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Haitian Gang Releases Women and Children After Mass Kidnapping Near Port-au-Prince

Haitian Gang Releases Women and Children After Mass Kidnapping Near Port-au-Prince

A Haitian gang has released six children and seven women who were part of a group of over 50 people kidnapped following a deadly attack on Kenscoff, a community near Port-au-Prince. UNICEF confirmed the release, noting that among those freed were three children under the age of two, a seven-year-old, and two teenage girls. The United Nations children’s agency collaborated with community leaders to secure their release. The mass abduction occurred after the gang killed at least 47 people during an attack on Kenscoff. A gang leader known as Izo 2 had threatened to execute all hostages if police engaged any gang members. This incident has sparked international outcry, with the U.N. Security Council holding an emergency meeting where diplomats, including those from the United States, Panama, and Colombia, expressed horror and called for the swift deployment of a U.N.-backed gang-fighting force.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Urges UN Action on Haitian Gang Violence Amid Mass Kidnappings

U.S. Deputy Ambassador Urges UN Action on Haitian Gang Violence Amid Mass Kidnappings

Six children and seven women were released by a gang in Haiti after more than 50 people were kidnapped following a deadly attack in Kenscoff, near Port-au-Prince. UNICEF confirmed the release, noting that three children were under the age of two, one was seven, and two were teenagers. This incident follows a mass abduction where at least 47 people were killed in Kenscoff. A gang leader known as Izo 2 had threatened to execute all hostages if police engaged his members. This attack prompted an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, where U.S. Deputy Ambassador Jennifer Locetta reiterated the United States' commitment to supporting Haitian-led security efforts to combat gang terror. She urged U.N. members to provide necessary resources and equipment for a new U.N.-backed gang-fighting force and to invest in infrastructure and job opportunities to deter gang recruitment. Luis Ruiz Massieu, the U.N. special envoy to Haiti, highlighted the widespread indignation caused by the attack and welcomed Haiti'...

Haiti receives nearly 200,000 forced deportees, UN says after brutal gang killing

Haiti receives nearly 200,000 forced deportees, UN says after brutal gang killing

By Sarah Morland Aug 28 (Reuters) - Nearly 200,000 people were forcibly returned to Haiti in the first eight months of this year, a U.N. official told an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Friday, days after a brutal gang attack killed nearly 50 people near the capital.

UN Women Advances Gender Equality Through Structural Reforms and Partnerships

UN Women Advances Gender Equality Through Structural Reforms and Partnerships

UN Women, established in July 2010 by the United Nations General Assembly, is actively pursuing its reform agenda to enhance gender equality and women's empowerment. This initiative consolidates resources and mandates from four previously distinct UN entities: DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW, and UNIFEM. The organization focuses on eliminating discrimination against women and girls, empowering women, and achieving equality between genders. UN Women leads and coordinates UN system efforts to translate commitments on gender equality and mainstreaming into actionable programs globally. In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), UN Women's Country Office priorities for 2026-2030 align with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. These priorities include ending violence against women, implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, enhancing women's economic empowerment, and strengthening women's participation in decision-making and gender-responsive governance. A key initiative is the Gender Equality Accelerator (G...

Rohingya Refugee Crisis in Bangladesh Intensifies Amid Shrinking International Funding

Rohingya Refugee Crisis in Bangladesh Intensifies Amid Shrinking International Funding

Bangladesh is facing an escalating burden in hosting the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, as international funding for humanitarian assistance continues to decline. The situation, now nine years into the influx, is deemed unsustainable by officials, with conditions in the Cox's Bazar camps deteriorating. The Rohingya population has grown significantly, with approximately 260,000 children born in the camps since the 2017 military crackdown in Rakhine State, and an additional 154,690 Rohingyas arriving since 2023 due to intensified fighting. Despite the growing population, funding for the humanitarian response has sharply decreased. In 2025, only 46% of the required $934.5 million was received, and for 2026, the UN and its partners are seeking a reduced amount of $710.5 million, primarily due to a global shortage of humanitarian financing.

UNICEF Calls for Unimpeded Humanitarian Access in Gaza Amidst Child Casualties and Infrastructure Damage

UNICEF Calls for Unimpeded Humanitarian Access in Gaza Amidst Child Casualties and Infrastructure Damage

UNICEF has issued an urgent call for the full respect of international humanitarian and human rights law in Gaza, following reports of at least four children killed and numerous others injured within the past five days. The organization highlights that attacks have also destroyed a warehouse containing over US$770,000 worth of UNICEF nutrition supplies, intended for more than 40,500 vulnerable children and 4,900 pregnant and breastfeeding women. Additionally, a UNICEF-supported water well and desalination facility in the Deir Al Balah area, which provides safe drinking water to over 4,000 people, including 2,000 children, was severely damaged by a nearby strike. These incidents further undermine access to essential services for children and families already struggling to survive. UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, emphasized that the destruction of vital supplies and damage to essential services deepen the suffering of the affected population.

Haitians demand answers from police after gangs kill 47, kidnap more than 50

Haitians demand answers from police after gangs kill 47, kidnap more than 50

Haiti’s National Police is coming under fire as a growing number of people question why authorities failed to prevent a recent gang attack in which 47 people were killed and more than 50 kidnapped

World Food Programme and OCHA Warn of Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Zimbabwe Due to El Niño-Induced Drought

World Food Programme and OCHA Warn of Escalating Humanitarian Crisis in Zimbabwe Due to El Niño-Induced Drought

Zimbabwe is facing a severe and underreported humanitarian crisis, primarily driven by a devastating El Niño-induced drought that struck southern Africa in 2024. The World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have issued warnings that millions of Zimbabweans will require humanitarian assistance to survive until future harvests. The drought has led to the destruction of over half of Zimbabwe’s harvest due to prolonged dry spells, below-average rainfall, and extreme temperatures. The Government of Zimbabwe declared a national state of disaster in April 2024, estimating that over seven million people would face severe food insecurity. Currently, approximately 7.6 million people, nearly half the country’s population, are at risk of acute hunger. Children are particularly vulnerable, with UNICEF reporting a significant increase in child wasting (low weight for height) in 2024, affecting an estimated 3.5 million children. The crisis is compounded ...

Africa's male midwives are rare but increasing in the fight against pregnancy deaths

Africa's male midwives are rare but increasing in the fight against pregnancy deaths

The southern African kingdom is seeing more men becoming midwives

Ratko Mladic, ex-Bosnian Serb warlord who oversaw atrocities, dies in prison at 84

Ratko Mladic, ex-Bosnian Serb warlord who oversaw atrocities, dies in prison at 84

Ratko Mladic, the notorious Bosnian Serb general, has died at 84 while serving a life sentence for war crimes

Vigil held in Pakistan for 14 newborns as investigators probe cause of fatal hospital fire

Vigil held in Pakistan for 14 newborns as investigators probe cause of fatal hospital fire

Investigators are visiting the hospital nursery in Pakistan's capital where a fire killed 14 newborn babies