War

Here you will find content on the topic War, Page 5 (Pages in total: 29). The listing is sorted by relevancy.

 

Ethnic Cleansing

While there is no legally binding definition, ethnic cleansing can be described as the systematic and deliberate process of removing or displacing a particular ethnic, racial, or religious group from a specific geographic area. This can be done through a variety of means, including 

Ukraine Crisis

Within weeks, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 created one of the largest humanitarian disasters globally. As of February 2025, more than 42,000 civilians were recorded killed or wounded as a result of the war. Violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law occurring in the course of the ongoing armed attack are widespread. Millions of civilians fear for their lives. People in Ukraine continue to be killed, wounded and deeply traumatized by the violence. Civilian infrastructure on which they depend continues to be destroyed or damaged.
By Simon D. Kist, 20 April, 2025

Gaza: Humanitarian supplies near total depletion after seven weeks of aid blockade

In its latest update on Gaza, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that humanitarian supplies are nearing total depletion since Israel imposed a complete blockade on commercial goods and humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip on March 2. More than 2 million people remain trapped, bombed and starving inside the territory, while Israeli attacks on civilians, aid workers, UN personnel, hospitals and ambulances continue with impunity.

International Humanitarian Law

International Humanitarian Law (IHL), also known as the laws of war or the law of armed conflict, is a set of rules and principles that aim to limit the effects of armed conflict and protect individuals who are not or are no longer taking part in the hostilities. It seeks to balance military necessity with humanitarian considerations, minimizing unnecessary suffering and safeguarding the rights of civilians and other non-combatants.

Genocide

Genocide is a term used to describe violent crimes committed against a group with the intent to destroy the existence of the group, in whole or in part. The United Nations Genocide Convention, adopted in 1948, provides a legal definition of genocide as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: 

International Criminal Court

Established in 2002 under the multilateral Rome Statute, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and international court based in The Hague, the Netherlands. The ICC, which has 125 state parties, the majority of the world's states, is independent but is supported by the United Nations General Assembly.

Humanitarian Access

Humanitarian access refers to the ability of humanitarian organizations to reach populations affected by crises and provide them with essential aid and services, such as food, water, shelter, healthcare, and protection. It also encompasses the unimpeded access of these populations to relief goods and emergency services. Access requires the physical capacity to enter crisis zones and operate within them freely, without hindrance from governments, armed groups, or other parties.

Humanitarian Catastrophe

A humanitarian catastrophe is a humanitarian crisis (or emergency) where widespread loss of life, threat to life, and human suffering on an immense scale occur - often over a short period of time. Such events result typically from violence involving armed actors (like states and non-state armed groups), leading to hunger, displacement, disease, and lack of access to essential resources like safe water and shelter. Natural disasters can also cause humanitarian catastrophes such as famine.
By Simon D. Kist, 6 August, 2025

Volume of supplies entering Gaza vastly insufficient for starving population

Despite the tactical pauses that Israel introduced last week to allow some safe passage for humanitarian convoys, the amount of aid that has entered the Gaza Strip remains vastly insufficient for its starving population. United Nations aid trucks continue to face impediments on their way to deliver aid, while UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue to face obstructions that prevent them from bringing in and distributing aid at scale.

WASH

WASH stands for water, sanitation, and hygiene. The acronym WASH is widely used in the context of humanitarian aid and development work by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and United Nations agencies. Access to safe water and sanitation is a human right.

By Simon D. Kist, 5 October, 2023

Ukraine: UN reports mounting civilian toll, rampant human rights violations

In a new report released Wednesday, the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) paints a bleak picture of the human rights situation in the country. With Russia’s invasion well into its 20th month, Ukraine’s civilians continue to pay a horrendous price with nearly 10,000 dead and tens of thousands injured, the report said, noting that over the past six months, the war has claimed, on average, six civilian lives a day. 

By Simon D. Kist, 21 February, 2024

Ukraine: Millions of refugees and IDPs face uncertain future

A new study by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warns that millions of Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) face an uncertain future as Ukraine enters its third year of war with Russia and its battle for survival risks becoming a protracted crisis.  Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is seeking to clarify the fate of 23,000 persons whose families have no news of them, either because they have been captured, killed, or because they lost contact after fleeing their homes.

Palestine Crisis

The overall humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is marked by a protracted political crisis, characterized by 58 years of Israeli military occupation. In October 2023, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip deteriorated drastically following the start of a war by the Israeli military due to atrocities committed by Palestinian armed groups. For more than two years, an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe is raging in Gaza, where civilians are dying from violence, lack of medical treatment, famine, disease, starvation, dehydration, and hypothermia. On October 10, 2025, a ceasefire between Israel and the armed group Hamas went into effect.

Humanitarian Organizations United Kingdom

The United Kingdom offers a diverse landscape of humanitarian organizations, and is home to numerous charities that work on emergency response, poverty, health, education, human rights, and a wide range of other issues. DONARE has selected 25 well-known and influential British humanitarian organizations that respond to humanitarian crises around the world. These charities have a substantial impact on humanitarian efforts worldwide. 

By Simon D. Kist, 12 January, 2025

US declares genocide in Sudan, continues to deny genocide in Gaza

The United States government this week labelled the actions of Sudan's paramilitary forces as genocide and imposed sanctions on its leader for the "horrific, systematic atrocities" committed by his forces in a war that has gripped Sudan for nearly two years, killing tens of thousands of people and driving more than 12 million from their homes. Yet at the same time, the US administration denies that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are being committed in the Gaza Strip.

By Simon D. Kist, 16 August, 2024

Gaza: UN rights chief pleads for end to fighting as death toll passes 40,000

As the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza passed the grim milestone of 40,000, United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday called for an end to the killing "once and for all" and the release of all hostages. Meanwhile, international negotiators meet in Qatar on Friday to renew efforts to end the conflict and avert a wider war in the Middle East.

By Simon D. Kist, 27 April, 2024

Refugee protection: UK breaches undermine international rule of law

The United Nations has reacted strongly to the passage of a bill in the United Kingdom this week that seeks to deport asylum seekers to the African country of Rwanda, in violation of international legal obligations. Following the passage of the "Safety of Rwanda" Bill by the UK Parliament, two UN leaders reiterated their alarm at the damaging impact it will have on refugee protection, human rights and global responsibility-sharing.

By Simon D. Kist, 5 April, 2025

South Sudan: UN peacekeepers step up patrols in displacement camps amid rising tensions

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) says its peacekeepers have stepped up their presence around and inside displacement camps to provide additional security, amid growing fears that the peace agreement will collapse and South Sudan will slide back into war. Meanwhile, high-level political negotiations are underway to convince the country's leaders to avoid the outbreak of a new war, as fighting continues around Ulang in Upper Nile State.

By Simon D. Kist, 30 August, 2025

Relief agencies: Gaza descends into massive famine

Amid reports of increased Israeli military operations across Gaza City on Friday, United Nations aid agencies reiterated their urgent warnings about the ongoing famine and rising preventable diseases linked to the catastrophic living conditions in the war-torn enclave. Famine is currently occurring in the Gaza Governorate and is expected to spread to Deir al Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.