A new peer-reviewed Lancet study estimates more than 75,000 Palestinians were killed violently in the first 15 months of Israel's assault on Gaza — far exceeding the 49,000 deaths reported by local health authorities at the time. The independent population survey, the first of its kind, found that women, children and the elderly accounted for 56% of violent deaths, and that official ministry figures likely under-counted the toll.
A UN-coordinated catch-up immunization campaign concluded in Gaza on January 28, reaching 15,678 children under three years of age with vaccines against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, polio, hepatitis B and other preventable diseases — including 58 children who had never received any vaccination and nearly 2,900 who had fallen behind on their schedules. The campaign, the second of three planned rounds, was led by UNICEF, UNRWA, WHO and partners. A third round is set to begin in February.
At least three aid workers were killed and four wounded when RSF forces drone-struck a humanitarian convoy carrying food and supplies through South Kordofan — the second attack on a UN or aid convoy in less than a month. The Sudan Doctors Network condemned the strike as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and called on the UN and human rights organizations to pressure the RSF to protect aid convoys. The attack came as a UN fact-finding mission determined that RSF actions against non-Arab communities in and around el-Fasher bear the hallmarks of genocide.
A Bellingcat investigation has found that child soldiers from both the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces have gone viral on TikTok, with videos of the boys — known as "lion cubs" — attracting millions of views. Experts warn the online celebrity of armed children normalizes violence and drives recruitment. UNICEF's Representative to Sudan called the recruitment of anyone under 18 a grave violation of child rights and urged social media platforms to do more. TikTok removed some accounts only after Bellingcat's inquiry; more than a dozen posts remained accessible at publication.
U.S. intelligence agencies estimate that 15,000 to 20,000 ISIS-linked individuals are now unaccounted for in Syria following the collapse of security at the al-Hol detention camp, which once held more than 70,000 people. The crisis followed the Syrian government's takeover of the camp from Kurdish-led forces, after which large numbers of detainees fled. U.S. officials attributed the breakdown to mismanagement and inadequate perimeter security, while Syria's government acknowledged the dispersal and pledged to monitor suspected extremists.
Children are among approximately 600 Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire took effect, as Trump's Board of Peace holds its inaugural meeting with pledges of $5 billion for reconstruction — a fraction of the $50 billion the UN estimates is needed. About 80 percent of Gaza's buildings were damaged or destroyed, some 200,000 prefab housing units are needed for displaced families, but only about 4,000 are in the pipeline, while Israel has largely limited entry of caravans and temporary homes. Hamas continues to man checkpoints and collect fees while the Palestinian technocrat committee appointed to replace it remains based in Cairo, attending governance training workshops run by the Tony Blair Institute.
Trump's new Board of Peace held its inaugural Washington meeting with over 20 member countries and a mandate extending well beyond Gaza's reconstruction to "securing enduring peace" in other conflict zones. The charter, signed at Davos, invests Trump with broad personal power including veto authority and the right to name his own successor, prompting analysts to call it an alternative to the UN under his chairmanship. Several longtime European allies including France and Spain declined to join, citing concerns about international law and the UN's role; Russia and China have not confirmed whether they will accept invitations.
The Trump administration is proposing a new Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response at the State Department, separating international relief from migration programs, with 192 staff and a $71 million budget led by an assistant secretary requiring Senate confirmation. The move comes months after USAID was dismantled and its humanitarian functions absorbed into State; a congressional staffer called the plan "a step in the right direction" but "half-baked," citing unclear responsibility over food security programming and bifurcated management of UN partnerships. A former senior USAID official said cautiously the proposal at least recognizes the need to rebuild the organizational capacity and human capital lost during the dismantling.
The US threatened to cut UNICEF funding unless the agency abandons what Ambassador Dan Negrea called "progressive ideologies detached from national interests," including gender terminology not recognizing two biological sexes, DEI programming, and partnerships with organizations promoting abortion. Negrea told the UNICEF executive board the agency must refocus on its core mandate of saving children's lives with resource efficiency, warning the US "will not hesitate to defund and withdraw" from non-compliant organizations.
Wednesday 18 February
Human Rights
Epstein files - A panel of independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council says millions of Epstein files suggest the existence of a "global criminal enterprise" that carried out acts potentially meeting the legal threshold of crimes against humanity, committed against a backdrop of supremacist beliefs, racism, and extreme misogyny. More than 1,200 victims have been identified in documents released so far. The experts called for independent investigation and expressed concern about redaction failures that exposed sensitive victim information, saying survivors describe "institutional gaslighting."
UN Security Council meets ahead of Trump's Board of Peace - The UN Security Council convened Wednesday for a high-level session on the Gaza ceasefire and Israel's expanding West Bank settlements — moved up from Thursday after Trump announced his Board of Peace summit for the same date. The scheduling conflict highlighted tensions between the UN's most powerful body and Trump's new initiative, which has drawn skepticism from France, Germany and other close US allies who have declined to join. Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called on the international community to "stop Israel and end their illegal effort against annexation, whether in Washington or in New York." Trump said Board of Peace members have pledged $5 billion toward Gaza reconstruction.
Sudan
15 children among 57 killed in drone strikes - At least 57 civilians — including 15 children — were killed in separate drone strikes across four Sudanese states on February 15-16, prompting UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk to call urgently on all parties to protect civilians and stop attacking civilian objects. Strikes hit a crowded market in North Kordofan, a shelter for displaced persons in West Kordofan, two primary schools in Dilling, a hospital in Sennar state, and a fuel market in West Darfur.
Convoy reaches Dilling after 40 days delay - After over In a rare piece of good news, a 26-truck UN convoy led by UNICEF, WFP and UNDP broke through more than two years of blockage to deliver lifesaving medical, food, nutrition and WASH supplies to over 130,000 people in Dilling and Kadugli, South Kordofan. The convoy was forced to halt for over 40 days due to hostilities before navigating a longer offroad route to reach its destination.
Dead man appointed - South Sudan's government appointed an opposition politician who had died five years earlier to a new election preparedness panel. Analysts say this reflects President Salva Kiir's increasing isolation and reliance on outdated information as the country slides toward renewed civil war. Kiir has fired or rotated dozens of senior officials in the past 18 months, placed Vice-President Riek Machar on trial for treason, and clashed openly with the United States. The UN estimates 280,000 people have been displaced this year and 40,000 children face acute malnutrition, while elections scheduled for December look increasingly unlikely as fighting spreads toward the capital, Juba.
Tuesday February 17, 2026
UNICEF Executive Board - The 2026 first regular session of the UNICEF Executive Board endorsed eight new country programmes while Executive Director Catherine Russell warned that decades of progress in child survival could be lost for the first time in 30 years. Mental health emerged as a critical focus, with one in seven adolescents aged 10-19 living with a mental health condition and a young person dying by suicide every 11 minutes. The Board adopted seven decisions but could not reach consensus on all items, with some put to a vote.
Al Hol - The population at Syria's al-Hol camp has dropped from about 24,000 earlier this year to the low thousands after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces withdrew and the camp came under government control, with most Syrians leaving for home towns and many foreigners travelling to Idlib or Aleppo. Analysts warn that if radicalized detainees support ISIS attacks or a resurgence, this could represent a major blow to the Syrian government, which has already faced five foiled ISIL assassination attempts against President al-Sharaa in the last year. Human rights experts say when women and children leave chaotically they become more vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation, or recruitment by armed groups.
Monday February 16, 2026
Sunday, February 15, 2026
SOUTH SUDAN
Humanitarian partners are treating dozens of wounded patients at Akobo Hospital following clashes between government forces and opposition groups in Northern Jonglei state. "Their condition remains precarious due to unreliable access to emergency referrals and critical life-saving medical care," OCHA reported. The renewed fighting has displaced an estimated 280,000 people and damaged or looted 12 health facilities across four counties, severely disrupting essential health services for vulnerable populations. Security Council members expressed grave concern and called for immediate cessation of hostilities.
SUDAN
More Than a Dozen Countries Fueling War With Arms, UK Says
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the Munich Security Conference that more than a dozen countries are involved in arms flows to Sudan's warring parties through funding, manufacture, transit, or training. "Those two military sides think there is a military solution when there isn't because they can still get access to arms flows," she said. US envoy Massad Boulos echoed her concerns, saying arms are flowing to both sides from different sources and routes. Cooper denied allegations that the UAE sent British weapons to the RSF, calling claims "unfounded" after reviewing 2,000 export licenses. Boulos urged both sides to agree to an immediate three-month humanitarian truce.
Life Returns to Besieged City, But Drone Attacks Continue
Markets are cautiously reopening in Dilling after the Sudanese army broke a two-year siege that trapped civilians in severe humanitarian crisis. Fresh produce has returned to stalls, but residents face critical medical shortages and daily drone strikes.The city's hospital lacks essential equipment and medicines despite the lifting of the siege.
Women Sentenced to Death by Stoning Amid Judicial Collapse
EU mission chief Wolfram Vetter expressed deep concern over reports that two women have been sentenced to death by stoning in Khartoum and El Gedaref, warning this represents a dangerous return to extremism. The women, from El Gedaref and Blue Nile, are detained in Omdurman prison without legal representation amid the collapse of the justice system. Women's rights activist Dr Neamat Koko condemned the rulings as unlawful, saying the judiciary lacks institutional legitimacy. "At a time when women and girls are already facing war, displacement, and deep insecurity, adding such punitive measures only worsens an already horrific reality," the Strategic Initiative for Women stated.
SYRIA
Most of the 24,000 residents of Al-Hol camp have left after Kurdish forces withdrew on January 20 and Syrian government forces took control the following day. Among those who departed were 6,300 women and children of foreign jihadists who lived in the high-security "Annex" section. "Eighty percent of Al-Hol's residents are believed to have escaped," according to Syria expert Arthur Quesnay, who added that the government appears to lack control over its forces, particularly foreign fighters who see the evacuations as a humanitarian operation. The long-feared scenario of a mass escape from the camp housing families of suspected Islamic State members has now materialized.
Kurdish Neighborhood Rebuilds After Clashes, Children Find Hope
Ninety percent of residents have returned to Sheikh Maqsoud, a Kurdish neighborhood in Aleppo, just weeks after clashes displaced 140,000 people. "We want people to love each other. We've had enough of wars after 15 years," said Ali Sheikh Ahmad, a former local police officer who has returned to his secondhand clothing shop.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
UNICEF Warns of Measles Outbreak Risk as Immunisation Rates Drop
UNICEF's chief field officer Christopher Ngwerume reported that Jiwaka province has the country's lowest measles immunisation coverage, putting children at serious risk of outbreak. "We are pretty much concerned, it's really putting the province at risk for the outbreak of measles," Ngwerume said during a health authority review workshop. UNICEF is supporting outreach immunisation campaigns, mentoring healthcare workers, and addressing child nutrition needs, noting that 85 percent of cognitive development occurs before age five. Clean water access also remains a major concern in rural areas.
Comments
Post a Comment
Please ensure you leave your name, bei either selecting your google account (if you have one), or selecting 'name' from the drop down menu. Enter your name there. If confused, leave your name in the text of your comment.