Author: Human Rights Watch

What may seem like a technical exercise in global health bureaucracy, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) update to its Essential Medicines Lists, will in fact have life-changing consequences for millions of people around the world. By adding therapeutic sunscreen and rapid-acting insulin analogues on September 5, the WHO sent a clear signal to governments: these […]

Catastrophic floods from heavy rainfall in Pakistan this past week displaced at least four million people, destroyed thousands of acres of crops, and severely damaged critical infrastructure. At least 900 people died. Thousands of those displaced are in relief camps; many more lack shelter and are in dire need of assistance. The loss of life, damage to buildings […]

(Bangkok) – Police in Nepal used lethal force to suppress youth protests on September 8, 2025, that killed at least 19 people and injured over 300, Human Rights Watch said today. Young people, identifying themselves as “Gen Z,” organized a protest movement after the government announced a widespread ban on social media on September 4. Many also expressed […]

Forces belonging to the Houthis, who control much of Yemen, raided several United Nations offices and detained at least 19 UN staff on August 31, adding to dozens of UN and civil society staff already detained since 2024. The previous arrests have led to a suspension of UN aid, endangering the lives of many Yemenis […]

(Johannesburg, September 4, 2025) – A South African-owned company is providing access to toxic lead-bearing waste in the Zambian city of Kabwe despite immense health risks for local residents, Human Rights Watch said today. The material derives from waste material at a former mine that has never been cleaned up and has been the source […]

Pacific leaders preparing to gather for the Pacific Islands Forum in Solomon Islands this month have accepted a collective responsibility: to act decisively for the many Indigenous communities already living the sobering realities of climate displacement. Over the last decades, abnormally high “king tides” and storms forced one such community, the Solomon Islander people of […]

Momentum is mounting for a new global treaty to secure every child’s right to free education. This week, countries gathered at the United Nations in Geneva to advance negotiations on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The proposed treaty would close a gap in international law. The convention guarantees free primary […]

(Istanbul, September 4, 2025) – The trial of 13 law enforcement officers charged with the death in custody of Ahmet Güreşçi and the torture of his older brother Sabri Güreşçi on February 11, 2023, offers a rare opportunity for justice, Human Rights Watch said today. The first hearing in the trial begins on September 9, […]

As the Chinese government celebrated the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in World War II and the country’s military might this week, criticism of the Chinese Communist Party’s human rights record is building.  For 50 minutes on August 29, large slogans projected on a building in Chongqing, one of China’s major cities, urged the Chinese people to […]

(Bangkok) – Cambodia’s National Assembly passed amendments to its citizenship law on August 25, 2025, that allow the government to silence dissent by reworking Cambodian citizenship, Human Rights Watch said today. The amended citizenship law strips nationals, naturalized citizens, and dual citizens of the most basic protections of nationality if convicted by ruling Cambodia People’s Party-controlled […]