The most recent report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) states that two hospitals in Gaza City, Al Ahli and As Sahaba, have been supplied with a combined amount of 10,500 liters of fuel. This will allow their generators to run for approximately seven days.

However, aid organizations have cautioned that even with the temporary cessation of hostilities, there is still a critical need for additional assistance.

The residents of northern Gaza have not seen much progress in their access to clean water, as the main water production facilities have either closed due to a lack of fuel or been damaged by Israeli airstrikes. This has been a result of the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 240 hostages. The situation is concerning and has been brought to attention.

The UN Spokesperson informed reporters in New York that aid distribution has been improved in the southern regions of Wadi Gaza, where the majority of internally displaced individuals are currently residing. This includes providing resources such as fuel for hospitals, clean water and sanitation facilities, and shelters.

According to Stéphane Dujarric, cooking gas has been coming in daily from Egypt during the pause period. It is currently being sold at one distribution center in Khan Younis, but in insufficient amounts to meet the high demand for it.

UN human rights experts express shock at increasing instances of sexual violence in Sudan.

On Thursday, experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council expressed increased concern about the increase in gender-based violence in Sudan, particularly by the Rapid Support Forces militia.

As per the United Nations, over six million individuals have been forcefully uprooted within and outside the nation due to ongoing conflict between the RSF and national army, starting in mid-April.

The experts expressed shock over the widespread use of gender-based violence, such as sexual violence, as a tactic of war to dominate, intimidate, harm, and penalize women and girls, and as a form of retaliation against specific communities targeted by the RSF and allied militias.

The militia joined forces with national forces until reaching a stalemate in April. It originated from the infamous Janjaweed militia that was active in Darfur during the 2000s.

Slavery, trafficking, rape

It was emphasized that sexual violence has been employed against individuals who are not Sudanese migrants, refugees, or stateless persons during the violent conflict over land and power.

During the month of August, experts who are not affiliated with any group expressed worry about accounts of several severe breaches committed specifically by the RSF.

Reports were received regarding sexual exploitation, slavery, trafficking, and rape. Additionally, there were also reports of enforced disappearances, which may have been motivated by race, ethnicity, or political dissent, particularly in cases where individuals expressed opposition to the presence of armed groups.

Subsequently, there have been accounts of women and girls being coerced into prostitution and marriage against their will.

“The UN experts stated that these grave actions are no longer limited to just Khartoum or Darfur, but have expanded to other regions of the nation, such as Kordofan.”

The Human Rights Council established an international fact-finding mission for Sudan last month. They are urging this mission to investigate the human rights violations and crimes and hold those responsible accountable.

The United Nations leader calls for a complete end to the use of “repugnant” chemical weapons.

Thursday commemorates the Remembrance Day for All Victims of Chemical Warfare. On this day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the importance of putting an end to the use of these abhorrent weapons.

On X, the leader of the United Nations stated in a post that we should put an end to chemical weapons in honor of those who have suffered.

He stated in his official message commemorating the international day that putting an end to this epidemic requires adhering to the Chemical Weapons Convention’s mandate to prohibit the utilization of any chemical weapons and holding accountable those who employ them, particularly when targeting civilians.

It has been a decade since the tragic use of chemical weapons in the Ghouta neighborhood of Damascus, which caused countless casualties, including innocent children.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is spearheading global initiatives to eliminate unlawful weapons.

48 countries brought forward a decision on Addressing the Threat from Chemical Weapons Use and the Threat of Future Use, which was adopted on Thursday during the Twenty-Eighth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

The Conference determined that Syria’s ongoing possession and utilization of chemical weapons, as well as its failure to provide an accurate and complete declaration and eliminate all undisclosed chemical weapons and production sites, have significantly undermined the objectives of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

When making the decision, countries who are parties to the agreement strongly denounced the use of chemical weapons by anyone, in any situation. They emphasized that the use of chemical weapons is never acceptable and goes against international norms and standards.

The goal is to apply Paragraph 3 of Article XII of the Convention for the first time, which outlines the steps that States Parties can take to ensure compliance.

The Hague is hosting a meeting of the OPCW to review advancements in the disarmament of chemical weapons. This issue first arose over 100 years ago during World War I, when the use of chemical weapons, like mustard gas, caused over 100,000 deaths and one million injuries.

Source: news.un.org