Nature-based solutions are key to reducing Europe’s growing risk of forest fires and to making forests more resilient to climate change, according to a briefing published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
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Russian army committing murder in Ukraine: Independent rights commission
The Russian military’s actions amount to two crimes against humanity, the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine’s report states – firstly of “murder and of forcible transfer of population” and secondly, “deportations and transfers of civilians” from areas occupied by Russian forces, some of whom were tortured.
Systematic and coordinated
The attacks – which have struck a wide range of civilian targets in an area spanning over 300 kilometres along the right bank of the Dnipro River, across Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Mykolaiv oblasts – are systematically coordinated actions designed to drive Ukrainians out of their homes, say the report’s authors.
Buildings have been damaged by drone and missile attacks in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
They have targeted individuals, houses and buildings, humanitarian distribution points and critical energy infrastructure servicing civilians.
They also targeted first responders – including ambulances and fire brigades, which are afforded special protection under international humanitarian law.
Many of the attacks struck the same vehicles and infrastructure repeatedly, deliberately setting them on fire, spreading terror among the civilian population and violating their fundamental human rights.
The report from the UN Human Rights Council-appointed investigation team – established in March 2022 – contains testimony from residents who have come under fire, describing their living conditions as unbearable.
‘Severe mental pain and suffering’
“We are hit every day, drones fly at any time – morning, evening, day or night, constantly,” said a man interviewed for the report.
The investigators’ report documents that Russian authorities coordinated actions to deport or transfer groups of people from areas under occupation. Some were transferred to areas under Ukrainian Government control; others were sent to neighbouring Georgia.
Detention, torture and confiscation of documents and belongings are also laid out – acts which have “inflicted severe mental pain and suffering and amount to inhuman treatment as a war crime and a violation of human rights,” the report states.
Thick black smoke fills the sky above residential buildings in Kyiv after a drone strike set fire to a nine-storey block in the neighbourhood.
On Monday, the Commission of Inquiry presented the report to the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues.
The findings are based on some 500 publicly available videos of crimes examined – 247 of which have had their locations technically verified – and 226 interviews with Ukrainian citizens.
The Commission also examined Russian allegations of drone attacks by Ukrainian armed forces against civilian targets in Russian occupied areas. It was unable to draw any conclusions due to lack of access to the territory, concerns relating to the safety of witnesses, and the lack of responses from Russian authorities.
Children are in danger as winter approaches and strikes resume in Ukraine
Dozens of civilian casualties were reported over the weekend and into Monday, including children injured, according to UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric.
The hardest hit regions are Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, kyiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.
“Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that civilian evacuations continue from frontline communities in Donetsk region“, Mr. Dujarric told reporters in New York on Monday.
Between October 24 and 26, more than 900 people were evacuated, he added, also noting that the Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund has released $13 million since May to support local and national NGOs in the Kharkiv region, helping nearly 76,000 residents.
About half of those affected are women and girls. Assistance has included cash transfers, shelter, health services, water, sanitation, hygiene support and measures to prevent gender-based violence.
“We don’t see anything”
Winterization – providing lifesaving assistance to vulnerable populations to protect them from cold and harsh conditions – is a major concern, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns.
Kenan Madi, Head of Field Operations, UNICEF Ukraine, said UN News that families on the front lines urgently need heating, warm clothing and other essential supplies.
“Attacks on infrastructure impact basic services – from hospitals to water services to district heating. – making daily life extremely difficult for children,” he said.
“I just had a colleague who came back from Chernihiv,” he continued, adding: “The only thing he said to me was, “It’s really dark, you can’t see anything.” » Some rural areas are in a total blackout. This is what children in Ukraine are currently experiencing.»
UN response
Under these conditions, United Nations agencies are continuing their efforts to provide aid to communities. UNICEF provided access to clean water to 300,000 people in September alone and to more than three million people across the country so far this year.
Education remains disrupted: around 350,000 children in frontline regions attend school in person, while more than 400,000 follow a blended schedule and around 280,000 continue their schooling entirely online.
To mitigate these disruptions, the agency supports more than 150 learning centers offering remedial classes, social-emotional support and safe learning spaces. He also has rehabilitated more than 100 schools and kindergartens since 2022with 42 additional installations under repair this year.
Mental health a priority
Mental health services are also a priority. Last month, UNICEF provided psychosocial support to 16,000 children and 25,000 caregivers in frontline areas, and more than 300,000 people received mental health assistance throughout 2025.
Mr Madi highlighted the human toll, referring to the challenges faced by a mother of autistic twins.
“She deserves to get the help she needs, but this is not one person’s story. Many households are struggling with their daily lives. There are a lot of stories on the front line and unfortunately, from year to year the situation becomes more and more difficult for people, especially for children, and this is something very worrying for us.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
World news in brief: funding cuts hamper development, human rights update in Belarus, Ebola and pox in Africa
Speaking in Geneva, she said the world was facing “a decline in respect for human rights and multilateralism”, with conflict, debt and a decline in development aid threatening to wipe out hard-won gains.
The OECD, a 38-member economic cooperation organization, forecasts aid cuts of 9 to 17 percent next year, and up to 25 percent for the bloc of least developed countries, while military spending has reached record levels.
“The results speak for themselves: poverty reduction has stalled and virtually all SDGs are behind schedule,” said Ms Al Nashif, citing the World Bank’s warning of a “lost decade for development”.
The way forward
Despite the bleak outlook, she said the right to development offered a practical way forward – reshaping fiscal policies, strengthening social protection and aligning global finance with human rights principles.
Nearly 40 years after the UN Declaration on the Right to Development, Ms. Al Nashif urged governments to “walk the talk,” noting new momentum through initiatives such as the Seville Commitment and renewed global solidarity expressed at the 80th UN General Assembly.
Independent UN expert: Belarus is not a “paradise” for workers
“Belarus is not a workers’ paradise, despite their proclaimed commitment to economic and social rights,” said Nils Muižnieks, an independent UN expert on human rights in Belarus, addressing the UN General Assembly on Monday.
In his capacity as Human Rights Council-designated expert, Mr. Muižnieks presented his latest reportwhich exposed pervasive politically motivated discrimination and harassment in the Belarusian public and private sectors.
Forced labor
It also found unjustified politically motivated restrictions on access to employment – and the use of forced labor for little or no pay as a form of punishment for those unjustly incarcerated.
The report follows a two-year commitment under the auspices of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which has subjected Belarus to increased surveillance due to violations of trade union rights.
Mr Muižnieks – who is not a UN staff member and receives no salary for his work – recalled that more than 1,100 people continue to be arbitrarily detained in the country and that some of those released have been deported and had their passports confiscated, putting them at risk of statelessness and fear of returning home.
IOM scales up Ebola and Pox preparedness across Africa
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) East scaling its health response across Africa, responding quickly to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last September and supporting mpox preparedness in several African countries.
The agency’s priority is to make all entry and screening points fully operational to prevent disease in areas where there is human movement.
“These measures help prevent the spread of disease and keep travelers and border communities safe,” said Frantz Celestin, IOM Regional Director for East, Horn and Southern Africa.
Border communities face increased risk due to their high mobility and limited access to health services, but thanks to operational testing points, more than 169,000 screenings have been carried out.
Improved mpox response
The agency also supports national responses to mpox in several countries. In Uganda and Ethiopia, health authorities use IOM mobility data for public health planning and epidemic preparedness.
In Malawi and South Sudan, IOM is strengthening surveillance, contact tracing and access to vaccination at key border points.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Russian army commits murder in Ukraine, independent rights commission says
According to the report of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, the actions of the Russian army constitute two crimes against humanity: first, “killings and forced transfers of population” and second, “deportations and transfers of civilians” from areas occupied by Russian forces, some of whom were tortured.
Systematic and coordinated
The attacks – which hit a wide range of civilian targets in an area stretching more than 300 kilometers along the right bank of the Dnipro River in Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts – are systematically coordinated actions aimed at driving Ukrainians from their homes, the report’s authors say.
Buildings have been damaged by drone and missile attacks in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
They targeted individuals, homes and buildings, humanitarian distribution points and essential energy infrastructure serving civilians.
They also targeted first responders, including ambulances and firefighters, who enjoy special protection under international humanitarian law.
Many attacks hit the same vehicles and infrastructure repeatedly, deliberately setting them on fire, spreading terror among the civilian population and violating their basic human rights.
The UN report Human Rights CouncilThe designated investigation team – created in March 2022 – contains testimonies from residents who have faced criticism, describing their living conditions as unbearable.
“Severe mental pain and suffering”
“We are affected every day, drones fly at all hours – morning, evening, day or night, constantlysaid one man interviewed for the report.
The investigators’ report indicates that Russian authorities coordinated actions to expel or transfer groups of people from areas under occupation. Some were transferred to areas under Ukrainian government control; others were sent to neighboring Georgia.
Detention, torture and confiscation of documents and property are also mentioned – acts which have “inflicted severe mental pain and suffering and constitutes inhumane treatment constituting a war crime and a violation of human rights”, says the report.
Thick black smoke fills the sky above residential buildings in kyiv after a drone strike set fire to a nine-story building in the neighborhood.
On Monday, the commission of inquiry presented the report to the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, which deals with social, humanitarian and cultural issues.
The findings are based on some 500 publicly available crime videos examined – 247 of which were technically verified – and 226 interviews with Ukrainian citizens.
The Commission also examined Russian allegations that Ukrainian armed forces attacked civilian targets in Russian-occupied areas with drones. She was unable to draw any conclusions due to lack of access to the territory, concerns over the safety of witnesses and the lack of response from Russian authorities.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Desperate need for water and food persists as Gaza families head north
Many families are returning to devastated neighborhoods where unstable buildings and unexploded ordnance pose life-threatening risks.
“Water, food and essential services are still severely lacking“, OCHA said, as humanitarian partners race to meet growing demand amid widespread destruction.
Help is coming
Aid continues to arrive in Gaza, with more than 300 truckloads of supplies collected from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing between Friday and Saturday.
The cargo included thousands of pallets of wheat flour, canned food, rice and provisions for hot meals, as well as medical equipment, tents, tarpaulins and winter clothing.
While data on Sunday’s deliveries is still being compiled, the UN confirmed that hygiene kits, postpartum kits and shelter materials entered the Gaza Strip.
THE United Nations Office for Project Services which provides comprehensive emergency services (UNOPS) also distributed some 329,000 liters of diesel to keep hospitals, telecommunications and food operations running.
Hot dishes and bread
Humanitarian partners, working with 170 community kitchens, have now provided more than a million hot meals, mainly in southern and central Gaza.
In Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and Gaza City, 15 UN-supported bakeries produce tens of thousands of bales of bread daily, distributed free to shelters and communities across hundreds of sites.
Teams are also expanding their work to reduce risks from unexploded ordnance – largely caused by the Israeli offensive – as people begin to return home.
During the weekend, nearly 3,200 people in central and southern Gaza received security briefings. Since October 2023, according to OCHA, 150 incidents linked to explosive munitions have resulted in casualties, particularly among children.
Olive grove attacks: West Bank
In the occupied West Bank, OCHA reported continued violence linked to the olive harvest season, which began on October 9.
More than 85 settler attacks on Palestinian farmers and their land have disrupted harvests, injuring more than 110 people and damaging more than 3,000 trees in 50 villages.
Seventeen attacks were recorded last week, mainly in the Ramallah governorate. “These repeated incidents have devastated livelihoods and heightened fears among farming communities.“, said OCHA.
Despite the influx of aid, the UN warns that Gaza’s humanitarian needs remain overwhelming, with food, water and shelter still woefully inadequate as families risk everything to return home.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Press statement by President António Costa following his meeting with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
European Council President António Costa had a meeting with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on 28 October, in Abu Dhabi.
Risk of large-scale atrocities in Sudan’s El Fasher increases ‘day by day’
The agency received reports summary executions of civilians trying to escape what was the last bastion of Sudan’s military government of El Fasher – with indications of ethnic motivations for the killings – and former fighters laying down their weapons, which is prohibited under humanitarian law.
“The risk of further large-scale ethnically motivated violations and atrocities in El Fasher is increasing by the day.“, warned UN human rights chief Volker Turk.
“Urgent and concrete action”
“Urgent and concrete measures must be taken to ensure the protection of civilians in El Fasher and safe passage for those trying to reach relative safety. »
These alarming reports come as the humanitarian situation in Sudan continues to deteriorate since the outbreak of conflict in 2023. With more than 12 million displaced or stateless people and more 24 million hunger, Sudan’s crisis is considered one of the most serious in the world.
Hundreds of people were reportedly arrested while trying to flee, including a journalist, OHCHR said. Many civilians, including local humanitarian volunteers, were also killed by heavy artillery bombardments last week.
“External interference”
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters while in Southeast Asia on Monday, this development marked a “terrible escalation” to the conflict, stressing that it was time for the international community to denounce countries that intervene in the war and “provide weapons” to the warring parties, urging them to accept a ceasefire.
Mr. Guterres stressed that the problem lies not only in the fighting between the army and the RSF, but also in the growing “external interference” this undermines the prospects for a ceasefire and a political solution.
Malnourished and traumatized
“Civilians fleeing El Fasher are often held for ransom along the route, with part of the route controlled by militias,” Denise Brown, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Sudan, said at Monday’s press conference.
She said aid organizations were receiving adults and children “dehydrated, malnourished, some injured and all traumatized.”
According to information received by OHCHR, five men were executed by the RSF for trying to smuggle food into the town, which has been under blockade by the RSF militia – vying for power during a brutal civil war with the army – for 18 months.
Ms Brown said some of the RSF victims were allegedly accused of supporting the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and reports received suggested dozens of civilians had been killed.
She stressed that the dire funding situation, just 27 percent of the request, has left the UN unable to respond to the needs of “traumatized, raped and starving” people.
Aid workers at risk
Nearly 130 aid workers have been killed since the conflict began in April 2023, and volunteers are believed to have been killed in El Fasher, Brown said.
“These people form the backbone of the humanitarian response in the most difficult areas and are also protected by international humanitarian law.“, she added.
Mr. Türk reiterated that RSF commanders have an obligation under international law to protect civilians and ensure the safe passage of humanitarian aid.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Israel responsible for four genocidal acts in Gaza, inquiry chair tells General Assembly
Presenting the Commission of Inquiry’s latest report, Navi Pillay said the findings were based on a legal analysis conducted under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
“We concluded that the State of Israel is responsible for the commission of four genocidal acts in Gaza with the specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, as such,” she said.
“The Commission also found that the Israeli President, Prime Minister and former Defence Minister have incited the commission of genocide.”
Ms. Pillay, a former UN human rights chief, described the situation in Gaza as “the most ruthless, prolonged and widespread attack against the Palestinian people in history.”
Devastation can’t be undone
She said that while the fragile ceasefire and release of hostages and prisoners “offer hope, they cannot undo the devastation that has already occurred,” adding that “the Gaza Strip lies in ruins, rendered nearly uninhabitable.”
She added that Israeli officials had “publicly endorsed plans for the deportation of the population, the construction of settlements and annexation of the territory.”
Although the ceasefire has put such policies on hold, “recent statements by Israeli officials make it clear that these objectives remain firmly in place.”
This was Ms. Pillay’s last report to the General Assembly, after having led the independent international investigative body since July 2021.
Occupied West Bank
In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the Commission found that Israeli policies since October 2023 – along with explicit and implicit support for violent settlers – “demonstrate clear intent to forcibly transfer Palestinians, expand Israeli Jewish civilian presence and annex the majority of the West Bank.”
The purpose, Ms. Pillay said, is “to prevent any potential Palestinian self-determination and statehood and maintain an indefinite occupation.”
Ensure accountability
She urged Member States to ensure justice and accountability “through supporting the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its investigations” and by using universal jurisdiction to prosecute suspects, including dual nationals.
“It pains me that, on my last presentation as chair of this commission, the post-World War Two multilateral system has failed to prevent this genocide,” she said. “The international system has been found wanting.”
She concluded by calling for “truth and reconciliation,” adding that “only through transitional justice can peace eventually take root and flourish.”
Call for permanent ceasefire
Francesca Albanese, the independent UN Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian territories, also briefed the General Assembly committee and underscored the need for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
She urged Member States to ensure Israel’s withdrawal from all occupied territory and the dismantling of Israeli settlements.
Alongside, they must suspend all military, trade and diplomatic ties with Israel “until it ends and remedies its genocide, unlawful occupation and apartheid,” she said, calling also for investigations and, where warranted, prosecutions of those involved in alleged crimes.
“This is how we begin to honour the memory of those killed. And if the Security Council is paralysed, this Assembly must act under uniting for peace with greater resolve than ever before,” she added.
Special Rapporteurs and other human rights experts appointed under the special procedures mandate of the Human Rights Council are not UN staff and are independent of any government or organization. They receive no salary for their work.
