The warning has been issued by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, along with the World Food Programme (WFP). They cautioned that “essential assistance to refugees will be significantly reduced in the upcoming months” unless a funding gap of $428 million is addressed. Chad is currently hosting approximately 1.3 million individuals who have fled from Sudan, with over 900,000 of these arrivals occurring since the outbreak of conflict between rival military factions in April 2023. Local communities continue to welcome new refugees, including nearly 15,000 who have arrived since the beginning of this year.
In South Sudan, a Human Rights Council-appointed independent expert raised an alarm regarding the increasing incidence of trafficking related to the ongoing conflict, labeling the situation as a “dire humanitarian crisis.” Siobhán Mullally, the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, expressed concern that widespread assaults on civilians are disproportionately affecting children. This crisis is exacerbated by significant displacement, with 1.4 million fleeing the war in neighboring Sudan, adding to nearly two million internally displaced South Sudanese.
Ms. Mullally emphasized that conflict-related sexual violence has become “normalized,” with girls being trafficked into sexual slavery and subjected to forced pregnancies. Additionally, boys are facing forced conscription into armed groups. “Abductions for sexual slavery, forced recruitment, child and forced marriage, and sexual exploitation are serious breaches of international law that could constitute war crimes,” she stated. She highlighted a culture of “widespread impunity” and called for the immediate activation of the African Union-mandated Hybrid Court to deliver justice for survivors.
In Burundi, health officials, with assistance from the UN World Health Organization (WHO), are urgently working to identify a mysterious illness that has resulted in five fatalities in the northern region of the country. The outbreak, which has primarily affected the Mpanda district bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has sickened 28 individuals thus far. The initial cases were reported on March 30 and have predominantly impacted members of the same household.
Patients are exhibiting severe symptoms, including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and blood in their urine, with some also showing signs of jaundice and anemia. Although preliminary tests for Ebola and Marburg virus diseases returned negative, further laboratory investigations are ongoing. The WHO is collaborating with the Ministry of Health to “enhance disease surveillance, conduct field investigations, provide clinical care, and facilitate laboratory diagnostics.” A team of experts has been deployed to coordinate the response efforts and “maintain key operations” to curb the outbreak.
In Serbia, UN human rights chief Volker Türk has expressed concern over a “very worrying” decline in democratic freedoms. The High Commissioner highlighted increasing restrictions on civic space, citing ongoing attacks on dissenting voices and significant limitations on media freedom. Recent local elections have been overshadowed by reports of voter intimidation, procedural irregularities, and police actions against opposition spaces, which Mr. Türk noted “raise serious questions about the integrity” of the electoral process.
He also pointed out the “continued targeting of journalists” and the growing pressure on independent media outlets as indicators of a deteriorating democratic landscape. The UN rights chief urged Serbian authorities to safeguard the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. He called for “concrete measures” to rebuild public trust in national institutions through transparent and impartial investigations into human rights abuses, emphasizing the necessity for “accountability for any wrongdoing.”
