World news in brief: Terror attacks in Pakistan and Burkina Faso, Yemen flood updates, mass graves in Libya
Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated group, claimed responsibility for the attack in Burkina Faso on August 24. The attacks in Pakistan that occurred on Wednesday were claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
Ben Saul, United Nations Human Rights Council-appointed Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights while countering terrorismcalls on both countries to investigate the crimes and prosecute the perpetrators through a fair trial.
“All counter-terrorism operations by the police, security forces and military must comply with human rights laws.and relevant international humanitarian law, including the right to life, the right to be free from arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as well as civil and political rights,” he said.
Victim Support
Mr. Saul also called on the governments of Burkina Faso and Pakistan to support the victims of the attacks.
“I encourage the Government of Burkina Faso to re-engage with the international community…to restore security, address the conditions that lead to insecurity and ensure respect for international humanitarian law,” he said.
Mr. Saul has advised two governments on how to support victims and address terrorist violence.
Appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, Special Rapporteurs are tasked with monitoring and reporting on national or thematic human rights situations. Serving independently of governments and the United Nations, the experts are not UN employees and are unpaid.
Needs soar in Yemen amid catastrophic flooding, UN agency warns
To war-torn Yemen, where the UN refugee agency, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeeswarned that catastrophic flooding had made the situation worse for millions of people displaced in the country.
Agency reported Flooding, caused by three dams breaching due to heavy rains in Al Mahweet province in western Yemen, has devastated entire communities.
At least 97 people have died in flooding over the past month, with many more injured, UNHCR said. More than 56,000 homes across 20 provinces have been damaged or destroyed, displacing more than 1,000 families.
The worst affected areas include Hudaydah, Hajjah, Al-Taweela and Marib.
“Impassable roads are isolating affected areas and hampering rescue efforts,” the UN agency explained.
Basic needs not met
Recent UNHCR assessments indicate that 85 percent of families in Yemen’s refugee and host communities are currently unable to meet their daily food needs.
“Many people have resorted to extreme coping mechanisms, such as reducing their food intake or skipping meals altogether.”, UNHCR stressed, noting that “entire families” face hunger every day in Yemen.
Nearly a decade of conflict between the government and the opposition, mainly Houthi forces, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than 18 million people – including 4.5 million displaced – in urgent need of aid.
This figure includes more than 60,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from the Horn of Africa.
Libya: Mass graves in Tarhuna draw human rights attention
Mass killings, sexual violence and kidnappings in the Libyan city of Tarhuna, which have been taking place since 2013, continue with impunity, posing a risk of further instability and division in the country, the UN human rights office said. OHCHRwarned.
A new report from UN human rights investigators details how an armed group that emerged in 2011, after the overthrow of longtime President Muammar Gaddafi, has exercised brutal control over Tarhuna, a city of 150,000 people about 65 km (41 miles) southeast of Tripoli.
Al-Kaniyat militants’ crimes also include torture, ill-treatment and forced displacement between 2013 and 2022.
Failure to execute justice
Speaking in Geneva on Friday, OHCHR spokesman Seif Magango stressed that “the failure to deliver justice” had led to renewed violence and serious human rights violations in Tarhuna and surrounding areas. The findings echo an earlier report commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council.
“The 2022 Fact-Finding Mission report detailed evidence of atrocities committed in Tarhuna, including the discovery of mass graves containing hundreds of human remains, most of whom were handcuffed, blindfolded, and showing signs of torture.“, he said.
“The report also warns of the possibility of up to 100 such mass burial sites.”
Mr Magango added that Al-Kaniyat’s affiliation with the former Government of National Accord (GNA) and then the Libyan National Army (LNA) created “significant barriers” to accountability and justice.
