Damascus/ Geneva, 7 March 2025 – A new report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) shows that almost 750,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their places of origin in Syria since November 2024.
However, some seven million remain displaced within the country, which is recovering from 14 years of war.
The distribution of vital winter items to families in Idleb’s Harim district. Photo Credit IOM/ 2024 Enver Muhamme
(UN News)* —After several years of fragile truce, there is a “palpable” fear of a return to all-out war in Yemen, on said Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg, briefing the UN Security Council.
The “current trajectory is deeply concerning,” he told ambassadors, updating them on the latest political developments in the country, where Houthi rebels – formally known as Ansar Allah – have been battling Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition, for more than a decade.
He spoke alongside UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher who updated on the recent humanitarian constraints and emphasised the impact of the worsening situation facing women in the country.
Mohammed, a 45-year-old fisherman, was forced to flee his home in Hodeidah six years ago due to the conflict in Yemen. Seeking safety, he settled in Gawl Al-Sada camp in Abyan governorate, where 115 displaced families now live.
Instead of waiting for assistance, Mohammed took initiative. He immediately sought work, forging connections with local fishermen.
Initially, he worked as a day labourer but often returned home empty-handed.
Determined to improve his situation, Mohammed decided to take the bold risk of starting a small business within the camp.
Dramatically evolving geopolitical tensions amid “dangerous nuclear rhetoric and threats” are a stark wake-up call for States to take action to support the legally binding atomic weapon ban treaty, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on 3 March 2025.
Demonstrators call for a ban on nuclear weapons. Credit: ICAN/Tim Wright UNITED NATIONS, Mar 6 2025 (IPS)* – The United Nations, whose primary mandate is to maintain international peace and security, has been one of the longstanding leaders in the global campaign for a world without nuclear weapons.
But the progress has been relatively slow – despite the growing number of anti-nuclear treaties. Perhaps the only consolation is the absence of a nuclear attack or a nuclear war in over 80 years.
(UN News)* — In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), insecurity and horrific sexual violence have left tens of thousands fleeing across borders with no sign of the exodus stopping, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on
()* —As conflict rages across Sudan, armed men are raping and sexually assaulting children, including some infants as young as one, according to the UN children’s agency (UNICEF).
Data from gender-based violence service providers in Sudan reveals the scale of the horror: more than 220 reported cases of child rape since the start of 2024.
“Children as young as one being raped by armed men should shock anyone to their core and compel immediate action,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
(UN News)* —“The time to step up is now” for the people of Somalia, where drought threatens 1.7 million young children at risk of acute malnutrition, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday [].
The East African country faced famine in 2022, but a scale-up in humanitarian assistance helped to avert catastrophe.
Today, food insecurity on the increase once again, with 3.4 million people already acutely food insecure. That number is projected to rise by a full million, to 4.4 million between April and June – nearly a quarter of the population.
(UN News)* — UN humanitarians on warned that the continued closure of key border crossings into Gaza is putting civilian lives at risk, just as they begin to recover from months of war, deprivation and hunger.
UN News | Large parts of Gaza have been reduced to rubble.
Speaking to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that the Kerem Shalom, Zikim and Erez crossings had remained closed for cargo for the third consecutive day, severely restricting the flow of humanitarian supplies into the devastated enclave.
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 3 2025 (IPS)* –The United Nations, in its nearly 80-year-old history, is on the verge of fighting for its survival, as the Trump administration continues with its threats to drastically cut funding and pull out of several UN agencies which provide mostly humanitarian assistance worldwide.
President Donald Trump addresses the General Assembly’s 75th sessions back in September 2020. Credit: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
(UN News)* — The UN Special Envoy for Syria on Tuesday [] condemned ongoing Israeli attacks inside Syrian territory and continuing violations in and around the demilitarised zone created as part of a 1974 ceasefire agreement.
UN Photo/Gernot Payer | Polish peacekeepers patrol as part of the UNDOF observer force which supervises the area of separation between Israel and Syria (file).
Geir Pedersen said in a statement that “such actions are unacceptable and risk further destabilising an already fragile situation, heightening regional tension and undermining efforts toward de-escalation and a sustainable political transition.”
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 