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Communities are still reeling from the effects of the typhoon, which made landfall in no less than nine places across an area the size of Austria, killing some 500 people. Relief teams have compared Rai to Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which killed more than 6,000 people and left four million homeless. “It just ripped across an area that is enormous, razing houses to the ground,” said Brenda Barton, Country Director for the World Food Programme (WFP). She said she had seen “no building that was untouched, no house without a roof, all houses without roofs. It was heart-breaking because it was on Christmas Eve, when the whole community comes together and celebrates Christmas and goes to Christmas Mass.” $107 million emergency appeal To support the relief effort, the UN has launched a $107 million appeal. WFP has requested $25 million of this for food, logistics and telecommunications support. To date, the agency has only received $4.7 million, three weeks since the crisis began, and it is increasingly concerned that the situation for already vulnerable communities is worsening. “We’ve had continued rains, we’ve had communities that cannot go into houses that are living in evacuation centres and COVID, just like in other parts of the world, is just starting to rip through the Philippines with its highly dense population,” Ms. Barton said, speaking to journalists in Geneva via Zoom. Latest assessments show that 11 out of the Philippines’ 17 regions were affected by the passage of Rai, which is known locally as Odette. It was the strongest typhoon to strike the Philippine archipelago in 2021 and disrupted the lives of more than seven million people, according to government data. Livelihoods hit In addition to flattening homes, the Super Typhoon upended lives and devastated farming and fishing communities which provide a major source of income and livelihoods, WFP said. It caused massive electricity and telecommunications outages that continue to affect many areas. © WFP/Maitta Rizza Pugay WFP is providing over 70,000 family food packs to various areas affected by Typhoon Rai in the Philippines. “Advance preparations and early response by the government have been laudable,” said WFP’s Ms. Barton. “Death rates have been relatively low and emergency support is rolling out to communities. But the road to recovery is long and more support will be needed.” Malnutrition Humanitarians are particularly concerned that the catastrophe will further impact on already dire food security and malnutrition rates in the Philippines. In some impacted areas such as the Caraga region, “53 per cent of families were unable to afford a nutritious diet”, WFP noted. Childhood stunting is at 36 per cent regionally, which is beyond the World Health Organization (WHO) threshold, signifying that it is of “very high” public health significance. “Stunting indicates that children are already suffering from long-term deprivation,” WFP said in a statement. “Their nutritional status puts them at greater risk for diseases and even death.” First aid When the Super Typhoon hit, WFP immediately supported the authorities by deploying more than 100 trucks to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, to help deliver family food packs, hygiene kits and other non-food relief items. WFP and the central Department of Information, Communication and Technology have also – for the first time – rolled out innovative mobile emergency telecommunications sets (MOVE), which allow emergency responders to communicate and coordinate quickly in the immediate aftermath of emergencies. Gender violence fears According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the sexual and reproductive health agency, women and girls have become even more vulnerable to sexual exploitation, human trafficking and gender-based violence since the typhoon hit. There have been unconfirmed reports of rape, domestic violence and sex in exchange for food, which WFP said “reflects the desperate situation ignited by the scarcity of food and clean water, and the disruption of community support systems and protection mechanisms” caused by the typhoon. “We’re seeing all of these challenges at the present time, and we know that they are linked. That is why we put women’s health, rights, and choices, at the centre of our humanitarian response to the devastation wrought by Super Typhoon Odette,” said Dr Leila Joudane, UNFPA Representative in the Philippines. As part of its ongoing response, WFP will initially provide food to augment the family food packs already distributed by the Philippines’ authorities, ensuring communities can meet their essential food needs while basic commodity prices remain unstable. This will be supplemented by cash assistance, to help people to recover while also stimulating the economy in places where markets are already up and running.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday in New York, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, said the Organization continues to follow the situation “very closely.” Mr. Dujarric confirmed several contacts between the UN and the authorities in the country, including a call on Thursday morning between Special Representative Natalia Gherman and the Deputy Foreign Minister, Mukhtar Tileuberdi. During these exchanges, appeals to exercise restraint, refrain from violence and promote dialogue to address the situation, were reiterated by Ms. Gurman, in behalf of the Secretary-General. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Asia, Natalia Gherman, by UN Photo/Kim Haughton Dozens of victims The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, also urged everyone, including security forces, protesters and others, to refrain from violence and to seek a peaceful resolution. In a statement, she said that a police spokesperson in the main city, Almaty, reported that security forces had killed dozens of protesters. In addition, almost 1,000 people have reportedly been injured in the protests. According to news agencies, protests began on Sunday when the government lifted its price cap on LPG, or liquified petroleum gas, which many use for their cars and heating, but the unrest has since spread to include longstanding political grievances. The Interior Ministry informed that 12 law enforcement officers have died in the unrest and 317 police officers and members of the National Guard have been injured. “International law is clear: people have the right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression. At the same time, protesters, no matter how angry or aggrieved they may be, should not resort to violence against others,” Ms. Bachelet said. Riot police allegedly used tear gas and flashbang grenades in clashes with demonstrators in Almaty. At the same time, protesters seized some government buildings, setting them on fire, and attempted to storm police stations. Ms. Bachelet also pointed to reports that, on 6 January, intense shooting erupted between the military and armed individuals in front of Almaty city hall. The High Commissioner reminded the Kazakh authorities that force must be employed subject to strict requirements of necessity and proportionality. State of emergency A state of emergency declared in several areas on 5 January, including in the main city of Almaty and the capital, Nur-Sultan, has now been extended to the whole country. The decision, including a curfew from 11pm to 7am, called for restrictions to remain in place until at least 19 January. Ms. Bachelet said that States have the right to declare states of emergency but added that “any derogation of human rights is subject to strict requirements of necessity and proportionality.” “Certain rights, including the right to life, the prohibition against torture and other ill-treatment, and the right not to be arbitrarily detained, continue to apply in all circumstances,” she said. Kazakh authorities on Wednesday requested security forces to be sent to the country under the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a regional security pact that includes Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. Detentions Kazakh officials have also informed that more than 2,000 people have been taken into police custody. Ms. Bachelet called for all those arrested and detained solely for exercising their rights to peaceful protest and freedom of expression, to be released. She stressed that all allegations of human rights violations should be “promptly, independently and thoroughly investigated.” Since Sunday, Internet services have been significantly disrupted, progressing to a complete shutdown. For the High Commissioner, shutting down the Internet “is not the answer to a crisis but risks fueling the violence and unrest.” She urged the authorities to ensure Internet services, which are vital for emergency health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, to be “immediately and completely restored.” In recent days, the Kazakh Government has said it hopes to have an inclusive and constructive dialogue with protesters. Ms. Bachelet said it was now time to “take all steps” to make sure this dialogue happens and to respect and protect human rights during the state of emergency and beyond.

Most of the strikers were women and many of the arrests were conducted in “a violent way”, the experts added. The arrests appeared to contravene the right to freedom of association, assembly and expression. “We also strongly condemn the manner in which the first arrests took place, after dark, on a day where multiple other events diverted public attention”, the experts said. For them, this could be seen as “an underhanded way to clamp down on fundamental human rights and impinge on the free exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.” The experts called on the Government to explain the response by the police, and said they were following developments closely. Arrests Nine people, including seven women and two men, have so far been charged with “incitement to commit a felony” under Articles 494 and 495 of the Cambodian Penal Code. They all remain in custody, while others have been released. According to the experts, these same provisions have previously been used to prosecute human rights defenders in the country. The first round of arrests took place at around 8pm on 31 December. Continued strikes resulted in a further 17 arrests, on 3 January. The three most senior union leaders, including president Chhim Sithar, were separately arrested on 4 January, on their way to join the ongoing strikes. Video footage of arrests shows police using what appears to be excessive force during the arrests. Causes of strike Trade union leaders and activists have been striking since 18 December against what they deem as the unfair dismissal of 365 Naga World casino and resort staff members. The dismissals happened after unsuccessful negotiations with their employer, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, and Phnom Penh Municipal authorities. “The pattern and manner of these arrests, after industrial action failed to be resolved quickly, appears to be an escalation in tactics used in previous cases that have occurred in Cambodia over recent years and resulted in the wrongful imprisonment of human rights defenders,” the experts said. The Cambodian Constitution includes the right to strike and the rights to freedom of association, expression, peaceful assembly, press and publication. The Cambodian Labour Law also guarantees the right to strike. Obligations set out in international human rights treaties, to which Cambodia is a party, protect the same rights. Civic space shrinks As the country gears up for local elections this year and national elections in 2023, the experts said these arrests send “a chilling message to Cambodian people on their space to assemble freely.” The experts also called on the Government to implement recommendations they have accepted during the 2019 Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Council, including a pledge to create conditions where “civil society, including human rights defenders, can freely carry out their work without interference or hindrance”. The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia, Vitit Muntarbhorn, has previously spoken out on the shrinking of civic and political space in the country.  Independent experts, Special Rapporteurs and members of Working Groups are appointed by the Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues.  They serve in their individual capacity and are not UN staff, nor are they paid by the UN for their work.

The people of Myanmar are facing an unprecedented political, socioeconomic, human rights and humanitarian crisis with needs escalating dramatically since the military takeover and a severe COVID-19 third wave. According to a UN Humanitarian Needs Overview published on Friday by OCHA, the turmoil is projected to have driven almost half the population into poverty heading into 2022, wiping out the impressive gains made since 2005. The situation has been worsening since the beginning of the year, when the military took over the country, ousting the democratically elected Government. It is now estimated that 14 out of 15 states and regions are within the critical threshold for acute malnutrition. A displaced child in Kachin State, Myanmar., by OCHA/P. Peron For the next year, the analysis projects that 14.4 million people will need aid in some form, approximately a quarter of the population. The number includes 6.9 million men, 7.5 million women, and five million children. Reasons Price hikes, COVID-19 movement restrictions and ongoing insecurity have forced the most vulnerable people to emergency strategies to buy food and other basic supplies. Prices for key household commodities have risen significantly, making some food items unaffordable. At the same time, farming incomes have been affected by lower prices for some crops, higher input prices, and limited access to credit. Monsoon floods in July and August have also affected more than 120,000 people, resulting in crop losses and contributing to food insecurity. For 2022, the humanitarian affairs office OCHA, says the outlook “remains dire”. The political and security situation is “expected to remain volatile” and a fourth wave of COVID-19, due to relatively low vaccination rates and the emergence of new variants, is considered a rising risk. A homeless family in Yangon in Myanmar has few social support structures it can call on., by ILO Photo/Marcel Crozet Prices are only expected to decrease marginally, while farm gate prices will likely remain low. As a result, consumer prices are projected to be higher, with incomes continuing to decrease. Other threats According to OCHA, the “unrelenting stress on communities is having an undeniable impact on the physical and mental health of the nation, particularly the psychological well-being of children and young people.” The risk and incidence of human trafficking, already on the rise in 2021, is expected to further escalate. In areas affected by conflict, entire communities, including children, are being displaced, increasing the risks for girls and boys to be killed, injured, trafficked, recruited and used in armed conflict. In 2020 and 2021, learning was disrupted for almost 12 million children, nearly all the school-aged population, and even though schools had began to reopen, the prospect of a full return to classroom education remains slim for many.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) condemned on Tuesday the reported killing of at least 35 people, including four children and two humanitarian workers, in the Kayah state, in Myanmar. The UN agency was “shocked and saddened” by the reported killing and burning of victims on 24 December, during a time when many prepared to celebrate Christmas. Credible reports suggested that four children were killed, including two 17-year-old boys, a teenage girl and a child approximately five of age, whose gender was not mentioned. The two humanitarians worked for the non-governmental organization (NGO) Save the Children, which confirmed their deaths. They were killed while returning to NGO’s Loikaw office after responding to humanitarian needs in a nearby community. Urgent action In a statement, the UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific, Debora Comini, condemned the attack. She reminded that the protection of civilians – particularly children and humanitarian workers – must be treated as a priority during times of conflict, in accordance with international humanitarian law and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Myanmar is a signatory. “UNICEF calls for urgent action to investigate this deplorable incident and to hold those responsible to account”, she said. “We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to our colleagues at Save the Children”.

Two UN-appointed independent rights experts condemned the arbitrary execution in the strongest terms on Wednesday, of an Iranian Kurdish prisoner as a sign of “clear disregard for their obligations under international human rights law”. The prisoner, Heidar Ghorbani, was secretly executed in Sanandaj Central Prison at dawn on Sunday – without prior notice to his family or lawyer. Prison authorities then secretly buried his body, according to a statement released on behalf of the experts. “The Islamic Republic of Iran executed Mr. Ghorbani in secret, on the basis of overbroad provisions, following a deeply flawed process, and while his case was still under consideration by the Supreme Court”, said Javaid Rehman, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Fear mongering Mr. Ghorbani was arrested in October 2016, in connection with the killing of three men affiliated with the Basij paramilitary forces – reportedly by individuals associated with an armed opposition group. He had denied membership of the group, along with any involvement in the killing. And notwithstanding that a Revolutionary Court concluded that he was unarmed, they still sentenced him to death on a charge of “baghy” (armed rebellion) following an unfair trial and allegations that he was tortured, said the OHCHR release. “We deeply regret that, despite our multiple interventions on Mr. Ghorbani’s case, the authorities chose to proceed with his execution”, the UN experts said. In the context of continuing protests and widespread dissatisfaction with the authorities, they worried that such an arbitrary execution had been carried out to “spread fear”. ‘Clear disregard’ The Special Rapporteurs described the act as “yet another sign of clear disregard for their obligations under international human rights law – and for international human rights mechanisms”. “We call on the Government to halt the imposition and execution of the death penalty”, they underscored. Previously, the independent experts had raised concerns with the Government of Iran over the death sentence, torture allegations, and fair-trial violations against Mr. Ghorbani and also brought the matter to public attention. The Government send comments to OHCHR in response. Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not paid for their work.

Mr. Parvez has documented serious human rights violations in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, including enforced disappearances and unlawful killings, they said, and has faced reprisals reportedly for sharing information with the UN. Apparent new retaliation He was arrested in November by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on charges related to conspiracy and terrorism. “We are concerned that one month after Mr. Parvez’s arrest, he is still deprived of liberty in what appears to be a new incident of retaliation for his legitimate activities as a human rights defender and because he has spoken out about violations,” the rights experts said. “In view of this context of previous reprisals, we call on the Indian authorities to immediately release him and ensure his rights to liberty and security.” Mr. Parvez is detained at the Rohini Jail Complex in Delhi, which the experts described as among the most overcrowded and unsanitary prisons in the country, posing immediate risk to his health and safety, in particular from COVID-19. ‘Worrisome rise’ in arrests He was arrested on 22 November under Indian counter-terrorism legislation, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Introduced in July 2019, the Act allows the authorities to designate any individual as a terrorist without establishing membership or association with banned groups. The rights experts said the UAPA has resulted in a “worrisome rise” in the number of arrests in India, and especially in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. “We regret that the Government continues to use the UAPA as a means of coercion to restrict civil society’s, the media’s and human rights defenders’ fundamental freedoms in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the rest of the country. We therefore once again urge the Government to bring this legislation in line with India’s international legal obligations under human rights law,” they said. Mr. Parvez was brought before a court in Delhi on 30 November and 4 December, when it was decided he should be transferred from NIA custody to judicial custody. This Thursday, the NIA Special Court may decide on another extension of his detention for a further 90 days, the experts said. If convicted, he could face up to 14 years in prison, or even the death penalty. Role of independent experts The rights experts who issued the statement were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. They report to the Council on specific country situations or thematic issues, such as the situation of human rights defenders. These Special Rapporteurs, independent experts and members of working groups are not UN staff, nor are they paid by the Organization. Brought to you by: Carlo Schaaij (Sky) Chief Technology Officer View Carlo's LinkedIn

A UN independent expert on Sunday commended Bangladesh for providing a safe haven to Rohingya refugees fleeing atrocity crimes in Myanmar, offering to do all he can to “push for a stronger, more coordinated international response” to the crisis. “Bangladesh saved untold numbers of lives when it opened its arms and hearts to Rohingya people who survived these most unspeakable of horrors inflicted on them by the Myanmar military”, said Tom Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar at the end of his first official visit to the Bangladesh. “All who value human rights owe Bangladesh a debt of gratitude”, he added, acknowledging that the responsible to resolve the emergency rests upon Myanmar. “I will do everything in my capacity to push for a stronger, more coordinated international response to this crisis, including the imposition of pressure on the Myanmar military and for concrete measures to hold the military junta fully accountable for this crisis”, promised the UN expert. Desire to return home During his mission, the Special Rapporteur met with refugees in Cox’s Bazar as well as those who were relocated to Bhasan Char Island. “Nearly every Rohingya person I spoke with on this mission…want[ed] to return home as soon as they can do so voluntarily, safely, sustainably, and with dignity”, he said, adding that we must ensure their safe and voluntary return to Myanmar. Leading dignified lives Mr. Andrews offered a number of recommendations from his mission, notably that the Rohingya community must be provided with security, educational opportunity, access to health care, and the creation of sustainable livelihood opportunities – especially in Bashan Char. “Successfully addressing each of these key areas is in the interest, not only of the Rohingya community, but of everyone who shares the goal of a successful and sustained repatriation of the Rohingya community back to where they most want to go, home”, he underscored. The Special Rapporteur commended Bangladesh for its partnership in accountability measures and noted how critical it was that “the rights and dignity of the Rohingya people be respected, protected and promoted”. “Education will provide Rohingya youth with opportunities that could deter them from negative coping mechanisms, reducing security vulnerabilities in the camps, and reducing security vulnerabilities for all”, he flagged. Bhasan Char During his visit to Bashan Char – a remote silt island in the Bay of Bengal where the Government has relocated nearly 19,000 refugees – the Special Rapporteur observed that “considerable resources” had been put into constructing facilities there. In view of its isolated location, and the nascent humanitarian programming on the island, he urged Bangladesh to “make sure services that can meet the projected needs of the increased population are firmly in place before relocating more refugees, including, especially greater freedom of movement”. More support required The UN expert welcomed the commitments made in the Memorandum of Understanding with the UN and urged that “they be put into practice”. He upheld that the international community has a responsibility to support the Rohingya, arguing that Bangladesh cannot and should not shoulder the responsibility alone. “A stronger commitment of resources is required for the Rohingya refugees and host communities. And the Government of Bangladesh needs and deserves a stronger international partnership”, Mr. Andreas spelled out. © UNOCHA/Vincent Tremeau Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, is one of the largest in the world. and hosts hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas who fled violence in Myanmar. Looking ahead He expressed his desire to work with Bangladesh “as a friend”, to continue his reporting, and to continue his conversations and engagement with “the remarkable people here”. “Most of all, I look forward to returning to a Myanmar where justice, human rights and human decency finally prevail, and I can meet with the Rohingya community not as refugees but as citizens in their own country, Myanmar”, concluded the Special Rapporteur. Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not paid for their work.

Authorities in Viet Nam must immediately release four activists jailed this week for spreading anti-State propaganda, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday. Over a three-day period, prominent human rights defenders Trinh Ba Phoung, Nguyen Thi Tam, Do Nam Trung and independent author Pham Doan Trang, were sentenced to up to a decade in jail, and five years on probation. Silence and intimidate Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said OHCHR was “deeply troubled” by the harsh sentencing of the human rights and land rights defenders, who were charged under articles 88 and 117 of Viet Nam’s Criminal Code. Meanwhile, journalist Le Trong Hung, who had announced his intention to run for political office as an independent, is facing trial on 31 December on similar charges. “We urge the authorities in Viet Nam to immediately release all these individuals as well as the many others arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights to freedom of opinion and expression,” said Ms. Shamdasani, speaking in Geneva. All five persons were arrested in 2020 and 2021, and OHCHR said the charges against them appeared to be part of a campaign to silence and intimidate those who speak out in defence of human rights. ‘Chilling effect’ “All the cases follow similar worrying patterns that raise serious issues concerning the presumption of innocence, the legality of their detention, and the fairness of their trial,” Ms. Shamdasani told journalists. “There is prolonged incommunicado pre-trial detention, prosecution under the vaguely worded offence of ‘spreading anti-State propaganda’, denial of access to legal counsel and closed trials that do not respect international fair trial standards.” The UN human rights office has urged the Vietnamese Government to repeal all legal provisions that violate fundamental freedoms. “Cases of this kind contribute to a climate of self-censorship in the country and have a chilling effect on media freedom,” said Ms. Shamdasani. “They also prevent people from exercising their fundamental rights and engaging in public debate on issues of importance.” Harsh sentences Mr. Trinh and Ms. Nguyen, both land rights activists, were sentenced by a court in Viet Nam’s capital, Hanoi, on Wednesday, according to media reports. Mr. Trinh received 10 years in prison and five on probation, while Ms. Nguyen will spend six years in prison, followed by three years’ probation. A court in northern Viet Nam handed down a sentence of 10 years in prison, and four on probation, to Mr. Do on Thursday. He was found guilty of criticizing the government on social media, according to news reports. Ms. Pham, a journalist, was jailed for nine years following sentencing by a court in Hanoi on Tuesday. OHCHR said Mr. Le has been held since March, without access to a lawyer and without being allowed to meet his family.

Four UN independent human rights experts called on Thursday for Morocco to reverse its decision to extradite a Uyghur Muslim to China as his return would place him under threat of serious human rights violations. If he is made to return, human rights defender Yidiresi Aishan risks detention, enforced disappearance, or torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the experts argue. Deep concern “We are deeply concerned by today’s decision by the Moroccan Court of Cassation allowing the extradition of Mr. Aishan to China, despite the credible risk of grave violations of his human rights, both for his membership of an ethnic and religious minority and for his alleged affiliation with a terrorist organisation”, the experts said in a statement. The Chinese authorities are accusing him of having joined the terrorist group East Turkestan Islamic Movement as well as carrying out or actively participating in alleged terrorist activities, under Article 120 of the Chinese Criminal Code. Based on a Red Notice alert, issued by the world police cooperation body INTERPOL, on 13 March 2017, Mr. Aishan was arrested in Casablanca. However, that notice was suspended in August this year. No risk assessment Whenever “substantial grounds” exist for the likelihood of torture in the country of destination, no State has the right to expel, return or otherwise remove any individual from its territory, according to the UN experts. This includes a consistent pattern of gross, flagrant or mass violations of human rights. “This extradition process is happening without any form of individual examination and assessment of risks, which blatantly violates the absolute prohibition of refoulement under international human rights and refugee law”, the independent experts said. As an asylum seeker in Morocco, Mr. Aishan should be protected from extradition or forced return to China, until his refugee status is decided, they added. Legal obligation Moreover, they underscored that no bilateral agreement on extradition or diplomatic assurances can wlease a State from its obligations under international human rights and refugee law. Back in August, he UN experts had raised their concerns over the case with the Moroccan Government. They will continue engaging with the authorities to ensure full compliance with the absolute prohibition of refoulement under international human rights and refugee law, they said. Endorsing the statement were Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment Nils Melzer; Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism Fionnuala Ní Aoláin; Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawler; and Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes RP. Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not paid for their work.

While humanitarian access has never been better, prices are soaring and needs continue to outpace the resources provided, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) explained. “The situation is disastrous. Every farmer we’ve spoken to has lost almost all of their crops this year, many were forced to sell their livestock, they have accumulated enormous debts and simply have no money,” said Richard Trenchard, FAO Representative in Afghanistan. “No farmer wants to leave their land. But when you have no food, you have no grain from the previous harvest, there are no seeds in the fields and your livestock are gone, you have no choice.” Daily struggle for millions The UN agency said that 18.8 million Afghans are unable to feed themselves every day, and that this number is set to rise to nearly 23 million by the end of the year. What started as a drought crisis has spiralled into economic disaster, with nine in 10 major urban centres also expected to face extreme hardship, as debts pile up and savings dwindle. Worryingly, the already widespread drought looks set to worsen in Afghanistan, as farmers and herders brace for a likely second consecutive year of drought in 2022, with La Niña expected to bring drier than normal conditions to Afghanistan in the coming months. This situation will create a very real famine risk in 2022, unless immediate large-scale support to protect these people and their livelihoods arrives very soon, FAO warned. “What’s needed now obviously is to get them seeds, get them fertiliser and food assistance that the World Food Programme is providing…but also, it’s cash,” Mr. Trenchard insisted. After visiting Zendajan district in Herat province in the far west of the country – one of 25 provinces that have been hit by drought – the FAO official reported that families had run out of people and institutions they could approach to borrow money. People were even “selling anything then can” to get money, he added. © FAO/Alessio Romenzi Beneficiary Niaz Mohammad shows how the pomegranates he has harvested don’t ripen in his orchard around Ghra village in Daman district south of Kandahar, Afghanistan. The situation is dire because agriculture is the backbone of Afghan livelihoods and critical for Afghanistan’s economy. According to FAO, around 70 per cent of Afghans live in rural areas and an estimated 80 per cent of all livelihoods depend on farming or herding. Mr. Trenchard said that widespread drought had left families with nothing to eat during the current lean season, after harvests were down 80 to 90 per cent. He called for a massive increase in humanitarian assistance, after seeing for himself the scale of suffering on the streets of rural Heart. “The only food they have is food that people give them as they pass by, et cetera. It’s cold there, it’s a tough, tough situation and what terrifies me is if those rural livelihoods collapse, we’ll see massive displacement.” Urgent appeal FAO urgently needs $115 million to reach five million men, women and children this winter and next spring. Of this amount, one out of every five dollars will directly support Afghan women. A wheat cultivation assistance package costing $157 enables a farm family to meet its cereal needs for a year, compared with $1,080 required to cover the minimum food needs of an average family, something that few can afford to do right now. To help, FAO is already distributing wheat cultivation packages for Afghanistan’s winter wheat season across 31 out of 34 provinces. They include high quality and locally-supplied certified wheat seeds and technical training to ensure the best possible results for farmers. “If we didn’t get this bag of certified wheat seeds, we wouldn’t be able to cultivate wheat this year. These improved wheat seeds will grow a much better yield,” said Esmatullah Mirzada, a farmer from Safar Khan village, in Zendajan district of Herat Province. Tajikistan deportation alert In a related development, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, expressed alarm on Friday at the deportation of Afghan asylum-seekers by the Tajik authorities this week. It said that 11 men, women and children were “forcibly returned” to Afghanistan on 11 November, before their claims for asylum and protection could be examined. There have also been “increasing obstacles” for Afghan citizens seeking safety and access to asylum procedures in Tajikistan more generally, UNHCR insisted, noting that local authorities had stopped issuing residence permits to all newly arrived Afghans, “despite the fact that such documentation is a pre-requisite to applications for asylum”.

UN News spoke with Samantha Mort, Chief of Communication, Advocacy and Civic Engagement at UNICEF Afghanistan, who assured that all offices remain open and warehouses full. Some 22.8 million people across the country are facing food insecurity, she explained, adding that they cannot access affordable or nutritious food.  Of the 38 million people living in Afghanistan, some 14 million children are food insecure. For Ms. Mort, “there’s no childhood” these days in Afghanistan. “It’s all about survival and getting through the next day.” ‘The perfect storm’  She painted a grim picture of impoverished families in which parents are not eating three meals a day, meal portions are decreasing and people wake up not knowing where the next meal is coming from.   “It’s that level of food insecurity”, said the UNICEF official.  Exacerbated by drought, a poor harvest and rising food prices, she referred to the looming crisis as “the perfect storm in Afghanistan”.   And at the start of a typically freezing cold winter, Ms. Mort said that snow would cut off rural areas in the mountains.   “UNICEF is very, very concerned because what we are seeing is around 3.2 million children who are acutely malnourished and 1.1 million children who are at risk of dying because of severe, acute malnutrition unless we intervene with treatment”, she warned.  © UNICEF/Omid Fazel UNICEF Afghanistan’s chief of communication, Sam Mort, interacts with a child at a malnutrition treatment ward at the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul.. Hospital records  Last week, the UNICEF official visited health clinics in the western part of the country.  At the one, the doctor shared records showing a 50 per cent increase in cases of severe malnutrition while another revealed a 30 per cent rise.  Despite the increase, Ms. Mort explained that the crisis did not start on 15 August but that the country had been experiencing some form of insecurity or conflict for the last 40 years.  “But because of the drought…poor harvest…rising food prices, because many women have been asked to stay at home since August 15, a lot of families have lost their main source of income”, she said.   A family story Ms. Mort recalled that she had asked the mother of a severely malnourished baby if she was breastfeeding and was told that despite trying, she had no milk. A doctor in the room asked the woman if she was eating. The woman replied that most days, she only drank a glass of black tea with a piece of bread in it. “It’s no wonder that she can’t breastfeed because she is undernourished herself. And I think that is a story that is amplified all over the country”, the UNICEF official said. Another mother brought in her 4-year-old, wearing an oversized coat.   “You’d expect the 4-year-old to be looking around and be curious about the strangers in the room. This little girl sat supported by her jacket in the same position as her mother had put her down. And she just stared at the floor. Her head was bowed. She had no energy”, Ms. Mort recalled. Removing the young girl’s coat, her little arm was “no thicker than a broom handle” and she was so malnourished that her hair was falling out and her cheeks were hollow. At 4 years old, she weighed about 20 pounds. “Severe, acute malnutrition means that you can potentially die if you are not treated. And that means that if we do not treat them, they will die”, Ms. Mort said. Doubling efforts Because of the drought and resulting poor harvest, UNICEF is predicting that food stocks will run out halfway through winter. The agency is doubling its number of nutrition counselors and mobile health and nutrition teams that can go into rural communities to help the children hardest to reach. Ms. Mort highlighted that the nutrition counselors are often recruited locally so that communities trust them. “They’re very passionate…energetic and…uplifting”, she explained pointing to positive interactions between them and the mothers who come for help. “They come up with creative solutions. They use what is in the community. They share resources”, she explained. These professionals are typically also young, educated women. Ms. Mort remembered meeting a female doctor in her early 30s who was running a medical clinic with 20 staff, 18 of whom were women. The doctor found it “tremendously uplifting to see young professional women working in Afghanistan…amidst all the challenges”, recalling that they “wouldn’t stop talking about their their work, about their patients”. © UNICEF Parwana suffers from Sever Acute Malnutrition where children’s nutrition needs have also escalated following recent events, as economic shocks tip more people in Afghanistan into crisis. Uncertain future Throughout her visits, Ms. Mort mostly observed feelings of uncertainty. “I think people are uncertain, they don’t know what the winter holds, what the de facto authorities are going to do next. They don’t know if the international community will deliver on these funds so that the health system and the education system recover. It feels as if everybody is in a bit of a holding pattern”, she said. For the UNICEF official, it is “absolutely critical” that the international community understands that Afghanistan is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. “This is not time for political brinksmanship. People in Afghanistan are dying, and they need our support. Humanitarian aid is the last expression of human solidarity”, she said. “When you have nothing…are struggling…feel forgotten…[and] don’t know where your next meal is coming from, humanitarian aid arrives at your door and you are part of a much larger family”. Health sector in crisis Ms. Mort recalled a conversation she had last week with the director of the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul who told her that sometimes he has three babies in a single bed, because so many of the district and regional clinics can no longer operate. Moreover, people living rural areas have to take their babies to the capital. But because poverty restricts their ability to travel, they wait so long that their children have gotten very sick. “Often, it’s too late. Many die because the families didn’t have money to bring them earlier. We’re seeing as families get more and more desperate”, she recalled. UNICEF has noted a rise in “negative coping mechanisms”, where people become so desperate that they begin doing things they would not normally consider, like taking a child out of school or selling them for early marriage – sometimes babies as young as six months old. An education for girls Currently, Ms. Mort said that adolescent girls have not been invited back to school. “We’ve got around one million high school-age girls sitting at home, denied their right to an education”, she said. “We want to see every child in school. If children are not in school, they’re much more likely to be recruited by an armed group, or to fall into early marriage or to be exploited in some way”. Even before the current Taliban rule, 70 per cent of Afghanistan’s economy was shored up by international aid.  “With that help frozen, health workers and teachers are not being paid. If you imagine a country that doesn’t have a functioning education system and doesn’t have a functioning health system, you’ll understand how quickly it all collapses”, she explained. Last week in a new school, the UN official spoke to a class of girls who had never had an education. When she asked if they had a message to share with the world, a seven-year-old put her hand up and wondered if the world could keep peace in Afghanistan so that she can continue going to school. “I just thought, God love you. It was so spontaneous, just keep peace in my country, so I can keep learning”, Ms. Mort recalled.  © UNICEF/Sayed Bidel Two-year-old Fatima has her nutritional status screened at Bab-e-Bargh health centre which is supported by UNICEF in Herat city’s largest health clinic.

Deborah Lyons, UN Special Representative and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said that despite an improvement in the security situation, Afghans feel abandoned by the international community and anxious about their new leadership. “Ultimately, the Taliban must decide on whether to govern according to the needs and rights of the diverse Afghan population, or whether to rule on the basis of a narrow ideology and even narrower ethnic base”, she stated. Disengagement a ‘historic mistake’ Emphasizing that the Taliban are genuinely trying to present themselves as a Government, the Special Representative said that they are constrained by a lack of resources and a political ideology that clashes with contemporary international norms of governance. Moreover, the Taliban has neither earned the trust of most Afghans nor convinced the nationals of their capacity to govern. Against that tenuous backdrop, Ms. Lyons stressed that the international community must remain engaged with Taliban leaders in order to shape a more positive future trajectory. “To abandon the Afghan people now would be a historic mistake – a mistake that has been made before with tragic consequences”, she warned. Trust deficits Outlining her team’s early interactions with the de facto Taliban administration, the Special Representative said engagements have been generally useful and constructive. The de facto authorities have indicated that they want a UN presence and value its assistance. They continue to seek international recognition as well as ways to overcome the trust deficit that they recognize exists between them and the international community. The Taliban continue to provide security to UN staff and allow broad humanitarian access, including for women humanitarian workers, allowing access to parts of the country that had not been visited for 15 years. “Be assured that we have not shied away from raising difficult issues with the Taliban, particularly on women’s rights, girls’ education and on reports … of harassment and extra-judicial killings”, underscored the UN official. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the country. Women and girls Ms. Lyons said that in general, the Taliban have recognized the international community’s concerns – often acknowledging mistakes and trying to address them. However, they also make clear that for now there are limits to the concessions they are willing to make on certain issues, including those relating to the rights and freedoms of women. While the de facto authorities had initially assured the global community that they would protect women’s rights within Islamic law – including the right to education – there has nevertheless been a general curtailment of their fundamental rights and freedoms. From a woman’s right to work, to their absence from major decision-making fora and senior echelons of the civil service, their limitations have become obvious. And the Taliban authorities have indicated that they are working on a nation-wide policy to govern girls’ right to education. Building constructive relations Ms. Lyons told Council members that Afghans generally feel apprehensive over Taliban intentions. Among their top concerns are the country’s paralyzed economy, the inability to withdraw money and fears of not being able to feed themselves during the winter. The UN has also received credible reports of house searches and extra-judicial killings of former Government security personnel and officials. Meanwhile to date, the Taliban has proven its inability to stem the expansion of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province (ISIL-KP), where terrorist attacks have increased from 60 in 2020 to 334 so far this year. In that context, Ms. Lyons called for the gradual establishment of constructive relations between Afghanistan and the world at large. “The best way to promote stability and future international support is for the Taliban to avoid the isolation that characterized their previous experience in power”, stressed the Special Representative.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday urged authorities in Myanmar to immediately release all journalists who have been jailed for practicing their profession. Rights chief Michelle Bachelet said the conviction and harsh sentencing of American journalist Danny Fenster was emblematic of a wider plight of journalists in the country who have faced constant repression, in the wake of a military coup in February. Reverting to censorship “Journalists have been under attack since 1 February, with the military leadership clearly attempting to suppress their attempts to report on the serious human rights violations being perpetrated across Myanmar as well as the extent of opposition to the regime”, she said. “Myanmar has quickly reverted to an environment of information control, censorship and propaganda seen under military regimes in the past”. Since the military takeover, at least 126 journalists, media officials or publishers have been detained in Myanmar, the UN rights chief said. Forty-seven are still in detention, 20 of whom have been charged with crimes related to their work as journalists. She added that nine media outlets have had their licences revoked, while 20 others have had to suspend operations. Dozens of journalists are reportedly in hiding due to outstanding arrest warrants. Second trial pending Mr. Fenster, 37, is the managing editor of an independent magazine called Frontier Myanmar. On Friday he was sentenced to 11 years in jail by a military court in Yangon, the country’s largest city, for violating visa laws, unlawful association with an illegal group, and sowing dissent against the military. The sentencing followed what Ms. Bachelet described as “a closed door, unfair trial”. Mr. Fenster still faces a second trial with charges of high treason and violations of the country’s counter-terrorism law. Deprivation of information In deploring the persecution of journalists, Ms. Bachelet said that attacks against them further increase the vulnerability of huge sections of society who rely on accurate and independent information. “With the crackdowns on journalists, internet shutdowns, restrictions on free access to online and other data sources, people are being deprived life-saving information”, she added. “I urge the military authorities to immediately release all journalists being detained in relation to their work”.  

The UN Security Council has called for an immediate cessation of violence across Myanmar, and efforts to ensure the safety of civilians, following reports of more clashes between the armed forces and militant groups. In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the Council expressed deep concern over the violence, noting that “recent developments pose particular serious challenges for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees and internally displaced persons.” The UN continues to monitor developments in Myanmar, where the army seized power in February. Subsequent pro-democracy protests were met with brutal crackdowns. Ensure COVID-19 vaccine delivery This week, international media reported that the army has begun to amass heavy weapons and troops in Chin state, located in the northwest of the country, suggesting an imminent attack against militia groups which have surfaced since the coup. Security Council members also underlined the importance of steps to improve the health and humanitarian situation in Myanmar, including the need to facilitate unhindered delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. They reiterated their full support for the “positive and constructive role” played by regional bloc ASEAN in facilitating a peaceful solution, and underscored support for its Special Envoy. “The Members of the Security Council reaffirmed their support for the people of Myanmar and the country’s democratic transition, and their strong commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and unity of Myanmar,” the statement said. Humanitarian situation worsening Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Myanmar is deteriorating, UN relief chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement earlier in the week. Rising conflict and insecurity, along with the pandemic and a failing economy, have left some three million people in need of assistance, while violence since the military takeover has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. Mr. Griffiths added that the situation in the northwest has become “extremely concerning” in recent weeks. This follows an escalation in hostilities between the armed forces and the Chinland Defence Force in Chin state, and with the People’s Defence Forces in Magway and Sagaing regions. Although humanitarians are providing assistance to people across the country, and are ready to do more, they remain hampered by lack of access and funding, he said. Mr. Griffiths urged the international community to fully support a $385 million humanitarian plan for Myanmar, which so far is less than half funded.

Ahead of Thursday’s Security Council meeting behind closed doors on Yemen, the UN Special Envoy, Hans Grundberg, said that a UN-led political process could still be part of a sustainable solution to the conflict. Participating by teleconference, Mr. Grundberg briefed the Council Members about his three-day visit to Taiz governorate, where he held meetings in Taiz city, Turbah and Mokha, and discussed the urgent necessity for an end to the violence. “These visits have given me a first-hand experience of the impact of the conflict on civilians in Taiz, including the difficulties they face moving through their daily lives”, Mr. Grundberg said in a statement. The visits also gave him “the opportunity to hear directly from Yemeni men, women and young people, on how a UN-led political process can help to address the situation in Taiz as part of a sustainable solution to the conflict.” Dialogue In Taiz city and Turbah, the Special Envoy met the local Governor, Nabil Shamsan, political party representatives, civil society, Members of Parliament, business leaders and journalists. The representatives raised concerns about the targeting of civilians in residential neighborhoods and severe restrictions on the safe and free movement of people and goods due to the continued road closures. They also discussed the sharp deterioration of the economy and basic services. Mr. Grundberg stressed the need for comprehensive solutions and inclusive political dialogue. He called for all stakeholders to engage in discussions on political, military and economic issues that concern all Yemenis. In Mokha, he met with the local authority, the Political Bureau of the National Resistance and the Al-Hirak Al-Tihami. Humanitarian situation The Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ramesh Rajasingham, also briefed the Security Council. According to him, fighting continues along nearly 50 front lines, including in Ma’rib, where at least 35,000 people have been forced to flee since September. The humanitarian community is scaling up assistance, but it is quickly getting outpaced by the increasing scale of humanitarian needs. The UN is deeply concerned that the conditions could quickly get much worse. If fighting reaches the city itself, agencies estimate it could displace another 450,000 people. The UN continues to call for an immediate end to the Ma’rib offensive and a nationwide ceasefire. So far, aid agencies have received about 55 per cent of the funding they require this year. This has helped to keep famine at bay and achieve other important results, but money is quickly running out. Murdered journalist In a separate statement, the Special Envoy also condemned the assassination of Yemeni journalist, Rasha Abdullah Al Harazi, in Aden, last Tuesday. She was pregnant and her husband was also seriously injured. “I offer my condolences to the bereaved family and reiterate my calls for justice and accountability. Journalists everywhere must be able to work without fear of retaliation”, Mr. Grundberg said. Mrs. Harazi was killed when a device planted in the car she was travelling in with her husband, detonated. Both were employed by a Gulf-based television channel. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Director-General also condemned the “heinous attack”, noting that Mrs. Harazi had been a UNESCO trainee in 2019. “Attacks on journalists undermine freedom of expression and the media’s capacity to keep the public informed, which can prove vital in times of conflict. Information is also essential to nourish public debate, counter hate and contribute to conflict resolution”, Audrey Azoulay said.

From rising sea temperatures, to deadly and devastating storms and floods, climate change is increasing threats in the southwest Pacific, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a report published on Wednesday. The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific 2020 is part of a new series of regional climate reports by the UN weather agency, and covers much of Southeast Asia as well as Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Real and potential risks The report and accompanying story map were launched at the COP26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, where the existential threat to many Small Island Developing States (SIDS) has been among the recurring themes. “This report highlights the real and potential risks associated with the changes occurring in ocean circulation, temperature, acidification and deoxygenation, as well as rising sea level. The Small Island Developing States are increasingly vulnerable to these changes, as their incomes are highly linked to fisheries, aquaculture and tourism,” said Petteri Taalas, the WMO Secretary-General. Coral reefs degraded The report provides a snapshot of climate indicators, and their risks and impacts on economies, society and the environment. It details threats on land and at sea. WMO said sea surface temperatures and ocean heat in parts of the southwest Pacific are increasing at more than three times the global average rate. “Marine heatwaves” have bleached once vibrant coral reefs and threaten the vital ecosystems the region depends on. Last year, the Great Barrier Reef region of Australia suffered widespread coral bleaching, the third time in the past five years. WMO warned that if global temperature rises 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, 90 per cent of the coral reefs there and in the Coral Triangle, could suffer severe degradation. Fisheries in decline Ocean warming, deoxygenation and acidification are also changing the ocean’s circulation pattern and chemistry, forcing fish and zooplankton to migrate to higher latitudes and change behaviour, thus altering traditional fisheries. Pacific islands have been particularly affected as coastal fishing provides food, welfare, culture and employment. The report found that between 1990 and 2018, total fisheries production decreased by as much as 75 per cent in Vanuatu, and 23 per cent in Tonga. Tropical glaciers disappearing Global mean sea level has risen at an average rate of about 3.3 mm per year since the early 1990s and has accelerated as a result of ocean warming and land-ice melt. Rates of sea-level change in the north Indian Ocean and the western part of the tropical Pacific Ocean are substantially higher than the global mean rise, according to the report. WMO added that sea level rise is already having a major impact on society, economies and ecosystems in Pacific islands, and increases vulnerability to tropical cyclones, storm surge and coastal flooding.   The last remaining tropical glaciers between the Himalayas and the Andes are also at risk due to climate change. The glaciers, located in Papua, Indonesia, have existed for some 5,000 years but at the current rate, total ice loss will be expected within the next five years. Storms and wildfires Meanwhile, storms and floods have triggered death, destruction and displacement in Southeast Asia and Pacific SIDS. The Philippines, as well as Pacific SIDS, have suffered greatly from typhoons and tropical cyclones, while droughts are also a major hazard. The unprecedented 2019-2020 wildfire season in eastern Australia led to severe smoke pollution. More than 10 million hectares of land were burned, and some 33 people killed, along with millions of animals, while over 3,000 homes were destroyed. The region’s push to achieve sustainable development is in jeopardy due to weather-related hazards, which are expected to become more extreme as a result of climate change. Early warning systems Between 2000 and 2019, extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones caused around 1,500 fatalities and affected close to eight million people per year, on average. Some 500 fatalities were reported in 2020, around one third of the long-term annual average, but more than 11 million people were affected. The report advocates for Early Warning Systems as a “key adaptation measure” for reducing climate risks and impacts. Around three quarters of countries in the region do have multi-hazard early warning systems in place. WMO added that addressing rising climate risks and their impacts requires action at the local, regional and transnational level, including in capacity building, development of climate services, and integrated disaster risk reduction approaches. These are also critical to achieving sustainable development and building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Growing conflict, insecurity, COVID-19, and a failing economy, has rendered some three million Burmese in in need of life-saving humanitarian assistance across Myanmar, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Monday. “The humanitarian situation in Myanmar is deteriorating”, Martin Griffiths said in a statement, adding that “without an end to violence and a peaceful resolution of Myanmar’s crisis, this number will only rise”. Growing displacement Since a military takeover on 1 February ousted the democratically elected Government, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes due to violent crackdowns across the country. At the same time, 223,000 Burmese remain internally displaced, including 165,000 in the country’s southeast – adding to those already displaced in Rakhine, Chin, Shan and Kachin states prior to the takeover. “Long-term displacement remains unresolved, with 144,000 Rohingya people still confined to camps and camp-like settings in Rakhine, many since their displacement in 2012, and more than 105,000 people displaced in Kachin and Shan, many for years”, said the humanitarian affairs chief. “I am also increasingly concerned about reports of rising levels of food insecurity in and around urban areas, including in Yangon and Mandalay.” Hostilities escalating  In recent weeks, Mr. Griffiths noted that the situation in the northwest has become “extremely concerning”, with an escalation in hostilities between the Myanmar Armed Forces, the Chinland Defence Force in Chin state and the People’s Defence Forces in Magway and Sagaing regions. “More than 37,000 people, including women and children, have been newly displaced, and more than 160 homes have been burned, including churches and the offices of a humanitarian organization”, he detailed. Support humanitarian efforts Underscoring that attacks directed against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarian workers and facilities, are “clearly prohibited under international humanitarian law”, he stressed that they must “stop immediately”.             Humanitarian workers have reached more than 1.67 million people in Myanmar with food, cash and nutrition assistance this year alone and although they are ready to do more, remain barred from access and extra funding is proving hard to come by. “Access to many people in desperate need across the country remains extremely limited due to bureaucratic impediments put in place by the armed forces”, Mr. Griffiths explained. He called on the Myanmar armed forces and all parties to “facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access” and on the international community to “fund the response”. Secure dignity Less than half of the $385 million required under the Humanitarian Response Plan and Interim Emergency Response Plan launched after the armed forces’ takeover has been received. “The people of Myanmar need our help to ensure that their basic rights are upheld and they can live with dignity”, said the Emergency Relief Coordinator.  Urging all parties to “fully respect their obligations” under international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians and allow humanitarian assistance to be provided, including to those being forced to flee violence, Mr. Griffiths spelled out: “The world is watching”.  Restore democracy Meanwhile, marking one year since the people of Myanmar voted in by a landslide, Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, independent UN Special Rapporteur, Tom Andrews, described the election as having been “stolen by a junta systematically violating rights”. To help end the crisis, he urged the Security Council’s closed-door discussion on Monday to dramatically increase aid and cut “junta access to revenue and weapons”. Mr. Andrews and all Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. He holds an honorary position and is not paid for his work. ILO Photo/Marcel Crozet A homeless family in Yangon in Myanmar has few social support structures it can call on.

A group of UN human rights experts appealed on Monday for Singapore to halt the execution of a Malaysian man who has intellectual disabilities. Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, known as Naga, was originally scheduled to be hanged on Wednesday for drug offences after spending more than a decade on death row. “We note that a temporary stay has been granted today until a final appeal can be heard tomorrow. However, we are seriously concerned that, if the appeal is dismissed, he could still be executed imminently,” the experts said in a statement. Incapable of understanding Mr. Dharmalingam, 33, was apprehended in 2009 after he crossed the border carrying nearly 43 grams of diamorphine, a narcotic analgesic used to treat severe pain. He was sentenced to death in 2010. His lawyers argued that Mr. Dharmalingam should not have received the death penalty because he was incapable of understanding his actions. During the trial it was revealed he has an IQ of 69, which is recognized as representing an intellectual disability. ”We are concerned that Mr. Nagaenthran a/l K Dharmalingam did not have access to procedural accommodations for his disability during his interrogation. We further highlight that death sentences must not be carried out on persons with serious psychosocial and intellectual disabilities,” said the UN experts. “We are also concerned that his past 11 years on death row has reportedly caused further deterioration of his mental health.” Illegal and ineffective They added that under international law, countries which have retained capital punishment may only impose it for the most serious crimes, namely those involving intentional killing. “Drug related offences do not meet this threshold,” they said. “Resorting to this type of punishment to prevent drug trafficking is not only illegal under international law, it is also ineffective. There is a lack of any persuasive evidence that the death penalty contributes more than any other punishment to eradicating drug trafficking.” The UN experts called on Singapore to commute the death sentence against Mr. Dharmalingam, in line with international human rights law. They recalled that the country had amended its drugs legislation in 2012, which allowed drug couriers to be sentenced to life behind bars if they assist the Public Prosecutor, or in cases of “abnormality of the mind”. The death penalty remains mandatory in other cases “We urge Singapore to further reform its legislation to ensure the death penalty is never compulsory, as mandatory death sentences are inherently over-inclusive and unavoidably violate human rights law,” said the experts. Independent viewpoints The five experts who issued the statement were all appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. As Special Rapporteurs, they are mandated to report to the Council on thematic issues which include extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; the human rights of migrants, and the rights of persons with disabilities. Experts are independent from any government, and serve in their individual capacity. They are not UN staff, neither are they paid by the Organization.

Refugees in Indonesia, many of whom have fled Afghanistan’s mounting crises, have lagged far behind the rest of the population when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations. The UN is helping to reverse this trend. One recent Thursday, Ali Madad Ibrahimi accompanied an elderly man from Afghanistan to a registration desk under a big red and white tent in Jakarta’s central district. He translated instructions into the Afghan Dari language, and the pair entered a spacious hall where blue-uniformed officers sat behind rows of desks. He stayed by the man’s side until a COVID-19 vaccine dose has been safely injected into his left arm. However, until just over a month ago, Mr. Ibrahimi – himself an Afghan refugee and an official interpreter with the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) since 2019 – had to do his work virtually: Government COVID-19 regulations meant that even boarding a bus to a neighbourhood where many Afghan refugees lived, required a vaccine certificate. That changed in late September though, when Mr. Ibrahimi became one of the first refugees in Indonesia to be fully vaccinated, thanks to a private scheme jointly organized by several UN agencies. Around the same time, on September 21, a new decree from Indonesia’s Ministry of Health promised to dramatically increase access to vaccinations for the 13,273 refugees in Indonesia, reflecting broader steps towards greater inclusion for one of the most vulnerable groups in the country. “I’m very grateful to the UN team for providing vaccines for me and other refugees”, he says. “Now that I have been fully vaccinated, I can get back to my routine, assisting my fellow refugees who need interpreters”. UNHCR Indonesia A view of Bulungan Sports Hall, Jakarta, where the refugee vaccination event took place on 7 October 2021. This vaccination event was a collaboration of UNHCR, DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, and KADIN (Indonesia Chambers of Commerce and Industry). ‘Two days full of nightmares’ More than half of the refugees in Indonesia are from Afghanistan, and the majority of them are members of the Hazara ethnic minority, a mostly Shiite Muslim community who were brutally oppressed under the Taliban, before the US invasion in 2001. For many, watching the Taliban retake Kabul in August, was a devastating reminder of the circumstances that forced them to flee. Since retaking control of Afghanistan, Taliban officials have forcibly evicted thousands of Hazara families from their homes, according to the NGO Human Rights Watch. Another rights organization, Amnesty International, reported in October that the Taliban had massacred 13 ethnic Hazara people in Daykundi province, including a 17 year-old girl. For Mr. Ibrahimi, a former baker, such reports bring back memories of the day in June 2013 that Taliban soldiers stopped him on a journey to buy ingredients for his bakery in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. They accused him of selling bread to US soldiers and tortured him while he was in detention. Fearing for his own safety and that of his family if he stayed, Mr. Ibrahimi fled Afghanistan overland, leaving his wife, one child, and a new-born daughter behind. “Two days full of nightmares,” he says. “I was lucky they released me in the end.” After crossing the border into Pakistan, a smuggler convinced Mr. Ibrahimi to go to Indonesia where, he was told, he could be resettled. That turned out not to be true, and he has been living in Jakarta for the past eight years. UNHCR Indonesia A refugee woman getting her first shot of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. Restrictions on basic human rights Many refugees in Indonesia have waited a similar length of time. Indonesia considers itself a transit country, one through which refugees and asylum seekers travel en route to a safe third country. But because opportunities for resettlement in a third country are virtually non-existent, many refugees and asylum seekers end up immobilized for years with no prospect of resettlement or a safe return. The hardship of refugees in Indonesia is exacerbated by restrictions on some of their most basic human rights: they are deprived of their right to work, for example, and their access to school is often impeded. Indonesia is not a State party to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, the key legal framework that defines who is a refugee and details the rights to which refugees are entitled, but the country has ratified key human rights treaties and, says Ann Maymann, UNHCR’s representative for Indonesia, the country “therefore has international obligations to ensure that refugees can exercise their basic rights”. ‘COVID-19 does not know borders’ Discrepancies in access to COVID-19 vaccinations at a national level, mirror broader inequalities that have inhibited the global effort to stop the spread of the pandemic. “COVID-19 does not know borders, differentiate between lower middle and upper-income economies, or care whether you are poor or rich,” says Valerie Julliand, UN Resident Coordinator for Indonesia. “The Ministry of Health’s new decree is an important step towards leaving no one behind and is a welcome expression of solidarity with some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.” Although COVID-19 has devastated both advanced economies and the developing world, refugees are among those who have been hit the hardest. While many governments provided subsidies to offset the economic impact of the pandemic and helped school children with distance learning, refugees often did not have access to such measures. Meanwhile, around 86 per cent of refugees are hosted in developing and low-income countries, which tend to have less resilient healthcare systems and struggle to cope with the needs of their own populations. Vaccinations can reduce pressure on those healthcare systems, but refugees did not often have access they required. UNHCR says that the precariousness of refugees’ situation in Indonesia has led to a deterioration in refugees’ mental health. Refugee and writer Hussain Shah Rezaie claimed in a recent Op-Ed for the Jakarta Post newspaper, that 12 refugees had died by suicide in the previous two years. UNHCR Indonesia Refugees wait to be vaccinated under a big tent prepared just outside the sports hall. Refugees are an asset In the same way that equitable access to COVID-19 vaccinations benefits both refugees and the communities that host them, better access to education and employment for refugees ends up also being universally beneficial, says Ms. Maymann. “We continue to advocate for refugees’ inclusion and for the government to see that refugees are an asset,” she says. “Refugees bring productivity, they can start businesses that employ locals, pay taxes, and generate income. “They enrich the culture of the host countries by bringing different practices, foods, and religions. And given the chance, they can contribute to a stronger and more vibrant world.” For Mr. Ibrahimi, becoming vaccinated was an important step towards greater inclusion and a decent life. “I don’t mind living in Indonesia, the people are very nice,” he says, “I hope one day I can open my own bakery and make Afghan bread popular here, or in another country, if I ever get resettled”. The UN in Indonesia To date, more than 40 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been delivered to Indonesia, through the COVAX mechanism, supported by UNICEF and the World Health Organization. But outside of private schemes and the determined efforts of some local governors, refugees were not included in the national program until recently. The private scheme that enabled Mr. Ibrahimi to be vaccinated, was jointly organized by UNHCR, IOM, and UNICEF and the Resident Coordinator’s Office. The decree allows refugees with UNHCR-issued identity documents to access both private sector vaccination schemes and the national COVID-19 vaccination scheme in areas where at least 70% of the population have received a first vaccine dose. That means that refugees in up to six of Indonesia’s 34 provinces are now eligible for the COVID-19 shot. To date, UNHCR calculates that more than 4,800 of Indonesia’s population of 13,273 refugees, or about 36%, have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose. That falls some way short of the 58% of the general population the Indonesian government says had received at least one vaccination dose as of 31 October. UNHCR works closely with the Indonesian Government to ensure the refugees can live in dignity while they are waiting for a more permanent solution. This includes continuing advocacy with local governments for more refugee children to enroll in national schools, providing digital and entrepreneurship training for refugees, and advocating for refugees to have access to health services, including access to COVID-19 vaccines.