UN rights chief “horrified” by mass grave reports at Gaza hospitals
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters UN rights chief Volker Turk said on Tuesday he was “horrified” by the destruction of the Nasser and Al Shifa medical facilities in Gaza and reports of mass graves containing hundreds of bodies there, according to a spokesperson. Palestinian authorities reported finding hundreds of bodies in mass graves at Nasser Hospital in […]
Sudan’s warring sides commit abuses, including strikes on fleeing civilians, UN report says
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters Both sides in Sudan’s civil war have committed abuses that may amount to war crimes including indiscriminate attacks on civilian sites like hospitals, markets and even camps for the displaced, the UN human rights office said on Friday. Efforts have so far failed to end the 10-month-old conflict that pits Sudan’s regular […]
UN report deplores “rapid deterioration” of rights in West Bank
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters A United Nations report published on Thursday deplored what it called a “rapid deterioration” of human rights in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and urged Israeli authorities to end violence against the Palestinian population there. The report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said 300 Palestinians had been […]
Haiti gang wars now “cataclysmic” in key farmlands – UN report
Reuters Haiti’s brutal gang wars have spread from the capital to key farming heartlands, displacing tens of thousands of people and having a devastating impact on access to food staples, the United Nations said in a report on Tuesday. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said long-awaited international security assistance – requested by […]
Haiti conflict puts over 100,000 kids at risk of starving to death, UN says
Port-au-Prince, HaitiReuters More than 115,600 children in Haiti are expected to suffer severe wasting from malnutrition this year, the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said on Thursday, as an escalation of armed violence worsens food insecurity and a cholera outbreak. That number is more than 30 per cent higher than the 87,500 children UNICEF registered […]
Colombia must speed dismantling of armed groups – United Nations
Bogota. ColombiaReuters Colombia should speed the dismantling of armed groups to reduce violence and human rights violations, and implement the country’s 2016 peace accord with the FARC rebels, the in-country representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday. Colombia’s nearly six decades of armed conflict between the armed forces, leftist […]
UN says recorded civilian toll of 8,000 in Ukraine is “tip of the iceberg”
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters More than 8,000 civilians have been recorded killed in Ukraine since Russia invaded nearly a year ago, the UN human rights office said on Tuesday, describing the figure as only the “tip of the iceberg” with thousands more thought to have died. The latest toll represents a significant upward revision from the previous […]
Haiti needs outside help to end “nightmare” of gang violence – OHCHR
Mexico City, Mexico Reuters The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the international community on Friday to “urgently consider” sending a specialised support force to impoverished Haiti, which has been gripped by a “living nightmare” of gang violence. Haiti’s government in October asked for a “specialised armed force” to help combat armed gangs […]
Ukraine general says Russia digging in for long war; UN rights chief warns of “serious deterioration” if strikes continue
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters A Ukrainian general said on Thursday that Moscow was digging in for a long war and still wanted to conquer the whole of Ukraine, as Russian forces pounded two strategic cities while Kyiv’s troops shelled Russian-controlled Donetsk in the east. Both sides have ruled out a Christmas truce and there are currently no […]
Iran situation “critical” with more than 300 killed – UN rights chief
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday that the situation in Iran was “critical”, describing a hardening of the authorities’ response to protests that have resulted in more than 300 deaths in the past two months. “The rising number of deaths from protests in Iran, including those of two […]