News Monitor

In recent days, the Masisi territory of North Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been the scene of major clashes between the armed group M23/AFC and the Congolese army.

While more than 522,000 people across Syria have returned to their areas of origin after a month of displacement, some 627,000 people remain newly displaced – 42 per cent of them in Idleb.

The appeal covers the first quarter of the year and targets one million Lebanese, Syrians and Palestine refugees impacted by the recent escalation of hostilities and displacement.

Between July and September 2024, the UN documented 206 incidents affecting 792 civilians, of which 299 were killed, 310 injured, 151 abducted and 32 subjected to conflict-related sexual violence.

Approximately 11,532,822 IDPs were registered by December, spurred by 389 incidents that triggered sudden displacement, including attacks and natural hazards.

The surge in violence has adversely affected poor households’ income sources, disrupted market functioning and supply, and impeded food assistance distribution.

The death toll and number of missing persons in the Mediterranean in 2024 have now surpassed 2,200, with nearly 1,700 lives lost on the central Mediterranean route alone.

Overcrowded displacement sites, insufficient access to safe water and sanitation facilities, compounded by the effects of heavy rains and flooding, remain the primary drivers of the outbreak.

The report details the still-rising number of civilian casualties, continued executions and torture of prisoners of war, and efforts by Russia to solidify its control of occupied Ukrainian territory.

In Malawi, UNHCR and the government have identified around 2,000 who crossed in the past week and another 1,000 in Eswatini, comprising of refugees and asylum seekers of various nationalities.

Aid organizations in Yemen are deeply concerned about the airstrikes on key infrastructure, including Sana’a International Airport, power stations in Sana’a and Hodeidah, and seaports near Hodeidah.

Approximately 77,000 people, including 10,000 displaced, are affected in Amhara region, with 79% of pregnant and lactating women and 70% of children experiencing acute malnourishment.

While the top ten focuses on financial costs - usually higher in richer countries - some of the most devastating extreme weather events hit poorer nations, which have the least resources to respond.

18.2 million children were born into hunger due to conflict, displacement, extreme weather, and rising food costs, marking a 5% increase from 2023 and a 19% increase from 2019.