Escalating violence drives food crisis across eastern DR Congo, warns WFP

Escalating violence drives food crisis across eastern DR Congo, warns WFP

Conflict has plagued the DRC for decades, particularly in the east. Armed clashes escalated sharply this year as M23 rebels wrested control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in January, followed by Bukavu in South Kivu a month later. The security and humanitarian situation further deteriorated with recent outbreaks of anthrax and mpox in April and […]

Haiti: Displaced children face sexual violence risk

Haiti: Displaced children face sexual violence risk

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, gang violence has permeated the capital Port-au-Prince and expanded into other regions, displacing over one million people. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than half of the displaced are children, meaning one in eight Haitian children has been uprooted in recent years.  Children […]

Guterres condemns violence against civilians in Syria, urges Israel to stop attacks

Guterres condemns violence against civilians in Syria, urges Israel to stop attacks

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday that the Secretary-General “has been monitoring with alarm the reports of violence in the suburbs of Damascus and in the south of Syria, including reports of civilian casualties and assassination of local administration figures.” More than 100 people have reportedly been killed in recent days during clashes with […]

Haiti: Mass displacement and deportation surge amid violence

Haiti: Mass displacement and deportation surge amid violence

Between January 1 and March 31, at least 1,617 people were killed and 580 others injured in violence involving gangs, self-defence groups, or other members of the population, as well as during security force operations, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). At least 161 kidnappings for ransom were recorded, 63% of […]

Syria: UN envoy warns of escalating violence in Syria

Syria: UN envoy warns of escalating violence in Syria

He described the latest clashes as “unacceptable” and warned of the risk of further escalation in what he called an “extremely fragile situation”. Fighting erupted earlier this week in Ashrafiah Sahnaya, a town southwest of the capital, when unknown gunmen attacked a security checkpoint. The following day, another deadly clash took place in the nearby […]

UN alert over deepening crisis in Sudan as famine spreads and violence escalates

UN alert over deepening crisis in Sudan as famine spreads and violence escalates

In a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “appalled” by the deteriorating situation in North Darfur, where the regional capital, El Fasher, is under intense and sustained attack. The onslaught comes just two weeks after deadly assaults on the nearby Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps, where […]

Sexual violence systematically used as a weapon of war in the DR Congo

Sexual violence systematically used as a weapon of war in the DR Congo

Senior UN officials warned on Wednesday that all parties involved in the conflict are systematically using sexual violence as a tactic of war against civilians. Worsening conditions in the east Escalating attacks by non-State armed groups in eastern DRC have led to a significant surge in sexual violence, predominantly targeting women and children. Rwanda-backed M23 […]