World News in Brief: UN rights chief condemns attacks in Nigeria, WFP supplies looted in Sudan, non-discrimination protections in the US

Terrorism, humanitarian crises threaten stability of West Africa: UN deputy chief

At an event commemorating the 49th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed noted progress made, alongside immediate challenges.   “Over the last decade, the region has seen an exponential rise in terrorism that has reversed its development gains. This has been further exacerbated by the resurgence…

Read More
More than 500 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank: UN rights chief

More than 500 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank: UN rights chief

Two of the latest fatalities were 16-year-old Ahmed Ashraf Hamidat and 17-year-old Mohammed Musa Al Bitar, both shot “at a distance of about 70 metres while running away after throwing stones and/or Molotov cocktails towards a[n Israeli] military post outside a settlement near Aqabat Jaber, CCTV footage shows”, said the High Commissioner’s Office, OHCHR. The…

Read More
Rafah exodus reaches 360,000 as UN underscores $2.8 billion aid appeal for Gaza, West Bank

Rafah exodus reaches 360,000 as UN underscores $2.8 billion aid appeal for Gaza, West Bank

“Nearly 360,000 people have fled Rafah since the first evacuation order a week ago,” the UN agency said in a post on X, referencing leafleting by the Israeli military ordering those in eastern Rafah to leave their shelters.  In another alert, UNRWA warned of ongoing “restricted humanitarian access” to and across the Gaza Strip that was…

Read More
World News in Brief: Rising West Bank violence, dialogue critical in Kosovo, free Afghan activist

World News in Brief: Rising West Bank violence, dialogue critical in Kosovo, free Afghan activist

Stability in the West Bank is vital to the prospects of peace in Gaza, UN Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland said over the weekend, warning against further escalation. He also said civilian attacks, including settler violence, need to end. Meanwhile, the new Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, visited Gaza for the first…

Read More
UN representative on sexual violence in conflict to visit Israel and West Bank

UN representative on sexual violence in conflict to visit Israel and West Bank

Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, will also visit the occupied West Bank, where she will meet with the Palestinian Authority, civil society organizations, recently released detainees and other relevant actors. The visit is set to start on Monday and will conclude in early February.  Giving voice to…

Read More
Contrasting political challenges emerge in West Africa: Top envoy

Contrasting political challenges emerge in West Africa: Top envoy

Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Leonardo Santos Simão, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, said that while some nations have made significant democratic strides, others have been subject to military takeovers, posing wider threats to regional stability. The presidential election in Liberia and the peaceful transfer of power was a decisive political moment for…

Read More
UN rights chief warns of ‘dehumanization’ of Palestinians amid West Bank violence as Gaza crisis deepens

UN rights chief warns of ‘dehumanization’ of Palestinians amid West Bank violence as Gaza crisis deepens

Commenting on a new report on the West Bank released by his office, OHCHR, Mr. Türk expressed concern at the use of military means and weapons by law enforcement, movement restrictions affecting Palestinians and a sharp rise in settler violence resulting in the displacement of herding communities. “The dehumanization of Palestinians that characterizes many of the…

Read More