Sudan catastrophe must not be allowed to continue: UN rights chief Türk

Sudan catastrophe must not be allowed to continue: UN rights chief Türk

A year to the day since heavy fighting erupted between Sudan’s rival militaries, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned of a further escalation, including an imminent attack on El-Fasher in North Darfur. “The Sudanese people have been subjected to untold suffering during the conflict which has been marked by indiscriminate attacks in densely…

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‘Step back from the brink,’ to avert full-scale Middle East conflict, says UN chief

‘Step back from the brink,’ to avert full-scale Middle East conflict, says UN chief

“It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East…Now is the time for maximum restraint,” the UN Secretary-General told delegates at the opening of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.  Mr. Guterres explained that the emergency session was called by Israel…

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Ecuador-Mexico: ‘Cardinal principle’ of diplomatic inviolability must be upheld says UN chief

Ecuador-Mexico: ‘Cardinal principle’ of diplomatic inviolability must be upheld says UN chief

In a statement released on Saturday night, António Guterres said he was alarmed by the raid on the embassy in the capital Quito which led to the arrest of Jorge Glas. The Secretary-General “reaffirms the cardinal principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel, emphasizing that this principle must be respected in all cases, in…

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Israel must allow ‘quantum leap’ in aid delivery UN chief urges, calling for change in military tactics

Israel must allow ‘quantum leap’ in aid delivery UN chief urges, calling for change in military tactics

Marking six months of war since the “abhorrent” Hamas-led terror attacks of 7 October, António Guterres told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York that nothing could justify the horror unleashed by Palestinian militants that day.  “I once again utterly condemn the use of sexual violence, torture injuring and kidnapping of civilians, the firing of…

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World News in Brief: Rights chief dismay over Uganda anti-LGBT law, Haiti update, aid for Sudan, executions alert in Egypt

World News in Brief: Rights chief dismay over Uganda anti-LGBT law, Haiti update, aid for Sudan, executions alert in Egypt

In a statement, Volker Türk urged authorities in Kampala to repeal it in its entirety, together with other discriminatory legislation passed into law by parliamentary majority. “Close to 600 people are reported to have been subjected to human rights violations and abuses based on their actual or imputed sexual orientation or gender identity” since being…

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DR Congo mission chief says humanitarian disaster ‘unfolding before our very eyes’

DR Congo mission chief says humanitarian disaster ‘unfolding before our very eyes’

Ms. Keita, who also heads the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, sounded the alarm over the humanitarian disaster “unfolding before our very eyes”. More than seven million people in the country are displaced, particularly due to the operations of armed groups such as the M23 and the Allied Defense Forces (ADF) across the…

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World News in Brief: 17 million Yemenis need health support, cholera in Somalia, OCHA chief stepping down, Haiti crisis update

World News in Brief: 17 million Yemenis need health support, cholera in Somalia, OCHA chief stepping down, Haiti crisis update

According to the UN health agency (WHO), almost 18 million people need medical assistance and half of that number are children. Nearly one in two under-fives also suffer from moderate to severe stunting, said WHO, pointing out that this adds up to nearly 2.4 million children. “It’s important to step back and remember that hungry…

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'We must push for lasting peace in Gaza,' UN chief insists, as starvation threat nears

‘We must push for lasting peace in Gaza,’ UN chief insists, as starvation threat nears

“The need is urgent,” Mr. Guterres said in Amman, alongside Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safady, as he pledged to keep pushing “for the removal of all obstacles to life-saving aid, for more access and more entry points” into Gaza. The UN chief’s appeal came amid increasingly dire scenes reported by UN humanitarians and other aid…

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