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UN flags clashes and looting in DRC and Sudan, diplomacy in South Sudan, and civilian casualties in Ukraine
Summary
The United Nations reported renewed fighting and displacement in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, condemned looting of humanitarian supplies in Khartoum, described intense diplomacy in South Sudan and confirmed civilian casualties from hostilities and a drone attack in Ukraine.
The United Nations on March 21 reported a series of acute humanitarian developments across several countries, including fighting and displacement in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, looting of critical medical supplies in Sudan, diplomatic efforts to avert renewed conflict in South Sudan and civilian casualties from hostilities in Ukraine.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported continued clashes in parts of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, damage to civilian infrastructure and the temporary relocation of humanitarian staff. The briefing said many partners have suspended activities in some areas because of insecurity.
On Sudan, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) "condemned in the strongest terms" the looting of vital humanitarian supplies from Al Bashir Hospital and Jabal Aliyah in Khartoum, supplies intended to support malnourished children and maternal and newborn care. The briefing said the supplies had been delivered to Jabal Aliyah on Dec. 20, 2024 — the first successful humanitarian shipment there in more than 18 months — and that the looting will "compound an already dire humanitarian catastrophe." The briefing reiterated calls for unimpeded humanitarian access and protection of hospitals and civilian infrastructure.
In South Sudan, the UN special representative and the UN mission head, Nicholas Haysom, is engaging with international and regional partners, including heads of state and the African Union, to deescalate tensions and try to halt aerial bombardment of civilian areas in Upper Nile state, the briefing said. The UN said intense diplomacy is underway and that Haysom will brief the UN later this week.
On Ukraine, UN and humanitarian partners confirmed that hostilities across multiple regions killed about a dozen civilians and injured many others; a large-scale drone attack in Odesa injured children and damaged civilian property. The briefing noted widespread damage to homes and reported intensified hostilities and disrupted electricity in parts of Kharkiv and Donetsk regions.
What the UN is asking for: The briefing reiterated that "all parties to the conflict must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in military operations." UN officials called for increased protection measures and humanitarian access across each affected country.
