Sudan: Sexual violence used as weapon of terror against women and girls
It is nearly two years since the brutal war between the forces of the military government in Khartoum and the Rapid Support Forces militia erupted, sparking one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Human rights abuses have been committed on…
Myanmar quake: UN calls for urgent protection for vulnerable women and girls
As emergency aid trickles in, women and girls who were already vulnerable due to years of conflict, displacement and economic instability, now face even greater risks from gender-based violence and exploitation, according to a UN-led coalition responding to the crisis….
UN condemns killing of 1,000 people in Gaza since ceasefire collapse
He condemned the reported killing of more than a thousand people, including women and children, since the collapse of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on 18 March. In his daily press briefing, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that large-scale…
Sudan on brink of famine as fighting ravages Darfur, UN warns
Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that “the humanitarian and security situation in Sudan remains dire and is worsening.” He highlighted intense fighting around El Fasher, noting, “we are gravely alarmed by reports of intensified hostilities… including attacks in the past two…
Myanmar earthquake latest: Entire communities flattened, aid teams say
Speaking to journalists from Yangon on Tuesday, Julia Rees, Deputy Representative of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the country described seeing massive needs rising by the hour, after a 7.7 magnitude quake. “Entire communities have been flattened,” she said,…
DR Congo: Surging violence as armed groups target civilians in the east, Human Rights Council hears
The grim revelation emerged during a high-level discussion at the UN in Geneva on the human rights situation in DRC. The Council – the UN’s foremost human rights forum – also heard updates on allegations of ongoing abuses in South…
Gaza aid worker killings: One humanitarian still missing in mass grave
“This is a huge blow to us…These people were shot,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. UN human rights chief Volker Türk issued a statement on Monday condemning the Israeli military’s attack, calling for an…
Lebanon: UN expresses deep concern over latest Israeli airstrikes, in call for restraint
Tuesday morning’s strike reportedly targeted a Hezbollah official who Israel accused of aiding Hamas in planning an imminent terror attack against civilians. It was the second Israeli strike in the southern suburb in five days. “The UN reiterates the calls…
Myanmar earthquake tragedy ‘compounds already dire crisis’
Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator Marcoluigi Corsi expressed the UN’s profound sorry at the immense loss of life stemming from Friday’s 7.7 and 6.4 magnitude quakes with the death toll rising to around 2,000, according to the country’s military junta. “The…
Gaza: UN relief chief demands ‘answers and justice’ following killings of first responders
The clearly identified humanitarian workers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, Palestinian Civil Defence and the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, had been despatched to collect injured people on 23 March in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, when they…