Gaza: Resuming night-time aid deliveries, UN reports ‘dire’ conditions

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12 April 2024

Gaza: Resuming night-time aid deliveries, UN reports ‘dire’ conditions — UN News/Ziad Taleb - Children fill containers with drinking water in the Al-Shaboura neighbourhood in Rafah in southern Gaza.

UN officials launched assessment visits to Gaza and its agencies will resume night-time aid deliveries on Thursday after a 48-hour pause.

This after Israeli forces killed seven World Central Kitchen relief workers in a convoy delivering food in the enclave, where intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations continue.

“The situation in Gaza is disastrous,” World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Once again, WHO demands a ceasefire. Once again, we call for all hostages to be released, and for lasting peace.”

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Thursday that because of what happened to World Central Kitchen “we had to pause to regroup and reassess”, adding that a convoy will deployed tonight, “hopefully making it to the north”.

Top UN officials have been warning that famine looms in northern Gaza as Israel continues to block and delay aid entry, especially in the north.

To date, Israeli armed forces have killed more than 30,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities, in response to Hamas-led attacks on Israel in October that left almost 1,200 people dead and 240 taken hostage.

“My psyche has been shattered from within.”

Some patients who were inside Al-Shifa Hospital in #Gaza during the latest siege recount their experience.#CeasefireNOW pic.twitter.com/gJa1WlOTse
— WHO in occupied Palestinian territory (@WHOoPt) April 4, 2024

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Aid and assessment missions

The UN Spokesperson said WHO teams reached two hospitals in Gaza City, carrying out assessments and delivering lifesaving supplies.

In addition, a WHO team reported dire conditions following Israel’s two-week-long siege of the Al-Shifa Hospital, he said.

The team spoke with patients who were able to leave the health facility after the siege, with one saying “doctors resorted to putting salt and vinegar on people’s wounds for lack of antiseptics, which are nonexistent,” Mr. Dujarric said.

“They described dire conditions during the siege, with no food, water or medicine available,” he said.

Grave humanitarian conditions

Almost six months into the war, humanitarian conditions are worsening, according to UN agencies on the ground.

On his way to Gaza on Thursday, Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, reiterated that there is no safe place in the enclave.

The Occupied Palestinian Territory “has become one of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places to work”, he wrote on social media before his departure.

‘It can’t continue like this’

UN Women reported that Gazans have almost no access to water, food and healthcare while facing near constant bombardment.

“Every day the war in Gaza continues, at the current rate, an average of 63 women are killed,” the agency said, highlighting the struggles facing Palestinians, including Mayadah Tarazi, who works with the YWCA Palestine, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

“The hope is for a ceasefire now,” Ms. Tarazi said. “We keep calling for ceasefire, but we need real action. We need the support from the governments to really push for the ceasefire because it can’t continue like this.”

Israel’s West Bank aggressions

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, aggressions against Palestinians, their property and their land are being reported by UN agencies and news outlets.

The UN humanitarian relief agency, OCHA, reported demolitions taking place on Thursday in Umm ar Rihan.

Since 7 October and as of 1 April, 428 Palestinians, including 110 children, have been killed by Israeli forces across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, of whom 131 were killed since the start of 2024.

In addition, nine were killed by Israeli settlers and three by either Israeli forces or settlers, according to the latest OCHA update.

During the same period, some 4,760 Palestinians have been injured, including at least 739 children, the majority by Israeli forces, the UN agency stated.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Club, 11 Palestinians have additionally died in Israeli prisons since 7 October, mainly due to reported medical negligence or abuse, OCHA reported.

Lights illuminate the tents of displaced people in the Tal Al-Sultan neighbourhood in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Human Rights Council to vote on Israeli sanctions

The 47-member UN Human Rights Council is poised to vote on several draft resolutions related to the war in Gaza on the final day of its current session in Geneva.

Drafts include one calling for an arms embargo on Israel, tabled on the heels of an Israeli drone-fired missile attack on three vehicles in an aid convoy that killed all seven World Central Kitchen passengers early this week in Gaza.

The convoy was delivering emergency food aid sailed in from Cyprus to stave off the looming famine in northern Gaza.

By provisions of the draft resolution, the Council would call on all States “to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel, the occupying Power, in order to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights”.

What is tomato juice good for?

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Newsroom

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12 April 2024

What is tomato juice good for — Photo by Pixabay

One of the most commonly consumed fruits is the tomato, which we often think of as a vegetable. The tomatoes juice is wonderful, we can add other vegetable juices, a little fresh lemon juice or consume it pure. If you like tomato juice, be sure to drink homemade, not from the supermarket.

In addition to being tasty, it is also useful, see why.

1. It is a rich source of vitamins A and C – Tomato juice is a great drink for strengthening immunity, which is also useful for the health of the eyes, skin, bones, teeth. Consumption of tomato juice is believed to help collagen synthesis. The drink also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which together with vitamins A and C help fight free radicals.

2. Prevents High Cholesterol – Another reason to add tomato juice to our daily menu is that it can help balance cholesterol. Tomato juice is also rich in vitamin B3, which is known to stabilize cholesterol. The fiber in it can also lower blood pressure, scientists believe.

3. Aids in weight loss – Another great benefit of tomato juice is that it helps in weight loss. It is low in calories but provides us with important nutrients and hydration.

4. Improves bowel movements – The fiber in tomato juice keeps the liver healthy, aids digestion, reduces the risk of constipation and thus regulates and supports bowel movements.

5. Contributes to the detoxification of the body – The liver and kidneys are responsible for detoxifying our body and improving metabolism.

6. Rich in Lycopene – The red color of tomatoes is due to a fat-soluble antioxidant known as lycopene. Scientific studies have proven that lycopene protects the body from various types of cancer such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, coronary artery disease and others.

7. Energizes the body – Tomato juice is high in antioxidants that help eliminate free radicals in the body. In this way, not only the aging processes of the body are slowed down, but we also feel more energetic.

8. It is good for the heart – According to Western studies, the intake of lycopene can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular diseases by 30%. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene.

9. It is good for bones – Vitamin K, which is contained in good quantities in tomatoes, is of great importance for bone health. The synthesis of osteocalcin, which is believed to play an important role in building bones, depends on vitamin K, scientists believe.

10. Strengthens the hair – We know that the way we eat determines to a large extent the condition of our hair. Just as there are foods and drinks that harm her, there are also those that are good for her. Tomato juice and the useful nutrients it is rich in contribute to improving the condition of our hair.

Armed groups continue terror campaign across Burkina Faso

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12 April 2024

Armed groups continue terror campaign across Burkina Faso

High Commissioner Volker Türk said, from the capital Ouagadougou, that his local office had been “engaging intensely with the authorities, civil society actors, human rights defenders, UN partners and others on many of the multifaceted human rights challenges” the country faces following a coup in January 2022 that saw Captain Ibrahim Traoré assume power.

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Solidarity visit

“I came here to express my solidarity with the people of Burkina Faso at this difficult time and to engage on the human rights situation at the highest level,” said Mr. Türk.

The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk addresses the media at the end of his visit to Burkina Faso.

He expressed gratitude to Captain Traoré, in his role as President of the transition, adding that they had held in-depth and wide-ranging discussions “on the grave security situation”, the humanitarian crisis as well as climate change and environmental degradation.

They also discussed shrinking civic space, “inequalities, the need to forge a new social contract and on ensuring inclusive participation of all Burkinabe in the transition process” back to civilian rule.

Describing the suffering of Burkinabe as “heartbreaking”, the head of OHCHR said there are 2.3 million people who are food insecure, more than two million people internally displaced and 800,000 children out of school.

In all, around 6.3 million out of a population of 20 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Falling off the agenda

“Yet, it has slipped off the international agenda and the resources made available are totally insufficient to respond to the scale of people’s needs,” said Mr. Türk.

Just last year, OHCHR documented 1,335 violations and abuses of human rights and humanitarian law, involving at least 3,800 civilian victims.

“Armed groups were responsible for the vast majority of violations against civilians in incidents involving more than 86 per cent of the victims. Protection of civilians is paramount. Such wanton violence must stop and the perpetrators held accountable.”

He said he understood the grave challenges faced by security forces and had been “encouraged by assurances that steps are being taken to ensure their conduct fully complies with international humanitarian and international human rights laws”.

The transition now needs to proceed “rooted in human rights”, he said, calling on the international community not to lose sight of the widespread needs in Burkina Faso.

War in Ukraine is increasing the prevalence of mental health conditions in children, new study finds

By

Torsten Hjelmar

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11 April 2024

Ukraine flag over protesters — Ukraine Portugal alice-kotlyarenko-urt5o3L9gNo-unsplash

A new study presented at the European Psychiatric Association Congress 2024, which took place in Budapest this week, reveals a significant rise in mental health issues among children and adolescents displaced by the war in Ukraine. The research, conducted by the Institute of Forensic Psychiatry of Ministry of Health of Ukraine, highlights the devastating impact of prolonged exposure to violence and displacement on the mental well-being of young people.

As per UNICEF’s recent report on “The State of the World’s Children 2021”, the current COVID-pandemic is considered the tip of the mental health iceberg for young people across the world. The war in Ukraine is taking a devastating mental toll on children across Europe. Beyond those directly in the conflict zone, the constant media coverage spreads fear and anxiety, causing widespread worry and despair. Experiences of war and military aggression can have a long-term and persistent impact on the physical and mental health of children, with far-reaching and long-term consequences for their development.

These consequences can stem from a variety of challenges such as inadequate healthcare, malnutrition, infectious diseases, and familial distress, all of which can have a significant impact on mental health.

The study examined 785 teenagers displaced from war-torn regions of Ukraine. Researchers observed a significant increase in the prevalence of various mental health conditions over a period of 6 to 12 months following displacement.

This study provides important information about the state of mental health in the child population of Ukraine in 2022-2023. About one-third of the child population has problems related to anxiety, traumatic stress, and developing various other mental health problems.

Key risk factors for these mental health problems include younger age, no longer being in a committed relationship, having fewer positive childhood experiences within one’s family context, and experiencing serious disruption to one’s life due to the Russian aggression.

“These findings paint a concerning picture of the lasting impact of war on the mental health of young Ukrainians. They underscore the urgent need for increased access to mental health services for children and adolescents affected by the war, both within Ukraine and in host countries,” explains Professor Geert Dom, President of the European Psychiatric Association.

Discharge: MEPs sign off EU budget for 2022

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Newsdesk

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11 April 2024

Find here the vote results on all discharge decisions for every EU institution and agency.

The European Parliament on Thursday granted discharge to the Commission, all decentralised agencies and the development funds.

The annual discharge is a crucial part of Parliament’s budgetary oversight role. Its purpose is to hold the EU institutions accountable for spending the EU budget according to EU rules, principles of sound financial management and the EU’s political priorities. In their scrutiny process, MEPs take into account the annual report published by the EU Court of Auditors.

Parliament can decide to grant, postpone or reject the discharge for each EU institution and body.

With more than 95% of the EU’s expenditure managed by the European Commission, MEPs generally endorse its budgetary management (by 438 votes in favour, 167 against and 5 abstentions), but they criticise the high error rate in the 2022 spending. This rose to 4.2%, up from 3% in 2021 and 2.7% in 2020, prompting MEPs to warn against underestimating the level of risk.

Similarly, the EU’s outstanding commitments in 2022 have reached a record-high (€450 billion, largely due to the NextGenerationEU package). They are also concerned about member state reporting and control systems for the EU’s recovery and resilience funds and warn of the risk they pose to the EU’s financial interests.

In the resolution that accompanies the discharge decision, MEPs regret the “political contradiction” in disbursing the previously suspended funds to Hungary in exchange for its endorsement of aid for Ukraine. They warn the Commission against “watering down” the EU’s climate goals and ask to speed up the pace of investments, noting that in 2022 the European Union fell short of the efficiency needed to achieve the goals set for 2030, 2040 and 2050.

Misuse of EU money by Hamas and diversifying the EU aid to Palestine

With 305 votes in favour, 245 against and 44 abstentions MEPs adopted an amendment voicing concerns about “credible reports” that EU money “could have been partially misused” by Hamas and that UNWRA staff could have been involved in terrorist acts, MEPs urge the Commission to diversify the recipients of EU support to Palestinian civilians and to include the WHO, UNICEF and the Red Crescent. They also urge the Commission to guarantee independent controls of UNRWA.

Alleged COVID-19-related misuse of EU funds

Parliament also voices concern about the alleged COVID-19-related misuse of European Union funds in Spain and Czechia for the purchase of medical equipment and urge the Commission to rely on external auditors if there is a “severe lack of capacity in a member state”, and call for in depth ex-post audits for all contracts awarded without procurement. They also point to another recently uncovered alleged fraud in Portugal involving European Regional Development funds.

Appointment process for the new EU SME Envoy

In an amendment adopted by 382 votes in favour, 144 against and 80 abstentions, MEPs criticise the politicised process to appoint the EU’s SME Envoy “despite having been outqualified (…) by the two remaining female candidates from underrepresented Member States”, and who is an outgoing MEP from “President von der Leyen’s own German political party”. They ask the Commission to select a new candidate using a “truly transparent and open process”.

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“The budget is the most effective tool to deliver our political priorities, to improve the lives of citizens and to act in the face of crises of all kinds. That is why it must be protected by all means from any irregular use, be it errors or fraudulent behaviour”, rapporteur Isabel García Muñoz (S&D, Spain) said. “We need greater simplification and flexibility, without undermining controls, measures to improve the absorption of funds and to make progress in digitisation to improve the management of European funds and fight fraud and corruption more effectively”, she concluded.

Listen to the plenary debate on Wednesday evening that preceded the vote.

Council

MEPs agreed (by 515 votes to 62 and 20 abstentions) to delay the vote on the Council discharge until the next plenary, awaiting a decision by member states to provide Ukraine with missile protection systems.

MEPs approve reforms for a more sustainable and resilient EU gas market

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European Parliament

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11 April 2024

On Thursday, MEPs adopted plans to facilitate the uptake of renewable and low-carbon gases, including hydrogen, into the EU gas market.

The new directive and regulation on the gas and hydrogen markets aim to decarbonise the EU’s energy sector, enhancing the production and integration of renewable gases and hydrogen.

These measures are designed to secure energy supplies disrupted by geopolitical tensions, particularly the Russian war against Ukraine, and address climate change. In negotiations with Council on the directive, MEPs focused on securing provisions around transparency, consumer rights, and support for people at risk of energy poverty. Plenary adopted the directive with 425 votes in favour, 64 against and 100 abstentions.

The new regulation, adopted with 447 votes in favour, 90 against and 54 abstentions, will beef up mechanisms for fair pricing and stable energy supply, and will allow member states to limit gas imports from Russia and Belarus. The legislation will introduce a joint gas purchasing system to avoid competition among member states and a pilot project to bolster the EU’s hydrogen market for five years.

The regulation also focuses on increasing investments in hydrogen infrastructure, especially in coal regions, promoting a transition to sustainable energy sources like biomethane and low-carbon hydrogen.

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“Europe’s steel and chemical industries, which are hard to decarbonise, will be placed at the centre of the development of a European hydrogen market,” lead MEP on the directive Jens Geier (S&D, DE) said. “This will enable fossil fuels to be phased out of industry, secure European competitiveness, and preserve jobs in a sustainable economy. Unbundling rules for hydrogen network operators will correspond to existing best practices in the gas and electricity market.”

Lead MEP on the regulation Jerzy Buzek (EPP, PL) said: “The new regulation will transform the current energy market into one based primarily on two sources – green electricity and green gases. This is a huge step towards meeting the EU’s ambitious climate goals and making the EU more competitive on global markets. We have introduced a legal option for EU countries to stop importing gas from Russia if there is a security threat, which gives them a tool to phase out our dependence on a dangerous monopolist.”

Next steps

Both texts will now have to be formally adopted by Council before publication on the Official Journal.

Background

The legislative package reflects the EU’s growing climate ambitions, as set out in the European Green Deal and its ‘Fit for 55’ package. The updated directive aims to decarbonise the energy sector and includes provisions on consumer rights, transmission and distribution system operators, third-party access and integrated network planning, and independent regulatory authorities. The updated regulation will push existing natural gas infrastructure to integrate a higher share of hydrogen and renewable gases, by means of high tariff discounts. It includes provisions to facilitate blending hydrogen with natural gas and renewable gases, and greater EU cooperation on gas quality and storage.

Women must have full control of their sexual and reproductive health and rights

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European Parliament

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11 April 2024

Women must have full control of their sexual and reproductive health and rights — © European Parliament - - EP Plenary session - The situation of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU, in the frame of women s health

MEPs urge the Council to add sexual and reproductive healthcare and the right to a safe and legal abortion to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

In a resolution adopted on Thursday with 336 votes in favour, 163 against and 39 abstentions, MEPs want to enshrine the right to abortion in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights – a demand they have made several times. MEPs condemn the backsliding on women’s rights and all attempts to restrict or remove existing protections for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender equality taking place globally, including in the EU member states.

They want Article 3 of the Charter to be amended to state that “everyone has the right to bodily autonomy, to free, informed, full and universal access to SRHR, and to all related healthcare services without discrimination, including access to safe and legal abortion”.

The text urges member states to fully decriminalise abortion in line with the 2022 WHO guidelines, and to remove and combat obstacles to abortion, calling on Poland and Malta to repeal their laws and other measures that ban and restrict it. MEPs condemn the fact that, in some member states, abortion is being denied by medical practitioners, and in some cases by entire medical institutions, on the basis of a ‘conscience’ clause, often in situations where any delay will endanger the patient’s life or health.

Education and high-quality care

Abortion methods and procedures should be an obligatory part of the curriculum for doctors and medical students, Parliament says. Member states should ensure access to the full range of SRHR services including comprehensive and age-appropriate sexuality and relationship education. Accessible, safe and free contraceptive methods and supplies, and family planning counselling, should be made available, with special attention paid to reaching vulnerable groups. Women in poverty are disproportionately affected by legal, financial, social and practical barriers and restrictions to abortion, MEPs say, calling on member states to remove these barriers.

Stop EU funding to anti-choice groups

MEPs are concerned about the significant surge in funding for anti-gender and anti-choice groups around the world, including in the EU. They call on the Commission to ensure that organisations working against gender equality and women’s rights, including reproductive rights, do not receive EU funding. Member states and local governments must increase their spending on programmes and subsidies to healthcare and family planning services.

Background

France became the first country to enshrine the right to abortion in its constitution on 4 March 2024. Healthcare, including sexual and reproductive health, falls under national powers. Changing the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to include abortion would require unanimous agreement from all member states.

Parliament adopts reform of the EU electricity market

By

Newsdesk

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11 April 2024

gray GE volt meter at 414 — Photo by Thomas Kelley on Unsplash

The measures, composed of a regulation and a directive already agreed upon with the Council, were adopted with 433 in favour, 140 against and 15 abstentions, and 473 votes to 80, with 27 abstentions, respectively.

The law will protect consumers against volatile prices. MEPs ensured that they will have the right to access fixed-price contracts or dynamic price contracts, and receive important information on the options they sign up to. Suppliers will not be allowed to unilaterally change the terms of a contract.

MEPs also secured that EU countries can prohibit suppliers from cutting the electricity supply of vulnerable customers, including during disputes between suppliers and customers.

Contracts for Difference

The legislation provides for so-called “Contracts for Difference” (CfDs), or equivalent schemes with the same effects, to encourage energy investment. In a CfD, a public authority compensates the energy producer if market prices fall too steeply, but it collects payments from them if prices are too high. The use of CfDs will be allowed in all investments in new electricity production, whether from renewable or nuclear energy.

Electricity price crisis

The text sets out a mechanism to declare an electricity price crisis. In a situation of very high prices and under certain conditions, the EU may declare a regional or EU-wide electricity price crisis, allowing member states to take temporary measures to set electricity prices for SMEs and energy intensive industrial consumers.

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“This reform puts citizens at the forefront of electricity market design. The text includes measures to protect citizens, especially the most vulnerable and to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources. The Parliament has taken a step forward in democratising energy, creating a market design that responds to the failures exposed by the energy crisis. All consumers, including micro, small, and medium-size enterprises will have access to long-term, affordable and stable prices.” lead MEP Nicolás González Casares (S&D, ES) said.

Next steps

After Parliament’s approval, Council also needs to formally adopt the legislation to become law.

Background

Energy prices have been rising since mid-2021, initially in the context of the post-COVID-19 economic recovery. However, energy prices rose steeply due to gas supply problems following Russia’s war against Ukraine in February 2022. High gas prices had an immediate effect on electricity prices, as they are linked together under the merit order system, where the most expensive (usually fossil fuel-based) energy source sets the overall electricity price.

UN underscores commitment to stay and deliver in Myanmar

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11 April 2024

UN underscores commitment to stay and deliver in Myanmar

The expansion of fighting throughout the country has deprived communities of basic needs and access to essential services and has had a devastating impact on human rights and fundamental freedoms, said Khalid Khiari, a UN Assistant Secretary-General whose portfolio straddles political and peacebuilding affairs as well as peace operations.

The open briefing marked the first time the Council has met on Myanmar since the military seized power from the democratically elected government on 1 February 2021, although members adopted a resolution on the crisis in December 2022.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has consistently called for the release of President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and others who remain in detention.

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Concern for the Rohingya community

Mr. Khiari said that amid reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardments by the Myanmar Armed Forces and artillery shelling by various parties, the civilian toll keeps rising.

He reported on the situation in Rakhine state, the poorest region in mainly Buddhist Myanmar and home to the Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic community who are stateless. More than one million members have escaped to Bangladesh following waves of persecution.

In Rakhine, fighting between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, a separatist group, has reached an unprecedented level of violence, compounding pre-existing vulnerabilities, he said.

The Arakan Army has reportedly gained territorial control over most of the centre and seeks to expand to the north, where many Rohingya remain.

Address root causes

“Addressing the root causes of the Rohingya crisis will be essential to establish a sustainable pathway out of the current crisis. The failure to do so and continued impunity will only keep fuelling Myanmar’s vicious cycle of violence,” he said.

Mr. Khiari also highlighted the alarming surge in Rohingya refugees who are dying or going missing while taking risky boat journeys in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

He said any solution to the current crisis requires conditions that permit the people of Myanmar to exercise their human rights freely and peacefully, and an end to the military’s campaign of violence and political repression is a vital step.

“In this respect, the Secretary-General has highlighted concern about the military’s intention to move ahead with elections amid intensifying conflict and human rights violations across the country,” he added.

Regional impacts

Turning to the region, Mr. Khiari said Myanmar’s crisis continues to spillover as conflicts in key border areas have weakened transnational security and the breakdown in the rule of law has allowed illicit economies to thrive.

Myanmar is now an epicentre of methamphetamine and opium production alongside a rapid expansion of global cyberscam operations, particularly in border areas.

“With scarce livelihood opportunities, criminal networks continue to prey on the increasingly vulnerable population,” he said. “What began as a regional crime threat in Southeast Asia is now a rampant human trafficking and illicit trade crisis with global implications.”

Step up support

Mr. Khiari upheld the UN’s commitment to staying and delivering in solidarity with the people of Myanmar.

Stressing the need for greater international unity and support, he said the UN will continue to work in complement with the regional bloc, ASEAN, and actively engage with all stakeholders.

“As the prolonged crisis deepens, the Secretary-General continues to call for a unified international response and encourages Member States, particularly neighbouring countries, to leverage their influence to open up humanitarian channels in line with international principles, end the violence and seek a comprehensive political solution that leads to an inclusive and peaceful future for Myanmar,” he said.

Displacement and fear

The humanitarian impacts of the crisis are significant and deeply concerning, Council members heard.

Lise Doughten of the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said some 2.8 million people in Myanmar are now displaced, 90 per cent since the military takeover.

People “are living in daily fear for their lives”, especially since a national law on mandatory conscription became effective earlier this year. Their ability to access essential goods and services and to cope is stretched to its limit.

Millions going hungry

Nearly 12.9 million people, roughly a quarter of the population, are facing food insecurity. Basic medicines are running out, the health system is in turmoil and education has been severely interrupted. Around one third of all school-aged children are currently out of the classroom.

The crisis is disproportionately impacting women and girls, almost 9.7 million of whom are in need of humanitarian assistance, with the escalating violence increasing their vulnerability and exposure to trafficking and gender-based violence.

No time to wait

Humanitarians estimate that some 18.6 million people across Myanmar will need assistance this year, a nearly 20-fold increase since February 2021.

Ms. Doughten called for increased funding to support their operations, safe and unimpeded access to people in need and safe conditions for aid workers.

“Intensified armed conflict, administrative restrictions and violence against aid workers all remain key barriers that are limiting humanitarian assistance from reaching vulnerable people,” she said.

She warned that as the conflict continues to escalate, humanitarian needs intensify, and with the monsoon season approaching, time is of the essence for the people of Myanmar.

“They cannot afford for us to forget; they cannot afford to wait,” she said. “They need the support of the international community now to help them survive in this time of fear and turmoil.”

World News in Brief: Sex trafficking and child recruitment in Sudan, new mass grave in Libya, children at risk in DR Congo

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11 April 2024

World News in Brief: Sex trafficking and child recruitment in Sudan, new mass grave in Libya, children at risk in DR Congo

This is being compounded by an increase in child and forced marriage, and the recruitment of boys by combatants in the continuing war between rival generals that erupted nearly a year ago.

All this is happening against the backdrop of the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in the country that has caused an unprecedented mass displacement of over nine million people.

Access to support for victims and survivors has reportedly deteriorated since December, eight months after the outbreak of conflict between Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the Human Rights Council-appointed experts said.

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Girls sold at ‘slave markets’

Young women and girls, including internally displaced persons, are reportedly being trafficked, they said.

“We are appalled by reports of women and girls being sold at slave markets in areas controlled by RSF forces and other armed groups, including in North Darfur,” the experts said.

Some of the cases of child and forced marriage are occurring due to family separation and gender-based violence, including rape and unwanted pregnancies.

“Despite previous warnings to both Sudanese authorities and RSF representatives, we continue to receive reports of recruitment of children to actively participate in hostilities, including from a neighbouring country,” the experts said.

“The recruitment of children by armed groups for any form of exploitation – including in combat roles – is a gross violation of human rights, a serious crime and a violation of international humanitarian law,” they said.

Special Rapporteurs and other independent experts are not UN staff and are independent of any government or organization. They serve in their individual capacity and receive no salary for their work.

Mass grave found in Libya highlights migrant horrors

A mass grave has been found in southwest Libya containing at least 65 migrants who are believed to have died while being smuggled through the desert.

According to the UN migration agency (IOM), which sounded the alarm on Friday, increasing numbers of people are dying on dangerous routes to northern Africa and beyond.

Without legal pathways for migrants, “such tragedies will continue to be a feature along this route,” the agency warned.

Questions remain

The circumstances are not clear surrounding the deaths of those found in the mass grave and their nationalities are also unknown.

Libyan authorities had launched an inquiry, IOM said, urging the “dignified recovery, identification and transfer of the remains of the deceased migrants” and for their families to be notified.

According to the UN agency’s Missing Migrants Project, at least 3,129 people died or disappeared in 2023 along the so-called “Mediterranean route”.

Even before the discovery of the mass grave, it was already the deadliest migratory route in the world.

Massive rise in displacement in DR Congo poses dire threat to children

A major upsurge in violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo that has displaced at least 400,000 people in North Kivu since the beginning of the year is exposing children to unacceptable levels of violence, said the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday.

People displaced by conflict are living in a temporary camp near Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

At-risk children must receive further protection to avoid more deaths, the agency added.

In the latest incident on Wednesday highlighting the spillover of the conflict into South Kivu province, an explosion in the town of Minova seriously injured four children who required hospital treatment.

Schoolchildren bombed

“It is tragic that at a busy time of day when many children were returning home from school, this explosion from a bomb maimed four innocent children,” said Katya Marino, UNICEF Deputy Representative to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “The town is already under incredible strain with massive numbers of new arrivals of internally displaced people.”

More than 95,000 newly displaced people, half of whom are children, arrived in Minova in February as the conflict in North Kivu expanded.

Over the past week, UNICEF and local partners distributed essential household supplies in Minova to more than 8,300 newly displaced families. The area is now increasingly difficult to access with assistance, either by road or boat.

UNICEF has been assisting children affected by the conflict there with a package of basic but essential services since 2023 while supporting community-based networks to refer and protect children caught up in the fighting between numerous rebel groups and government forces.