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Our editors’ weekly take on humanitarian news, trends, and developments from around the globe.
On our radar
No end in sight to Sudan’s calamitous war
As Sudan’s catastrophic war enters its fourth year, the country is effectively partitioned between the warring parties and their various armed allies, there are few signs of any breakthrough in mediation efforts, and every indication is of further regional escalation. On 15 April, an international conference in Berlin raised $1.77 billion in humanitarian aid and brought together Sudanese civil society groups in an effort to find common ground. But there was no diplomatic progress between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), neither of whom were invited. The conference proved divisive. The SAF-controlled government in Port Sudan was scathing about its exclusion, and there were protests held in Berlin by Sudanese who share that view. Many reject the “both sides” framing of a power struggle between two evils, instead viewing the SAF as waging a legitimate fight against a genocidal Emirati-backed militia. Others, however, still see both sides as part of the same entrenched system: rival military actors competing to dominate Sudan’s political and economic life. Amid the growing polarisation, one constant has been the strength of Sudanese communities on the ground, and one voice that consistently captured that spirit was Muzan Alneel, the revolutionary activist. Tragically, she passed away this week at 39, leading to an outpouring of tributes that speak to how sorely she will be missed.
A tale of two ceasefires
A 10-day ceasefire came into effect at midnight local time on 16 April in Lebanon, after Israeli and Lebanese officials held their first direct talks in decades. Despite ongoing uncertainty about who had agreed what, both Israel and Hezbollah appeared to be adhering to it, and some of the one million people forcibly displaced over the seven weeks of hostilities have begun to head home, although for how long – and to what – is unclear. It remains to be seen how the pause in fighting in Lebanon will influence the chance for a longer-term deal between the US and Iran, which is up for discussion once again in Pakistan. Although a separate two-week Iran/US ceasefire was announced on 8 April, it has been violated since on both sides and wrangling continues over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign minister said the vital waterway will now remain open to all commercial traffic for the duration of the Lebanon/Israel ceasefire, while his deputy insisted Iran was seeking an overarching end to war across the region. President Donald Trump said the US naval blockade of Iran will remain in place until a deal is reached. For more from the ground, listen to this TNH podcast featuring Lebanese aid worker Hind Obeid.
Collective punishment? Nigerian military bombs village market, kills 200
When the Nigerian air force bombs civilians (as it has done repeatedly), it’s usually accidental, but in the latest incident – a strike on a market that killed 200 people – the victims themselves are being blamed. Jilli, in northeastern Nigeria, is an area in which Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) is entrenched. The market serves both the local community and ISWAP fighters. The military said on 12 April it “conducted a precision airstrike on a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub”. Survivors said they were just trying to make a living in their weekly market. Justifying the attack, Defence Minister Christopher Musa insisted “the friend of a thief is a thief” – suggesting the people of Jilli were collaborating with ISWAP. That ignores the fact that civilians are powerless to stop insurgents moving into their communities. Moreover, in the absence of the military, livelihoods – and survival – depends on not selecting your customers. A day later, the same international humanitarian law-defying logic of collective punishment was repeated when the army demolished sections of the town of Monguno after the garrison’s commanding officer was killed in an ambush. The community was accused of leaking information to ISWAP.
Who wants to be the next UN secretary-general?
Four declared candidates will take questions from the UN General Assembly on 21-22 April as part of “interactive dialogues”: Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Rafael Grossi of Argentina, Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica, and Macky Sall of Senegal. You can stream the sessions here. Bachelet, who was also formerly the UN’s human rights chief, broke ground by being the first candidate to be nominated by three countries – a feat later smudged when Chile’s right-wing president withdrew the country’s co-nomination. Next week’s display of transparency doesn’t change what’s still likely to be a closed-door selection process. Nominally, the UNGA picks the secretary-general, but only after a recommendation from the Security Council – usually following behind-the-scenes wrangling.
Floods leave hundreds dead in Afghanistan and Yemen
Officials in Afghanistan report that ongoing flooding has led to at least 189 deaths and 252 injuries across the country. The floods began in late March and have continued for weeks, inundating hundreds of villages and affecting some 73,000 residents, according to the UN. Afghanistan’s Taliban-led Islamic Emirate government says the flooding has damaged local infrastructure, including 370 kilometres of roads and 18,000 acres of agricultural land. The flooding has also made access to shelter, clean drinking water, and vital food supplies increasingly difficult, with more rain forecast. Yemen, meanwhile, is at the peak of its rainy season. The rainfall is expected to intensify over the coming weeks, but floods have already killed dozens, while also destroying temporary shelters for displaced people as well as crops and livestock. The UN’s migration agency has warned that some communities are “facing repeated shocks”, with displacement, floods, disrupted services, and long-running economic strains making recovery extremely difficult.
Is the US about to invade Cuba?
Fears of a US military operation in Cuba are rising after Zeteo and USA Today published reports saying the Pentagon is ramping up plans to intervene if Trump gives the order. The reports come days after Trump said the US “may stop by Cuba” after finishing the war in Iran. Tensions have escalated since the US imposed an oil blockade on Cuba, right after attacking Venezuela and abducting President Nicolás Maduro in January. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents are both Cuban immigrants, has held back-channel talks with high-level Cuban officials in recent months but they have yielded little public signs of progress apart from the release of some political prisoners. On 16 April, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said at a public event that Cuba doesn’t want a confrontation with the US but remains ready to respond in case of an attack. After years of economic mismanagement and punitive US sanctions, millions of Cubans have been pushed closer to the edge by the impacts of the oil blockade, which has led to blackouts, medical shortages, and interruptions to essential services. For more on what Cubans think of a US military intervention, read this analysis.
Weekend read
The real ramifications of Israel’s mass evacuation orders in Lebanon
What does evacuation mean when there is nowhere safe to go?
And finally…
The pope wins a pause in Cameroon’s conflict
While Pope Leo XIV’s castigation of warmongers has so far failed to turn around the hawks in the current US administration, it has won Cameroonians a temporary reprieve from secessionist violence. To mark the pope’s visit this week, anglophone separatist groups said they would pause their fighting and allow the free movement of people. The pontiff may have stopped short of trying to mediate the nearly decade-long conflict in the majority French-speaking country, but he did urge President Paul Biya to root out corruption – and then lashed out at foreign exploitation of the continent. Leo also returned to his spiritual feud with the US administration. “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” he told a gathering at Saint Joseph Cathedral in the city of Bamenda. “They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education, and restoration are nowhere to be found.”
