Thursday, February 27, 2025
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Human Rights Council: Türk calls out ‘dehumanizing’ narratives on Gaza

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Human Rights Council: Türk calls out ‘dehumanizing’ narratives on Gaza

Mr. Türk – making his closing remarks during the session reporting on the Occupied Palestinian Territory at the Human Rights Council – said he was deeply troubled by the “dangerous manipulation of language” and disinformation that surrounds discussions over the Palestine-Israel conflict.

We need to make sure that we resist all efforts to spread fear or incite hatred, including abhorrent, dehumanizing narratives, whether they’re insidious or explicit,” he said.

“My Office will continue to work for justice for every victim and survivor by establishing and documenting the facts and standing firmly for accountability and the rule of law without exception.”

Eritrean troops continue grave violations in Ethiopia

The rights body then turned its focus to Eritrea on Thursday, where despite some long-awaited progress in improving the lives of ordinary Eritreans, the country’s authorities remain responsible for widespread alleged serious crimes including inside neighbouring Ethiopia, the forum heard.

Ilze Brands Kehris, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, said that the Eritrean Defence Forces have continued to carry out grave crimes in Ethiopia’s Tigray region and elsewhere with total impunity.

Our Office (OHCHR) has credible information that Eritrean Defence Forces remain in Tigray and are committing violations, including abductions, rape, property looting, and arbitrary arrests,” she told the Council, before calling for the immediate withdrawal of Eritrean soldiers.

After a rapprochement between former enemies Eritrea and Ethiopia in 2018, Asmara sent troops to fight alongside Ethiopian federal troops against separatist rebels during the two-year conflict in Tigray, Amhara, Afar and Oromia.

No justice in sight

“In the current context, there is no likely prospect that the domestic judicial system will hold perpetrators accountable for the violations committed in the context of the Tigray conflict and in other cases,” the UN official told the Council, the world’s foremost human rights body.

In a debate seeking to address the Council’s longstanding concerns about Eritrea’s human rights record, Ms. Brands Kehris acknowledged the efforts being made by the authorities in boosting essential health services to more than one million newborns, children and women last year with the help of the UN – and in ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in December.

Conscription abuses continue

However, “serious concerns remain” about Eritrea’s system of indefinite forced military conscription, the UN official continued.

The practice has long been linked to abusive labour, torture and sexual violence which continues to compel young people to escape from the country, Ms. Brands-Kehris insisted.

Furthermore, “the punishment of families of draft deserters remains very common – an inhumane practice, against which no steps have been taken”, she said.

Echoing previous disturbing reports requested by the Human Rights on Eritrea’s rights record, the UN official said that detention without trial “remains the norm” – with many politicians, journalists, religious believers and draft deserters held incommunicado.

There is no evidence that impunity will be tackled for well-documented past human rights violations, the senior UN official said.

In response for Eritrea, Habtom Zerai Ghirmai, Chargé d’affaires a.i. to the UN in Geneva, denied the accusations, calling them exaggerated and misleading.

Sudan: We are looking into the abyss, Türk warns

Next in the spotlight was the plight of Sudan’s war-ravaged people who have been subjected to appalling crimes by all parties to the conflict – some possibly constituting war crimes and other atrocity crimes.

Today, more than 600,000 Sudanese “are on the brink of starvation”, said rights chief Volker Türk. “Famine is reported to have taken hold in five areas, including Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur, where the World Food Programme has just been forced to suspend its lifesaving operations due to intense fighting.”

Another five areas could face famine in the next three months and 17 more are at risk, he said, calling on all Member States to push urgently for a ceasefire and to ease the suffering of the Sudanese people.

Presenting his Office’s annual report on the situation in Sudan, Mr. Türk noted that the armed conflict between rival militaries that erupted in April 2023 following the breakdown in a transfer to civilian rule had generated “the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophe”.

The High Commissioner’s report details myriad violations and abuses committed in Sudan and underscores the need for accountability.

‘Utter impunity’

“We are looking into the abyss. Humanitarian agencies warn that without action to end the war, deliver emergency aid, and get agriculture back on its feet, hundreds of thousands of people could die,” Mr. Türk insisted.

He added that the spiralling situation in Sudan was “the result of grave and flagrant violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, and a culture of utter impunity”.

“As the fighting has spread across the country, appalling levels of sexual violence have followed. More than half of reported rape incidents took the form of gang rape – an indication that sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war,” Mr. Türk explained.

“Sudan is a powder keg, on the verge of a further explosion into chaos,” said the UN’s top human rights official.

Responding on behalf of Sudan, Minister of Justice Moawia Osman Mohamed Khair Mohamed Ahmed, rejected allegations that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) were responsible for any of the rights violations detailed in the High Commissioner’s report.

Indifferent to suffering

Sudanese civil society representative Hanaa Eltigani described multiple mass killings of civilians attributed to the Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries including in Geneina, their shelling of Zamzan displacement camp in North Darfur and other extreme rights abuses including gang rape and the forced recruitment of children, including South Sudanese refugees.

In addition, the SAF “launched airstrikes and ground assaults, attacking Meneigo and Al-Igibesh villages in West Kordofan, bombing civilian areas in Nyala, South Darfur,” continued Ms Eltigani, Assistant Secretary-General of Youth Citizens Observers Network (YCON), insisting that while the suffering of her country’s people was “met with indifference, the flow of weapons [from abroad] continues unchecked”.

The SAF also carried out executions in Al-Jazira, Ms. Eltigani maintained, “where victims were slaughtered or thrown alive into the Nile”.

Taliban oppression deepens in Afghanistan

Turning to Afghanistan, the Council then heard that the de facto authorities’ oppression and persecution of women, girls and minorities has worsened, with no signs of improvement. 

“Some 23 million people, almost half the population, are in need of humanitarian assistance, a situation drastically worsened by the pauses and cuts to international aid,” said Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan Richard Bennett.

The independent rights expert, who is not a UN staff member, warned that left unchecked, the Taliban was likely to “intensify, expand and further entrench its rights-violating measures on the people of Afghanistan, in particular women and girls and likely religious and ethnic minorities”.

The lack of a strong, unified response from the international community has already emboldened the Taliban. We owe it to the people of Afghanistan to not embolden them still further through continued inaction.”

The Taliban seized power in 2021 and since then have passed a raft of laws that have severely stifled the freedoms of women and girls.

These include banning women and girls from most classrooms, singing or speaking outside their homes, as well as from travelling without a male guardian.

Institutionalised oppression

Women were also barred from studying medicine in December. Windows in residential buildings have also been banned on the grounds that women could be seen through them.

Afghanistan is now the epicentre of an institutionalised system of gender-based discrimination, oppression, and domination which amounts to crimes against humanity, including the crime of gender persecution,” Mr. Bennett said, presenting his report. 

Mr. Bennett urged States to ensure that any normalization of diplomatic ties with the Taliban should be dependent on demonstrated improvements in human rights.  

“We must not allow history to repeat itself,” Mr. Bennett said. “Doing so will have catastrophic consequences in and beyond Afghanistan.”

Independent rights experts are not UN staff, receive no salary for their work and are independent of any organisation or government.

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West Bank security situation remains alarming, warn UN aid agencies

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13 children killed in the West Bank since year began: UNICEF

The violence has seen exchanges of fire between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants – and the use of bulldozers in refugee camps for the first time in 20 years which have destroyed public services, including vital electricity and water networks.

Israel’s defence minister said on Sunday forces could remain in the camps for the “coming year”. 

Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN’s Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, said that “fear, uncertainty, and grief once again prevail. Affected camps lie in ruins…Destruction of public infrastructure, bulldozing roads and access restrictions are common place.” 

More than 50 people including children have been killed since Israeli military raids started five weeks ago, the UN agency said, warning that the West Bank “is becoming a battlefield” where ordinary Palestinians are the first and worst to suffer.

Lethal force

Meanwhile, UN aid coordinating office, OCHA, also condemned the “lethal, war-like tactics” being employed by the Israeli military against Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank.

OCHA confirmed further civilian casualties and mass displacement after a two-day Israeli military raid in the northern town of Qabatiya in Jenin governorate that ended on Monday.

Palestinians were detained in the operation, OCHA noted, before reiterating deep concerns about the use of excessive force against civilians and the additional humanitarian needs among people left homeless.

Responding to needs

UN partners on the ground are doing their utmost to help people uprooted by the violence despite growing “physical and administrative” challenges, OCHA said.

According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), it reached 190,000 people in January with cash assistance and has provided one-off cash assistance to more than 5,000 displaced people from the Jenin refugee camp.

Gaza cold kills six children

In neighbouring Gaza, UN and its humanitarian partners have continued to scale up food security and livelihood support, while six children reportedly died from the cold.

Needs remain enormous amid desperate humanitarian conditions caused by 15 months of constant Israeli bombardment sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel that left 1,200 dead and some 250 people captured as hostages.

Citing the Gazan health authorities, OCHA said that six children from the Gaza Strip have died in recent days because to the severe cold, bringing to 15 the total number of youngsters killed by the winter conditions.

Meanwhile, more than 800 trucks entered the Gaza Strip on Tuesday alone, OCHA said. Since the start of the ceasefire on 19 January, WFP has brought more than 30,000 tonnes of food into Gaza. More than 60 kitchens supported by the UN agency across the Strip have handed out nearly 10 million meals, including in North Gaza and Rafah in the south.

The biggest aid provider in Gaza, UNRWA, has reached nearly 1.3 million people with flour and reached about two million people with food parcels since the start of the ceasefire.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also reported that it has delivered animal feed to northern Gaza for the first time since the escalation of hostilities.

The aid delivery last week has helped 146 families with livestock in Gaza City alongside another 980 in Deir al Balah.

Between the start of the ceasefire and 21 February, FAO distributed more than 570 metric tonnes of animal feed across the Gaza Strip to some 2,300 families with livestock.

OCHA noted in addition that aid partners working in education have identified additional schools in Rafah, Khan Younis and Deir al Balah that were used as shelters for displaced people. “These schools will be assessed and repaired to prepare for their reopening,” it said. 

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Somalia faces escalating crisis amid drought, conflict and price hikes

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Somalia faces escalating crisis amid drought, conflict and price hikes

New food security assessments indicate that 4.4 million people – nearly a quarter of the population – could face “crisis” levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or higher) between April and June 2025, marking a sharp increase from 3.4 million people currently experiencing acute hunger.

Worsening drought, erratic rainfall and ongoing conflict are eroding livelihoods, pushing families deeper into crisis,” said Etienne Peterschmitt, head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Somalia.

The hunger crisis is expected to be most severe among internally displaced persons (IDPs), pastoralists with limited livestock and farming households that have exhausted their food supplies.

Consecutive climate shocks

Somalia has suffered consecutive climate shocks, with below-average rainfall in late 2024 severely reducing crop yields, depleting water sources and leading to livestock losses. The effects of erratic rainfall and riverine flooding in key agricultural areas – such as Hiraan, Middle Shabelle and Middle Juba –further devastated crops.

As a result, food prices remain high, worsening food insecurity for millions of Somalis already struggling with poverty and conflict-driven displacement.

According to the latest report by the global food security tracker, IPC, 1.7 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition in 2025, including 466,000 with severe acute malnutrition – an increase of 9 per cent compared to last year.

Nearly two-thirds of these cases are concentrated in southern Somalia, where food insecurity is most extreme.

Children most at risk

“Past climate events demonstrate that children are the most affected, facing severe malnourishment and diseases that increase their risk of death and long-term developmental issues,” said Nisar Syed, Officer-in-Charge for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Somalia.

He underscored the need to urgently implement better prevention measures, emphasising a multi-sector approach.

This must combine immediate humanitarian response with long-term investments in resilience and health systems, he added.

Multiple pressures

Somalia’s food crisis is driven by multiple, overlapping factors: the 2024 Deyr rainy season (October–December) brought below-average rainfall, impacting both agropastoral communities and urban dwellers reliant on local food markets.

The upcoming Gu season (April–June) is also forecast to be drier than normal, raising fears of further crop failures.

At the same time, conflict and insecurity continue to displace families and disrupt livelihoods. Fighting in central and southern Somalia has hindered access to markets and aid, making it harder for affected communities to access food and basic services.

Recurrent climate shocks, protracted conflict, disease outbreaks and widespread poverty, among other factors, have aggravated the humanitarian crisis in Somalia,” said Crispen Rukasha, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Somalia.

“Aid agencies are doing their best to save lives, but they urgently need adequate funding to meet the most critical needs at this juncture in Somalia,” he stressed.

Droughts are a constant threat in Somalia, in the horn of Africa.

Action stations

The agencies warned that without swift intervention, the situation could deteriorate to catastrophic levels.

Though they are working to scale up food assistance, nutrition and livelihood support, programmes could be forced to scale down or stop altogether amid “critically low” funding.

The 2025 Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which requires $1.42 billion, is currently only 12.4 per cent funded.

“Famine was narrowly avoided in 2022 due to large-scale humanitarian support, which is needed again to provide immediate assistance while implementing longer-term solutions,” said El-Khidir Daloum, UN World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in Somalia.

“However, funding shortfalls are forcing us to prioritize and reduce assistance at the worst possible time,” he added, urging greater international support.

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Award for Good Administration: call for nominations to open in October

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Award for Good Administration: call for nominations to open in October

The European Ombudsman will open nominations for the fifth edition of the Award for Good Administration this October. The Award ceremony will take place in 2026.
The Award recognises actions by the EU public administration that have a visible and direct positive impact on the lives of citizens. In addition to an overall award winner, a number of category winners are also selected.
The Award will be open to any EU project and any team in any EU institution, agency, or body. Nominations can be made by EU staff, citizens, businesses, associations, and civil society groups.
The overall winner of the last edition of the award in 2023 was Eurojust and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for helping civil society to document war crimes and crimes against humanity.
More information
2023 award winners and ceremony

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Conflict has turned parts of Sudan ‘into a hellscape,’ Security Council hears

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Conflict has turned parts of Sudan ‘into a hellscape,’ Security Council hears

Now more than ever, two years on, the people of Sudan need your action,” Edem Wosornu of the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said in a briefing to ambassadors on Wednesday.

“Nearly two years of relentless conflict in Sudan have inflicted immense suffering and turned parts of the country into a hellscape,” she added, listing some of the impacts.

Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left more than half the country, 24.6 million people, experiencing acute hunger.

Additionally, more than 12 million are now displaced, including 3.4 million who have fled across the border. Health services have collapsed, millions of children are out of school and relentless patterns of sexual violence have occurred.

Recent alarming developments

Ms. Wosornu focused on the latest alarming developments in North Darfur state, including the Zamzam displacement camp, and in Khartoum as well as the south of the country.

She said eight months after the Council adopted Resolution 2739 (2024), civilians in North Darfur remain under attack. The resolution demanded the RSF stop besieging the state capital, El Fasher.

Meanwhile, violence in and around Zamzam camp has further intensified. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of civilians are living there, where famine conditions have been confirmed. 

She said satellite imagery confirms the use of heavy weaponry in and around Zamzam in recent weeks, and the destruction of the main market facilities there. 

Terrified civilians, including humanitarian workers, were unable to leave the area when the fighting was most intense. Many were killed, including at least two humanitarian workers,” she added.

The deteriorating security situation forced the medical humanitarian organization MSF – the main provider of health and nutrition services in Zamzam camp – to halt its operations there, while the World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed suspension of the voucher-based food assistance system.

Famine conditions were confirmed in Zamzam last August and since then, WFP has managed to transport just one convoy of humanitarian supplies into the camp despite repeated attempts to deliver more.        

The UN agency warned that without immediate assistance, thousands could starve in the coming weeks. 

Fierce fighting elsewhere

Civilians also continue to be directly impacted by ongoing fierce fighting in parts of Khartoum, where the UN human rights office, OHCHR, has verified reports of summary executions of civilians in areas that have changed hands.

“We remain deeply concerned about the very serious risks faced by local responders and community volunteers, in Khartoum and elsewhere,” she said.

Ms. Wosornu noted that in southern Sudan, there are reports of fighting spreading into new areas in North Kordofan and South Kordofan states, increasing risks for civilians and further complicating movements of humanitarian personnel and supplies.

Shocking reports of further atrocities in White Nile state have also emerged, including a wave of attacks earlier this month reported to have killed scores of civilians.

Sudan. Offloading of barge transported food aid

Support humanitarian response

She recalled that last week saw the launch of the 2025 humanitarian response plans for Sudan and the region. Together they call for $6 billion to support nearly 25 million people in Sudan and up to five million others, mainly refugees, in neighbouring countries.

She said the international community, particularly Security Council members, must spare no effort to mitigate the crisis.

Ms. Wosornu concluded her remarks by presenting three “key asks”. 

“We call on the Security Council – and all Member States with influence – to take immediate action to ensure all actors comply with international humanitarian law and protect civilians and the infrastructure and services they rely on,” she said. 

Her second request highlighted the importance of access, as “we need real implementation of the repeated commitments to facilitate and enable unhindered, unfettered humanitarian access to civilians in need.”

Finally, she highlighted the funding shortfall. 

“The scale of Sudan’s needs is unprecedented and requires an equally unprecedented mobilization of international support, including flexible funding,” she said. 

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Press releases – European Union

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Press releases – European Union

EU needs fairer and simpler rules to stay competitive

Giorgia BATTIATO
Wed, 26/02/2025 – 15:06

Expanding across borders in the EU means navigating a maze of conflicting VAT rules and paperwork, driving up costs…

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Human Rights Council: Gaza ceasefire must hold, Türk insists

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Human Rights Council: Gaza ceasefire must hold, Türk insists

Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva on conditions inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Mr. Türk condemned the Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel that sparked the war in October 2023.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also said there was no justification for Israel’s devastating military operations in Gaza, which have left more than 48,000 Palestinians dead, according to local authorities.

Search for a better future

“At this tenuous moment the world must ask itself how to resolve this decades old conflict and stop the cycle of violence,” he said.

Any plans for a better future must deal with the past, so accountability and justice for violations are crucial.”

The High Commissioner added that each phase of the ceasefire must be implemented “in good faith, and in full. All of us must do everything in our power to build on it.”

He said it must be for the Palestinians themselves to determine their own future.

According to news reports, the delayed release by Israel of Palestinian prisoners is expected to go ahead imminently, in exchange for the return of the bodies of four hostages.

‘Unprecedented disregard’

Summing up the “raft of human rights violations” inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory and lack of accountability, he said there had been “an unprecedented disregard” for basic principles of international humanitarian law by both sides since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023.

Mr. Türk maintained there were serious doubts over Israel’s capacity and will to deliver full accountability, notably in relation to unlawful killings in Gaza and the West Bank.

With Hamas and other Palestinian militants who have taken and tortured hostages, fired indiscriminate projectiles into Israel – amounting to war crimes – there are concerns that they may also have committed serious breaches “including the intentional co-location of military objectives and Palestinian civilians.”

“Any attempts at shaping a peaceful future where such horrors do not recur must ensure that perpetrators are held to account,” said the High Commissioner. 

Impunity when given free rein, harms not only those directly impacted but generations down the line, he contended.

In an apparent response to the outlawing of the UN Palestine refugee relief agency, UNRWA, by Israel and the sanctions against the International Criminal Court by the US earlier this month, the UN rights chief said that “delegitimising and threatening international institutions that are there to serve people and uphold international law also harms us all.”

He also said any attempt to annex Palestinian land or “forced transfer” of civilians must be resisted.

“This is the moment for voices of reason to prevail; for solutions that will deliver justice and make space for compassion, healing and truth telling,” said Mr. Türk.

‘Systemic’ repression in Nicaragua

Investigators tasked by the UN Human Rights Council to track alleged grave abuses of power by top Nicaraguan officials insisted on Wednesday that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) should prosecute what they called the systematic and systemic repression of the country’s people.

The Group of Experts on Nicaragua – who act in an independent capacity and are not UN staff – have previously reported that the Government’s violations appear to constitute crimes against humanity of murder, imprisonment and torture – including rape.

Their latest report will be presented later this week to the Council.

The group maintains that President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, have created “an authoritarian State where no independent institutions remain, opposition voices are silenced and the population…faces persecution, forced exile, and economic retaliation”.

Stifling dissent

It was in response to grave concerns about the severe repression of civil rights in Nicaragua that the international community decided in 2018 to establish an investigative body to report back to the Council.

“We call on States to hold Nicaragua accountable for its violations of the UN Convention on Torture and the UN Convention on Statelessness before the International Court of Justice…the international community cannot just bear witness. It needs to take concrete measures,” said Reed Brody, member of the Group of Experts.

“No country in the world has used the arbitrary detention of nationality against political opponents at the same scale that Nicaragua has done; and this is a violation of its obligations under international law under the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness,” Mr. Brody continued.

‘Machine of repression’

According to the panel’s chair, Jan-Michael Simon, State machinery and the ruling Sandinista party “have virtually fused into a unified machine of repression with domestic and transnational impact.”

This development – which has reduced the judicial, legislative and electoral powers “to mere bodies coordinated by the presidency” – has resulted in myriad deaths, “arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture, expulsion of nationals, arbitrary deprivation of nationality,” Mr. Simon insisted.

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Syria: UN scales up aid deliveries as regional fighting continues

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Syria: UN scales up aid deliveries as regional fighting continues

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at a regular news briefing in New York that aid trucks from Türkiye to Idlib via Bab Al-Hawa are continuing to get through with vital assistance to communities in need.

“Yesterday, 43 trucks carrying more than 1,000 metric tonnes of food from the World Food Programme (WFP), as well as blankets, solar lamps and other items provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) crossed the border,” he said.

Since the start of the year, nearly 400 trucks have crossed from Türkiye into Syria – five times the number recorded during the same period last year.

Rehabilitation efforts underway

Across Syria, humanitarian organizations are working to rebuild infrastructure and restore essential services.

In northwest Syria, 350 homes have been rehabilitated since last month, while in Damascus and surrounding rural areas, more than 700 people have received support to repair their damaged homes.

Over the past two weeks, three water stations in Latakia have been restored, providing much-needed access to clean water.

“We and our partners continue to provide this assistance as security, logistical and funding conditions permit,” Mr. Dujarric added.

Despite these efforts, “the toll of destruction remains overwhelming”, he added.

In Aleppo, 34 facilities in former frontline areas have sustained severe damage or complete destruction, requiring urgent rehabilitation to restore healthcare, education, and other essential services.

Hostilities continue

While humanitarian assistance is reaching many communities, the fighting continues to take a toll on civilians and restrict aid access in various regions.

“In eastern Aleppo – including in the vicinity of the Tishreen Dam and the Al-Khafsa water pumping station – and in the south of the country, hostilities have resulted in casualties, as well as restrictions in humanitarian access and movements of people,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Returns top a million

Meanwhile, more than one million displaced Syrians have returned home since the fall of the Assad regime in early December last year, according to a recent update from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The number includes approximately 292,150 Syrian refugees returning from neighbouring countries, including Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt as of 20 February. An additional 829,490 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have also returned to their places of origin.

UNHCR continues to monitor voluntary returns, offering legal counselling, as well as support with transportation, particularly in Jordan.

Inside Syria, the agency is delivering protection and humanitarian assistance to refugees moving home and IDPs, including early recovery interventions.

“In view of the cold winter months and continued electricity shortages, distributions of core relief items and warm winter clothing, as well as urgent shelter repairs, such as new windows and doors, continued to be priority interventions,” UNHCR said.

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Renovated hospital and preschool open in Lviv Oblast with EU bank support

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Renovated hospital and preschool open in Lviv Oblast with EU bank support

EIB
  • Lviv’s St Luke’s Hospital has been upgraded to provide better medical care and a more resilient environment for patients, visitors and healthcare workers amid wartime challenges.
  • Preschool No.7 in Truskavets has been renovated to improve energy efficiency to provide a stable learning space for children and educators, including those displaced by the war.
  • These projects are part of the Ukraine Early Recovery Programme, aimed at rebuilding essential social infrastructure in Ukrainian communities.

As Ukraine marks three years of Russia’s full-scale war, the European Union continues to support the reconstruction of the country’s vital infrastructure. Two public buildings in Lviv Oblast – St Luke’s Hospital in Lviv and preschool No.7 “Dzvinochok” in Truskavets – have officially opened after renovations. Supported by the European Union and its financial arm, the European Investment Bank (EIB), these projects are part of the broader Ukraine Early Recovery Programme that funds the restoration of essential social infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, water and heating systems and social housing. As war-affected communities continue to face immense challenges, these investments help ensure access to critical services and create more resilient spaces.

Lviv’s St Luke’s Hospital, a key emergency and specialised care centre, has undergone a €940 000 renovation to improve services for its 50 000 annual patients. Home to western Ukraine’s largest burn unit, it plays a crucial role in treating severe injuries. The upgrades, in particular facade insulation and energy efficiency improvements, enhance the hospital’s resilience while creating a more comfortable space for patients, including internally displaced persons.

A €330 000 renovation of preschool No.7 “Dzvinochok” in Truskavets, Lviv Oblast, has created a more energy-efficient and welcoming learning space for pupils including for children displaced by the war and for staff. The project significantly increased the appeal of the building, while increasing its energy efficiency and reducing energy costs. With improved insulation the preschool is now more resilient and sustainable.

In Lviv Oblast, two facilities have already been renovated and six are undergoing reconstruction under the EIB recovery programmes, with a total investment of over €15 million. This includes six educational institutions and two medical facilities, improving access to education and healthcare in the region. 

EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwińska, who is responsible for the Bank’s operations in Ukraine, said: “From day one of Russia’s full-scale war and throughout these three difficult years, the EIB has stood by Ukraine, providing vital support to help the country withstand, recover and rebuild. The reopening of renovated hospital and school in Lviv Oblast is a testament to this ongoing effort, bringing tangible improvements to people’s daily lives.”

EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová said: “Every rebuilt hospital, school, and kindergarten sends a clear message: the EU stands firmly with Ukraine. Together with the EIB, we are not only helping to repair what has been damaged but also laying the foundations for a stronger, safer Ukraine that is ready to thrive as part of the EU.”

Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine – Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine Oleksii Kuleba said: “Together with the EIB, EU Delegation and UNDP, we are modernising outdated and war-damaged infrastructure across Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians already benefit from renovated schools, hospitals and kindergartens. We have recently launched the first phase of the Ukraine Recovery III programme, paving the way for additional impactful initiatives that will enhance communities and improve the lives of Ukrainians thanks to the EU support.”

Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko said: “Rebuilding Ukraine’s infrastructure is crucial for strengthening resilience and improving living conditions for our people. With the support of the EU, we are delivering critical projects that enhance healthcare, education and public services. The three EIB-backed recovery programmes, worth €640 million, play a key role in this effort, helping communities rebuild and move forward despite ongoing challenges.”

Head of the Lviv Oblast Military Administration Maksym Kozytskyi said: “The EU bank’s investment in Lviv Oblast is strengthening our region’s infrastructure at a critical time. With many communities hosting large numbers of displaced people, improving healthcare, education and essential services is more important than ever. These projects help ensure that our cities and towns remain functional, resilient and able to meet the needs of all who live here.”

Mayor of Lviv Andriy Sadovyi said: “Restoring and strengthening our city’s infrastructure is essential to supporting both our residents and those who have found refuge here due to the war. With the support of the EU, we are rebuilding vital facilities to ensure Lviv remains a city of resilience, opportunity and hope. Today, we inaugurated a renovated hospital, with many other projects underway to improve daily life and build a stronger future for our community.”

Mayor of Truskavets Andriy Kulchynsky said: “We are grateful to the EU for this investment in our community. The renovation of Preschool No.7 creates a warm, modern and energy-efficient space where our children can learn and grow.”

UNDP Resident Representative to Ukraine Jaco Cilliers said: “Behind every rebuilt hospital and renovated school, we see renewed hope for Ukrainian families and communities. UNDP’s partnership with local authorities isn’t just about infrastructure – it’s about restoring essential services that affect people’s daily lives. Working alongside the EU and EIB, we’re helping transform technical recovery projects into tangible improvements for children seeking education, patients needing care and citizens rebuilding their futures.”

Background information

EIB in Ukraine 

The EIB Group has been supporting Ukraine’s resilience, economy and efforts to rebuild since the very first day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. In 2024, the Bank supported projects aimed at securing Ukraine’s energy supply, repairing critical infrastructure that has been damaged, and ensuring that essential services continue to be delivered across the country. This brings the total amount of aid the EIB has disbursed since the start of the war to over €2.2 billion.

EIB recovery programmes in Ukraine

Renovations of a hospital and kindergarten in Lviv Oblast were carried out under the Ukraine Early Recovery Programme (UERP), a €200 million multisectoral framework loan from the EIB. Overall, the Bank finances three recovery programmes, totalling €640 million, which are provided as framework loans to the government of Ukraine. Through these programmes, Ukrainian communities gain access to financial resources to restore essential social infrastructure, including schools, kindergartens, hospitals, housing, heating, and water systems. These EIB-backed programmes are further supported by €15 million in EU grants to facilitate implementation. The Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, coordinates and oversees the programme implementation, while local authorities and self-governments are responsible for managing recovery sub-projects. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine provides technical assistance to local communities, supporting project implementation and ensuring independent monitoring for transparency and accountability. More information about the programmes is available here.

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New action plan to lower energy costs for European citizens and businesses

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New action plan to lower energy costs for European citizens and businesses

High energy costs are hurting EU citizens and businesses. The Affordable Energy Action Plan sets out concrete measures to lower costs, complete the Energy Union, attract investments, and be better prepared for potential energy crises, to save €260 billion annually on energy by 2040.

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