April 27, 2024 No comments
Sudan: Security Council members call for immediate halt to military escalation in El Fasher
INTERNATIONAL, 27 April 2024, Peace and Security - UN Security Council members on Saturday called on the warring parties in Sudan to immediately halt the military build-up and take steps to de-escalate the situation in El Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur. The call comes amid reports of an imminent offensive by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militia against the city, which could threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of displaced persons currently sheltering there. At least 43 people, among them women and children, have been killed in fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and RSF – backed by their respective militia – since 14 April, when the RSF began its push into El Fasher, according to the UN human rights...
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April 26, 2024 No comments
World News in Brief: Support for Haiti mission, challenge of ‘commodity dependence’, Iran's 'strict' hijab law
INTERNATIONAL, 26 April 2024, Peace and Security - Following the installation of a transitional council in Haiti, seven countries officially notified the UN Secretary-General on Friday of their intention to contribute personnel to the Security Council-backed Support Mission for the crisis-wracked Caribbean nation. Kenya has offered to lead the multinational mission which aims to provide much needed back up to the national police in a bid to regain control of the streets from gang rule, which has plunged the country into chaos in recent months. Kenya was joined by The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica in pledging support. The UN Spokesperson’s Office said “other countries have expressed interest, including publicly, but have not notified the Secretary-General yet.” Currently, $18 million has been deposited...
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April 26, 2024 No comments
UN updates on probe into allegations of staff collusion during 7 October attacks
INTERNATIONAL, 26 April 2024, UN Affairs - A UN Office investigating Israeli accusations that 12 staff members from UN Palestine relief agency UNRWA were involved in the 7 October Hamas-led attacks has closed one of the cases because Israel had not provided any supporting evidence, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday. “We are exploring corrective administrative action to be taken in that person’s case,” he said, speaking during the daily press briefing in New York. Meanwhile, eight staff remain under investigation by the UN’s internal oversight body, OIOS, which also suspended three cases “as the information provided by Israel is not sufficient for OIOS to proceed with an investigation.” UNRWA is now also considering what administrative action to take in those three cases. Immediate action taken The accusations surfaced in January when...
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April 26, 2024 No comments
Gaza’s unexploded ordnance could take 14 years to clear
INTERNATIONAL, 26 April 2024, Peace and Security - Making Gaza safe again from unexploded bombs could take 14 years, UN demining experts said on Friday. Pehr Lodhammar, a senior officer from the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), said that the war has left an estimated 37 million tonnes of debris. He said it was impossible to determine the exact amount of unexploded ordnance in the enclave where formerly heavily built-up and densely populated neighbourhoods have been reduced to rubble, after nearly seven months of intense Israeli bombardment. Every square metre in Gaza impacted by the conflict contains some 200 kilogrammes of rubble, the veteran UN demining expert told journalists in Geneva. “All I can say is that at least 10 per cent of the ammunition that is...
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April 26, 2024 No comments
Sudan: Civilians trapped in El Fasher, as UN warns of imminent attack
INTERNATIONAL, 26 April 2024, Peace and Security - Escalating violence in Sudan’s North Darfur state has left dozens dead and people trapped in El Fasher city which is home to around 800,000 people, many displaced due to fighting. In a note to correspondents issued on Friday, the UN said there were “increasingly alarming reports of a dramatic escalation of tensions”. “The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are reportedly encircling El Fasher, suggesting a coordinated move to attack the city may be imminent. Simultaneously, the Sudanese Armed Forces appear to be positioning themselves”, the statement added. An attack on the city would have devastating consequences for civilians, the statement from the UN Spokesperson’s Office continued. “This escalation of tensions is in an area already on the brink of famine. The Secretary-General reiterates his call...
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