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UN Security Council Raises Alarm Over Escalating Violence Against Children in Eastern Congo.
Photo by kassoum_kone on Pixabay.com In the latter part of 2024, the United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict reviewed the ninth report of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, covering the period f rom April 2022 to March 2024. Published as S/2024/705, the report outlines a deeply troubling rise in violence against children, particularly in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, Sout
the Observatory for Human Rights
Jan 133 min read
UN Human Rights Office Struggles in “Survival Mode”.
Photo by Anfaenger on Pixabay.com The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is facing one of the most severe financial crises in its history, threatening its ability to protect human rights at a time of escalating global conflict. Speaking in Geneva on December 10, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that the office is operating in “survival mode” following major funding cuts from international donors, according to Reuter
the Observatory for Human Rights
Jan 42 min read
European Parliament casts vote on abortion access scheme.
Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash.com On the 17th of December, the European Parliament passed a vote on guaranteeing EU-wide access to abortion. The resolution passed with 358 votes in favour, 202 against and 79 abstentions . The resolution was adopted in response to the European Citizens’ Initiative “My Voice, My Choice”, which was presented to the Commission in October . While the Parliament’s vote is a step forward, it is not decisive, as it has a mere advisory role ; t
the Observatory for Human Rights
Jan 42 min read
The Sudan crisis appears far from an end: new drone attacks in the Kordofan region.
Photo by JACLOU-DL on Pixabay.com The atrocities in Sudan have not ceased; as a matter of fact, the situation appears to be worsening. The ongoing conflict between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in April 2023, spreading rapidly throughout the whole State, and causing one of the most devastating humanitarian crises happening worldwide. Indeed, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), at
the Observatory for Human Rights
Dec 30, 20252 min read
EU Expands Humanitarian Operations Amid Ongoing Conflict in Sudan.
Photo by RDNE Stock project on pexels.com The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is now considered one of the most concerning active global issues. As the situation has deteriorated in recent months, international institutions such as the European Union (EU) have become increasingly involved in seeking solutions to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. Recently, the European Commission has invested in flights aimed at providing life-saving assistance to the western region of D
the Observatory for Human Rights
Dec 30, 20253 min read
Informal settlements: a threat to housing and health, and an unseen victim of the climate crisis.
Photo by @ harikrishnan ndd on Pixabay.com Amnesty International is shedding light on the neglected repercussions of informal settlements. Informal settlements refer to the self-settling of populations in spontaneous locations, often as a result of displacement driven by conflict, poverty and housing unaffordability, or climate disasters . The number of informal settlement residents, estimated at 1.1 billion in 2020, is expected to increase to around 3 billion over the ne
the Observatory for Human Rights
Dec 24, 20252 min read
Water and sanitation: where are we?
Photo by Samad Deldar on pexels.com 2.1 billion people still lack access to safely managed drinking water; 3.4 billion people lack safely managed sanitation; 1.7 billion people lack basic hygiene services at home, including 611 million with no access to any facilities. These are some of the key findings from Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024: Special Focus on Inequalities , the latest joint report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Un
the Observatory for Human Rights
Dec 20, 20252 min read
Turin’s Imam Risks Deportation.
Photo by Moslem Daneshzadeh on unsplash.com On 24 November 2025, Mohamed Shahin, imam of the San Salvario’s mosque and resident in Italy for 21 years, was stopped by the police and notified of a deportation order issued by the Ministry of the Interior for reasons of public order and national security . Despite being in possession of a residence permit for long-term residents, having no criminal record, and a long-standing role in promoting interreligious dialogue, Italian au
the Observatory for Human Rights
Dec 13, 20253 min read
Climate Crisis Deepens Inequality for Dalit Women Sanitation Workers in Bangladesh.
Photo by Mumtahina Tanni on pexels.com Amnesty International reveals that Dalit women sanitation workers in Bangladesh are currently facing human rights violations. As the country is among those most affected by climate change, international authorities have raised their concerns about this minority group’s access to water and other essential resources. Amnesty International recently published a report exposing human rights abuses and gender-based violence against Dalit wo
the Observatory for Human Rights
Dec 11, 20252 min read
The Inuit community still faces alarming discrimination in Denmark: children forcibly removed from their families after biased parenting tests.
Photo by Palle Knudsen on pexels.com Denmark is, once again, making the headlines for violating Greenlanders’ rights through the forceful removal of their babies, after the administration of biased parental tests to assess “whether they were fit to be parents ”. The tests mentioned above, known as FKU (forældrekompetenceundersøgelse), were, in fact, banned earlier this year in May, after decades of harsh criticism by Danish human rights groups. Indeed, such examinations
the Observatory for Human Rights
Dec 8, 20253 min read
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