Tag Archives: fears

Ethiopia: Türk fears new crisis in Tigray amid renewed fighting

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“The situation remains highly volatile and we fear it will further deteriorate, worsening the region’s already precarious human rights and humanitarian situation,” Mr. Türk said, following clashes in recent days between the Ethiopian army and regional forces.

The development comes against a backdrop of deadly conflict in Tigray from 2020 to 2022 between Government troops and separatist Tigray forces, following rising tensions between national and regional authorities.

That conflict – in which Eritrean soldiers reportedly participated – is believed to have killed tens of thousands and uprooted more than two million civilians, of whom one million remain internally displaced today.

Intensifying fighting  

According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), the latest escalation saw clashes between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the regional Tigray Security Forces (TSF) intensify on 26 January, close to the Amhara border. The TSF withdrew from the Tselemti area on 1 February, OHCHR said.

“Drones, artillery and other powerful weapons were used by both sides,” Mr. Türk said in a statement. “Civilians are once again caught between escalating tensions, with both TSF and ENDF reportedly carrying out arrests for perceived affiliation with the opposing side. This must stop,” he insisted.

Meanwhile, in Tigray’s south and southeast near the Afar border, clashes between the TSF and the “Tigray Peace Forces”, a rival faction, continue unabated, the High Commissioner noted.

“Both sides must step back from the brink and work to resolve their differences through political means,” he said. “Alleged serious violations or abuses must be promptly and independently investigated, irrespective of the perpetrators.”

Dire consequences

Briefing journalists in Geneva, the High Commissioner’s spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani warned that new clashes could erupt “at any point” with dire consequences for civilians. She highlighted his call to all parties to recommit to the Pretoria Agreement calling for an end to hostilities, signed in 2022. 

The hostile parties should also ensure the return of internally displaced people to their homes, among other confidence-building measures, Ms. Shamdasani continued.

“This is something that was part of the agreement, but it hasn’t proceeded as smoothly as it should,” she noted.

The High Commissioner also warned that recent tensions between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea risked worsening the already serious human rights and humanitarian challenges in both countries and across the wider Horn of Africa.

“There have been reports regarding the presence of Eritrean troops and heightened tensions between those two countries,” Ms. Shamdasani said, pointing to “disagreements…particularly regarding the situation in Tigray”. 

She added: “We’re calling for these disagreements to be resolved through political dialogue and not resort to violence. We all saw what happened in 2020, 2021, when there was a full-blown conflict in the Tigray region, which led to we still don’t know how many deaths…We cannot afford a return to that.”

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‘Our worst held fears are being confirmed’: Dozens of bodies discovered in Libya mass graves

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“Our worst held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings,” Türk said.

The sites where bodies were discovered are run by the Stabilization Support Apparatus (SSA), an armed group tasked with increasing Government security in the capital, Tripoli.  They have long been suspected by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) – and independent rights experts – to be sites of torture and enforced disappearance.

Mr. Türk called for these sites to be sealed for forensic investigations to support accountability.

Libya has endured turmoil since the fall of the Muammar Gaddafi regime 15 years ago and the emergence of rival administrations in 2014: the UN-recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli and the Government of National Stability (GNS) based in Benghazi. 

The UN has supported many ultimately unsuccessful attempts to reunite the country and transition to democratic governance.

Over 80 bodies discovered

In May, the leader of the SSA – Abdul Ghani al-Kikli – was killed, triggering clashes between armed groups and state security forces. Protests also emerged, calling for an end to violence in Tripoli. Multiple civilians were killed and infrastructure – including hospitals – damaged. 

In the wake of this violence, 10 badly charred bodies were discovered at the SSA headquarters in the Abu Salim neighbourhood. 67 more bodies were discovered at hospitals in Abu Salim and Al Khadra hospitals, all in refrigerators and in various states of decay. 

The UN human rights office OHCHR also said that a burial site was discovered at the Tripoli Zoo, which is run by the SSA. 

The identities of the bodies are not known at this stage. 

Human rights abuses, at all levels

These were not the first mass graves discovered in Libya. In February, two mass graves were discovered in Jakharrah and Al-Kufra with 10 and 93 bodies respectively. Many of these bodies were migrants who are uniquely vulnerable to human trafficking, forced disappearance and killings.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded over 1,000 migrant deaths and disappearances in Libya in 2024 alone.

Mr. Türk expressed concern not only about the bodies discovered recently in Tripoli and the human rights abuses they confirm, but also about the force with which protests were met near the end of last month.

“We have received reports that these protests were themselves met with unnecessary force, raising serious concerns with respect to the guarantee of the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and assembly,” he said.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights also noted that images and videos of the bodies are circulating on social media, prompting him to call for preserving the dignity and privacy of victims.

Seal the sites, preserve the evidence

The Government of National Unity, the internationally-recognized administration based in Tripoli, announced the creation of two committees to investigate human rights abuses committed by State security forces, both in relation to the bodies and the protests.

While Türk noted this, he expressed concern that forensic authorities have not been allowed into the sites to examine and preserve related evidence.

He called on Libyan authorities to seal the recently discovered sites and promote immediate accountability efforts.

“Those responsible for these atrocious acts must be brought to justice without delay, in accordance with international standards,” he said.

Mr. Türk also urged all stakeholders to commit once more to transition attempts in order to move Libya towards an inclusive democracy once and for all, ending the “recurring cycle of transitional agreements.”

“The people of Libya have clearly expressed their demand for truth and justice, and their yearning for a peaceful and safe way of life with human rights and freedoms at the front and centre,” the High Commissioner added.  

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Sudan drone attacks raise fears for civilian safety and aid efforts

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“These attacks appear to be the latest in a series of retaliatory military operations, conducted by the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, targeting airports in each other’s areas of control,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York on Monday.

The fighting between troops of the military Government and former allies-turned-rivals for power, the RSF, began in April 2023. The war has devastated much of the country, killing thousands and displacing over 8.6 million people, according to UN agencies.

As conflict rages in Khartoum, Darfur, and other areas, Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast has remained a relative safe haven and a key hub for UN and international relief efforts.

Multiple drone strikes

The RSF carried out drone attacks on a military base and other targets on Sunday near the airport – and on Monday, there was a second series of attacks targeting fuel depots in the eastern part of Port Sudan, according to latest news reports.

© UNICEF/Ahmed Mohamdeen Elfatih

Mothers tend to their children suffering from severe acute malnutrition at a hospital in Port Sudan.

The RSF has not so far claimed responsibility for Monday’s strikes which left fuel storage facilities ablaze in what the army characterised as an attack on civilian infrastructure.

The Secretary-General is “concerned with the recent reports of drone attacks on military and civilian infrastructure” in the area, which until now had largely been spared from the devastation of the year-long war.

Call for urgent dialogue

Mr. Haq stressed that the attack on Port Sudan was a “worrying development threatening the protection of civilians and humanitarian operations” in the city, which has become a lifeline for humanitarian aid across the country.

The Secretary-General “renews his call for urgent dialogue between the warring parties towards an immediate cessation of hostilities and an inclusive political process,” Mr. Haq said. “This is essential to prevent further escalation, protect civilians, and put Sudan back on a path towards peace and stability.”

On the humanitarian front, the UN’s aid coordination office OCHA said the drone strikes have not directly affected its operations in Port Sudan.

UN aid operations continuing

“None of our offices, premises or warehouses have been impacted, and we continue to carry out our regular operations,” Mr. Haq confirmed.

However, he added that the situation is being closely monitored, and that UN Humanitarian Air Service flights in and out of the city have been temporarily paused.

Beyond Port Sudan, recent strikes on power stations across Sudan have disrupted electricity and clean water supplies – worsening conditions for displaced families and returnees.

“We call on all parties to this conflict to ensure that civilians and civilian infrastructure are not targeted,” the Deputy Spokesperson said. “Wars have rules, and international humanitarian law must be respected.”

© UNICEF/Ahmed Mohamdeen Elfatih

Children participate in an e-learning session at the Al Seniyaa internally displaced people’s gathering site in Port Sudan.

Trust collapsing as job fears surge worldwide, warns UN

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According to the World Social Report 2025 launched on Thursday, the sobering sentiment indicates a widespread lack of confidence in the future.

Despite people living longer, being better educated and more connected than ever before, many believe that life today is worse than it was 50 years ago.

Close to 60 per cent of people surveyed on life satisfaction reported that they were “struggling” with a further 12 per cent describing themselves as “suffering”, the report notes.

Financial insecurity everywhere

According to the report, economic instability is no longer limited to the world’s poorest regions.

Even in high-income countries, rising job uncertainty, gig work and the digital transition are contributing to this trend.  

These jobs may offer flexibility but often come at the cost of security and rights – reducing workers to mere service providers in a commodified labour market.

The insecurities are further compounded by an alarming rise in informal employment. In many low and middle-income countries, jobs with no safety net remains the norm, locking workers into cycles of low pay, instability, and zero benefits.

Even those who manage to enter formal employment face significant risks of being pushed back into the informal sector, especially during downturns.

For over 2.8 billion people living on less than $6.85 a day – the threshold for extreme poverty – “even a small shock can send people into extreme poverty and any escapes from poverty are often temporary,” the report warns.

The situation is further complicated by rising climate change impacts and worsening conflicts, further undermining local economies and deepening inequality, especially in the developing world.

Collapse of trust

As financial pressures mount and stability erodes, public confidence in institutions – and in one another – has also taken a severe hit, particularly among young people.

Over half the world’s population (57 per cent) now expresses low levels of confidence in government. Among those born in the 21st century, trust levels are even lower – raising concerns about long-term civic disengagement and political instability.

People’s trust in one another is also eroding. Fewer than 30 per cent of people in countries with available data believe that most others can be trusted, undermining social cohesion and complicating efforts for collective action.

“The spread of misinformation and disinformation, facilitated by digital technologies, is reinforcing divisions and fuelling distrust,” the report says, warning of abuse and misuse of digital platforms and social media to spread deceit and hate speech, and stoke conflicts.

“Often, users find themselves immersed in virtual and siloed ‘echo chambers’ where they are exposed to news and opinions that align with and may even radicalize their views.”

Platform algorithms facilitate the creation of such echo chambers and reward more extreme content and engagement with higher visibility, the report adds.

Cycle rickshaw drivers navigate the busy streets of Old Delhi, India – a livelihood for many in the informal economy.

Time for bold policies

To reverse these damaging trends, the report calls for a bold shift in policymaking – one grounded in equity, economic security and solidarity.

It urges governments to invest more in people through expanding access to quality public services – such as education, healthcare, housing and robust social protection systems.

These investments are not discretionary, the report stresses, but essential to promote resilience and inclusive growth.

It also highlights the need to rebuild trust through inclusive and accountable institutions. At the same time, power and wealth needs to become less concentrated at the very top of society.

Collective solutions

Now more than ever, we must strengthen our resolve to come together and build a world that is more just, secure, resilient and united
– Secretary-General Guterres

As momentum builds toward the Second World Summit for Social Development, which will be held in Doha in November, global leadership will be key to driving transformative change.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the need for unity and decisive action in a foreword to the report.

“The global challenges we face demand collective solutions,” he wrote.

“Now more than ever, we must strengthen our resolve to come together and build a world that is more just, secure, resilient and united for each and every one of us.”

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