Admin, Автор в Human Rights & Charity

Rights chief urges Russia to end crackdown as journalist detentions reach all-time high

Volker Türk said he was concerned by the increasing number of journalists charged, convicted and jailed for their independent reporting, in what appears to be an intensification of a crackdown on dissenting voices.

He described the continuous attacks on free speech and the criminalization of independent journalism in Russia as “very troubling”.

UNHumanRights

“The intensification of the crackdown on journalists’ independent work must immediately cease and the right to inform – a key component of the right to freedom of expression – needs to be upheld,” he said.

Criminal charges, lengthy sentences

The number of imprisoned journalists in Russia has reached an all-time high since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the High Commissioner’s Office, OHCHR, reported.

At least 30 journalists are currently detained under a variety of criminal charges that include terrorism, extremism, disseminating knowingly false information about the armed forces, spying, treason, extortion, infringing upon people’s rights, violating the provisions of the law on foreign agents, inciting mass disturbances, and illegal possession of explosives or drugs.

Twelve are serving sentences ranging from five-and-a-half to 22 years behind bars. They include Vladimir Kara-Murza, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post newspaper in the United States, who was on Monday awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Commentary.

Controlling the narrative

Since March, at least seven journalists have faced administrative or criminal charges, particularly for criticism of Russia’s actions in Ukraine or for alleged links to the late opposition politician Alexey Navalny, and his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which was labelled as ‘extremist’ in 2021.

“The Russian authorities appear to be attempting to further strengthen control of the narrative, both around domestic issues and the conduct of hostilities in Ukraine,” Mr. Türk said.

“As a result, people in Russia have increasingly restricted access to non-State information and viewpoints, which hampers their ability to benefit from diverse sources and make fully informed decisions on matters of vital public interest.”

Release jailed journalists

The UN rights chief also expressed concern over the frequent use of the broad legislative framework to combat terrorism and extremism, urging the authorities to amend the legislation.

“Journalists should be able to work in a safe environment without fear of reprisals – in line with Russia’s international human rights obligations,” he said. “I call on the authorities to immediately drop charges against journalists detained solely for doing their jobs, and to release them.”

Misinformation and politicisation of migration is ‘clouding public discourse’

World Migration Report 2024 reveals a significant shift in global migration patterns, including a record number of people displaced due to conflict, violence, natural and other disasters.

Speaking at the launch in Dhaka, Bangladesh, IOM Director General Amy Pope said the report aims to “demystify the complexity of human mobility through evidence-based data and analysis”.

UNmigration

Driving development and growth

International migration remains a driver of human development and economic growth, as highlighted by a more than 650 per cent increase in international remittances from 2000 to 2022, rising from $128 billion to $831 billion.

Growth continued despite predictions that remittances would decrease substantially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the money, $647 billion, was sent to low and middle-income countries, constituting a significant portion of their GDP – that is, the amount of money earned from the sale of all goods and services.

Globally, these remittances now surpass foreign direct investment in those countries.

Record displacement

The report also reveals ongoing challenges. Although most people continue to live in the country where they were born, an estimated 281 million people worldwide are international migrants, or roughly 3.6 per cent of the global population. Of this number, 117 million are displaced – the highest level yet.

IOM said migration is an intrinsic part of human history, but it is often overshadowed by sensationalized narratives and headlines that belie the reality on the ground.

“Most migration is regular, safe, and regionally focused, directly linked to opportunities and livelihoods,” the UN agency affirmed. “Yet, misinformation and politicisation have clouded public discourse, necessitating a clear and accurate portrayal of migration dynamics.”

Spotlight on Bangladesh

IOM chose Dhaka as the site for the report’s launch to both highlight Bangladesh’s efforts to support vulnerable migrants and promote pathways to regular migration and to recognize the country’s important role in shaping global migration discourse and policy.

As a champion of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, adopted in December 2018, Bangladesh has demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing migration issues and implementing policies that safeguard migrants’ rights, IOM said.

The country’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Hasan Mahmud, said “Bangladesh will not only continue to act upon the pledges it has made for its domestic context but would also take up emerging issues and challenges pertaining to migration and development for informed deliberations at the international level.”

Ongoing war in Sudan stalls progress in disputed Abyei region

Despite these challenges, the UN remains prepared to support both parties, in close collaboration with the African Union, once they resume political negotiation said Jean-Pierre Lacroix, briefing ambassadors at the Security Council.

Intercommunal tensions

The situation in Sudan has also exacerbated intercommunal tensions in Abyei, highlighted by recent clashes over cattle rustling that resulted in multiple fatalities among the Misseriya and Nuer communities.

“Over the weekend, UNISFA held a meeting with Misseriya, Nuer and Ngok Dinka representatives to extend support for peaceful resolution of conflict. With tensions high, political support for dialogue between the Nuer and other communities in Abyei is critical,” Mr. Lacroix added.

Under-Secretary-General Lacroix briefing the Security Council.

Humanitarian challenges

He said humanitarian conditions in Abyei are deteriorating, with the region facing a scarcity of essential services and goods. This crisis is compounded by an influx of people fleeing conflict in Sudan.

Despite the volatile security climate, which continues to impact their operations, UN agencies and their partners are committed to providing necessary aid.

“Four off-duty humanitarian personnel were killed during the uptick in clashes in late January and early February, and roughly 20,000 people in Abyei are estimated to have been displaced during this period,” he added.

The same period also saw two UN peacekeepers killed in hostile acts.

“We strongly condemn the attacks that led to their deaths and express our sincerest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives,” Mr. Lacroix said, calling on the authorities to investigate and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Fallout from Sudan crisis

Special Envoy Tetteh briefing the Security Council.

Hanna Tetteh, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa, also briefed the Security Council, echoing Mr. Lacroix’s concerns about the political, economic, and humanitarian fallout of the crisis in Sudan, notably affecting South Sudan.

“The influx of over 630,000 refugees and returnees from Sudan has increased pressure on the population’s limited access to food, water, and basic health services due to years of armed conflicts, intercommunal violence and environmental shocks,” she said.

Economic woes in South Sudan

Due to the ongoing conflict, South Sudan’s oil production and exportation, which relies on transit through Sudan, has been suspended since early February following incidents involving the Sudanese paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF) in White Nile state.

Ms. Tetteh told ambassadors that resumption of South Sudan’s oil exports remains unlikely within two months, despite an announcement by Sudanese authorities.

“The severe disruption of oil delivery, the flooding of oil fields, and the uncertain security situation in the Red Sea have exacerbated an already dire economic situation in South Sudan,” she said.

Justice officer from DR Congo mission wins UN Trailblazer award

UNPeacekeeping

First awarded in 2022, it acknowledges the exceptional contributions made by women justice and corrections officers serving from Member States across the world, who challenge gender stereotypes and barriers.

In an interview with UN News, Major Bouzi said she was deeply honoured and grateful to have been recognized for her efforts.

“First of all, it means a lot to me and to my country, Tunisia. And also it encourages me to continue what I have started and to aspire for greater responsibility and more achievement,” she said.

Combating stereotypes

Maj. Abouzi received her award on Tuesday at the UN Secretariat in New York.

In a video played following the ceremony, she said being a trailblazer means having the “courage and desire to pave the way for women in order to eliminate the systematic and persistent obstacles such as stereotypes and gender discrimination that prevent women from fully participating on an equal footing with men in a significant way to peace operations.”

When speaking to UN News, she detailed her daily commitments which include contributing to expanding support to authorities through “cutting-edge” technical expertise for investigations and fighting against impunity in attacks against UN peacekeepers, such as a recent incident in North Kivu.

She said she is the only woman working with the Justice Support section in regional capital Goma and in the military justice field – which comes with its own challenges.

“But I find it’s good to try to break down the gender barriers” Maj. Bouzi said, and to “embrace challenges and to show that women are capable to work as equally with men.”

Further, she said, women make up half of our society and we can only achieve sustainable peace if women are included in all fields.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

Major Ahlem Douzi, winner of the UN Trailblazer Award for Justice and Corrections Officers, addresses attendees at the award ceremony.

Advocating for women’s inclusion

Major Bouzi said she is most proud of being the first armaments and ammunition expert working in the Prosecution Support Cell of her section and being the only female expert working with the Congolese military authorities.

She said she is not just an award recipient but a fervent advocate for women peacekeepers who continually make vital contributions in secondary roles.

“I want them to strive to make meaningful contributions for sustainable peace, but also, in the decision-making positions and operations,” Maj. Bouzi said, adding that she encourages all of them to be role models for women in the future.

Patients in Rafah ‘afraid to seek services’, WHO reports

The current situation has reached an “unprecedented emergency level”, he said, and the most recent evacuation order by Israel has forced tens of thousands to flee.

As part of the contingency effort, WHO and partners have been establishing field hospitals and supporting restoration of the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, which will be used as a main referral hospital and with the aim of re-establishing basic health services.

“We have instated a large warehouse in Deir Al Balah and we moved the majority of supplies to ensure rapid access and movement of supplies to Khan Younis, Middle Area and north Gaza,” he added.

Hospitals already ‘overloaded’

There are currently three hospitals operating in Rafah, including the Emirati Maternity Hospital, and over the past weeks WHO has been ensuring that they are fully prepared and supported in terms of medical supplies.

Dr. Dahir said the hospitals are already “overloaded with patients” and recent developments have affected access. He cited the example of Al-Najjar Hospital, which provides dialysis services for more than 100 patients.

“Unfortunately, the hospital is among the blocks which were ordered by the Israeli Government for evacuation, so patients are afraid to seek services,” he said.

“We are also hearing that there are many patients who are being admitted in this hospital who start to move from the hospital.”

He emphasized that WHO has always advocated for hospitals to be protected.

“We have set clear mechanisms for a referral pathway between the hospitals and in case that hospitals will not be accessed, what are the other alternatives? And that’s why we have been supporting the restoration of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.”

Asked about the situation of pregnant women and newborns, Dr. Dahir noted that the Emirati Maternity Hospital is one of the key facilities of its kind across Gaza, delivering more than 100 babies each month.

“We have been ensuring that the hospital is fully occupied. And in case we lose accessibility, then we will be able to refer pregnant mothers, for instance, to field hospitals in Al Mawasi area as well as the Nasser Medical Complex,” he said.

Fuel running out

Meanwhile, fuel critical for humanitarian operations in Gaza could run out “tomorrow” and some food stocks might only last to the end of the week, a senior UN aid official in the region said on Tuesday.

Andrea de Domenico, head of the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, in the occupied Palestinian territories, said the closure of the Rafah crossing with Egypt has severed access to fuel, affecting the entry of critical relief items and curtailing the movement of aid workers.

Speaking from Jerusalem, Mr. de Domenico said lack of fuel is a particular concern as humanitarians have just around 30,000 litres of diesel available when they normally use 200,000 litres a day.

Priority is being given to health, water and communication, with some fuel set aside as contingency for the secure movement of staff.

“That will leave us basically with no fuel as of tomorrow,” he said.

“The Israelis have provided assurances that they are working out a way to bring in more fuel and they are hoping to be able to organize this tomorrow. We will see,” he added, noting that distribution will also be a challenge “if Rafah is caught in the middle of the military operation”.

Communication networks affected

Mr. de Domenico explained that communication companies are unable to receive the daily quantities of fuel required to sustain their networks.

“This means that as of a couple of days, people will not have access to information, we will not be able to gather information for people to understand their needs, and families will not be able to connect during displacement if they get separated.”

He recalled that over 75 per cent of the Gaza population has been displaced and “may now have no option but to remain in an ever-decreasing area of land.”

Lack of shelter

People are moving to sites that do not have latrines, water points, proper drainage, or shelter.

“It is impossible to improve the situation in the existing and the new displacement sites without the entry of supplies and without the fuel to transport them to the locations where the people are concentrating,” he said.

Meanwhile, aid partners working in the shelter sector only have some 1,500 tents. He said lack of tents combined with the high percentage of damaged or destroyed homes in Gaza, means that displaced people leaving Rafah are forced to find other shelter options.

“They need shelter materials such as tarpaulins, ropes, plastic shelter, nails, and those tools are simply not available in in Gaza. And without the humanitarian assistance that will bring those in, we will not be able to support them.”

Food stocks dwindling

Additionally, most food distributions in the south have been suspended since Monday as many warehouses are in the part of Rafah that has been affected by hostilities. Furthermore, he estimated that most aid partners could run out of food to support people south of Wadi Gaza by the end of the week.

Humanitarians are also running out of fuel to dispatch remaining commodities for distribution to households and to 16 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP).

The embattled health sector also will be impacted if military operations continue, as the three remaining hospitals in Rafah will become inoperable, depriving 1.2 million people of care.

Water and waste management

Mr. de Dominco further warned that “without fuel tomorrow, the main water production will be shut down in the north, depriving the entire population of access to drinking water.”

The same would apply in the south and middle governorates in the coming days, affecting 1.9 million people.

There is also the “huge issue” of solid waste collection, which also relies on fuel supply, and collection points in the south have already been reduced.

“We estimated there will be a production of 1,400 tonnes of waste per day that will accumulate in the streets all over. And this was already a big challenge because also we do not have access yet to the landfill where we could deliver and drop all the garbage,” he said.

He added that the sewage pumping station in East Rafah has already stopped working due to the military operation, impacting 80,000 people.

Concern for unaccompanied children

UN agencies on Tuesday highlighted the plight of women and girls, as well as children, and Mr. De Domenico also focused on the issue of unaccompanied and separated minors.

He said their numbers “will rapidly increase while our ability to provide them basic support will be heavily reduced if the situation in Rafah evolves with further military operation

Uncertainty in Gaza amplified by closure of key border crossings

In its latest warning to the Israeli authorities not to pursue mass evacuation orders from eastern Rafah, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, insisted that a mass evacuation on such a scale would be “impossible to carry out safely”.

“There are nine sites sheltering displaced people in the area. It is also home to three clinics and six warehouses,” OCHA said in its latest update on the emergency, which noted that more than three quarters of the Gaza Strip is under evacuation orders.

“Any escalation of hostilities resulting from a full-scale incursion into Rafah will push residents and displaced people currently living there past their breaking point.”

The warning relating to Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings followed an urgent appeal from UN Secretary-General António Guterres late Monday to both sides “to go the extra mile” and make an agreement to end seven months of devastating conflict, his spokesperson said in a statement.

In Geneva, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for OCHA, told journalists that permission had not been granted by the Israeli authorities to reach the Rafah crossing.

UN_News_Centre

“We currently do not have any physical presence at the Rafah crossing as our access to go to that area for coordination purposes has been denied by COGAT,” he said, in reference to the Israeli Government organisation overseeing relief deliveries in Gaza. “So, that means that currently the two main arteries for getting aid into Gaza have been choked off.”

Mr. Laerke further warned that existing humanitarian stocks in Gaza could be expected to last no more than about a day. He also noted that Rafah is the only entry point for fuel, without which generators, trucks and communications equipment cannot function.

“If no fuel comes in for a prolonged period of time, it would be a very effective way of putting the humanitarian operation in its grave,” he continued, noting that Rafah “is in crosshairs”. “IDF is ignoring all warnings about [what] this could mean for the humanitarian operation across the Strip.”

Famine call

Echoing those concerns, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that a military assault on Rafah would massively complicate aid delivery.

“It is hard to see if [Rafah] closes for an extended period how aid agencies avert famine across the Gaza Strip…families’ coping capacity has been smashed. Families are hanging on psychologically and physically by a thread. I do not remember meeting a single family, and I met scores, who hadn’t lost a home, a loved one or both,” UNICEF’s spokesperson James Elder said.

Women bearing brunt

Meanwhile, UN humanitarians have issued new data confirming the war’s major, negative impact on women and girls sheltering in Rafah.

According to UN Women, more than nine in 10 women interviewed in the southernmost governorate reported feelings of indescribable fear, while over half said they had medical conditions needing urgent attention.

UN_Women

“Women and girls in Rafah, as in the rest of Gaza, are in a state of constant despair and fear already,” the UN agency said, adding that an Israeli ground invasion would have caused further suffering among Rafah’s 700,000 women and girls who have “nowhere to go to escape the bombing and killing”.

Seven months since Israeli strikes began in response to Hamas-led terror attacks, more than 10,000 women have been reportedly killed in Gaza, among them 6,000 mothers. Some 19,000 children have been orphaned, UN Women said.

The UN agency’s survey of 360 respondents, including 182 women in Rafah, revealed disturbing data that more than six in 10 pregnant women reported complications, including 95 per cent with urinary tract infections and 80 per cent with anaemia. In households with nursing mothers, 72 per cent reported challenges in breastfeeding and in meeting the nutritional needs of their babies.

Compounding pressures

The UN agency data indicated that mothers also reported struggling to protect their children, both physically and mentally, while living in tents and overcrowded households.

According to eight in 10 of the survey’s female and male respondents, mothers now take on more responsibility than men to provide emotional support for adult family members and children alike.

Donate to the humanitarian response in Gaza

Achieving sustainable forest management remains UN forum’s goal

The UNFF serves as a body under the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and aims to support the goals of the International Arrangement on Forests (IAF) and to advance other international forest-related instruments, processes, commitments and objectives.

At the forum’s opening ceremony, Juliette Biao, Director of the UNFF Secretariat, said the world currently faces numerous natural disasters, worsening climate change as well as conflict, growing poverty and unemployment, among other crises.

UNDESA

She said making a difference amidst these global challenges can be achieved by meeting Global Forests Goals (GFG) by 2030, however, they remain off track.

To get back on target, Ms. Biao said countries need to “bolster political commitment and partnerships” in support of the GFGs.

“We want a world where all types of forests are sustainably managed. A world where healthy forests are recognised as powerful nature-based solutions to most of the sustainable development challenges we face today,” she said.

Assessing progress, identifying gaps

Peter Gondo, inter-regional adviser of the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), said that this year’s session, running through 10 May, will include a high-level segment and a review of the IAF in hopes of “assessing progress and identifying gaps” in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the 2030 deadline.

“The key outcomes will be a high-level segment declaration and an omnibus resolution, which will include the outcome of the midterm review and the Quadrennial Programme of Work of the Forum for 2025-2028,” Mr. Gondo said.

Support for small island developing States

UNFF19 precedes the fourth session of the Small Island Developing States Conference (SIDS4) occurring from 27 to 30 May in Antigua and Barbuda.

Each SIDS conference focuses on assessing the ability of sustainable development in small islands.

Mr. Gondo said forests and trees are important for SIDS’s wellbeing.

He said that forests play a critical role in the availability and quantity of freshwater, in coastal protection from waves caused by extreme weather such as hurricanes, in the conservation of biological diversity, in particular endemic species and genetic variability, and economic development through trade in wood and non-wood forest products.

Mr. Gondo said that a DESA-managed financing network – the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network (GFFFN) – has supported many SIDS with sustainable forest management (SFM) which he said is an “integral part of the 2030 Agenda, which recognises forests are critical for life on land”.

“This has included support in designing national forest programmes and national forest financing strategies aligned to national sustainable development frameworks as well as strengthening the capacity of national experts in accessing forest financing from multilateral and other sources,” he said.

Some SIDS supported thus far include Jamaica, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Triple planetary crisis

The UN climate secretariat, UNFCCC, has considered climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss as the triple planetary crisis facing humanity today.

Mr. Gondo said forests play a “pivotal role” in addressing this crisis since a healthy well-managed forest helps to regulate climate, clean the air and provide livelihood and food security.

He said investments in forest-based solutions can offer “a cost-effective way to generate multiple biodiversity and social benefits”.

Unexploded ordnance leaves dark legacy for Gaza, warn mine action experts

Briefing reporters late last month, UN Mine Action Service officers said the war has already left behind around 37 million tonnes of debris, and it could take 14 years to make Gaza safe from unexploded bombs.

The development comes amid reports that at least two individuals suffered serious injuries in Gaza after opening tin cans initially misidentified as booby-trapped food, but which in fact contained fuses for mines.

It is these devices that the Israeli military have been using to detonate larger explosive charges to destroy tunnels and demolish buildings allegedly connected to Hamas militants.

Can of worms

To the inexperienced eye, the metal cans appear harmless. The problems begin when they are opened using the old-fashioned ring-pull provided, said Patrick McCabe, explosive ordnance device operations lead at UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) Palestine.

“The fuses are not dangerous if they are handled by a qualified person due to safe to arm features. However, when taken out of the tin and messed with by individuals not understanding what they are and their purpose [this] can and will lead to arming and functioning of the fuse, causing serious injury.”

It is unclear why the pressure-activated fuses were not destroyed and instead left to be found, continued Mr. McCabe, who urged anyone finding anything resembling the containers to report them immediately to UNMAS or other explosive weapons experts.

The message should be ‘do not touch, do not attempt to open and if open, do not touch the item inside’

The Israeli military “were using these as the explosion charges to destroy the tunnels” in the north of Gaza initially, he explained. “Somehow the fuses appear to have got left behind. They’re perfectly safe left in the tins.”

Awareness is key

In an appeal for greater support for lifesaving risk awareness education about unexploded ordnance in Gaza, the UNMAS official said that “the message should be ‘do not touch, do not attempt to open and if open do not touch the item inside.’”

Despite his many years as a mine action expert, Mr. McCabe said “it is always heartbreaking when a child, or anyone”, is injured by unexploded ordinance. “But, it’s a fact of war and going to happen, and it doesn’t happen just to the good guys [or] the bad guys. Nobody is immune to it.”

A UN team inspects an unexploded bomb lying on a main road in Khan Younis, Gaza.

Going home danger

Although many Gazans who have been uprooted several times by almost seven months of war are well aware today of the need to stick to relatively safe evacuation corridors to protect themselves, it’s when the hostilities finally end and they go home to start clearing their land that the dangers will become apparent.

Speaking from Gaza to UN News, Mr. McCabe noted that displaced Gazans “coming from the north” away from heavy fighting early in the war and Khan Younis further south more recently “do tend to stay tightly packed and stay to the proven route” for safety.

The parents and grandparents do tend to keep the children close to them, reducing the risk of youngsters walking off into potentially dangerous territory, he added.

Safety in numbers

“Bear in mind that they’re normally marshalled as well by troops, watching them from both sides of the corridor, so they tend to stay together and not wander off because obviously if they start wandering off again, it becomes dangerous,” the UNMAS official said.

“So, they do tend to keep together, but that doesn’t rule out that an accident could very well happen.”

To help protect them in the meantime, the UN agency has already stepped up its awareness-raising campaigns among camps for internally displaced people, or IDPs.

Don’t go near it…Tell someone in charge and then get it reported, and then we can mark it and put a safe area around it

“We tell them if you see anything avoid it. Don’t go near it. Tell someone in charge and then get it reported, and then we can mark it and put a safe area around it. There are mitigation measures in place, and these messages have been getting out to the IDP camps,” Mr. McCabe continued.

Deadly asbestos risk

The UNMAS official noted that in addition to the unknown amounts of unexploded weapons in Gaza today, the rubble left by the hostilities likely contains “hundreds of thousands of tonnes of asbestos”.

This serious health threat should also be identified and cleared as a priority, the UNMAS official said.

UN and partners issue urgent funding appeal for Yemen

Nine years of war have left over half the population – 18.2 million people, mainly women and children – in need of assistance and protection services.

The humanitarian response in Yemen is among the largest in the world, yet a $2.7 billion plan for the country has received just $435 million to date.

UNinYE

Lifesaving aid at risk

“Underfunding poses a challenge to the continuity of humanitarian programming, causing delays, reductions and suspensions of lifesaving assistance programmes,” the partners said.

Some 190 humanitarian organisations issued the statement on the eve of a major conference on Yemen, known as the Sixth Senior Officials Meeting, to be held in Brussels, which they said will be “a critical moment to galvanise support and collective action to address the deteriorating crisis”.

Yemeni Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, have been battling Houthi rebels which hold much of the country, since 2014. The war in Gaza has further compounded the situation, as the Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea, affecting global maritime trade.

‘At a crossroads’

“Today, Yemen is at a crossroads,” the partners said. They noted that humanitarian conditions slightly improved following the UN-brokered truce in April 2022 and its de facto continuation, allowing them to move towards resilience-building programming, promoting sustainable solutions by addressing the drivers of needs.

“However, we cannot ignore the significant humanitarian needs that remain and that cannot be addressed without adequate funding to respond,” they added.

Humanitarian needs continue to be driven by economic decline, deteriorating public services and infrastructure, displacement and climate-related disasters.

Inaction would be ‘catastrophic’

Other threats include rising food insecurity, which risks increasing malnutrition rates, particularly among pregnant and lactating women, older people and children, as well as the spread of cholera during the current rainy season.

“Violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law continue, and the presence of explosive remnants of war results in death, injury and displacement, restricts access to agricultural land and resettlement and hinders post-conflict reconstruction and development efforts,” they added.

The partners underscored their commitment to continue to improve the quality of humanitarian assistance and maximise impact and to expand collaboration and promote more Yemeni leadership in the response.

“To do so, however, humanitarian partners’ sustained support is required,” they said, warning that “inaction would have catastrophic consequences for the lives of Yemeni women, children and men.”

World News in Brief: Human rights in Haiti, 750,000 hit by East Africa floods, Namibia health milestone

The experts detailed the far-reaching impacts of the violence and lawlessness that has led to chaos across the capital, Port-au=Prince, and other areas under gang control this year.

“The outbreak of violence in Haiti has resulted in loss of livelihoods and food insecurity, widespread and multiple displacement, the collapse of education, breakdown of healthcare and other essential services,” they said.

UN_SPExperts

The Human Rights Council-appointed experts also pointed to the near total lack of access to justice due to fear of reprisals and the collapse of the economy.

‘Tactic to instil fear’

Particularly alarming is the use of sexual violence by criminal gangs, which is employed as a tactic to instil fear, control territories, extort money and punish communities.

“Internally displaced women and girls who live in inadequate and precarious displacement sites are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence,” they said, warning of a sharp rise in trafficking them for purposes of sexual exploitation and sexual slavery.

They also voiced concern over the Haitian authorities’ failure to protect vulnerable populations as well as being “actively complicit” in gang activities.

“Haiti must return to democratic and constitutional governance based on the principles of respect for human rights, transparency and accountability,” the experts urged.

The experts, who serve in their individual capacity independent of the UN or any national government, called on the criminal gangs to put an immediate end to all forms of gender-based violence.

Deadly rains continue pounding East Africa

Hundreds of thousands of lives have been impacted by recent heavy rainfall and massive floods in parts of Eastern Africa as the UN continues to offer support to governments across the region.

Reports from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicate that close to 750,000 people are affected by the rains and floods, with 234,000 displaced.

Last week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was deeply distressed over the loss of life due to heavy flooding in Burundi, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and other parts of East Africa.

Cholera risk in Somalia worsens

The rains have affected more than 160,000 civilians in Somalia leaving 37,000 displaced. UN partners estimate that up to 770,000 Somalis could be impacted overall, exacerbating the ongoing cholera epidemic there, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, briefing reporters in New York on Monday.

In Kenya, local authorities warned that over 285,000 lives have been affected so far, with more than 200 reported deaths. In Burundi, more than 180,000 people were impacted. Additionally, dozens of Rwandans have been killed or injured due to the rains and floods.

The UN and its partners continue to support these Eastern African countries through flood response plans, evacuation efforts and healthcare, including psychosocial support.

Namibia: Praise for efforts to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV

Namibia has become the first country in Africa and the first high-burden country in the world to reach a key milestone in eliminating mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and hepatitis B, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Monday.

MoetiTshidi

WHO has awarded the southern African country “silver tier” status for progress on reducing hepatitis B and “bronze tier” for progress on HIV, in line with its triple elimination initiative to protect the health of mothers and children that also includes ending syphilis infections.

‘Landmark achievement’

The UN agency certifies a country with silver tier status when 50 per cent or more of all newborns are given the hepatitis B vaccine. Bronze certification is awarded when mother-to-child transmission of HIV has been reduced to less than five per cent.

“This is a landmark achievement by Namibia that demonstrates the lifesaving possibilities of committed political leadership and effective implementation of public health priorities,” said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.

WHO’s initiative promotes an end to mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B by encouraging countries to integrate services.

“Namibia has met this milestone by taking a truly integrated approach to the HIV response from early on,” said Etleva Kadilli, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa.

“The country has not addressed HIV in isolation as a single disease, but as part of a broader health and development agenda, encompassing maternal and child health for all.”