World News in Brief: World News in Brief: Warmest January on record, Sudan diplomacy push, catching childhood cancer early

World News in Brief: World News in Brief: Warmest January on record, Sudan diplomacy push, catching childhood cancer early

Global precipitation reached a near record-high in January on the heels of a record wet December. Large portions of North America, Asia and Australia were wetter than average while much of southern Africa and South America were drier than normal. The record-breaking trend seen for much of 2023 has rolled into 2024. For the eighth…

Read More
Explainer: How Darfur became a ‘humanitarian calamity and catastrophic human rights crisis’

Civilians suffer as ‘perfect storm’ of war, disease and displacement grips Sudan

Peter Graaff, acting representative of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) in Sudan, warned that displaced people sheltering in overcrowded areas lack access to water and sanitation, food, and the most basic services. “The situation in Sudan was a perfect storm as the health system is hardly functional. The childhood immunization programme is breaking down…

Read More
UN: Deal reached with Syria to reopen main border crossing from Türkiye

World News in Brief: Syria aid lifelines, Sudan telecoms blackout, increased patrols in Abyei, preventing terrorism

The Syrian Government informed the UN on Saturday of its consent to allow humanitarian assistance to be delivered into the region through two border crossings with Türkiye – Bab al-Salam and Al-Ra’i – until 13 May.  This follows Syria’s decision in January to renew consent for the UN and partners to use the Bab al-Hawa…

Read More
Sudan war leaves 700,000 children facing life-threatening malnutrition

Sudan war leaves 700,000 children facing life-threatening malnutrition

“The world’s largest displacement of children has been seen in Sudan,” said UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson James Elder. “Four million children have been displaced.  That’s 13,000 children every single day, for 300 days. Safety, gone. Worldly possessions, gone. Friends and family members separated or lost. Hope, fading.” Earlier this week, the UN aid coordination office,…

Read More
WFP pleads for aid access in Sudan, amid reports of starvation

UN appeals for $4.1 billion in aid for war-torn Sudan and refugee-hosting countries

“Half of Sudan’s population, 25 million people, needs humanitarian assistance,” Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, told journalists in Geneva. He emphasized that far too many of those in need were children, and that 18 million people were acutely food insecure, amid one of the world’s largest displacement and protection crises.   The appeal comprises…

Read More
World News in Brief: Unprecedented cholera spike in Africa, Julian Assange extradition update, locusts compound Sudan crisis

World News in Brief: Unprecedented cholera spike in Africa, Julian Assange extradition update, locusts compound Sudan crisis

Dr. Fiona Braka from WHO’s regional office in Brazzaville, Congo, said that eastern and southern Africa have been particularly badly affected. In just the first four weeks of the year, 10 African countries reported more than 26,000 cases and 700 deaths, which is nearly double the number reported last year over the same period. Zambia…

Read More
World News in Brief: Artificial Intelligence pledge, child abuse online, Sudan crisis deepens

World News in Brief: Artificial Intelligence pledge, child abuse online, Sudan crisis deepens

Lenovo Group, LG AI Research, Mastercard, Microsoft, Salesforce, Telefonica, GSMA network of mobile phone operators, and INNIT have pledged to “integrate the values and principles” of UNESCO’s Recommendation on the Ethics of AI when designing and deploying AI systems. The announcement came at the UN education, science and culture agency’s  Global Forum on AI, taking place…

Read More
Youth-led ‘emergency rooms’ shine rays of hope in war-torn Sudan

Youth-led ‘emergency rooms’ shine rays of hope in war-torn Sudan

Emergency response rooms are finding innovative approaches to providing rapid assistance to millions facing war in Sudan. Teams of volunteer medical staff, engineers and other emergency experts across the country are addressing civilian needs amid the current bout of violence and insecurity stemming from clashes with rival military forces in April 2023. So far, ERRs have…

Read More