Sexual violence against children in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached staggering proportions, with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reporting thousands of new cases in just two months – evidence that it’s being used as a systemic weapon of war and deliberate terror tactic.… Read the rest
Gaza: Paramedic still missing after aid worker killings, Palestinian Red Crescent Society calls for answers
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) on Friday called for urgent answers over the whereabouts of a missing paramedic, coupled with a full independent investigation into the killing of 15 humanitarian workers in Gaza on 23 March.
Last Sunday, a joint PRCS and UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) mission uncovered a shallow grave in Rafah.
Guterres: Lebanon ceasefire deal ‘first ray of hope for peace’
The ceasefire agreement in Lebanon represents “the first ray of hope for peace” in the regional war “amidst the darkness of the last few months”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday in Lisbon.
“It is a moment of great importance, especially for the civilians who were paying an enormous price for the fact that this conflict is not only dragging on, but is also gaining increasingly worrying dimensions,” he said.… Read the rest
Middle East crisis: Gaza polio vaccine campaign under fire
Attacks on a clinic and UN staff member were reported during a resumed polio vaccine campaign in besieged northern Gaza, Israeli forces continued airstrikes on Lebanon on Sunday and in Yemen, a new water project launched a “lifeline” for populations fleeing conflict, with updates from Syria.
Lebanon: UN agencies call for ceasefire as war worsens dire conditions
The humanitarian situation in Lebanon has surpassed the devastation wrought by the war with Israel in 2006, UN agencies said on Saturday, publishing the latest updates from the ground amid calls for an immediate ceasefire.
A new Israel airstrike hit the border post of Joussieh, where many Lebanese and Syrian people are crossing to escape the violence.