This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.
Thousands shelter in clinics from Tripoli fighting, warns WHO
Nearly three weeks since fighting began near the Libyan capital Tripoli, the UN health agency warned on Tuesday that “large numbers” of people are sheltering in medical clinics, while civilians continue to be killed or injured and refugees and migrants remain trapped in detention centres.
In an update to journalists spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic from the World Health Organization (WHO) said that 264 people had died so far in clashes between the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA) - including 21 civilians.
Echoing those fears, Babar Baloch from UNHCR – the UN refugee agency - appealed for humanitarian access to thousands of refugees and migrants believed trapped in State-run detention centres south of the capital.
“Our concern is for some 6,000 who still remain in detention inside some of the detention locations but also the immediate concern is for about 3,600 refugees that are currently trapped in some of the detention centres which are very close to where the fighting is taking place now.”
In the past two weeks, UNHCR has moved 541 vulnerable refugees from the detention centres of Ain Zara, Qasr Bin Ghashir, Abu Selim and Janzour, to a safe location in central Tripoli.
DRC Ebola dangers may increase after killing of health worker
To the DRC now, or Democratic Republic of the Congo now, where the World Health Organization (WHO) says it ha s been forced to suspend some Ebola-related activities following the killing of a UN epidemiologist in Butembo last Friday.
According to the UN health agency, the body of Dr. Richard Valery Mouzoko Kiboung, a father of four, will be flown back to Cameroon on Wednesday.
In addition to Dr. Mouzoko’s death, two other people were injured in the attack on Butembo University Hospital, but they are recovering.
WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said it was not yet clear who was responsible, but that the incident had forced WHO to suspend some activities in Butembo, although not elsewhere.
“I cannot really give you the answers on who did this and why. There have been number of incidents, whether being directly targeting Ebola responders or security incidents on something else where we were caught in the middle, but the result is that we do not provide vital services and then once we get back to community, than we see increasing number of cases because the transmission was ongoing while we were not there.”
Latest data from the DRC authorities indicate that the Ebola outbreak in has claimed more than 870 lives since it was confirmed last August.
45 children among those killed in Sri Lanka Easter Sunday outrages
And finally to Sri Lanka, where some 45 children are now believed to have been killed in the coordinated terrorist suicide bombings across the country on Easter Sunday, according to UN Children’s Fund UNICEF.
To date, more than 320 people are believed to have died and around 500 more have been injured.
In a statement condemning the outrages which targeted churches and hotels, the UN agency said that the young victims were a mixture of both Sri Lankan and other nationalities.
The youngest victim is believed to have been 18 months old, UNICEF spokesperson Christophe Boulierac said:
“Twenty children have been admitted to hospital in Colombo with four of them in intensive care as a result of the blast, in Colombo. Many children have lost one or both parents and countless children have been witness to shocking and senseless violence.”
According to reports, Sri Lankan police have arrested dozens of suspects in connection with the bombings.
Daniel Johnson, UN News
Duration: 3’38’’
