Europe

Law ‘crystal clear’ “Civilians are entitled to protection against the dangers arising from military operations,” insisted Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, as she briefed the Council on the latest events. “International humanitarian law is crystal clear.” She painted a picture of daily attacks battering Ukrainian cities, many reportedly indiscriminate. Between 24 February and 15 March, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human...

Almost one child per second in Ukraine is becoming a refugee of the war, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, as the total number of people who have now fled the country since the Russian invasion began, passed three million. “We have now reached three million mark in terms of movements of people out of Ukraine to neighbouring countries. And among these people there are some 157,000 third-country nationals,” said Paul Dillon, spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration...

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, 31 attacks on health care have been documented by the World Health Organization. These incidents have killed and injured civilians, as well as destroyed facilities and ambulances, disrupting access to essential health services. “Today, we call for an immediate cessation of all attacks on health care in Ukraine. These horrific attacks are killing and causing serious injuries to patients and health workers, destroying vital health infrastructure, and forcing...

The recent adoption by Russia of a punitive “fake war news” law is an alarming move by the Government to gag and blindfold an entire population, independent UN human rights experts said on Friday. The same law introduces penalties for “discrediting” and “calling for obstruction” of the use of the Russian armed forces. The maximum penalty is five years in prison. Denying the invasion “While the Government claims that the purpose of the new legislation is to protect the ‘truth’ about what...

The Belarusian Government’s continuing crackdown on political opponents, civil society, journalists and lawyers has seen the fundamental human rights of tens of thousands violated, with no sign of any of the perpetrators being held accountable, the UN rights office, OHCHR, reported on Wednesday. The report details the findings of OHCHR’s examination of the human right situation in Belarus, mandated by the UN Human Rights Council. The review covers the run-up to the disputed 9 August 2020...

In a resolution adopted on Friday, the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva agreed to establish a commission to investigate violations committed during Russia’s military attack on Ukraine. Thirty-two countries voted in favour of the resolution, which was presented by Ukraine. Russia and Eritrea voted against it, while 13 nations abstained. Minute of silence Council Members observed a minute of silence to honour the victims of the bloodshed. The resolution calls for the “swift and...

The development in Geneva echoed the concern of the Security Council, which on Sunday called for an emergency session of the General Assembly on the crisis. Addressing the Human Rights Council, Ukraine Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Yevheniia Filipenko, outlined the death and suffering caused, as talks were under way at the Belorussian border between Ukraine and Russia . The Ukraine delegation also presented a draft resolution, which it requested be considered during an urgent debate...

Secretary-General António Guterres has announced that the UN will launch an appeal to fund its humanitarian operations in Ukraine, amid reports on Saturday of casualties and people fleeing their homes to seek safety as Russian military operations in the country intensify. A readout issued by a UN spokesperson said that Mr. Guterres had spoken on the phone earlier in the afternoon with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “The Secretary-General conveyed to the President the...

France has violated the rights of French children detained for years in camps in northeast Syria by failing to repatriate them, the UN Child Rights Committee said in findings issued on Thursday. The Committee had considered three cases filed by a group of French nationals whose grandchildren, nieces and nephews are currently being held in the Rawj, Ayn Isa and Hawl camps, which are under the control of Kurdish forces. The cases concern 49 children whose parents are alleged to have...

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) top official in Europe on Tuesday called on governments and health authorities to “closely examine” why there is low demand and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines, as an “Omicron tidal wave” slams countries in the east of the region. Over the past two weeks, cases of the virus have more than doubled in six countries across Eastern Europe and Central Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belaurus, Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, said WHO Regional Director, Dr. Hans...