Families flee violence in northern Mozambique. Top news of the day | Tuesday: Ukraine, cyclone, Mozambique, slavery UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the number of civilian casualties is growing throughout Ukraine, tropical cyclones in Southeast Asia, escalating violence in Mozambique, International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
Strikes on Ukraine
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the number of civilian casualties is rising as a result of ongoing attacks across Ukraine. In the Kherson region, infrastructure and residential buildings were damaged, and dozens of civilians were injured, including an international aid worker whose car was destroyed in a drone strike. OCHA notes that with the onset of cold weather throughout the country, including Kyiv, periodic power outages continue. Humanitarian organizations provide immediate assistance to victims.
Asia Cyclone
Hundreds of people have died in Southeast Asia due to tropical cyclones that brought record rain and flooding. Massive destruction and population displacement have also been reported. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), countries worst hit include Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement on Tuesday that the disaster had killed more than a thousand people in Southeast Asia overall. The UN chief is “deeply saddened” by the tragic events in the region.
Violence in Mozambique
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said about extreme concern escalating violence in northern Mozambique. The conflict is forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes, with almost 100 thousand displacements recorded in the last two weeks alone. Victims speak of how armed groups storm villages, often burning houses, attacking civilians and forcing families to flee without any belongings. slavery
The second of December is celebrated as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. In his message, the UN Secretary-General warned that slavery is not only a terrible chapter of history, but also a modern crisis. An estimated 50 million people, many of them women and children, are trapped in modern forms of slavery. The Secretary General calls on governments, businesses, civil society and trade unions to end abuses and ensure justice, compensation, rehabilitation and protection for all victims.