This is the News In Brief from the United Nations.

UN’s Bachelet condemns ‘horrors’ against Ukrainian civilians 

UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Friday condemned the “horrors” committed against civilians in Ukraine as the World Health Organization, or WHO, warned that it feared the worst in devastated areas of the country's east and south. 

In an appeal to all parties to the conflict to respect internationally-agreed rules of war, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that Russian armed forces had “indiscriminately shelled and bombed populated areas…killing civilians and wrecking hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure”. 

These were actions that may amount to war crimes, she explained, in a statement delivered by UN rights office spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani: 

 “There already has been a bloodbath. We’re talking about 2,343 – at least 2,343 civilians - who have been killed and we’re talking about the summary execution of more than 300 civilians. We are very concerned, we’re very worried about what’s coming next.” 

Ms. Shamdasani added that more than 90 per cent of civilian casualties have been recorded in Government-controlled territories and were therefore, attributable to Russian forces. 

African nations gear up for boosted malaria vaccine roll-out WHO  

Good news now from the UN health agency WHO that more than one million children have now received the world’s first malaria vaccine – a massive scientific breakthrough. 

Since 2019, trials have been conducted in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, and the plan now is to roll out the vaccine across the African continent, which accounts for more than nine in 10 malaria infections. 

The World Health Organization’s Dr. Mary Hamel said that during the first two years of vaccine trials, the number of children being brought to hospitals with severe malaria dropped by 40 per cent and there was a 10 per cent decrease in child mortality:   

“If the vaccine is widely deployed, it’s estimated that it could save an additional 40 to 80,000 child lives each year.” 

Israeli Defence Forces in rights spotlight for ‘unnecessary, indiscriminate’ violence 

To Jerusalem and the Occupied Palestinian Territories now, where the UN rights office, OHCHR, expressed concern over escalating violence during the past month and unnecessary use of force by Israeli security forces. 

The development comes after new reports of violence on Thursday and Friday involving Israeli police, who reportedly raided the yards of Al Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem and pushed Palestinians out of the area.  

The UN rights office said that Israeli security forces allegedly confined dozens of Palestinians inside Al Qibli mosque, and that six people were injured by sponge-tipped bullets, including a journalist, an elderly person and a paramedic.  

Tensions in Jerusalem have impacted other areas, OHCHR said, pointing to Palestinian armed groups that launched six rockets and one mortar shell towards Israel in recent days.  

Daniel Johnson, UN News