World News in Brief: UN relief vehicle struck in Ukraine, emergency airdrops in South Sudan, backlash against LGBTIQ+ rights
The vehicle was part of an inter-agency humanitarian mission led by OCHA, the UN humanitarian affairs office, and had been notified to the parties in advance.“The Secretary-General reiterates that international law, including international humanitarian law, must be respected at all times,” the statement read.“Civilians and civilian objects, including humanitarian relief personnel and objects used for humanitarian relief operations, must be respected and protected at all times,” it added.The Organization is working to establish the full facts surrounding this incident.Civilians bear the bruntThe attack came as Russian forces launched nearly 800 drones and 56 missiles across Ukraine overnight, primarily targeting Kyiv.The assault as one of the most intense and prolonged attacks since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UN Country Team in Ukraine said, with nearly 24 hours of continuous strikes across the country involving ballistic and cruise missiles.Humanitarian crisis deepens in South SudanHumanitarians have scaled up assistance for families returning in South Sudan’s Akobo region after violence in early March displaced tens of thousands of people.The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) conducted the first emergency airdrop of lifesaving food and supplies on Wednesday in Bora village, Jonglei state.The operation delivered more than 1,000 bags of cereals and pulses – expected to support around 3,000 people – in hard-to-reach communities where humanitarian access remains severely constrained.
