Internally displaced people account for at least
12 of those killed and a further 31 injured when their camps
were shelled by M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC), according to the UN peacekeeping mission in
the country, MONUSCO, on Friday.
The camps
were in the neighbourhoods of Lac Vert and Mugunga, near
Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, which has seen a
sharp uptick in violence over the past few months.
UN
Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists at UN
Headquarters in New York that the situation around Goma
continues to remain very tense, with at least 11 incidents
involving explosives reported since February.
Bintou
Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary General for
DRC and the head of MONUSCO,
condemned the violence against civilians and called on all
parties to the conflict to adhere to international
humanitarian law and protect civilians, Mr. Haq
added.
The escalating violence in North Kivu in the
country’s east has triggered a massive exodus to Goma,
which now hosts over 500,000 people who have been
displaced.
“Despite the volatile situation and
insecurity, we and our partners continue to provide
assistance,” Mr. Haq said, also noting the need for
additional funding to reach those in need with aid.
He
said the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan seeking $2.6
billion is only 17 per cent funded at $430 million. Fully
funded, the plan aims to provide 8.7 million people with
humanitarian assistance and protection.
OHCHR very
concerned over Cambodia court ruling on convicted trade
union leader
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, on
Friday said it was “very concerned” over the decision
from Cambodia’s Supreme Court to uphold the conviction of
trade union leader Chhim Sithar on charges of “incitement
to felony” and disturbing “social order”.
She
was sentenced along with eight others to jail terms of
between one and two years in May 2023, in relation to a
strike in 2021 over layoffs at the NagaWorld Casino in the
capital, Phnom Penh.
In a statement, OHCHR
spokesperson Jeremy Laurence and colleagues called for her
immediate release.
“She is the only one serving a
jail term as the others were given suspended sentences or
monitoring orders,” he said. “We call on the authorities
to quash all their convictions.”
They were convicted
for simply exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful
assembly and association, which are protected by both the
Cambodian Constitution and the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ratified by
Cambodia in 1992, he said.
Right to
strike
“The rights to peaceful assembly and
association include the right to hold meetings, sit-ins and
strikes and the right of individuals to interact and
organise among themselves to collectively express, promote,
pursue and defend common interests,” he said.
“A
vibrant, strong and inclusive democracy that nurtures and
respects a plurality of voices and opinions, including those
that express discontent, is key to social and economic
development,” said Mr. Laurence.
OHCHR urged the
Cambodian Government to fully uphold human rights
protections recognised under international law and allow its
citizens to freely exercise their rights.
Gang
violence continues to wrack Haitian capital
Turning
to Haiti, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, reported on Friday
that recent attacks by armed gangs in the capital,
Port-au-Prince, have driven thousands from their
homes.
On 1 May, a coordinated attack by several gangs
occurred in Solino, a neighbourhood in the south of the
capital. According to local sources, several houses were
burned, and some 10,000 people fled the area.
In
response, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has activated its
emergency tracking tool to monitor the number of displaced,
Mr. Haq said at the regular press briefing in New
York.
Emergency food supplies
“Food
distributions to affected people are being organised and
humanitarian organisations continue to deliver lifesaving
assistance to people affected by the violence,” he
said.
Compounding the situation, heavy rains lashed
Port-au-Prince resulting in flooding in several areas and
raising concern over the potential spread of cholera and
other water-borne diseases, he added.
Thousands of
homes as well as public infrastructure have been damaged and
at least 13 people are reported to have been killed,
according to local reports.
“Livestock has also been
impacted, further aggravating food security and impacting
the livelihoods of families who are dependent on
agriculture,” the UN Deputy Spokesperson said, noting that
the most urgent needs include temporary shelters, hygiene
kits and the provision of clean drinking
water.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
