#NoToWar. Safe drinking water brings Pure JOY!

Tweet by Healing Hands Int. @HHIupdates 5:37 PM · Jul 19, 2023: 

Pure JOY! Praise God for another clean water well in the Bawku West district of Ghana.

View original: https://twitter.com/HHIupdates/status/1681704730232340480

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US State Department and Arab League start talking about urgent Middle East issues and Sudan conflict

Report from News Track Live - newstracklive.com
By ANIKET DIXIT
Published on Thursday 20 July 2023 at 03:05 PM - here is a full copy:

US State Department and Arab League start talking about urgent Middle East issues

Riyadh: Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the secretary-general of the Arab League, and Antony Blinken, the secretary of state of the United States, met on Wednesday in Washington to discuss the urgent issues surrounding the Middle East.

The US State Department claimed in a statement on its website that the "strategic dialogue" is a "opportunity for us to work even more closely together on the many issues that are affecting the lives of people in all of the countries represented by the Arab League as well as the United States."

The comprehensive conversation, which Aboul Gheit described as the first of its kind at the level of the US state secretary and GCC secretary-general, will "explore further the level of cooperation" and "deepen the relationship."

The statement made no mention of specifics, but some news reports have quoted political analysts as saying that, now that Syria has been readmitted to the 22-member alliance, the US will follow up on its earlier statement for the Arab League to press the Assad regime to address pressing issues.

The northwest regions of Syria, which are controlled by the opposition and home to more than 4 million displaced people, have been requested by the UN for greater access by international aid organizations. The UN Security Council was unable to come to an agreement last week to maintain the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing, which permits aid organizations to enter from Turkey.

During the height of the so-called "Arab Spring" uprisings, Syria's membership in the league was suspended in 2011 due to the Assad regime's deadly crackdown on dissent. The UN estimates that the ensuing armed conflict has resulted in the deaths of 306,887 civilians and the displacement of more than 12 million Syrians, including 5.4 million who as of 2022 were refugees in other countries.

Other urgent regional issues that are anticipated to be covered in the Arab League-US dialogue include the conflict in Sudan, Israel's escalating land aggression against the Palestinians, Yemen's peace initiative, and more.

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https://english.newstracklive.com/news/us-state-department-and-arab-league-start-talking-about-urgent-middle-east-issues-sc57-nu355-ta355-1286214-1.html

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South Darfur: 16 civilians killed in SAF & RSF clashes

Report from China View - Xinhuanet english.news.cn
Source: Xinhua. Editor: huaxia. 
Published on Saturday 22 July 2023 at 18:00 - here is a full copy

16 civilians killed in clashes between Sudan's warring parties in South Darfur State: lawyers group

KHARTOUM, July 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 civilians were killed in exchanged bombardment between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Nyala, the capital of Sudan's South Darfur State on Friday, the Darfur Bar Association announced on Saturday.

The professional lawyers' organization said in a statement that "16 citizens were killed in Nyala, South Darfur, due to the fall of projectiles on citizens' homes during exchanged artillery bombardment between the army and the RSF on Friday."

"The battles in Nyala are taking place on the heads of citizens amid random shootings on streets and houses as well as killings with sniper bullets," according to the statement.

Nyala has been witnessing armed confrontations between the Sudanese army and the RSF over the past three days, the association said, adding that a number of the city's neighborhoods, including Al-Wohda and Karari, south of Nyala, were affected by the fighting on Friday.

The association called on the warring parties to immediately stop the war and avoid targeting the civilians.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, resulting in over 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry.

More than 3 million people have been forced into displacement, inside and outside Sudan, since the conflict broke out in the country, according to UN estimates. 

View original: http://www.chinaview.cn/africa/20230722/4c8fc24cb7bd46dcbc36f4bd14613877/c.html

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Darfur governor calls for Darfuris to take up arms

Report from BBC Live Reporting
Published on Friday 21 July 2023 at 8:48 BST - here is a full copy:

Sudan governor renews call for Darfuris to take up arms

BBC Monitoring

The world through its media

 

Reuters

Copyright: Reuters

Image caption: Tens of thousands of people have fled the conflict in Darfur to neighbouring Chad

Darfur governor and former rebel leader Minni Arko Minnawi renewed his call for civilians in the region to take up arms to defend themselves, saying the “current situation necessitates that”, Al Arabiya reported.

He said this administration was leading efforts to stop the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army, particularly in Darfur. The conflict is now in its fourth month.

Mr Minnawi has made similar remarks in the past, raising fears that Darfur, which is divided into five states, could descend into an all-out civil war amid growing ethnic tensions.

Elsewhere in the country, fierce fighting was reported between the army and the RSF in Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri, the three cities that make up Sudan’s capital.

Eyewitnesses in Khartoum said the army carried out the "heaviest" airstrikes so far against RSF positions in several areas. The army said it killed 18 RSF fighters in clashes in Omdurman and Khartoum.

Renewed clashes were also reported in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, after a lull in fighting.

The fighting has persisted despite continuing indirect talks between the army and RSF representatives in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

Read more on Darfur:

'I saw bodies dumped in Darfur mass grave'

West Darfur governor killed after genocide claim

Click here to view original. 

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Medics whipped in Khartoum after convoy attacked. Darfur death toll in one city alone estimate is 3K-11K

Report from BBC News -  bbc.co.uk/news

By Muthoni Muchiri

BBC News

Published Friday 21 July 2023 - here is a full copy:

Sudan conflict: Medics whipped in Khartoum after convoy attacked - MSF

IMAGE SOURCE,

MSF/REUTERS

Image caption,

MSF medics are treating war-wounded across Sudan - and over the border in Chad where many from Darfur are fleeing

Medics in Sudan's capital have been beaten and whipped by armed men who attacked their convoy, medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says.

A medical team was taking supplies to the Turkish Hospital in the south of Khartoum when it was attacked on Thursday and one their vehicles stolen.

Since the war erupted in mid-April, it is one of only two hospitals still operating in the south of city.

Both are supported by MSF, which says its aid to them is now in jeopardy.

The vicious power struggle over the last three months between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has devastated medical facilities in the city.

'Death threats'

While more than three million people nationwide have fled their homes since April, millions of others are still stuck in Khartoum, struggling to find medicine and medical assistance.

MSF is one of only a few international aid groups still supporting hospitals in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman, helping to keep afloat a health system that has been under strain for decades.

It says it has treated more than 1,600 patients in these hospitals since the conflict began.

But the charity warned this might have to stop because of a dramatic deterioration in security with several incidents in which its staff had been targeted.

During the encounter on Thursday, the armed men began arguing with the 18 people in the MSF convoy made up of four trucks carrying medical supplies.

As well as assaulting the team, the armed men threatened the life of one of the drivers before releasing him and making off with one of the vehicles.

"If an incident like this happens again, and if our ability to move supplies continues to be obstructed, then, regrettably, our presence in the Turkish Hospital will soon become untenable," MSF's Christophe Garnier said in a statement.

The confrontation took place not far from the hospital, where hundreds of patients, including those recently wounded in air strikes, are undergoing treatment.

"On a daily basis, this hospital receives around 15 war wounded patients, carries out lifesaving surgery and keeps patients with chronic diseases alive," MSF said.

According to the AFP news agency, the hospital is in an area of the city controlled by the RSF.

Aerial bombardments have intensified in residential areas of Khartoum where the paramilitary fighters have their bases, it says.

Official figures put the number of dead in the conflict at around 3,000, but it is thought to be far higher.

Some estimates from the western region of Darfur, which have seen the worst of the violence, say the death toll in one city alone is 11,000.

View original: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-66273266

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UN deeply concerned by 50+ attacks on aid workers and health care in Sudan in three months -WHO

Report from China View - Xinhuanet english.news.cn
Source: Xinhua. Editor: huaxia
Published on Saturday 22 July at 05:17 - here is a full copy:

UN humanitarians deeply concerned by ongoing attacks on health care in Sudan

UNITED NATIONS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- UN Humanitarians on Friday expressed deep concern over more than 50 attacks on aid workers and health care in Sudan in three months.

"We are appalled by reports that a Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) team was assaulted by armed men in Khartoum yesterday (Thursday)," the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.

According to OCHA, MSF reported that a 16-person team in Khartoum was aggressively assaulted by a group of armed men who physically beat and whipped them. The assailants detained one of the MSF drivers and, before his release, threatened to kill him. They also stole a vehicle.

MSF said the incident happened as the team was moving medical supplies from the organization's warehouse to the Turkish Hospital, one of only two hospitals still operating in all of southern Khartoum.

"We underscore that attacks on health care workers and facilities are a violation of international humanitarian law," OCHA said. "They must stop now."

The World Health Organization has verified more than 50 attacks on health care since the conflict began in Sudan on April 15. 

View original: http://www.chinaview.cn/20230722/2f9a1cf70e2344feba9aa2b64c2a1c4f/c.html

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MSF aid in Khartoum in jeopardy after convoy targeted. MSF treated 1,600 wounded in Khartoum

Report from BBC Live Reporting
Published on Friday 21 July 2023 at 13:18 BST - here is a full copy:

MSF aid in Khartoum 'in jeopardy' after convoy targeted

Those wounded in the conflict have very few places to get medical help

The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is considering stopping its vital work in part of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, after a series of incidents in which its workers have been targeted.

The latest one happened on Thursday when a convoy taking medical supplies to the Turkish Hospital in the south of the capital was “stopped by a group of armed men”, MSF has said in a press release.

“After arguing about the reasons for MSF’s presence, the armed men then aggressively assaulted our team, physically beating and whipping them, as well as detaining the driver of one of our vehicles.”

The life of the driver was then threatened and the vehicle was stolen.

The charity has said that its work at the Turkish Hospital is in “serious jeopardy” without safety guarantees.

“In order to save people’s lives, the lives of our staff who are there to carry out this life saving work must not be put at risk. If an incident like this happens again, and if our ability to move supplies continues to be obstructed, then, regrettably, our presence in the Turkish Hospital will soon become untenable,” Christophe Garnier, MSF’s emergencies manager for Sudan, said.

The hospital is only one of two operating in southern Khartoum, both of which MSF supports, the charity says.

There are very few other international charities working in the country.

As the three-month conflict between the army and a paramilitary force continues, the few remaining medical facilities in Khartoum are struggling to treat wounded patients.

MSF says it has treated over 1,600 war-wounded patients in the capital since April.

Image caption: Those wounded in the conflict have very few places to get medical help

Click here to view original.

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