Latest news with #Lockyear
Days of Palestine
4 days ago
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Doctors Without Borders: Militarization of Aid in Gaza Is Inhumane and a Massive Failure
DaysofPal – Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) has accused the Israeli occupation and its allies of turning humanitarian aid in Gaza into a tool for forced displacement, calling the latest food distribution operation a catastrophic failure in addressing the deepening crisis. In a statement by MSF Secretary General Christopher Lockyear, the organization described the May 27 distribution in Rafah, southern Gaza, as 'tragic,' noting that dozens were injured by gunfire amid chaos and a severe lack of basic supplies. Lockyear emphasized that Palestinians, driven by hunger and thirst after over three months of complete siege and aid denial, were met with 'systematic inhumane treatment' that has now persisted for more than 19 months. The statement criticized the distribution model for failing to target the areas most severely affected. Instead, it funnels aid only into locations pre-designated by Israeli forces for civilian gatherings, leaving vulnerable populations such as the elderly and disabled with no access to life-saving support. Lockyear condemned the effort as a 'cynical attempt to appear compliant with international humanitarian law,' arguing that in reality, it functions as 'a tool to coerce civilians into abandoning their homes,' as part of what MSF suggests is a broader ethnic cleansing strategy in Gaza. The organization underscored that the aid entering Gaza is not only minimal, but also often obstructed from reaching those in greatest need, paralyzing humanitarian operations amidst total societal collapse. MSF concluded its statement by warning that the ongoing 'weaponization of aid,' combined with indiscriminate bombing and mass displacement, 'may amount to crimes against humanity.' The group renewed its call for a permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unrestricted opening of all crossings to allow the entry of essential supplies, including food, medicine, fuel, and medical equipment. Just hours before MSF's statement, 30 Palestinians were killed and at least 150 injured in a massacre after Israeli forces targeted a crowd of civilians approaching a U.S.-coordinated aid distribution point in Al-Mawasi, Rafah — yet another tragic illustration of the consequences of militarized aid under siege conditions. Shortlink for this post:
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sudan's warring parties fueling world's 'most devastating' aid crisis, say aid officials
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The conflict in Sudan has created the "largest and the most devastating humanitarian crisis in the world" as the warring parties lay siege to towns and block aid deliveries, top aid officials told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday. The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule. The United Nations says that nearly two-thirds of Sudan's population - more than 30 million people - will need aid this year. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. "The Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese Armed Forces, and other parties to the conflict are not only failing to protect civilians – they are actively compounding their suffering," said Christopher Lockyear, head of MSF (Doctors Without Borders). The RSF denies blocking aid or harming civilians and attributes the activity to rogue actors. The RSF has said it would investigate allegations and bring perpetrators to justice. The SAF also denies blocking aid or harming civilians. Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed told the Security Council that the Sudanese government has a national plan for the protection of civilians and added Lockyear did not raise any issues with him when they met privately. FAMINE, CHILD RAPE Famine has taken hold in at least five locations in Sudan, where an estimated 1.3 million children under five live, the head of the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, Catherine Russell, told the Security Council. "Over 3 million children under five are at imminent risk of deadly disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, and dengue, due to a failing health system," she said. Sudan's U.N. ambassador said the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry confirmed this week the stability of the food situation. Hundreds of boys and girls were also raped in 2024, Russell said, noting that in 16 recorded cases the children were under the age of five. She paused before adding: "Four were babies under the age of one." "The data only gives us a glimpse into what we know is a far larger, more devastating crisis," Russell said, citing a database the UN said was compiled by Sudan-based groups helping survivors of sexual violence. Lockyear said MSF teams had provided support for 385 survivors of sexual violence in 2024. "The vast majority — including some younger than 5 — had been raped, often by armed men. Nearly half were assaulted while working in the fields. Women and girls are not merely unprotected; they are being brutally targeted," he said. A U.N. fact-finding mission reported in October that the RSF and allies have committed "staggering" levels of sexual abuse. The RSF has previously said it would investigate allegations and bring perpetrators to justice. The U.S. determined in January that members of the RSF and allied militias committed genocide in Sudan.
Arab News
13-03-2025
- Health
- Arab News
In UN meet, MSF slams ‘indifference' toward war-torn Sudan
UNITED NATIONS: International medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Thursday told the United Nations Security Council that the Sudanese people have been met with 'indifference and inaction' amid nearly two years of war. 'Two years of unrelenting violence have plagued Sudan, two years of devastation, displacement and death, millions uprooted, tens of thousands killed,' MSF Secretary General Christopher Lockyear said at a Security Council meeting. 'Two years of suffering met with two years of indifference and inaction.' Since April 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a war between the nation's army, led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhane, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) helmed by General Mohamed Hamdane Dagalo. 'The war in Sudan is a war on people, a reality that grows more evident by the day,' Lockyear said, accusing the parties of not only failing to protect citizens but also 'actively compounding their suffering.' Lockyear critiqued the Security Council's repeated calls for a ceasefire, calling their actions 'hollow.' 'Whilst statements are being made in this chamber, civilians remain unseen, unprotected, bombed, besieged, raped, displaced, deprived of food, of medical care, of dignity,' he said. The ongoing violence led MSF last month to suspend all activities in the famine-stricken Zamzam IDP refugee camp. 'This Council's failure to translate its own demands into action feels like abandonment to violence and deprivation,' Lockyear said.
Reuters
13-03-2025
- Health
- Reuters
Sudan's warring parties fueling world's 'most devastating' aid crisis, say aid officials
UNITED NATIONS, March 13 (Reuters) - The conflict in Sudan has created the "largest and the most devastating humanitarian crisis in the world" as the warring parties lay siege to towns and block aid deliveries, top aid officials told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday. The war erupted in April 2023 amid a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule. The United Nations says that nearly two-thirds of Sudan's population - more than 30 million people - will need aid this year. "The Rapid Support Forces, the Sudanese Armed Forces, and other parties to the conflict are not only failing to protect civilians – they are actively compounding their suffering," said Christopher Lockyear, head of MSF (Doctors Without Borders). The RSF denies blocking aid or harming civilians and attributes the activity to rogue actors. The RSF has said it would investigate allegations and bring perpetrators to justice. The SAF also denies blocking aid or harming civilians. Sudan's U.N. Ambassador Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed told the Security Council that the Sudanese government has a national plan for the protection of civilians and added Lockyear did not raise any issues with him when they met privately. FAMINE, CHILD RAPE Famine has taken hold in at least five locations in Sudan, where an estimated 1.3 million children under five live, the head of the U.N. children's agency UNICEF, Catherine Russell, told the Security Council. "Over 3 million children under five are at imminent risk of deadly disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, and dengue, due to a failing health system," she said. Sudan's U.N. ambassador said the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry confirmed this week the stability of the food situation. Hundreds of boys and girls were also raped in 2024, Russell said, noting that in 16 recorded cases the children were under the age of five. She paused before adding: "Four were babies under the age of one." "The data only gives us a glimpse into what we know is a far larger, more devastating crisis," Russell said, citing a database the UN said was compiled by Sudan-based groups helping survivors of sexual violence. Lockyear said MSF teams had provided support for 385 survivors of sexual violence in 2024. "The vast majority — including some younger than 5 — had been raped, often by armed men. Nearly half were assaulted while working in the fields. Women and girls are not merely unprotected; they are being brutally targeted," he said. A U.N. fact-finding mission reported in October that the RSF and allies have committed "staggering" levels of sexual abuse. The RSF has previously said it would investigate allegations and bring perpetrators to justice. The U.S. determined in January that members of the RSF and allied militias committed genocide in Sudan.
