This article is written in Arabic and English. For the English version, please see below. في مناطق النزاع حول العالم، يمكن أن يكون الوصول إلى المهنيين الطبيين المؤهلين هو الفارق بين الحياة والموت. ولا يوجد مكان يتجلى فيه هذا الأمر أكثر من غزة، حيث أدى الحصار المتعمد على العاملين في مجال الرعاية الصحية الماهرين إلى تفاقم كارثة إنسانية متزايدة. أحد الحالات الرمزية هو حالة الدكتور محمد الموسوي محمد طاهر، الجراح البريطاني-العراقي المتخصص في جراحة الصدمات والمعروف بمساهماته الاستثنائية خلال مهمة…
Tag: War
War in Sudan: Unprecedented hunger and displacement
The United Nations (UN) released a 10 April report stating that the 2-year war in Sudan is one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century, with tens of thousands dead, over 12 million people displaced, and 25 million – half the population – facing extreme levels of hunger. The report states that both the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces [RSF] and Sudanese Armed Forces [SAF] have obstructed access to critically needed humanitarian assistance. “Tens of thousands more will die…
An Abyss of Suffering: The Daily Account of a Goma Resident Amid the M23 Invasion
This article is written in French and English. For the English version, please see below. La version française Le 25 janvier au matin, le Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), milice soutenue par le Rwanda, a envahi Goma, la plus grande ville de l’est de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC). Le Bureau de la coordination des affaires humanitaires des Nations unies estime qu’au moins 3 000 personnes ont été tuées depuis que les rebelles du M23 se sont emparés…
From Conflict Minerals to Global Responsibility: Why Congo’s Crisis Matters to Us All
The long-standing humanitarian crisis and conflict in eastern Congo is a personal one for me. As a refugee from Goma, eastern Congo, I lost family members to this conflict. I am writing this piece to shed light on the worsening situation in the region, both as a Global Health Master of Public Health student and as someone who dreams of peace and a healthy community in my homeland. I ask you to keep learning, sharing, writing to your representatives about…
Sudan’s Forgotten War
Ezzeldin Saleh and colleagues, in the October 2024 Lancet, draw attention to the horrific and unprecedented conflict in Sudan that has caused immense suffering for the Sudanese people since April 2023. Nearly 11 million people have been internally displaced, and 2.3 million have sought refugee status in neighboring countries. The economy has collapsed, and famine is rampant throughout the country, with approximately 53% of the countries 25.6 million people experiencing high levels of food insecurities – and 14 areas experiencing…
Crisis in Sudan: Urgent Call for De-Escalation in El Fasher
El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, is at the epicenter of escalating conflicts in Sudan, now a battleground between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). With over a million civilians, many displaced and on the verge of starvation, the situation in El Fasher demands immediate global attention. This violence stems from a broader conflict that ignited in April 2023 in Khartoum, fracturing the nation and thrusting Darfur into chaos. The importance of El Fasher cannot…
Defunding UNWRA in Gaza is ‘collective punishment’ – Lancet & Health Justice Organizations
Health and political leaders globally have condemned defunding of UNRWA, the principle lifeline for the people of Gaza. Sharmila Devi, in the current issue of Lancet, quotes UN leaders and aid agency leaders (including WHO) “no other entity has the capacity to deliver the scale and breadth of assistance that 2·2 million people in Gaza urgently need,” the cuts are “collective punishment,” and “if a teacher is found to be a murderer, we don’t get calls to defund the school…
Wars are never necessary: Gaza is the best example
This short Lancet piece by Souza, Buss, and Alcazar notes that since the Gaza war began in October 2023, “nothing has been resolved and all impasses remain. The costs of lives lost and survivors’ lives destroyed forever are immense. The billions of dollars spent on killing so far could have saved lives, fed and immunised people, recovered the malnourished, built equitable systems, and provided essential medicines in many parts of the world.” They draw our attention to a recent BBC…
Afghan hunger striker spotlights US-Taliban dirty deal
On September 1, 2023 Tamana Paryani began a hunger strike in Cologne, Germany for the rights of Afghan women. She is demanding that the United Nations and the German government declare the Taliban government is misogynist and practices gender apartheid. Ms. Paryani, a women’s rights defender, was arrested by the Taliban and suffered 26 days of physical and mental torture. Upon release, she fled to Germany in October 2022. The Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women publicized Paryani’s heroism in a…
Fossil Fuel Shackles: How Wealthy Nations Hook Developing Ones
Introduction In the realm of global environmental justice, a disconcerting phenomenon has gained prominence in recent times: the entrapment of impoverished nations by their wealthier counterparts into a relentless dependence on fossil fuels. (1) This practice, though obscured by economic negotiations, perpetuates a cycle of environmental degradation and inequality. By examining pertinent examples and evidence, this essay aims to illuminate the detrimental consequences of this pattern, exposing how such actions hinder both sustainable development and the global fight against climate…