Opponents of female genital mutilation (FGM) win battle at the UN
On the 26th of November, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution on female genital mutilation (FGM) for the first time in history. The resolution calls upon states to end impunity of perpetrators of FGM and adopt internal legislation that bans it.
A practice that remains common all over the world, many regard FGM as inhumane and an impediment to the health and rights of women and girls. According to the World Health Organisation, 140 million women and girls worldwide have undergone FGM due to cultural, religious and social beliefs.
IDMC hopes that this resolution will strengthen the rights of internally displaced women and girls, who are particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence. The prevalence of the practice is increasingly a source of concern for organisations assisting IDPs, as displaced women and girls have on occasion been found to face a compounded risk of undergoing FGM as a means of adapting to differing local and regional customs of their host communities. For example, IDPs from the southern part of Sudan which had not practiced FGM in the past, reported an increased rate of FGM in an effort to better adapt to the local culture in the north, where women who have undergone FGM are considered more "suitable" for marriage.
For more information, visits IDMC’s thematic page on IDP women
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Sudan: With 2.4 million displaced, special rapporteur presses for comprehensive solutions
The number of people internally displaced in parts of Sudan has increased significantly since last year. Recent fighting has left 1.7 million internally displaced in Darfur, despite some returns, while as many as 557,000 people in South Kordofan and a further 138,000 in Blue Nile State are thought to be internally displaced or severely affected by violence. Some 2.4 million people are currently thought to be displaced across Sudan.
On a recent mission to Sudan, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) pressed the Sudanese authorities and other peace-building actors to focus on the human rights, development and durable solution needs of IDPs across the country. He called for the safe, informed and voluntary return of those of South Sudanese origins to South Sudan, while urging the application of existing agreements including the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur and the Four Freedoms Agreement.
Beyani also called on the Government of Sudan to ratify the Kampala Convention, which entered into force last Thursday.
For more information, visit IDMC’s page on Sudan
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DRC: Protection challenges remain amid widespread displacement
In recent weeks, sources estimate that 200,000 people have been internally displaced by fighting between M23 rebels and the Congolese national army near Goma, eastern DRC. As of 4 December, 130,000 people remain in IDP camps in and around the city. In addition, about 47,000 people have fled towards South Kivu. For many, this is the second or third time that they have been forced to flee their homes this year due to violence. By contrast, some 20,000 people have returned from overcrowded sites in Goma to the relative calm in Rutshuru area.
Despite the volatile security situation, humanitarian workers have been able to address the affected population’s most urgent needs in terms of access to water, health, shelter, food and critical non-food items (NFIs). However, concerns over long-term assistance for IDPs remain, especially as the fighting continues and further displacement is likely.
Protection remains a key challenge , as reports of looting, rape, arbitrary arrests, children separated from their families or recruited into armed groups continue. On the 1st of December, non-identified gunmen violently attacked and looted the Mugunga III IDP camp near Goma, taking advantage of the security vacuum left by the M23 withdrawal. Humanitarians have called for an increase in security patrol s near camps to ensure the IDPs’ safety.
For more information, visit IDMC’s page on DRC
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OpT: Thousands are displaced by military operations in Gaza
Following an eight day offensive by the Israeli Defence Force, bombardments have left more than 450 homes uninhabitable and nearly 3,000 people internally displaced in Gaza, according to the latest Shelter Sector estimates.
During the period of recent hostilities in mid to late November, tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes. Most are now living with host families, while about12,000 had to seek refuge in schools.
This latest military operation has exacerbated the challenging living conditions for those already affected by operation “Cast Lead” in 2008. Many of the buildings that had been rebuilt from damage caused by “Cast Lead” were again damaged or destroyed. Before the recent military escalation, 15,700 people remained internally displaced from “Cast Lead” while an estimated 71,000 housing units were needed to meet housing needs.
A ceasefire brokered on 21 November was regarded by many organisations as an opportunity to discuss broader issues concerning the lives of Palestinians over the last five years. It included a commitment to discuss the easing of travel and economic restrictions on people and goods in Gaza, in order to address the scarcity of materials and enable people to rebuild and return home.
For more information, visit IDMC’s page on Occupied Palestinian Territories
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OpT: Expansion plans in East Jerusalem put 20 Palestinian communities at risk
One day after the United Nations recognised Palestine as a non-member observer state, Israel announced plans to build over three thousands settlement units in and around Jerusalem -including in the highly contentiousstrategic location of area E1. The plans, which would put inhabitants at risk of forced eviction and internal displacement, were met with mounting international condemnation.
More than 20 Palestinian Bedouin communities, with a population of 2,700, live in the vicinity of E1. Most have beenrepeatedly displaced since 1948 by previous demolitions, and suffered a reduced standard of living as a consequence, as well as limitations on livelihoods. Most of the communities currently have outstanding demolition orders and have been told by authorities to leave the area in the coming months or face forced eviction.
These Bedouin communities have previously faced forcible eviction from E1, but international pressure had prevented the Israeli authorities from carrying out their plans.
For more information, visit IDMC’s page on Occupied Palestinian Territories