World News in Brief highlights major international crises, including a deadly drone attack in Sudan, a growing hunger emergency in Haiti, and severe medical shortages in Yemen.
Sudan Market Attack and Haiti Hunger Emergency
On Monday, a drone attack struck a market in Nyala, located in Sudan’s South Darfur state, resulting in the deaths of five children and injuries to two others. Etleva Kadilli, the UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, stated that the victims included three boys and two girls aged seven to 14. This incident follows a similar drone strike a week prior in an Abyei market that reportedly killed at least 80 individuals, including women and children. UNICEF reported that over 400 children were killed or injured in Sudan between January and September of this year, with armed drone strikes accounting for a significant share of these casualties. Additionally, these strikes have damaged homes, schools, health facilities, water systems, and markets.
Meanwhile, more than 5.9 million people in Haiti are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity due to violent insecurity and the strong El Niño phenomenon. Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience, noted that violence hampers access to markets, land, and agricultural inputs, while El Niño brings drier conditions and higher temperatures. Consequently, these factors are expected to cause crop losses and delayed planting, pushing food insecurity to critical levels next year. Inflation running at about 17 percent further erodes purchasing power. To mitigate the crisis, the FAO provides emergency kits containing seeds and animals, while the World Food Programme warned that acute hunger could affect 6.35 million people between March and June next year, requiring $78 million to sustain operations through March.
Yemen Medical Shortages and Border Updates
In Yemen, the World Health Organization delivered trauma and emergency surgery kits to hospitals facing severe shortages in Taiz City, which is almost entirely surrounded by Houthi forces. Movement restrictions have forced community midwives to stop working, and access to Taiz province from Government-controlled Aden and the west coast remains limited. The WHO warned of acute shortages of medicines, fuel, and water, alongside an increased risk of disease outbreaks because waste management is disrupted and dumps are too dangerous to reach. Further north in Marib governorate, primary healthcare is on the verge of collapse due to funding cuts, leaving only six out of 31 mobile medical teams operational and 15 health facilities completely closed. Additionally, the UN refugee agency urged continued international support for Ukraine as Russian airstrikes intensify, and approximately 36,600 people have fled into northern Kenya following increased fighting on the Ethiopian side of the border.
Source: Cosmo News Desk
