Over 21,000 People Killed Since UN Global Ceasefire Resolution 90 days ago
The UN Secretary-General issued his first call for a global ceasefire in March amid COVID pandemic, yet early signs of progress have since stalled, as armed groups have continued or even increased fighting
At least 21,347 people have been killed in conflict, including more than 5,800 civilian adults and children who were directly targeted, despite the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a global cessation of hostilities some 90 days ago.
Instead of a ceasefire, allowing countries and humanitarian organizations to focus on battling the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing violence is pushing millions to the brink of conflict-induced famine and hindering the battle against the outbreak.
Leading aid organizations urge heads of state meeting today in the Security Council in New York to urgently renew their call for a global ceasefire, and to accelerate COVID-19 response capacity and access in areas affected by conflict and humanitarian crisis.
The UN Secretary-General issued his first call for a global ceasefire in March, yet early signs of progress have since stalled, as armed groups have continued or even increased fighting. This is contributing to a devastating increase in food insecurity and the likelihood of famine caused by conflict.
The UN issued a warning last week on the risk of conflict-induced famine in South Sudan, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and northeast Nigeria.
The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have only worsened food insecurity, with an estimated additional 110 million children going hungry globally as a result of the pandemic.
Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children International, said “COVID-19 has already had a devastating impact on children’s lives, limiting their access to healthcare, food, education, and protection. A 90-day pause in fighting that is actually implemented on the ground could be the lifeline that helps to prevent mass starvation and to protect a generation of children.”
In South Sudan, increased intercommunal violence has contributed to nearly 6.5 million people, or over half of the country’s population, facing dire levels of food insecurity. In Yemen, where humanitarian organizations face extremely challenging barriers to access to those most in need, civilians continue to fall victim to airstrikes and high levels of acute food insecurity. In DRC, aid workers have come under attack recently, and hunger levels are spiking in the Ituri district as a consequence of ongoing conflict.
The lack of progress towards peace is leaving millions of people suffering from the impacts of war and the global COVID-19 pandemic, the aid organizations warn, while limiting humanitarian access to extremely vulnerable communities. As the virus continues to compound suffering and drive the threat of famine across different conflict zones, it is vital political leaders put their weight behind the call for a humanitarian pause to fighting, facilitate safe and sustained access for aid workers, and accelerate COVID-19 response in conflict- and humanitarian crisis-affected countries.
Aid organizations are calling on Security Council members and the wider international community to:
- Take urgent action to realize a global cessation of hostilities and durable humanitarian pause by renewing their call for a cessation of hostilities for a further 90 days at minimum.
- Engage all parties to armed conflicts, providing political support to the UN Secretary-General and his Special Envoys and other mediation actors in progressing negotiation efforts;
- Accelerate international response to COVID-19 in situations of armed conflict or affected by humanitarian crisis, ensuring the Global Humanitarian Response Plan and country-specific humanitarian appeals are fully funded;
- Ensure scale up of engagement at country-level to better facilitate access to the most vulnerable, upholding the safety of humanitarian and health workers, humanitarian principles, and recognition of the disproportionate negative impact of the pandemic on women, girls and boys, older persons and persons with disabilities, refugees and internally displaced people.
