INSIDER
UN chief criticizes divided Security Council for failure of leadership to end wars, calls for unity
Read full article: UN chief criticizes divided Security Council for failure of leadership to end wars, calls for unityThe United Nations chief sharply criticized the powerful Security Council for a failure of leadership to end wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond.
UN-backed rights experts seek wider arms embargo and 'impartial force' deployed to war-torn Sudan
Read full article: UN-backed rights experts seek wider arms embargo and 'impartial force' deployed to war-torn SudanU.N.-backed human rights investigators are urging the creation of an โindependent and impartial forceโ to protect civilians in Sudanโs war.
Sudan's paramilitary fighters killed 85 people in an attack on a central village, residents say
Read full article: Sudan's paramilitary fighters killed 85 people in an attack on a central village, residents sayFighters from Sudanโs paramilitary group have rampaged through a central village, looting and burning and killing at least 85 people, including women and children.
The UN says more than 10 million people in Sudan have now fled their homes as war continues
Read full article: The UN says more than 10 million people in Sudan have now fled their homes as war continuesThe U.N. migration agency tells The Associated Press that the number of internally displaced people in Sudan has reached more than 10 million as war drives many from their homes.
Migration tracking group says 76 million people were displaced within their countries in 2023
Read full article: Migration tracking group says 76 million people were displaced within their countries in 2023A top migration monitoring group says conflicts and natural disasters left nearly 76 million people displaced within their countries last year, a new record.
Draft UN resolution calls for cease-fire in conflict-torn Sudan during upcoming Muslim holy month
Read full article: Draft UN resolution calls for cease-fire in conflict-torn Sudan during upcoming Muslim holy monthBritain has circulated a draft U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in conflict-wracked Sudan ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins soon.
Over half of Sudan's population needs humanitarian aid after nearly 7 months of war, UN says
Read full article: Over half of Sudan's population needs humanitarian aid after nearly 7 months of war, UN saysAlmost seven months of war between Sudanโs military and a powerful paramilitary group have left a wave of destruction.
UN aid chief says six months of war in Sudan has killed 9,000 people
Read full article: UN aid chief says six months of war in Sudan has killed 9,000 peopleThe United Nations humanitarian chief says Sudan's war between the military and a powerful paramilitary group has killed up to 9,000 people and created โone of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history."
A UN rights commission accuses South Sudan of violations more than a year before the next election
Read full article: A UN rights commission accuses South Sudan of violations more than a year before the next electionThe U.N. Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has accused the countryโs National Security Service of threatening media and civil society and undermining prospects for a democratic transition before next year's election.
Western countries want a UN team created to monitor rights violations and abuses in Sudan
Read full article: Western countries want a UN team created to monitor rights violations and abuses in SudanFour Western countries have floated a proposal for the United Nations' top human rights body to appoint a team of experts to monitor and report on abuses and rights violations in war-wracked Sudan.
UNGA Briefing: Permanent observers, more Security Council and what else is going on at the UN
Read full article: UNGA Briefing: Permanent observers, more Security Council and what else is going on at the UNItโs Day 3 of the U.N. General Assembly high-level meeting that brings world leaders together at U.N. headquarters in New York.
US and UN should impose more sanctions on Sudanese leaders for alleged atrocities, rights group says
Read full article: US and UN should impose more sanctions on Sudanese leaders for alleged atrocities, rights group saysA leading human rights group has called on the United States and the United Nations to impose more sanctions on the Sudanese leaders responsible for the ongoing atrocities in Darfur.
Fighting resumes after Sudan cease-fire as number of people displaced passes 2.5 million
Read full article: Fighting resumes after Sudan cease-fire as number of people displaced passes 2.5 millionResidents are reporting that clashes between warring factions resumed in Sudanโs capital and a neighboring city after a three-day cease-fire expired.
UNICEF calls for better protection for Sudan's children trapped in 'unrelenting nightmare'
Read full article: UNICEF calls for better protection for Sudan's children trapped in 'unrelenting nightmare'UNICEF says Sudan's warring factions should better protect vulnerable children in the conflict zone, where hundreds of children have been killed and millions of young people โare trapped in an unrelenting nightmare.โ.
UNICEF says 300 trapped children rescued from a Sudanese orphanage after 71 others died
Read full article: UNICEF says 300 trapped children rescued from a Sudanese orphanage after 71 others diedThe UN children's agency says about 300 children have been rescued from an orphanage in Sudanโs capital after being trapped there while fighting raged outside.
Ukraine, Sudan conflicts fuel alarming surge in tuberculosis
Read full article: Ukraine, Sudan conflicts fuel alarming surge in tuberculosisTop U.N. officials and health industry leaders are demanding that the world invest more to develop new vaccines and tackle a surge in tuberculosis fueled by the impact of COVID-19 and conflicts including Ukraine and Sudan.
Sudan official: Deaths from southern tribal clashes at 220
Read full article: Sudan official: Deaths from southern tribal clashes at 220A senior health official says two days of tribal fighting in Sudanโs south has killed at least 220 people, marking one the deadliest bouts of tribal violence in recent years.
'Africa on its own': Little help in epidemics, says official
Read full article: 'Africa on its own': Little help in epidemics, says officialAfrica must plan to respond effectively to disease outbreaks without outside help, a top public health official said Wednesday, warning that the continent of 1.3 billion people is โon its ownโ during pandemics.
US says Horn of Africa envoy stepping down 'in coming days'
Read full article: US says Horn of Africa envoy stepping down 'in coming days'The U.S. State Department says its special envoy to the Horn of Africa will end his appointment โin the coming daysโ after a year marked by deadly crises in Ethiopia and Sudan.
Blinken headed to Africa to address various crises
Read full article: Blinken headed to Africa to address various crisesSecretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Africa next week as the Biden administration intensifies diplomatic efforts to resolve crises in Ethiopia and Sudan and seeks to boost counterterrorism cooperation.
Ethiopia says Eritrean troops are pulling out of Tigray
Read full article: Ethiopia says Eritrean troops are pulling out of TigrayEthiopian authorities say Eritrean troops have started withdrawing from Tigray, where they have been fighting on the side of Ethiopian troops in a war against the regionโs fugitive leaders.
Ethiopian leader warns fugitive Tigray leaders to surrender
Read full article: Ethiopian leader warns fugitive Tigray leaders to surrenderThe banks of the Tekeze River, on the Sudan-Ethiopia border after Ethiopian forces blocked people from crossing into Sudan, in Hamdayet, eastern Sudan, March 16, 2021. Ethiopian and allied forces for months have allegedly blocked people from crossing, though more than 60,000 have made it into Sudan. AdAbiy's new statement does not say what exactly will happen if Tigray's fugitive political and military leaders do not turn themselves in. It reminds them to โdo their part by learning from the devastation and damage so farโ and preventing further bloodshed. But witnesses and humanitarian workers have described scenes where Ethiopian federal authorities are hardly present or stand by, watching, as Tigrayans are targeted.
Ethiopia rejects outside mediation in Nile River dam dispute
Read full article: Ethiopia rejects outside mediation in Nile River dam disputeAn Ethiopian official said on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 that his government opposes calls by Sudan for outside mediators including the United States in the ongoing dispute over its construction of a massive hydroelectric dam on the Nile River. Ethiopia is generally opposed to mediation by outside parties even though the African Union is welcome to help, Dina Mufti, spokesman for Ethiopiaโs Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters. โThe tripartite talks between Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam should be concluded between the three countries themselves, not through mediators,โ he said. Mufti added that Ethiopia has โbig respect for the African Unionโ and that the country "believes in resolving African problems by Africans." AdNegotiators have said key questions remain about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs and how the countries will resolve any future disputes.
The Latest: SKorea to give shots to elders in long-term care
Read full article: The Latest: SKorea to give shots to elders in long-term careAdHe also sanctioned a bill that makes the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines easier. However, the actual numbers of COVID-19 cases, like elsewhere in the world, are thought to be far higher, in part due to limited testing. Murphy, whoโs running for re-election this, said the stateโs COVID-19 trends are headed in the right direction, though theyโve been up a bit this week. ___SALT LAKE CITY โ Utahโs governor says all adults in the state will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines on April 1. Ad___PHOENIX โ Arizona on Wednesday reported 830 confirmed coronavirus cases and 78 deaths, following two days of no new deaths.
US: Aid pause to Ethiopia no longer linked to dam dispute
Read full article: US: Aid pause to Ethiopia no longer linked to dam dispute(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty, File)NAIROBI โ The United States says it has decided to โde-linkโ its suspension of millions of dollars of aid to Ethiopia from that countryโs dispute with Egypt over a massive hydroelectric dam project. The State Department said humanitarian assistance remains exempt from the aid suspension. Ethiopia had left a U.S.-led attempt to mediate the dispute with Egypt, alleging bias. Trump also caused an uproar by saying downstream Egypt would โblow upโ the dam project that Cairo considers an existential threat. AdThe U.S. has said Eritrean soldiers should โimmediatelyโ leave Ethiopia.
'Emaciated' survivors hint at worse in Ethiopia's Tigray
Read full article: 'Emaciated' survivors hint at worse in Ethiopia's TigrayFILE - In this Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 file photo, refugees who fled the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region ride a bus going to the Village 8 temporary shelter, near the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in Hamdayet, eastern Sudan. Life for civilians in Ethiopia's embattled Tigray region has become "extremely alarming" as hunger grows and fighting remains an obstacle to reaching millions of people with aid, the United Nations said in a new report released late Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty, File)NAIROBI โ โMany, many severe cases of malnutritionโ are being reported in Ethiopiaโs embattled Tigray region, Red Cross officials said Wednesday, as 80% of Tigrayโs 6 million people are unreachable in the fourth month of fighting and "emaciatedโ women and children fill displacement camps. Reports of people already starving to death might just be a handful, but โafter a month it will be in the thousands,โ warned Ethiopian Red Cross president Ato Abera Tola. Fighting continues between Ethiopian and allied forces and those of the now-fugitive Tigray government that had dominated the countryโs leadership for nearly 30 years.
Tigray opposition parties assert 50,000-plus civilian deaths
Read full article: Tigray opposition parties assert 50,000-plus civilian deathsFILE - In this Nov. 21, 2020, file photo, refugees who fled the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region arrive on the banks of the Tekeze River on the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in Hamdayet, eastern Sudan. The opposition parties say the international community should ensure the immediate withdrawal of fighters including soldiers from neighboring Eritrea, who witnesses say are supporting Ethiopian forces. The opposition parties assert that the hunger is man-made as cattle have been killed and raided, crops burned and homes looted and destroyed. The statement was signed by the Tigray Independence Party, the National Congress of Great Tigray and Salsay Weyane Tigray. They were undertaken to spur โsustained, impartial and unimpeded humanitarian access" to Tigray and to refugees and internally displaced people, he said.
Fugitive Tigray leader reportedly speaks out after months
Read full article: Fugitive Tigray leader reportedly speaks out after months(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty, File)NAIROBI โ The fugitive leader of Ethiopiaโs embattled Tigray region has reportedly made his first public comments in three months, urging the international community to investigate alleged โgenocideโ and other abuses by forces including those from neighboring Eritrea. But the comments seemed to note the recent killings of other fugitive Tigray leaders. The Tigray conflict continues largely in shadow. Last week the Biden administration has pressed Eritrea to โimmediatelyโ withdraw its soldiers from Tigray, citing credible accounts of looting, sexual assault and other abuses. The Eritreans have been fighting alongside Ethiopian troops against the Tigray forces.
US 'directly' presses Eritrea to withdraw forces from Tigray
Read full article: US 'directly' presses Eritrea to withdraw forces from TigrayFILE - In this Nov. 21, 2020, file photo, refugees who fled the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region arrive on the banks of the Tekeze River on the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in Hamdayet, eastern Sudan. Eritrea has said little publicly about the conflict in Tigray as Ethiopian soldiers fight forces loyal to the now-fugitive Tigray regional leaders who once dominated Ethiopiaโs government for nearly three decades. The Tigray leaders were marginalized after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018, and each side regards the other as illegitimate. Eritrea remains an enemy of the fugitive Tigray leaders after a two-decade border war that ended under Abiy. The situation is โdeteriorating every day, every minute,โ the president of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, Ato Abera Tola, told reporters on Thursday as Red Cross entities appealed for more financial support.
US says Eritrean forces should leave Tigray immediately
Read full article: US says Eritrean forces should leave Tigray immediately"There is also evidence of Eritrean soldiers forcibly returning Eritrean refugees from Tigray to Eritrea,โ the spokesperson said. The AP this week cited witnesses who fled the Tigray region as saying Eritrean soldiers were looting, going house-to-house killing young men and even acting as local authorities. The Eritreans have been fighting on the side of Ethiopian forces as they pursue the fugitive leaders of the Tigray region, though Ethiopiaโs government has denied their presence. โIt remains unclear how many Eritrean soldiers are in Tigray, or precisely where,โ it says. Witnesses have estimated that the Eritrean soldiers number in the thousands.
Death toll from violence in Sudan's West Darfur rises to 83
Read full article: Death toll from violence in Sudan's West Darfur rises to 83CAIRO โ The death toll from tribal violence between Arabs and non-Arabs in Sudanโs West Darfur province climbed to at least 83, including women and children, a doctorโs union and aid worker said, as sporadic violence continued Sunday. Besides the 83 killed, at least 160 others were wounded, according to Sudanโs doctorsโ committee in West Darfur. It also puts into question the transitional governmentโs ability to stabilize the conflict-ravaged Darfur region. Authorities in West Darfur imposed a curfew beginning Saturday that includes the closing of all markets and a ban on public gatherings. West Darfur province experienced a โsignificant increaseโ of violence last year, with half of the 40 incidents reported in the entire Darfur region, OCHA said Sunday.
UN fears 'massive' COVID transmission in Ethiopia's Tigray
Read full article: UN fears 'massive' COVID transmission in Ethiopia's Tigray(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty, File)NAIROBI โ The United Nations fears โmassive community transmissionโ of COVID-19 in Ethiopiaโs troubled Tigray region, fueled by displacement and the collapse of health services, as humanitarian workers finally begin to access the region two months after fighting began. โOnly five out of 40 hospitals in Tigray are physically accessible,โ the new U.N. report issued Thursday says. While its rate of daily cases has declined in recent weeks, officials have not said whether they have been receiving any data from the Tigray region. The report also says the Tigray region remains volatile. The overall humanitarian situation is โdire,โ the U.N. says, with food supplies โvery limitedโ and widespread looting reported.
Ethiopian army official confirms Eritrean troops in Tigray
Read full article: Ethiopian army official confirms Eritrean troops in TigrayEthiopia's deadly conflict with its northern Tigray region spilled over the border as several thousand people fled into Sudan, along with soldiers seeking protection, while the Tigray regional leader accused Eritrea of attacking at the request of Ethiopia's federal government. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)NAIROBI โ A senior Ethiopian military official has confirmed the presence of security forces from neighboring Eritrea in the deadly conflict in his countryโs northern Tigray region, contradicting the Ethiopian governmentโs denials. The United States last month said it believed Eritrean troops were active in Ethiopia, a โgrave development,โ as people fleeing the Tigray region alleged that Eritrean forces were involved in the fighting, targeting and abducting Eritrean refugees from camps near the Eritrean border as well as scores of Tigray residents. The involvement of Eritrean forces in a region where nearly 100,000 Eritrean refugees shelter in camps has been a major source of alarm for humanitarian workers and others. Verifying conditions inside Tigray remains challenging as communications return and as Ethiopian authorities detain some journalists or deny their travel to the region.
Sudan says it signs pact on normalizing ties with Israel
Read full article: Sudan says it signs pact on normalizing ties with IsraelJustice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari signed the deal with visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, according to the prime minister's office. Abdulbari said Sudan welcomed โthe rapprochement" with Israel and other countries as well as the beginning of diplomatic relations. Although Sudan is not a regional powerhouse, establishing ties with Israel is deeply symbolic. During his visit, Mnuchin met with Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of the ruling sovereign council, and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in August became the first top U.S. diplomat to visit Sudan since 2005, when Condoleezza Rice visited.
Charity rescue ship with 265 migrants anchors off Italy
Read full article: Charity rescue ship with 265 migrants anchors off ItalyMigrants from Eritrea, Egypt, Syria and Sudan, rest on board the Spanish NGO Open Arms vessel after having been rescued in the Mediterranean sea, about 110 miles north of Libya, on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu)ROME โ Italy allowed a Spanish-flagged charity ship with 265 rescued migrants aboard to anchor off Sicily on Monday. The Open Arms vessel had brought the migrants safely aboard in separate rescues last week in the central Mediterranean. Open Arms said 96 of those rescued had been adrift two days in a wooden boat without life vests in international waters. In an earlier, separate operation, Open Arms had taken aboard 169 migrants, who had departed Libyan shores, where many human traffickers are based.
Spanish-flagged boat rescues 265 migrants in Mediterranean
Read full article: Spanish-flagged boat rescues 265 migrants in MediterraneanMigrants from Eritrea, Egypt, Syria and Sudan, are assisted by aid workers of the Spanish NGO Open Arms, after fleeing Libya on board a precarious wooden boat in the Mediterranean sea, about 110 miles north of Libya, on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu)ROME โ A Spanish-flagged humanitarian ship on Sunday was seeking a port of safety for 265 migrants its crew rescued from the Mediterranean Sea in the last few days. The Open Arms charity tweeted that its vessel on Saturday had safely brought aboard 96 migrants who had been adrift in a wooden boat with without life vests in international waters. In a separate operation two days before that rescue, Open Arms took aboard 169 migrants, who had departed Libyan shores, where many human traffickers are based. The traffickers launch vessels, many of them flimsy rubber dinghies or rickety fishing boats, crowded with migrants who hope to reach European shores to seek asylum.
'I would never go back': Horrors grow in Ethiopia's conflict
Read full article: 'I would never go back': Horrors grow in Ethiopia's conflictIn this fragile refugee community on the edge of Ethiopiaโs Tigray conflict, those who have fled nearly two months of deadly fighting continue to bring new accounts of horror. โSo if I go to Tigray, they would pick up that Iโm Amhara because Amhara is not a part of them. For Tewodros, the conflict has been one civilian casualty after another since shelling began in early November as he worked at a hospital in Humera. Ethiopia's prime minister often speaks of โmedemer,โ or national unity, Tewodros said, in a country with more than 80 ethnic groups. In this conflict that remains so much in the shadows, he now relies on strangers to know their fate.
African Union says Ethiopia acted legitimately in Tigray
Read full article: African Union says Ethiopia acted legitimately in Tigray(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)JOHANNESBURG โ Ethiopia took โlegitimateโ military action in its Tigray province to preserve the country's unity and stability, the chairman of the African Union Commission said. In early November, Ethiopiaโs federal government launched a military attack on Tigrayโs provincial leaders saying they had provoked the federal forces. The Tigray leaders remained defiant and are still at large. The conflict in Tigray has alarmed the international humanitarian community, as communications have been cut off with large parts of the region. The U.N. refugee agency said more than 50,000 Ethiopians, mainly from Tigray, have fled across the border to Sudan.
EU postpones $109 million aid to Ethiopia over Tigray access
Read full article: EU postpones $109 million aid to Ethiopia over Tigray access(AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)JOHANNESBURG โ The European Union has postponed 90 million euros ($109 million) in budgetary support to Ethiopia over lack of access to the country's Tigray region to deliver humanitarian aid amid the conflict. The conflict in Tigray has alarmed the international humanitarian community, as communications have been cut off with large parts of the region. The U.N. refugee agency said more than 50,000 Ethiopians, mainly from Tigray, have fled across the border to Sudan. He vowed to bring the โcriminalsโ who were the leaders of the regional government of Tigray to justice and urged reconstruction to start immediately. Telecommunications and electricity in Tigray have started to function in some locations but large areas in the region remain inaccessible both for aid workers and journalists.
Aid group says staffer killed in Ethiopia's Tigray conflict
Read full article: Aid group says staffer killed in Ethiopia's Tigray conflictTigray refugee children sing and dance inside a tent run by UNICEF for children's activities, in Umm Rakouba refugee camp in Qadarif, eastern Sudan, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)NAIROBI โ An international aid group said Friday that a staff member has been killed in Ethiopiaโs conflict in its Tigray region. Frustration among humanitarian groups is widespread as the Tigray region remains largely unreachable and supply-laden trucks have waited for weeks at its borders. โDeeply concerned about humanitarian situation in Tigray region,โ the president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Francesco Rocca, tweeted on Thursday. โLack of consistent access to civilians, hospitals without water, electricity and medicines, people in desperate need of aid.
UN: Ethiopia's conflict has 'appalling' impact on civilians
Read full article: UN: Ethiopia's conflict has 'appalling' impact on civiliansTigray refugees who fled a conflict in the Ethiopia's Tigray region, receive treatment at a clinic run by MSF (Doctors Without Borders) in Village 8, the transit center near the Lugdi border crossing, eastern Sudan, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)NAIROBI โ Ethiopia's situation is โspiraling out of control with appalling impact on civiliansโ and urgently needs outside monitoring, the United Nations human rights chief warned Wednesday. At least one large-scale massacre has been documented by human rights groups, and others are feared. And the top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Tibor Nagy, tweeted that โwe strongly urge all parties to safeguard humanitarian โworkers in and around Ethiopiaโs Tigray region. We continue to urge immediate and unhindered humanitarian access โthroughout Tigray."
Russia to establish navy base in Sudan for at least 25 years
Read full article: Russia to establish navy base in Sudan for at least 25 yearsMOSCOW โ Russia has signed an agreement with Sudan to establish a navy base in the African nation for at least a quarter century, part of Moscow's efforts to expand its global reach. The deal published Tuesday on the official portal of government documents allows Russia to simultaneously keep up to four navy ships, including nuclear-powered ones, in Port Sudan on the Red Sea. The document states that the Russian navy base should โhelp strengthen peace and stability in the regionโ and isnโt directed against any third parties. In exchange for Sudan's permission to set up the base, Russia will provide Sudan with weapons and military equipment. After signing the agreement that allows Russia to keep up to 11 warships there, it has moved to modernize and expand the facility.
Ethiopia's forces shoot at, detain UN staffers in Tigray
Read full article: Ethiopia's forces shoot at, detain UN staffers in TigrayA Tigray woman who fled the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region holds her child inside of her temporary shelter at Umm Rakouba refugee camp in Qadarif, eastern Sudan, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020. Another U.N. spokesman, Farhan Haq, said the staffers were stopped at a military checkpoint near Sheraro. Ethiopia's government is making it clear it intends to manage the flow of humanitarian aid, but the U.N. has openly sought unfettered and neutral access according to international principles. Ethiopia's government late last month declared victory in the conflict in the Tigray region against the Tigray People's Liberation Front. The fighting in the region erupted Nov. 4 between Ethiopiaโs government and the government of the Tigray region following months of rising tensions.
UN, Ethiopia sign deal for aid access to embattled Tigray
Read full article: UN, Ethiopia sign deal for aid access to embattled TigrayTigray refugees who fled the conflict in the Ethiopia's Tigray carry their furniture on the banks of the Tekeze River on the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in Hamdayet, eastern Sudan, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. For weeks, the U.N. and others have pleaded for access amid reports of supplies running desperately low for millions of people. โWe have been urging, waiting, begging for access,โ another aid official, Jan Egeland with the Norwegian Refugee Council, told the AP. The ICRC, the rare organization to travel inside the Tigray region and its borderlands, has reported coming across abandoned communities and camps of displaced people. Inside Tigray, and among the majority ethnic Tigrayan refugees in Sudan, people are exhausted.
UN: Pandemic to fan surge in humanitarian needs in 2021
Read full article: UN: Pandemic to fan surge in humanitarian needs in 2021This comes as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and global challenges including conflicts, forced migration and the impact of global warming. OCHA made the projections in its latest annual Global Humanitarian Overview on Tuesday, saying its hopes to reach 160 million of those people in need will cost $35 billion. โThe picture weโre painting this year is the bleakest and darkest perspective on humanitarian needs weโve ever set out, and thatโs because the pandemic has reaped carnage across the most fragile and vulnerable countries on the planet,โ said U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, who heads OCHA. OCHA said other countries in need include Afghanistan, Congo, Haiti, Nigeria, South Sudan, Ukraine and Venezuela. Lowcock said itโs not the pandemic, but its economic impact thatโs having the greatest effect on humanitarian needs.
'Stop the madness,' Tigray leader urges Ethiopia's PM
Read full article: 'Stop the madness,' Tigray leader urges Ethiopia's PM(AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)NAIROBI โ The fugitive leader of Ethiopiaโs defiant Tigray region on Monday called on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to โstop the madnessโ and withdraw troops from the region as he asserted that fighting continues โon every frontโ two days after Abiy declared victory. Far from accepting Abiyโs declaration of victory, the Tigray leader asserted that โwe are sure weโll win.โHe also accused the Ethiopian forces of carrying out a โgenocidal campaignโ against the Tigray people. โThe secretary-general once again underscored the need for the full respect for human rights, as well as for humanitarian access for ourselves and our humanitarian partners," Dujarric said. Hospitals and health centers in the Tigray region are running โdangerously lowโ on supplies to care for the wounded, the International Committee of the Red Cross has said. The U.N. has been unable to access the Tigray region.
UN: Ethiopia's victory claim doesn't mean war is finished
Read full article: UN: Ethiopia's victory claim doesn't mean war is finishedHospitals and health centers in the Tigray region are running โdangerously lowโ on supplies to care for the wounded, it added. Food is also running low, the result of the Tigray region being cut off from outside aid for almost a month. The latest explosions came just hours after Abiy declared victory in his governmentโs fighting against the Tigray Peopleโs Liberation Front, which has run the northern Tigray region. โWe need first and foremost accessโ to Tigray, Grandi said, adding that his U.N. colleagues in Addis Ababa are in discussions with the government there. But many of the refugees have said they were running from the deadly violence of Ethiopian forces and attacks from the direction of nearby Eritrea.
Ethiopia declares victory as military takes Tigray capital
Read full article: Ethiopia declares victory as military takes Tigray capitalPrime Minister Abiy Ahmed said in a statement. The prime minister has rejected dialogue with TPLF leaders, including during a Friday meeting with three African Union special envoys. The Tigray region of 6 million people has been cut off from the world as the military pursued what Abiy called a โlaw enforcement operation" with airstrikes and tanks. Ethiopiaโs government had warned residents there would be โno mercyโ if they didnโt move away from the TPLF leaders in time. The United Nations said some fled as tanks closed in and Abiy's 72-hour ultimatum for TPLF leaders to surrender expired.
Ethiopian PM rejects Tigray conflict talks in AU meeting
Read full article: Ethiopian PM rejects Tigray conflict talks in AU meetingTigray men who fled the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region, work to build shelters at Umm Rakouba refugee camp in Qadarif, eastern Sudan, Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. Worryingly, refugees in Sudan have told The Associated Press that Ethiopian forces near the border are impeding people from leaving. โWe cannot keep social distancing here in the camp,โ said Mohammed Rafik Nasri, from the U.N. refugee agency. โReports of conflicts around refugee camps are very concerning,โ said Juliette Stevenson, a spokeswoman with the U.N. refugee agency. While traveling in western Tigray, the ICRC found a number of displaced people living in a makeshift camp without food, water or medical care.
Ethiopian PM says troops ordered to move on Tigray capital
Read full article: Ethiopian PM says troops ordered to move on Tigray capitalA Tigray girl who fled the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region, watches women cook in front of her shelter at Umm Rakouba refugee camp in Qadarif, eastern Sudan, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020. Misery continues for the refugees in Sudan, with little food, little medicine, little shelter, little funding and little or no contact with loved ones left behind in Tigray. It also asserted that thousands of Tigray militia and special forces surrendered during the 72-hour period. The international community is pleading for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and humanitarian access as Ethiopian forces have fought their way through Tigray to Mekele. That came hours after the U.N. said shortages have become โvery criticalโ in the Tigray region of 6 million people.
Ethiopian leader rejects international 'interference' in war
Read full article: Ethiopian leader rejects international 'interference' in warโWe respectfully urge the international community to refrain from any unwelcome and unlawful acts of interference," the statement from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmedโs office said as government forces encircled the Tigray capital, Mekele, with tanks. โThe international community should stand by until the government of Ethiopia submits its requests for assistance to the community of nations." The Tigray regional leader, Debretsion Gebremichael, could not immediately be reached Wednesday as tensions were high among Mekele's residents. The international community has urgently called for communications to be restored to the Tigray region so warring sides' claims can be investigated, and so food and other desperately needed supplies can be sent as hunger grows. Misery continues for the refugees in Sudan, with little food, little medicine, little shelter, little funding and little or no contact with loved ones left behind in Tigray.
Ethiopia warns civilians of 'no mercy' in Tigray offensive
Read full article: Ethiopia warns civilians of 'no mercy' in Tigray offensiveTigray refugees who fled the conflict in the Ethiopia's Tigray arrive on the banks of the Tekeze River on the Sudan-Ethiopia border, in Hamdayet, eastern Sudan, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. The U.N. refugee agency says Ethiopia's growing conflict has resulted in thousands fleeing from the Tigray region into Sudan as fighting spilled beyond Ethiopia's borders and threatened to inflame the Horn of Africa region. The TPLF dominated Ethiopia's ruling coalition for a quarter century before Abiy took office and introduced dramatic political reforms and sidelined TPLF leaders. With communications and transport to the Tigray region almost completely severed, it's difficult to verify the warring sides' claims. And inside the Tigray region, the fighting has come close to camps that are home to nearly 100,000 refugees from Eritrea.
UN prepares for up to 200,000 Ethiopian refugees in Sudan
Read full article: UN prepares for up to 200,000 Ethiopian refugees in SudanAxel Bisschop, the agencyโs representative in Sudan, told reporters Friday that โnobody at this stage can say exactly how many will come,โ as deadly fighting continues between Ethiopian government and Tigray regional government forces. Another crisis is growing inside the sealed-off Tigray region as food and other supplies run desperately low. โThis could unravel Ethiopia and also Sudan,โ the UNICEF country representative in Sudan, Abdullah Fadil, said of the crisis. Ethiopiaโs government has been fighting the Tigray regional forces since a Nov. 4 attack on a military base there. Now, some of those Eritrean refugees have fled again into Sudan, aid workers said.
Ethiopiaโs multiple crises: War, COVID-19, even locusts
Read full article: Ethiopiaโs multiple crises: War, COVID-19, even locustsThe U.N. refugee agency says Ethiopia's growing conflict has resulted in thousands fleeing from the Tigray region into Sudan as fighting spilled beyond Ethiopia's borders and threatened to inflame the Horn of Africa region. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali)NAIROBI โ Ethiopia could hardly bear another emergency, even before a deadly conflict exploded in its northern Tigray region this month. The Tigray conflict threatens a swifter spread of COVID-19 in the region as people flee their homes. HUNGERFood canโt get into the Tigray region of some 6 million people because of transport restrictions imposed after the fighting began. Humanitarian officials say long lines have appeared outside bread shops, prices have soared, and banks dispense only small amounts of cash.
Ethiopiaโs Tigray leader confirms firing missiles at Eritrea
Read full article: Ethiopiaโs Tigray leader confirms firing missiles at EritreaRefugees from the Tigray region of Ethiopia region wait to register at the UNCHR center at Hamdayet, Sudan on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. At least three rockets appeared to be aimed at the airport in Asmara, hours after the Tigray regional government warned it might attack. There are no indications the airport was struck.โThe Tigray regional leader would not say how many missiles remain at his forcesโ disposal but said โwe have several. The Tigray leader said his government, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, had no communications channel with Eritrea even before the conflict. This is genocide, to destroy Tigray and Tigray people.โShaken, they described being under attack even as they fled.
First witness account emerges of Ethiopians fleeing conflict
Read full article: First witness account emerges of Ethiopians fleeing conflictNAIROBI โ The sound of heavy weapons erupted across the Ethiopian border town, and immediately Filimon, a police officer, started to run. Tigray regional leaders have accused Eritrea of joining the week-long conflict in the region at the request of Ethiopiaโs federal government, which regards the Tigray government as illegal. After a day-long journey on foot with some 30 others fleeing, he has spent two days in Sudan, exposed to the sun and wind in a border town that is quickly becoming overwhelmed. The conflict risks drawing in Ethiopiaโs neighbors, notably Sudan as well as Eritrea, which is at bitter odds with the TPLF. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 citizens of various countries are stuck in the Tigray region, the U.N. has said.
Sudan braces for up to 200,000 fleeing Ethiopia fighting
Read full article: Sudan braces for up to 200,000 fleeing Ethiopia fightingNAIROBI โ Up to 200,000 refugees could pour into Sudan while fleeing the deadly conflict in Ethiopiaโs northern Tigray region, officials said Wednesday, while the first details are emerging of largely cut-off civilians under growing strain. Inside the Tigray region, long lines have appeared outside bread shops, and supply-laden trucks are stranded at its borders, the United Nations humanitarian chief in Ethiopia told the AP. Ethnic Tigrayans are reportedly being targeted across Ethiopia, the Tigray Communication Affairs Bureau said in a Facebook post. The Tigray region has an estimated quarter-million fighters, along with four of the Ethiopian military's six mechanized divisions. There were no details of the message, but the officials discussed โcurrent developmentsโ in Ethiopia, the minister said.
Three-way talks over Ethiopia's Nile River dam set to resume
Read full article: Three-way talks over Ethiopia's Nile River dam set to resumeJOHANNESBURG โ Negotiations between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over the controversial dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River will resume Tuesday, according to the chairman of the African Union, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Egypt and Sudan, however, have expressed concern that the dam will reduce the flow of Nile River waters to their countries. Egypt relies heavily on the Nile to supply water for its agriculture and to its more than 100 million people. Ethiopia celebrated the first stage of the filling of the dam in August, citing heavy rains, to the dismay of Egypt. "The dam already has more than 4.9 billion cubic meters of water in its reservoir,โ Abebe Yirga told The Associated Press.
Trump: Sudan to join UAE, Bahrain in recognizing Israel
Read full article: Trump: Sudan to join UAE, Bahrain in recognizing IsraelIn exchange, Trump notified Congress on Friday of his intent to remove Sudan from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. Previously, the Trump administration engineered diplomatic pacts between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain โ the first since Jordan recognized Israel in the 1990s and Egypt in the 1970s. โThis is one of the great days in the history of Sudan,โ Trump said, adding that Israel and Sudan have been in a state of hostilities for decades, even if they had not been in direct conflict. โToday, Khartoum is saying yes to peace with Israel, yes to recognition of Israel and yes to normalization with Israel," Netanyahu said. "This is a new era, an era of true peace โ peace that is proceeding and widening with additional Arab countries.
2 people shot near Schoolcraft, Burt Road in Detroit
Read full article: 2 people shot near Schoolcraft, Burt Road in DetroitDETROIT The Detroit Police Department is investigating a shooting Wednesday night near Schoolcraft and Burt Road that left two people in serious and critical condition. Detroit police said a preliminary investigation determined the 28-year-old male driver and 25-year-old female passenger stopped at a stoplight at about 8 p.m. on Schoolcraft and Burt Road when a white Sudan pulled beside the vehicle. An unknown suspect inside the Sudan fired shots at the two victims before taking off. The male victim was listed in critical condition and the female victim was listed in temporary serious condition. Anyone with information is asked to call Detroit Police Departments Sixth Precinct Investigative Unit at 313-596-5640 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speak Up.
US sanctions companies linked to businessman close to Putin
Read full article: US sanctions companies linked to businessman close to PutinWASHINGTON The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on companies connected to a Russian businessman who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and suspected of helping finance the covert social media campaign aimed at American voters ahead of the 2016 presidential election. The actions announced Wednesday take aim at front companies that officials say Yevgeny Prigozhin has relied on to process millions of dollars and to evade sanctions in Sudan, where the Trump administration says Russia has been involved in paramilitary operations and supporting authoritarian regimes. Todays actions will further limit attempts by Prigozhin and his backers to foment disorder or undermine democratic reforms in Sudan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement announcing the sanctions by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Prigozhin, whose close relationship to Putin has earned him the nickname of Putin's Chef," attracted attention in 2018 after he and Russian companies he controlled were indicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. He was accused of financing an effort to use social media posts to spread disinformation and to divide American public opinion on hot-button social issues ahead of the election.