DR Congo crisis: Children subjected to deliberate, systemic sexual violence
Spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva via video link from Goma that children could account for up to 45 per cent of the nearly 10,000 cases of rape and sexual violence documented in January and February, amid heightened tensions…
Sudan war has created suffering of ‘industrial proportions’, aid agencies warn
“With no viable peace in sight, the Sudanese are trapped in a humanitarian crisis of industrial proportions,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. “Two out of three people need aid, that’s 30 million people…This, of…
Sudan faces unprecedented hunger and displacement as war enters third year
As the war enters its third year, UN humanitarians warn that immediate action is essential. “This is a manmade crisis, driven by conflict – not by drought or floods or earthquakes and because of the obstruction of access to humanitarian…
World Court begins hearing Sudan’s case accusing United Arab Emirates of ‘complicity in genocide’
The hearings in The Hague, focus on Sudan’s request for the court – the UN’s principal judicial organ – to impose provisional measures to prevent further alleged grave human rights violations. Brutal civil war Sudan’s military Government is alleging that…
Preventable ‘meningitis belt’ deaths targeted in health agency action plan
People anywhere, at any age can be infected with meningitis, which is transmitted through respiratory secretions or droplets in close human contact. Low and middle-income nations are worst-affected. The so-called “meningitis belt” in sub-Saharan Africa sees most cases and…
South Sudan: Conflict and hunger push millions to the brink
The situation is especially dire for returnees fleeing violence in Sudan, who now account for nearly half of those experiencing catastrophic hunger levels. The influx of over 1.1 million displaced people into already fragile communities has overwhelmed resources and relief…
DR Congo crisis: 41,700 refugees have fled violence to Uganda
Every day since the end of last month, around 600 Congolese have been crossing the border into Uganda – which hosts the largest number of refugees in Africa – bringing the total sheltering there to nearly 600,000, out of a…
UN reflects on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda
António Guterres joined survivors, diplomats and civil society members for the annual ceremony in the UN General Assembly Hall to mourn the lives lost in this “chilling chapter in human history” and to prevent it from ever happening again. He…
Sudan: Suffering continues amid massive destruction across Khartoum
Mohamed Refaat, IOM Chief of Mission in Sudan, was speaking to reporters after returning from previously inaccessible Khartoum state, which is now back under the control of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). War erupted between the SAF and former ally…
DR Congo: Armed violence displaces thousands as cholera outbreak worsens
Intense clashes between local armed groups and M23 rebels were reported on Thursday in the town of Masisi Centre in North Kivu. Preliminary reports from partners on the ground indicate at least two civilian fatalities and multiple injuries, with several…