(CNN) – Najah al-Hamid ripped open her black abaya, almost hysterical in her relief as she and her children threw themselves at the feet of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Kurdish-majority militia that expelled ISIS from Raqqa. US-backed forces captured ISIS’ former de facto capital two weeks ago. After three years under the extremist group’s rule, […]
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(UNHCR) – This week, UNHCR Iraq began its winter assistance programme to help vulnerable displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees. Altogether, more than 100,000 households will benefit from additional help over the next four months. Link
(IRIN) – A 10-year-old Rohingya, Mohammed has been working non-stop for the past two weeks, helping his struggling family earn a living in the world’s fastest growing refugee camp. Leaving their former lives in Myanmar’s Rakhine State to set up homes in the teeming camps of southern Bangladesh cost the family hundreds of dollars – money that […]
(NPR) – Months after Mosul was reclaimed from the Islamic State, the brutal acts committed during the militant group’s reign over the major Iraqi city are still coming into focus. That picture grew clearer Thursday, as two U.N. human rights agencies released a report on atrocities committed during ISIS’ final months in power. Link
(UNSMIL) – From 1 October to 31 October 2017, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) documented 38 civilian casualties – 23 deaths and 15 injuries – during the conduct of hostilities across Libya. Victims included 11 men killed and seven injured, three women killed and three injured, and nine children killed (six boys and […]
(NRC) – Fifteen-year-old Mahmoud Nafa sits in a tent in the Kilo 18 displacement camp in Anbar in western Iraq, with his six-month-old cousin in his lap. Surrounded by his family, it’s easy to see that they are close. The baby gurgles happily as Mahmoud smiles at him, masking the sorrow that hangs heavily in the […]
(Al Jazeera) – Since the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, more than eight million Syrian children have been affected by the conflict – out of which 2.4 million have become refugees in the neighbouring countries. The impact of the war on these young lives ranges from direct loss of family members and war injuries, […]
(ICRC) – When fighting stops, there is so much to do. During the battle for Ramadi last year, the Al-Rajaa school for girls was on the front line. It suffered huge damage. The school director, Zainab Faisai, has worked there for 36 years, and she was one of the last to leave. Link
(UN News Centre) – As part of a humanitarian aid convoy to besieged towns on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, United Nations agencies have delivered desperately needed health supplies, hygiene kits and food rations for tens of thousands of people. According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), on Monday night, a humanitarian convoy of 49 […]
(UN News Centre) – Deeply concerned about the abuse of children in war zones, the United Security Council today – in a debate in New York which included Secretary-General António Guterres and his special envoy on the issue – urged countries and non-State actors to allow children access to education and healthcare during and post-conflicts. The […]
