World News Briefs: Sudan and Haiti updates, Afghan women’s rights

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia have been fighting their former allies in Sudan’s military government for control of the country since April 2023.

According to local sources, at least 12 people were killed in attacks on two towns in North Darfur near the Sudan-Chad border, the UN Deputy Spokesperson told reporters on Tuesday.

Additional attacks in the towns of Al Tina and Kornoi earlier this week also caused numerous deaths and injuries, including attacks that reportedly killed children and injured civilians.

The UN warns that the increasing use of drone strikes increases the danger to civilians in areas already struggling with displacement, insecurity and limited humanitarian access.

Diplomatic efforts continue

At the same time, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, continued diplomatic efforts aimed at easing tensions and protecting civilians.

The UN – together with regional and international partners – is also seeking to support preparations for a future Sudan-led political dialogue.

The UN once again called on all combatants to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and allow humanitarian assistance to reach communities in need, and warned that millions of people across Sudan urgently need assistance.

Violence in Haiti’s capital shows no signs of abating

UN aid coordination office, Ochareported on Tuesday that conditions continued to worsen in and around Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, with gang-related violence increasing since May 10 – particularly in the Cité Soleil neighborhood

According to new estimates from the UN migration agency IOMaround 17,500 people – meaning more than 4,200 households – have been displaced in the past two weeks.

More than 80 percent of the refugees are sheltering in 33 locations, while the others are being housed by families who are already vulnerable, OCHA said.

Needs are growing rapidly

Assessments at refugee camps show a rapid increase in the need for food, clean water, health services and hygiene supplies.

On-site conditions, including poor lighting, also raise safety concerns.

“Children separated from their families, pregnant women and people with disabilities are at greater risk,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters at the daily briefing.

“Our humanitarian partners continue to respond despite insecurity and access constraints, and OCHA is coordinating efforts to ensure we can reach people in need more effectively.”

UN warns Afghan women ‘no longer equal before law’

United Nations gender equality agency, UN Womenraising concerns over the Taliban’s latest decisions that further erode the rights of Afghan women and girls, nearly five years after the Taliban returned to power.

Decision no. 18, which was de facto issued by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Justice on May 14, outlines rules for separating from one’s partner and has sparked concerns over the rise in child marriage and women’s ability to leave abusive relationships.

Unlike the law in force before the Taliban takeover, the decree does not set a minimum age for marriage and instead stipulates that child marriages can only be annulled once a girl reaches puberty.

This step risks normalizing child marriage in Afghanistan.

Power imbalance

This decision also places a heavier legal burden on women who wish to separate from their partners, including requiring several witnesses to testify, and at the same time giving greater authority to husbands in marital disputes.

“This once again highlights that men and women are no longer equal before the law in Afghanistan,” said Susan Ferguson, the UN agency’s Special Representative in the country.

UN Women calls on the Taliban authorities to change course to ensure that laws and policies comply with international human rights standards.