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	Sri Lanka: Families struggling to cope in midst of economic distress by Amnesty, ICJ, Crisis Group, agencies   July 2023   Government must ensure access to adequate nutrition for all pregnant and breastfeeding women. (Amnesty International)   The Government of Sri Lanka must ensure access to adequate nutrition for all pregnant and breastfeeding women amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country, Amnesty International said today in a new research briefing.   The briefing, ‘Foregoing Meals to Make-Do’, examines the impact of the economic crisis on access to nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women, with a particular focus on women living below the poverty line in Colombo. Falling incomes, loss of livelihoods and inflation have reduced women’s purchasing power while government-funded programs aimed at increasing maternal nutrition have also been affected by the crisis.   “Due to the severity of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, health and nutrition have taken a back seat. The situation has taken a grave toll on the health and well-being of pregnant and breastfeeding women. These individuals have also been disproportionately impacted by the crisis, which has seen poverty rates double in the space of a year due to the crisis,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia.   In almost all households Amnesty International spoke to, consumption of meat, vegetables, fruit and milk had drastically reduced. Such deprivation increases the risk of nutrient deficiencies, which can affect the development of the foetus. Families that previously consumed meat or fish on a weekly basis now consume them just once a month or only when money is available.   Most pregnant and breastfeeding women Amnesty International spoke to said that they were unemployed and their husbands did not have a regular income amid the economic crisis.   In February 2023, pregnant and breastfeeding told Amnesty International that government food vouchers, which are usually offered to pregnant and breastfeeding women, could not be redeemed due to a lack of state funds.   Amnesty International wrote to the Ministry of Women, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Administration to raise these concerns, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.   Sri Lanka’s public health system has also been affected by shortages of medicine and equipment. Health workers providing maternal care told Amnesty International that they had to stop, delay or postpone non-essential surgeries and procedures. One doctor, who said they have to ration drugs for emergency cases because future supplies are uncertain, told Amnesty: “We have to see patients suffering and we cannot do anything.”   Sri Lanka has ratified several international accords requiring it to ensure that pregnant and breastfeeding women have access to adequate healthcare and food, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).   “Prolonged food insecurity and inadequate nutrition can lead to serious long-term consequences for mothers and their children if left unaddressed. The Government of Sri Lanka must urgently meet its international human rights obligations, including by ensuring access to adequate, affordable and good quality nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women.   The international community must also play a role in supporting the government to ensure pregnant and breastfeeding women are able to access adequate food and nutrition,” said Dinushika Dissanayake.   http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/07/sri-lanka-government-must-ensure-access-to-adequate-nutrition-for-all-pregnant-and-breastfeeding-women/ http://www.hrw.org/news/2023/08/07/sri-lanka-chaotic-social-security-reform-denies-peoples-rights   Mar. 2023   Sri Lanka: half of families reducing children’s food intake as the country slips further into hunger crisis – Save the Children   Half of families in Sri Lanka are forced to reduce the amount they feed their children, according to a survey by Save the Children, as the country’s economic downturn spirals further into a full-blown hunger crisis nearly a year after the government defaulted on its debt.   The government and international community must act now to prevent the country’s children from becoming a lost generation, the child rights organisation said.   Since the Sri Lankan government defaulted on its debt nearly a year ago, soaring inflation and food, medicine and fuel shortages as well as a lack of stable employment have left families unable to cope. The country has the seventh highest nominal food inflation rate in the world, according to the World Bank, with year-on-year inflation in the country more than 50%.   Save the Children’s latest survey of 2,308 households across nine districts in Sri Lanka found that due to this inflation, average household expenditure increased by 18% between June and December last year. During this time there was a 23% increase in households unable to meet most or all of their general basic needs, Save the Children said.   Because of this, over the past six months, more families have had to resort to desperate measures to survive, with a 24% increase in households saying they had resorted to borrowing money in order to cover household expenses; a 24% increase in households saying they had to purchase food on credit; and a 28% increase in households selling household items for cash. Female-headed households are particularly vulnerable, Save the Children said.   While half of households said they are cutting their children’s food intake, 27% reported adults skipping meals to feed their children. Nine out of ten households said they cannot guarantee nutritious food for their children..   http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-half-families-reducing-childrens-food-intake-country-slips-further-hunger-crisis-save-children   Sep. 2022   How can Sri Lanka escape crisis with IMF’s $2.9bn, by Dr Stephen Kidd and Dr Nayha Mansoor. (Development Pathways)   IMF last week announced a provisional $2.9bn loan to Sri Lanka for recovery from an economic crisis which has caused extreme inflation, shortages and protests. But once the loan is approved, the country has decisions to make on how best to spend the funds. Recent evidence shows that universal social protection could be critical to getting the country back on track.   Lessons from the COVID response   Sri Lanka’s current crisis requires a large-scale emergency response. The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant damage to family wellbeing as well as the economy. The response put in place was nowhere near large enough to offer families adequate income support and trigger economic recovery.   Back in 2020, UNICEF recommended a large-scale, 6-month expansion of social protection, which would have cost a total of 1.5% of GDP and generated significant demand within the economy, while reaching 86% of the population with essential income support. Unfortunately, the absence of an adequate fiscal response to the COVID-19 emergency meant that the economy has been unable to return to a strong footing, which has contributed to the current crisis. Subsequent policy decisions by the government made an already bad situation much worse.   It is essential that the Sri Lankan government and the international community learn the lessons from the limited response to the COVID-19 crisis. This means implementing, as soon as possible, an ambitious programme of emergency income support to families.   If families do not receive this support, social unrest is likely to worsen, which could lead to a collapse of the political system, with far-reaching consequences. Further, the economic situation could continue to deteriorate, exacerbating a volatile situation, while families across the country struggle to feed themselves and access public services.   This short note proposes an ambitious emergency package which, if implemented, should help stablise the political situation, reduce the level of social unrest, offer vulnerable families – who now comprise most of the population – immediate financial support, and stimulate economic recovery.   Emergency support for children, persons with disabilities and older people   Across the country, the majority of families are suffering. Even among those who were previously secure, many have fallen into deep poverty and the crisis has left almost no one untouched. The greatest challenges are felt by households that include children, persons with disabilities and older people.   Therefore, given that not everyone can be reached, support should be focused on these vulnerable categories of the population, which will also help those who live with them in the same households.   As the crisis is universal, it makes little sense to target the poorest members of society. Even before COVID, it was impossible to identify the poorest households in Sri Lanka. For that reason, back in 2016, more than half (58%) of people who were meant to receive the Samurdhi cash transfer – directed at ‘the poor’ – did not receive it.   Further, targeting the poorest could exacerbate the current political crisis, given that most of the population would feel that the government is abandoning them, while the targeting errors would create widespread resentment and generate further social unrest. Indeed, one of the causes of the civil war in Syria was the introduction of a poverty-targeted cash transfer to compensate for the removal of a universal fuel subsidy.   An emergency programme of income support should, therefore, offer transfers to children, persons with disabilities and older people for a period of six months. While this programme could be designed in various ways, one option is to provide transfers to every child aged 0-17 years (with the cash being given to the female caregiver, or a male if a female is not present), all persons with disabilities aged 0-59 years and everyone aged 60 years and above.   The total package would require US$1.06 billion. While this may appear to be a high cost over a short period of time, it is an investment that will have rapid impact and pave the way for long-term recovery – at the cost of little more than a third of the IMF’s loan (36.6%).   If the emergency package is not put in place, the real cost to Sri Lanka, through further hardship, losses in child development, social unrest, and reduced economic growth will be much higher and, in some cases – especially the losses in human capital among children – unrecoverable..   http://www.developmentpathways.co.uk/blog/sri-lanka-crisis-imf/ http://www.ituc-csi.org/sri-lanka-an-urgent-need-for-debt-relief http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/wfp-sri-lanka-situation-report-05-december-2022 http://reliefweb.int/disaster/ce-2022-000199-lka http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-multi-dimensional-crisis-situation-report-no-4-2-september-2022 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/09/sri-lanka-critical-juncture-un-report-urges-progress-accountability http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/we-are-near-total-breakdown-protecting-rights-health-food-and-social-security-sri-lankas-economic-crisis http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-multi-dimensional-crisis-situation-report-no-6-30-september-2022 http://reliefweb.int/disaster/ce-2022-000199-lka http://www.acaps.org/country/sri-lanka/crisis/socio-economic-crisis   July 2022   6 million Sri Lankans food insecure. (UN News)   In the face of record food price inflation, skyrocketing fuel costs and widespread commodity shortages, some 6.26 million Sri Lankans, or three in 10 households, are unsure of where their next meal is coming from, according to the latest food insecurity assessment from the World Food Programme (WFP).   As prices keep healthy meals out of reach, some 61 per cent of households are regularly using coping strategies to cut down on costs, such as reducing the amount they eat and consuming increasingly less nutritious meals.   And with opportunities to make enough income in the medium to long-term decreasing for an estimated 200,000 families, the UN food relief agency anticipates that even more people will turn to these coping strategies as the crisis deepens.   WFP is warning that a lack of nutrition has grave consequences for pregnant women, putting both their own and their children’s health at risk.   “Pregnant mothers need to eat nutritious meals every day, but the poorest find it harder and harder to afford the basics,” WFP Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Anthea Webb said last month. She told a local television station that by skipping meals, pregnant women were putting themselves and their children’s health at risk in a way that “carries throughout your life”.   To combat the food crisis and its effect on malnutrition, WFP has been distributing monthly food vouchers to pregnant women in some of the poorest neighbourhoods, alongside antenatal care provided by the local government.   Amidst a staggering 57.4 per cent inflation rate, steeply increasing food prices have crippled the population’s ability to put sufficient and nutritious meals on the table, rendering two in five households without adequate diets.   The food security situation is worst among people working in the farming estates sector, where more than half of households are food insecure, according to WFP.   In all measures of food insecurity and coping strategies, these households have consistently poorer outcomes than urban and rural populations.   “Poor families in cities and those who work on estates have seen their incomes plummet while market prices have soared,” the WFP official said.   Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948. A current oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice.   Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation, have fuelled the shortages. The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty.   Last month WFP launched an emergency appeal for food and nutrition to assist three million of the most at-risk Sri Lankans. “We must act now before this becomes a humanitarian catastrophe,” warned WFP chief David Beasley.   As prices keep healthy meals out of reach, some 61 per cent of households are regularly using food-based coping strategies, such as reducing the amount they eat and consuming increasingly less nutritious food. The UN food relief agency anticipates that even more people will turn to these coping strategies as the crisis deepens.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/07/1122042 http://www.savethechildren.net/news/sri-lanka-more-two-thirds-families-struggling-feed-themselves-economic-crisis-wipes-out-incomes   13 July 2022   Sri Lanka’s president flees, but leaves a deepening crisis.   Following months of protests calling for his resignation, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled Sri Lanka on 13 July, sending an official resignation a day later. The country has faced a growing humanitarian crisis for months, after years of severe economic mismanagement. While Sri Lankans celebrated Rajapaksa’s self-exile – he is the final member of the powerful dynasty to step down – acting President Ranil Wickremesinghe warned that the economy has “completely collapsed”. Spiralling sovereign debt has led to rampant inflation and a shortage of fuel so severe that the country has gone under virtual lockdown. With the price of food skyrocketing, Sri Lankans are increasingly hungry, while a shortage of medical supplies has left a once-strong healthcare system in dire straits.   The most recent estimates by the World Food Programme suggest that nearly a quarter of the population is in need of food aid, while 86 percent has adjusted its eating habits by consuming less nutritious food, or missing meals altogether.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/07/sri-lanka-un-experts-sound-alarm-economic-crisis http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/09/sri-lanka-authorities-crackdown-on-protest-rights-must-end/   10 July 2002   Months of Protests lead to President and PM vowing to step down. (BBC News, agencies)   Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has announced he will step down after protesters stormed his official residence and set the prime minister's house on fire. Neither the PM nor the president were in the buildings at the time.   Hundreds of thousands of people had descended on the capital Colombo, calling for Mr Rajapaksa to resign after months of protests over economic mismanagement.   Mr Rajapaksa said he will step down on 13 July. PM Wickremesing has also agreed to resign. However, protestors who have lost all trust in their leadership are demanding they resign immediately and not delay the process of establishing a new administration.   One protester, Fiona Sirmana, who was demonstrating at the president's house, said it was time "to get rid of the president and the prime minister and to have a new era for Sri Lanka".. "I feel very sad that they didn't go earlier because had they gone earlier there wouldn't have been any destruction," she told Reuters.   Sri Lanka is suffering rampant inflation and is struggling to import food, fuel and medicine. It has run out of foreign currency and has imposed a ban on sales of petrol and diesel for private vehicles, leading to days-long queues for fuel. There have also been constant power outages and shortages of cooking gas.   Many blame the Government led by the dynastic and powerful Rajapaksa family for the mismanagement, alleging they used the country's wealth for personal gain.   The extraordinary events of Saturday were the culmination of months of mainly peaceful protests in Sri Lanka. Huge crowds converged on the official residence of President Rajapaksa, chanting slogans and waving the national flag before breaking through the barricades and entering the property. The contrast between the luxury of the palace and the months of hardship endured by the country's 22 million people was not lost on the protesters.   "When you see the luxuries in this house it is obvious that they don't have time to work for the country," Chanuka Jayasuriya told Reuters.   "Just two resignations alone will not satisfy the demands, the demand of a system change, but at least this is a start if the president and the prime minister depart," said Bhavani Fonseka, a prominent human rights lawyer in Colombo.   Sri Lanka's opposition parties are expected to form an "all-party government" when the President resigns, with speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena stepping in as interim president until an election among MPs to elect a leader.   But a number of experts say the country needs to have a new election for people to be able trust the next government. "The most important thing is that you need the political legitimacy and I'm afraid that the government and the political elites that we have at the moment do not have legitimacy," one commentator noted.   May 2022   Many of Sri Lanka's 22 million people are facing acute shortages of food, fuel and medicine as the island nation battles its worst economic crises since it became independent in 1948.   Sri Lanka is facing a balance of payment crisis and a severe foreign exchange shortage compounded by Covid-19 lockdowns, pre-pandemic tax cuts and loss of access to international capital markets. As it stands, foreign exchange reserves are critically low, making the import of essential medicines, food items, cooking gas and fuel, immensely difficult. This is affecting all major sectors including education, health and livelihoods.   The economy got battered by the COVID pandemic which wrecked the tourism industry — a key revenue generator for the country — and hit other major sectors as well as foreign remittances.   The deeply unpopular Rajapaksa government is accused of gross economic mismanagement in creating a mountain of debt by borrowing heavily from foreign investors and countries.   The heavy debt burden and eroding foreign exchange reserves have triggered a balance of payments crisis, making it difficult to finance essential imports like medicines.   Skyrocketing inflation, ongoing food price rises, shortages of essential items and lengthy power blackouts have stoked public fury at the government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, his family members and allies. Inflation hit 29.8 percent in April with food prices up 46.6 percent year-on-year.   Clashes broke out between government supporters and opponents this week, killing several people and injuring hundreds.   After the violence erupted, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa — the president's elder brother — resigned. The government has imposed a state of emergency and curfews, in addition to granting sweeping powers to the military and the police, including orders to shoot looters on sight. Security forces are patrolling the streets in armored personnel carriers, but the situation remains tense across the country.   President Gotabaya continues to defy popular calls to resign, pledging instead to form a unity government, a proposal rejected by the majority of the country. The opposition refuses to join any unity government and has called for curtailing the powers of the presidency.   14 May 2022   Sri Lankan president ‘Gota’ clings on to power despite ongoing widespread protests demanding he resign. (Guardian News)   They have called it “Gota Go Village”. Here, on what was once an empty stretch of lawn outside the office of the Sri Lankan prime minister, on Colombo’s seafront Galle Face promenade, a thriving community has sprung up. There are tents, food stalls, a library, a memorial, art installations, stages for music and speeches, and even the beginnings of a small farm growing vegetables and fruit from recently planted trees. Nearby, a patch has been set aside to cultivate rice.   It began as the focal point of the anti-government protests that have engulfed Sri Lanka for months as the country goes through the worst economic crisis since independence. As fuel, food and medicine have run short, the blame has been placed firmly at the feet of one man, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, widely known as Gota, who stands accused of economic mismanagement and corruption pushing the country to the brink of bankruptcy. The calls from the majority of the population have been clear: Gota must step down.   But as it has become evident that Gotabaya Rajapaksa will not give in to public demands, the protesters, too, have made it clear they are not going anywhere. What began as a few temporary marquees grew into a full tent village occupied by hundreds.   “We will not stop the protest until Gota goes home. We are staying here and we are ready to stay permanently,” said AM Fernando.   But last week, the protest village also became the target of the worst violence the country has seen since the demonstrations began earlier this year. On Monday, pro-government supporters, many of whom had been bussed in from outside the city, attacked the Gota Go Village site. Armed with iron rods and sticks, they beat protesters and set tents alight. Police then fired tear gas and water cannons at the camp.   Among the injured was a Buddhist monk, Welimada Upananda Thero, who is now receiving treatment for a leg so badly bruised that he needs crutches. “They just came started beating us. They beat everything we had in our tent, even my sandals,” he said.   The incident triggered violence elsewhere. Mahinda Rajapaksa, the brother of the president, who resigned as prime minister on Monday after mounting public pressure, had to be evacuated at dawn on Tuesday from his official residence in Colombo after protesters tried to storm the building. Houses belonging to the Rajapaksas and their supporters were attacked and set alight across the country, and the military was brought on to Colombo’s streets with orders to shoot looters.   Yet despite a curfew and the imposition of a state of emergency, protesters at Gota Go Village turned out in their droves, rebuilding structures pulled down by the pro-government attacks.   Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s appointment on Thursday of a new prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has served as PM five times before, did little to appease the anger of many at the camp, and a spinoff site, “Ranil Go Home”, was set up by Friday.   Wickremesinghe, who has been in politics for more than four decades, last served as PM between 2015 and 2019 in a regime that toppled the Rajapaksa family’s previous decade-long hold on power but ultimately descended into dysfunction and infighting. He suffered a humiliating defeat in the 2020 parliamentary election, with his United National Party (UNP) winning just a single seat.   While he is regarded by some as a safe pair of hands for the economy, Wickremesinghe is also seen by many as the quintessential insider politician who will continue the status quo. He is long accused of protecting the interests of both the Rajapaksa family and corrupt figures in his own earlier government, maintaining his political career through back-door scheming.   “The real problem for Ranil is he is being seen as prop, albeit a very weak one, for a widely discredited and now even reviled leader,” said Harim Peiris, a political analyst.   Wickremesinghe said he was taking on the role in order to guide the country through the worst of the economic crisis and put food back on to people’s plates, and said he still supported the protesters’ call for Gotabaya Rajapaksa to step down.   But Alan Keenan, International Crisis Group senior consultant on Sri Lanka, said that by accepting the position, Wickremesinghe was inevitably helping to prop up the Rajapaksa regime. “His appointment breathes new life into the desperate Rajapaksa family, and seems likely to undercut chances of achieving the protesters’ central demand – backed by 90% of the public – that Gotabaya Rajapaksa resign as president.”   Asanka Abeyrathna, a former university lecturer who has been at the protest camp since it was set up, was among those who said they were not happy with the decision to appoint Wickremesinghe as prime minister.   “In 2015, Ranil was in charge of a government that promised us justice – but this did not happen, so what is the point of having Ranil again?” said Abeyrathna. “Maybe he can bring in dollars to get us gas, electricity and fuel but this will not ensure justice for past atrocities or relief for the people. Until Gota goes there will be no change.”   Many in the protest camp called for Wickremesinghe to prove his political neutrality by taking action against the Rajapaksa family and to arrest Mahinda Rajapaksa for his role in instigating Monday’s violence. “The first thing Ranil has to do is to send Gota home and also punish him for the wrongs he has done,” said Fernando.   Wickremesinghe’s ability to govern as prime minister remains to be seen. He is the only lawmaker from his UNP in parliament and so will be reliant on pro-Rajapaksa MPs and a few independents to form a majority coalition. He claimed to have the numbers but his majority will be put to the test in coming days, as parliament is due to vote on a motion of no confidence in the president and he will also have to get a budget passed.   While Wickremesinghe’s appointment is likely to be welcomed by foreign governments and international creditors, many are sceptical he will bring about the systemic change being demanded by those on the streets or provide long-term political stability.   “As long as there is a state of emergency, and the current president continues to function, the country’s economic recovery will be devastatingly slow,” said Gehan Gunatilleke, a human rights lawyer and former adviser to the Sri Lankan foreign ministry.   Senior opposition lawmaker and economist Harsha de Silva publicly rejected an offer to take over the finance ministry in Wickremesinghe’s cabinet. “People are not asking for political games and deals – they want a new system that will safeguard their future,” he said.   http://reliefweb.int/report/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-food-security-crisis-humanitarian-needs-and-priorities-2022-june-sept-2022-ensita http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/sri-lankas-economic-crisis-spiralling-food-crisis http://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/14/sri-lankan-president-gota-clings-on-to-power-gotabaya-rajapaksa http://www.dw.com/en/sri-lankans-running-out-of-food-fuel-and-medicine/a-61773302 http://www.icj.org/sri-lanka-government-must-ensure-availability-of-essential-medicines-to-protect-lives/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/05/sri-lanka-rights-under-attack-during-economic-crisis/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/05/sri-lanka-new-emergency-regulations-and-shooting-orders-threaten-human-rights/ http://lens.civicus.org/sri-lanka-economic-meltdown-sparks-mass-protests/ http://www.crisisgroup.org/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka/sri-lankas-economic-meltdown-triggers-popular-uprising-and-political-turmoil http://www.ipsnews.net/2022/05/sri-lanka-debt-crisis-neocolonialism-geopolitical-rivalry/
	Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues by Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect   July 2022   On 14 July representatives from various states, regional organizations, international institutions and civil society met in The Hague for the Ukraine Accountability Conference to coordinate investigations into atrocities committed in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion nearly five months ago.   During the conference, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, called for a “reawakening” of international law, emphasizing that, “this moment of clinging to the law and applying the law in a practical way is the requirement of the hour.”   Following the conclusion of the conference, several states committed to establish a “Dialogue Group on Accountability for Ukraine” to promote cooperation between ongoing justice and documentation efforts.   Daily attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure – which may amount to war crimes – continue in Ukraine. The UN reported that as of 18 July the civilian death toll has climbed to 5,110, including 346 children, while asserting that the real death toll is likely much higher.   Heavy shelling caused more than 160 civilian casualties in Ukrainian-held and Russian-held areas in the Donetsk region between 8-11 July alone. On 9 July at least 34 civilians were killed when Russian forces struck a five-story apartment building in Chasiv Yar, marking the deadliest incident so far this month and the second single deadliest attack since the war began, according to the UN.   Another six civilians were killed on 18 July in the town of Toretsk when a Russian strike hit the building they were sheltering in. Meanwhile, in central Ukraine three Russian cruise missiles struck the city of Vinnytsia on 14 July, killing at least 25 people, including three children, and wounding 140 others. The missiles hit civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings and a neurological clinic servicing children with disabilities.   The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in areas of active conflict in the eastern Donbas regions. Reports have surfaced of Russian forces blocking the flow of humanitarian aid to areas under their control. The intentional blocking of humanitarian aid may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.   Sarah Hunter, Ukraine Expert at the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, said, “accountability efforts for atrocities perpetrated in Ukraine are important and welcome. Nevertheless, civilians continue to endure crimes on a daily basis. All efforts must be made to halt this senseless war, including continuing to pressure Russia to end strikes on civilians and allow aid access for those in desperate need of relief.”   Apr. 2022   Following the retreat of Russian forces from the suburbs of Kyiv, Ukraine, at the end of March, reports emerged of hundreds of civilian casualties in previously Russian-occupied areas. Ukrainian authorities have identified the bodies of at least 410 men, women and children in the town of Bucha, many of which were buried in mass graves while others were discovered slain in the street. Reports of targeted killings of civilians in other previously occupied suburbs have also started to emerge. The targeted killing of civilians is forbidden under international law and may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.   On 5 April Liz Throssell, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, cited the horrifying images of people with their hands bound and bodies of women discovered naked and partially burned, stating that, “this is extremely disturbing, and does really strongly suggest that they were directly targeted as individuals… and directly killed.” Throssell stressed that, “it’s hard to see what was the military context of an individual lying in the street with a bullet to the head or having their bodies burned.”   Russian officials have denied that any civilians were harmed in their military operations and asserted that the bodies in Bucha were placed there after their retreat. Satellite images and video footage examined by The New York Times, along with eyewitness testimony, provide evidence to the contrary. Since 24 February the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has documented at least 1,563 civilian deaths, including 130 children, while asserting the real toll is much higher.   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres joined the international condemnation of the killings in Bucha, as well as calls for independent investigations and accountability. He also echoed his previous warnings regarding the global impact of the war, stating, “I deeply regret the divisions that have prevented the Security Council from acting not only on Ukraine, but on other threats to peace and security around the world. I urge the Council to do everything in its power to end the war and to mitigate its impact, both on the suffering people of Ukraine, and on vulnerable people and developing countries around the world.”   http://correspondent.afp.com/bucha-street-filled-bodies http://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/visit-to-ukraine-commissioner-mijatovic-calls-for-continuous-support-and-justice-for-victims-of-the-war http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/new-report-un-human-rights-shows-shocking-toll-war-ukraine-enruuk http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/06/ukraine-deadly-mariupol-theatre-strike-a-clear-war-crime-by-russian-forces-new-investigation/ http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2022/06/anyone-can-die-at-any-time-kharkiv/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/russian-soldiers-cleansing-operation-bucha-ukraine/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/interactive/ap-russia-war-crimes-ukraine/   2 Mar. 2022   Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues   On Thursday, 24 February, forces from the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine and began launching attacks on major cities, including the capital, Kyiv, as well as Kharkiv, Kherson, Mariupol and others. Between 24-28 February the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights verified at least 142 civilian deaths, including 13 children, though the actual death toll is likely much higher. Most casualties were caused by the use of indiscriminate explosive weapons, including shelling from heavy artillery and multiple rocket systems.   Reports have indicated several attacks on civilian infrastructure, including apartment buildings, homes, schools and hospitals, as well as the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial site. Attacks on these objects and the use of indiscriminate weapons is in violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and may amount to war crimes.   The conflict has forced over 874,000 people to flee Ukraine to neighboring countries. Some minority populations attempting to flee, including civilians of African, Asian and Middle Eastern descent, have reported being removed from trains, beaten and/or harassed by border authorities. Under the Refugee Convention, the international community has both a moral and legal obligation to assist all refugees, regardless of race, religion or country of origin.   Following Russia’s veto of a draft UN Security Council resolution on 25 February, the Council adopted a “Uniting for Peace” resolution, which allows the General Assembly to give recommendations on responses to security crises when the Security Council fails to act “because of a lack of unanimity of the permanent members.”   On 2 March, during an emergency special session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning Russia's use of force in Ukraine and the subsequent violations of IHL and International Human Rights Law. The resolution also called on all parties to protect civilian populations and objects from attack. Additionally, the Human Rights Council will hold an urgent debate on 3 March.   Numerous states and regional organizations have responded to the invasion with crippling sanctions and other economic measures. On 28 February the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced his intention to open an investigation. The Court previously found evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity during a preliminary examination of the “Maidan” protests and armed conflict in eastern Ukraine since 2013.   Ukraine has also filed a case with the International Court of Justice, asking for the Court’s clarification under Article XI of the Genocide Convention, after the Russian government accused Ukraine of committing a genocide against Russian-speakers in eastern Ukraine. The claim has been internationally rebuked as false.   Savita Pawnday, Executive Director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, said that, “while we welcome the uncharacteristically quick response of the international community, civilians will continue to be at an ever-increasing risk of atrocities until the armed conflict ends. Ensuring Russia halts the invasion is paramount.”   http://www.globalr2p.org/countries/ukraine/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/03/ukraine-protecting-life-must-be-priority-un-human-rights-experts http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2022/03/ukraine-high-commissioner-cites-new-and-dangerous-threats-human-rights   ICJ hears Myanmar's objections to Rohingya Genocide Case   On 28 February the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded hearings on Myanmar’s (Burma) preliminary objections to The Gambia’s case on the genocide against the Rohingya. In 2019 The Gambia filed suit against Myanmar at the ICJ, accusing Myanmar of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention.   On 23 January 2020 the ICJ issued four provisional measures, ordering the government of Myanmar to take immediate action to protect its “extremely vulnerable” Rohingya population from potential genocidal acts. Myanmar later filed four preliminary objections to the case in January 2021, disputing The Gambia’s standing to file the case and challenging the Court’s jurisdiction.   The Gambia v. Myanmar is a historic lawsuit seeking to acknowledge Myanmar’s responsibility as a state for the genocide committed against the Rohingya. Starting in October 2016 and then again in August 2017, Myanmar’s military – the Tatmadaw – engaged in so-called “clearance operations” against the Rohingya, a distinct Muslim ethnic minority, in Rakhine State.   The operations were characterized by brutal violence and serious human rights violations that, according to UN investigations, amount to genocide and crimes against humanity. Survivors reported indiscriminate killings, rape and sexual violence, arbitrary detention and torture. The clearance operations followed decades of systematic persecution of the Rohingya by the government.   During the hearings, Dawda Jallow, The Gambia’s Minister of Justice, emphasized that, “The Gambia may be a geographically small state, but we stand tall in the international community of States and take pride in promoting and protecting human rights, and international accountability for atrocity crimes like genocide. Justice and accountability for those acts of genocide, and for Myanmar’s ongoing acts of genocide, is not just possible – it is necessary.”   The hearings were the first proceedings in The Gambia v. Myanmar since the February 2021 coup. Myanmar’s military is currently representing the state at the ICJ. The decision on the preliminary objections and whether the case can proceed will be released at an undetermined date. In the meantime, the four provisional measures remain in place.   Liam Scott, Research Associate at the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, stated that, “the case at the ICJ provides a long-awaited opportunity for victims and survivors. While the provisional measures offer some protection, many of those responsible for the genocide remain in power and there is no indication that they are complying with these measures.” The military continues to perpetrate atrocities against the Rohingya and other populations across Myanmar with impunity.   http://globaljusticecenter.net/press-center/press-releases/1551-q-a-rohingya-genocide-case-steps-toward-justice   June 2022   R2P Monitor is a quarterly bulletin applying the atrocity prevention lens to populations at risk of mass atrocities around the world.   Issue 61 looks at developments in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Central Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger), China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Myanmar (Burma), Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria, South Sudan, Mozambique and Sudan.   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/r2p-monitor-issue-61-1-june-2022/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/r2p-monitor-issue-62-1-september-2022/   Mar. 2022   Issue 60 looks at developments in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Central Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger), China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Myanmar (Burma), Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Venezuela.   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/r2p-monitor-issue-60-1-march-2022/   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/call-to-action-for-the-united-nations-general-assembly-during-its-77th-session-from-the-international-coalition-for-the-responsibility-to-protect/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/letter-to-hrc-members-on-atrocity-prevention-priorities-at-the-councils-51st-session/ http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/hrc50-summary/ http://ishr.ch/latest-updates/hrc50-civil-society-presents-key-takeaways-from-human-rights-council/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/regular-sessions/session50/list-reports http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/atrocity-prevention-and-outcomes-of-the-un-human-rights-councils-49th-session/   http://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-secretary-general-protection-civilians-armed-conflict-s2022381-enarruzh http://starvationaccountability.org/news-and-events/un-protection-of-civilians-week-address/ http://starvationaccountability.org/news-and-events/protection-of-civilians-four-years-on-from-the-adoption-of-unsc-resolution-2417/ http://bit.ly/3MSpxHz http://humanitarianaccess.acaps.org/ Visit the related web page
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