Africa 

DRC: Lives shattered by violence, displacement and hunger in ‘forgotten crisis’: WFP

According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), since March 2022 alone, 5.7 million people have been displaced in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.  Record displacement Overall, 6.2 million people have fled their homes across the country – the highest number in Africa. “The country is continental in size with acres of space, but millions… Read More
Africa 

Sudan: Guterres urges donors to boost aid response to halt death, destruction

Addressing donors at a pledging event in Geneva convened by the UN with Egypt, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the European Union, Mr. Guterres said that some $3 billion was needed to assist people in Sudan and those who have fled to neighbouring countries. “The scale and speed of Sudan’s descent into death and destruction is unprecedented,” he… Read More
Africa 

Trafficking in the Sahel: Smugglers ‘will take you anywhere’

In this feature, part of a series exploring trafficking in the Sahel, UN News focuses on migrant smuggling. Migrant smugglers have been reaping rich dividends over the past decade in the Sahel, where armed violence, terrorist attacks, and climate shocks have displaced three million people and triggered growing numbers of others to flee, according to a new threat assessment report by the… Read More
Africa 

UN Mission backs constitutional referendum in Mali

“This is obviously an important time for the mission, coinciding with discussions on the renewal of its mandate, and also for Mali, which continues to face complex security and other forms of challenges,” Special Representative El-Ghassim Wane told ambassadors. The long-awaited vote on Sunday marks the first phase towards presidential elections next year following a coup in May 2021. Citizens… Read More
Africa 

Sudan’s Darfur spiralling into ‘humanitarian calamity’: UN aid chief

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths warned in a statement issued late on Thursday night that conditions in the province were particularly dire: babies dying in hospitals, children and mothers suffering from severe malnutrition, camps for displaced persons burned down and sexual violence on the rise. He deplored spreading inter-communal violence in Darfur that threatens to reignite the ethnic tensions… Read More
Africa 

DR Congo: Armed group attacks displace nearly 1 million since January

An estimated 6.1 million are internally displaced, a 17 per cent increase from October, according to its Displacement Tracking Matrix. IOM said civilians have been killed or forced to flee their homes due to a surge in violence and attacks by armed groups. Deadly attack, intolerable dangers At least 46 people were killed in the latest incident which occurred at… Read More
Africa 

Sudan: Attacks based on ethnicity may amount to war crimes

Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and rival military group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted in mid-April, has left thousands dead or injured, and displaced more than a million.   Communities also continue to face severe shortages of food, access to medical supplies and restricted movement out of conflict areas, while allegations of sexual violence against women and… Read More
Africa 

‘Immense tragedy’ underscores need to address unexploded ordnance danger in Somalia

UNMAS issued a statement saying it was “deeply saddened and profoundly alarmed” by the deaths of 27 civilians, including 22 children, in a “tragic incident” involving unexploded ordnance (UXO) that occurred on Friday in the Lower Shabelle region.  Fifty-three people were also injured.  Innocent lives lost  “UNMAS expresses its sincere condolences to the families affected by this devastating event and… Read More
Africa 

WHO strongly condemns deadly attack in Somalia

The attack occurred on Friday and left more than 10 people injured at the beachside hotel in Somalia’s capital, the UN health agency reported. Media reports indicated that the incident took place over several hours and involved armed perpetrators. “We condemn all attacks on innocent civilians and humanitarian aid workers and express our deepest condolences to the family members of… Read More