This week, a proposed UN resolution condemns violence by Myanmar’s military, and calls for peace efforts. The World Health Organization (WHO) announces humanitarian pauses for polio vaccines in Gaza. Sudan’s army chief rejects peace talks as famine rages on.
Proposed UN resolution condemns Myanmar military’s violence, calls for peace efforts
A proposed UN resolution on Myanmar, circulated by Britain, condemns the military regime’s attacks on civilians and calls for renewed peace efforts. The draft resolution expresses alarm over escalating violence and urges a halt to illicit arms transfers. It discusses the dire humanitarian crisis, including food insecurity and restricted aid access, and warns of worsening discrimination, ethnically motivated violence, sexual violence, violations of humanitarian law, and human rights abuses. The proposed resolution emphasizes the need for safe and unhindered humanitarian access and calls for an end to violence with a renewed dialogue facilitated by ASEAN and UN envoys.
The proposed resolution also emphasizes the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its peace plan, which Myanmar’s generals have rejected. It demands full implementation of a previous resolution from December 2022, which included calls for the release of detained prisoners, including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and the restoration of democratic institutions. The upcoming negotiations on the draft are expected to be challenging due to the influence of Russia and China, permanent members of the Security Council who have previously abstained or opposed similar resolutions.
WHO announces humanitarian pauses for polio vaccines in Gaza
The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that Israel has tentatively agreed to implement “humanitarian pauses” in fighting in Gaza to facilitate polio vaccinations for children. This agreement follows an outbreak of type 2 polio, with at least one baby recently paralyzed by the virus, the first case in Gaza in 25 years. The vaccination campaign, which aims to immunize 640,000 children under 10, is set to start this weekend with phased pauses in different Gaza regions—central, southern, and northern—lasting three days each, and for eight or nine hours a day, said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the Palestinian territories.
The plan is for aid agencies to reach at least 90% of the targeted children receive the vaccine. However, logistical challenges due to ongoing conflict and evacuation orders are likely to complicate the effort, as people will be crowded into even tighter spaces.
Sudan’s army chief rejects peace talks as famine rages on
Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has rejected participation in peace talks with rival paramilitaries in Switzerland, declaring his will to “fight for 100 years.” His refusal came as the U.S.-led talks, which began on August 14, concluded without achieving a cease-fire but did make some progress in facilitating aid access into Sudan. The discussions, co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and Switzerland and supported by the African Union, Egypt, the UAE, and the UN, highlighted the dire humanitarian crisis in Sudan, exacerbated by a brutal conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This conflict has led to severe famine, with over half of Sudan’s population facing acute hunger and more than 25 million people in urgent need of aid.
Despite the SAF allowing some UN aid into the country, there are concerns that these actions are insufficient. The UN’s Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reports famine conditions in Darfur, and the situation remains one of the worst global humanitarian crises.
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is a journalist in Bangkok. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
