World News in Brief: Hostilities in northeast Syria, response plan in Mali, Uyghur deportations in Thailand

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) issued an alert on Tuesday over intensifying hostilities in the northeast in recent days. 

Between 16 and 18 January, at least three civilians were killed and 14 injured in shelling and other attacks impacting Manbij, Ain al-Arab and other villages near the Tishreen Dam in the eastern Aleppo region.

UN partners also reported that shops in the main market were damaged when an improvised bomb detonated inside a car in Manbij.

These incidents have forced people from their homes and obstructed aid access, OCHA reported after sending a mission to the city on Monday.

The mission visited the Manbij National Hospital and met with local officials, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and local non-governmental organizations to identify and address the issues at stake, according to Farhan Haq, the Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General.

OCHA and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also completed a monitoring mission on Monday to the Ain Al Bayda water station in eastern Aleppo.

Deadly remains

UN partners have recorded 69 explosive ordnance incidents over the first two weeks of January due to contamination, in which 45 people were killed and 60 others wounded.

“Since 26 November, a total of 134 new areas with explosive remnants of war have been identified by partners across five governorates – Idlib, Aleppo, Hama, Deir-ez-Zor and Latakia,” said Mr. Haq.

As people continue to move and return to their communities, UN partners are calling for increased and flexible funding for mine action, including risk education and emergency clearance.                   

Meanwhile, with water and sanitation services suspended in many displacement camps due to funding gaps affecting more than 635,000 people, OCHA asked for increased funding to ensure the continuation of its services.

$770 million response plan launched in Mali

On Tuesday, the UN in collaboration with Mali’s transitional authorities, launched a $770 million humanitarian needs and response plan in the capital Bamako to support millions of people across the country this year.

© UNFPA Mali/Amadou Maiga

Two girls at the Barigondaga displacement site in Mali.

The plan aims to address the urgent needs of 4.7 million people affected by conflict, displacement, health emergencies and climate shocks, according to the Deputy Spokesperson.

Mostly women and children

Nearly 80 per cent of the people to be reached with aid are women and children who are in need of food, water, healthcare and protection support.

Last year, UN partners mobilised nearly 40 per cent of what was required – just over $270 million – enabling lifesaving assistance and protection to reach 1.8 million people.

The Acting UN Humanitarian Coordinator on the ground, Khassim Diagne, said it is urgent that the entire humanitarian community and donors renew their commitment to addressing essential needs in the region.

UN rights experts urge Thailand to halt Uyghur deportations

Independent UN human rights experts have called on Thailand to immediately stop the deportation of 48 Uyghurs to China, citing serious concerns over potential torture and inhumane treatment.

“The treatment of the Uyghur minority in China is well-documented,” the Human Rights Council-appointed experts stated. “We are concerned they are at risk of suffering irreparable harm.”

The experts emphasised the international prohibition on refoulement, which forbids returning individuals to countries where they face real risks of torture or cruel treatment. They urged Thailand to provide urgent medical care to the mostly Muslim Uyghurs being held.

The 48 individuals are part of a larger group of around 350 Uyghurs detained in Thailand since 2014 after crossing the border irregularly. They have reportedly been held incommunicado for over a decade, without access to legal representation, family members or UN officials.

No return

“It is our view that these persons should not be returned to China,” the experts said. “They must be provided with access to asylum procedures and humanitarian assistance, including medical and psycho-social support.”

The experts highlighted that 23 of the 48 Uyghurs held suffer from severe health conditions, including diabetes, kidney dysfunction and paralysis. “It is essential they receive appropriate medical care,” the experts added.

Thai authorities were reminded of their obligation to treat all detainees humanely and with dignity, ensuring access to legal representation, medical assistance and the ability to communicate with lawyers and family members.

The plea underscores the urgent need for Thailand to uphold international human rights standards and protect the Uyghur detainees from potential harm.

Special Rapporteurs and other experts are not UN staff, receive no salary for their work and are fully independent of any government or organization.