Displaying items by tag: civilian deaths

UN officials have accused Israel of systematically blocking aid from reaching desperate Palestinians in Gaza, warning that a quarter of the population is ‘one step away from famine’. On 29 February over a hundred died and 750 were wounded when Israeli soldiers opened fire on crowds waiting for food aid. The conflict has now resulted in over 30,000 Palestinian casualties. Much of Gaza has been devastated. The officials highlighted the urgent need for food aid, with one in six children under two in northern Gaza suffering from acute malnutrition. However, delivering aid is hampered by numerous obstacles, including crossing closures, restrictions on movement, and attacks on aid convoys. In the event of a ceasefire, the World Food Programme is ready to swiftly expand operations; however, US hopes of an imminent truce seem very slim.

More than 5,600 civilians have been killed in Myanmar since the military seized power on 1 February 2021, according to an independent research institute, which called the death toll ‘unprecedented’ in the country’s history. This number includes those killed by security forces during anti-junta protests, in clashes between the military and pro-democracy paramilitaries, while held in detention, and in revenge attacks. At least 1,831 civilians were killed in shooting deaths; the largest number occurred in war-torn Sagaing region, where junta troops have faced tough resistance from the People’s Defence Force (PDF) paramilitaries. The clashes have displaced tens of thousands of residents since the coup. A PDF member claimed that those who report paramilitary movements to the military have been targeted because the opposition is ‘handicapped in manpower and weapons’.

Two explosions rocked Tunis on 27 June, targeting security positions. One blast struck a security vehicle in a busy area of the capital, while the second targeted a police building. A number of police personnel and three civilians were killed. Tunisia has been battling militant groups operating in remote areas near the border with Algeria since an uprising overthrew autocratic leader Zine Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. Since the revolution, dozens of the security forces and 59 foreign tourists have been killed. After an IS-claimed suicide bombing killed twelve presidential guards in 2015, Tunisia has been under a state of emergency. Tunisians made up a large component of the foreign fighters in IS, while the porous border with neighbouring Libya has also aided militants. Spiritually Tunisians are being exposed to the truth of the gospel as they interact with believers on social media sites and search Christian websites.