LONDON: Western countries including Britain, the United States, France and Germany on Friday urged both sides in war-torn Sudan to let in “urgently required” aid to millions of people in dire need.
War has raged since April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under the country’s de facto ruler Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
Both sides have been accused of war crimes, including targeting civilians and blocking humanitarian assistance.
“The two sides’ systematic obstruction of local and international humanitarian efforts is at the root of this famine,” European and North American nations said in a joint statement.
The countries asked for movement restrictions on the Adre border crossing from Chad, where the United Nations says it has trucks waiting, to be lifted.
It also called for “all possible cross-border routes” to be opened “without impediment,” which both warring sides previously committed to.
“We condemn that, despite the overwhelming urgency, both SAF and RSF persist in obstructing the humanitarian response,” they said in the declaration, signed by the European Commissioner for Crisis Management.
“An immediate and coordinated scale-up of assistance, together with full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to populations in need, is urgently required to mitigate the large-scale loss of life,” they added.
The conflict has left tens of thousands dead and forced more than 11 million people to flee their homes, including nearly three million now in other countries, according to the United Nations.
Around 26 million people face severe food insecurity, with famine declared in the Zamzam displacement camp in Sudan’s western Darfur region.
Several rounds of negotiations have so far failed to put an end to the conflict.
Western nations urge Sudan warring sides to let in aid
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Western nations urge Sudan warring sides to let in aid
- “The two sides’ systematic obstruction of local and international humanitarian efforts is at the root of this famine,” European and North American nations said
- The countries asked for movement restrictions on the Adre border crossing from Chad, where the United Nations says it has trucks waiting, to be lifted
UN peacekeepers attacked by civilians in Lebanon, no casualties reported
- The troops used non-lethal force to protect themselves and those present, according to UNIFIL
- The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were notified and arrived shortly after the incident
DUBAI: A large group of civilians wielding metal rods and axes attacked a patrol of UN troops in southern Lebanon on Friday, causing damage to UN vehicles but no injuries, a United Nations peacekeeping force said.
The UN troops used non-lethal force to protect themselves and those present, according to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), adding the patrol had been on a routine operation between the villages of Jmayjmeh and Khirbat Silim.
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were notified and arrived shortly after the incident, escorting the patrol back to base.
UNIFIL said the patrol had been pre-planned and coordinated with the LAF.
The UN peacekeeping mission stressed that its mandate, under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, guarantees freedom of movement in its area of operations with or without LAF accompaniment.
On Wednesday, UNIFIL said that direct fire from the Israeli army had hit the perimeter of one of its peacekeeping positions in south Lebanon. UNIFIL said the incident on Tuesday was the first of its kind since Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire last November.
British doctor releases footage of aftermath of Israeli strike on Gaza hospital
- Dr. Tom Potokar, consultant plastic surgeon, took video after 6 bombs killed 28 people at European Gaza Hospital
- ‘It’s a direct hit on the hospital … Shrapnel everywhere … Absolute mayhem’
LONDON: A British doctor in Gaza has released footage showing the devastation caused by an Israeli airstrike on the European Gaza Hospital near the southern city of Khan Younis on Thursday.
Dr. Tom Potokar, a consultant plastic surgeon, shared the video with the BBC, documenting the aftermath of an attack by Israel on the facility. Six bombs were dropped on the hospital, killing 28 people.
Potokar, who has traveled to Gaza 16 times to provide vital treatment to Palestinians trapped in the enclave, described the footage as a “snapshot” of his experience working at the hospital.
In the video, he described an “absolutely massive strike … right in front of the emergency room,” as people ran and lay on the ground outside the hospital.
“Shrapnel everywhere. Devastation right in the forecourt of the hospital. Absolutely terrible,” he said in the footage.
In further scenes described as “absolute mayhem,” Potokar walked through the corridors of the hospital as medics, patients and other civilians tried to respond to the attack.
“It’s a direct hit on the hospital,” he said, as screams echoed in the background and smoke billowed through the building.
Standing outside an operating theater, Potokar then turned the camera on himself to survey the damage, and said the facility was “too dangerous” to take people to be operated on, and staff were leaving to find shelter. He later reported that the hospital had been entirely evacuated.
Potokar told the BBC: “We’ve been treating patients with huge open wounds, some even with maggots in, infected, multiple amputations, children down to the age of two with significant nerve injuries, traumatic brain injuries.”
At least 114 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza on Thursday, according to local authorities.
King of Jordan and US vice president discuss regional peace efforts
AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II and US Vice President JD Vance discussed current developments in the Middle East and emphasized the strategic partnership between their two countries during a phone call on Thursday, Petra, the Jordan News Agency, reported.
The king reiterated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid, and an end to hostilities in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
He also highlighted the vital role the United States has in the drive to achieve a lasting peace in the region through a two-state solution.
US ‘troubled’ by Gaza humanitarian crisis: Rubio
- Secretary of state reiterates need for Hamas to release hostages, says it cannot continue to exist
- ‘We’re not immune or in any way insensitive to the suffering of the people of Gaza’
LONDON: The US is “troubled” by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told the BBC.
The Palestinian enclave has been blocked from receiving food and other supplies by Israeli forces for the past 10 weeks.
The blockade was imposed after Israel ended a ceasefire agreement that led to an exchange of hostages held by Hamas and prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Since then, Israel has conducted numerous strikes in Gaza, with an expanded second ground offensive expected in the coming weeks.
Rubio, who was in Turkiye at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, told the BBC: “We’re not immune or in any way insensitive to the suffering of the people of Gaza, and I know that there’s opportunities here to provide aid for them.”
He said Hamas needs to release all remaining hostages, and there is no prospect of peace while the group continues to exist.
Rubio’s words come amid talk of a dispute between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and after at least 114 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
Italy and UAE to announce AI hub deal on Friday
MILAN: Italy and the United Arab Emirates will announce on Friday an agreement to develop an artificial intelligence hub in Italy, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said at an event in Milan.
