This is the News in Brief from the United Nations

‘Situation dire’ in Afghanistan’s West after earthquake terror

The UN humanitarian aid coordination office OCHA, has launched a multi-sectoral Earthquake Response Plan in response to the series of powerful earthquakes that have rocked Afghanistan’s Herat Province since 7 October.

In an update, OCHA reported that at least 1,480 people have been killed and 1,950 wounded.

Satellite imagery indicates that 289 villages have been severely impacted with many destroyed. The most recent earthquake on Sunday affected an estimated 30 new villages, forcing families to live in makeshift shelters or informal settlements. with more, here’s Katherine Carey, deputy head for OCHA in Kabul.

“In reality, people clearly reside in tents for several weeks before they do require some more sustainable form of shelter or transitional shelter to give them better protection so really right now obviously the priority is to ensure people aren't living out in the open and they have some form of protection and even if it is minimal."

To date, nearly 66,000 people across six districts have been directly affected by the quakes. 

The new Response Plan is asking for $93 million to assist 114,000 people in need. 

Gaza-Israel conflict: Deepening concern for civilians as strikes continue

The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) issued a fresh alert on Tuesday for civilians left in northern Gaza, amid ongoing military operations in the enclave ahead of an anticipated full-scale Israeli response to Hamas’s 7 October attack.

The past 10 days of conflict have claimed the lives of 4,200 people, forced more than one million individuals to flee their homes following Israel’s ultimatum, and left large areas in the Gaza Strip “reduced to rubble”, according to OHCHR.

Speaking in Geneva, here’s Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani:

“We have grave fears about the toll on civilians in the coming days, with military operations showing no signs of abating, a continued siege on Gaza affecting water supply, food, medicines and other basic needs and daily indications of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”

She noted that “a large number” of women and children were among the dead, as well as at least 11 Palestinian journalists, 28 medical staff and 14 UN colleagues.

“It remains unclear how many more bodies may be buried in the rubble – with many families missing loved ones, terrified about their uncertain fate,” Ms. Shamdasani added.

Nearly 4,000 killed and civilian property destroyed during raging Darfur conflict

Conflict in Sudan's Darfur region has had a devastating toll on civilians, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.

An alert from UN refugee agency UNHCR, reported that almost 4,000 lives have been lost and 8,400 individuals injured since fighting erupted six months ago.

Testimonies have also been gathered on severe human rights violations against innocent civilians, including refugees and internally displaced people since the conflict began in mid-April.

Speaking in Geneva, UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun said they believed that many of the casualties were targeted primarily because of their ethnicity, particularly in West Darfur.

Displaced children have also found themselves caught in the crossfire, with schools damaged or destroyed by shelling, Ms. Byun added, before warning that those who have managed to reach safety are grappling with acute psychological distress.

According to the UNHCR spokesperson, civilian property has also suffered greatly, with at least 29 cities, towns and villages in Darfur being looted, burned, or destroyed. Indiscriminate shootings and heavy shelling in camps and gathering sites have also resulted in hundreds of casualties.

Children are also without access to education and safe spaces, increasing their vulnerability to various dangers, including sexual violence, psychological trauma, and family separation.

Ms. Byun called on all parties involved in the conflict to prioritize the protection of civilians, including refugees and internally displaced people, and to facilitate the safe delivery of humanitarian aid. 

Katy Dartford, UN News.