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World News in Brief: WHO chief asks US to reconsider withdrawal, gender parity remains distant goal, call for rethink on Nordic alcohol law change

INTERNATIONAL, 3 February 2025 Health - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday he would “welcome constructive dialogue” with the United States Government over the decision made by President Donald Trump to withdraw.
President Trump’s executive order of 20 January is regrettable “and we hope the US will reconsider,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a speech to the organization’s executive board.

The WHO chief said he would welcome the opportunity “to preserve and strengthen the historic relationship between WHO and the US.”

Pushing back on the rationale laid out in the executive order, Tedros said WHO had implemented the deepest and most wide-ranging reforms in its history over the past seven years.

The US is the biggest donor by far to the agency, accounting for around 14 per cent of its $6.9 billion budget, according to latest WHO figures. 

Addressing the US complaint that it is paying too much compared to other countries, Tedros said reducing reliance on the US and others who pay the most was a “critical element of our long-term plan to broaden our donor base.”

COVID record

Third, he rejected the accusation that WHO had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic:

“From the moment we picked up the first signals of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, we asked for more information, activated our emergency incident management system, alerted the world, convened global experts, and published comprehensive guidance for countries on how to protect their populations and health systems – all before the first death from this new disease was reported in China on the 11th of January 2020.”

Tedros also addressed the allegation that WHO lacks independence from “inappropriate political influence” by some Member States: “WHO is impartial and exists to serve all countries and all people,” he said. 

“Our Member States ask us for many things, and we always try to help as much as we can. But when what they ask is not supported by scientific evidence or is contrary to our mission to support global health, we say no, politely.”

A government-run shelter in the Philippines is a safe haven for girls who have been physically and sexually abused and exploited, including through the sex tourism industry. (file)
© UNICEF/Joshua Estey
A government-run shelter in the Philippines is a safe haven for girls who have been physically and sexually abused and exploited, including through the sex tourism industry. (file)

A third of women experience physical or sexual violence: Rights experts 

Approximately one in three women is subjected to physical or sexual violence, and 800 women and girls continue to die every day from preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth, a top independent rights panel meeting heard on Monday.

Addressing the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) at the UN in Geneva, Andrea Ori from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said that the world is “still far” from achieving the goal of gender parity.

“The global landscape has changed,” she told the CEDAW session.

Backlash against equal rights

“We are witnessing a backlash against women’s human rights and gender equality, especially against women’s sexual and reproductive health rights – with an increase in attacks against abortion providers, shrinking civic space for women human rights defenders, and reduced funding.” 

Mr. Ori noted that 2025 marks 30 years since the universal adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action for ensuring women’s human rights and achieving gender equality around the world.  

It remains the case, however, that sexual violence against women and girls continues to be used as a tactic of war in numerous conflicts, the UN human rights official said, while only 26 per cent of parliamentarians in the world are women and only around three in 10 women have managerial roles at work. 

One less for the road: Time Europe cut down on booze intake, WHO warns

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) urged Nordic countries on Monday to keep a lid on alcohol sales, or risk reversing the positive impact of strict regulations put in place years ago.

For decades, governments in Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Faroe Islands have restricted supermarkets and private retailers from selling stronger alcoholic beverages.

This policy has resulted in some of the lowest alcohol consumption levels in the European Union – which by contrast is the booziest region globally, with drinking habits “largely unchanged” for over 10 years, WHO said.

Free market pressures

The Nordic model is now at risk however, from legislative initiatives in the region that signal a potential shift toward privatization of alcohol sales, warned WHO’s Dr. Carina Ferreira-Borges.

In Sweden, for instance, a court is hearing a challenge to the Government’s exclusive rights to online sales of alcohol, while proposed laws would permit sales of alcoholic beverages in farm shops.

Dr Ferreira-Borges explained that Nordic countries’ alcohol controls – that involve increasing taxes and raising prices, limiting availability and restricting advertising - have reduced alcohol-related harms. 

These span from “liver disease, cancers and cardiovascular conditions, to injuries and drownings”, she insisted. 

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West Bank violence undermining Gaza ceasefire: UNRWA

INTERNATIONAL, 3 February 2025 Peace and Security - Escalating hostilities in the occupied West Bank are putting the fragile ceasefire in Gaza at risk, the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, UNRWA, warned in a statement on Monday.
It comes a day after Israeli Security Forces (ISF) carried out a series of controlled detonations at the Jenin refugee camp, located in the northern West Bank, destroying large areas there “in a split second”.

UNRWA said it received no prior warning of the explosions “as contact between staff and Israeli authorities is no longer permitted - putting civilian lives at risk.”  

‘A ghost town’

The agency said residents of the camp “have endured the impossible, facing nearly two months of unceasing and escalating violence,” adding that Jenin “has been rendered a ghost town” in the past months. 

“The operations conducted both by Israeli and Palestinian security forces have led to the forced displacement of thousands of camp residents, many of whom will now have nowhere to return to,” it said. “The basics of life are gone.”

UNRWA noted that “on a day that was supposed to mark the beginning of the new school semester for thousands of children, 13 schools in the northern West Bank remained closed due to ISF operations in the area.”

Ceasefire undermined

Furthermore, its services inside Jenin camp have been interrupted for months and stopped completely in early December.

“Today’s shocking scenes in the West Bank undermine the fragile ceasefire reached in Gaza, and risk a new escalation,” the agency said.

The first phase of the temporary truce and hostage release deal came into effect two weeks ago, following 15 months of war which killed some 46,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health authorities.

The conflict was sparked by the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel. Some 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken as hostages.

In October 2024, the Israeli parliament adopted two laws banning UNRWA’s operations in its territory and prohibiting Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency, which went into force last Thursday. 

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Haiti: ‘I was deported to a country I never lived in’

INTERNATIONAL, By Antoine Lemonnier in Haiti 3 February 2025 Human Rights - Migrants who have been deported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti – the two Caribbean nations that share the island of Hispaniola – have been talking to the UN about the challenges of returning to a crisis-ridden country they barely know.

Mireille

Pregnant and exhausted and clutching a small bag with all that was left of her belongings, Mireille* stood under the relentless Haitian sun, not sure what to do next.

She had just been deported from the Dominican Republic, a country she had called home since she was eight years old.

Over the years she has seen Haiti, the land of her birth, overcome by gang violence as well as humanitarian, political and economic crises.

Mireille gazes through the protective bars at the GARR facility, reflecting on her journey back to Haiti.
© IOM/Antoine Lemonnier
Mireille gazes through the protective bars at the GARR facility, reflecting on her journey back to Haiti.

“I was deported to a country I never lived in,” she said, filled with a mix of anger and despair.

The Dominican Republic had been her home for nearly three decades. It was where she built her life, forged relationships and created memories. But overnight, she became an outsider, stripped of her dignity and forced to return to a country she didn’t know.

Mireille’s ordeal began in the early hours of the morning, five days before she crossed the border into Haiti when she was taken to a crowded and uncomfortable detention center, where she stayed for several days before being transported to the border.

A deportation truck arrives at the Belladère border crossing between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
© IOM/Antoine Lemonnier
A deportation truck arrives at the Belladère border crossing between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

“I arrived in Haiti feeling scared and unsure of what to do,” Mireille said. “I barely know this country, and I’m struggling to figure out where to start. It’s disorienting and difficult.”

Guerson and Roselène

Guerson and Roselène* had spent over a decade in the Dominican Republic, building their lives in Loma de Cabrera, not far from the border with Haiti.

Guerson worked as a mechanic at a small garage fixing cars, motorbikes, and agricultural equipment. His hands, often smeared with grease, were a source of pride. “People trusted me with their vehicles,” he said. “It was hard work, but I could provide for my family.”

Roselène, meanwhile, managed their modest home. She prepared meals and supplemented the family income by selling patés and fried plantains to neighbors.

A simple life

Their daily life was simple but stable. Their son Kenson attended a local preschool, and Roselène spoke of her pride seeing him learn to write his name.

Then the Dominican authorities arrived. “My children didn’t understand,” said Guerson. “Kenson asked if we were going on a trip. I didn’t know how to answer him.”

The family was herded onto a truck “I held my baby so tightly. I was afraid we wouldn’t survive the journey,” Guerson recalled.

Crossing the border into Haiti felt like stepping into chaos.

The town of Ouanaminthe, already struggling with a sharp increase in deportations, lacked the capacity to respond to the growing crisis.

Families stood on dusty roads, clutching bags and children, unsure of where to go.

“We stood there for hours, lost,” Roselène said. “The children were hungry. I didn’t know how to comfort them because I had nothing left to give.”

Crisis country

Mireille, Guerson and Roselène are just three of the more than 200,000 Haitians who were forcibly repatriated to their homeland in 2024, some 97 per cent of them from the Dominican Republic.

Nearly 15,000 people were returned from across the border in the first two weeks of January alone.

They returned to a country in crisis.

Guerson (left) and Roselène are beginning a new life in Haiti.
© IOM/Antoine Lemonnier
Guerson (left) and Roselène are beginning a new life in Haiti.

Armed groups now control large parts of the country, including key roads in and out of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The years of violence have displaced over 700,000 people, forcing families into precarious shelters including abandoned schools and churches. In these places, access to food, water and healthcare is limited, leaving many extremely vulnerable.

Nearly 5.5 million people, half of Haiti’s population, require humanitarian aid to survive.

Safety net across the border

Fortunately, when migrants cross over the border into Haiti, they are not alone.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) works with the Support Group for the Repatriated and Refugees (Groupe d'Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés, GARR) to ensure the returnees have access to a range of services to meet their immediate needs, including psychosocial support, health referrals, for example pre-natal care, and the distribution of basic items such as clothing, hygiene products, and toiletries.

Temporary accommodation is also available for the most vulnerable, so they can rest and take stock before moving forward with their lives.

IOM staff prepare to assist deported Haitians as they re-enter their home country.
© IOM/Antoine Lemonnier
IOM staff prepare to assist deported Haitians as they re-enter their home country.

For unaccompanied children, family reunifications are organised and in cases of gender-based violence, survivors are provided with specialised care.

IOM also works with the Office National de la Migration (ONM), Haiti’s government agency for migration.

ONM leads the registration process, ensuring that each individual is accounted for and works with IOM to assess vulnerabilities and provide individual assistance.

The future remains unclear for many returnees in a country where the vast majority of people struggle to get by on a daily basis.

Guerson and Roselène remain somewhat hopeful that they will return to the Dominican Republic someday. “In the meantime, I will find a way to work,” Guerson said softly, his words conveying uncertainty. “I do this for my children.”

*Names have been changed for their safety

Fact Box:

The work of IOM as well as GARR and ONM is supported by international donors, including the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

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Ukraine: UNICEF alarmed over incessant attacks devastating young lives

INTERNATIONAL, 2 February 2025 Peace and Security - The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed deep alarm over relentless attacks on populated areas in Ukraine and their devastating impact on children.
“I’m devastated by the ongoing attacks hitting heavily populated areas and killing and injuring many people, including children,” said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine, in a statement on Saturday.

In Poltava, a missile strike on a residential building reportedly injured three children, while at least four others were reportedly wounded in Kramatorsk, Sumy and Synelnykove in recent days.

The violence has left children not only with physical wounds but also deep psychological scars.

“These brutal attacks do not only cause physical and mental harm but strike at the holistic development of children,” Mr. Mammadzade stressed.

Schools damaged

The attacks are also taking a devastating toll on education.

In Odesa, two schools were reportedly damaged – one of which had received shatter-resistant film from UNICEF, preventing major interior damage. Two other schools in Nikopol and Zaporizhzhia also suffered damage.

UNICEF reiterated its call for the protection of children and the infrastructure they rely on such as schools, health facilities, social services and energy systems.

“Hitting heavily populated areas with explosive weapons must be avoided for the sake of every child, every civilian,” Mr. Mammadzade urged.

He also emphasised the need for a sustained peace, one in which children can recover from war, regain their education and rebuild their futures.

Health system under strain

The violence has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation, amid widespread destruction of homes, hospitals and other critical infrastructure.

Fighting has intensified along the Donetsk and Kharkiv frontlines, leading to mass displacement. In the first two weeks of January alone, over 1,600 people, including children, fled their homes, with mandatory evacuations ordered for families in high-risk areas, according to the Health Cluster.

Authorities reported the evacuation of 132 people, including 12 children, from Donetsk oblast on 11 January, while on 23 January, 267 children were evacuated from high-risk areas in Kharkiv oblast.

Responding to the situation, Health Cluster partners, in collaboration with local authorities, continue to deploy mobile medical teams to provide essential healthcare services and mental health and psychosocial support.

In January alone, teams delivered essential health services to 578 people in two designated transit centers in Kharkiv and Dnipro oblasts.

Led by UN World Health Organization (WHO), the Health Cluster coordinates the efforts of over 900 partners globally to address health needs in humanitarian emergencies, providing expertise, capacity-building and technical guidance to ensure effective and life-saving responses in crisis-affected regions.

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UNOPS: the UN agency turning commitments into reality

INTERNATIONAL, 1 February 2025 Humanitarian Aid - Nations around the world which are seeking practical solutions to peace and security, humanitarian and development issues are marking 30 years of collaboration with a specialized UN agency.
Despite immense security risks and logistical challenges, the agency worked with international partners to transport and eliminate hundreds of tonnes of chemical materials under strict deadlines. This mission drew praise from global leaders, illustrating how a UN body with the right expertise can help neutralize threats to international peace and security.

The devastating 2004 tsunami left Indonesian provinces Aceh and Nias in ruins. Amid overwhelming damage, UNOPS constructed 225 earthquake-resistant schools in the region, providing children with secure, modern learning environments. By combining engineering expertise, local labor, and a rapid implementation timeline, education was revitalized for communities that had lost so much.

UNOPS commitment to helping protect the environment was also highlighted through its work on the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty that led to the healing of the ozone layer. By providing technical guidance and project support, UNOPS helped countries transition to safer alternatives for nearly 100 chemicals that harm the ozone layer.

A newly installed tap in Mirtala Village,  India provides a clean water supply
© UNOPS/John Rae
A newly installed tap in Mirtala Village, India provides a clean water supply

Bridging the gap between ambition and action

In any country coming out of conflict, rebuilding essential infrastructure can make the biggest difference. UNOPS remains committed to supporting countries in conflict – building on its recent work in Ukraine, Syria and Gaza, which has been practically reduced to rubble. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is still in its early stages, but UNOPS stands ready to support a coordinated UN reconstruction response.

From its beginnings as a small department to its evolution into a driving force for concrete action, the UNOPS journey is a testament to the power of resilience, innovation, and partnership. As global challenges multiply, the agency’s role in bridging the gap between humanitarian, developmental and environmental needs is an example of what the UN can achieve through determination, expertise, and a global commitment to improving lives worldwide.

Today, the office is committed to bridging the gap between ambitions and tangible action, building foundations for countries to recover and thrive, from constructing schools and hospitals, building roads that connect communities in remote areas, and strengthening health systems.

In 2025, as it marks its 30th anniversary, UNOPS is planning for the future, to ensure that it provides solutions where needs are greatest, with a focus on serving some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. 

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Sudan: UN rights chief ‘alarmed’ by summary executions, attacks on civilians

INTERNATIONAL, 31 January 2025 Peace and Security - The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has voiced deep alarm over reports of summary executions of civilians allegedly carried out by fighters and militias allied with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the city of Khartoum North, calling for an immediate halt to the killings.   
Government forces and a rival military – the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – have been battling for control of the country since April 2023 in what Mr. Türk called a “senseless war”, which has recently taken an “even more dangerous turn for civilians” as reports of people brutally killed in ethnically targeted attacks mount.

In a statement released on Friday, the High Commissioner reported that at least 18 civilians, including one woman, were killed in seven separate incidents after SAF forces regained control of the area around Khartoum North – Sudan’s third largest city - on 25 January, according to verified information from the rights chief’s office (OHCHR).

Many of the victims were originally from the Darfur and Kordofan regions, raising concerns about targeted violence.

“These reports of summary executions, following similar incidents earlier this month in Al Jazirah State, are deeply disturbing,” said Mr. Türk.

“Such killings must not become normalised. Deliberately taking the life of a civilian or anyone not or no longer directly taking part in hostilities is a war crime,” he emphasised.

Disturbing threats circulate online

OHCHR is also investigating disturbing video footage that surfaced on 30 January, in which men in SAF uniforms and members of the Al Baraa Bin Malik Brigade in Khartoum North appear to read out a list of alleged RSF collaborators, saying "Zaili," which is Arabic for “killed”, after each name.

Meanwhile, further threats of violence have emerged, with a video showing a member of the same brigade threatening to slaughter residents of El Hadj Yusif in East Nile, another area of Khartoum North mainly inhabited by people from Darfur and Kordofan.

Mr. Türk urged all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian and human rights law.

“Independent investigations must be held into these incidents in line with relevant international standards,” he underscored.

Civilians under fire

Meanwhile, attacks on civilians by the RSF continue across Sudan.

In El Fasher, North Darfur, the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) was shelled again on 29 January, killing nine civilians, including two women and a child, and injuring at least 12 others.

Hospitals have also been targeted. On 24 January, a drone attack attributed to the RSF killed at least 67 people and injured 19 at Al-Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher. The attack severely damaged the emergency unit, rendering it inoperable.

The hospital - the only facility providing specialised maternal care in the area - has now been struck twice this month and was shelled at least 13 times in 2024.

“Deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects are abhorrent,” Mr. Türk stated. “They must end immediately and so must incitement to violence against civilians,” he emphasised.

As violence escalates, Mr. Türk reiterated the urgent need for all parties to uphold their legal obligations and ensure the protection of civilians. 

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Diplomacy key to ending crisis in eastern DR Congo: UN peacekeeping chief

INTERNATIONAL, 31 January 2025 Peace and Security - The head of UN Peace Operations has underscored the need for continued diplomatic efforts to end the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and avert the potential for wider conflict.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed journalists at UN Headquarters on Friday, as the M23 rebel group and Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) continued their march toward the city of Bukavu, having taken control of the provincial capital, Goma, earlier this week.

“We are concerned not only as far as the eastern DRC is concerned, but if you look at the past, this has the potential of triggering a wider regional conflict,” he said.

“Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that all diplomatic efforts should be geared towards avoiding this and bringing about a cessation of hostilities.”

Protection a priority

Mr. Lacroix was speaking as the M23 were some 60 kilometres north of Bukavu and “seem to be moving quite fast.” 

He provided an update on Goma, where the situation remains tense and volatile but calm is gradually being restored.  Water and electricity are also up and running, though unexploded ordnance continue to present “a very serious obstacle to freedom of movement”.

The UN has a peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known by the French acronym MONUSCO, and several of its bases have been re-supplied which he said is critical as a “significant number” of people are also sheltering in these locations.

“The priority of the mission remains the protection of its personnel, assets, and, of course, the many civilians sheltering within its premises - civilians and disarmed combatants. All are being protected by MONUSCO in accordance with international humanitarian law,” he said.

He reported that the bases “are under significant pressure” when it comes to providing water rations, sanitation and other support to those inside.   

Political engagement ongoing

Meanwhile, the MONUSCO leadership is increasing political engagement with the Congolese authorities. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the mission, Bintou Keita, has held discussions with top officials, including the Prime Minister and the leaders of the army and police.

A joint Government-MONUSCO group has been established to coordinate on various issues, including in the security, human rights, humanitarian and communications spheres, as well as the legal status of the territories under the control of the M23 and the RDF.

Mr. Lacroix highlighted the “florescence” of diplomatic activities in response to the crisis, which includes two UN Security Council meetings, a summit by the East African Community (EAC), another by the Southern African bloc SADC, and a meeting of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council

The European Union, along with the United Kingdom, the United States and others, have also weighed in.

“Up to now, this has not resulted in cessation of hostilities,” he remarked, noting that “the M23 and the RDF are currently progressing towards the south, towards Bukavu, and that is of course a matter of concern.”

Respect UN premises

The peacekeeping chief emphasized the need to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and civilians, including those sheltering in MONUSCO bases, and respect for UN premises which are inviolable.

“We cannot stress this enough in the current circumstances where MONUSCO bases are under stress, but also in some cases they have been under threat,” he said.

He stated that “diplomatic engagement and activities need to continue” towards the ultimate objective of ending the violence. 

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‘Robbed’ of their childhood: UNICEF warns of crisis facing Haiti’s youth

INTERNATIONAL, 31 January 2025 Humanitarian Aid - Violent clashes this week between security forces and armed groups on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince have led to another wave of displacement, according to the UN aid coordination office (OCHA). 
In a briefing on Friday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported that more than 1,600 men, women and children have fled. 

Two-thirds are seeking refuge with host families and over 500 sheltering in three newly established displacement sites, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Children at risk

The situation for children remains particularly dire. The number of internally displaced children in Haiti has increased by nearly 50 per cent since September, now exceeding half a million. 

UNICEF reports that approximately one in eight children in the country is now displaced.

The agency also warns of a 70 per cent rise in child recruitment by gangs over the past year, with up to half of gang members in Haiti now estimated to be children.

‘Childhood is a right’

Speaking from a prison in Port-au-Prince where dozens of children are being held, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder described the growing desperation:

“I’m in a prison in Port-au-Prince where dozens of children are being held,” he said, explaining that 85 per cent of this capital city is controlled by armed groups.

“So, child recruitment into armed groups is rampant. Children get recruited. It’s out of desperation. It’s out of manipulation, out of being engulfed in violence,” he emphasised.

Mentioning a 16-year-old girl who dreamt of being a paediatrician, but was caught up in a raid, he said: “The point of this is that childhood should not be a gift. Childhood is a right.”

Humanitarian needs grow

The crisis is further aggravated by forced returns from neighbouring countries. 

In the first two weeks of January alone, nearly 15,000 Haitians were returned from the Dominican Republic, adding to the 200,000 people deported across the region last year.

Meanwhile, natural disasters have worsened conditions across the country. 

Since November, nearly 330,000 people have been affected by floods in six of Haiti’s departments, leaving dozens dead and damaging or destroying nearly 50,000 homes.

UN appeals 

The UN has launched a $908 million humanitarian appeal to assist 3.9 million people in Haiti this year.

"We urge the international community to scale up its support so that we and our humanitarian partners can support the people of Haiti who need it," said Mr. Dujarric. 

As conditions deteriorate, UN agencies and humanitarian organizations stress the need for urgent international action to protect Haiti’s most vulnerable, particularly its children - trapped in a cycle of violence, displacement and deprivation.

“For those of us with freedom, those with safety, those who have an opportunity - we also have a responsibility. We have a responsibility to raise our voices for those who simply do not have one,” Mr. Elder said.  

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UN agencies warn of worsening humanitarian and human rights crisis in eastern DR Congo

INTERNATIONAL, 31 January 2025 Humanitarian Aid - United Nations agencies on Friday called for an end to the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as fighting between Government forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group expands.
The rebels have already seized the provincial capital, Goma, and reports indicate that they are closing in on the key city of Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province.

The hostilities are occurring in a mineral-rich region that has been volatile for decades amid a proliferation of armed groups, which has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes over the years and seek safety in displacement camps.

A camp in eastern DR Congo provides security for some of the seven million displaced people in the country.
WFP
A camp in eastern DR Congo provides security for some of the seven million displaced people in the country.

Critical supplies dwindling

UN humanitarians warn that the situation continue to worsen for civilians likely trapped by days of intense fighting in and around Goma, which has a population of over one million.

Displacement camps on the city’s outskirts, previously hosting more than 300,000 people, are emptying out as people flee the violence. Medical services are overwhelmed by the number of injured, both civilians and military personnel.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said water and food are running low, and the next 24 hours are crucial.

“People are really running out of food, clean water, medical supplies and that’s a big concern. So, the supply chain has really been strangled at the moment,” said WFP Spokesperson Shelley Thakral.

Several WFP warehouses have been looted and teams are taking stock of what they will need to procure locally and transfer by road to ensure they have provisions once operations resume in the critically affected areas.

WFP’s priority is keeping its staff and their dependents safe, and only critical staff remain in the area who are getting ready to resume operations as soon security permits.

Summary executions and sexual violence

Meanwhile, the human rights crisis also continues to deepen in the east.  

At least two sites for internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been bombed, causing civilian casualties, the UN human rights office, OHCHRreported.

Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said OHCHR has documented summary executions of at least 12 people by the M23 between 26 and 28 January.

The Office has also documented cases of conflict-related sexual violence by the army and allied Wazalendo fighters in Kalehe territory, located in South Kivu.  

It is also verifying reports that 52 women were raped by Congolese troops in South Kivu, including alleged reports of gangrape.

Violations could worsen

Meanwhile, in other areas under M23 control in South Kivu, such as Minova, fighters have occupied schools and hospitals, forced IDPs out of camps and subjected the civilian population to forced conscription and forced labour.

Additionally, DRC officials report that at least 165 women were raped by male inmates during the mass prison break from Goma’s Muzenze prison on 27 January, as M23 began its assault on the town.

Mr. Laurence recalled that conflict-related sexual violence has been an appalling feature of armed conflict in eastern DRC for decades, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, “is particularly concerned that this latest escalation risks deepening the risk of conflict-related sexual violence much further.“

End the violence

He said OHCHR continues to receive urgent requests from civilians for protection and is working with UN colleagues and other partners to ensure their safety. 

“As M23 reportedly advances towards Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, the High Commissioner calls for an end to the violence and for all parties to uphold their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law,” he said.

Recognize the crisis

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also voiced deep concern over the hundreds of thousands of civilians uprooted by the heavy fighting and violence in Goma, some of whom were already previously displaced.

IOM appealed to the international community to recognize the staggering scale of the crisis and support the humanitarian response. 

“With the current alarming upsurge in fighting, an already dire situation is rapidly becoming very much worse,” said Director General Amy Pope. 

“IOM joins the UN Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and full humanitarian access, so that we can rapidly scale up our response and ensure that life-saving aid reaches those in need.”   

Appeal for support

The UN agency has been supporting displaced and host communities in Goma and surrounding areas by providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance, among other aid.

IOM warned, however, that both the agency and humanitarian partners are struggling to meet the urgent needs in the DRC.

This year, humanitarians are seeking $2.5 billion for the country, with at least $50 million urgently needed to address the latest displacement, scale-up life-saving assistance, and prevent further suffering. 

More to come on this developing story… 

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Gazans depend on us for ‘sheer survival’ insists UNRWA

INTERNATIONAL, 31 January 2025 Peace and Security - The largest UN agency in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, UNRWA, said on Friday that its staff are still providing aid to the people of Gaza and the West Bank including East Jerusalem who depend on them “for their sheer survival”, a day after the Israeli parliament ban on its activities entered into force.
The development came as more than 462,000 people are estimated to have crossed from south Gaza to the north since the opening of the Salah ad Din and Al Rashid roads on Monday.

The UN and humanitarian partners are assisting those on the move by providing water, high-energy biscuits and medical care along these two routes.

Once back in the north, UN aid workers have reported seeing Gazans using shovels to remove rubble and setting up makeshift shelters or tents where their homes used to be.

Impending catastrophe

Any disruption to UNRWA’s work will have “catastrophic consequences on the lives and futures of Palestine refugees”, insisted Juliette Touma, Director of Communications for the UN Relief and Works Agency, pointing to the agency’s massive reach into the communities where it has provided free healthcare and education for decades.

Last October, the Israeli parliament - the Knesset - passed two laws that called for ending UNRWA’s operations in its territory and prohibiting Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency.

That developed followed Israeli accusations that UNRWA workers were involved in the 7 October attacks that sparked the war in Gaza. Nine staff were sacked after an internal UN investigation for possible involvement.

Under the Knesset ban, UNRWA was ordered to vacate all premises in occupied East Jerusalem and cease operations in them by 30 January.

“Our teams continue to serve, even though they themselves in Gaza as an example, they themselves are impacted, they themselves have been forced to flee their homes,” Ms. Touma explained.

“They continue to serve and we are committed as UNRWA to stay and deliver across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. That includes the Gaza Strip, it includes the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”

She noted that no official communication has been received from the Israeli authorities on how the Knesset ban will be implemented across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

No alternative

“In the absence of any durable solution, Palestine refugees will continue to depend on UNRWA for basic services including health and education; and in Gaza, in the aftermath of the devastation caused by the war, for their sheer survival,” Ms. Touma maintained.

She noted that UNRWA’s health centres continued to receive patients in East Jerusalem in the West Bank on Thursday, while schools were expecting to reopen on Sunday after a scheduled break.

“Our teams…will continue to provide learning for children. We have around 50,000 boys and girls across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, who go to UNRWA’s schools,” Ms. Touma said.

Aid boost continues

As the UN-wide effort to flood Gaza with aid continues, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced plans to set up more aid distribution points this week in the north, where all of its bakeries are now running once again.

The UN agency reported that together with UNRWA it has resumed “fully-fledged” food parcel distribution and reached 350,000 people since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January.

Some 20,000 hot meals are also being distributed daily in Beit Lahia, in the far north, said Antoine Renard, WFP’s Country Director in Palestine, who underscored the need for non-food supplies – so-called dual use items – to be allowed into the war-shattered enclave also.

Medical emergency

Echoing that message, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said that only 18 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are even partly functional, with just one-third – 57 of the 142 primary healthcare centres and 11 field hospitals – also partly functional.

“The ceasefire is good news for our scale up of aid,” said  Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in OPT. “As we know, the influx in the north has increased health needs. So 450,000 people have crossed into northern Gaza [and] there's only there 10 partially functional hospitals in Gaza City and one minimally functional hospital in north Gaza.”

Amid reports that 2,500 children at risk of imminent death in Gaza need immediate medical evacuation, Dr Peeperkorn said that between 12,000 and 14,000 people need specialized care outside the enclave.

“So, what we have been asking for all the time…is first and foremost a restoration of the referrals, the traditional referral pathway to West Bank and East Jerusalem. The East Jerusalem hospitals and the West Bank hospitals are ready to receive Gazan and Palestinian critical patients,” he said.

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