On Monday a Dutch appeals court ordered the Netherlands to block all exports of F-35 jet parts to Israel due to concerns they are being used to violate international law in Gaza. The court has stated that the government has seven days to comply with the order. The lawsuit against the Dutch government over F-35 jet exports to Israel was brought on by various rights groups including the Dutch arm of Oxfam. Siding with human rights groups the court said, "It is undeniable that there is a clear risk the exported F-35 parts are used in serious violations of international humanitarian law." The...
Thousands of people are fleeing violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo as fighting intensifies between the Congolese army and the M23 armed group. Fighters reportedly surrounded the strategic town of Sake on Wednesday, a crucial step before reaching Goma, the capital of North Kivu. Capturing Sake would deal a logistical blow to Congolese soldiers. It is the latest episode in a resurgence of fighting that has seen tens of thousands added to the nearly seven million who have been forced from their homes in the country because of multiple conflicts. Rebels from the ethnic Tutsi-led...
On 8 February, UNICEF issued a statement warning that an escalation of Israel's attacks in Rafah "will mark another devastating turn in a war that has reportedly killed over 27,000 people - most of them women and children." Israeli Prime Minister has stated that he ordered the military to develop a plan to both evacuate civilians from Rafah and defeat remaining Hamas battalions. There are approximately 1.5 million Palestinians in Rafah seeking refuge from Israel's military invasions in the rest of Gaza. UNICEF's Executive Director, Catherine Russell, emphasizes that "thousands more could die...
On Wednesday the United Nations appealed for $4.1bn to meet the humanitarian needs of Sudan after ten months of armed conflict have led to the world's largest displacement crisis with half of the population facing hunger. The UN has characterized the situation in Sudan as one of "epic suffering". The appeal for more aid comes as the UN World Food Programme has warned that people in Sudan are starving to death in areas that have been cut off due to fighting. Médecins Sans Frontières has described the situation as "absolutely catastrophic". The organization has stated that a child is dying of...
Sinn Féin says united Ireland 'within touching distance' as the party claim the post of Northern Ireland first minister for the first time. Northern Ireland’s devolved government has reconvened and appointed Michelle O’Neill as first minister in a historic moment for Sinn Féin and Irish nationalism. Mary Lou McDonald said last week that the expected restoration of power sharing in the wake of a deal between the Democratic Unionist party and the UK government came amid a “historical turning of the wheel” that would unite the island. “In historic terms, it is within touching distance and I...
Earlier this week the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, appealed for increased attention on Myanmar from the international community citing the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in the country. Ahead of the third anniversary of the military coup, Türk stated “Amid all of the crises around the world, it is important no one is forgotten. The people of Myanmar have been suffering for too long." The High Commissioner highlights that fighting between the military and opposition groups has resulted in mass civilian casualties and displacement. In 2023 the number of...
Britain will consider recognising a Palestinian state as part of concerted efforts to bring about an “irreversible” peace settlement, the foreign secretary, David Cameron, has said. Palestinians must have “a political horizon so that they can see that there is going to be irreversible progress to a two-state solution”, Lord Cameron said in a speech on Monday night at a reception in London. he foreign secretary had pushed Netanyahu over a two-state solution to bring about peace for both Israeli and Palestinian people last week during a meeting in Jerusalem. Netanyahu has rebuffed efforts from...
On Wednesday, South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation said that all states should stop funding Israel's military actions in Gaza after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) determined that those actions could amount to genocide. Naledi Pandor states that the ICJ ruling "makes it clear that it is plausible that genocide is taking place against the Palestinian people in Gaza. This necessarily imposes an obligation on all states to cease funding and facilitating Israel's military actions." Last week the ICJ ordered Israel to immediately take steps to improve the...
The International Court of Justice ordered provisional measures, in South Africa's case that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention. The court adopted “provisional measures,” or binding orders, that include requiring Israel to prevent genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza, enable the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance, and prevent and punish incitement to commit genocide. Judges overwhelmingly voted in favour of adopting the s ix provisional measures in South Africa's genocide case against Israel. 1. The State of Israel shall, in accordance with its obligations...
In an interview with UN News, UNICEF representative in Sudan, Mandeep O'Brien, stated that the war in Sudan is a "living nightmare for children." According to O'Brien the conflict has displaced more than 3.5 million girls and boys. Further, nearly 2 million are in urgent need of lifesaving vaccines. And over 7.4 million do not have access to safe drinking water. The UN article also notes that Sudan has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world. There are approximately 3 million children under the age of five who suffer from acute malnutrition. Without urgent medical...