World News in Brief: DR Congo clashes, invest in ending polio, say #IDONT to child marriage

World News in Brief: DR Congo clashes, invest in ending polio, say #IDONT to child marriage

Violence last week forced thousands to flee, and fighting occurred on Tuesday in the outskirts of Sake, which is located some 20 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital, Goma. “Our peacekeeping mission is continuing to support the Congolese armed forces and is doing its utmost to protect civilians, including by maintaining a presence along the Goma-Sake axis,” said…

Read More
Ukraine: IAEA chief slams ‘complacency’ over stricken Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant

World News in Brief: Ukraine nuclear power plant update, DR Congo flood response, impact of US terrorism designations

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi took stock of the safety and security situation at the plant as part of ongoing efforts to help prevent a nuclear accident during the ongoing war. Russian forces seized control of ZNPP – Europe’s largest nuclear plant – shortly after the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly…

Read More
World News in Brief: UN official condemns attacks in Ukraine, DR Congo faces fresh fighting and devastating floods

World News in Brief: UN official condemns attacks in Ukraine, DR Congo faces fresh fighting and devastating floods

The morning assault reportedly involved Russian-fired missiles and drones which hit six Ukrainian regions leaving at least five dead.  The attacks also disrupted essential services, including electricity, water and gas supplies, especially in Mykolaiv city and Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, when they are much needed this cold winter. “Millions of people rely on these services for…

Read More
Unprecedented drought emergency demands urgent action

World News in Brief: Drought in Ethiopia, peacekeepers wounded in DR Congo, deadly strike on Ukraine aid workers

Drought is ravaging communities in Afar, Amhara, Tigray and Oromia, as well as the Southern and South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region. Severe water shortages, dried pastures and reduced harvests are impacting millions of people and livestock, with reports of food insecurity and rising malnutrition.  Among those who are particularly vulnerable are people affected by the…

Read More
World News in Brief: Dozens killed in Mali ‘summary executions’, Ukraine update, civilian protection in DR Congo

World News in Brief: Dozens killed in Mali ‘summary executions’, Ukraine update, civilian protection in DR Congo

The alleged massacre happened in Welingara village in the Nara region of central Mali on 26 January. Some 30 civilians were also reportedly killed by unidentified gunmen in the Bandiagara region at the weekend. In his call for impartial investigations into the allegations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized the need for justice…

Read More
World News in Brief: Congo flood response, tourism bounces back, alert over Sudan’s ancient pyramids

World News in Brief: Congo flood response, tourism bounces back, alert over Sudan’s ancient pyramids

Some 1.8 million people have been impacted by torrential downpours that have dumped double the usual amount of rainfall on the Congo, impacting nine out of the country’s 12 departments. In the three weeks since the government in Brazzaville declared an emergency, the floods have destroyed or damaged 34 health facilities, 120 schools and over…

Read More
World News in Brief: Rights chief calls for calm in Comoros, DR Congo update, northern Ethiopia beset by ‘multiple crises’

World News in Brief: Rights chief calls for calm in Comoros, DR Congo update, northern Ethiopia beset by ‘multiple crises’

Incumbent President of the island archipelago off the east African coast, Azali Assoumani, was re-elected for a fourth term.   However, the turnout was reportedly only 16 per cent and opposition parties denounced the elections as “fraudulent”, according to media reports. In a statement released by his office (OHCHR) on Wednesday, Volker Türk called on…

Read More
World News in Brief: COVID risk still high worldwide, massive Congo flood displacement, concern over Sri Lanka drugs crackdown

World News in Brief: COVID risk still high worldwide, massive Congo flood displacement, concern over Sri Lanka drugs crackdown

The virus is still circulating globally but relatively few countries are following infections closely, meaning the actual threat due to the coronavirus and its variants could be anything from two to 19 times higher than what is being reported to WHO. The agency’s COVID focal point, Dr Maria Van Kerhove, told journalists in Geneva that…

Read More
World News in Brief: WFP forced to halt some food aid in Sudan, DR Congo elections, peacekeeping chief visits CAR

World News in Brief: WFP forced to halt some food aid in Sudan, DR Congo elections, peacekeeping chief visits CAR

WFP described the decision taken on safety grounds as a major setback to humanitarian efforts in the country’s breadbasket, where staff had been regularly providing aid to over 800,000 people, including many who had escaped the fighting in Khartoum. The ongoing fighting makes it extremely challenging for humanitarian agencies to safely deliver assistance, especially with…

Read More