More than 50 staff from the UN, international and national NGOs, civil society and diplomatic missions are being held by the de facto Houthi authorities in the capital Sana’a.
In addition, four UN staff have been detained since 2021 and 2023.
Protect emergency workers
“Attacks on humanitarian workers, including arrests and false accusations, violate international law, endanger security, and seriously hamper our support for the Yemeni people and mediation efforts that are critical to advancing the peace process in Yemen,” officials said. a statement on the occasion of this solemn milestone.
They stressed that in the meantime, all detained colleagues must be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights, including being allowed to contact their families, legal representatives and organisations.
“We also call for the protection of humanitarian workers, by ensuring safe humanitarian space and access to the communities we serve,” they added.
The statement was issued by regional directors of CARE, Oxfam and Save the Children, together with their colleagues from the UN Human Rights Office, OHCHR; the UN Development Programme (UN Development Programme), the UN refugee agency, UN refugee agency; the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Programme (World Food Programme).
© UNICEF/Pham Ha Duy Linh
A young Vietnamese man clears rubble from his house after Typhoon Yagi tore through Quang Ninh province.
Typhoon Yagi affects millions of people in Southeast Asia: UNICEF
Nearly six million children have been affected by floods and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, UN humanitarian agencies said on Wednesday.
The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said in an update that the emergency had jeopardized access to clean water, education, health care, food and shelter – and pushed already marginalized communities “deeper into crisis.”
June Kunugi, UNICEF Regional Director for East Asia and the Pacific, said the immediate priority is to restore the essential services that children and families rely on.
Increase in extreme weather
She highlighted the “increase” in extreme weather events in Southeast Asia, which have been exacerbated by climate change, and noted that vulnerable children “often pay the highest price” when disasters strike.
Typhoon Yagi is the most powerful storm to hit Asia so far this year.
The storm has brought torrential rains on top of existing seasonal rains, causing damage to more than 850 schools and at least 550 health centers – the vast majority in Vietnam.
Humanitarian assessments are still ongoing in the region.
Refugee agency urges end to arbitrary detention of asylum seekers
The detention of asylum seekers around the world is harmful and violates their fundamental right to seek protection. Therefore, the practice must stop, says the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. said on wednesday.
In a new policy report for border authorities highlighting best practices in some countries, the UN agency noted that in many others “asylum-seekers and refugees are often arrested and detained without any opportunity to challenge their situation”.
The UNHCR cited the experience of an Iraqi asylum seeker who spent two years in a Hungarian transit zone, where his freedom of movement was “severely restricted” and he and others were kept under constant surveillance.
According to the UN agency, his detention was considered arbitrary by top independent human rights experts meeting at the UN in Geneva.
UNHCR also cited a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which found that four Tunisian nationals rescued at sea and taken to a reception centre on the Italian island of Lampedusa “had no opportunity to apply for asylum” before their “summary removal” from Italy.
The court said conditions at the centre were “inhuman and degrading,” the agency explained.
According to the UNHCR, some countries have imposed restrictions on the length of detention of asylum seekers, for example South Korea.
It was noted that in March 2023, a South Korean court ruled that it is unconstitutional to indefinitely detain asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. It also specified how long people should be held, and provided alternatives to detention.
© WHO/Guerchom Ndebo
A man in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has his blood drawn as part of his treatment for mpox.
Global Fund provides nearly $10 million for MPOX response in DR Congo
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) is supporting the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with a US$9.5 million cash injection to bolster emergency response to the latest deadly MPOX outbreak.
The funding will strengthen the government response in six of the provinces with the highest transmission: Equateur, South Ubangui, Sankuru, Tshopo, South Kivu, North Kivu, as well as in and around the capital Kinshasa, which is home to 17 million people.
The DRC is currently facing the largest MPOX epidemic in the world, with 5,160 confirmed cases and 25 deaths since the beginning of the year.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), testing capacity in the DRC remains limited due to limited capacity and availability. In addition, the number of suspected cases is approximately five times higher than the number of laboratory-confirmed cases.
The Global Fund contribution will help improve disease surveillance systems, with a special emphasis on strengthening early warning capabilities; strengthening laboratory systems and diagnostics; supporting community mobilization and communication; strengthening primary care; and implementing infection prevention and control measures.
‘Proven track record’
“Our partnership with the Global Fund and other health partners has a proven track record in reducing infectious diseases,” said Dr. Roger Kamba, DRC Minister of Health and Social Affairs.
“People living in conflict and crisis areas often face significant barriers to accessing health care due to damaged infrastructure, insecurity and shortages of trained health personnel and supplies,” said Peter Sands, the Fund’s Executive Director.
“When disease outbreaks occur in these places, the challenges become greater. Strong systems of trusted community health workers, health promoters and other local responders are essential to stopping the spread of the disease.”