WFP, MSF forced to stop urgent food distributions in Sudan's Zamzam camp as fighting intensifies by OCHA, UNHCR, OHCHR, agencies Democratic Republic of the Congo / Sudan   8 Apr 2025   Statement by Jan Egeland, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General on the two-year mark of the Sudan crisis:   “This week, we mark two years of war in Sudan which have caused one of the most harrowing crises of our generation, with the forced displacement of nearly 15 million people. Armed men have for more than 700 days and nights attacked defenceless civilians with impunity. Civilians have not been protected, and peace efforts have failed.   “We are witnessing a confluence of catastrophic factors—the widespread violence that has caused the deepest humanitarian collapse in Sudan’s history is exacerbated by the most severe US funding cuts ever, on top of aid cuts by several European donors. Programmes that once provided vital support have been forced to shut down, leaving millions without the basic means to survive.   Around 25 million people are facing devastating hunger, and yet we have been forced to stop our support to farmers, whose produce is essential to help us avert famine wherever it hasn’t struck yet.   We have been forced to close down aid access centres for displaced and vulnerable people where they could seek our services. And we have had to scale down on education for thousands of children who desperately need it. This is the darkest hour for Sudan.   “Neighbouring countries hosting more than three million refugees and returnees, including Chad and South Sudan, now bear the weight of overflowing refugee populations while facing crises of their own. This is not merely a policy failure; it is a moral failure. We must not allow self-interest to overshadow our fundamental responsibility to save lives.   “I call on the global community to reverse these misguided funding shifts and recommit to protecting humanity. Our actions in this critical moment will determine whether we choose compassion or conflict over the future of our shared humanity.”   http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/april/sudans-darkest-hour http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-two-years-war-starvation-global-failure-world-must-act-now http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-faces-worsening-humanitarian-catastrophe-famine-and-conflict-escalate http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-turk-decries-catastrophic-cost-inaction-conflict-approaches-third-year http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-displacement-zamzam-camp-north-darfur-state-flash-update-no-01-15-april-2025 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-23-children-and-9-aid-workers-reportedly-killed-al-fasher-abu-shouk-and-zamzam http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/attacks-zamzam-and-abu-shouk-camps-and-al-fasher-must-end-now-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/04/sudan-un-fact-finding-mission-deplores-darfur-killings-conflict-enters-third http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1162116 http://news.un.org/en/interview/2025/04/1162131   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-calls-urgent-access-preposition-food-sudan-rainy-season-risks-cutting-roads-starving http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1159433/ http://www.unhcr.org/emergencies/sudan-emergency http://www.iom.int/sudan-conflict-two-years http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/sudan-new-report-sheds-light-two-years-devastation-sudan http://www.msf.org/two-years-war-sudan-leave-millions-more-need-ever http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-crisis-two-years-unraveling-worlds-largest-humanitarian-disaster-sahel-red-sea-0   17 Mar. 2025   Sudan: In North Darfur, conditions at Zamzam camp worsen amid siege   OCHA warns that the ongoing siege on Zamzam camp, outside the city of El Fasher, Sudan, is deepening the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians who are struggling to survive after months of famine.   The crisis at the camp has worsened during Ramadan, with food shortages growing even more severe. Prices of basic goods have skyrocketed, making essential items unaffordable for most families. Partners on the ground report signs of growing hunger. Zamzam is a site in which famine conditions were identified last July and reconfirmed in December.   Armed attacks continue along the route between Zamzam and El Fasher, with multiple casualties and injuries reported. Despite severe access challenges, humanitarian teams are providing food, water and urgent medical care, but needs are far outpacing available resources. The situation has become even more critical due to funding cuts and the withdrawal of most aid organizations assisting in the area due to insecurity. This comes after WFP and Medecins Sans Frontieres were forced to suspend operations in Zamzam last month.   OCHA is also concerned that conditions are also deteriorating in parts of Khartoum State. Local volunteer aid workers report severe malnutrition and critical shortages of medicines in the district of Sharg An Nil. They say malnutrition is widespread among children and pregnant women. Lack of food is a major problem due to the closure of most community kitchens. Two weeks ago, front-line aid workers recorded more than 800 cases of severe child malnutrition, with numbers continuing to rise. Meanwhile, cases of anemia, hepatitis, night blindness and malaria are increasing due to the critical shortage of medicines in the few remaining functional health facilities.   There are also very serious concerns over reports of grave human rights violations in Khartoum as fighting rages and lines of control shift rapidly.   OCHA stresses that the scale of suffering in Sudan is staggering, and without swift intervention, the consequences will be devastating for millions. We call once again for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Sudan and unhindered humanitarian access to deliver life-saving aid.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/825000-children-trapped-conflict-rages-sudans-al-fasher-and-zamzam-internally http://www.msf.org/msf-briefing-sudan-un-security-council http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-sudan-ukraine-6   27 Feb. 2025   WFP, MSF forced to stop urgent food distributions, medical care in Sudan's Zamzam camp as fighting intensifies   Intense fighting in Zamzam camp in Sudan’s North Darfur region has forced the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to pause the distribution of life-saving food and nutrition assistance in the famine-hit camp for displaced people. Over the past two weeks escalating violence left WFP’s partners with no choice but to evacuate staff for safety.   “Without immediate assistance, tens of thousands of desperate families in Zamzam could starve in the coming weeks,” said Laurent Bukera, Regional Director for Eastern Africa and acting Country Director for Sudan. “We must resume the delivery of life-saving aid in and around Zamzam safely, quickly and at scale. For that the fighting must stop, and humanitarian organizations must be granted security guarantees.”   In February, WFP and its humanitarian partners only managed to provide 60,000 out of 500,00 people with food vouchers, when heavy shelling forced the pause of aid operations earlier this month. The food vouchers allow families to purchase essential food supplies directly from local markets which WFP helps to keep stocked through its local network.   The recent violence left Zamzam’s Central Market destroyed by shelling, pushing residents of the camp – estimated to be around 500,000 people – further away from accessing essential food and supplies.   Edem Wosornu, the U.N. humanitarian operations director, told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that satellite imagery showed heavy weapons were used in and around the camp in recent weeks.   “Terrified civilians, including humanitarian workers, were unable to leave the area when the fighting was most intense,” she said, adding that many people were killed including aid workers.   Earlier this week, the Doctors Without Borders medical charity said it paused its operations, including its field hospital, in the camp due to intensified attacks.   WFP and other partners have been working to deliver food and nutrition assistance to displaced people in and around North Darfur’s Zamzam camp. These people will not receive support until WFP is able to safely resume activities and get humanitarian assistance to the area.   “Millions of people are facing famine or at risk across Sudan. We are trying every possible way to get vital aid into the hands of people whose lives hang in the balance,” Bukera said.   In 2024, two out of every three people in famine or risk of famine areas received WFP assistance. However, access remains highly sporadic, and two million people in 27 locations across Sudan are currently experiencing, or on the brink of, famine. Regular deliveries to starving communities are the only way to push back the famine in Sudan.   Aid groups have made pleas for humanitarian access for months in Zamzam and elsewhere, with very limited success. The U.N.’s top humanitarian official in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, has accused the RSF fighters and allies of preventing life-saving aid from reaching desperate people in Darfur. The RSF and allied militias control much of the region. They have been accused of ethnically motivated killing and rape, the International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-forced-pause-food-distributions-sudans-zamzam-camp-fighting-intensifies http://www.unocha.org/news/sudan-crisis-requires-unprecedented-action-ocha-tells-security-council http://www.msf.org/sudan-msf-forced-halt-our-activities-violence-engulfs-zamzam-camp-north-darfur http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-executive-director-catherine-russells-remarks-un-security-council-meeting-0 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161091 http://www.savethechildren.net/news/sudans-zamzam-refugee-camp-childrens-lives-brink-medical-and-food-supplies-dry   17 Feb. 2025   UN urges global action to protect and support civilians devastated by Sudan’s war.   Nearly two years of conflict have fueled a catastrophic protection crisis and displaced a staggering 12 million people in Sudan and across borders.   Fighting continues to kill and injure civilians and destroy hospitals, markets and other essential infrastructure. Nearly two-thirds of the population need emergency aid, and the country is facing famine conditions. Refugees in dire need arrive in neighbouring countries where local resources are already stretched thin.   In response, the United Nations and partners today launch the 2025 humanitarian and refugee response plans for Sudan, appealing for a combined US$6 billion to assist nearly 26 million people inside the country and in the region.   “Sudan is a humanitarian emergency of shocking proportions,” said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. “Famine is taking hold. An epidemic of sexual violence rages.   Children are being killed and injured. The suffering is appalling. But our plan is a lifeline to millions. We need to stop the fighting, the funding to deliver for the Sudanese people, and better access by land, sea and air to those who need help.”   “Today, one-third of Sudan’s entire population is displaced. The consequences of this horrific and senseless conflict spread far beyond Sudan’s borders,” said Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.   “Neighbouring countries have shown great solidarity by welcoming refugees, even when more are arriving every day. But their resources are stretched – essentials such as water, shelter and health services are scarce – and Sudan needs urgent support.   The international community must step up and help, not just to ensure that emergency aid and life-saving protection can continue without disruption, but also to end the violence and restore peace to Sudan.”   Famine conditions have been reported in at least five locations in Sudan including displacement camps in Darfur and in the western Nuba Mountains. Catastrophic hunger is expected to worsen by May when the lean season begins. With continued fighting and basic services having collapsed across most of the country, the crisis is set to get worse.   The Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Sudan aims to reach nearly 21 million vulnerable people with life-saving aid and protection.   As the conflict rages on, thousands continue to flee every day. The majority arrive in an extremely vulnerable state, with high levels of malnutrition and requiring emergency assistance. To date, nearly 3.5 million people have sought safety in neighbouring countries further stretching already scarce services and resources.   http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/un-urges-global-action-protect-and-support-civilians-devastated-sudans-war-enar http://www.unocha.org/news/un-urges-global-action-protect-and-support-civilians-devastated-sudans-war http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/03/accelerating-action-sudanese-women-amid-conflict-statement-un http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/humanitarian-crisis-sudan-statement-humanitarian-coordination-forum-hcf http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-food-crisis-priority-actions-urgent-call-assistance http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/humanitarian-action-children-2025-sudan http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/un-urges-global-action-protect-and-support-civilians-devastated-sudan-s-war http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/02/sudan-powder-keg-high-commissioner-turk-warns-human-rights-council   13 Feb. 2025   Urgent alert on the risk of genocide in North Darfur, Sudan   In recent days credible reports indicate that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have launched a ground offensive on Zamzam, the largest displacement camp in Sudan’s North Darfur region, and surrounding communities. The RSF’s assault on Zamzam – a camp sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced people, predominantly from the Zaghawa population, who were displaced during the 2003-2005 genocide – appears to be a continuation of their campaign of ethnic cleansing of non-Arab communities, potentially amounting to genocide.   On 11 and 12 February the RSF reportedly attacked the eastern side of Zamzam camp with heavy weapons, artillery shelling and small arms. During the attacks, the RSF set fire to the camp’s main eastern market and several homes, while also looting and destroying vehicles and property. Famine was officially declared in Zamzam in August 2024. The direct shelling of the main market further exacerbates the vulnerability of the camp residents.   The attack on Zamzam is not an isolated incident, but rather directly linked to the ongoing siege of El Fasher and a wider pattern of the RSF systematically targeting non-Arab communities. For months, the RSF have been consolidating their territorial control around El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur and the last major city in the Darfur region not yet under RSF control, cutting off crucial supply routes and intensifying attacks on surrounding areas. The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect has sounded the alarm for months, warning that the deliberate attacks on El Fasher and displacement sites like Zamzam – in conjunction with the destruction of critical civilian infrastructure – raises the risk of genocide for non-Arab communities.   Since the outbreak of the conflict between the SAF and RSF in April 2023, various UN officials and civil society organizations, including the Global Centre, have repeatedly warned about the risk of genocide and the ethnic dimensions of the violence in Darfur and other regions.   Despite these warnings, the international community has been unable to effectively uphold its responsibility to protect and prevent the commission of atrocities. It is imperative that the UN Security Council (UNSC) immediately responds to this latest escalation in Zamzam and urgently continues its efforts to address the crisis in Sudan by adopting a resolution with effective measures specifically aimed at the protection of civilians and the prevention of any further escalation in civilian harm.   Those with leverage over the RSF, including the United Arab Emirates, must urgently use their influence to pressure the group to halt its campaign of ethnically motivated killings, allow humanitarian access and commit to a ceasefire to prevent further atrocities.   The international community, including the UNSC and the African Union, as well as UN member states, must use their leverage and diplomatic channels, far-reaching sanctions and public condemnation to pressure the SAF, the RSF and allied militias to immediately end the violence.   Now, more than ever, there is an urgent need to take action and uphold the shared commitment to ending atrocity crimes in Darfur. To be effective, the international response to the current risks must be swift, unified and sustained. Without robust and coordinated efforts, the situation in Darfur will continue to deteriorate, with catastrophic consequences for the civilian population.   The UN has demanded that the parties to the conflict adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited. All sides must take steps to protect civilians from harm, and those seeking to leave the area voluntarily must be allowed to do so in a safe and dignified manner.   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/urgent-alert-on-the-risk-of-genocide-in-north-darfur-sudan/ http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/02/sudan-entrenched-impunity-fuelling-gross-human-rights-violations-and-abuses http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/children-young-one-reported-among-survivors-rape-during-sudans-violent-conflict   Port Sudan, 10 Feb. 2025   Remove restrictions to allow aid to reach people in need in Sudan - Statement by the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami:   The humanitarian crisis in Sudan – particularly in the Darfur region where food insecurity and widespread suffering are escalating – demands urgent and unimpeded access to aid. However, persistent restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles imposed by the Sudanese Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations (SARHO), an affiliate of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are preventing life-saving assistance from reaching those in desperate need.   Despite repeated commitments made by SARHO, humanitarian actors continue to face obstruction, undue interference, and operational restrictions that contravene international humanitarian law and the obligations outlined in the Jeddah Declaration of Commitment to Protect the Civilians of Sudan of May 2023.   It is unacceptable that the humanitarian community in Sudan — comprising United Nations agencies, international and local non-governmental organizations — is unable to deliver essential aid due to actions by those who have pledged to facilitate assistance.   I call on SARHO to take immediate and concrete measures to:   1. Guarantee unrestricted humanitarian access by removing administrative and security obstacles that delay or prevent aid from reaching affected people.   2. Ensure the safety of humanitarian workers, assets and operations to ensure their ability to function without threats or coercion.   3. Simplify bureaucratic procedures for aid convoys by eliminating unnecessary approvals and ensuring efficiency in the movement of humanitarian supplies.   4. End interference in humanitarian operations, including demands for logistical support or mandatory engagement with selected vendors that risk corruption and aid diversion.   5. Return to comprehensive and meaningful engagement through dialogue and negotiations with the humanitarian community as whole as outlined in the Jeddah Declaration to guarantee the delivery of urgent life-saving aid.   The humanitarian community stands ready to work with SARHO and all parties in good faith to ensure that assistance reaches those in urgent need. The world is watching.   http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/remove-restrictions-allow-aid-reach-people-need-sudan-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami-enar   26 Jan. 2025   Scores killed in hospital attack in Sudan’s besieged El Fasher, says WHO. (Agencies)   70 people have been killed in an attack on the only functional hospital in the besieged city of El Fasher in Sudan, the head of the World Health Organization has said, the latest in a series of attacks as the African nation’s civil war has escalated in recent days.   “The appalling attack on Saudi hospital in El Fasher, Sudan, led to 19 injuries and 70 deaths among patients and companions,” the WHO director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said. “At the time of the attack, the hospital was packed with patients receiving care.”   Another health facility in Al Malha also was attacked on Saturday, he added. “We continue to call for a cessation of all attacks on health care in Sudan, and to allow full access for the swift restoration of the facilities that have been damaged,” he wrote. “Above all, Sudan’s people need peace. The best medicine is peace.”   Tedros did not say who had launched the attack, though local officials blamed the RSF for the assault.   Clementine Nkweta-Salami, a UN official who coordinates humanitarian efforts in Sudan, warned on Thursday that the RSF had given “a 48-hour ultimatum to forces allied to the Sudanese Armed Forces to vacate the city and indicated a forthcoming offensive”.   “Since May 2024, El Fasher has been under RSF siege,” she said. “Civilians in El Fasher have already endured months of suffering, violence and gross human rights abuses under the prolonged siege. Their lives now hang in the balance due to an increasingly precarious situation.”   The city is now estimated to be home to more than 1 million people, many of whom have been displaced by the war.   The RSF siege had killed and injured over 2,000 people the UN said in December, warning the true figures were likely to be much higher.   http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/attack-hospital-al-fasher-shocking-violation-and-affront-humanity-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159501 http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/statement-ingo-forum-sudan-attacks-critical-civilian-infrastructure http://www.msf.org/sudan-malnutrition-crisis-msf-renews-call-immediate-action-prevent-death-and-starvation http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/grave-concerns-over-imminent-threat-civilians-al-fasher-statement-united-nations-resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/01/sudan-concern-civilians-over-likely-offensive-el-fasher http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/sudan-alarming-el-fasher-siege-hostilities-must-end-un-report http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/01/sudan-conflict-taking-more-dangerous-turn-civilians http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/sudan-attacks-critical-civilian-infrastructure-amid-escalating-fighting http://reliefweb.int/report/chad/war-sudan-nearly-one-million-people-forcibly-displaced-chad http://www.care.org/news-and-stories/thel-latest-from-the-worst-humanitarian-crisis-on-earth-sudan/   Dec. 2024   Sudan: Famine expands as conflict drives catastrophic hunger to more areas. (IPC)   Twenty months into the conflict, Sudan continues to slide into a widening Famine crisis characterized by widespread starvation and a significant surge in acute malnutrition.   The IPC Famine Review Committee (FRC) has detected Famine in at least five areas and projects that five additional areas will face Famine between December 2024 and May 2025. Furthermore, there is a risk of Famine in seventeen additional areas.   Half of the population (24.6 million people) is facing high levels of acute food insecurity. This marks an unprecedented deepening and widening of the food and nutrition crisis, driven by the devastating conflict, which has triggered unprecedented mass displacement, a collapsing economy, the breakdown of essential social services, and severe societal disruptions, and poor humanitarian access.   According to the FRC, Famine (IPC Phase 5) detected in August 2024 in Zamzam camp, North Darfur state, has persisted and expanded to Al Salam and Abu shouk camps and the Western Nuba Mountains for the period October to November 2024. Between December 2024 and May 2025, Famine is projected to expand in North Darfur localities including Um Kadadah, Melit, El Fasher, At Tawisha, and Al Lait.   There is a risk of Famine in the Central Nuba Mountains (including in Delami, Western Kadugli, Um Durein, and Al Buram localities), and in areas likely to experience high influxes of IDPs in North and South Darfur. These include Tawila, Nyala Janoub, Nyala Shimal, Beliel, Shattaya, As Sunta, Buram, and Kas in South Darfur, as well as Medani Al Kubra and Sharg Al Jazirah in Al Jazirah State, Mayo and Alingaz in Jebel – Awilia, Khartoum state and Al Firdous in East Darfur state.   This latest IPC analysis shows that food insecurity is at worse levels than foreseen. Between December and May, 24.6 million people face high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above). These results mark a stark increase of 3.5 million people compared to the number originally projected and correspond to over half of the population of Sudan.   This includes about 15.9 million people (33 percent) classified in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis), 8.1 million people (17 percent) in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency), and at least 638,000 people (1 percent) in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe).   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-117/en/ http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-humanitarian-needs-and-response-plan-2025-overview http://www.unocha.org/news/ocha-urges-security-council-action-famine-conditions-spread-sudan http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1158756 http://www.wfp.org/news/food-and-nutrition-crisis-deepens-across-sudan-famine-identified-additional-areas http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/sudan-humanitarian-needs-and-response-plan-2025-executive-summary-issued-december-2024   2 Dec. 2024   UN Resident Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed grave concern over humanitarian aid organizations reports that Zamzam camp came under intense shelling during the evening of 1 December and again on 2 December.   “Civilians and civilian infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law and should never be a target,” she underscored.   The shelling killed at least five people and injured 18, prompting the evacuation of a hospital and the suspension of healthcare operations in the camp, which is located near El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state.   Already grappling with a months-long siege, Zamzam camp, home to over half a million displaced people, has faced severe shortages of critical humanitarian supplies. Food security experts confirmed famine conditions in August 2024, in Zamzam.   “It is now 232 days since the siege of El Fasher began, which has resulted in unacceptable levels of human suffering,” said Ms. Nkweta-Salami. The violence has further devastated civilian infrastructure, including health clinics and shelters, exacerbating an already dire situation.   The UN and humanitarian agencies have strongly condemned the attacks on civilians and called for an immediate halt to violence. “Civilian protection is paramount,” said Ms. Nkweta-Salami.   The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has urged all armed groups to consistently grant safe passage for food aid to reach the camp. “We need all warring parties and armed groups to allow vital food and nutrition to arrive safely,” stressed Alex Marianelli, WFP’s Operations Deputy Country Director in Sudan.   With over 11 million people displaced across Sudan, including 5.8 million women and children, the escalating violence has deepened the world's largest displacement crisis.   Alert from MSF in Zamzam Camp, North Darfur   Sudan’s largest displacement site is under attack with intense shelling by RSF since yesterday evening. The attack has created a living nightmare for the displaced people in Zamzam camp, with casualties, panic and mass displacement.   The situation is beyond chaotic: patients and medical staff are leaving the camp and trying to run for their lives. MSF’s hospital is now empty. “Not only have people been starving, but they are also now being bombarded and forced to flee again. We're concerned about their safety, including our staff, and we urgently call for the protection of patients, civilians, medical teams and health facilities, in Zamzam Camp.   Safe passage must also be guaranteed for those escaping this violence,” said Michel-Olivier Lacharite MSF’s Head of Emergency Operations.   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/12/sudan-alarming-el-fasher-siege-hostilities-must-end-un-report http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/sudan/resident-and-humanitarian-coordinator-sudan-clementine-nkweta-salami-condemns-shelling-and-airstrikes-civilian-areas-parts-darfur-and-khartoum http://prezly.msf.org.uk/alert-from-msf-in-zamzam-camp-north-darfur   2. Apr 2025   DR Congo: Millions facing destitution as violence forces people to flee multiple times   The escalation of violent conflict in recent months has pushed hundreds of thousands of people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into desperate conditions, warns the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) Secretary General Jan Egeland on a visit this week.   Displaced families sheltering at temporary sites have once again been forced to flee, as fighting and abuse plunge people into life-threatening situations. The explosion of humanitarian needs requires immediate attention from an international community that has turned its back on people in crisis. Parties to the conflict must end the violence facing civilians.   “I am truly shocked by the conditions I have seen in and around the city of Goma. The lives of hundreds of thousands of people here in eastern DRC are hanging by a thread,” said Egeland. “Right across North and South Kivu, people have been repeatedly compelled to flee camps, where essential facilities were often already inadequate. Now, most find themselves in locations that lack shelter, basic sanitation, or drinking water, with diseases such as cholera rapidly increasing as a result.   “Many displaced people I’ve listened to this week have lost everything after years of violence. It is unacceptable that a small number of humanitarian organisations are faced with a vast mountain of needs. It is high time that assistance here matches the vast scale of human suffering. Long term solutions must be enabled, with children quickly allowed to return to school, banks to re-open, and an immediate end to violence and threats of violence against civilians.”   Since the M23 offensive across the region earlier this year, an estimated 1.2 million people have been displaced across North and South Kivu provinces. 1.8 million people have been compelled to return to their places of origin, often to locations which bear deep scars from years of conflict between multiple armed groups. Civilians face threats, gender-based violence, and extreme deprivation. Unexploded munitions continue to prevent many communities from fully cultivating their land.   “Fighting and conflict are still continuing, with thousands of families caught in limbo, without the means to rebuild or cultivate food. The situation facing civilians in eastern DRC has for years been a stain on the international community: now it has become even worse,” said Egeland.   NRC teams are providing displaced people with emergency aid, but there is too little funding available. The United States has for long been the largest donor to emergency relief and development aid in the country, but many US-funded projects have been interrupted or paused due to changes at USAID, just as humanitarian needs in DRC exploded.   DRC has for eight consecutive years been ranked as one of the world’s most neglected displacement crises, due to repeated cycles of conflict, lack of funding for aid and media attention, or effective humanitarian and peace diplomacy. Millions of people have been repeatedly driven from first their homes and then, again, from camps, often multiple times. Families have been pushed into impossible choices just to survive, such as going to dangerous areas to find firewood to sell, exchanging sex for food, or sending young children to beg for money.   “The level of global neglect experienced by civilians in eastern DRC should shame world leaders. Now, at a point of deep insecurity and with many families having returned to their areas of origin, there must be concerted action to finally support the population properly. Humanitarian and development assistance must now take priority: the people of DRC must not be faced with simply more of the same,” said Egeland.   http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/april/dr-congo-millions-facing-destitution-as-violence-forces-people-to-flee-multiple-times http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/child-reported-raped-every-half-hour-eastern-drc-violence-rages-amid-growing-funding http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/humanitarian-coordinator-statement-member-states-briefing-humanitarian-situation-drc-geneva-25-march-2025   14 Mar. 2025   Cholera spreads as clashes drive displacement in eastern DRC   OCHA reports that clashes and insecurity in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to harm civilians.   In South Kivu, humanitarian partners warn that continued violence in the territories of Uvira and Fizi has forced nearly 370,000 people to flee their homes since early February.   Serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law have been reported, including nearly 400 cases of sexual violence reported in Uvira between 9 and 25 February, according to partners monitoring protection issues.   Humanitarian organizations in the area have also been targeted in Uvira.   The impact of the continued insecurity and displacements of people has also contributed to a growing cholera outbreak, with health officials reporting more than 240 cases and 10 deaths as of March 10th in Uvira. Partners working in health estimate new cholera cases are doubling every week there.   Since 3 March, clashes in Walungu Territory have reportedly forced more than 20,000 people to flee, and they urgently need food, water, shelter and other essential items.   http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-syria-democratic-republic-congo http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/unicef-drc-l3-emergency-humanitarian-situation-report-no1-escalation-conflict-01-15-march-2025 http://www.wfp.org/news/conflict-and-rising-food-prices-drive-congolese-one-worlds-worst-food-crises-according-new-ipc http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/un-experts-urge-immediate-action-protect-children-against-trafficking http://www.msf.org/new-wave-violence-ituri-drc-further-risks-civilian-lives   20 Feb. 2025   Crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to deepen. WFP alarmed at soaring hunger as more flee displacement camps in eastern DRC.   The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has partially resumed food assistance in parts of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) delivering vital nutrition supplies for the treatment of moderate acute malnutrition in children aged 6 to 59 months as three weeks of fighting continues to worsen access to food for the most vulnerable.   A recent WFP market assessment found the price of staple foods in eastern DRC has sky-rocketed – making it more difficult for families to put food on the table. The price of maize flour has risen by nearly 67 percent.   With major access routes blocked, and Goma International airport a critical humanitarian hub closed, WFP’s priority is to resume operations fully as soon as it is safe to do so.   ‘The longer we are unable to give food and emergency assistance to families affected by the conflict, the greater and more dire their needs are,” said Peter Musoko, WFP’s Country Director and Representative in DRC. “I do not want to see children and mothers sink deeper into hunger and severe malnutrition. We need the violence to stop so we can resume our humanitarian activities. The most vulnerable people in DRC cannot afford to be overlooked during this crisis.’   http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/humanitarian-community-drc-calls-254-billion-provide-lifesaving-assistance-11-million-people-affected-crises http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-calls-continued-protection-and-assistance-congolese-fleeing-escalating   15 Feb. 2025   Fighters from the Rwandan-backed M23 group have entered Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after a rapid advance south in recent days. M23 fighters entered the city of 1 million people on Friday.   The surge in violence has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation. The fighting has destroyed 70,000 emergency shelters around Goma and Minova in South Kivu, leaving 350,000 internally displaced people without shelter, according to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.   "UNHCR is alarmed by the rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis impacting hundreds of thousands of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the continued lack of humanitarian access to displaced people hampers the provision of urgently needed aid.. The crisis is worsening as many tens of thousands of people flee to areas where humanitarian aid cannot reach them due to insecurity.   UNHCR calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities to ensure the safety of civilians, including the displaced, and to uphold international humanitarian principles including the right to move freely in search of safety. We urge all parties to stop attacks on civilian infrastructure and guarantee unhindered humanitarian access. UNHCR urges the international community to bolster their support to prevent a deeper humanitarian catastrophe".   13 Feb. 2025   Children in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo increasingly exposed to sexual violence, abduction and recruitment – Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell:   “I am deeply alarmed by the intensifying violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and its impact on children and families. In North and South Kivu provinces, we are receiving horrific reports of grave violations against children by parties to the conflict, including rape and other forms of sexual violence at levels surpassing anything we have seen in recent years.   “During the week of 27 January to 2 February 2025, UNICEF partners reported that the number of rape cases treated across 42 health facilities jumped five-fold in one week. Of those treated, 30 per cent were children. The true figures are likely much higher because so many survivors are reluctant to come forward. Our partners are running out of the drugs used to reduce the risk of HIV infection after a sexual assault.   “One mother recounted to our staff how her six daughters, the youngest just 12 years old, were systematically raped by armed men while searching for food.   Armed groups in DRC continue to commit grave violations against children, with OCHA reporting at least 1,500 cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) against children in the past 1.5 months. UNICEF reports a five-fold increase in rape cases between January 27 and February 2, 2025, with 30 percent of victims being children. OHCHR confirmed summary executions of children by M23 in Bukavu, and the UN Child Rights Committee reported that 45 street children in Goma were killed by M23 after the group entered the city.   “Children and families across much of the eastern DRC continue to face relentless bombardment and gunfire. In recent months, thousands of vulnerable children in displacement camps have been forced to flee multiple times to escape the fighting.   “Parties to the conflict must immediately cease and prevent grave rights violations against children. They must also take concrete measures to protect civilians and infrastructure critical to their survival – in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law.   “Humanitarian partners must have safe, unimpeded access to reach all children and families in need – wherever they may be. UNICEF continues to call for increased diplomatic efforts to put an end to the military escalation, and to forge a lasting political solution to the violence, so that the country’s children can live in peace.”   http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-seeks-urgent-support-violence-eastern-dr-congo-leaves-hundreds-thousands http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/drc-m23-attacks-hospitals-gravely-concerning http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/02/children-drc-endure-grave-violations-under-siege-un-committee-warns http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/children-eastern-democratic-republic-congo-increasingly-exposed-sexual-violence http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/protection-alert-escalating-crisis-south-kivu-democratic-republic-congo-14-february-2025 http://www.unocha.org/publications/report/democratic-republic-congo/humanitarian-coordinator-alerts-humanitarian-consequences-crisis-south-kivu-and-calls-end-fighting http://www.unocha.org/latest/news-and-stories?responses=36 http://reliefweb.int/country/cod http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/joint-statement-icrc-ifrc-red-cross-society-DRC http://news.un.org/en/tags/democratic-republic-congo   5 Feb. 2025   Rebels of the M23 armed group and allied Rwandan forces have launched a new offensive in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).   Breaking a ceasefire they had declared unilaterally – M23 fighters and Rwandan troops seized a mining town in South Kivu province, resuming their advance towards the provincial capital, Bukavu.   The UN said the battle for the key city of Goma, which M23 and Rwandan troops seized last week, had left at least 2,900 people dead.   Vivian van de Perre, the deputy chief of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), gave an updated toll from the battle for the city.   “So far, 2,000 bodies have been collected from the Goma streets in recent days, and 900 bodies remain in the morgues of the Goma hospitals,” she told a news conference, saying the toll could still rise.   International criminal court prosecutors said in a statement they were “closely following” events in the eastern DRC, “including the grave escalation of violence over the past weeks”.   In Bukavu, a city of one million people that residents fear will become the next battleground, a crowd gathered for an ecumenical prayer service for peace, organised by local women. “We are tired of the non-stop wars. We want peace,” Jacqueline Ngengele, one of those who attended, told AFP.   http://www.msf.org/assistance-needed-people-leaving-and-staying-goma-drc-following-weeks-violence http://www.msf.org/democratic-republic-congo-drc http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/13/dr-congo-m23-drives-displaced-people-goma-camps http://africa.oxfam.org/latest/press-release/nearly-half-million-people-left-without-shelter-food-or-water-dr-congo-amid http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2025/02/serious-human-rights-concerns-situation-eastern-drc-deteriorates http://srdefenders.org/information/extreme-concern-for-the-security-of-human-rights-defenders-in-eastern-drc-en-fr/ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/05/democratic-republic-congo-goma-women-raped-burned-death-prison-m23-rebels-rwanda http://www.fidh.org/en/region/Africa/democratic-republic-of-congo/drc-open-letter-to-the-african-union-on-the-occasion-of-its-38th http://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/peace_in_the_drc_loc/ http://www.oikoumene.org/news/protestants-and-catholics-in-congo-launch-roadmap-to-peace   30 Jan. 2025   The extremely serious humanitarian situation in Goma requires immediate attention. (OCHA)   The Humanitarian Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr. Bruno Lemarquis, reiterates his deep concern over the critical situation in Goma. After several days of intense fighting, the city is now facing the devastating consequences of the hostilities, with massive humanitarian needs and severely strained response capacities.   Medical facilities are overwhelmed. Between 23 and 28 January, the hospitals in the city of Goma, supported by MSF, the ICRC and the WHO, treated more than 1,000 wounded, many of them civilians who had fallen victim to bullets and heavy artillery explosions. The lack of medicines, equipment and medical staff is jeopardizing the treatment of the wounded and increasing the risk of loss of life.   Basic services are largely paralyzed. Electricity and drinking water have been cut off for several days, forcing the population to draw directly on untreated water from Lake Kivu. This situation exposes thousands of people to the immediate risk of water-borne diseases such as cholera. The morgues are full, and the lifeless bodies left in the streets of the city pose a major health risk for the survivors.   Humanitarian infrastructure and warehouses have been looted, severely compromising the humanitarian response. Significant quantities of food, medicines, and essential medical supplies have been lost in targeted attacks on United Nations agencies and humanitarian NGOs critical to the emergency response.   This loss delays the rapid delivery of aid to populations in desperate need. Humanitarian actors on the ground continue their operations despite extremely precarious conditions. On behalf of all the humanitarian actors serving vulnerable populations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I condemn in the strongest possible terms the looting of humanitarian facilities and warehouses.   These acts are unacceptable and constitute a violation of international humanitarian law. They directly compromise the delivery of vital aid to the most vulnerable populations.   I call on all parties to protect civilians and ensure their access to goods and services essential to their survival. I also call on all parties to facilitate, accelerate and protect the supply of humanitarian actors. Without supplies of essential goods, fuel and logistical equipment, it will be impossible to meet the needs of the population and to maintain humanitarian operations in Goma.   I call for the immediate opening of vital access points for humanitarian supplies and emergency response efforts, and the free movement of affected populations.   I also call for the strict respect of the rights of internally displaced persons and for all returns to be voluntary. Returns can only take place under safe, voluntary, and dignified conditions, in accordance with international principles. It is imperative to ensure that displaced persons have a free and informed choice, as well as secure and viable conditions for their return.   I call on the international community to step up its support in the face of a worsening humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian actors remain on the ground, mobilized to scale up their response, but without adequate resources, the current crisis risks deteriorating even further. Immediate action is essential.   On behalf of the entire humanitarian community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I reaffirm that the principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence of humanitarian actors are absolute and non-negotiable. Their sole mission is to provide assistance and protection to vulnerable populations, regardless of political considerations.   http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/extremely-serious-humanitarian-situation-goma-requires-immediate-attention-international-community http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/humanitarian-lifeline-drc-under-threat-ingos-call-urgent-action http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/drc-conflict-escalation-in-goma-north-kivu http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/fear-mounts-as-violence-spreads-in-eastern-drc http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/02/un-experts-call-urgent-humanitarian-relief-and-political-solution-protect http://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/RES/S-37/1 http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2025/01/drc-deepening-human-rights-crisis-amid-reports-further-m23-advances http://tinyurl.com/y64td2fr http://phr.org/news/doctors-trapped-in-hospitals-clinics-under-fire-in-eastern-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-drc-phr http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/drc-conflict-food-prices-skyrocket-goma-conflict-blocks-food-supplies http://reliefweb.int/country/cod   27 Jan. 2025   Children caught in heavy fighting in the town of Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) must be protected with Save the Children concerned for their safety amid the worst escalation of violence in the country in more than a decade.   Currently about 2-3 million people live in Goma, including 1 million displaced people. Save the Children estimates over half of those – or over 1.5 million - are children.   People are trying to flee but with nowhere to go. Children have been affected in the chaos in and out of Goma.   Greg Ramm, Save the Children’s Country Director for DRC said:   “The situation is complex and horrific. There is no safe place to go from Goma. Every time a family flees the guns and bombs to a supposed safe place, they are forced to move again.   “Children have lost their parents. It’s a horrible, horrible place to be a child at the moment.. We have heard horrific reports of gang rape and violence against young children in recent weeks, and we hold grave fears for the wellbeing and safety of the children remaining in Goma or fleeing for their lives.   “Displacement camps on the outskirts of Goma have been emptied as people flee once again in search of safety. Thousands of families escaping from violence in Minova – 30km from Goma - are now stranded in areas lacking clean water and food supplies.   “The situation is desperate, and we need urgent global action, now. We urge all parties involved in the conflict to prioritise the protection of civilians and ensure unrestricted humanitarian access. We reiterate our call on the international community to take immediate actions to address the rapidly unfolding humanitarian crisis in the DRC. This includes providing emergency assistance to those displaced, supporting efforts to protect civilians and working towards a peaceful resolution to the conflict.   "What we ask most is peace to return, calm to return, so children can be safe and we can continue our essential humanitarian work.”   Conflict in DRC has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with nearly 7 million people, including at least 3.5 million children, displaced and more than 26 million people – or one in every four people – in need of humanitarian assistance.   http://www.savethechildren.net/news/drc-over-15-million-children-need-protection-goma-faces-heavy-fighting-save-children http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159631 http://www.wfp.org/stories/photos-wfp-urges-action-conflict-pushes-displacement-and-hunger-east-drc http://www.wfp.org/news/crisis-eastern-drc-escalates-leads-greater-humanitarian-and-protection-needs http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/humanitarian-catastrophe-unfolds-north-and-south-kivu-violence-escalates-ingos-call-immediate-action   26 Jan. 2025 (AP, agencies)   Democratic Republic of Congo: The Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group and allied forces have entered the outskirts of the provincial capital Goma, home to over one million people on Sunday and the airport in the key eastern city was no longer in use, the top UN official in the country said.   The United Nations special representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bintou Keita, told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Sunday that despite the support of international peacekeepers for the Congolese armed forces, M23 and Rwandan forces penetrated the Munigi quarter on the outskirts of Goma, “causing mass panic and flight amongst the population.” Munigi is 9 kilometers (5 miles) from Goma.   Keita said M23 fighters were advancing “as many of the populations were fleeing for their lives as fighting neared the capital.”   UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his “strongest condemnation” of the M23 military offensive “with the support of the Rwanda Defense Forces,” and called on the rebel group to immediately halt all hostile action and withdraw its forces.   Congo, the United States and UN experts accuse Rwanda of backing M23 rebels. Rwanda’s government has acknowledged that it has troops (at least 4,000 according to the UN) and missile systems in eastern Congo to supposedly safeguard its security, in the mineral-rich region.   The Congolese Foreign Ministry said it was severing diplomatic ties with Rwanda and pulling out all diplomatic staff from the country “with immediate effect.”   On Sunday morning, heavy gunfire resonated across Goma, just a few kilometers (miles) from the front line. Scores of displaced children and adults fled the Kanyaruchinya camp, one of the largest in eastern Congo and headed south to Goma.   “We are fleeing because we saw soldiers on the border with Rwanda throwing bombs and shooting,” said Safi Shangwe, who was heading to Goma. “We are afraid, our children are at risk of starving,” she said.   Displaced people are worried they will not be safe in Goma, either. “We are going to Goma, but I heard that there are bombs in Goma, too, so now we don’t know where to go,” said Adele Shimiye.   Bintou Keita, said over 26 million people across Congo are in need humanitarian aid, “one of the highest numbers worldwide,” and the situation in the east is rapidly deteriorating.   “If hostilities spill into Goma – a densely populated urban center – the impact on civilians could well be devastating”.   Earlier in the week, M23 rebels seized Sake, 27 kilometers (16 miles) from Goma, as concerns mounted that the city could soon fall.   Since 2021, Congo’s government and allied forces, including SAMIDRC and UN troops, have been keeping M23 away from Goma. The UN peacekeeping force entered Congo more than two decades ago and has around 14,000 peacekeepers on the ground.   http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/drc-turk-calls-urgent-action-stem-grave-human-rights-crisis-goma http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2025/01/drc-risk-imminent-attack-goma http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/humanitarian-coordinator-expresses-deep-concern-over-impact-intensified-fighting-around-goma-civilians-and-humanitarian-operations http://www.unocha.org/news/scale-suffering-dr-congo-demands-urgent-attention-un-deputy-relief-chief-tells-security http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159396 http://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2025-01-23/statement-attributable-the-spokesperson-for-the-secretary-general-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-scroll-down-for-french-version http://news.un.org/en/audio/2025/01/1159416 http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-gravely-concerned-worsening-violence-and-humanitarian-crisis-eastern-dr   http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/25/dr-congo-civilians-risk-m23-approaches-goma http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/01/dr-congo-rwandan-backed-armed-group-and-congolese-army-must-stop-using-explosive-weapons-in-densely-populated-areas http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/escalating-violence-eastern-dr-congo-displaces-more-230-000-start-year http://www.internal-displacement.org/expert-analysis/m23-conflict-caused-nearly-3-out-of-every-4-displacements-in-the-drc-this-year/   * Some more independent commentary: http://theelders.org/news/elders-call-dialogue-and-accountability-end-worsening-conflict-dr-congo http://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/great-lakes/democratic-republic-congo/turbulence-drc-raises-hard-questions-eu http://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/great-lakes/democratic-republic-congo/fall-drcs-goma-urgent-action-needed-avert-regional-war http://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/great-lakes/democratic-republic-congo-rwanda/can-diplomacy-stop-rwandan-backed-rebels http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2025/01/31/drc-goma-capture-sparks-fears-deeper-regional-conflict-rwanda-backed-rebels-m23 http://www.passblue.com/2025/02/02/goma-congo-understanding-the-m23-and-rdf-attack/ http://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/carr/publications/chinas-illegal-mining-operations-democratic-republic-congo http://www.ipsnews.net/2025/01/greed-cynicism-fuel-rwandas-war-drc/ http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/30/major-problems-mining-industrys-new-certification-standard http://www.business-humanrights.org/en/from-us/briefings/stop-and-listen-pathways-to-meaningful-engagement-with-rights-holders-in-the-global-rush-to-mine-for-transition-minerals/   * UN Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of Congo report Dec. 2024 (160pp): http://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n24/373/37/pdf/n2437337.pdf   http://www.globalr2p.org/publications/urgent-need-for-the-un-human-rights-council-to-create-an-independent-mandate-to-investigate-rights-violations-and-abuses-by-all-parties-in-eastern-democratic-republic-of-congo/   Oct. 2024   Armed violence, soaring food prices leave 25.6 million people in high levels of acute food insecurity. (FAO)   Armed violence and conflict continue to affect the livelihoods of people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This, combined with soaring food prices and the prolonged effects of various epidemics have left approximately 25.6 million in high levels of acute food insecurity, classified as IPC Phase 3 or above (Crisis or worse).   Between July to December 2024, some 3.1 million people are facing critical levels of food insecurity – IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) – characterized by large food gaps and high levels of acute malnutrition. Another 19 percent (22.4 million people) are facing crisis levels of food insecurity, classified as IPC Phase 3 (Crisis).   The affected populations are spread throughout the country, however, the most affected populations are concentrated in the provinces of North Kivu, Ituri, South Kivu and Tanganyika, Maindombe – as well as populations affected by natural disasters and unemployment.   The analysis projected for January to June 2025 indicates a situation where food insecurity rates are expected to be almost identical to those of the current situation, with 25.5 million people (22 percent of the population analysed) projected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phases 3 or above), including around 3.3 million people who are projected to face critical levels of acute food insecurity (Phase 4) and 22.2 million people who will likely be in Phase 3.   “The food security situation remains critical for millions of people in the DRC,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO's Office of Emergencies and Resilience. “Armed violence and competition for resources have caused massive damage on rural livelihoods and infrastructure, disrupting essential agricultural production.   Given the scale of this crisis, even a slight shock - such as rising food prices or a poor harvest - could push even more people to the brink. To reverse these grim trends, it is essential to end hostilities, restore local food production and support rural families to improve their food security and nutrition.”   http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-113/en/   Aug. 2024   6 million people have been killed by conflict in eastern DRC since 1996. (MSF)   Violence is escalating in eastern DR Congo, where the humanitarian needs are dire and rising. A resurgence of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is worsening the already-dire humanitarian emergency in the country, forcing millions to flee their homes to overcrowded camps where access to basic needs is severely limited as needs skyrocket.   Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) teams working in DRC are witnessing how this latest escalation of violence is impacting people’s lives and compounding the humanitarian crisis, particularly in camps where displaced people are sheltering. As the conflict continues to unfold, here’s what to know about what’s happening in eastern DRC and how to help.   What's happening in DR Congo?   The violence we're seeing now in eastern DRC is part of a protracted conflict that has afflicted the region for decades. Its lush, fertile land is rich with natural resources like gold, copper, lithium, and oil, which armed groups have been fighting to access and control as millions of civilians are caught in between, facing attacks, repeated displacement, and increasingly dire conditions in camps. Overview: DR Congo   DRC is the second-largest country in Africa, about the size of Western Europe. Today, 7.2 million people are displaced in DRC—a record for the country— and the vast majority are in the eastern provinces.   According to the UN, DRC is one of the five conflict zones with the highest numbers of serious violations against children, alongside Palestine, Somalia, Ukraine, and Syria.   75 percent of the population live on less than $2.15 per day, making DRC one of the poorest countries in the world. Childhood vaccine coverage is the lowest in 30 years, according to the World Health Organization.   An estimated 6 million people have been killed by conflict in eastern DRC since 1996.   Resurgence of the M23 conflict   The Congolese army and its allies are fighting the March 23 Movement, known as M23, which has been progressively taking over territory eastern DRC since 2022. The fighting began to intensify in January 2024, causing mass casualties and displacement. North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces are the most affected. The escalation has impacted people’s access to health care, food, and other basic needs, triggering mass waves of displacement and raising the risk of disease outbreaks.   Repeated waves of mass displacement   Over 5 million people are displaced across Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, including 2 million who have fled in just the last two years. As people continue to flee the fighting, displacement camps around Goma, the capital of North Kivu, are growing more crowded and living conditions are deteriorating further, with severely limited access to basic needs such as proper shelter, food, water, sanitation facilities, and health care.   Some new arrivals don’t even have plastic sheeting to cover their makeshift shelters. Displaced people living in these conditions are at increased risk of falling ill.   In some areas, such as Masisi territory, displaced people are sheltering wherever they can, including schools, churches, and sheds.   Inadequate humanitarian response   Since day one, the international humanitarian response has been inadequate and far too slow to meet the severity of the situation and the fast-growing needs in DRC, with underfunding, ineffective coordination, and lack of emergency preparedness in areas close to the front lines. In some areas, MSF is alone in addressing medical and humanitarian needs, which far outweigh our capacity to respond.   Sexual & gender-based violence   MSF teams in DRC have seen alarming rates of sexual violence as reported by our patients, especially in camps around Goma. Most assaults are perpetrated against women searching for food or wood outside the camps, driven to venture out due to lack of access to basic supplies. Our teams treated more than 22,000 survivors of sexual violence in North and South Kivu’s Minova health zone last year alone.   http://www.msf.org/democratic-republic-congo-drc
	Renewed fighting in Gaza: Civilians must be protected. The denial of lifesaving aid must end by UNICEF, World Food Programme, OHCA, agencies   7 Apr. 2025   World must act with urgency to save Palestinians in Gaza   (Statement by heads of OCHA, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNRWA, WFP, WHO and IOM)   "For over a month, no commercial or humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza. More than 2.1 million people are trapped, bombed and starved again, while, at crossing points, food, medicine, fuel and shelter supplies are piling up, and vital equipment is stuck.   Over 1,000 children have reportedly been killed or injured in just the first week after the breakdown of the ceasefire, the highest one-week death toll among children in Gaza in the past year.   Just a few days ago, the 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme during the ceasefire had to close due to flour and cooking gas shortages.   The partially functional health system is overwhelmed. Essential medical and trauma supplies are rapidly running out, threatening to reverse hard-won progress in keeping the health system operational.   The latest ceasefire allowed us to achieve in 60 days what bombs, obstruction and lootings prevented us from doing in 470 days of war: life-saving supplies reaching nearly every part of Gaza.   While this offered a short respite, assertions that there is now enough food to feed all Palestinians in Gaza are far from the reality on the ground, and commodities are running extremely low.   We are witnessing acts of war in Gaza that show an utter disregard for human life. New Israeli displacement orders have forced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee yet again, with no safe place to go.   No one is safe. At least 408 humanitarian workers, including over 280 from UNRWA, have been killed since October 2023. With the tightened Israeli blockade on Gaza now in its second month, we appeal to world leaders to act – firmly, urgently and decisively – to ensure the basic principles of international humanitarian law are upheld.   Protect civilians. Facilitate aid. Release hostages. Renew a ceasefire.   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/world-must-act-urgency-save-palestinians-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-million-children-gaza-strip-deprived-lifesaving-aid-over-one-month http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1161951 http://www.wfp.org/news/hunger-looms-again-gaza-wfp-food-stocks-begin-run-out   24 Mar. 2025   OCHA reports that as hostilities continue across the Gaza Strip, the Israeli closure of all crossings for incoming cargo has entered its 20th day – the longest such shutdown since 7 October 2023.   This latest closure is having a devastating impact on people already facing catastrophic conditions. Each passing day further erodes the progress made by the UN and its humanitarian partners in the six weeks after the ceasefire.   Beyond the depletion of stocks, OCHA warns that humanitarian operations are now being severely hampered by hostilities. Civilians, including aid workers, and civilian assets have come under attack.   The UN is seeking concrete assurances for the safety of its staff and operations in Gaza, following the killing of six UN personnel and injury of several others this week, including in the attack on a clearly designated UN compound.   UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, “All parties to the conflict are bound by international law to protect the absolute inviolability of UN premises, without this, our colleagues face intolerable risks as they work to save the lives of civilians ”.   Mr. Dujarric said the UN Secretary-General is demanding a full, thorough and independent investigation into Wednesday’s deadly strike. "The Secretary-General strongly condemns these strikes and demands a full, thorough and independent investigation on this incident. All parties must comply fully with international law at all times. Civilians must be respected and protected. The denial of lifesaving aid must end. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally”.   As attacks continue across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip, OCHA warns that the steady flow of trauma injuries is putting even more pressure on an already shattered healthcare system. UN humanitarians have described deadly attacks hitting health workers, ambulances and hospitals.   Relief chief Tom Fletcher reported that he was continuing to receive horrific reports from Gaza of more health workers, ambulances and hospitals attacked as they try to save survivors. Mr. Fletcher said under international humanitarian law hospitals and medics must never be targeted.   In southern Gaza on Sunday, several casualties were reported after the surgical department of Nasser Medical Complex was hit and caught fire. In Rafah, ambulances were reportedly hit in Tal Al Sultan, resulting in several casualties. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said four of its ambulances were targeted, as well as 10 team members carrying out humanitarian work.   Senior UN humanitarian in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jonathan Whittall, said that hundreds of children and adults have been killed since the ceasefire broke down between Hamas and Israel.   "183 children among the hundreds and hundreds of people killed — that number should shock the world, it should prompt action," UNICEF's Rosalia Bollen told the reporters. She said the toll on Palestinian children who have so far survived the strikes was serious.   "It's even more nerve wracking for children who've been through 15 long months of relentless bombings and very toxic stress, and now all of that trauma is rapidly being reactivated," Ms Bollen said. "We estimate that every child in Gaza today needs mental health and psychosocial support because of the state of permanent stress and anxiety that they've been in.   "The kids that I've been speaking to these past six months, they frequently talk about death — they say that they're afraid of dying, they're very afraid that their parents die and that they'll be on their own."   Humanitarian partners estimate that more than 120,000 Palestinians – about 6 per cent of the surviving population in Gaza – have been displaced once again this week, driven by intensified attacks and new Israeli evacuation orders across the Strip.   “Families carry what little they have with no shelter, no safety, and nowhere left to go; the Israeli authorities have cut off all aid,” UNRWA said in a statement – warning that food is scarce as the Israeli blockade continues.   Gaza health officilas reported that over 50,000 people have been killed and over 110,000 injured during the conflict, with the majority being women and children.   http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-urges-international-action-protect-civilians-gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/todays-top-news-occupied-palestinian-territory-sudan-haiti-ukraine http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/least-322-children-reportedly-killed-gaza-strip-following-breakdown-ceasefire http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/statement-commissioner-lahbib-attacks-health-personnel-hospitals-and-aid-workers-gaza-0 http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/ifrc-condemns-killing-eight-palestine-red-crescent-medics-gaza http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/press-briefing-un-women-collapse-gaza-ceasefire-and-its-devastating-impact-women-and-girls http://www.acaps.org/en/countries/archives/detail/palestine-end-of-ceasefire-and-blockade-in-gaza   18 Mar. 2025   Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the attacks in Gaza:   “Reports and images emerging from the Gaza Strip following today’s attacks are beyond horrifying. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed, including more than 130 children, representing one of the largest single-day child death toll in the last year.   “Some of the strikes reportedly hit makeshift shelters with sleeping children and families, another deadly reminder that nowhere is safe in Gaza.   “The latest attacks come as lifesaving aid remains blocked from entering Gaza, compounding the risks to children. It has been sixteen days since the last truck delivering humanitarian aid crossed into Gaza. In addition, electricity has been cut to the main desalination plant, significantly reducing the amount of potable water.   “Today, Gaza’s one million children – who have endured more than 15 months of war – have been plunged back into a world of fear and death. The attacks and the violence must stop – now.   “We urge all parties to immediately reinstate the ceasefire, and we call on countries with influence to use their leverage to ensure the situation does not further deteriorate. International humanitarian law must be respected by all parties, allowing the immediate provision of humanitarian aid, the protection of civilians, and the release of all hostages.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-attacks-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/palestinian-children-remain-deprived-most-essential-supplies-and-services http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161246 http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza http://www.unocha.org/news/renewed-airstrikes-gaza-un-relief-chief-urges-restoration-ceasefire http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/gaza-renewed-bombardment-humanitarian-freefall http://reliefweb.int/country/pse http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/03/comment-un-human-rights-chief-volker-turk-israeli-airstrikes-gaza http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/18/un-human-rights-chief-voices-horror-at-israel-new-gaza-strikes   10 Mar. 2025   Nine out of 10 Gazans unable to access safe drinking water: UNICEF   Severe water shortages in Gaza have reached critical levels, with only one in 10 people currently able to access safe drinking water, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Monday. The situation has deteriorated further following Israel’s decision on Sunday to cut power to the enclave – in a bid to increase pressure on Hamas over hostage releases – disrupting vital desalination operations.   Rosalia Bollen, a UNICEF official in Gaza, reported that 600,000 people who had regained access to drinking water in November 2024 are once again cut off. “It’s really vital for thousands of families and children to restore this connection,” she said.   UN agencies estimate that 1.8 million people – over half of them children – urgently need water, sanitation and hygiene assistance.   Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, the UN aid agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed that “the situation is similar to the one which prevailed in October 2023.”   Mr. Lazzarini also highlighted the escalating crisis in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli security operations have led to the largest displacement of Palestinians since 1967. Around 40,000 people, many of them refugees, have been forced to flee their homes, with entire communities emptied due to intensified military activities.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1160961 http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/israel-and-occupied-territories-icrc-warns-worsening-humanitarian-crisis-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/stoppage-humanitarian-aid-deliveries-gaza-strip-unicef-warns-severe-consequences   1 Mar. 2025   UN Secretary-General urges all efforts to prevent renewed hostilities as Gaza Ceasefire’s First Phase Ends. (UN New)   The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres:   "The Secretary-General is closely following developments in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory as the first phase of the ceasefire and hostage release deal reaches its conclusion. The past six weeks have provided a fragile but vital reprieve, offering a measure of relief to both Palestinians and Israelis. Thousands of trucks carrying life-saving assistance entered Gaza, with aid having reached nearly every person in the Strip. It is imperative that all efforts be made to prevent a return to hostilities, which would be catastrophic.   The Secretary-General urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint and find a way forward on the next phase. A permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages are essential to preventing escalation and averting more devastating consequences for civilians. The Secretary-General continues to call for the dignified, immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The parties must ensure humane treatment for all those held under their power.   Humanitarian aid must continue to flow, without impediment, be adequately funded, and occur in an environment ensuring the safety and security of civilians and other protected persons, including humanitarian workers.   The Secretary-General also calls for an urgent de-escalation of the alarming situation in the occupied West Bank.   As Ramadan — a time of peace and reflection — begins, the Secretary-General calls on all sides to spare no efforts to end all violence. The United Nations stands ready to support all such endeavours".   http://press.un.org/en/2025/sgsm22568.doc.htm http://news.un.org/en/focus-topic/middle-east http://reliefweb.int/country/pse http://www.ochaopt.org/updates http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/statement-without-access-aid-gaza-strip-peoples-lives-are-knife-edge-once-again http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/march/suspension-of-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-will-lead-to-more-suffering   21 Jan. 2025   Aid is entering Gaza in line with the ceasefire agreement that has seen Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners released and families reunited, but massive needs remain across the devastated enclave. (UN News)   On day three of the ceasefire which entered into force on Sunday 19 January, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, welcomed the “surge” in lifesaving humanitarian assistance into the enclave, after 15 months of devastating conflict.   Aid trucks began entering Gaza “a few minutes after the deal entered into force on Sunday,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke. “Up to now - these two first days of entry - there have been no reports of looting or attacks against aid workers.”   More than 900 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Monday, as the truce held between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, according to the Israel authorities and the ceasefire’s guarantors, the US, Qatar and Egypt.   While the conflict raged, prompted by Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, the aid lifeline to Gaza dwindled to as little as 50 trucks per day.   “At long last, aid at scale is entering,” said Mr. Laerke. “At long last, more hostages were released and can be reunited with their families and at long last, women and minors were freed from detention. It’s a tremendous hope, fragile but vital; this deal must hold.”   Immediate priorities for Gazans include “getting food in, opening bakeries, getting healthcare, restocking hospitals, repairing water networks, repairing shelter, family reunification,” the OCHA spokesperson told journalists in Geneva. “A lot of the things that we have done throughout, but nowhere near at the scale needed. And that is what we hope and work towards to be able to do now.”   UN humanitarians have long maintained that the entire population of Gaza – more than two million people – depends on such essentials. They include children, who account for about half of the Strip’s population, “with many surviving on just one meal a day”, said OCHA.   “We have to – and we will – maximize delivery through this opening. Hunger is widespread, people are homeless; disease, injuries are rampant. Children are separated and there's a cloud of deep psychological trauma hanging over Gaza that needs to be dealt with.”   Urgent health needs must also be addressed across Gaza where one in two hospitals are not functional, others are only partially functional and the majority of health facilities have sustained damage, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).   “The idea is as quickly as possible to try to provide health facilities to people of Gaza, focusing on emergency care, maternal and child health and other areas,” said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.   “We've been talking to 25,000 people who have sustained life changing injuries. These people need rehabilitation services that are not available right now.”   UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said; “With the ceasefire in place, displaced Palestinians have been making their way back home, with many returning to find mountains of rubble”. He added that over 90 per cent of housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past 15 months.   “Given the scale of destruction and needs in Gaza, we are working to get vital aid to people as fast as humanly possible. We also urge Member States and partners to ensure that our aid operations are fully funded to meet the overwhelming needs”.   Muhannad Hadi, Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said women and children he spoke to highlighted urgent needs such as education, blankets for winter and basic clothing after months of deprivation.   Mr. Hadi also emphasised the need for international media to return to Gaza and report firsthand on the situation.   The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) underscored that it remains committed to staying in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and providing vital assistance and services to people in need.   http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-deputy-executive-director-calls-urgent-action-rebuild-gaza-after-visit http://news.un.org/en/tags/gaza http://news.un.org/en/audio/2025/02/1160166 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159216 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159386 http://news.un.org/en/audio/2025/01/1159226 http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159351 http://palestine.un.org/en/289328-mass-displacement-palestinians-northern-west-bank-source-growing-concern http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/escalation-west-bank-violations-surge-amid-fragile-ceasefire-gaza http://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/official-statements   19 Jan. 2025   Hunger in Gaza: First aid trucks roll in as ceasefire takes effect - World Food Programme   World Food Programme (WFP) trucks have started crossing into Gaza after the ceasefire came into effect. WFP trucks will enter from Egypt and via Ashdod, Israel.   The first WFP trucks are crossing from Egypt into Gaza. WFP aims to get at least 150 trucks into Gaza daily if conditions allow. WFP plans to use every available border crossing point to get supplies into Gaza. Trucks from Jordan and Israel, will aim to reach people in the north, and from Egypt, people in southern Gaza.   This is a critical moment for the international community to reach desperate and hungry families in Gaza at scale. But a ceasefire is only the start.   WFP welcomes the agreed ceasefire announced Wednesday (15 January). We emphasize that this is only the start – not the end – of what’s needed to reach desperate and hungry families in Gaza. WFP needs US$300 million to meet urgent needs in the enclave over the next six months.   WFP calls on all parties to do what is in their power to halt any further fighting and ensure safe humanitarian access - the war has left more than 2 million people fully dependent on food assistance, homeless, and without any income.   We need all border crossings open and functioning reliably. We also need humanitarian teams to be able to move freely and safely across Gaza to reach those in need. If these conditions are in place, WFP is ready to scale up and distribute lifesaving food for over a million people in Gaza.   The needs in Gaza are immense. Recovery will require a full-scale humanitarian response with all agencies coming together, including UNRWA, to provide lifesaving assistance to 2 million people.   WFP has enough food pre-positioned along the borders and on its way to Gaza to feed over a million people for three months. UNRWA has enough supplies to support another million. For WFP, this includes food parcels, wheat flour, commodities for hot meals, and nutrition supplements.   WFP is working to help revive what remains of Gaza’s economy. To support local shops, whatever factories remain, wheat flour mills, and shops that can resume operations.   Using specialized teams, WFP has begun repairing and removing rubble from essential roads/key supply routes to allow for faster transportation of aid, on behalf of WFP and humanitarian partners.   To make a meaningful impact on the food security of people in Gaza, WFP needs the international community to scale up funding.   WFP can send around 1,600 trucks of food (30,200 tons) each month to facilitate distributions for over 1 million people. In order to reach everyone in need, UNRWA’s support is critical. WFP is committed to bolstering UNRWA’s food assistance delivery efforts.   Fast coordination and facilitation of movement into and across Gaza will also be critical, with free movement needed between the south and north of Gaza. All parties need to ensure the safe passage of aid and humanitarian staff across Gaza.   Commercial flows to Gaza need to be restored and cash liquidity accessible for the population so they can buy fresh food and other basic necessities. Ceasefire conditions must be respected.   WFP’s goal is to provide immediate food aid and to support local food production, re-stock bakeries, and provide nutrition supplements for children. To reach people and make a meaningful impact, WFP also urgently need the international community’s support with funding, so we that can increase capacity and sustain our humanitarian staffing.   Barely any food has gone into besieged North Gaza for more than two months. Winter cold and rain are further reducing people’s ability to survive.   Food security in Gaza has been worsening, with people becoming weaker by the day; there is almost no fresh food (fruit, vegetables, meat, fish), shops are empty, bakeries have been unable to operate, lacking fuel, flour or both.   The humanitarian response in Gaza has faced continuing challenges and setbacks. The disregard for international humanitarian principles has placed humanitarian staff, operations, and the people of Gaza at increasing risk.   WFP and humanitarian partners call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and allow for the safe passage of aid.   http://www.wfp.org/stories/hunger-gaza-first-aid-trucks-roll-ceasefire-takes-effect http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/secretary-general-urges-parties-make-good-gaza-deal-calls-release-all-hostages-permanent-ceasefire http://www.reuters.com/pictures/what-gaza-looks-like-today-after-15-months-war-2025-01-21/ http://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/15/the-devastating-impact-of-15-months-of-war-on-gaza http://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8x00mgjxmo   15 Jan. 2025   Gaza ceasefire deal agreed by Israel and Hamas, Qatar and US say. (News agencies)   Israel and Hamas have agreed to a Gaza ceasefire and partial hostage release deal following 15 months of war, mediators Qatar and the US say.   Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the agreement would come into effect on Sunday.   Many Palestinians and Israeli hostages' families celebrated the news, but there was no let up in the war on the ground in Gaza.   Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel says 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead.   More than 46,700 people have been killed in Gaza and over 106,000 injured since the start of the conflict, according to the territory's health ministry. Most of the 2.3 million population has been displaced multiple times, there is widespread destruction, and severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.   Qatar's prime minister said the first six-week phase of the ceasefire deal, which he said would see Israeli 33 hostages - including women, children and elderly people - exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.   Israeli forces will also withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes and hundreds of aid lorries will be allowed into the territory each day to meet the desperate needs of the population.   Under the terms of the deal negotiations for the second phase - which aims to see the remaining hostages released, a full Israeli troop withdrawal and a return to "sustainable calm" - will start on the 16th day. The third and final stage will involve the reconstruction of Gaza - something which could take years.   Sheikh Mohammed said: "We hope that this will be the last page of the war, and we hope that all parties will commit to implementing all the terms of this agreement".   The big challenge is making sure the ceasefire holds. Senior diplomats fear that after the first phase of 42 days the war could resume. It is also not known whether Israel will agree to completely pull out of Gaza, or whether its presence there will be open-ended.   http://www.unocha.org/news/gaza-ceasefire-offers-hope-stakes-remain-high-says-un-relief-chief http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159031 http://press.un.org/en/2025/sgsm22523.doc.htm http://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-russell-announcement-ceasefire-gaza http://www.savethechildren.net/news/gaza-any-pause-must-become-definitive-ceasefire-protect-children-and-allow-life-saving http://www.wfp.org/stories/gaza-ceasefire-wfp-calls-sustained-opening-humanitarian-corridors http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2025/01/un-human-rights-chief-relieved-gaza-ceasefire-urges-prompt-implementation http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/icrc-president-icrc-ready-help-implement-agreement-reached-parties-and-bring-hostages   http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/january/gaza-ceasefire-must-lead-to-lasting-truce-and-trigger-massive-aid-expansion http://www.mercycorps.org/press-room/releases/gaza-ceasefire-must-propel-humanitarian-action http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/press-releases/as-ceasefire-in-gaza-is-declared-action-against-hunger-calls-for-increased-humanitarian-aid/ http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/gaza-ceasefire-465-days-and-46000-lives-too-late http://www.bond.org.uk/news/2025/02/there-is-nothing-left-standing-in-gaza-life-expectancy-halved/ http://www.care-international.org/news/long-awaited-gaza-ceasefire-must-end-bloodshed-ushers-hope-scaled-assistance http://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/gaza-ceasefire-does-nothing-tackle-root-causes-conflict-says-christian-aid http://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/oxfam-welcomes-gaza-ceasefire-and-calls-massive-influx-aid http://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/15/gaza-ceasefire-action-needed-end-atrocities   26 Dec. 2024   Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder on continued deaths of children in Gaza:   “In the final days of the year, there seems to be no end in sight to the deadly threats to children in Gaza. Over the past three days, at least eleven children have reportedly been killed in attacks. Now, we are also witnessing children dying from the cold and a lack of adequate shelter.   “According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, four newborns and infants have died from hypothermia in recent days. These preventable deaths lay bare the desperate and deteriorating conditions facing families and children across Gaza. With temperatures expected to drop further in the coming days, it is tragically foreseeable that more children's lives will be lost to the inhumane conditions they are enduring, which offer no protection from the cold.   “2024 has been a year of unimaginable hardship for families in Gaza. Beyond the constant threat of attacks, many live without adequate shelter, nutrition, or healthcare. Cold injuries, such as frostbite and hypothermia, pose grave risks to young children in tents and other makeshift shelters that are ill-equipped for freezing weather. For newborns, infants, and medically vulnerable children, the danger is even more acute.   “UNICEF teams on the ground continue to work tirelessly, distributing winter clothing, blankets, and emergency supplies to children. But the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver life-saving aid at the scale required remains severely restricted. In November, an average of 65 truckloads of assistance entered Gaza daily, far too little to adequately address the urgent needs of children, women and other civilians. The most northern part of Gaza has now been under a near-total siege for more than two months.   “Safe and unrestricted humanitarian access to and within the Gaza Strip to reach affected populations wherever they are, including in the north, is critical. All access crossings must be opened, including for sufficient fuel and materials needed to run and rehabilitate essential infrastructure and commercial supplies. Safe movement for humanitarian workers and supplies across the Gaza Strip must be guaranteed to safely reach the communities in desperate need.   “As we approach a new year, children have the right to a future free from fear and full of promise. This begins with an immediate, durable ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and a renewed commitment to work together to address the urgent needs of children and their families.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-regional-director-middle-east-and-north-africa-edouard-beigbeder http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-our-effort-save-lives-survivors-gaza-breaking-point http://www.unocha.org/news/un-relief-chief-calls-international-community-break-cycle-violence-gaza http://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1158746 http://www.wfp.org/news/statement-shooting-wfp-convoy-gaza   6 Dec. 2024   Statement by UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Edouard Beigbeder, on the killing of children in Nuseirat and Al Mawasi, Gaza:   “In a single day of bloodshed, children in different parts of the Gaza Strip were reportedly killed while sheltering inside their tents or desperately queueing for a piece of bread amid a rapidly worsening food crisis.   "On Wednesday, an airstrike in Nuseirat Camp, central Gaza, reportedly claimed the lives of four children near a local food distribution point. They were among civilians lining up for a meal until bombs started falling from the sky. Three boys and a girl aged 5 to 11.   “Similarly, an airstrike reportedly hit 40 tents that evening in Al Mawasi, a unilaterally designated “humanitarian zone,” causing a massive explosion and fires.   At least 22 people were reportedly killed, including eight children, with dozens more injured. Their piercing screams, engulfed in flames as they ran for their lives, will haunt humanity's conscience for generations to come.   “This grim week was preceded by the horrific events of last week, when two children and a woman were reportedly crushed to death while waiting in line outside a bakery in central Gaza. Hungry children swept up by despair.   “Day after day, week after week for nearly 14 months now, Gaza has been nothing short of hell on Earth. No child should have to endure such atrocities and carnage, and no parent should have to bury their child. Gaza has become a graveyard for children and families. At least 43,000 people have reportedly been killed since the beginning of the war, many of them children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.   “The overall humanitarian response in Gaza is teetering on the brink of full collapse. The lives of virtually all children are at risk or have been shattered by unimaginable trauma, loss, and deprivation. Their safety and access to essential humanitarian aid are not being facilitated as explicitly demanded by international law.   “We call on the parties to the conflict to facilitate the delivery of much-needed aid by humanitarian actors into and throughout Gaza, and to take all necessary measures to ensure they always receive the required protection, in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law.   “With at least 50,000 children affected by acute malnutrition in Gaza - and hundreds of thousands displaced multiple times - no child queuing for a piece of bread or sheltering in a temporary tent should be trampled to death or killed by an airstrike. The ongoing normalization of such horror needs to turn into action to stop it. Enough is enough.”   http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-middle-east-and-north-africa-regional-director-edouard-beigbeder-0 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/cold-sick-and-traumatized-ongoing-nightmare-children-gaza http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/statement-unicef-executive-director-catherine-russell-children-and-continued http://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158406 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/regular-attacks-put-gaza-schools-turned-shelters-frontlines-war http://www.savethechildren.net/news/nowhere-safe-gaza-attacks-north-and-hospital-ablaze-south-put-lives-children-and-families-risk http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/icrc-humanitarian-aid-remains-urgent-necessity-alleviate-tide-suffering-gaza http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-114/en/   1 Nov. 2024   Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee - Stop the assault on Palestinians in Gaza and on those trying to help them:   We the leaders of 15 United Nations and humanitarian organizations urge, yet again, all parties fighting in Gaza to protect civilians, and call on the State of Israel to cease its assault on Gaza and on the humanitarians trying to help.   The situation unfolding in North Gaza is apocalyptic. The area has been under siege for almost a month, denied basic aid and life-saving supplies while bombardment and other attacks continue. Just in the past few days, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and thousands have once again been forcibly displaced.   Hospitals have been almost entirely cut off from supplies and have come under attack, killing patients, destroying vital equipment, and disrupting life-saving services. Health workers and patients have been taken into custody. Fighting has also reportedly taken place inside hospitals.   Dozens of schools serving as shelters have been bombed or forcibly evacuated. Tents sheltering displaced families have been shelled, and people have been burned alive.   Rescue teams have been deliberately attacked and thwarted in their attempts to pull people buried under the rubble of their homes.   The needs of women and girls are overwhelming and growing every day. We have lost contact with those we support and those who provide lifesaving essential services for sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence.   And we have received reports of civilians being targeted while trying to seek safety, and of men and boys being arrested and taken to unknown locations for detention.   Livestock are also dying, crop lands have been destroyed, trees burned to the ground, and agrifood systems infrastructure has been decimated.   The entire Palestinian population in North Gaza is at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence.   Humanitarian aid cannot keep up with the scale of the needs due to the access constraints. Basic, life-saving goods are not available. Humanitarians are not safe to do their work and are blocked by Israeli forces and by insecurity from reaching people in need.   In a further blow to the humanitarian response, the polio vaccination campaign has been delayed due to the fighting, putting the lives of children in the region at risk.   And this week, the Israeli Parliament adopted legislation that would ban UNRWA and revoke its privileges and immunities. If implemented, such measures would be a catastrophe for the humanitarian response in Gaza, diametrically opposed to the United Nations Charter, with potential dire impacts on the human rights of the millions of Palestinians depending on UNRWA’s assistance, and in violation of Israel’s obligations under international law. Let us be very clear: There is no alternative to UNRWA.   The blatant disregard for basic humanity and for the laws of war must stop. International humanitarian law, including the rules of distinction, proportionality and precautions, must be respected. IHL obligations do not depend on reciprocity. No violation by one party ever releases the other from its legal obligations.   Attacks against civilians and what remains of civilian infrastructure in Gaza must stop.   Humanitarian relief must be facilitated, and we urge all parties to provide unimpeded access to affected people. Additionally, commercial goods must be allowed to enter Gaza.   The wounded and sick must receive the care they need. Medical personnel and hospitals must be spared. Hospitals should not turn into battlegrounds. Unlawfully detained Palestinians must be released. Israel must comply with the provisional orders and determinations of the International Court of Justice.   Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups must release the hostages immediately and unconditionally and must abide by international humanitarian law.   Member States must use their leverage to ensure respect for international law. This includes withholding arms transfers where there is a clear risk that such arms will be used in violation of international law.   The entire region is on the edge of a precipice. An immediate cessation of hostilities and a sustained, unconditional ceasefire are long overdue.   http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-inter-agency-standing-committee-stop-assault-palestinians-gaza-and-those-trying Visit the related web page
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