‘Do Not Give Up on Children’: Displaced by Violence, a Haitian Girl Finds Hope at School

Forced to flee her home due to gang violence in Haiti’s capital, 13-year-old Dieussika has a simple but powerful message for adults and leaders: “Do not give up on children.”

Dieussika was living peacefully with her family in Port-au-Prince when escalating insecurity forced them to flee. During the chaos, her sister nearly died after suffering a severe asthma attack.

“We had to leave our home,” she said. “But despite everything, I wanted to continue going to school.”


A country in crisis

Haiti remains gripped by a severe security crisis, with armed gangs battling for territorial control across the capital and beyond. The violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, worsening an already fragile humanitarian and economic situation.

For children, the impact has been devastating. During the 2024–2025 school year, more than 1,600 schools were closed, while dozens were damaged or occupied by armed groups. In displacement sites and overcrowded shelters, children often lack textbooks, learning materials, and trained teachers, making education nearly impossible.


Life in displacement

Dieussika and her family moved between multiple temporary shelters, facing poor sanitation, insects, and illness.

“There are diseases and insects that bite,” she said. “But I still wanted to go to school.”

At one displacement site, she was finally able to resume learning through catch-up classes organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

One night, heavy rain soaked her belongings, destroying her books and clothes. Dieussika spent the entire night drying them—determined not to miss school.

“School means so much to me. Without education, my dream would be lost.”


School as a lifeline

With five months of accelerated learning supported by Education Cannot Wait, the UN’s global fund for education in emergencies, Dieussika was able to sit for her exams and return to formal schooling.

Alongside academic lessons, she also received vocational training in crochet, leatherwork, and cosmetology—skills that helped rebuild her confidence.

“I had lost hope,” she said. “But these classes gave me confidence again.”

Her favourite subjects are French and mathematics, and she says she feels proud each time she brings good grades home to her parents.


Dreams rebuilt through learning

Now back in school, Dieussika actively participates in class and dreams of becoming someone who can help children and raise awareness about rejecting armed violence.

“Without school, we cannot achieve our dreams,” she said. “I want to become someone important to help people.”

Her message to decision-makers is heartfelt and direct:

“Do not give up on children. Love them even more and give them opportunities to learn and dream.”


Education under threat—but hope remains

Across Haiti, many adolescent girls drop out of school due to safety risks, caregiving responsibilities, or lack of menstrual hygiene supplies.

Despite these challenges, UN agencies and partners, working with Haitian authorities, have provided educational and psychosocial support to more than 17,500 children, including 10,500 girls.

For Dieussika—and thousands like her—education is more than learning. It is protection, hope, and a pathway out of fear.

At UN, Nations Pledge a People-First Digital Future and Stronger AI Safeguards

UN Member States have pledged to close widening digital divides and introduce stronger safeguards around artificial intelligence (AI), as the UN General Assembly concluded a major global review of digital governance and technology cooperation.

The high-level meeting marked the close of the WSIS+20 review, assessing two decades of progress since the launch of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)—a UN-led process created in the early 2000s when internet access was still limited to a small share of the world’s population.

Today, delegates said the challenge is no longer simply connecting people, but ensuring that rapidly evolving digital technologies—especially AI—are governed in ways that protect human rights, build trust, and promote inclusion.


Why WSIS Still Matters

WSIS was launched in 2003 to guide international cooperation on information and communication technologies (ICTs), using a multi-stakeholder approach that brings together governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, and technical experts.

That model remains central today as digital technologies shape nearly every aspect of life—from economies and education to healthcare and public services—while millions remain digitally excluded.


Digital Divides Are Growing

Addressing the General Assembly, its President Annalena Baerbock warned that although internet access is now essential, progress remains uneven.

Globally, around two-thirds of people are online, but access is far lower in many developing countries. Women and girls continue to be disproportionately excluded.

“Two decades later, our shared vision of a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society remains unfinished,” she said.

She stressed that access alone is insufficient, highlighting the urgent need for responsible governance of AI and emerging technologies, particularly as innovation continues to outpace regulation.


New Commitments for a Human-Centred Digital Era

The meeting concluded with the adoption of an outcome document reaffirming a commitment to a people-centred digital future rooted in human rights and the UN Charter.

Key priorities include:

  • Accelerating efforts to close digital divides
  • Investing in digital infrastructure and skills
  • Creating stable and predictable digital policy environments
  • Strengthening data governance and AI safeguards

The document builds on commitments under the Global Digital Compact and calls for enhanced international cooperation on AI capacity-building, particularly for developing countries. This includes training programmes, access to technical resources, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Member States also agreed to:

  • Establish an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI
  • Launch a Global Dialogue on AI Governance in 2026

Industrialisation Without Destruction: A UN Blueprint for the Future

Since the 19th century, industrialisation has reshaped societies—creating jobs, boosting productivity, and lifting millions out of poverty. Yet it has also fuelled environmental degradation, polluted air and water, and accelerated the climate crisis now threatening communities worldwide.

According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), this destructive trajectory is not inevitable. With the right policies, technologies, and partnerships, industrial development can be inclusive, resilient, and environmentally sustainable.

Speaking at the Global Industry Summit in Riyadh, Fatou Haidara, UNIDO’s Deputy Director-General for Global Partnerships and External Relations, explained how the agency’s mission has evolved as it approaches its 60th anniversary.


From Pollution to Transformation

When UNIDO was founded in 1966, industry was widely viewed as a major polluter and industrial policy carried negative connotations. Today, Haidara said, industrialisation is understood as a systemic process—from policymaking and institutional capacity-building to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

This complexity means no single actor can succeed alone.

“The crucial element is partnerships,” she said, highlighting collaboration with governments and the private sector to create the right conditions for sustainable investment and modern technologies.

At the heart of UNIDO’s work lies a dual imperative: protect the planet while lifting as many people as possible out of poverty.


Supporting Development Amid Conflict

Unlike many institutions, UNIDO continues operating even in conflict-affected countries such as Sudan. Haidara stressed that these are precisely the situations where development support is most needed.

By working remotely with governments on industrial strategies and long-term planning, UNIDO helps lay the groundwork for recovery—even when direct field operations are impossible.


Tailored Climate-Smart Industrial Strategies

Environmental sustainability is central to UNIDO’s approach, but Haidara emphasized that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

  • In some countries, the priority is access to energy
  • In others, it is decarbonising heavily polluting industries
  • Elsewhere, the focus may be energy efficiency or clean technologies

Climate considerations are embedded across all strategies, adapted to each country’s development stage and industrial profile.


Why UNIDO—and the UN—Still Matter

Responding to critics who question the relevance of UN institutions, Haidara argued that the UN is more necessary than ever.

“We are living in a rapidly changing world facing multiple crises. The UN is a neutral, multilateral platform where countries can talk to each other.”

UNIDO’s unique strength, she added, lies in its ability to integrate economic growth, environmental protection, and social inclusion, drawing on six decades of global experience and best practices.

“We are not a humanitarian institution,” Haidara concluded, “but we remain on the side of the people.”

Myanmar Elections Marked by Fear as UN Warns Civilians Are Coerced From All Sides

As Myanmar heads toward elections scheduled for 28 December, the United Nations has warned that civilians are being coerced and intimidated from multiple directions, leaving no space for free or meaningful political participation.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said the military-controlled vote is taking place in a climate of violence, repression, and fear, with civilians pressured by the authorities to participate while armed opposition groups threaten those who do.

“These elections are clearly taking place in an environment of violence and repression,” Türk said, stressing that conditions do not exist for the exercise of freedom of expression, association, or peaceful assembly.


A Vote Under Military Control

The first phase of voting is being organised by Myanmar’s military authorities more than four years after the 2021 coup, which dismantled the elected government, dissolved major political parties, and jailed thousands of political opponents.

Senior political figures remain imprisoned, including former State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

Since the coup, Myanmar has descended into widespread armed conflict, mass displacement, and economic collapse—conditions further aggravated by powerful earthquakes in March 2025, which intensified humanitarian needs across the country.


Dissent Criminalised

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), dozens of people have been detained in recent weeks under a new “election protection law” aimed at silencing criticism.

Among the most severe cases:

  • Three young people in Yangon’s Hlaingthaya Township were sentenced to 42–49 years in prison for hanging anti-election posters.
  • Prominent cultural figures—including film director Mike Tee, actor Kyaw Win Htut, and comedian Ohn Daing—were each jailed for seven years after criticising a pro-election propaganda film.

Displaced communities face additional pressure. OHCHR reports that internally displaced people in areas such as Mandalay Region were warned their homes could be seized or airstrikes would continue if they failed to return to vote.

“Forcing displaced people to undertake unsafe and involuntary returns is a human rights violation,” Türk said.


Threats From Armed Opposition Groups

At the same time, armed groups opposing the military have issued their own warnings against participation.

In mid-November, nine women teachers travelling to ballot-training sessions in Mon Region were reportedly abducted and later released with threats not to engage in the election process. In Yangon, a group calling itself the “Yangon Army” carried out bomb attacks on local administrative offices involved in election preparations, injuring election staff and vowing further assaults.

UN officials have also raised alarm over the introduction of electronic-only voting, combined with expanded surveillance systems using artificial intelligence and biometric tracking, warning these tools could further erode trust and facilitate repression.


Diplomatic Efforts Continue

At UN Headquarters, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN Special Envoy for Myanmar, Julie Bishop, recently completed her third visit to the country.

During the visit, she again met with junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, urging an end to violence to allow humanitarian access and recovery. She also briefed the UN Security Council in closed consultations on the deteriorating situation.


Fears of Deepening Instability

UN officials have repeatedly cautioned that the planned vote is unlikely to restore democracy. Instead, they warn it may entrench instability and prolong conflict.

In October, the Secretary-General cautioned that elections held under current conditions risk “further exclusion and instability”—a warning that UN human rights officials say remains highly relevant.

Can Traditional Medicine Strengthen Modern Healthcare? An Expert Perspective

Traditional remedies such as ginger and cinnamon are gaining renewed global attention—not just as culinary ingredients, but as evidence-based therapeutic tools. This growing interest is at the heart of discussions taking place at the second World Health Organization summit on Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM), held in India this week.

Despite the fact that 40–90% of people worldwide rely on traditional medicine in some form, less than 1% of global health research funding is currently dedicated to studying it. Significant regional gaps also persist, with many countries still lacking national policies governing TCIM.

To explore why this gap exists—and whether traditional medicine can meaningfully complement modern healthcare—UN News spoke with Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General of India’s Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), a key partner of the World Health Organization.

Ayurveda: More Than a Treatment

According to Acharya, Ayurveda is both a medical system and a way of life. Rooted in lifestyle balance, diet, and ethical conduct, it prioritizes disease prevention, healthy ageing, and long-term wellbeing, rather than focusing solely on symptom treatment.

This holistic approach, he notes, aligns closely with modern public-health goals—particularly in addressing non-communicable diseases, which are often driven by modifiable factors such as poor diet, stress, inactivity, and environmental exposure.

Why the Evidence Gap Exists

Acharya explains that limited funding for traditional medicine research stems not from lack of relevance, but from methodological challenges. Systems like Ayurveda are complex and individualized, making them difficult to study using conventional biomedical research models.

To address this, CCRAS conducts rigorous clinical and public-health research that integrates classical Ayurvedic principles with modern scientific and ethical standards—covering drug development, medicinal plants, epidemiology, and health-systems research.

WHO’s Strategy for Integration

The WHO’s Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 aims to strengthen the evidence base, safety, effectiveness, and responsible integration of traditional medicine into national health systems.

Acharya emphasizes that progress will require:

  • Sustained investment in high-quality research
  • Evidence-informed integration into health policy
  • Recognition of traditional medicine as a complement, not a replacement, to conventional care

Evidence-Based Examples

One promising example is Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), long used in Ayurveda as an adaptogen. Clinical studies suggest it may help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, while remaining generally safe and well tolerated—highlighting its potential role in mental-health care when used responsibly.

Cautious Optimism for the Future

As health systems worldwide face mounting pressure from ageing populations, chronic disease, and limited resources, Acharya expresses measured optimism that more countries will integrate validated traditional medicine practices into their healthcare frameworks.

“Integration does not mean replacement,” he notes, “but alignment with public-health priorities where evidence supports it.”

Nansen Award Winners Show Compassion for Refugees Is Far from Fading

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced the 2025 Nansen Refugee Award laureates, spotlighting individuals and organizations whose compassion and solidarity continue to transform the lives of displaced people around the world.

This year’s award honours five exceptional leaders and initiatives from Cameroon, Mexico, Ukraine, Iraq, and Tajikistan, each recognised for extraordinary courage, empathy, and dedication to protecting refugees, internally displaced people, and the stateless.

Established in 1954, the Nansen Award celebrates those who go far beyond the call of duty in defending the rights and dignity of people forced to flee.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said the 2025 laureates demonstrate that humanity continues to shine, even in times of global uncertainty.

“This year’s laureates remind us that, even in dark times, compassion remains undimmed. They embody the belief that every person forced to flee deserves dignity, safety and hope.”


A Village That Refused to Turn People Away

The 2025 Global Laureate, Martin Azia Sodea, is a traditional leader from Cameroon whose actions have become a powerful symbol of solidarity.

When tens of thousands of refugees fleeing violence in the Central African Republic arrived in Gado-Badzéré, Chief Sodea and his community made a decisive choice: no one would be turned away. Villagers shared land for housing and farming, helping more than 36,000 refugees rebuild their lives.

“We are all human beings, and we have to take care of each other,” he said, recalling how residents rescued exhausted refugees who collapsed along the road. “There is no distinction between refugees and the host population. We live together.”

His leadership has inspired neighbouring communities and traditional leaders, reshaping attitudes toward refugees across the region.


Regional Champions of Inclusion and Hope

Four additional regional laureates were also recognised in 2025:

  • Mexico: Business leader Pablo Moreno Cadena has championed refugee inclusion by encouraging major employer MABE to hire hundreds of refugees, demonstrating that integration strengthens both businesses and communities.
  • Ukraine: The humanitarian organization Proliska continues to deliver life-saving assistance to millions, often reaching devastated areas within hours of shelling or air strikes.
  • Iraq: Taban Shoresh, a genocide survivor, founded The Lotus Flower, which has supported over 105,000 conflict survivors with protection, counselling, and livelihoods.
  • Tajikistan: Afghan refugee Negara Nazari co-founded the Ariana Learning Centre, providing education to displaced Afghan children who had previously been denied schooling.

A Powerful Message in Difficult Times

Together, the 2025 Nansen Award laureates send a clear message: kindness, courage, and inclusion can change lives. Even amid conflict, displacement, and uncertainty, their actions show that compassion for refugees is not fading — it is being renewed every day by ordinary people making extraordinary choices.

UN and Partners Back New Measures to Help Millions Move from Vulnerability to Opportunity

Senior UN officials and development partners meeting in Doha have reaffirmed their commitment to helping the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) transition toward lasting stability and prosperity—while ensuring that hard-won development gains are not lost once countries leave the LDC category.

The three-day meeting brought together ministers, international agencies, and development partners to focus on how countries can “graduate” successfully from LDC status and, crucially, remain resilient afterward. Graduation occurs when countries reach minimum thresholds in income, human assets, and economic resilience.

At the centre of discussions was the Doha Programme of Action (DPOA), which aims to support 15 additional countries in graduating from LDC status by 2031.


Graduation Is Not the Finish Line

While graduation marks progress, many LDCs remain highly vulnerable to climate shocks, conflict, debt distress, and global trade disruptions. UN experts warned that without tailored post-graduation support, progress can quickly unravel.

Closing the meeting, Rabab Fatima, UN High Representative for LDCs, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, said the discussions reflected a shared determination to make graduation a genuine turning point.

“There is a strong collective will to ensure that graduation becomes a gateway to resilience, opportunity and sustainable prosperity,” she said, calling for deeper cooperation and concrete incentives to support countries beyond graduation.


Learning from Countries in Transition

Countries preparing to graduate—including Bangladesh, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Nepal—shared lessons from their national transition plans.

States that have already graduated highlighted the challenges of phasing out preferential trade benefits and concessional support, stressing the importance of Smooth Transition Strategies—nationally owned plans that help governments adapt to reduced international assistance.

Delegates agreed these strategies must be:

  • Realistic and country-led
  • Integrated into long-term development planning
  • Supported by continued international cooperation

Boosting Productive Capacity and Trade

The meeting emphasized the need to strengthen productive capacity, particularly through:

  • Digital transformation
  • Green and climate-resilient industries
  • Expanded and diversified trade opportunities

These measures are seen as essential for helping LDCs withstand volatile global economic conditions.


New Funding for Transition Support

A key outcome was renewed backing for the iGRAD Facility, which supports countries during the graduation transition period.

The Qatar Fund for Development announced a $10 million pledge to strengthen the facility.

Its Director General, Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, said the contribution reflects Qatar’s commitment to turning the DPOA into measurable progress, highlighting the power of collective action in supporting vulnerable economies.


What Comes Next

The meeting concluded with the Doha Agreed Statement on Global Partnerships for Sustainable Graduation, outlining principles for a more incentive-based and coordinated approach to supporting graduating countries.

A detailed summary of recommendations will be prepared by Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States and submitted to the UN General Assembly ahead of key global discussions in 2027.

World News in Brief: Global Economy Stalls, Modern Slavery Surges, Informal Jobs Persist in Latin America

Global economy slows sharply in 2025 – UNCTAD

Global economic growth is expected to drop to 2.6% in 2025, down from 2.9% in 2024, according to a new analysis by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The report warns that financial market volatility and geopolitical tensions are increasingly shaping global trade, placing developing economies under heavy strain.

UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan stressed that trade today is driven not only by supply chains but also by credit systems, currency markets, and capital flows.

Key pressures highlighted in the report:

  • Developing countries face high borrowing costs, unstable financial conditions, and climate-related economic risks.
  • States exposed to repeated climate shocks now pay an extra $20 billion annually in interest, due to increased risk perception.
  • The US dollar’s dominance is intensifying: its use in SWIFT transactions rose from 39% to about 50% in five years.
  • While this can provide stability during global shocks, it also deepens developing countries’ vulnerability to US financial cycles.

Modern slavery reaches 50 million people worldwide

At the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (2 December), UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that slavery remains a global emergency, not a historical footnote.

Today:

  • 50 million people are trapped in modern forms of slavery
  • Forced labour generates $236 billion in global profits—effectively stolen wages
  • Women and children remain disproportionately affected

Modern slavery includes human trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, child labour, and the recruitment of children in armed conflict.

Regional estimates:

  • Asia & Pacific: 15.1 million
  • Europe & Central Asia: 4.1 million
  • Africa: 3.8 million
  • Americas: 3.6 million
  • Arab States: 0.9 million

Guterres urged governments to intensify efforts to dismantle trafficking networks and protect vulnerable communities facing poverty, discrimination, conflict, or climate-driven displacement.


80% of agricultural jobs in Latin America remain informal – ILO & FAO

A new joint report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reveals that over 80% of agricultural employment in Latin America continues to be informal, leaving workers without legal protection or social security.

Key findings:

  • 86.4% of women in agriculture work informally (vs. 78% of men)
  • The sector accounts for 46% of all child labour in the region
  • More than half of agricultural workers have low levels of education

Despite limited progress since 2019, informal employment remains widespread, especially among women, youth, and older rural workers.
ILO and FAO are urging the development of integrated policies that transform agriculture into a sector capable of delivering decent work, food security, and sustainable development.

Myanmar’s Planned Elections Draw Strong UN Warnings: “A Path to Deeper Repression, Not Democracy”

The UN is sounding the alarm over Myanmar’s planned late-December elections, warning that the vote is being engineered under military control in an environment defined by fear, violence, and extreme political repression.

According to UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) spokesperson Jeremy Laurence, voting set for 28 December will take place under conditions “rife with threats and violence,” where genuine political participation is actively suppressed.
Since the 2021 coup, more than 30,000 political opponents, including elected leaders, parliamentarians, and activists, have been detained.

Rather than restoring democratic rule, OHCHR warns that the process will intensify insecurity, fear, and polarisation across the country. Their priority, they say, remains halting violence and ensuring humanitarian access—which the military continues to obstruct.

Civilians Trapped Between Pressure and Fear

Speaking from Bangkok, James Rodehaver, head of OHCHR’s Myanmar team, described an atmosphere where civilians are caught between military coercion to vote and armed opposition groups urging them not to participate.

The junta claims it has issued 4,000 pardons, but UN monitoring shows that fewer than 15% of those released have actually been seen leaving detention—and some were rearrested shortly after. Meanwhile, more than 100 new arrests have been made under new election-related “protection rules.”

OHCHR also verified cases such as three youths sentenced to 49 years simply for putting up posters depicting a ballot box pierced by a bullet.

AI Surveillance and Electronic-Only Voting

UN officials expressed deep concern about the military’s introduction of electronic-only voting, paired with expanded surveillance systems using AI and biometric tracking.
These measures, they warn, may further destroy public trust and increase risks for voters.

Humanitarian conditions are worsening as civilians are forced to return home to vote despite active conflict, while aid continues to be blocked in many regions. Nearly 23,000 detainees remain behind bars who “should never have been arrested,” OHCHR said.

Special Rapporteur: “A Charade Designed for Foreign Recognition”

In his October 2025 report to the UN General Assembly, UN Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews called the junta’s planned elections “a charade”, urging the international community to reject the process outright.

Key elements from his assessment include:

  • Institutional changes by the junta are purely cosmetic.
  • Power remains tightly concentrated within military leadership.
  • Opposition leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, remain imprisoned.
  • Over 40 political parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD), have been dissolved.
  • New laws criminalise dissent, restrict online expression, and impose severe penalties for any perceived interference.
  • Large parts of the country are still beyond military control, making a legitimate national election impossible.

According to Andrews, these elections aim not at winning public consent, but at securing international recognition for the junta’s rule.

Crisis in Sudan Deepens: Mass Displacement and Trafficking Fears After Fall of El Fasher

The humanitarian situation in Sudan’s El Fasher has sharply worsened, with mass displacement, rising reports of trafficking, and severe restrictions on aid access following the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) takeover of the city.

UN agencies warn that North Darfur and neighbouring Kordofan are experiencing accelerating displacement and escalating protection risks, especially for women and children. Independent human rights experts say the collapse of civilian protection after El Fasher’s fall has dramatically increased threats of sexual violence, exploitation, and child recruitment.

After 18 Months Under Siege

El Fasher, the last major government-held city in Darfur, fell to RSF on 26 October 2025, ending an 18-month siege that choked residents off from food, medical care, and essential supplies.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP):

  • Families fleeing the fighting are now dispersed across five major areas, including Tawila.
  • Others have reached as far as Dabbah in Northern State and Khartoum.
  • Approximately 1,485 metric tons of food and nutrition supplies—enough for 130,000 people—are currently being transported toward Tawila through the Dabbah Crossing.

New Waves of Displacement in Kordofan

Meanwhile, fighting has intensified in both North and South Kordofan:

  • South Kordofan: Over 1,800 people displaced in a single day (Tuesday).
  • North Kordofan: Nearly 40,000 people displaced between 25 October and 18 November.

Sudan’s conflict, which began in April 2023 with a power struggle between the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), has become one of the world’s worst humanitarian emergencies, marked by famine, mass civilian displacement, and systematic abuses.

Alarming Spike in Trafficking and Sexual Violence

UN-appointed human rights experts say they have received credible reports of:

  • Trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation
  • Sexual slavery in RSF-controlled areas
  • Child recruitment, especially boys
  • Multiple cases of rape and sexual abuse, including the gang-rape of 25 women near El Fasher University

The experts warn:

“Women and girls have been abducted in RSF-controlled areas, and unaccompanied or separated children are at extreme risk of sexual violence and exploitation.”

Since May 2024, over 470,000 people have been displaced multiple times from camps such as Shagra, Zamzam, and Abu Shouk.
Across Sudan, nearly 12 million people—almost half of them children—are now internally displaced or have fled to neighbouring countries.

Urgent Diplomatic Efforts

The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, will travel to Port Sudan and Addis Ababa next week to renew efforts toward political dialogue. His mission will focus on:

  • Civilian protection
  • Unhindered humanitarian access
  • Stabilizing Darfur and Kordofan