. Now, when you put this to the un, they say, first of all, they have managed in the past couple of days to collect some of the food aid from just inside Gaza. But they are saying that they have real difficulty coordinating with the Israeli authorities. There's a lot to go into here. But they are talking about bureaucratic problems, logistical, administrative, other operational problems imposed by the Israeli authorities. You've got the ongoing fighting on the ground. They're facing things like criminal looting as well, they say. And when they have their own staff and the people on the ground seeking aid put at grave risk, then they say this is when they also have to stop collecting pickups of cargo from crossings controlled by the Israeli authorities.

[Alex Ritson]

Both sides blaming each other totally. But it does feel as though food supplies are being weaponized here.

[Yoland Nell]

Indeed. And we have accusations regularly made by aid agencies. I'm looking at a new release just now from the Medicine Sans Frontier accusing Israel of deliberately using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza. Now, of course, that amounts to a war crime. It's something that Israel very strongly denies. But Israel has a responsibility as an occupying power to ensure that there is no harm to civilians and to ensure that food can reach them in wartime. There is also, though, this accusation, of course, that the international pressure that is now being exerted to end the war may have made Hamas more reluctant to accept concessions in the ceasefire talks that have just broken down. Israeli officials with close knowledge of the talks said that Hamas really backtracked on some compromises it had previously agreed to. And they point to the group's demand to restore previously used methods of distributing aid inside Gaza, which gave it more control. And Israel says it was able to loot some of the aid that was coming in, something that the UN has been denying.

[Alex Ritson]

Yoland, whatever the political rights and wrongs of this, that the images we're seeing of children starving are just awful.

[Yoland Nell]

That's right. And you've got a situation now where it's patients struggling to survive, but also the healthcare workers looking after them, the aid workers who are trying to be involved in the food distribution process. And we've been hearing the same sort of testimony from our own journalists who we are relying on to try to verify things on the ground. Now, the figures that came out on Thursday from the Hamas Health Ministry in Gaza said that in the last three weeks at least 48 people, including 20 children, have died of causes related to malnutrition, up from 10 children who died in the previous five months. And while it's hard to verify the exact causes of deaths, when we're not allowed to go into Gaza ourselves, you get this sense that hunger levels are now reaching this tipping point. And there was a very alarming quote that got my attention from the co founder of the Medglobal charity, who's a pediatrician, warning this is the beginning of a population death spiral.

[Alex Ritson]

Yoland Nell in Jerusalem. A picture they say paints a thousand words. Pictures of suffering children. Perhaps more than most, the long lived will have their own catalogue of the most awful. A small, scared Jewish boy standing beneath a Nazi's submachine gun, perhaps. Or a doomed and starving albino child in the breakaway Nigerian state of Biafra in the late 1960s. Add to that now the scene in a tiny tent in Gaza, lit like a Caravaggio. The brutally prominent ribs of 18 month old Mohammad Zachariah's back as he lies in his mother's arms, her face itself a mask of despair. The man who took that picture is the Palestinian photojournalist Ahmed Al Ahrini. He's been talking to James Menendez about how he came to take it and the emotional cost.

[Ahmed Al Ahrini]

This photo of baby Muhammad Zakaria I took when he was with his mother. They have been displaced from their home in the north of Gaza. So he was with his mother in a tent which is absolutely bare bar, a little oven. It resembles a tomb really. And I took this photo because I wanted to show the rest of the world the extreme hunger that babies and children are suffering from in the Gaza Strip.

[James Menendez]

So baby Mohammed, has he not been able to get the treatment he needs?

[Ahmed Al Ahrini]

He received no baby milk, no formula, no vitamins either. And if you look at the photo closely, you'd find out that he is wearing a plastic bag instead of Pampers. Because of the lack of any humanitarian aid and the lack of any medicines, prices have shot up, skyrocketing. So nobody in Gaza can afford these prices?

[James Menendez]

Yes, I noticed that, yes, a bin liner instead of a nappy or a diaper. Ahmed, you're a professional, but how difficult was it to take this picture?

[Ahmed Al Ahrini]

So I walk to the tent where baby Muhammad was and seeing the situation as it is and how babies are suffering from extreme hunger and how emaciated they are. Of course I'm a human being and of course I get affected. And filming baby Muhammad, I did it over a little extended period because I had to pause after each shot and take my breath to be able to continue.

[James Menendez]

And have you been seeing more and more cases like Mohammed's in the past few days and weeks?

[Ahmed Al Ahrini]

Yes, of course. I have seen several cases like Baby Muhammad. Also the other day I took some photos of a 17 year old boy who lost 25 kg of his weight in one month alone. People do not find any food in the Gaza Strip. It's extreme hunger there if not famine and people are fighting for any little bit of aid at the fence where they can risk their own lives to get anything.

[Alex Ritson]

Ahmed Al Areni he was talking through a translator to James Menendez. A victory for justice is how Georges Abdullah's lawyer has described the decision by French judges to free him in ending a 41 year stint in prison. Abdallah was jailed in 1987 in connection with the murder of an Israeli and US diplomats. He soon became a left wing symbol for the Palestinian cause. From Paris, Hugh Schofield reports. George Abdullah has been forgotten by most people but for a section of the French left he remains a hero, a political prisoner in their view who should have been released a long time ago but for pressure on France from the United States. Born in northern Lebanon, Abdullah ran a.

[David Mensah]

Small Marxist group which in the early.

[Alex Ritson]

1980S targeted Israeli and American officials in response to Israeli actions against Palestinians captured in 1984. Abdullah denied involvement in the murders of the two diplomats, but at his trial he sought to justify them as legitimate acts of resistance. Hugh Scofield, Thailand's acting Prime Minister has warned that fighting with Cambodia could escalate into a war after cross border clashes break out on Thursday displacing more than 130,000 Thais. Fighting has continued and the UN Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis on Friday. The Thai authorities said that at least 15 people had been killed whilst the figure is one in Cambodia, according to officials there. Rear Admiral Sura Sant Kongsiri is from the Thai military who spoke after a meeting. We discussed the issue concerning the condolences that we express for the losses suffered by the Thai people due to the attack by the Cambodian military which began firing at Thai forces yesterday morning. This compelled the Thai side to respond. The clash was unexpected and we were unfortunately unable to warn the public in advance and therefore we would like to issue a warning to civilians on both sides who remain in the border areas to evacuate from the combat zones to reduce or prevent collateral damage. Our correspondent Jonathan Head is on the Thai Cambodia border.

[David Mensah]

Both sides of course, when it comes to the clash that started yesterday, that was an exchange of fire between two groups of soldiers. Those aren't uncommon. And in his once as it doesn't really matter who fired first, it's almost pointless. They confronted each other and they were bound to shoot. The difference yesterday was that Thailand had expelled the Cambodian ambassador the night before and that was over landmines. The second incident where they said land mines have been laid by the Cambodians and had badly injured one of their soldiers, I think that really heightened things. And the Cambodian armed forces decided yesterday after this clash to react with using multi launch rockets which are very inaccurate and very destructive. And that really shocked the Thais. There was also artillery. Now the Thais have been firing artillery back. In fact, throughout today as well as yesterday we heard the constant boom of artillery as it goes one way or the other. But the rockets really were. But you know, they caused a lot of destruction. They killed quite a lot of people on the Thai side and that's really poisoned the mood. Cambodia doesn't give any details really of what it suffered on its side. It just talks generally about Thai aggression unprovoked and premeditated. And so you don't get the sense that there was. We knew the Thai air force bombed Cambodian military positions yesterday, but it did not. You know, it doesn't appear to have hit many civilians. We only know of one civilian who's been killed. But the rhetoric on both sides is very indignant, very angry. Does not sound at all like there's any real room for compromise or diplomacy at this stage.

[Alex Ritson]

Jonathan, you're on the border. Is your sense that there is a likelihood this could spill into a larger war?

[David Mensah]

I think it's a possibility simply because there are now so many heavily armed soldiers who are hyped up. You know, we've heard three Thai soldiers have been killed today. We presume in artillery exchanges. The possibility that they have more exchanges of fire like yesterday's is quite high. But it takes the two governments to want to do that and I cannot believe either government wants that. These are two governments struggling with faltering economies. Both of them are unpopular. Some people argue that's the very reason that this conflict took off, that it almost suits them as a distraction and it's just got overheated and very difficult to settle. The nationalist feeling on both sides has been really whipped up. But I think in the broader sense this region has ever since the end of the Cold War prided itself on the fact that they do manage to solve their differences peacefully. They focus on economic development. And I think there'll be an awful lot of pressure from their neighbors and they're all members of the association of Southeast Asian nations to sort this out. Within days, I would think we'll see some kind of diplomacy.

[Alex Ritson]

Jonathan Head on Thailand's border with Cambodia. Still to come in this podcast, at.

[Dr. Karen Brady]

Some point when they're working, a real squirrel will pop across and they'll go, oh, well, I know what to do in this situation. I carry on guiding and I reach.

[Alex Ritson]

My objective, the remote controlled squirrel helping train guide dogs. Comic Con 2025 is kicking off in San Diego. It's the world's largest fan convention celebrating comic books, sci fi and geek culture, with fans gathering to meet creators, experts and each other. It brings over $180 million into the city and is often the occasion for the announcement of new films, games and TV shows. Here are some of those who are there to enjoy the convention.

[K.J. Matthews]

Since I'm from Colorado, I kind of have to travel to see my friends. So this is my west coast group that I get to see everyone. These fandoms have, have brought me my closest friends as adults and especially in the online space, it's like it doesn't matter where anyone's at because we can communicate all the time. And then when you get something like this, it's so special because it's like, okay, we're all setting aside time in our adult schedules to come do this thing and see each other. So tomorrow on Te for Moana, yes, it's a little hot, but it'll do. Friday is going to be the Evil Queen, of course, and then I have Poison Ivy. So a little D.C. for you.

[Yoland Nell]

Yeah.

[Alex Ritson]

K.J. matthews is a Los Angeles based entertainment news journalist. She told us what's expected.

[William O'Neill]

This is the largest convention, especially for all the Comic Cons that happen around the world, but the largest one in San Diego, California. This year you can expect George Lucas, Mr. Star wars himself, the creator of Star Wars. This will be his first time appearing at Comic Con. Can you believe that? He's going to be discussing the opening of his new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, based in Los Angeles, which is supposed to open at sometime early next year in 2026. So he's going to be there. And you know, over the years you've probably seen all the pictures of people that show up in various Star wars characters throughout the years. So I am sure when he makes his appearance and he walks through the hall and walks on stage, you'll have a long line of people. Of course, you're also going to have the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They've been coming over the years. So it's not their first time coming to the San Diego Comic Con, but they'll be at the convention for the first time in nearly a decade. I went years ago, my very first time, and I loved it. You know, there's all these people that line up, I feel like, at the crack of dawn with all their. Their costumes on their cosplay. And it's fun. It really is fun to see them. You know, they're all dressed in skyfi and. And fantasy and superheroes and anime. So the thing I like about San Diego Comic Con is that you get the true fans, the people that buy these tickets that pay for the hotels that fly into San Diego. It's because they're the biggest fans, and that's exciting to see.

[Alex Ritson]

K.J. matthews. Over the past couple of days, we've been hearing from Haiti. In the Caribbean, the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere. The security situation in the capital, Port au Prince, has deteriorated. 90% of the territory is now controlled by gangs. We've been reporting on a particularly harsh situation for women, with cases of sexual violence tripling in the last four years. William o' Neill is the United nations designated expert on the human rights situation in Haiti. He spoke to the BBC's James Menendez. So is the situation there getting worse?

[Charlotte Gallagher]

It's getting worse, yes. Yes. These numbers are always difficult in any country to get. There's fear of reporting shame and all of those things. But the UN Human rights team has put in a very good monitoring and reporting system over the last several months, and they do show a serious increase in sexual violence. And it's also the nature. We've seen that what has become the predominant form of sexual violence now in Haiti are collective rapes, gang rapes. And as your reporter also showed, the victims are very young. But what also is shocking is the perpetrators are also quite young. At least half the gang members in Haiti are minors. And this is something new and terrifying.

[James Menendez]

Is it also that many women and girls are more vulnerable because of the level of displacement in the city and the country?

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Absolutely. Oh. The displacement, which is also driven by gang violence, makes vulnerable people even more vulnerable. So terrifying statistics of the number of women in displacement sites or who are displaced that have also been victims of sexual violence. So it's just a cocktail that's leading to this really horrific situation.

[James Menendez]

The U.S. i mean, over history has seen Haiti has been in its backyard. It's often stepped in at Various points, but it is now pulling aid as part of those wider cuts to foreign aid. Is it abandoning Haiti in your view?

[Charlotte Gallagher]

I hope not. I really hope they're not abandoning Haiti. But I have to say the cuts in aid have had a devastating impact on what was already a very weak system or capacity to help the survivors of sexual violence, in particular collective rapes. These are very complicated situations where women need psychosocial help, medical help, shelter, earning income, where do they go later, dangerous to return to where they came from. So cuts of this of that magnitude are really, really devastating. And also I have to mention that most of the weapons and bullets that the gangs use to have this kind of power to commit these awful crimes come from the United States. So it's incumbent on the United States to do much more to stop the weapons and bullets and to sanction more of the oligarchs and politicians are also linked to the gangs.

[James Menendez]

However terrible the symptoms, it is of course important to treat the disease. What do you think can be done to loosen the grip of the gangs? And I mean, this is the big question, provide some semblance of governance in Haiti?

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Yes, well, that's it. And it's all about security. And so the Haitian National Police need a lot of help. There aren't enough of them. They don't have what they need to succeed against the gangs. The Kenyan led multinational force needs also to be strengthened. They don't have enough of anything, people, vehicles, helicopters. And then as I just mentioned on the other side of it, we have to stop the flow of weapons and bullets to the gangs which enable them to have such powers.

[Alex Ritson]

That was William o', Neill, the United nations designated expert on the humanitarian situation in Haiti. As the Ukraine Russia conflict drags on, any kind of ceasefire seems far off. But one thing the two countries do agree on is the exchange of prisoners of war. Almost 7,000 Ukrainians and thousands of Russian troops have been able to go home. Our correspondent in Kyiv, Charlotte Gallagher, has met a Ukrainian Marine who was held in a Russian camp for three years.

[Mai El Wawada]

The moment Maxim and his family waited years for, a reunion they feared might never happen. His home village came out and changed, cheered for his return, lining the road and holding Ukrainian flags. Maxim was a 22 year old Marine when he was taken in Mariupol. His small unit was encircled by Russian troops at Azov Style steelworks in the city. Maxim had already been hit by shrapnel. He still has the photos of his bloodied and broken helmet. Faced with certain death, Maxim's commander decided to surrender.

[Alex Ritson]

We surrendered as a group.

[James Menendez]

Because we felt that it was safer.

[Alex Ritson]

I felt helpless. It was a terrible feeling.

[Mai El Wawada]

It was the start of his three year nightmare in Russian captivity.

[Alex Ritson]

When we arrived, they beat us with hands, sticks and belts, anything they had. We heard one guy being beaten unconscious and then they woke him up and beat him again. He then went silent and we think he must have died.

[Mai El Wawada]

In April, Maxim was finally released as part of a prisoner of war exchange. His experiences in captivity stay with him.

[Alex Ritson]

To be honest, I have really bad dreams and sometimes I wake up screaming, sorry, my ear is whistling from my head injury.

[Mai El Wawada]

He's now at a rehabilitation centre with other prisoners of war, men scarred by their experiences. It's in the middle of a forest. It used to be a place where families went on holiday. There's still a child's climbing frame in the garden. It couldn't be more different to the Russian camp. There's yoga at 4pm Maxim smiles.

[K.J. Matthews]

More.

[Mai El Wawada]

Prisoner swaps were one of the few things Russia and Ukraine managed to agree at this week's peace talks. It wasn't a ceasefire breakthrough, but for people like Maxim and his family, those swaps are a second chance at life and a glimmer of hope in a bitter and brutal war.

[Alex Ritson]

Charlotte Gallagher in Kyiv. Dogs can easily be distracted when out for a walk, particularly if they like to chase other animals. Guide dogs need to resist that natural urge so they can keep their blind or partially sighted owners safe. There are about 20,000 registered guide dogs around the world. Training them takes time, patience and sometimes a little bit of innovation. In one centre here in the uk, they've come up with a new technique using remote controlled squirrel cars to teach the puppies to ignore such distractions. Dog behaviour expert Dr. Karen Brady told us more.

[Dr. Karen Brady]

There is a really serious reason for doing it. We find that, as you can imagine, the majority of dogs, when they see something small and fluffy run, they want to chase it. It's their natural instincts. But for a guide dog, this simply can't happen. They need to safely be able to guide their guide dog owner from a be without being distracted. And training around real life squirrels, as you can imagine, is very difficult and unpredictable, whereas having one that we can control in the form of a toy squirrel tied to a remote control car makes it easy for us to set our dogs up for success in these situations. It does work and we have to build it up really slowly and then translate it into real life. So we start off very gradually. We teach our dogs controlled environment to do their guiding work. While we initially drive the car very slowly in the distance and then build it up so it is whizzing around all over the place. Then we take that little squirrel car out on the road and drive it out on the pavements, out of the bushes while the dogs are working. And eventually, at some point when they're working, a real squirrel will pop across and they'll go, oh, well, I know what to do in this situation. I carry on guiding and I reach my objective. We have lots of techniques that we use. We use stuffed dogs in cases. We do have a stuffed cat that meows and purrs to help our dogs get used to cats in real life as well. It could be anything that moves quickly. We're talking bikes, e scooters, anything like that that might move quite quickly that we need our dogs to get used to and be okay with and not be distracted by when they're working.

[Alex Ritson]

Dr. Karen Brady of the Guide Dogs charity. And on the BBC website, you can find a video of how the squirrel car is being used to train a couple of aspirational guide dogs. And that's all from us for now, but there'll be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the top topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk you can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by D' Arcy Obrie and the producers were Carla Conti and Muzaffa Shakir. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time. Goodbye.