Suspected drone strike in Sudan kills at least 40 — UN News
In Sudan’s Blue Nile state, near the border with Ethiopia, at least 40 people were killed in a suspected drone strike. Most of those killed were women and girls, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said, citing preliminary information from the scene. As UN News reports, he condemned the horrific reports of the attack and stressed that attacks on civilians are prohibited under international humanitarian law.
Fighting between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and Sudan’s government has intensified in the region in recent months. The sides are fighting for control of strategic towns and bases near the Ethiopian border as part of the conflict for control of the country, which has continued since April 2023. Due to sustained attacks in recent weeks, thousands of civilians have been forced to leave their homes. Dujarric called for those responsible for violations to be held accountable.
Increase in raids in Syria
The UN Human Rights Office said Israeli military raids in southern Syria are intensifying: around 280 incidents were recorded in September alone, the highest monthly figure this year. Reported cases include home raids, movement restrictions, harassment of civilians and arbitrary detentions.
According to UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Shabia Mantoo, 49 Syrians are likely still being held in Israeli custody, although this figure has not been independently verified. Former detainees reported being held for more than a year without an explanation of the reasons and being transferred to unknown facilities. They also reported torture and ill-treatment, including beatings, forced prolonged standing and threats against their families.
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On Monday, near al-Hamidiyah in Quneitra province, Israeli forces reportedly shot dead a 22-year-old man from the town of Jaba. On Wednesday, during a raid in northern Quneitra, a farmer with a disability was reportedly shot in the leg, detained despite bleeding and released an hour and a half later. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for a prompt and impartial investigation into the killing and an end to the harassment of civilians.
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
According to UN Women, nearly 50,000 women and girls in Gaza have been killed or severely injured since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel in October 2023. More than 38,000 of them have been killed, while another 11,700 sustained injuries resulting in lifelong disabilities.
Nearly all women and girls in Gaza have been forced to leave their homes, with most living in tents or amid the ruins of housing. Women head one in four households in the enclave while facing poverty, repeated displacement and dwindling resources. Due to funding cuts, nearly two-thirds of surveyed organizations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank said they were forced to place women and girls on waiting lists or deny them assistance.
