World News in Brief: Rights chief ‘horrified’ at deadly PNG violence, Lebanon-Israel ‘knife edge’, Sudan refugees suffer sexual violence
Recent attacks on three villages in East Sepik province, Papua New Guinea, resulted in at least 26 deaths - including 16 children – an event that has left UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk “horrified”, he said in a statement on Wednesday.
The attacks, which took place on 16 and 18 July reportedly occurred because of a land, lake ownership and user rights dispute.
These attacks reportedly stem from conflicts resulting from tribal violence in the southwest Pacific nation in February where about 26 people were also killed.
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) had urged the government at that time to address the issue and ensure the protection of civilians - particularly women and girls.
Preventing more bloodshed
The High Commissioner said the number of those killed in the attacks in East Sepik province could rise to 50 as local authorities continue to look for missing people.
Further, over 200 villagers left the province as their homes were being torched.
“I urge the authorities to conduct prompt, impartial and transparent investigations and to ensure those responsible are held to account,” Mr. Türk said.
“It is also vital that victims and their families receive reparations, including adequate housing, effective protection against further attacks and necessary psychosocial support.”
The High Commissioner also calls on authorities to address the main causes of land and lake disputes in the affected communities to “prevent recurrence of further violence.”
Diplomatic off-ramp to avoid Lebanon-Israel still possible: Special Coordinator
Lebanon and the wider region remains on a knife edge as the war in Gaza grinds on and exchanges of fire continue across its southern border with Israel, the UN Special Coordinator told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Briefing ambassadors behind closed doors, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert gave her update alongside the UN Peace Operations chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix, following the latest report on the UN mission which monitors the so-called Blue Line frontier between Lebanon and northern Israel.
She said Lebanon, along with the wider region, remains on a knife-edge, yet a diplomatic way out is still possible, according to a press release on the proceedings.
Rejecting the notion of an all-out conflict as inevitable, she said both Lebanon and Israel had stated they were not seeking war and she expressed hope that a “Gaza deal” would lead to an immediate return to the cessation of hostilities across the Blue Line.
Tinderbox
The Special Coordinator echoed concerns, however, that a miscalculation by either side could easily ignite a regional war.
She therefore urged no effort be spared to bring both sides back from the brink, while stressing implementation of resolution 1701 as the pathway towards long-term security.
She also explained that, amid an “ongoing presidential impasse” the erosion of State authority and its institutions, was a material fact on the ground.
“She lamented that Lebanese people are forced to survive on remittances or by juggling multiple jobs, and underlined the urgency of reviving progress on economic and financial reforms”, the release issued by her office said.
Sexual violence against Sudanese refugees 'chronically under-reported'
Following disturbing reports of conflict-related sexual violence in the Eastern provinces of Chad, the UN Special Representative who monitors the scourge Pramila Patten visited the Ouaddaï region to assess the situation and meet survivors.
Of the 620,000 refugees who have fled there due to the ongoing hostilities in Sudan, around 90 per cent are women and children.
The numbers of refugees are only increasing, with more than 3,200 people continuing to flee to eastern Chad every week.
Ms. Patten met with refugee women and learned first-hand how sexual violence remains a continuing threat for vulnerable civilians during the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
Cases involved multiple perpetrators, the use of ethnically motivated sexual violence, instances of rape in front of family members and the targeting of women activists and first-responders.
The women also shared their experiences about the challenges they faced in accessing essential services, including legal assistance, mental health care and trauma counselling.
“In any conflict, sexual violence is a chronically under-reported crime, and this case is no exception,” Ms. Patten said.
Surviving without help
“Survivors of sexual violence have not been able to report their cases or access lifesaving assistance due to the magnitude of the crisis, the distance to and paucity of health structures as well as shame and stigma rooted in harmful social norms.”
She said that in most cases, women who were subjected to sexual violence in Sudan or during their flight only sought medical assistance when they realised they were pregnant.
The Special Representative is calling on “all parties to the conflict to comply with international human rights and humanitarian law and in particular to guarantee immediate and complete cessation of all violence against civilians, including sexual violence”.