Latest news with #United Nations
Asharq Al-Awsat
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Sudan's Humanitarian Crisis Worsens amid Escalating Violence
Fighting in Sudan's Kordofan region that has killed hundreds and ongoing violence in Darfur — the epicenters of the country's conflict — have worsened Sudan's humanitarian crisis, with aid workers warning of limited access to assistance. The United Nations said more than 450 civilians, including at least 35 children, were killed during the weekend of July 12 in attacks in villages surrounding the town of Bara in North Kordofan province. 'The suffering in Kordofan deepens with each passing day,' Mercy Corps Country Director for Sudan Kadry Furany said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. 'Communities are trapped along active and fast changing front lines, unable to flee, unable to access basic needs or lifesaving assistance.' Sudan plunged into war after simmering tensions between the army and its rival, the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, escalated to fighting in April 2023. The violence has killed at least 40,000 people and created one of the world's worst displacement and hunger crises, according to humanitarian organizations. In recent months, much of the fighting has been concentrated in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. On Thursday, the UN human rights office confirmed that since July 10, the RSF has killed at least 60 civilians in the town of Bara, while civil society groups reported up to 300 people were killed, the office said. A military airstrike on Thursday in Bara killed at least 11 people, all from the same family, according to the UN office. Meanwhile, between July 10 and 14, the army killed at least 23 civilians and injured over two dozen others after striking two villages in West Kordofan. An aid worker with Mercy Corps said his brother was fatally shot on July 13 during an attack on the village of Um Seimima in El Obeid City in North Kordofan, Grace Wairima Ndungu, the group's communications manager told AP. Furany said that movement between the western and eastern areas of the Kordofan region is 'practically impossible.' The intensified fighting forced Mercy Corps to temporarily suspend operations in three out of four localities, with access beyond Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, now being in 'serious doubt,' Furany said, as a safe sustained humanitarian corridor is needed. Mathilde Vu, an aid worker with the Norwegian Refugee Council who is often based in Port Sudan, told the AP that fighting has intensified in North Kordofan and West Kordofan over the past several months. 'A large number of villages are being destroyed, burned to the ground, people being displaced,' she said. 'What is extremely worrying about the Kordofan is that there is very little information and not a lot of organizations are able to support. It is a complete war zone there.' Marwan Taher, head of mission with humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, told the AP that military operations in Kordofan heightened insecurity, prompting scores of people to flee to Darfur, a region already in a dire humanitarian situation. The NRC said that since April, Tawila has already received 379,000 people escaping violence in famine-hit Zamzam Camp and Al Fasher. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration recently reported that over 46,000 people were displaced from different areas in West Kordofan in May alone due to clashes between warring parties. Taher said those fleeing El Fasher to Tawila walk long distances with barely enough clothes and little water, and sleep on the streets until they arrive at the area they want to settle in. The new wave of displacement has brought diseases, including measles, which began spreading in parts of Zalingi in Central Darfur in March and April as camps received people fleeing Kordofan. Aid workers also warned about ongoing fighting in Darfur. Vu said there have been 'uninterrupted campaigns of destruction' against civilians in North Darfur. 'In Darfur there's been explicit targeting of civilians. There's been explicit execution,' she said. Shelling killed five children Wednesday in El Fasher in North Darfur, according to UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay. Meanwhile, between July 14 and 15, heavy rains and flooding displaced over 400 people and destroyed dozens of homes in Dar As Salam, North Darfur. With a looming rainy season, a cholera outbreak and food insecurity, the situation in Darfur is 'getting worse every day and that's what war is,' said Taher.
Al Arabiya
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Sudan's humanitarian crisis worsens amid escalating violence in Kordofan and Darfur
Fighting in Sudan's Kordofan region, which has killed hundreds, and ongoing violence in Darfur–the epicenters of the country's conflict–have worsened Sudan's humanitarian crisis, with aid workers warning of limited access to assistance. The United Nations said more than 450 civilians, including at least 35 children, were killed during the weekend of July 12 in attacks in villages surrounding the town of Bara in North Kordofan province. 'The suffering in Kordofan deepens with each passing day,' Mercy Corps Country Director for Sudan Kadry Furany said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. 'Communities are trapped along active and fast changing front lines, unable to flee, unable to access basic needs or lifesaving assistance.' At least 60 were killed in Bara over the past week. Sudan plunged into war after simmering tensions between the army and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces or RSF, escalated to fighting in April 2023. The violence has killed at least 40,000 people and created one of the world's worst displacement and hunger crises, according to humanitarian organizations. In recent months, much of the fighting has been concentrated in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. On Thursday, the UN human rights office confirmed that since July 10, the RSF has killed at least 60 civilians in the town of Bara, while civil society groups reported up to 300 people were killed, the office said. A military airstrike on Thursday in Bara killed at least 11 people, all from the same family, according to the UN office. Meanwhile, between July 10 and 14, the army killed at least 23 civilians and injured over two dozen others after striking two villages in West Kordofan. An aid worker with Mercy Corps said his brother was fatally shot on July 13 during an attack on the village of Um Seimima in El Obeid City in North Kordofan. Grace Wairima Ndungu, the group's communications manager, told AP. Furany said that movement between the western and eastern areas of the Kordofan region is practically impossible. 'The intensified fighting forced Mercy Corps to temporarily suspend operations in three out of four localities with access beyond Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, now being in serious doubt,' Furany said, 'as a safe, sustained humanitarian corridor is needed.' Fighting in Kordofan worsens displacement. Mathilde Vu, an aid worker with the Norwegian Refugee Council who is often based in Port Sudan, told the AP that fighting has intensified in North Kordofan and West Kordofan over the past several months. 'A large number of villages are being destroyed, burned to the ground, people being displaced,' she said. 'What is extremely worrying about the Kordofan is that there is very little information and not a lot of organizations are able to support. It is a complete war zone there.' Marwan Taher, head of mission with humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, told the AP that military operations in Kordofan heightened insecurity, prompting scores of people to flee to Darfur, a region already in a dire humanitarian situation. Though exact figures are yet to be confirmed, Taher estimated that hundreds were recently displaced from Kordofan to Tawila in North Darfur province. The NRC said that since April, Tawila has already received 379,000 people escaping violence in famine-hit Zamzam Camp and Al Fasher. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration recently reported that over 46,000 people were displaced from different areas in West Kordofan in May alone due to clashes between warring parties. Taher said those fleeing El Fasher to Tawila walk long distances with barely enough clothes and little water and sleep on the streets until they arrive at the area they want to settle in. The new wave of displacement has brought diseases, including measles, which began spreading in parts of Zalingi in Central Darfur in March and April as camps received people fleeing Kordofan. Aid workers also warned about ongoing fighting in Darfur. Vu said, 'There have been uninterrupted campaigns of destruction against civilians in North Darfur. In Darfur there's been explicit targeting of civilians. There's been explicit execution,' she said. Shelling killed five children Wednesday in El Fasher in North Darfur, according to UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay. Meanwhile, between July 14 and 15, heavy rains and flooding displaced over 400 people and destroyed dozens of homes in Dar As Salam, North Darfur. With a looming rainy season, a cholera outbreak, and food insecurity, 'the situation in Darfur is getting worse every day, and that's what war is,' said Taher.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Sudan's humanitarian crisis worsens amid escalating violence in Kordofan and Darfur
CAIRO (AP) — Fighting in Sudan's Kordofan region that has killed hundreds and ongoing violence in Darfur — the epicenters of the country's conflict — have worsened Sudan's humanitarian crisis, with aid workers warning of limited access to assistance. The United Nations said more than 450 civilians, including at least 35 children, were killed during the weekend of July 12 in attacks in villages surrounding the town of Bara in North Kordofan province. 'The suffering in Kordofan deepens with each passing day,' Mercy Corps Country Director for Sudan,, Kadry Furany, said in a statement shared with The Associated Press. 'Communities are trapped along active and fast changing front lines, unable to flee, unable to access basic needs or lifesaving assistance.' At least 60 killed in Bara over the last week Sudan plunged into war after simmering tensions between the army and its rival, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, escalated to fighting in April 2023. The violence has killed at least 40,000 people and created one of the world's worst displacement and hunger crises, according to humanitarian organizations. In recent months, much of the fighting has been concentrated in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. On Thursday, the U.N. human rights office confirmed that since July 10, the RSF has killed at least 60 civilians in the town of Bara, while civil society groups reported up to 300 people were killed, the office said. A military airstrike on Thursday in Bara killed at least 11 people, all from the same family, according to the U.N. office. Meanwhile, between July 10 and 14, the army killed at least 23 civilians and injured over two dozen others after striking two villages in West Kordofan. An aid worker with Mercy Corps said his brother was fatally shot on July 13 during an attack on the village of Um Seimima in El Obeid City in North Kordofan, Grace Wairima Ndungu, the group's communications manager told AP. Furany said that movement between the western and eastern areas of the Kordofan region is 'practically impossible.' The intensified fighting forced Mercy Corps to temporarily suspend operations in three out of four localities, with access beyond Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, now being in 'serious doubt,' Furany said, as a safe sustained humanitarian corridor is needed. Fighting in Kordofan worsens displacement Mathilde Vu, an aid worker with the Norwegian Refugee Council who is often based in Port Sudan, told AP that fighting has intensified in North Kordofan and West Kordofan over the past several months. 'A large number of villages are being destroyed, burned to the ground, people being displaced,' she said. 'What is extremely worrying about the Kordofan is that there is very little information and not a lot of organizations are able to support. It is a complete war zone there.' Marwan Taher, a project coordinator with humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders, told AP that military operations in Kordofan heightened insecurity prompting scores of people to flee to Darfur, a region already in a dire humanitarian situation. Though exact figures are yet to be confirmed, Taher estimated that hundreds were recently displaced from Kordofan to Tawila in North Darfur province. The NRC said that since April, Tawila has already received 379,000 people escaping violence in famine-hit Zamzam Camp and Al Fasher. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration recently reported that over 46,000 people were displaced from different areas in West Kordofan in May alone due to clashes between warring parties. Taher said those fleeing Kordofan to Tawila walk long distances with barely enough clothes and little water, and sleep on the streets until they arrive at the area they want to settle in. The new wave of displacement has brought diseases, including measles, which began spreading in parts of Zalingi in West Darfur in March and April as camps received people fleeing Kordofan. Flooding and attacks worsen Darfur's already dire situation Aid workers also warned about ongoing fighting in Darfur. Vu said there have been 'uninterrupted campaigns of destruction' against civilians in North Darfur. 'In Darfur there's been explicit targeting of civilians. There's been explicit execution,' she said. Shelling killed five children Wednesday in El Fasher in North Darfur, according to U.N. spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay. Meanwhile, between July 14 and 15, heavy rains and flooding displaced over 400 people and destroyed dozens of homes in Dar As Salam, North Darfur. With a looming rainy season, a cholera outbreak and food insecurity, the situation in Darfur is 'getting worse every day and that's what war is,' said Taher.
LBCI
a day ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Over 11 million refugees may lose aid access due to cuts: UN agency
Up to 11.6 million refugees are in danger of losing access to humanitarian assistance due to cuts in foreign aid by donor nations, the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday. This is about one-third of refugees normally supported by the U.N. agency, it said. "Our funding situation is dramatic. We fear that up to 11.6 million refugees and people forced to flee are losing access to humanitarian assistance provided by UNHCR," said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR's director of external relations. Just 23% of the UNHCR's funding requirement of $10.6 billion has been fulfilled so far for this year, it said. The funding crisis stems from large foreign aid cuts by donor countries such as Sweden, France and Japan, compounded by major U.S. aid cuts. Reuters
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Arrest tally in Cambodian cybercrime crackdown hits 2,000
The United Nations has described Southeast Asia as the 'ground zero' of cybercrime centres. (AFP pic) PHNOM PENH : The number of suspects arrested in a Cambodian crackdown on internet scam centres has risen to 2,000, a government minister told AFP today. The United Nations has described Southeast Asia as the 'ground zero' of cybercrime centres, where workers typically use romance or business cons to defraud web users of an estimated US$40 billion annually. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet this week issued a directive telling law enforcement and the military to clamp down on the internet sweatshops or risk losing their jobs. Information minister Neth Pheaktra, a member of a committee to combat online scams, told AFP authorities had expanded the scope of their raids to nine of the country's 25 provinces. 'So far some 2,000 suspects have been arrested,' he said, adding that the suspects include Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Indian nationals. Neth Preaktra said the government wants to make the country 'no safe haven for online scammers' and 'will dismantle every scam network no matter where they hide'. At least 226 Chinese nationals were among the detained suspects, according to a police report, which said some ringleaders would face prosecution in Cambodia while most others will be expelled. The justice ministry also said it had suspended one prosecutor pending an investigation after he released several cybercrime suspects. Abuses in Cambodia's scam centres are happening on a 'mass scale', Amnesty International said in a report published last month. There are at least 53 scam compounds in Cambodia where organised criminal groups carry out human trafficking, forced labour, child labour, torture, deprivation of liberty and slavery, the report said. Many of those freed from Southeast Asian scam centres say they were trafficked or lured there under false pretences. In March, Cambodia deported 119 Thais – among 230 foreign nationals detained during raids on alleged cyber scam centres in Poipet city.
