Tag Archives: rages

As war rages on in Ukraine, organised crime is taking new forms

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Since February 2022, both legal and illegal economies in Ukraine have been severely disrupted by the war. 

The report examines the evolution of organised crime structures in the country and focuses on six distinct areas: drug trafficking and production, online scams and fraud, arms trafficking, economic crime, trafficking in persons, and the facilitation of illegal exit and draft evasion.

“The war has not only inflicted untold suffering on the Ukrainian people, but has also triggered a marked evolution in organised crime – which can have profound implications for the country’s journey towards recovery and reconstruction,” said Angela Me, Chief of Research and Analysis at UNODC.

Drug trafficking

While the trafficking of cocaine and heroin through Ukraine has decreased drastically since 2022, the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs such as cathinones and methadone have increased.

The expansion of cathinone trafficking in recent years has been facilitated by the darknet, notably through market platforms such as Hydra, which was dismantled in April 2022.

Regarding methadone, the report noted that most of the Ukrainian production is trafficked within the country and not abroad, as domestic demand for the drug is on the rise.

Arms trafficking

The war has also increased the availability of weapons in the country, notably due to a massive influx of arms from the battlefield.

This surplus is resulting in a rise in arms seizures and violence among civilians, marked notably by an increase in domestic and intimate partner violence.

Although there is no evidence to suggest large-scale arms trafficking outside Ukraine, UNODC highlighted the importance of monitoring the situation in light of the sheer number of weapons available and the historic regional presence of criminal actors specialising in arms trafficking.

While there is, as of now, no evidence of drones being used in a non-military context, civilian drones and 3D-printed components for frontline attacks could fuel new illicit markets, the report found.

Trafficking in persons

As roughly 14 million people have been displaced by the war, some criminal groups have exploited these populations by luring them into shelters or accommodations disguised as humanitarian assistance providers, where they are subjected to forced labour.

While intensified patrolling of the borders, paired with the near-complete closure of the eastern and north-eastern borders, has limited the smuggling of migrants through Ukraine, traffickers have instead turned to facilitating draft evasion by Ukrainian men.

“Curtailing organised crime is a key requirement for achieving sustainable peace, justice, national security and the protection of human rights,” said Matthias Schmale, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, as the global body stands ready to support the country in this critical work. 

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Malnutrition crisis deepens for Sudan’s children as war rages on

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Across the five states that make up Darfur, UNICEF data revealed a 46 per cent increase in the number of children treated for SAM in January to May 2025 compared to the same period last year.

The rate of acute malnutrition has surpassed emergency levels set by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 9 of the 13 localities across Darfur.

In North Darfur alone, over 40,000 children were admitted for SAM treatment in the first five months of the year – double the number from the same period last year.

Besieged and starved

This malnutrition surge comes amid intensifying conflict in North Darfur since April. Entire neighborhoods have been besieged, hospitals targeted by airstrikes, roads rendered impassable while aid convoys have faced looting and violent attacks.

The situation is particularly catastrophic in El Fasher, where humanitarian access has been nearly completely severed since the RSF militia besieged the city – the last held by Government forces in the region – and cut off assistance in April of 2023.

UNICEF successfully delivered a batch of supplies to El Fasher earlier this year, but efforts to send additional aid have been blocked.

“Children in Darfur are being starved by conflict and cut off from the very aid that could save them,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative for Sudan. “This is a moment of truth; children’s lives depend on whether the world chooses to act or look away.”

The crisis has triggered mass displacement in the area: in April, nearly 400,000 people fled the Zamzam camp near El Fasher. Many walked up to 70 kilometres to reach Tawila, where more than 500,000 displaced people survive with little access to food, water, or adequate shelter.

Nationwide crisis

SAM is the deadliest form of malnutrition, and children suffering from it are highly vulnerable to life-threatening complications and face a high risk of death without proper treatment.

And the crisis isn’t limited to the Darfur states – SAM admissions rose by more than 70 per cent in North Kordofan, 174 per cent in Khartoum State and a staggering 683 per cent in Al Jazirah State.

However, the report noted that the rise in admissions in Al Jazirah and Khartoum is partially due to improved security and humanitarian access, enabling more families to reach health centres.

Compounding the crisis is Sudan’s lean season – a period of food scarcity between harvests – which is rapidly increasing the risk of mass child mortality, particularly in areas already nearing famine thresholds.

Cholera outbreaks, measles cases and collapsing health services are further aggravating the crisis, putting vulnerable children at even greater risk.

UNICEF response

UNICEF and its partners are saving lives by treating the wounded and malnourished, drilling wells and distributing food. But despite their best efforts, the violence is driving needs faster than they can be met.

UNICEF is calling on all parties to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to affected populations and urges renewed diplomatic pressure on all sides for a cessation of hostilities.

The agency is also appealing to the international community for more lifesaving funds. An additional $200 million is needed this year to sustain and expand essential nutrition services, including treatment for acute malnutrition.

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DR Congo: Despite efforts towards a political solution, violence still rages in the east

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Since January, the region has seen a new escalation of violence as the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group launched an offensive in North and South Kivu provinces.

While tensions persist in the DRC, both frontlines and negotiation positions are shifting, paving the way for peace, the Security Council heard this Friday.

The path to lasting peace in the DRC requires “collective action,” said Bintou Keita, Head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO.

“Priority must be given to dialogue over division, and national cohesion must be actively preserved,” she said.

Yet, while diplomatic efforts focus on ways to address the current crisis, the situation in other regions within MONUSCO’s area of operations also demands urgent attention.

Humanitarian situation

With seven million people currently displaced across the country, 27.8 million people facing food insecurity and almost 1.4 million children in acute malnutrition, the humanitarian situation is dire. 

The security crisis in the east of the country has worsened the humanitarian situation, yet due to funding cuts, MONUSCO does not have sufficient means to respond to it accordingly. 

The suspension of funding from MONUSCO’s main donor, which covered 70 per cent of the humanitarian response in 2024, is “forcing humanitarian actors to focus solely on life-saving emergencies,” said Ms. Keita. 

“We are at the end of July, and the humanitarian response plan is only 11 per cent funded,” she added. 

Insecurity, sexual violence and abductions

Violence in the east of the country continues to disproportionately affect women, boys, and girls, notably as rape and other forms of sexual violence are still being systematically used as weapons of war.

Men and boys accused of links with opposing forces are at risk of abduction, while women and girls who have survived sexual violence face severely limited access to healthcare, as healthcare facilities are often targeted by attacks. 

In 2025, over 290 schools were destroyed, with ongoing cycles of violence keeping 1.3 million children out of the education system in Ituri, in the east of the country.  

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