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
Africa 

Trafficking in the Sahel: Muzzling the illicit arms trade

In this feature, part of a series exploring the fight against trafficking in the Sahel, UN News focuses on the illegal arms trade that is fuelling conflict and terrorism. In the Sahel, home to 300 million people, it’s a buyer’s market for guns. Insurgency and banditry plague the region, rooted in, among other things, endemic intercommunal tensions, clashes between farmers… Read More
Africa 

Sudan crisis still having devastating impact on civilians: UN rights office

“We are concerned by the continued devastating impact of the fighting in Sudan on civilians,” Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence told journalists in Geneva.  The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and military rival, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been locked in vicious clashes since mid-April.   Hundreds have been killed and some 1.2 million have been displaced. UN agencies and partners have repeatedly… Read More
Africa 

UN suspends food assistance as Ethiopia wrestles with aid diversions

“Food diversion is absolutely unacceptable,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain, following a joint statement made by Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and USAID announcing their commitment to addressing deeply concerning revelations of aid diversion. “While we will temporarily halt food aid assistance in Ethiopia, nutrition assistance to children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, school meals programmes, and activities for building… Read More
Africa 

Critical humanitarian situation in Central African Republic

Of this number, 2.4 million “have needs so severe and complex that their survival and dignity is at risk,” Mohamed Ag Ayoya, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the CAR, told journalists in Geneva.  The conflict in neighbouring Sudan has further exacerbated needs, and a $465 million humanitarian plan for the country was amended to include support for some 25,000 Sudanese and… Read More