UN News Today 27 January 2025 |

 Security Council condemns M23 rebel advance into key DR Congo city

In a strong statement, the UN Security Council has condemned the advance by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group in the volatile eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, which has endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

The statement released following Sunday’s emergency Council meeting in New York said the advance into the regional capital Goma violates the ceasefire and worsens the humanitarian crisis.

Ambassadors demanded an immediate halt to the M23’s offensive and called for the group to withdraw from territories it has seized in recent days.

They reiterated their support for the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO and paid tribute to blue helmets who have lost their lives, extending condolences to the families of the fallen and their home nations of South Africa, Malawi, and Uruguay.

The Council also condemned the presence of “external forces” in eastern DRC – amid reports Rwandan troops are heavily involved in the offensive – and called for their   all parties to adhere to the ceasefire and return to diplomatic talks.

The Council also expressed alarm over GPS jamming and other activities that threaten civil aviation and humanitarian aid delivery.

Ambassadors condemned violations of international humanitarian law and called for accountability.

The Security Council reaffirmed its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC and expressed full support for ongoing UN efforts to stabilise the region.

WHO and health community calls for action on clean air

The global health community supported by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) called for urgent action on Monday from governments and the private sector to stop air pollution and save lives.

Dirty air is responsible for at least seven million deaths each year – the vast majority of deaths being caused by cardiovascular issues, respiratory diseases and lung cancer, the UN health agency said.

Ahead of the Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Colombia in March, WHO is calling for accelerated action for clean air, clean energy access and climate change mitigation.

Evidence-based and coordinated solutions in cities, countries and regions is needed to prevent communicable and non-communicable disease due to air pollution, the UN health agency said, in support of efforts to save lives, protect child health and limit climate change.

More than $8 trillion is spent annually on the effects of air pollution but less than one per cent of global development aid is being invested in improving air quality – in countries where people are most at risk, WHO said.

Don’t be neutral towards human suffering, insists Holocaust survivor

Nazi death camp survivor Ivan Lefkovits shared harrowing testimony of his experiences on Monday marking 80 years since the end of the Holocaust, with a timeless message for present and future generations: “Don’t be neutral, especially not towards human suffering.”

Recalling the murder of his father and brother – victims of the Nazi bid to wipe out the Jewish people – 88-year-old Mr. Lefkovits noted that many other European countries subscribed to Hitler’s views during World War Two.

This included his home country, Slovakia, which had paid the Nazi authorities to take away Jewish citizens from his home country to concentration camps, he told assembled representatives at the UN in Geneva. 

Mr. Lefkovits was seven when he was sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp in November 1944; he spent the last months of the war in Bergen-Belsen camp where he almost died from starvation and thirst. Today he urges younger generations to study history “not necessarily to learn, but to understand” why the Holocaust happened.

Matt Wells, UN News

Music composed and produced by Joachim Harris. All rights reserved