World News in Brief: ‘Ruthless assault on human life’ in Sudan, Gaza ceasefire must hold says relief chief, World Cancer Day

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan has again urged warring parties to stop targeting civilians. 

Clementine Nkweta-Salami issued a statement on Tuesday lamenting the “relentless” intensifying shelling, air and drone strikes against civilians in the Darfur and Kordofan regions, and other conflict-affected areas.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and military rivals the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been locked in a battle for power since April 2023, causing widespread death, destruction and displacement.

Indiscriminate attacks ‘deeply alarming’

“Reports of continued indiscriminate attacks on homes, markets and displacement camps are deeply alarming,” said Ms. Nkweta-Salami.  “This is not warfare – this is a ruthless assault on human life.”

Furthermore, “the use of starvation as a weapon of war against innocent people in Al Fasher, North Darfur, is appalling.”

She stressed that the laws of war are clear, noting that all sides to the conflict have a legal and moral obligation to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“The world cannot look away as civilians are caught in the crossfire, bearing the brunt of a war that continues to disregard the most fundamental rules of armed conflict and international humanitarian law,” she said.

The senior official once again called on all sides to respect international humanitarian law, stop targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, and allow immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access to those in need. 

“This war must not continue to be fought at the expense of the lives of innocent Sudanese children, women and men,” she said.

Gaza ceasefire must hold, UN relief chief notes during visit to Israel and OPT

The UN’s top aid official continues his week-long visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory focused on engaging with authorities, aid partners and those on the frontlines of the humanitarian response.

Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher was in Nir Oz in southern Israel on Tuesday, where a quarter of all residents were killed or taken hostage in the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023. 

 In a social media post, he stressed that the ceasefire must hold, that all civilians must be protected, and that all hostages must be freed. 

Aid to Gaza

Mr. Fletcher also held several meetings with Israeli officials, both on Tuesday and on Monday night.

They discussed ways to sustain the surge of humanitarian support to Gaza, as well as the ongoing challenges in the West Bank, where violence has risen. 

The UN and humanitarian partners estimate more than 565,000 people have crossed from the south of Gaza to the north since 27 January, while more than 45,000 people have been observed making the journey from the north to the south.  

Mr. Fletcher arrived in the region on Monday and met Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, in addition to holding separate talks with the president of the Palestine Red Cresent Society. 

© Unsplash/National Cancer Institute

Regular mammograms can help find breast cancer at an early stage.

WHO honours people affected by cancer on World Day against the disease

This Tuesday, 4 February, is World Cancer Day and UN health agency WHO is honouring the courage of people affected by the disease and celebrating scientific progress to treat it.

“Every minute, 40 people are diagnosed with cancer globally, and embark on a journey to overcome it,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted in a post on the social media platform X.

He said that “around the world, WHO is working with partners to create global coalitions, catalyze local action and amplify the voices of people affected by cancer.”

Its efforts to improve the lives of millions include providing medicines for paediatric cancers as well as a global campaign aimed at eliminating cervical cancer.

Tedros also used the commemoration of World Cancer Day to affirm WHO’s commitment to health for all.