World News in Brief: Arrivals surge in South Sudan, the rise of digital media, Haiti crisis update

This article is published in association with United Nations.

UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, has issued an alert after a surge in the number of displaced people fleeing war-torn Sudan for neighbouring South Sudan.

More than 20,000 crossed into South Sudan last week alone, with the number of daily arrivals tripling, compared to previous weeks.

This includes South Sudanese refugees who have been leaving camps in Sudan’s White Nile State where fighting between Government and opposition militia is continuing.

“The majority of those displaced are women and children,” UNHCR said, as it underscored the impact of the conflict on vulnerable populations.

‘Extremely worrying’

UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado said some were leaving due to the direct impact of continuing violence but others were fearful “of how the situation can evolve in the next few days. Our teams are on the ground – UNHCR and partners – but of course, the situation is extremely worrying in terms of humanitarian assistance.”

The UN agency reported people arriving at the main border crossing at Joda, but also at informal crossing points which are extremely difficult to access.

All the new arrivals need life-saving humanitarian support, with water and healthcare the most urgent needs, especially given the ongoing cholera outbreak, UNHCR said.

Paper and wood see 12 per cent fall in demand because of digital media

Global trade in wood and paper products has dropped steeply due to the rise of digital media, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has reported.

After hitting record production levels in 2021 and 2022, the paper trade continued to trail off last year, FAO said.

Taken together, worldwide wood and paper products trade registered a significant drop of 12 per cent in 2023, with exports decreasing by $64 billion, to $482 billion in total.

Papercuts

According to The FAO’s Global forest products facts and figures 2023 report, production of paper and paperboard contracted by three per cent, as printed media has been increasingly replaced by digital products. Only wood-based panels recording a marginal growth in production, the UN agency said.

Zhimin Wu, Director of FAO’s Forestry Division, said that in addition to growing digitalization, other factors have contributed to the contraction of global paper and wood trade, such as global supply chain disruption, slowing consumer demand and trade restrictions.

Haiti: Gang violence displaces 4,500 people

Armed gangs are continuing to terrorize Haiti’s capital, forcing thousands more civilians to abandon their homes that has now displaced more than 700,000 people, the UN reported today.

“The activities of armed gangs in the capital Port-au-Prince continue to disrupt people’s lives, especially the most vulnerable,” UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the Noon Briefing in New York.

“The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that between 6 and 8 December, more than 4,500 people have become newly displaced due to ongoing insecurity,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Hot meal distribution

Despite security challenges, humanitarian operations continue. “During the first week of December, the World Food Programme (WFP) distributed more than 100,000 hot meals to 24,000 people across four displacement sites in the capital,” Mr. Dujarric noted.

IOM has delivered water to approximately 14,000 displaced people across six sites, while also providing medical care and mental health support to more than 12,000 people forced from their homes.

In a breakthrough for maternal healthcare in one of Port-au-Prince’s most dangerous districts, “the Isaie Jeanty maternity ward, which is located in Cité Soleil, was able to reopen after being closed for nine months due to insecurity,” Mr. Dujarric said.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is now supplying the facility with essential medicines and equipment, restoring vital services for expectant mothers in the crisis-hit community.