NewzIntel.com

Category: NGOs

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Scotland: Amnesty warns Scottish government to review human rights checks on arms sales

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Grants to arms companies seemingly waived through on a regular basis

    FOI requests reveal that over £3.5 million in grants have been awarded to major arms companies since January 2023

    ‘When Scottish public money has been awarded to arms companies involved in the manufacture of F-35 jets used as part of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, looking the other way can is no longer an option’ – Neil Cowan

    Amnesty International has today warned MSPs that the Scottish Government is not taking seriously its concerns about public funding for arms companies.

    The organisation said Deputy First Minister and Economy Secretary Kate Forbes failed to adequately address Amnesty’s concerns about awarding public money to arms companies linked to states accused of serious human rights violations – and told MSPs to demand ministers acknowledge their international obligations.

    The warning comes ahead of a Scottish Parliament debate today (Wednesday 26 February) on ending all Scottish Government support for arms companies involved in the sale of arms to Israel, led by the Scottish Greens.

    Recent freedom of information (FOI) requests submitted to the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise by Amnesty revealed that over £3.5 million in grants have been awarded to major arms companies, including ones linked to Israel and Saudi Arabia, since January 2023. The FOI responses also confirmed no company has ever failed Scottish Enterprise’s human rights checks.

    Following the FOI disclosures, Amnesty wrote to Kate Forbes on 11 November 2024. In the letter, Amnesty Scotland expressed concern that Scotland may be failing to meet its international obligations and called on Forbes to launch an urgent review of Scottish Enterprise’s human rights checks and of Scottish Enterprise’s funding for arms companies. After receiving a response to that letter on 23 February, Amnesty have described it as “not good enough” with ever growing concern that the issue is not being taken seriously by the Scottish Government. In the letter, Forbes failed to respond directly to questions around the monitoring and impact of the grants and instead placed responsibility on Scottish Enterprise.

    Neil Cowan, Scotland Director at Amnesty International UK, said:

    “The Deputy First Minister’s response to our letter is not good enough. It underlines our deep concern that the Scottish Government is not taking seriously its potential indirect complicity in international humanitarian law violations or crimes against humanity, including genocide.

    “We have repeatedly stated our view that, with grants to arms companies seemingly waived through on a regular basis, the credibility and robustness of Scottish Enterprise’s human rights checks are seriously undermined.

    “When Scottish public money has been awarded to arms companies involved in the manufacture of F-35 jets used as part of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, looking the other way can is no longer an option.

    “MSPs should use today’s Scottish Parliament debate to demand the Scottish Government acknowledges its international obligations in relation to funding for arms companies and takes urgent steps to ensuring those obligations are being met.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Largest forced displacement in the West Bank since 1967 – Oxfam

    Source: Oxfam –

    • At least 800 Israeli military checkpoints, barriers and gates causing unprecedented movement restrictions; two-hour journeys now take twelve, hampering humanitarian response  

    • Largest forced displacement in West Bank since 1967 amid fears of no right of return 

    A dramatic rise in Israeli military violence has caused the largest forced displacement in the West Bank since the Israeli occupation began. As the ‘Gazafication’ of the West Bank unfolds, vital humanitarian work and projects are being delayed or destroyed, Oxfam warned today.  

    More than 40,000 people have been forcibly displaced since the Gaza temporary ceasefire came into force on 19 January – the highest number since Israel occupied the Palestinian Territory including the West Bank, in 1967. The recent Israeli military offensive across the West Bank has particularly impacted the north, with an assault on Jenin just two days after the Gaza ceasefire began, and spread now into Tulkarem, Nur Shams, and El Far’a refugee camps. 

    Palestinian communities across the West Bank are experiencing multiple traumas, including deaths and arbitrary detention, heavily restricted movement and access to jobs and education, and mass demolitions of homes and infrastructure.  

    Suhair Farraj, Director of Oxfam partner Women Media and Development, said:  

    “The situation was never as bad as it is now. There used to be occasional raids by the Israeli army, but nothing like this. Closures and checkpoints make aid delivery nearly impossible. A journey that should take two hours now takes twelve.” 

    Mustafa Tamaizeh, Economic Justice Development Manager and West Bank Response Lead, Oxfam, OPT, said:   

    “In the last month since the ceasefire, the Israeli escalation of violence and destruction in the West Bank has been unprecedented. The Israeli government is pursuing this destruction with full impunity while aiding and abetting illegal Israeli settlers to attack Palestinian communities.  

    “Effectively we are seeing fast-track annexation policies and measures that are making it increasingly difficult and dangerous for Oxfam and other organizations to deliver desperately needed humanitarian programs and reach communities. The acute needs are further compounded by the extensive forced displacement of so many people. 

    “Our staff and partners have reported being denied access or threatened at military checkpoints and aid deliveries blocked. Such restrictions have slowed aid efforts and increased operational costs.”  

    “In the last month since the ceasefire, the Israeli escalation of violence and destruction in the West Bank has been unprecedented. The Israeli government is pursuing this destruction with full impunity while aiding and abetting illegal Israeli settlers to attack Palestinian communities.  

    Mustafa Tamaizeh, West Bank Response Lead

    Oxfam

    Since the beginning of the Israeli forces’ operation in the West Bank on 21 January, 51 Palestinians, including seven children, and three Israeli soldiers have been killed. At Jenin refugee camp, which is now practically deserted, reports from Oxfam partners indicate that Israeli forces have been widening roads and installing Hebrew street signs inside cleared areas.     

    In Jenin refugee camp, on 21 January an Israeli military attack killed at least 12 Palestinians and displaced more than 20,000 people. A young participant in a youth project run by Oxfam and a partner project said the military had been shooting at everyone, burning houses to the ground and destroying infrastructure, including hospitals. Ambulances were blocked for hours. 

    With attacks by illegal Israeli settlers soaring, vital humanitarian work and projects by Oxfam, its partners and other aid agencies, are being delayed. Israeli forces’ operations have caused severe damage to water and sanitation infrastructure, disrupting access to water for tens of thousands of people, leading to growing concerns for public health. Agriculture has ground to a halt. 

    Abbas Milhem, Executive Director of Oxfam partner Palestinian Farmers Union, said:   

    “Since the ceasefire in Gaza, Israel has cut off farmers from accessing their lands across the West Bank, making their lives almost impossible. This month only, the Israeli army ordered the takeover of 1,000 acres of land in the occupied West Bank, emptying the lands of farmers to make it easy for annexation and settlement expansion.  

    “Settlers too, have intensified their attacks. The number of settler attacks every day has multiplied. These include physical attacks, damaging and destroying local agricultural projects, uprooting and cutting down trees, and even shooting at farming communities, forcing large numbers to leave their farmland areas.”   

    Oxfam teams and partners have reported that many rural areas are being put under full closure, cutting off access to humanitarian aid. East Jerusalem is currently closed to Palestinians in the West Bank, as Israel has banned access beyond the restrictions imposed for decades.  

    Oxfam’s Mustafa Tamaizeh, added: “What we are witnessing is a calculated annexation 

    strategy. Overnight, movement between cities has been paralyzed, piling economic and social pressure on already struggling communities. Violations of human rights and international law are happening in plain sight, with impunity, as the international community watches on, complicit in its silence. 

    “As one of our partners described to me, we are now witnessing the same scenes we once watched on TV in Gaza, Rafah, and Deir Al-Balah. We are seeing the ‘Gazafication’ of the West Bank. 

    “The international community must not turn a blind eye while this historic displacement, de-humanisiation and destruction takes place in the West Bank. For too long, Israel’s illegal occupation, oppression and countless grave breaches of International Humanitarian Law across the OPT have been unchecked. Urgent action must be taken so Israel’s impunity ends and aid agencies are granted access to help Palestinians recover and rebuild from the violence so they can fulfill their right to self-determination and live in dignity, freed from occupation”. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Ocean protection policy “hangover” must be addressed by both parties: Greenpeace

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    SYDNEY, Wednesday 26 February 2025 – In response to the major political parties indicating election promises to protect Australia’s oceans, Greenpeace Australia Pacific says a crucial protection framework of a ratified Global Ocean Treaty is still missing.

    Georgia Whitaker, Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner, said:

    “We applaud the intention of both major parties to protect the ocean and tackle the disastrous impacts of industrial fishing, but if either is serious, they must ratify the Global Ocean Treaty; it’s a no-brainer.

    “Australia’s oceans are in crisis, facing serious threats of industrial fishing, climate change and plastic pollution. Our beloved and protected coral reefs are cooking in historic bleaching events, and now the Pacific Ocean is facing the threat of an emerging deep sea mining industry – the ocean needs every lifeline and ally it can get.”

    Australia adopted the historic Global Ocean Treaty–also known as the High Seas Treaty–in 2023, but has yet to ink it into law. To date, 110 countries have signed the treaty, and 17 countries have ratified it, including the Pacific nations of the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau. Once ratified by 60 countries, governments will have the power to propose and create marine sanctuaries in the high seas.

    “Australia is perfectly positioned to be an ocean protection leader on the global stage by ratifying the treaty this June at the UN Ocean Conference. We signed the treaty in 2023, but without action, the new government will lead with the hangover of a policy unfulfilled,” Whitaker said.

    “Aussies love the ocean, and many depend on a healthy, thriving ocean for their livelihoods. We want to see serious commitment to protecting not just our domestic waters, but the international waters that flow into them.”

    —ENDS—

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Too slow, too risky, too impractical: Interim senate report pans nuclear

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    SYDNEY, 26 February 2025: Greenpeace Australia Pacific has welcomed findings by an interim senate report that “there is limited utility in pursuing nuclear power at this point”, and called for parties to focus on delivering achievable and affordable, renewable energy solutions instead.

    “The Senate Inquiry heard evidence from thousands of people and reached the logical conclusion that nuclear is unlikely to be developed in Australia until the mid-2040s at the earliest, is deeply unpopular among Australians, and will be more expensive to build than renewable energy,” Susie Byers, Head of Advocacy, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said. 

    “Taking into account the additional significant risks associated with nuclear waste management and accidents, there are dozens of reasons why nuclear just doesn’t make sense for Australia; and not a single proven reason to support it. 

    “This evidence-based report underscores that the Coalition’s nuclear fantasy is nothing more than a dangerous, nonsensical distraction, and a blatant ploy to keep coal and gas in our system until the 2040s, worsening climate change to deadly extremes. 

    “Remarks by Coalition MP Andrew Constance revealing the party’s plans to take the Paris Agreement’s 2035 target “off the table” earlier this week further underscore the Coalition’s absolute disinterest in doing anything to stop the worsening bushfires, floods, and storms that have devastated millions of Australians in recent years. 

    “Nuclear is a waste of Australians’ time, money, and a bet against a safe climate future for all of us. It will also impose potentially catastrophic risks on communities where the reactors and nuclear waste sites will be located. 

    “Choosing nuclear for Australia’s energy future will threaten our economy, air, land and water, and our kids’ futures, while backing in 100% affordable, safe, proven renewable energy, will strengthen our place in a global clean economy and help avoid unsurvivable consequences of climate change. The choice is clear. 

    —ENDS—

    Note to editors: Greenpeace Australia Pacific’s submission to the inquiry is available here.

    For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Vai Shah on 0452 290 082 or [email protected].

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK/Egypt: Mother’s hunger strike for imprisoned activist son Alaa Abd El-Fattah ‘could be a matter of life and death’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Laila Soueif, 68, has been hospitalised with dangerously low blood sugar and blood pressure

    She has been on hunger strike for over 4 months in a desperate appeal for her son

    Her son, British national Abd El-Fattah, has still not been released after serving an unjust 5-year prison sentence

    ‘The UK Government must make Alaa’s case a top priority – delaying action any further could be a matter of life and death’ – Sacha Deshmukh

    Laila Soueif, the mother of jailed Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah, has been hospitalised just hours before the 150th day of her hunger strike in protest of her son’s imprisonment in Egypt.

    Soueif, 68, has lost nearly 30kg since starting her strike in September. She was admitted to St. Thomas’ hospital yesterday evening after her blood sugar and blood pressure dropped to dangerously low levels, her daughter said in posts on Instagram and X.

    The mathematics professor has survived on herbal tea, black coffee and rehydration salts, since September 29th, after Egyptian authorities failed to free Abd el-Fattah on his scheduled release date.

    Laila met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday 14th February where he gave his ‘personal commitment’ to securing Alaa’s release.

    Mona Seif, Alaa Abd El Fattah’s sister, said:

    “We are running out of time.”

    Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:

    “Laila’s sudden deterioration in health is incredibly worrying. It should never have come to this.

    “Earlier this month the Prime Minister said he would do everything he can to secure the release of Alaa – now is the time to turn promises into results.

    “The Government must make Alaa’s case a top priority – delaying action any further could be a matter of life and death.

    “The long pattern of successive UK governments doing too little on behalf of UK nationals arbitrarily held overseas must be broken before it is too late.”

    Pressure on Egyptian government

    Laila’s hospitalisation comes after a coalition of 25 organisations yesterday, including Amnesty International called on UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy to use the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) that he is currently attending as an opportunity to lead calls for the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah.

    The letter – which was organised by FairSquare and signed by 25 leading human rights organisations including Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, the Egyptian Front for Human Rights and PEN International – urges the UK Foreign Secretary to make a “strong stand” by leading on a joint statement at the HRC, calling for the urgent release of Abd el-Fattah.

    In the letter, the organisations note how the HRC offers an opportunity for states to “make a strong statement condemning Egypt’s ongoing repression”, adding that the Egyptian authorities continue to “crush dissent and stifle civil society, arbitrarily arresting thousands in recent years, including journalists, opposition politicians…and peaceful protesters”. 

    In urging the Foreign Secretary to make a stand for Abd el-Fattah’s release, the organisations say:

    “We remain deeply concerned that Alaa Abd el-Fattah still has not been released after completing his unjust five year prison term in September 2024, particularly given the terrible and urgent risk to the life and health of his 68-year-old mother Laila Soueif, who has been on hunger strike since then.

    “We believe that a UK-led joint statement at the Council would send a powerful message about the importance of Alaa’s emblematic case, and the necessity for Egypt to resolve this immediately, by releasing him so that he can be reunited with his son.”

    The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place in Geneva from Monday 24 February to Tuesday 4 March.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK/USA: Starmer must make it ‘abundantly clear’ to Trump that respecting international law is the only way to secure peace and justice

    Source: Amnesty International –

    PM must oppose any plan to forcefully displace Palestinians

    Negotiations about Ukraine must prioritise justice for all crimes under international law committed since Russia’s military intervention

    ‘Both the war crimes in Ukraine and ongoing genocide in Gaza must end without sacrificing people’s rights or compromising the protection guaranteed under international law’ – Sacha Deshmukh

    Ahead of Prime Minister Starmer’s meeting with President Trump on Thursday 27 February, Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said: 

    “This meeting is a vital opportunity for the Prime Minister to unequivocally stand on the side of international law and human rights and oppose the ruinous logic of ‘might is right’.

    “The Prime Minister has rightly made clear the UK’s support for the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Criminal Court in recent months, and he must make clear to President Trump that these commitments form part of a wider, unequivocal UK commitment to international law.

    “Mr Trump’s advocacy for the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza is outrageous and Mr Starmer must make it abundantly clear that such an act is illegal, and that the UK will take action, regardless of US objections, to prevent Israel’s genocidal acts against Palestinians.

    “Justifying or enabling occupation and annexation, whether of Palestinian or Ukrainian land must be clearly and forcefully opposed with consistent standards applied to all states.

    “Both the war crimes in Ukraine and ongoing genocide in Gaza must end without sacrificing people’s rights or compromising the protection guaranteed under international law.

    “It must be emphasised that the UK will fully and consistently support the rights of both Palestinian and Ukrainian civilians and won’t make any concessions on this to the US President.”

    Evidence of genocide against Palestinians

    In December 2024, Amnesty’s International’s research found sufficient basis to conclude that Israel has committed – and is continuing to commit – genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip. 

    The 296-page report - ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman’: Israel’s Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza - documents how, during its military offensive launched in the wake of the deadly Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on 7 October 2023, Israel has unleashed hell and destruction on Palestinians in Gaza brazenly, continuously and with total impunity. Amnesty examined Israel’s acts in Gaza closely and in their totality, taking into account their recurrence and simultaneous occurrence, and both their immediate impact and their cumulative and mutually-reinforcing consequences. Amnesty considered the scale and severity of the casualties and destruction over time, and also analysed public statements by officials – finding that prohibited acts were often announced or called for in the first place by high-level officials in charge of the war efforts. 

    As a state party to the Genocide Convention, the UK has a legal obligation to use all reasonable means to help prevent genocide and be consistent when supporting international law – just as it has done when calling out crimes carried out by Russian forces. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace Africa applauds the Court’s decision to secure final victory for the Black Johnson Beach campaign

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Dakar: 21-02-2025/The Supreme Court of Sierra Leone has delivered a landmark ruling in favor of the Save Black Johnson Beach campaign, marking a significant victory for environmental conservation. Launched in 2022 by a group of dedicated civilians, the campaign sought to prevent the construction of fishmeal factories and harbour that  would threaten the beach’s delicate ecosystems and overshadow the small-scale fishing on which communities rely. 

    Greenpeace Africa celebrates this historic decision, which not only safeguards Black Johnson Beach but also serves as an inspiring precedent for communities worldwide fighting against environmental injustice.

    Dr. Aliou Ba, Ocean Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa said: 

    “This ruling is a historic victory for the people of Black Johnson and for coastal communities across West Africa. It proves that governments cannot hand over our oceans and lands to destructive industries without consequences. The Supreme Court has spoken, private land and critical marine ecosystems are not for sale. We call on other communities facing environmental destruction to stand up, resist, and demand justice.”

    The fishmeal industry is driving ocean destruction across West Africa, threatening food security and livelihoods. 

    “This Supreme Court decision is a turning point, it shows that communities have the power to resist and win. Black Johnson Beach is now a symbol of resilience and environmental justice. We urge all communities facing similar threats to take action and fight for their rights.We celebrate this victory, but the fight is far from over. Across the region, the fishmeal industry continues to plunder our seas for profit. Greenpeace Africa stands in solidarity with all communities resisting this destruction. We call on those on the frontlines of environmental struggles to stay strong, organize, and push back, because together, we can protect our oceans, our fisheries, and our future.” Added Dr. Aliou. 

    Black Johnson Beach is home to five distinct ecosystems, including pristine beaches and coastal habitats, critical mangrove forests that protect against erosion, marine ecosystems with vital fish breeding grounds, diverse rainforests supporting wildlife, and freshwater rivers and wetlands essential for biodiversity.

    Contacts for  interview:

    Luchelle Feukeng, Communication and Storytelling Manager, [email protected], +237 656 46 35 45 

    Dr. Aliou Ba, Ocean Campaign Lead, [email protected] 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace organisations begin trial defense against Energy Transfer’s SLAPP

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Mandan, North Dakota — Ten years after the world watched the Indigenous-led protests at the Dakota Access Pipeline unfold, representatives from Greenpeace International (GPI) and two Greenpeace entities in the United States arrive at a Morton County courthouse to fight a meritless lawsuit brought by Energy Transfer (ET), today. 

    The trial is currently open to the public in the North Dakota courthouse. Multiple attempts by media and watchdog groups to petition the court for greater transparency and accessibility to the trial proceedings have been denied. The Greenpeace parties’ request for public livestreaming was denied, and a request for expanded media cover by a number of outlets and journalists was also recently denied.

    The US-based fossil fuel pipeline company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline is seeking US$300 million in damages in one of the world’s most brazen examples of a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP). ET’s lawsuit attempts to rewrite the history of the Indigenous-led protest at Standing Rock and could have a chilling impact on free speech in the US and beyond. Since 2017, GPI and Greenpeace organisations in the US have been defending against ET’s lawsuits[1], which ridiculously claim the protests were orchestrated by Greenpeace.

    Deepa Padmanabha, Senior Legal Advisor, Greenpeace USA said: “Beyond the impact that this lawsuit could have on the Greenpeace entities, one of the most worrisome things about the case is that it could establish dangerous new legal precedents that could hold any participant at protests responsible for the actions of others at those protests. And you can imagine that this would have a serious chilling effect on anybody who wants to engage in protest.”

    Kristin Casper, General Counsel, Greenpeace International said: “We are confident Greenpeace International, along with our co-defendants in the US, will ultimately prevail. We will defend Greenpeace International at trial, while also pursuing efforts to recover the costs incurred as a result of ET’s SLAPP suits in the US through legal proceedings in the Netherlands. We are grateful for the support we are receiving from around the world, because when the movement acts together, we win.”

    GPI initiated the first test of the European Union’s anti-SLAPP Directive by filing a lawsuit in Dutch court against ET earlier this month. GPI seeks to recover all damages and costs it has suffered as a result of ET’s back-to-back, meritless lawsuits demanding hundreds of millions of dollars against GPI and the Greenpeace organisations in the US.[2] 

    Energy Transfer’s lawsuits are clear-cut examples of SLAPPs.[3] ET’s lawsuits have been an attempt to bury nonprofits and activists in legal fees, push them towards bankruptcy and ultimately silence dissent. 

    ENDS 

    Notes:

    1. ET’s first lawsuit was filed in federal court under the RICO Act – the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a US federal statute designed to prosecute mob activity. The case was dismissed, with the judge stating the evidence fell “far short” of what was needed to establish a RICO enterprise. The federal court did not decide the defamation or conspiracy claims so ET promptly filed a new case in a North Dakota state court with these and other state law claims 

    2. Greenpeace International files lawsuit against Energy Transfer in first use of EU anti-SLAPP Directive

    3. A report by the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) documented 1049 SLAPP suits in Europe in the period 2010-2023, with 166 lawsuits initiated in 2023. Big Oil companies Shell, Total, and ENI have also filed SLAPPs against Greenpeace entities in recent years, with attempts at silencing ending in embarrassment for Shell and Total.

    Contacts:

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: ‘Drill Baby, Drill’: Report shows Woodside hell-bent on profit while people and nature pay the price

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    SYDNEY/PERTH, Tuesday 25 February 2025 — Greenpeace Australia Pacific has condemned gas corporation Woodside’s annual earnings announcement today, saying its billion dollar profits come at the expense of Australian communities and nature on the frontlines of extreme weather disasters.

    The fossil fuel multinational reported AUD$3.57 billion in net profits after tax for 2024, a 115% year-on-year increase, as output rose to a record high.

    Joe Rafalowicz, Head of Climate and Energy at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “With so many Australians struggling to pay for groceries or rent as the cost of living crisis rages on, it’s not right that fossil fuel corporations are raking in billions from destroying our planet. 

    “Communities across Australia are reeling from the extreme weather disasters unfolding every summer, which the Insurance Council estimates will cost $35.2 billion a year by 2050. It is immoral for fossil fuel corporations like Woodside to toast their profits today, while people on the frontlines are left to pick up the tab when floods or bushfires destroy their homes. 

    “As Ningaloo Reef suffers another mass coral bleaching, Woodside is hell-bent to ‘Drill Baby, Drill’ for even more polluting gas at neighbouring Scott Reef. We must not allow the nature we love to become another victim of the fossil fuel industry’s endless pursuit of profit.

    “The era of rampant corporate greed must end — it’s time for fossil fuel polluters to pay for the climate destruction they are unleashing on communities in Australia, the Pacific and around the world. We must hold polluters like Woodside accountable for their propaganda and for knowingly holding back climate action in this country.

    “Let’s invest in the proven climate solutions we have right now — renewable wind and solar energy backed by storage. Greenpeace will continue to advocate for clean, safe, affordable renewable energy that will reduce global emissions and ensure a livable planet for all.”

    Policies to make polluters pay are gaining momentum around the world, with governments including New York and Vermont introducing legislation forcing fossil fuel companies to pay for the climate destruction caused by their emissions. 

    -ENDS-

    For more information or interviews contact Kate O’Callaghan on 0406 231 892 or [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Germany: Human rights must be a priority for new government after ‘poisonous’ electoral campaign

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to the Bundestag elections results, Julia Duchrow, Amnesty International Germany’s Secretary General, said:

    “This election campaign was divisive poison for our society. It is not mistrust or racist agitation that makes our coexistence safe, but a commitment to the fundamental values of our society: inalienable human rights.

    “We therefore call on all parties tasked with forming a government to recognise the non-negotiability of human rights and international law.

    “The next German government must work to build a strong civil society, bring an end to misanthropic debates and strengthen international law and the institutions that uphold it.

    “In recent weeks, a huge wave of solidarity has emerged in Germany and the activists who stand up for human rights and challenge racism and discrimination need our support, now more than ever.

    “We must ensure that this wave of solidarity does not ebb away and that we remain active and united. We must demonstrate our commitment to the rule of law and human rights wherever we are: in our neighbourhoods, our workplaces and our homes.”

    View latest press releases

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: No Fish Harbour in Sierra Leone: Greenpeace Africa applauds the Court’s decision to secure final victory for the Black Johnson Beach campaign

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Dakar: 21-02-2025/The Supreme Court of Sierra Leone has delivered a landmark ruling in favor of the Save Black Johnson Beach campaign, marking a significant victory for environmental conservation. Launched in 2022 by a group of dedicated civilians, the campaign sought to prevent the construction of fishmeal factories and harbour that  would threaten the beach’s delicate ecosystems and overshadow the small-scale fishing on which communities rely. 

    Greenpeace Africa celebrates this historic decision, which not only safeguards Black Johnson Beach but also serves as an inspiring precedent for communities worldwide fighting against environmental injustice.

    Dr. Aliou Ba, Ocean Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa said: 

    “This ruling is a historic victory for the people of Black Johnson and for coastal communities across West Africa. It proves that governments cannot hand over our oceans and lands to destructive industries without consequences. The Supreme Court has spoken, private land and critical marine ecosystems are not for sale. We call on other communities facing environmental destruction to stand up, resist, and demand justice.”

    The fishmeal industry is driving ocean destruction across West Africa, threatening food security and livelihoods. 

    “This Supreme Court decision is a turning point, it shows that communities have the power to resist and win. Black Johnson Beach is now a symbol of resilience and environmental justice. We urge all communities facing similar threats to take action and fight for their rights.We celebrate this victory, but the fight is far from over. Across the region, the fishmeal industry continues to plunder our seas for profit. Greenpeace Africa stands in solidarity with all communities resisting this destruction. We call on those on the frontlines of environmental struggles to stay strong, organize, and push back, because together, we can protect our oceans, our fisheries, and our future.” Added Dr. Aliou. 

    Black Johnson Beach is home to five distinct ecosystems, including pristine beaches and coastal habitats, critical mangrove forests that protect against erosion, marine ecosystems with vital fish breeding grounds, diverse rainforests supporting wildlife, and freshwater rivers and wetlands essential for biodiversity.

    Contacts for  interview:

    Luchelle Feukeng, Communication and Storytelling Manager, [email protected], +237 656 46 35 45 

    Dr. Aliou Ba, Ocean Campaign Lead, [email protected] 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: David Lammy must ramp up pressure on Egypt to release Alaa Abd El-Fattah at UN Human Rights Council

    Source: Amnesty International –

    58th session of the UN Human Rights Council begins today  

    25 human rights organisations have written to the UK Foreign Secretary urging a ‘strong stand’ for Abd El-Fattah

    British national Abd El-Fattah has still not been released after serving an unjust 5-year prison sentence

    His 68-year-old mother has been on hunger strike for over 4 months in a desperate appeal for her son

    The UK must use the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) as an opportunity to lead calls for the release of British national and human rights defender Alaa Abd el-Fattah, a coalition of 25 organisations have said, in a letter sent to UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy this week.

    The letter – which was organised by FairSquare and signed by 25 leading human rights organisations including Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, the Egyptian Front for Human Rights and PEN International – urges the UK Foreign Secretary to make a “strong stand” by leading on a joint statement at the HRC, calling for the urgent release of Abd el-Fattah.

    In the letter, the organisations note how the HRC offers an opportunity for states to “make a strong statement condemning Egypt’s ongoing repression”, adding that the Egyptian authorities continue to “crush dissent and stifle civil society, arbitrarily arresting thousands in recent years, including journalists, opposition politicians…and peaceful protesters”. 

    In urging the Foreign Secretary to make a stand for Abd el-Fattah’s release, the organisations say:

    “We remain deeply concerned that Alaa Abd el-Fattah still has not been released after completing his unjust five year prison term in September 2024, particularly given the terrible and urgent risk to the life and health of his 68-year-old mother Laila Soueif, who has been on hunger strike since then.

    “We believe that a UK-led joint statement at the Council would send a powerful message about the importance of Alaa’s emblematic case, and the necessity for Egypt to resolve this immediately, by releasing him so that he can be reunited with his son.”

    The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place in Geneva from Monday 24 February to Tuesday 4 March.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Ukraine/Russia: ‘Justice, accountability and reparation’ for victims must be a global priority

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion

    ‘A genuine commitment by President Trump to securing lasting peace in Ukraine must be delivered not in words but in actions’ – Agnès Callamard

    Marking the three-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and amid the start of US-Russia peace talks, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:  

    “At a time when the US President is seeking to re-write the history of the last decade, and particularly of the last three years, the 3rd anniversary of the Russian aggression is a stark reminder of how much the people of Ukraine have endured and lost; of the devastation that Russia has waged against Ukraine.

    “Any negotiations over the future of the people of Ukraine must prioritise justice for all crimes under international law committed since Russia’s military intervention in 2014, accountability for those responsible, and reparations for victims of Russia’s aggression. Past suffering, including deadly Russian airstrikes on civilians and the forcible transfer of children to Russia, must not be forgotten or left unaddressed. Those most impacted by Russia’s war of aggression must have their voices heard and their needs met, and any negotiated outcome that does not account for this will fail in the long-term. 

    “We demand justice, accountability and reparation – as well as meaningful participation in the peace process – for the Ukrainian civilians abducted by Russian security services, prisoners of war tortured and unlawfully convicted, children threatened for studying Ukrainian online, teachers in Russian-occupied Ukraine subjected to forced labour in schools reopened under a Russian curriculum, and Crimean Tatars and other minorities who face brutal suppression as Russia seeks to alter the demographics of occupied territories. Without ending these ongoing violations immediately and strong guarantees for justice, a rushed ‘peace deal’ will only prolong their suffering and ensure impunity for the perpetrators of heinous rights violations. 

    “A genuine commitment by President Trump to securing lasting peace in Ukraine must be delivered not in words but in actions – including supporting all possible avenues for real justice and accountability for those suspected of war crimes and all crimes under international law.” 

    Violations of international human rights and humanitarian law

    Amnesty has documented widespread violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began on 24 February 2022, including acts that amount to war crimes and likely crimes against humanity. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine constitutes aggression, which is a crime under international law. Its strategy and tactics, including continued use of indiscriminate weapons and deliberate targeting of civilians, have caused widespread human suffering and seriously impacted Ukraine’s most vulnerable people, including children and older people. 

    Since March 2023, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and several senior Russian officials. The Trump administration’s focus on a negotiated settlement has renewed attention on the war, but its executive order imposing sanctions against the International Criminal Court earlier this month undermines the rights of victims and survivors of international crimes in Ukraine and beyond. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Ukraine/Russia: Three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion, justice for victims must be a global priority 

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Ahead of the three-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and amid the start of U.S.-Russia peace talks, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:  

    “At a time when the US President is seeking to re-write the history of the last decade, and particularly of the last three years, the 3rd anniversary of the Russian aggression is a stark reminder of how much the people of Ukraine have endured and lost; of the devastation that Russia has waged against Ukraine.” 

    “Any negotiations over the future of the people of Ukraine must prioritize justice for all crimes under international law committed since Russia’s military intervention in 2014, accountability for those responsible, and reparations for victims of Russia’s aggression. Past suffering, including deadly Russian airstrikes on civilians and the forcible transfer of children to Russia, must not be forgotten or left unaddressed. Those most impacted by Russia’s war of aggression must have their voices heard and their needs met, and any negotiated outcome that does not account for this will fail in the long-term. 

    “On the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, we demand justice, accountability, and reparation – as well as meaningful participation in the peace process – for the Ukrainian civilians abducted by Russian security services, prisoners of war tortured and unlawfully convicted, children threatened for studying Ukrainian online, teachers in Russian-occupied Ukraine subjected to forced labour in schools reopened under a Russian curriculum, and Crimean Tatars and other minorities who face brutal suppression as Russia seeks to alter the demographics of occupied territories. Without ending these ongoing violations immediately and strong guarantees for justice, a rushed ‘peace deal’ will only prolong their suffering and ensure impunity for the perpetrators of heinous rights violations. 

    “U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said last week that President Trump wants to end the war in a way that is sustainable and enduring. A genuine commitment by President Trump to securing lasting peace in Ukraine must be delivered not in words but in actions – including supporting all possible avenues for real justice and accountability for those suspected of war crimes and all crimes under international law.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: ‘My family lived on the second floor – where the missile hit and exploded’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    This story contains descriptions of attacks during armed conflict, including descriptions of the people who were killed. We published these details to bear witness to this family’s experience.

    On 24 February 2022, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. For millions of families across the country, this moment marked the beginning of an ongoing nightmare.

    To mark the three-year anniversary, Olga Padey recounts the tragic loss of her niece Anastasia, a passionate gymnast, and nephew Maksym, a young karate champion. They were both killed, along with their mother, when their home was hit by a Russian missile in Kyiv, far from the front lines.

    Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been killed or injured since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Amnesty International has been documenting stories of dozens of families who have lost their loved ones due to Russian aggression.

    My brother, Vasya, lost his entire family: his wife and two children, my niece and nephew. On 8 July 2024, a Russian missile struck their residential building near downtown Kyiv. My brother was on a work trip, so he survived. However, my brother’s life ended as well. He visits the cemetery where his children and wife are buried every day – morning and evening. Now, the house where they lived has been rebuilt, but he would never return there. He lives in the countryside.

    I asked him – should I talk about what happened? Is it important for people to hear this? We understand it won’t bring our loved ones back. But he said, “Yes.” Let there be a memory. Let it be a drop in the sea. A thread to the shirt. A memory, a memory… A memory of them.

    Maksym was just 10 when he was killed Russian missile that destroyed his home. His sister, Anastasia, was eight. This drawing is taken from a memorial calendar produced by Amnesty International Ukraine. The artist is Beata Kurkul.

    My nephew Maksym was 10 years old. He was a long-awaited and loved child. My husband was his godfather. Maksym loved karate – he was a champion. He went fishing with his father a lot, he was his father’s son. Our little Anastasia, Nastya, was eight. She was always cuddling up to her mom, loved rhythmic gymnastics and dreamed of becoming a blogger. “I’ll show you all,” she would promise. Zoryana, my brother’s wife, was tranquil and neat. At their home, everything was always cleaned, cooked, done; I was always amazed at how she managed to do it all. There was never a moment when she just sat and did nothing; she always found something to do.

    The basement wouldn’t have saved them

    I have many photos and videos where they are laughing, talking, running. Those are happy memories of a happy family. But no matter how hard I try to remember only the good, I find myself remembering – every day – the destroyed building. That image. Maybe one day I will forget?

    The basement wouldn’t have saved them, because it collapsed. It was completely destroyed

    Olga Padey

    Zoryana, my brother’s wife, was afraid of rockets. She was scared. I know they usually went down to the basement during air raids. This time, they didn’t. But the basement wouldn’t have saved them, because it collapsed. It was completely destroyed. It would have taken a long time to search for them if they had gone down there. Instead, they hid in the bathroom, following the two walls rule. They lived on the second floor, where the rocket hit and exploded.

    It was an ordinary day. I spoke to my brother in the morning; he said he had left home for work. We talked for about 10 minutes. Later that day, the sirens started, there were explosions as Russians struck a children’s hospital. Then my brother phoned me once more. I thought, “Damn, we just talked this morning, and now he’s calling again.”

    He said, “Part of the building collapsed, Zoryana and the kids were home, they were at home, probably at home.” I told my husband, we quickly woke up our child, and went there. When we arrived, the State Emergency Service was searching for people in the rubble. Then the sirens went off again, and the work was paused.

    The bodies were found the same day

    We stayed by the building all the time. No one answered their phone. I tried to find out whether they had been taken to the hospital, if they were already found, I called different hospitals.

    What’s left of Anastasia and Maksym’s home, after it was hit by a Russian missile in Kyiv. The two children died, along with their mother.

    The bodies were found that same day. The first responders carried out a girl. I thought she was a bit older than my niece, and she had a strand of purple hair. I said, “This is not Nastya.” Nastya is somewhere alive, everything’s fine! But that was Nastya. The day before, they had gone to the hairdresser. Maksym had a haircut, and Nastya made a strand of purple hair. We didn’t know that. When they asked me to identity Maksym, I didn’t recognize him. He had a new haircut, and he had no face.

    At that time, my brother was returning to Kyiv from another city. When he arrived, Zoryana had been found. She had no head.

    There is no safe place

    I found out I was going to have a child during the first year of the full-scale war. I had been waiting to be a mother for so long. I wanted it so much. And it is only thanks to my child that I am holding on. Every day I think about Zoryana, about Maksym and Nastya, about my brother. I think about families, like the family where the father lost his wife and three daughters in Lviv. Or the family in Kharkiv, where the mother and three children were killed.

    In Ukraine, there is no safe place right now. So many people are dying. But for me, it’s such a shock every time… I have hope that justice will be served. That there will be responsibility for all those who give the orders. And for those who directly carry those orders out.  When will that happen? I hope it’s soon.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Sudan: MSF forced to halt our activities as violence engulfs Zamzam camp in North Darfur

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • MSF has taken the difficult decision to suspend all activities in Zamzam camp, Sudan, which hosts around 500,000 people seeking safety from the conflict in Sudan.
    • This comes after an escalation of attacks in and around Zamzam camp.
    • We will continue to look for every opportunity to help people in Zamzam camp without exposing our staff to unacceptable levels of risk, and urges all armed actors in the area to protect civilians.

    Port Sudan – The current escalation of attacks and fighting in and around Zamzam camp for displaced people near El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan, is making it impossible for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to continue providing medical assistance in such dangerous conditions. Despite widespread starvation and immense humanitarian needs, we have no choice but to take the decision to suspend all our activities in the camp, including the MSF field hospital.

    In the first three weeks of February, our teams in Zamzam received 139 wounded patients in our field hospital, mostly suffering from gunshot and shrapnel injuries. Designed to help tackle the massive malnutrition crisis unfolding in the camp, which was declared as undergoing famine conditions by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification last year, the MSF facility cannot provide trauma surgery for people in critical conditions.

    “Eleven patients died while in the MSF hospital, five of them children, because we could neither treat them properly nor refer them to Saudi hospital, the only facility with surgical capacity in nearby El Fasher,” says Yahya Kalilah, MSF’s head of mission in Sudan. “In January and December, two of our ambulances carrying patients from the camp to El Fasher were shot at. Now it’s even more dangerous and as a result, many people, including patients requiring trauma surgery or emergency caesarean sections, are trapped in Zamzam.” 

    The area has seen heavy fighting between the Rapid Support Forces and the Joint Forces, a coalition of armed groups allied with Sudanese Armed Forces, with dreadful consequences on civilians. Besieging and shelling the town of El Fasher for the last 10 months, the Rapid Support Forces have stepped up their offensive in recent weeks and launched attacks against Zamzam camp, in particular on 11 and 12 February. People who were already struggling to survive now find their access to water and food even more compromised, as the central market has been looted and burnt down.

    “Halting our project in the midst of a worsening disaster in Zamzam is a heartbreaking decision. During more than two years, our teams did their utmost to provide care against all odds, despite the siege, supply shortages, and multiple other challenges, calling and waiting for a scaled-up humanitarian response which never materialised,” says Kalilah. “However, as the battle for El Fasher rages on and now directly reaches Zamzam camp, the most minimal security conditions are currently not met for us to stay.” 

    “The sheer proximity of the violence, great difficulties in sending supplies, the impossibility to send experienced staff for adequate support, and uncertainty regarding routes out of the camp for our colleagues and civilians leave us with little choice,” says Kalilah.

    Hosting about 500,000 people, Zamzam camp saw new arrivals fleeing from Abu Zerega, Shagra and Saluma who are now staying in schools, community buildings, or under the trees in the open. They have told our teams of dwellings set on fire, looting, sexual violence, killings, beatings and other abuses in villages and on the roads of El Fasher locality. Some hundred families also reached Tawila, sometimes barefoot after leaving everything behind and escaping horrific violence on their way. 

    We are deeply concerned about the safety of our staff and the hundreds of thousands of people in Zamzam camp and urges the Rapid Support Forces, the Joint Forces and all armed actors in the area to protect civilians and ensure that those willing to flee are able to do so unharmed.

    In North Darfur, we continue to run emergency activities in Tawila while looking for every possible way to help people in Zamzam and El Fasher without exposing our staff to unacceptable risk levels. In West, Central and South Darfur and in other parts of the country, our teams keep responding to the catastrophic malnutrition and health crisis driven by a relentless conflict, continued obstructions of the warring parties, which are exacerbated by a failing humanitarian response.

    MSF reiterates our call to drastically scale-up the provision of assistance in the many places where it remains possible. Warring parties must grant unhindered access for aid delivery, and their allies and influential states must use their leverage to ease the obstacles that are causing deaths and starvation.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Taiwan: Amnesty calls for robust protection of human rights in the digital age at RightsCon2025

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Taiwan must address human rights concerns about the digitalization of government data and other aspects of the country’s Internet governance, Amnesty International Taiwan and its partners will say in a joint statement to be presented to President Lai Ching-Te on 25 February.

    The statement signed by seven organizations will be presented during the 13th edition of RightsCon, a global conference on promoting and safeguarding digital rights, which is taking place for the first time in East Asia, in Taipei, Taiwan, from 24 to 27 February.

    “The Taiwanese government must ensure its approach to digital governance will allow human rights and the rule of law to continue to thrive in the country, 

    Eeling Chiu, Amnesty International Taiwan Director.

    “When this government came to power, it promised to uphold and respect digital rights. It must live up to it. A crucial step would be to improve regulations on personal data protection by adopting and following sound privacy protection principles that give individuals consent over how their personal data is used and the right to retain control over it.”

    The joint statement calls for action on a Digital Bill of Rights drafted and put forward by civil society actors; improvement in the handling and respect of personal data; establishment of a mechanism for accountability and remedy in the event of personal data breaches in public offices; and prevention of the use and abuse of executive powers to restrict internet access.

    RightsCon is expected to tackle a broad spectrum of issues, including regulating social media platforms to prevent them from becoming conduits for online hate, the global proliferation of spyware, as well as the emergence of Technology Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) and increasing repression online.

    “RightsCon provides us with a critical platform for a global dialogue on emerging human rights issues in the digital space. As technology and online interactions rapidly evolve this discussion has become increasingly urgent,” said Eeling Chiu, Amnesty International Taiwan Director.

    Amnesty International Taiwan will be participating in the conference throughout its duration with spokespeople available for media interviews regarding Amnesty’s calls for governments to:

    • enact and enforce robust data protection laws to help promote human rights, ban surveillance advertising that relies on invasive tracking and the profiling of users for profit.
    • establish legally binding measures that require technology companies to conduct human rights due diligence to identify and address human rights impacts related to their global operations, including risks and abuses linked to their algorithmic systems and business models.
    • for Big Tech companies to end their surveillance-based business models; and for social media companies to increase investment in local-language content moderation throughout the world, particularly in non-English speaking, Global Majority countries.

    Background

    Every two years, RightsCon convenes business leaders, policy makers, general counsels, government representatives, technologists, academics, journalists, and human rights advocates from around the world to tackle pressing issues at the intersection of human rights and technology. More than 550 discussion sessions would be held in Taipei and online, bringing together activists, journalists, government representatives and business leaders from around the world to address pressing issues related to human rights in the digital age. Notable speakers at this year’s event include Australian Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) tech official Rashad Abelson, and Tanzanian Parliamentarian Neema Lugangira.

    For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:

    In Taipei – Jingjie Chen, Senior Media Coordinator at AI Taiwan on [email protected]

    In London – Stanley Kwenda, Strategic Communications Advisor at Amnesty Tech on [email protected] or Amnesty International’s press office via [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: DRC: People are trapped in a climate of insecurity amidst clashes in Uvira

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    In recent days, the security situation around the city of Uvira, in South Kivu province of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has rapidly deteriorated, reaching a critical point on 15 February. Residents describe scenes of looting, increased violence, and clashes within the city between the Congolese army (FARDC) and the Wazalendo fighters. Medical facilities have not been spared from gunfire, impacting patient care. Staff from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) who were present at the onset of the clashes testify to the situation.

    “When we heard the shots, we had to take cover quickly, as did the patients, and we had to stop our activities, which delayed their care and treatment,” says an MSF colleague. “The next day, gunfire was coming from everywhere, so we had to stay at home. But the hospital [Uvira’s general referral hospital] was starting to receive a lot of wounded, so we came to the hospital as reinforcements, taking the risk of catching a stray bullet.”

    Since 17 February, the region’s hospitals have been faced with an influx of wounded people, receiving around 10 people a day, including civilians, per structure. Despite the insecurity, Ministry of Health staff continue to provide emergency care, and a large number of staff from other hospital departments have come to help with surgery and the operating theatre. In all, more than a hundred injured people have been treated in just a few days.

    “This week, the city became unlivable, with gunfire from morning to night,” explains an MSF staff member. “Personally, I’ve lost track of the days because we have all been affected. Some of my colleagues were victims of all this chaos, some have been robbed at home by armed men.”

    The chaos in the city and the incessant gunfire have severely impacted the roads and people’s ability to move. This lack of mobility prevents even emergency responders from intervening in time. Ambulances face difficulty moving around, but they continue to pick up lifeless bodies on the roads whenever they can.

    On several occasions, the general referral hospital of Uvira has been caught in the crossfire, seriously endangering patients and staff. The night before last, medical activities had to be interrupted again, and patients had to take shelter to avoid being hit. Armed men also entered the hospital premises roaming and firing inside.

    “These violations and the extreme climate of insecurity that has persisted for several days are unacceptable,” says Caglar Tahiroglu, MSF activities coordinator in Uvira. “We call on all parties to the conflict to respect the protection of civilians, medical personnel and infrastructures as soon as possible so that we can continue to provide medical care to the population.”

    The city of Uvira, which shares a border with Burundi, is on the brink of chaos. Several waves of displacement have been observed amid a climate of distress. Burundian authorities estimate that more than 35,000 people have been on the move since the beginning of February.

    “The first days, I saw entire families leaving their homes with luggage, heading in different directions,” says an MSF medical staff member. “Then I saw the streets empty and become completely deserted. People are afraid. They have very little information about what is actually happening, and they have been affected by the rapid escalation of the crisis in the country, and they imagine all possibilities. Access to food is becoming critical because economic activities have been blocked for six days. We do not know what tomorrow holds for us.”

    Amid persistent insecurity, MSF was forced to reduce its teams in Uvira, where we had been supporting the Ministry of Health in diagnosing and treating patients suffering from mpox for several months. Faced with the influx of wounded and the shortage of equipment, MSF is redirecting some activities to support the care of war-wounded people by delivering vital medical equipment to several medical facilities in the Uvira health zone.

    Staff were anonymised for our colleagues’ protection and safety.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Urgent humanitarian needs persist three years into war in Ukraine story Feb 21, 2025

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    Three years after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, dramatically escalating an international armed conflict that began in 2014, people continue to bear the burden of the war’s devastation in lost lives, lost limbs, and lost homes.

    Over the years, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has seen an increase in patients with war-related trauma in need of early rehabilitation, namely post-amputation physiotherapy, as well as patients requiring treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

    Even if the war were to end tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of people would require years of long-term physiotherapy, or counseling for PTSD.

    Thomas Marchese, MSF head of programs in Ukraine

    “The ferocity of this war has not diminished, and the medical humanitarian needs have only grown more complex,” said Thomas Marchese, MSF head of programs in Ukraine. “Even if the war were to end tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of people would require years of long-term physiotherapy, or counseling for PTSD. Ensuring this care requires an ongoing humanitarian commitment.”

    In areas close to the front lines, daily shelling means that some of the most vulnerable, including older people and people with chronic conditions, have extremely limited access to medical care. Meanwhile, the strain on Ukraine’s medical services has been exacerbated by frequent attacks on hospitals, ambulances, and medical structures.

    Anna Svesova, director of the hospital in Trostianets, near the Russian border. | Ukraine 2023 © Nuria Lopez Torres

    Ukrainians are in need of physical and mental health care

    MSF runs an early rehabilitation project with centers in Cherkasy and Odesa, where people receive early post-operative physiotherapy, mental health support, and nursing care following violent incidents. In this project, MSF treated 755 patients in 2023 and 2024. From one year to the next, there was a 10 percent increase in the number of patients requiring post-operative care for leg amputations. 

    In 2024, half of all patients in the project were diagnosed with either PTSD or depression. The need for mental health support in Ukraine is significant. In addition to the centers in Cherkasy and Odesa, MSF has established a project focused on PTSD in Vinnytsia.

    MSF physiotherapist Inna Didych works with a patient who is preparing for prosthetics after losing his right arm, leg, and nearly all of his vision during fighting on the front lines in Ukraine. | Ukraine 2023 © Pavlo Sukhodolskyi/Voice of America

    Constant state of emergency takes heavy toll on health care system 

    Today, Ukraine’s health care system faces immense pressure, balancing emergency responses with the ongoing needs of patients affected by the war.

    For three years, drone and missile attacks have been a daily occurrence, in some cases striking cities more than 600 miles from the front line. Medical facilities and systems have been forced to adapt to treating patients in bunkers or basements, as well as to frequent power cuts from attacks on energy infrastructure.

    In response to this, MSF operates ambulances that transfer patients from overburdened hospitals near the front line to medical facilities in central and western Ukraine that are better equipped to take care of patients. Over the past three years, MSF ambulances have transferred more than 25,000 patients, more than half of whom had injuries caused by violent trauma. 

    The medical team inside the ICU of the MSF medical train stabilize a seriously war-wounded patient during the journey from Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine to Lviv, in western Ukraine. The journey takes approximately 20 hours. | Ukraine 2022 © Andrii Ovod/MSF

    Relocation is not an option for people with chronic conditions

    In 2024, MSF mobile clinic and ambulance teams working near the front lines saw a significant increase in referrals for patients with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and cancer. In 2023, these cases accounted for 24 percent of all referrals, rising to 33 percent in 2024.

    The continued fighting means that these people are frequently cut off from medical care, just as MSF medical teams are sometimes unable to travel to certain areas due to ongoing shelling.

    Thomas Marchese, MSF head of programs in Ukraine

    However, regular shelling and strikes mean that the access of MSF’s teams is not guaranteed. Many of those living with chronic conditions are older and less mobile. In some areas people have begun living in their basements or in bunkers due to the intense shelling.

    “For some of the most vulnerable people, relocating isn’t an option,” Marchese said. “Not everyone is able to leave their homes and start their life again, but the continued fighting means that these people are frequently cut off from medical care, just as MSF medical teams are sometimes unable to travel to certain areas due to ongoing shelling.”

    Damage to a hospital in Vysokopilla, Kherson. | Ukraine 2023 © Colin Delfosse

    Ukraine’s health care system needs ongoing support

    As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, MSF’s teams witness how the medical humanitarian crisis deepens every day. The strength of the Ukrainian health system in the face of extreme violence is clear, but the need for sustained medical care and mental health support is greater than ever.

    Even if the war were to end tomorrow, the long-term effects on people —physical and psychological— will linger for years to come. Ukraine’s infrastructure has also sustained staggering damage, with hospitals coming under direct attack. Hundreds of thousands of people will require ongoing care, rehabilitation, and therapy for trauma long after the last bomb falls.

    MSF continues to work in Ukraine, close to the front lines and elsewhere in the country, but more support is required.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Democratic Republic of Congo: Statement following the passing of our colleague

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Goma – It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news of the passing of our colleague, Jerry Muhindo Kavali, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He died today from the gunshot wound he suffered while at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) base in Masisi town, North Kivu, during clashes between the VDP/Wazalendo and the M23/AFC on 20 February.

    On 21 February, we managed to transfer Jerry to Goma for treatment in a hospital better equipped to deal with the seriousness of his injuries and to bring him closer to his family. Unfortunately, the efforts of the hospital team were not enough to save him. 

    We stand by his family at this difficult time and send our deepest condolences to all his loved ones and colleagues in Masisi.

    Aged 49, Jerry was a much-loved colleague. He was known for his constant smile, his dedication, his kindness and his unwavering commitment to MSF. Jerry had been with us since 2014.

    The whole MSF family is in mourning today. We also feel anger, as his tragic death comes against a backdrop of increasing violence in and around health and humanitarian facilities in eastern DRC.

    We reiterate our strongest condemnation of the lack of respect for humanitarian work. It is this lack of respect that led to Jerry’s death. Sadly, these incidents are becoming more commonplace during this conflict.

    To all the warring parties, we remind you once again: even war has rules. 

    At the time of writing, the MSF base and Masisi hospital are still full of families who have come there to seek shelter from the fighting, as well as patients who have been treated, many of them women and children who have fallen victim to the violence of the past few days. 

    On 20 February alone, 11 patients were treated for gunshot wounds at the hospital. All were civilians. Seven of them were women and children. 

    MSF has been present in the Masisi health zone since 2007. Our teams support Masisi hospital, the Masisi health centre, the Nyabiondo health centre and several outlying health centres in the area.  

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Over 800 people hospitalised and dozens are dead from waterborne infection in White Nile state Sudan

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Dozens of people have died, and over 800 are being treated for symptoms of acute watery diarrhoea, dehydration, vomiting, and sunken eyes at the Ministry of Health cholera treatment centre in Kosti teaching hospital, which is supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in Sudan’s White Nile state.

    MSF has been supporting cholera-related responses in Kosti and Rabak hospitals since October 2024. Recently, the number of cases had decreased, with some days seeing fewer than 20 patients. However, that suddenly changed on Wednesday night when the first 100 patients arrived at the cholera treatment centre. By Friday afternoon, there were over 800 admitted patients. At least two dozen people died at the centre and at least one person was dead on arrival. So far, 48 patients have been discharged. The numbers continue to rise and keeping a detailed tally has become difficult for the team responding.  

    Patients have overflowed from the MSF-built cholera treatment centre in Kosti hospital, necessitating the use of the hospital’s adult and paediatric emergency rooms to provide additional space for treatment. The MSF team is collaborating with the Ministry of Health staff from Kosti teaching hospital, and additional medical staff from Rabak hospital have also joined the effort to manage the huge number of patients.

    “The ituation is really alarming and is about to get out of control,” says Dr Francis Layoo Ocan, MSF’s project medical referent in Kosti. “The cholera treatment centre keeps receiving patients in critical condition. We’ve run out of space, and we are now admitting patients in an open area and treating them on the floor because there are not enough beds.” 

    “We are mobilising our resources and have been able to manage so far but we are worried that if the situation continues like this over the next few days, we will run out of medical consumables that treat acute dehydration and are keeping patients alive,” says Dr Layoo Ocan. “Not to mention that the medical teams would be completely overwhelmed.”

    “We urgently need other organisations to help respond to this emergency with staff and supplies for managing patients. People need water and it’s vital that outreach activities start to stem this crisis at the source,” he added.

    MSF is supporting the White Nile state’s Ministry of Health in managing patients while assessing the causes of this surge and identifying ways to reduce and stop the spread of the disease. The most likely source of infection is the river, where many families have been collecting water using donkey carts after a major power outage in the area.

    Local health authorities have banned collecting water from the river by donkey carts and requested reinforcing the chlorination in the water distribution system. The market and most restaurants are closed. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace organizations go to trial on high-stakes SLAPP lawsuit that could redefine protest rights

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    430+ orgs and 330,000+ individuals support Greenpeace organizations in fight against abuse of the legal system and corporate overreach

    Mandan, North Dakota (February 21, 2025)–North Dakota is set to become the battleground for one of the most consequential free speech cases in recent history. Energy Transfer, the Big Oil corporation behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, is seeking $300 million in damages from Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace International, accusing these organizations of playing a central role in organizing the Indigenous-led resistance to the pipeline back in 2016. The lawsuit is one of the largest Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) cases ever filed, and one of the biggest cases to go to court in North Dakota. Trial begins on February 24, 2025.

    “This case is a prime example of corporations abusing the legal system to silence critics and keep their operations secret,” said Sushma Raman, Greenpeace USA Interim Executive Director. “It is also a critical test of the future of the First Amendment – both freedom of speech and peaceful protest – under the Trump Administration and beyond. But we are fighting back, and we are not fighting back alone.”

    More than 430 organizations signed an open letter to Energy Transfer including 350.org, Public Citizen, ACLU North Dakota, SEIU, Indigenous Environmental Network, and Amnesty International USA (view full organization list) along with public figures such as Billie Eilish, Jane Fonda, Adam McKay, and Susan Sarandon – plus more than 350,000 individuals from around the world.

    The claims

    Energy Transfer’s claims against the Greenpeace entities fall into three broad categories: defamation, tortious interference, and on the ground claims. 

    The claims related to defamation allege that the Greenpeace entities made false statements, which caused damages to the company.

    “The important thing to note here is that by the time Greenpeace entities made any of these statements that are at issue, these were statements that were already widely circulated in the public,” said Deepa Padmanabha. “These were not statements that Greenpeace invented, and they were all legitimate expressions of the First Amendment protected right to speak.”

    Energy Transfer also claims that Greenpeace made alleged false statements to financial institutions involved with financing the Dakota Access Pipeline – and that based on those statements, the financial institutions took action that cost Energy Transfer hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. The financial institutions, however, had their own commitments and conducted their own due diligence regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline.

    “The last bucket of claims are related to on the ground incidents such as trespass, conversion, and aiding and abetting,” said Padmanabha. “This is the area of claims that makes it clear that Energy Transfer’s target is much bigger than Greenpeace. Beyond the impact that this could have on the Greenpeace entities, one of the most worrisome things about the case is that it could establish dangerous new legal precedents that could hold any participant at protests responsible for the actions of others at those protests – including unknown individuals. And you can imagine that this would have a serious chilling effect on anybody who wants to engage in protest.”

    “Greenpeace played an extremely limited role at Standing Rock, and is proud of showing up in solidarity with Standing Rock activists. At no time did Greenpeace engage in property destruction or violence. All claims to the contrary are a reckless disregard for the truth.”

    Fighting back against SLAPP lawsuits

    SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. These types of cases masquerade as ordinary civil lawsuits, but their true purpose is to retaliate against those who speak out against harms. Such meritless lawsuits are meant to silence or bankrupt opponents by dragging defendants through a long, lengthy, expensive legal process. 

    As SLAPPs are a growing threat, most U.S. states have put legal protections in place to protect advocates. But in North Dakota – and 17 other states – no anti-SLAPP statutes exist. Last Congress, Representatives Raskin, Wyden, and Kiley introduced bipartisan legislation to deter corporations from filing SLAPP suits and to protect everyone’s right to free speech. In Europe, the European Union’s anti-SLAPP Directive entered into force in May 2024. 

    On Feb 11th, 2025, Greenpeace International initiated the first test of the EU’s new anti-SLAPP Directive by filing a lawsuit against Energy Transfer in the Netherlands.

    “Energy Transfer is attempting to hold Greenpeace International, a dutch-based nonprofit foundation accountable for hundreds of millions of dollars of alleged damages for signing on to a letter with over 500 organisations from more than 50 countries,” said Greenpeace International General Counsel Kristin Casper. “It is this, along with many more reasons, we believe Energy Transfer’s pending US$300 million suit is a contender for the award of the most blatant SLAPP anywhere in the world.”

    Big Oil companies Shell, Total, and ENI have also filed SLAPPs against Greenpeace entities in recent years. Just last year, Shell came after Greenpeace UK and Greenpeace International in a multimillion dollar lawsuit. After a quarter of a million people spoke out, the lawsuit was settled in December 2024.

    “Greenpeace has faced a long history of threats,” said Charlie Cray, Greenpeace USA Senior Strategist. “When the Rainbow Warrior ship was bombed in 1985, we said ‘you can’t sink a rainbow.’ And now we’re saying: ‘you can’t sue a movement.’ Whatever happens in North Dakota, we will continue to campaign for a green and peaceful future.”


    Partner quotes

    “The lawsuit against Greenpeace is also an attack on the Indigenous movement in our fight for self-determination to protect Mother Earth, our waters, sacred and cultural sites and our youth and future generations. These colonialist lawsuits are trying to send a warning to anyone who might consider speaking out and to be quiet – any of you could be next.” – Morgan Brings Plenty, Standing Rock Youth Council

    “The case against Greenpeace illustrates how mega-corporations can use lawsuits to silence, intimidate and ruin their critics. America must demand, and Congress must pass, bipartisan legislation to protect First Amendment rights against ruinous litigation practices.” – Rep. Jamie Raskin

    “Amnesty International USA stands steadfast with Greenpeace USA in their fight against Big Oil’s attempt to punish and silence a strong advocate for environmental rights and climate justice for its fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. As we experience the continual warming of our planet year over year due to the burning of fossil fuels, we need Greenpeace USA now more than ever to advocate and be a strong voice for the communities most at risk from the impacts of the climate crisis, rather than defending itself against retaliatory lawfare.” – Justin Mazzola, Researcher, Amnesty International USA

    “Everyone who says they care about freedom – of whatever political stripe – should join together to support the Greenpeace campaign to protect people’s right to speak out against corporate abuses. As Greenpeace knows from its own experience, too often corporations use their political, economic and legal power not just to run PR campaigns justifying their wrongdoing, but to threaten public interest advocates with bad-faith lawsuits (SLAPPs) and other intimidation tactics.” – Robert Weissman, Co-president of Public Citizen

    “Protesters and advocacy groups should never have to fear the weight of groups like ETP [Energy Transfer Partners] as a condition for expressing their First Amendment rights. The court should see this lawsuit for what it is and toss it.” – Brian Hauss, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU 

    “No matter how hard they try, corporate powers will never silence the voice of the people. Working alongside movement allies, we know our collective pursuit of liberation and transformative change endangers what corporations like Energy Transfer rely on: a status quo built on injustice. We know this through our year-round issue-based and electoral organizing. TOP is proud to be in solidarity with Greenpeace as it fights this shameful attempt to stifle dissent and protest.” – David Villalobos, Political Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP)

    Contact: Madison Carter, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected]

    Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: The medical humanitarian needs in Ukraine remain as urgent as ever

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    • The strength of the Ukrainian healthcare system in the face of extreme violence is clear.
    • But as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, the need for sustained medical and mental health support is greater than ever.
    • MSF continues to work in Ukraine, close to the frontlines and further afield, but more support is required.

    Kyiv – Three years after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, dramatically escalating an international armed conflict that began in 2014, people continue to bear the burden of the war’s devastation as seen through their lost lives, lost limbs, and lost homes. The resulting medical humanitarian needs are clearer than ever. The strain on Ukraine’s medical services has only increased, exacerbated by frequent attacks on hospitals, ambulances and medical structures.

    Since 2022, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has seen more patients with war-related trauma in need of early rehabilitation, namely post-amputation physiotherapy. There is also an increase in the number of patients requiring treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. In areas close to the frontlines, daily shelling means that some of the most vulnerable, including older people and people with chronic conditions, have extremely limited access to medical care.

    Inna Didych, MSF physiotherapist, is working with Andrii, a 27-year-old patient who is preparing for prosthetics after sustaining injuries during fighting on the frontlines in Ukraine. Andrii lost his right arm, leg, and nearly all of his vision. Ukraine, October 2023.
    Pavlo Sukhodolskyi/Voice if America

    MSF runs an early rehabilitation project with centres in Cherkasy and Odesa, where people receive early post-operative physiotherapy, mental health support and nursing care following incidents of violent trauma. MSF treated 755 patients in 2023 and 2024. From one year to the next, there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of patients requiring post-operative care for leg amputations.

    In 2024, half of all patients in the project were diagnosed with either post-traumatic stress disorder, or depression. The need for mental health support in Ukraine is significant. In addition to the centres in Cherkasy and Odesa, MSF has established a project focused on post-traumatic stress disorder in Vinnytsia.

    “The ferocity of this war has not diminished, and the medical humanitarian needs have only grown more complex,” says Thomas Marchese, MSF’s head of programmes in Ukraine. “Even if the war were to end tomorrow, hundreds of thousands of people would require years of long-term physiotherapy, or counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder. Ensuring this care requires an ongoing humanitarian commitment.”

    Inessa Bondarenko attends group activities and sessions organised by MSF in Ndamyanka. She is from Kharkiv. Her husband stayed there but she fled. Her daughter is a refugee in Germany. She lives with two cats in a shelter in Ndamyanka, which MSF helped to build. Ukraine, October 2023.
    Nuria Lopez Torres

    Today, Ukraine’s healthcare system faces immense pressure, balancing emergency responses with the ongoing needs of patients affected by the war. For three years, drone and missile attacks have been a daily occurrence, in some cases striking cities more than 1,000 kilometres from the frontline. Medical facilities and systems have been forced to adapt to treating patients in bunkers or basements, as well as to frequent power cuts from attacks on energy infrastructure.

    In response to this, MSF operates ambulances, transferring patients from overburdened hospitals near the frontline to medical facilities in central and western Ukraine with greater capacity. Over the past three years, MSF ambulances have transferred more than 25,000 patients, more than half of whom had injuries caused by violent trauma.

    In 2024, MSF mobile clinic and ambulance teams working near the frontlines saw a significant increase in referrals for patients with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and cancer. In 2023, these cases accounted for 24 per cent of all referrals, rising to 33 per cent in 2024. However, regular shelling and strikes mean that the access of MSF’s teams is not guaranteed. Many of those living with chronic conditions are older, and less mobile, in some areas, people have begun living in their basements or in bunkers, due to the intense shelling.

    View of a destroyed hospital ward in Vysokopilla town, Kherson Oblast. Ukraine, January 2023.
    Colin Delfosse

    “For some of the most vulnerable people, relocating isn’t an option,” says Marchese. “Not everyone is able to leave their homes and start their life again, but the continued fighting means that these people are frequently cut off from medical care, just as MSF medical teams are sometimes unable to travel to certain areas due to ongoing shelling.”

    As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, MSF’s teams witness how the medical humanitarian crisis deepens every day. The strength of the Ukrainian health system in the face of extreme violence is clear, but the need for sustained medical care and mental health support is greater than ever.

    Even if the war were to end tomorrow, the long-term effects on people —physical and psychological— will linger for years to come. Ukraine’s infrastructure has also sustained staggering damage, with hospitals coming under direct attack. Hundreds of thousands of people will require ongoing care, rehabilitation, and therapy for trauma long after the last bomb falls. MSF continues to work in Ukraine, close to the frontlines and further afield, but more support is required.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Côte d’Ivoire: One year on: Evicted Gesco Rivière farmers must be compensated for devastating loss of livelihoods

    Source: Amnesty International –

    The Ivorian authorities must urgently compensate the 133 farmers, their employees and families whose livelihoods were destroyed following the forced evictions on the Gesco Rivière site in Abidjan, Amnesty International said on the first anniversary of the demolitions.

    On 21 February 2024, as part of a series of forced evictions in Abidjan neighbourhoods, farms and fishponds belonging to members of the Agro-Past Eburny association were demolished without prior consultation or notice. The farmers had settled on the Gesco Rivière site, a 4.6 hectares area which had been granted to them in 2011 by a state-owned company for the creation of an agro-pastoral zone, according to Guillaume Ballé Zilé, the association’s president.

    One year after the demolitions, despite the suspension of forced evictions in November 2024 and the authorities’ repeated commitments to compensate and rehouse those affected, none of the farmers has received compensation for their losses, estimated to be at around 650 million FCFA, or 1 million euros, according to president of the Agro-Past Eburny association.

    Where evictions are unavoidable, the authorities must fully adhere to national and international human rights standards.

    Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s interim regional director for West and Central Africa

    “While we have welcomed the authorities’ commitment to suspend evictions and demolitions in Abidjan and to implement compensation measures, the Gesco Rivière farmers have so far not benefited from any of these plans. It is essential that all those affected by forced evictions who have not received compensation are able to benefit from it without delay,” said Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s interim regional director for West and Central Africa.

    Guillaume Ballé Zilé said: “Since February 2024, no government body, in particular the Ministry of Animal Production and Fisheries Resources, to which we were reporting, has reacted, nor has the Yopougon town hall or the Autonomous District of Abidjan.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Amnesty International responds to B.C. court ruling in Indigenous land defenders’ trial

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty International will consider prisoner-of-conscience designations in the cases of three Indigenous land defenders in Canada whose convictions were upheld by a British Columbia court.

    Sleydo’ (Molly Wickham), a Wing Chief (Cas Yikh house) of the Gidimt’en Clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, Shaylynn Sampson, a Gitxsan woman with Wet’suwet’en family connections, and Corey “Jayohcee” Jocko, a Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk), had asked the court to void their convictions on constitutional grounds. They argued that their arrests during – and detention after – a highly militarized November 2021 police raid on unceded Wet’suwet’en territory violated their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

    On Tuesday, a British Columbia judge ruled that the conduct, including anti-Indigenous racist statements, of some Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)/Community Industry Response Group (C-IRG) members during the raid did indeed violate the defenders’ Charter rights. The ruling validates both the experiences of these land defenders and the broader experience of colonial violence that Indigenous Peoples have faced for more than 100 years from the RCMP. However, the judge refused to stay all charges against the defenders and said he would instead consider reduced sentences.

    Amnesty International is reviewing the implications of Tuesday’s decision. Should they receive a sentence that arbitrarily deprives them of their liberty, Amnesty will designate the affected land defenders as prisoners of conscience.

    “We are heartened by Justice Tammen’s stern condemnation of the racist and violent treatment Sleydo’, Shaylynn Sampson and Corey ‘Jayohcee’ Jocko endured during their arrests. Unfortunately, the systematic racism that led to their arrests remains unaddressed”

    -Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section

    “We are heartened by Justice Tammen’s stern condemnation of the racist and violent treatment Sleydo’, Shaylynn Sampson and Corey ‘Jayohcee’ Jocko endured during their arrests,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English-speaking section. “Unfortunately, the systematic racism that led to their arrests remains unaddressed. B.C. and Canada must take immediate steps to stop the criminalization of Indigenous land defenders in the first place. No one should be intimidated, harassed, or arrested, let alone convicted in a criminal court case, for exercising their constitutionally protected rights and protecting the natural environment we all share.

    France-Isabelle Langlois, general director of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone, declared: “Peaceful actions were taken by the Indigenous land defenders with the aim of protecting natural ecosystems that lessen the impacts of climate change. In this global context of the climate crisis, to punish them is preposterous, to say the least, no matter how small the sentence. These actions need to be widely applauded rather than scrutinized by the Court.

    “The Court’s decision to uphold the convictions of the three land defenders is part of a broader context of shrinking civic space in Canada, where Indigenous land defenders, environmentalists, and human right defenders are frequently the victims of political or police repression,” she added. “It is disappointing that we must remind the country and its institutions of their obligations under international law since Canada prides itself on being a leader in human rights.”

    “Peaceful actions were taken by the Indigenous land defenders with the aim of protecting natural ecosystems that lessen the impacts of climate change. In this global context of the climate crisis, to punish them is preposterous, to say the least, no matter how small the sentence. These actions need to be widely applauded rather than scrutinized by the Court”

    -France-Isabelle Langlois, general director of Amnistie internationale Canada francophone

    Amnesty International has vehemently condemned the criminalization of Wet’suwet’en and other land defenders opposed to the construction of Coastal GasLink (CGL) liquefied natural gas pipeline through the Nation’s unceded, ancestral territory. Construction on the 670-kilometre pipeline began without the free, prior and informed consent of the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs, on behalf of their clans. This violates Canadian and international human rights law and standards, including the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was legislated into Canadian law on June 21, 2021.

    Based in part on witness testimony of four large-scale RCMP raids on Wet’suwet’en territory, Amnesty’s 2023 report ‘Removed from our land for defending it’: Criminalization, Intimidation and Harassment of Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders found that Wet’suwet’en land defenders and their supporters were arbitrarily detained for peacefully defending their land against the construction of the CGL pipeline and exercising their Indigenous rights and their right to peaceful assembly.

    In June and July 2022, the B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) charged 20 land defenders, including Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko, with criminal contempt for disobeying an injunction order to stay away from pipeline construction sites, an order that unduly restricted the human rights of the land defenders and the Indigenous rights of the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Seven of the 20 land defenders pleaded guilty because of restrictive bail conditions, as well as the familial, psychological and financial impacts that the criminal proceedings imposed on them. Five other defenders had their charges dropped, and five more are awaiting trial.

    “This whole process has been a violation of my rights and responsibilities as an Indigenous person and my responsibility to the health and wellness of future generations and the Yintah,” Sleydo’ said during a news conference after the decision was handed down on Tuesday afternoon. “The colonial courts are not where our ability to live out our laws and ways of life should be determined. And yet here we are, over three years later, in a showdown between Wet’suwet’en law and colonial law after years of police violence and repression by the C-IRG, with no accountability. I refuse to allow the colonial courts to dehumanize and criminalize me. I belong to my land, my ancestors, and my people.

    “I am a mother, a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a good friend, and a leader. I am a singer, a hunter, a teacher, and a revolutionary. I am following the footsteps of my ancestors, and I carry their teachings with me in everything that I do.”

    “This whole process has been a violation of my rights and responsibilities as an Indigenous person and my responsibility to the health and wellness of future generations and the Yintah. (…) I refuse to allow the colonial courts to dehumanize and criminalize me. I belong to my land, my ancestors, and my people”

    -Sleydo’

    If Amnesty International names Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko prisoners of conscience, it will be the second time the organization has applied that designation to a person held by Canada. In July 2024, Amnesty declared another Wet’suwet’en land defender – Likhts’amisyu Clan Wing Chief Dsta’hyl – a prisoner of conscience after the British Columbia court sentenced him to 60 days of house arrest. Like Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko, Chief Dsta’hyl was charged and later convicted for allegedly violating the terms of the B.C. court injunction banning land-defence actions near the CGL pipeline, including in areas of the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s territory.

    “If the Canadian state decides to unjustly criminalize and confine Sleydo’, Shaylynn, and Corey, Amnesty International will not hesitate to designate them as prisoners of conscience,” said Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International. “Canada is on the sadly long list of countries in the Americas where land defenders remain at risk for their essential work.”

    “If the Canadian state decides to unjustly criminalize and confine Sleydo’, Shaylynn, and Corey, Amnesty International will not hesitate to designate them as prisoners of conscience. Canada is on the sadly long list of countries in the Americas where land defenders remain at risk for their essential work”

    -Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International

    The criminalization of Wet’suwet’en land defenders has sparked an international outcry and calls for Canada to respect Indigenous rights. Last year, Sleydo’, Sampson and Jocko were a featured case in Write for Rights, Amnesty International’s annual global letter-writing campaign. Since the fall, thousands of people around the world have sent letters and signed petitions calling on Canada to drop the charges against the three defenders.

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  • MIL-OSI NGOs: USA: Government has ‘completely gutted’ the right to seek asylum at US-Mexico border – new research

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Unaccompanied minors stranded without way to seek help or safety

    Crucial organisations at border face crisis from Trump’s USAID freeze

    ‘The right to seek asylum simply does not exist at the border and vulnerable people are stranded’ – Amy Fischer

    Amnesty International has found that the right to seek asylum in the United States is non-existent at the US-Mexico border, in violation of its national and international human rights obligations.

    The 24-page briefing – Lives in Limbo: Devastating Impacts of Trump’s Migration and Asylum Policies – outlines the US government’s complete gutting of the right to seek asylum at its border with Mexico, providing virtually no way for people seeking safety to go through the legal process. According to US immigration law, people seeking asylum must apply at a port of entry.

    The research finds that while the mandatory use of the US Customs and Border Protection One App to seek asylum was unlawful, ending its use has left tens of thousands of people stranded in Mexico with nowhere to go – even unaccompanied minors are stuck without a way to seek safety.  

    Without CPB One appointments, people are trapped in risky and precarious circumstances on the southern side of the border, which is especially dangerous for Mexicans seeking asylum.

    Amnesty conducted interviews at the border between 3-9 February with dozens of people who were seeking safety in the US, documenting their treatment, and the impact of the change in border policies (see testimonies in the briefing).

    Along with targeted US Immigration and Customs Enforcement across the country, the Trump administration has dismantled the US Refugee Admissions Program and ended rights enshrined in the US Constitution including birthright citizenship, along with advocating other anticipated actions rooted in racism and white supremacy.

    Amy Fischer, Amnesty International USA’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Program Director, said:

    “The Trump administration has made the US-Mexico border a zone that is overtly hostile to human rights and displays utter disregard for the humanity and dignity of people on the move.

    “The right to seek asylum simply does not exist at the border and vulnerable people are stranded with border organisations—who themselves could now be subject to retaliation and criminalisation from the US government— struggling to prevent an even bigger humanitarian disaster.”

    The research’s alarming findings stem from the Trump administration’s executive actions and the increased militarisation of the border by the Mexican government.

    Impact of freezing crucial aid

    Lives in Limbo has been launched in the broader context of the Trump administration’s stripping of funding for crucial humanitarian organisations working at the border that received money from USAID and other government programmes whose funding is now frozen.

    Humanitarian and immigration organisations that operate on the border to provide shelter, legal help, and humanitarian care to people seeking safety are also now facing a crisis as they are left with no financial means to continue to operate and carry on their life-saving work.

    Mary Kapron, Amnesty International’s Researcher, said:

    “Shelters at the border struggle to tell children that they have no options left.

    “Many of the kids barely understand what is happening to them in the first place. And those who do are left with an impossible decision: either go back to where they fled and understand that they may not survive or put their lives in the hands of traffickers.”

    Mexican increases border militarisation 

    In Mexico, the Government sent 10,000 new members of the Mexican military deepening the militarisation at the border, fuelling a climate of fear, and leading to mass detention and deportation.

    Amnesty continues to call on the US to urgently adopt solutions that abide by human rights obligations and stop playing politics and stoking fear with people’s lives to facilitate the adoption of increasingly draconian border and immigration policies that violate the human rights of people seeking safety, fuel violence against Black, brown, and Indigenous communities, and exacerbate the dysfunction of an already-beleaguered immigration system. 

    The organisation also calls on the Mexican government to cease collaboration with the US on harmful immigration policies and immediately implement measures to ensure the safety and security of people seeking asylum who are transiting through Mexico.

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  • MIL-OSI NGOs: DR Congo: MSF staff on base hit by bullets, critically injured story Feb 20, 2025

    Source: Doctors Without Borders –

    People are fleeing clashes between the belligerents in the territory of Masisi, and sheltering in the local hospital compound. | DR Congo 2025 © MSF

    “This morning, one of our colleagues on duty at the MSF base in Masisi was seriously injured by a bullet—one of many bullets to hit our premises over recent weeks,” said MSF head of programs Stephan Goetghebuer.  “Unfortunately, his life is in danger. We strongly condemn this latest episode of violence, which has directly impacted a humanitarian facility that should be protected from gunfire.”  

    The Masisi General Referral Hospital has received an influx of people fleeing clashes between belligerents in the territory of Masisi. | DR Congo 2025 © MSF

    Masisi General Referral Hospital is a refuge amid violence

    Since early January, the area in and around Masisi town in southern North Kivu province has been fought over almost daily by VDP/Wazalendo fighters allied with the Congolese army and the M23/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC). The clashes have led to an influx of wounded people—most of them civilians—at Masisi General Referral Hospital, which is supported by MSF. Thousands of people have sought refuge at the MSF base and the hospital compound.  

    “On Thursday, intense fighting, including the use of heavy weapons, took place in the town itself, which has been controlled by the M23/AFC since mid-January,” said Goetghebuer. “Notably, fighting took place between the MSF base and the market in front of the hospital, where thousands of people have been sheltering for days.” 

    Escalating incidents threaten medical facilities 

    Since early January, Masisi General Referral Hospital, the MSF base, and the immediate surroundings have been the scene of numerous serious incidents.   

    On January 16, two civilians were shot in front of Masisi hospital; one was killed. On January 19, the hospital and MSF base came under fire and two MSF staff were injured when a rocket hit MSF’s garage next to the hospital. On January 28, a woman was fatally shot during clashes that took place between MSF’s base and nearby office. On February 16, a Ministry of Health staff member was wounded by a stray bullet that entered the hospital.   

    “These violent, recurring incidents are unacceptable,” said Goetghebuer. “Despite our repeated appeals to the warring parties to protect humanitarian and health facilities, the safety of patients and medical and humanitarian staff is clearly not being taken into account. Humanitarian law is being flouted. This must stop.”  

    In view of the repeated violent incidents affecting MSF’s work in Masisi, MSF is currently considering how to adapt its activities in the region, where people’s medical and humanitarian needs are massive. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Democratic Republic of Congo: MSF staff member critically injured in Masisi town after shots hit MSF base

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Kinshasa/Goma/Brussels – A staff member from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has been critically injured after shots hit the MSF base in Masisi town, in Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province, on the morning of 20 February. A child who had sought refuge with his family in the MSF compound was also wounded by gunfire. MSF strongly condemns the shootings, which seriously undermine the principle of protecting aid workers and humanitarian facilities in times of conflict.  

    “This morning, one of our colleagues on duty at the MSF base in Masisi was seriously injured by a bullet – one of many bullets to hit our premises over recent weeks,” says Stephan Goetghebuer, MSF head of programmes.  “Unfortunately, his life is in danger. During the shootings, a child who had taken refuge at our base was also slightly injured by a bullet. We strongly condemn this latest episode of violence, which has directly impacted a humanitarian facility that should be protected from gunfire.”  

    Since early January, the area in and around Masisi town in southern North Kivu province has been fought over almost daily by VDP/Wazalendo fighters (allied with the Congolese army) and the M23/Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC). The clashes have led to an influx of wounded – most of them civilians – at Masisi general referral hospital, which is supported by MSF, while thousands of people have sought refuge at the MSF base and the hospital compound.  

    “On Thursday, intense fighting, including the use of heavy weapons, took place in the town itself, which has been controlled by the M23/AFC since mid-January,” says Goetghebuer. “Notably, fighting took place between the MSF base and the market in front of the hospital, where thousands of people have been sheltering for days.”

    Since early January, Masisi hospital, the MSF base and the immediate surroundings have been the scene of numerous serious incidents.   

    On 16 January, two civilians were shot in front of Masisi hospital; one was killed. On 19 January, the hospital and MSF base came under fire and two MSF staff were injured when a rocket hit MSF’s garage next to the hospital. On 28 January, a woman was shot dead during clashes that took place between the MSF base and nearby MSF office. On 16 February, a Ministry of Health staff member was wounded by a stray bullet that entered the hospital.   

    An influx of displaced people to at Masisi general referral hospital, supported by MSF. These people are fleeing clashes between the armed parties in the territory of Masisi. Democratic Republic of Congo, January 2025.
    MSF

    “These violent, recurring incidents are unacceptable,” says Goetghebuer. “Despite our repeated appeals to the warring parties to protect humanitarian and health facilities, the safety of patients and medical and humanitarian staff is clearly not being taken into account. Humanitarian law is being flouted. This must stop.”  

    Masisi hospital, supported by MSF since 2007, has received dozens of war-wounded in recent days.

    In view of the repeated violent incidents affecting MSF’s work in Masisi town, MSF is currently considering how to adapt its activities in the region, where people’s medical and humanitarian needs are massive. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Nearly half a million people left without shelter, food or water in DR Congo amid destruction of displacement sites and aid cuts

    Source: Oxfam –

    Oxfam warns of an alarming humanitarian crisis in Eastern DRC as aid groups struggle to respond in the face of funding cuts ripple effects.  

    Over 450,000 people are left without shelter, food or water in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following the destruction of thirteen displacements sites in Goma, Oxfam warns. The crisis is increasingly alarming following the takeover of Bukavu, the capital city of South Kivu while funding cuts hinder the capacity of remaining humanitarian organisations to respond.  

    A surge in fighting has forced thousands of people to leave the displacement sites, many of which were destroyed or looted in the aftermath of the conflict.  Many are now seeking shelter in overcrowded churches and schools in Goma.  Many families are going back to their villages, only to find their house in shamble and struggling with immense needs. The fall of Bukavu has triggered mass population movement, deepening the humanitarian crisis.  

    An Oxfam staff in Minova, located 45 km south-west of Goma, said: “The displaced people are returning en masse, there’s a lot of movement and the needs are enormous because the response has to be put in place and it will take time. Many are afraid to return to the village where they have already been attacked. People are traumatized. 25 cases of cholera have been recorded this week. There’s also Mpox. It’s a catastrophe. People are going to die.” 

    The ripple effects of the US funding cuts are dramatically affecting these communities, because USAID was the leading donor in the DRC and most aid groups were relying on their funding to provide lifesaving aid. 

    “We are forced to repair shattered equipment while people in desperate need go without help. Even worse, when the sites are finally up and running again, we may still be unable to assist them, as US aid cuts have put everything at risk. Unless the international community steps in, this crisis will spiral beyond control,” said Manenji Mangundu, Country Director of Oxfam in DRC.  

    Three displacement sites in Rusayo (Goma), where Oxfam provides assistance to over 100,000 people, have been completely emptied. Water tanks, latrines, showers and the water pipes were destroyed and septic tanks were left open. With little access to clean water and hygiene sanitation, the health risks are increasing as cases of measles, cholera and mpox spread, straining and already fragile healthcare system.  

    Families and communities are also struggling to get cash to buy food or return home. Following intense fighting over the last weeks, banks in Goma remain closed and money agents are operating at limited capacity. On top, prices are skyrocketing and pushing many families to the limit.

    The M23 takeover of Bukavu comes as African leaders convene at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa today (Saturday). The crisis has triggered massive population movements, with thousands fleeing their homes in the early hours of Friday, February 14. 

    In DRC, Oxfam works in Goma, Minova, Masisi, Lubero, Beni, and Mahagi. Oxfam staff reports that thirteen displacement sites in Goma, hosting 450,000 people have been emptied and subsequently destroyed, looted or dismantled. The destroyed sites are: Baraka, Buhimba, Bulengo, 8th Cepac Mugunga, Kayarucinya, Kibati, Lushagala, Lushagala Extension, Lwashi, Rego, Rusayo 1, Rusayo 2 and Rusayo Extension.  

    Oxfam is working to restore critical infrastructure and treating septic tanks to help provide water and sanitation to the affected communities of Goma. The effects of the USAID funding cuts hinder urgent response for 300,000 people displaced in and around Goma with urgent clean water, food and protection services for women and girls. Long-term funding for humanitarian agencies to support affected families remains uncertain. 

    The DRC continues to grapple with the devastating impacts of the Mpox outbreak, which has claimed lives further straining an already fragile healthcare system 

    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the leading humanitarian donor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Last year report indicate that it provided over $838 million in Fiscal Year 2024 alone, which includes $414 million specifically for humanitarian needs resulting from ongoing conflict and displacement 

    Photos of abandoned sites and destroyed infrastructure are available on request. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Less than seven percent of pre-conflict water levels available to Rafah and North Gaza, worsening a health catastrophe

    Source: Oxfam –

    • Nearly 1,700 Kilometres of water and sanitation networks have been destroyed 

    • Big-ticket repairs of networks urgently needed but Israel baulks in approving supplies 

    The resumption of aid into Gaza, including fuel to operate undamaged water and sanitation facilities along with water trucking, has improved the amount of water available to people in some parts of Gaza. But the picture remains extremely bleak and dangerously critical, especially in the North Gaza and Rafah governorates, warned Oxfam today.

    Fifteen months of Israel’s military assault has destroyed 1,675 kilometres of water and sanitation networks. In North Gaza and Rafah governorates, which have suffered the most destruction, less than seven per cent of pre-conflict water levels is available to people, heightening the spread of waterborne diseases. Just 5.7 litres per person, per day is available, barely enough for one toilet flush.

    As fragile ceasefire negotiations hang in the balance, any renewed violence or disruption to fuel and the already inadequate aid would trigger a full-scale public health disaster.

    Clémence Lagouardat, Oxfam’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza said:

    “Now that the bombs have stopped, we have only just begun to grasp the sheer scale of destruction to Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure. Most vital water and sanitation networks have been entirely lost or paralyzed, creating catastrophic hygiene and health conditions.

    “Our staff and partners have told how people are stopping them in the streets asking for water, and that parents are not drinking to save water for their children. It is heartbreaking to hear about children having to walk for miles for a single jerrycan of water.”

    “Our staff and partners have told how people are stopping them in the streets asking for water, and that parents are not drinking to save water for their children. It is heartbreaking to hear about children having to walk for miles for a single jerrycan of water.”  

    Clémence Lagouardat, Oxfam’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza

    Oxfam International

    In the North Gaza governorate, almost all water wells have been destroyed by the Israeli military. Over 700,000 people have returned to find entire neighbourhoods wiped out. For the few whose homes remain standing, water is non-existent due to the destruction of rooftop storage tanks.

    In Rafah, over 90 per cent of water wells and reservoirs have been partially or completely damaged, and water production is less than five per cent of its capacity before the conflict. Only two out of 35 wells are currently operational. 

    Despite efforts to resume water production since the ceasefire, the destruction of Gaza’s water pipelines means that 60 per cent of water is leaking into the ground rather than reaching people.

    Oxfam and partners’ initial assessment after the ceasefire found:

    • More than 80 percent of water and sanitation infrastructure across the Gaza Strip has been partially or entirely destroyed, including all six major wastewater treatment plants.
    • 85 percent of the sewage pumping stations (73 out of 84) and networks have been destroyed. Some have been repaired but urgently require fuel to operate.
    • 85 percent of small desalination plants (85 out of 103) have been partially damaged or completely destroyed.
    • 67 percent of the 368 municipal wells have been destroyed. Most of the private small wells cannot function due to lack of fuel or generators. 

    The lack of safe water, combined with untreated sewage overflowing in the streets has triggered an explosion of waterborne and infectious diseases. According to the World Health Organization, 88 percent of environmental samples surveyed across Gaza were found contaminated with polio, signalling an imminent risk of outbreak. Infectious diseases including acute watery diarrhoea and respiratory infections – now the leading causes of death – are also surging, with 46,000 cases, mostly children, being reported each week.

    Chickenpox and skin diseases such scabies and impetigo are also spreading rapidly, particularly among displaced populations in the Northern Gaza Governorate, where water shortages are most severe.

    “Rebuilding water and sanitation is vital for Gaza to have a path to normalcy after 15 months of horror. The ceasefire must hold, and fuel and aid must flow so that Palestinians can rebuild their lives. Lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis can only come through a permanent ceasefire and a just solution.

    Clémence Lagouardat, Oxfam’s Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza

    Oxfam International

    Meanwhile, with no waste collection and transport for over 15 months, more than 2,000 tonnes of garbage has been piling up in the streets every day.  This toxic combination of open sewage, uncollected waste and contaminated water is creating a perfect storm for a deadly disease outbreak.

    Lagouardat said: “Despite the increase in aid since the ceasefire, Israel continues to severely impair critical items needed to begin repairing the massive structural damage from its airstrikes. This includes desperately needed pipes for repairing water and sanitation networks, equipment like generators to operate wells.”

    Oxfam’s own 85 tonne-shipment of water pipes, fittings and water tanks – worth over $480,000 – had been held up for over six months because it was deemed as dual-use and “oversized” to enter. Israeli authorities only finally approved the shipment this week, although it has yet to enter.

    Lagouardat said: “Hundreds of thousands of displaced people across the Gaza Strip have had to resort to digging makeshift cesspits next to their tents. This daily discharge of approximately 130,000 cubic meters – the equivalent of 52 Olympic pools – of untreated sewage is contaminating the Mediterranean Sea and Gaza’s only aquifer.

    “Rebuilding water and sanitation is vital for Gaza to have a path to normalcy after 15 months of horror. The ceasefire must hold, and fuel and aid must flow so that Palestinians can rebuild their lives. Lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis can only come through a permanent ceasefire and a just solution.”

    MIL OSI NGO –