Conflict, suffering, and a heavy price to pay.

Conflicts around the world over the past year have tripled the number of children killed and doubled the number of women killed compared to the previous year, while the total number of civilians killed increased by 72%.

Conflicts cause unbearable suffering for people... (Source: Reuters)

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk presented these figures in a speech at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, today, June 18.

Emphasizing that the warring parties are increasingly "crossing the boundaries of what is acceptable" as well as the framework of the law, Volker Turk condemned actions that show "a complete disregard for others and an extreme trampling of human rights." The reality is that "the killing and injuring of civilians" as well as "the destruction of critical infrastructure" have become a daily occurrence.

The head of the UN human rights agency said his office had collected data showing that last year, “the number of civilians killed in armed conflict increased by 72%.”

"It's horrifying; the data shows that the rate of women murdered in 2023 doubled and the rate of children murdered tripled compared to the previous year," he shared.

In the Gaza Strip, Volker Turk was “horrified by the disregard for human rights and international humanitarian law by the parties in the conflict,” as well as “the senseless suffering and deaths.”

Since the conflict erupted following the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, he said, "more than 120,000 people in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, have been killed or injured."

Following Israel's offensive in the city of Rafah in early May, nearly 1 million Palestinians were once again forced to evacuate, while the delivery of humanitarian aid became increasingly difficult.

In addition, Volker Turk also pointed out several other conflicts such as those in Ukraine, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that, as of the end of May 2024, there was a funding shortfall of $40.8 billion for humanitarian activities. The international community was only meeting an average of 16.1% of the necessary funding.

Comparing this figure to global military spending in 2023, which was nearly $2.5 trillion, a 6.8% increase from 2022, Volker Turk said, "this is the strongest annual increase since 2009."

"Besides inflicting unbearable suffering on people, war leaves behind a heavy price," the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/xung-dot-nhung-noi-dau-and-cai-gia-dat-275462.html