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Myanmar human rights crisis deepens as aid collapses, attacks intensify

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Myanmar human rights crisis deepens as aid collapses, attacks intensify

In a stark briefing to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described a country gripped by war, repression and deepening suffering.

Since the military coup in February 2021, nearly 6,800 civilians have been killed and over 22,000 remain arbitrarily detained, he said. Humanitarian needs have soared, with nearly 22 million people in need of assistance and more than 3.5 million displaced by conflict.

“The report I am presenting today is about the people of Myanmar and their aspirations for a better future,” Mr. Türk said.

Despite massive challenges, people from across society are striving to build a peaceful, sustainable, democratic and diverse Myanmar, grounded in human rights.

A crisis worsened

However, conditions on the ground have only worsened.

Following a 28 March earthquake that killed nearly 4,000 people and left six million in urgent need, the military intensified attacks instead of facilitating relief, Mr. Türk said.

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, documented more than 600 military strikes since the quake – 94 per cent of them occurring during supposed ceasefires – with schools, religious sites and other protected locations frequently targeted.

Situation in Rakhine

The situation in Rakhine state remains particularly dire, with civilians – the minority Muslim Rohingya in particular – caught between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group. In addition, the military’s ongoing obstruction of humanitarian access has worsened an already acute crisis.

Throughout the country, economic collapse and the breakdown of public institutions have compounded the suffering.

Nearly four in five people now live below or just above the poverty line and an estimated 1.3 million have fled the country – many undertaking perilous journeys by land and sea. So far in 2025, nearly one in five people attempting sea crossings in the region have been reported dead or missing.

End violence, ensure accountability

The High Commissioner’s report outlined four key pathways to lay the groundwork for a transition toward a peaceful and democratic Myanmar: justice and accountability, democratic governance; economic reform to serve the people, and sustained international engagement.

Mr. Türk stressed that accountability must begin with the release of all political prisoners and prosecution of those responsible for grave human rights violations.

“It is imperative for the military to immediately end the violence, allow unhindered humanitarian access and release all arbitrarily detained people,” he said.

Amid the turmoil, planning for a future with human rights front and centre offers people a sense of hope. We owe it to the people of Myanmar to make that hope a reality.

Millions have lost their homes and livelihoods due to the earthquakes that struck Myanmar in late March.

Independent expert’s alarm

Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation in Myanmar, echoed the High Commissioner’s warnings, raising alarm over a collapse in international humanitarian support and the military’s repression.

“The junta has chosen to use aid as a weapon,” he told the Council.

“I have spoken with humanitarian workers physically blocked at checkpoints and received reports of earthquake survivors evicted from shelters with no place to go.”

Mr. Andrews, who has been appointed and mandated by the Human Rights Council and is not a UN staff member – also warned that drastic cuts in international funding have already had severe consequences.

As of 27 June, the $1.14 billion comprehensive humanitarian response plan for the country is only 12 percent funded and the $275 million addendum for the earthquake response is about 37 per cent.

At a time when the people of Myanmar need an enhanced level of support from the international community, they are getting the opposite, Mr. Andrews said, warning that the cost in human lives and human suffering will soon very likely get “significantly worse.”

This dangerous trend begs the question – do human rights matter?” he asked.

Because if human rights matter, if saving the lives of children in Myanmar matters, why are so many governments reluctant to invest even a modest amount of resources to save lives?

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Dr Congo: Despite efforts to a political solution, violence is still raging in the east

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Since January, the region has experienced a new escalation of violence while the M23 armed group supported by Rwanda has launched an offensive in the northern and southern Kivu provinces.

While tensions persist in the DRC, fronts and negotiation positions move, paving the way for peace, Security advice heard this Friday.

The path to lasting peace in the DRC requires a “collective action”, said Bintou KeitaHead of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country, Monusco.

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

However, while diplomatic efforts focus on the means of fighting the current crisis, the situation in other regions within MonuscoThe field of operations also requires urgent attention.

Humanitarian situation

With seven million people currently displaced across the country, 27.8 million people faced with food insecurity and nearly 1.4 million children in acute malnutrition, the humanitarian situation is disastrous.

The security crisis in the east of the country has worsened the humanitarian situation, but due to funding reductions, Monusco does not have enough means to respond accordingly.

The suspension of funding from the main monusco donor, which covered 70% of the humanitarian response in 2024, “forced humanitarian actors to focus only on vital emergencies,” said Keita.

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

Insecurity, sexual violence and kidnapping

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

Men and boys accused of links with opposite forces are at risk of kidnapping, while women and girls who have survived sexual violence are faced with seriously limited access to health care, because health establishments are often targeted by attacks.

In 2025, more than 290 schools were destroyed, the current violence cycles keeping 1.3 million children away from the education system in Ituri, in the east of the country.

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

Millions remain invisible – but Asia-Pacific leaders pledge change by 2030

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Millions remain invisible – but Asia-Pacific leaders pledge change by 2030

Now, governments have committed to close that gap by 2030.

At the conclusion of the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, leaders adopted a renewed declaration to strengthen national civil registration systems – the foundational mechanisms that register births, deaths and other vital events.

The move extends the regional “CRVS Decade” initiative, first launched in 2014, into a new phase aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially target 16.9 on ensuring legal identity for all.

These numbers are more than statistics, they represent lives without legal recognition and families left without support,” said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which convened the forum.

“This week has been a powerful call to action. We have seen inspiring examples of countries reaching the most marginalized, embracing digital innovation and strengthening legal and institutional frameworks.”

More than statistics

Civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems are essential to establishing legal identity, accessing services, and ensuring inclusion in public policy.

A birth certificate can mean access to healthcare, education and social protection.

A death certificate enables families to claim inheritance, pensions and other rights.

Without these critical documents, individuals – especially women, children and rural populations – risk exclusion, vulnerability, and injustice.

Uneven progress

According to a recent ESCAP report, the region has made remarkable gains since 2012 – the number of unregistered children under five has fallen by over 60 per cent, from 135 million to 51 million.

As of 2024, 29 countries now register more than 90 per cent of births within a year, and 30 do the same for deaths. The number of countries publishing civil registration-based vital statistics nearly doubled in that period.

However, progress remains uneven – about 14 million children in the region reach their first birthday without having their birth registered. And 6.9 million deaths go unrecorded annually, particularly those that occur outside health facilities or in remote areas.

Many countries still face gaps in certifying and coding causes of death, hampering disease surveillance and public health responses, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ESCAP Photo/Panumas Sanguanwong

A participant at the Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in Bangkok takes part in a demonstration at the Thai digital ID and verification exhibition booth.

Get everyone in the picture

The new Ministerial Declaration calls for universal and responsive CRVS systems that are inclusive, digitally enabled and resilient.

It emphasizes gender equity in registration, legal protections for personal data, and continuity of services during emergencies.

Governments also pledged to increase training, expand community outreach and improve cause-of-death reporting – including through verbal autopsies and improving certification systems.

Everyone counts. Data saves lives,” Ms. Alisjahbana said, “legal identity is a right, not a privilege. No one should be left behind – simply because they were never counted in the first place.”

Let us finish what we started. Let us get everyone in the picture and ensure every life truly counts.

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Short -range drone attacks deepen the Ukrainian front crisis

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According to the mission of rights, while the majority (89%) of civilian victims were documented in the territory under Ukrainian control following attacks by the Russian armed forces, the others took place in the territory occupied by the Russian authorities, including in attacks which have struck public transport and clearly marked ambulances.

Although individually less destructive than artillery or missiles, “the scale and the growing frequency of short -range drone attacks have made it one of the deadliest weapons in Ukraine,” said Danielle Bell, HRMMU head.

Not in accordance with the laws of war

Forcing residents to considerably restrict their movements, limiting access to essential goods and affecting livelihoods, the large number of short -range drone attacks exacerbated an already disastrous humanitarian situation.

Most short -range drones have on -board cameras that offer operators a real -time view of potential targets.

However, the high number of civilian victims resulting from drone attacks suggests that these weapons have been deployed to violate international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of distinction and precaution, HRMMU noted.

In some cases, drone operators seem to have intentionally attacked civilians or civilian objects, including medical transport and staff, which would be equivalent to war crimes, he added.

“It is clear that these weapons are not used in accordance with the laws of war,” said Bell.

Call for responsibility

The information verified by the mission has shown that the number of civilian victims of short -range drones increased regularly at the end of 2023 and at the beginning of 2024, before pivoting in July 2024 and reaching a record number in April 2025.

The victims continued in May and June, as during a strike on a minibus in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, on June 23, in which the 65 -year -old driver was killed.

On May 22, a 58 -year -old woman, a local volunteer, was killed in a front -line village in the Kharkiv region when a drone abandoned an ammunition on the balcony of a two -story residential building, according to the HRMMU.

“Each of these attacks must be studied,” said Bell.

“Managers target civilians and humanitarian staff must be held to account.”

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

Guterres calls for an immediate Gaza ceasefire while the humanitarian crisis reaches “horrible proportions”

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Addressing journalists from the UN headquarters before leaving in Spain for the International Conference on Development Financing, the Secretary General said that if the Israeli-Iranian conflict had dominated recent titles, the fate of civilians in Gaza has remained urgent and disastrous.

“” Families have been moved over and over again -and are now limited to less than a fifth of the Gaza lands, “he said.

“” Even these narrowing areas are threatened. The bombs fall – on tents, on families, on those who did not stay to run.“”

Food search should never be a death sentence

Mr. Guterres described the situation as the most serious since the start of the war, citing acute shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.

“” Food search should never be a death sentence“He said, emphasizing the danger facing the Palestinians who are just trying to survive.

He called on several occasions for three urgent steps: an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and complete and unhindered humanitarian access.

On Friday, he put pressure on these requests again, stressing that Haid workers are hungry, hospitals ration vital supplies and that civilians are trapped in dangerous areas.

The rise in high urgent aid

“What is necessary now is a push-the net must become an ocean,” he said.

The UN chief stressed that Israel, as an occupying power, is legally forced to facilitate humanitarian aid.

“For those in power, I say: allow our operations to the international demand for humanitarian law.

Earlier this week, a small convoy of medical supplies from the UN entered Gaza for the first time in months, noted Mr. Guterres, adding that this only pointed out the overwhelming scale of need.

He also warned that any assistance delivery method must ensure civil security, stressing that “operations that place desperate people in or near militarized areas are intrinsically dangerous”.

“” We have the solution – a detailed plan based on the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence“He said.

“” It worked during the last cease-fire. He must therefore be allowed to operate again.“”

Critical two -states solution

Mr. Guterres concluded with a broader political call:

“” The only lasting way to restore hope is to pave the way for the two -state solution. Diplomacy and human dignity for all must prevail.“”

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

Gaza: Health system crumbles amid growing desperation over food, fuel

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UN reiterates call for urgent de-escalation amid Iran-Israel conflict, worsening Gaza crisis

“Definitely, people get shot,” said Gaza-based medic Dr. Luca Pigozzi, WHO Emergency Medical Team Coordinator. “They are victim of blast injuries as well and bodily injuries.”

The WHO official’s comments follow reports of another mass casualty incident on Thursday, this time involving a strike on a market in the central city of Deir al Balah.

More than 20 people were killed and approximately 70 others were injured, said the UN aid wing, OCHA, with victims rushed to Al Aqsa Hospital, Nasser Medical Complex and two other health facilities.

Hundreds killed seeking food

In addition to the latest deadly incident, at least 410 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to fetch aid from controversial non-UN aid hubs supported by Israel and the United States, the UN human rights office, OHCHRsaid on Tuesday.

Providing high-quality medical care is very difficult in the war-torn occupied enclave today, “particularly because we are speaking about a high volume of patients every time”, Dr Pigozzi insisted.

Health needs are widespread and dramatic, with almost 50 per cent of medical stocks completely depleted.

WHO’s first medical shipment into Gaza on Wednesday was its first since 2 March, when Israel imposed a full blockade on the Strip.

In total, nine trucks carrying essential medical supplies entered the enclave with 2,000 units of blood and 1,500 units of plasma; all transited through the Kerem Shalom crossing. It is “only a drop in the ocean” of what is required, Dr Pigozzi said.

Aid obstacles remain

Speaking to journalists from Jerusalem, WHO’s Dr Rik Peeperkorn highlighted renewed difficulties in securing agreement from the Israeli authorities to allow more UN and partner agencies’ supply trucks into Gaza.

“That’s really unfortunate and should not happen, because you don’t want to see those desperate people, and specifically desperate young men, risking their lives to get some food either,” he said, amid reports of a chaotic rush for supplies at non-UN distribution points and of starving Gazans taking goods directly off lorries.

Before the Israeli blockade, the UN and its humanitarian partners demonstrated that their aid delivery system reached those most in need, insisted Dr Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory. Today that is not the case because of repeated refusals by Israeli authorities to allow supplies into Gaza.

“Open the routes and make sure that we can get our supplies in,” he said. “The market needs to be flooded with food and non-food items and water, et cetera, et cetera, and including essential medicines in a most cost-effective manner.”

Denied entry

Since March, aid teams have encountered a 44 per cent denial rate, meaning that for every 10 staff requesting entry, “four to five of them are denied per rotation”, WHO’s Dr Pigozzi said.

Echoing that message, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier insisted that people are starving, sick and dying across Gaza every day.

“They have been killed on the way trying to get medical help, they have been killed inside hospitals. Now, additionally, they are being killed on the way to get food items which are scarcely being provided,” he said.

“We have food and medical help minutes away across the border, sitting there and waiting for weeks and months by now. Just open the door.”

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Gaza: The health system collapses in the midst of despair of food for food, fuel

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“Certainly, people are shot,” said the doctor of Gaza, Dr. Luca Pigozzi, WHO Emergency medical team coordinator. “They are also victims of explosion injuries and bodily injuries.”

The comments of the WHO official follow the reports of another mass mass incident Thursday, this time involving a strike on a market in the central city of Deir Al Balah.

More than 20 people were killed and around 70 others were injured, said the United Nations wing, OchhaThe victims rushed to Al Aqsa hospital, the Nasser medical complex and two other health establishments.

Hundreds killed in search of food

In addition to the last murderous incident, at least 410 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army while trying to recover the aid of controversial aid centers supported by Israel and the United States, the United Nations Human Rights Office, Ohchr,, said Tuesday.

The provision of high -quality medical care is very difficult in the enclave occupied in war today, “especially because we are talking about a high volume of patients each time,” insisted Dr Pigozzi.

Health needs are widespread and dramatic, with almost 50% of medical actions completely exhausted.

Wednesday, which is the first medical shipment to Gaza was its first since March 2, when Israel imposed a complete blockade on the band.

In total, nine trucks carrying essential medical supplies entered the enclave with 2,000 units of blood and 1,500 plasma units; All passed through the Kerem Shalom crossing. It is “only a drop in the ocean” of what is necessary, said Dr. Pigozzi.

Help obstacles remain

Addressing Jerusalem journalists, including Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, stressed the difficulties renewed in obtaining an agreement from the Israeli authorities to allow more UN supply trucks and partner agencies in Gaza.

“It is really unhappy and should not happen, because you do not want to see these desperate people, and in particular desperate young men, risking their lives to obtain food either,” he said, in the middle of chaotic rush reports for supplies to distribution points not one and hungry gasans by taking goods directly from Lorries.

Before the Israeli blockade, the UN and its humanitarian partners have shown that their aid delivery system had reached those who needed it most, insisted Dr. Peeperkorn, representative of the occupied Palestinian territory. Today, this is not the case due to the repeated refusals of the Israeli authorities to authorize supplies in Gaza.

“Open the routes and make sure we can get our supplies,” he said. “The market must be flooded with food and non -food and water, and this, and this, and including essential drugs in the most profitable way.”

Refused entry

Since March, aid teams have encountered a denial rate of 44%, which means that for 10 employees requesting entry, “four to five of them are refused by rotation,” said Dr. Pigozzi.

Echoing this message, which spokesman Christian Lindmeier insisted that people are hungry, sick and die through Gaza every day.

“They were killed on the way while trying to obtain medical help, they were killed in hospitals. Now, moreover, they are killed on the way to obtaining foods that are barely provided, “he said.

“We have food and medical help a few minutes on the other side of the border, sitting there and waiting for weeks and months now. Open the door. “

Originally published at Almouwatin.com

Gaza: Health system crumbles amid growing desperation over food, fuel

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Gaza: Health system crumbles amid growing desperation over food, fuel

“Definitely, people get shot,” said Gaza-based medic Dr. Luca Pigozzi, WHO Emergency Medical Team Coordinator. “They are victim of blast injuries as well and bodily injuries.”

The WHO official’s comments follow reports of another mass casualty incident on Thursday, this time involving a strike on a market in the central city of Deir al Balah.

More than 20 people were killed and approximately 70 others were injured, said the UN aid wing, OCHA, with victims rushed to Al Aqsa Hospital, Nasser Medical Complex and two other health facilities.

Hundreds killed seeking food

In addition to the latest deadly incident, at least 410 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to fetch aid from controversial non-UN aid hubs supported by Israel and the United States, the UN human rights office, OHCHRsaid on Tuesday.

Providing high-quality medical care is very difficult in the war-torn occupied enclave today, “particularly because we are speaking about a high volume of patients every time”, Dr Pigozzi insisted.

Health needs are widespread and dramatic, with almost 50 per cent of medical stocks completely depleted.

WHO’s first medical shipment into Gaza on Wednesday was its first since 2 March, when Israel imposed a full blockade on the Strip.

In total, nine trucks carrying essential medical supplies entered the enclave with 2,000 units of blood and 1,500 units of plasma; all transited through the Kerem Shalom crossing. It is “only a drop in the ocean” of what is required, Dr Pigozzi said.

Aid obstacles remain

Speaking to journalists from Jerusalem, WHO’s Dr Rik Peeperkorn highlighted renewed difficulties in securing agreement from the Israeli authorities to allow more UN and partner agencies’ supply trucks into Gaza.

“That’s really unfortunate and should not happen, because you don’t want to see those desperate people, and specifically desperate young men, risking their lives to get some food either,” he said, amid reports of a chaotic rush for supplies at non-UN distribution points and of starving Gazans taking goods directly off lorries.

Before the Israeli blockade, the UN and its humanitarian partners demonstrated that their aid delivery system reached those most in need, insisted Dr Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory. Today that is not the case because of repeated refusals by Israeli authorities to allow supplies into Gaza.

“Open the routes and make sure that we can get our supplies in,” he said. “The market needs to be flooded with food and non-food items and water, et cetera, et cetera, and including essential medicines in a most cost-effective manner.”

Denied entry

Since March, aid teams have encountered a 44 per cent denial rate, meaning that for every 10 staff requesting entry, “four to five of them are denied per rotation”, WHO’s Dr Pigozzi said.

Echoing that message, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier insisted that people are starving, sick and dying across Gaza every day.

“They have been killed on the way trying to get medical help, they have been killed inside hospitals. Now, additionally, they are being killed on the way to get food items which are scarcely being provided,” he said.

“We have food and medical help minutes away across the border, sitting there and waiting for weeks and months by now. Just open the door.”

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European Accessibility Act enters into force

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European Accessibility Act enters into force

From 28 June, the emergency number 112, banks, public transport and other services must be accessible to all European citizens, especially the 100 million people with disabilities living in the EU. For example, ATMs must include accessible interfaces and online banking operations must be accessible.

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European Accessibility Act enters into force

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European Accessibility Act enters into force

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