EU announces €36 million in humanitarian aid to Mozambique and neighbouring countries in Southern Africa

The European Commission announced today €36 million in EU humanitarian aid that will reach 6 countries across Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean region. Millions of people face acute food insecurity, and conflict in northern Mozambique continues to drive one of the world’s most severe displacement crises. Commissioner Lahbib meets today with the President of […]

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Middle East war’s ‘spiral of conflict’ drives mounting civilian toll

The fighting – which has included Iranian drone and missile attacks on Gulf States and Israeli attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after the group launched assaults – is intensifying a regional “spiral of conflict” the council also heard. “On 28 February, the US and Israel launched a devastating aerial campaign against Iran, ostensibly targeting […]

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Mine Ban Treaty Achieves Progress amid Challenges

Since the 1990s conflicts in the Balkans, Croatia suffered from the scourge of landmines, with hundreds of civilians killed and thousands of acres of land inaccessible due to contamination. In March, the country celebrated becoming mine-free, following a US$1.38 billion, 30-year clearance campaign. Croatia’s story underscores the value of the Mine Ban Treaty and should encourage more […]

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Kabul rehabilitation centre strike: joint statement by High Representative/Vice President Kallas and Commissioner Lahbib

High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, issued the following statement: ‘The strike on a medical facility in Kabul is another deadly escalation in a conflict that needs to end as soon as possible. Civilian and medical facilities must never be targeted as […]

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World News in Brief: West Bank displacement, Cuba fuel crisis, sexual abuse safeguards, new ‘humancentric’ AI advocate

According to the UN human rights office, UNHCR, more than 36,000 Palestinians were displaced in the year to October 2025 amid intensifying settlement activity and settler violence. The report highlights a sharp rise in attacks by settlers, alongside demolitions, land seizures and severe restrictions on access to services, creating what it describes as a “coercive […]

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Singapore: Drop Charges against Human Rights Defender

(London) – The Singaporean government should immediately drop all charges against a human rights activist, Jolovan Wham, for organizing and participating in peaceful gatherings, Human Rights Watch, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Amnesty International, and CIVICUS said today. Wham is scheduled to stand trial at Singapore’s State Court on April 6, 2026, […]

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EU announces €458 million in humanitarian aid for the war-torn Middle East

The European Commission is confirming €450 million in humanitarian aid for Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt in 2026. With major donors withdrawing from the region and international humanitarian law under unprecedented strain, the EU is sustaining life-saving assistance to millions of people. In Syria, €210 million in EU humanitarian funding will sustain life-saving emergency […]

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‘No matter what’, UN Women vows to stay in Afghanistan, amid deepening rights crisis

The agency is operating in what it describes as the world’s most severe women’s rights crisis, where women are nearly four times less likely than men to access formal justice. Yet programmes remain active, reaching hundreds of thousands in need. “Despite the restrictions on women and girls and the current conflicts…no matter what, UN Women […]

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Kazakhstan: Feminist Activist Facing Criminal Charges

(Berlin, April 6, 2026) – Kazakhstan’s prosecuting authorities have filed criminal charges for battery against a feminist activist who was aggressively accosted at a café in Astana, the capital, while meeting with feminist and queer colleagues and friends, Human Rights Watch said today. The charges, brought on March 26, 2026, follow an investigation into Zhanar Sekerbayeva, […]

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Commission invites 150 EU citizens to help shape future preparedness actions

Tomorrow, the 1st session of the European Citizens’ Panel on Preparedness will start in Brussels and run until Sunday. 150 randomly selected citizens from across Europe will discuss recommendations on how to implement the Preparedness Union Strategy, which emphasises active citizen engagement for effective crisis preparedness. Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis management, Hadja Lahbib, […]

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