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	Babies among 24 killed as gunmen attack maternity ward in Kabul by MSF, Tolo News, agencies Afghanistan   12 May 2020   Gunmen attacked a hospital that houses a maternity clinic in Kabul on Tuesday, killing at least 24 people including newborn babies and their mothers, at least 16 people were injured in the horrific shooting rampage. On the same day a suicide bomber killed at least 32 people at a funeral in Nangarhar with over 100 people injured, on a morning of double tragedy for Afghanistan.   The attack on the maternity ward targeting the most vulnerable of civilians, including children just hours old and new mothers, caused a wave of horror and revulsion.   'These newborns, among the first voices they heard, on the first day of their lives, was the sound of gunfire and among their first experiences, being targeted in a war they and their mothers had no part in', Shaharzad Akbar, the chair of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights commission, said. 'Will their lives, like ours, continue to be shaped by war?'   The gunmen started firing as soon as they reached the doorstep of the hospital, one weeping doctor told Afghanistan's Tolo television, after escaping. Four mothers were killed in one room, two were in a safe room and survived. It was a devastating scene.   A reporter who was able to access the hospital soon after the attack said gunmen appeared to have opened fire in every room, and on everyone inside, with some bodies still lying in the recovery room where women are taken after giving birth.   Husbands, brothers and fathers, who are not normally allowed on maternity wards in Afghanistan, thronged nearby streets in desperation, begging for news about whether their relatives had survived.   'Sixteen women and children were martyred and 16 other civilians were wounded in today's barbaric terrorist attack', said Feroz Bashiri, the director of government media and information centre.   Photos from the Ministry of Interior Affairs showed two young children lying dead inside the hospital. An image showed a woman who had been killed lying on the ground still holding tightly to her baby, who a nurse in the unit confirmed to Reuters news agency had survived and had been moved to an intensive care unit at another hospital.   Security forces earlier cordoned off the area as they evacuated more than 80 women and infants from the hospital, where medical charity Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) runs a maternity clinic.   "In my more than 20-year career I have not witnessed such a horrific, brutal act," said the hospital's director Dr Hassan Kamel.   The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Toby Lanzer, was outraged by the attack on the Sad Bistar Hospital, a 100-bed facility, which was full of patients and medical staff when the assault took place.   'It beggars belief that such a heinous act could be committed when Afghanistan is being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic', he said in a statement.   'Civilians receiving care in hospitals, health workers, medical infrastructure and aid workers are protected under International Humanitarian Law; violations must be investigated and those behind the attacks brought to justice'.   Amnesty International South Asia: "The unconscionable war crimes in Afghanistan today, targeting a maternity hospital and a funeral, must awaken the world to the horrors civilians continue to face. There must be accountability for these grave crimes, and civilians must be protected."   'It is fundamental that hospitals and healthcare institutions, as well as the patients they host, are protected from attacks and that healthcare professionals are able to save lives without threat or harm', said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba.   The statement follows several incidents deliberately targeting hospitals, including today's cruel attack on a maternity ward in Kabul in which civilians, including newborns, mothers and healthcare workers, were killed and injured. The SRSG strongly condemns the attack and calls on the authorities in Afghanistan to pursue accountability and investigate and prosecute those responsible when identified. 'It is further worrisome to note that attacks on hospitals have also taken place recently in other situations on the Children and Armed Conflict agenda', she added.   The SRSG warns reminds all parties to conflict of their obligation to respect international humanitarian and human rights law, with special regard to the protection of schools and hospitals and the needs and welfare of children. 'I remind all parties to conflict that attacks against hospitals and schools, as well as those against education and health workers, is a grave violation against children', said SRSG Gamba.   Human Rights Watch's associate Asia director Patricia Gossman: "A deliberate attack on a hospital is a war crime. Those paying the price for this heinous act are children, mothers, patients, doctors, nurses, other medical staff, as well as Afghan civilians."   13 May 2020   Revolting attack on maternity ward kills pregnant women and babies in Afghanistan. (MSF)   Kabul: Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is devastated after yesterday's sickening attack on pregnant women, mothers and their babies at our maternity ward in Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.   While pregnant women and babies, in one of life's most vulnerable states, were seeking healthcare, an unknown number of attackers stormed the maternity ward through a series of explosions and gunfire, lasting for hours.   MSF condemns this senseless act of cowardly violence, which cost the lives of many people, and which has deprived women and children in Kabul of a fundamental healthcare service, in a context where access to essential care is already limited. The maternity ward is located in an area of western Kabul with a population of more than 1.5 million people.   We mourn the loss of our patients and we have indications that at least one Afghan colleague was also killed. For now, with still so much uncertainty, every effort is being made by our medical team to follow up on the new-borns in the maternity ward, to ensure the best possible care to our patients and to those injured, to provide psychological care to affected staff, and to provide every necessary support to those bereaved.   While fighting was ongoing, one woman gave birth to her baby, and both are doing well. Our hospital staff, midwives, doctors, cleaners, nurses, cooks, watchmen and administrative staff provide invaluable services to women in need of maternal care, especially for those with complicated deliveries.   For the time being, medical activities in the maternity ward of Dasht-e-Barchi hospital are suspended, but not closed. Patients were evacuated to surrounding hospitals and staff were brought to safety. More than ever, we stand in solidarity with the Afghan people.   MSF opened the 55-bed maternity in Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in 2014. Since the beginning of this year, 5,401 babies were delivered at the maternity ward, and 524 babies had received treatment in the newborn unit and kangaroo mother-care unit for critical care.   http://www.msf.org/revolting-attack-maternity-ward-afghanistan http://www.aihrc.org.af/ http://ihl-databases.icrc.org/customary-ihl/eng/docs/v2_rul_rule35 http://poc-aide-memoire.unocha.org/theme http://bit.ly/2Lvqx9z http://www.icrc.org/eng/war-and-law/protected-persons/civilians/overview-civilians-protected.htm http://guide-humanitarian-law.org/content/article/3/civilians/ http://guide-humanitarian-law.org/content/index/ http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/ProtectionOfCivilianPersons.aspx http://healthcareindanger.org/resource-centre/ http://www.safeguardinghealth.org/resources   * United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan: Report on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict 2019 (135pp): http://bit.ly/3dPL6qz   * Afghanistan's food crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic with over 10 million acutely food insecure: http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1152636/   Oct. 2019 (UN News)   Afghanistan has seen record-high levels of civilian casualties in the third quarter of 2019, the UN Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA) revealed in a report, which concluded that more must be done to protect the country's people.   In just the first nine months of 2019 overall, UNAMA counted more than 8,200 civilian casualties - 2,563 killed and 5,676 injured. The last three months, has seen an unprecedented number of civilian casualties, UNAMA said.   In July, the Mission documented the country's bloodiest month on record, with the highest number of civilian casualties in a single month since the UN began systematic documentation in the country, in 2009.   'Civilian casualties at record-high levels clearly show the need for all parties concerned to pay much greater attention to protecting the civilian population', said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan.   The harm done signals the importance of peace talks for a ceasefire, Mr. Yamamoto added, calling for a political settlement to the conflict. There is no other way forward, he said.   In addition to detailing casualties and their causes, UNAMA's figures indicate that 41 per cent of all civilian casualties in Afghanistan were women and children.   18 Aug. 2019   Suicide Attack targets Kabul wedding hall killing over 63 civilians, 200 injured.   Over 60 people have been killed and more than 200 people have been injured after a suicide bomber targeted a large wedding in Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Saturday.   The blast occurred near the stage at the Dubai City wedding hall in western Kabul, a part of the city that many in the minority Shiite Hazara community call home.   Witness Gul Mohammad said musicians were playing on the stage, which was surrounded by "all the youths, children and all the people who were there were killed".   "The wedding guests were dancing and celebrating the party when the blast happened," recounted Munir Ahmad, 23, who was seriously injured and whose cousin was among the dead.   "Following the explosion, there was total chaos. Everyone was screaming and crying for their loved ones," he told reporters from his hospital bed.   The bridegroom says he has "lost hope". In a TV interview, Mirwais Elmi said his bride survived but his brother and other relatives were among the 63 people killed in the attack.   In the interview with Tolo News, Mirwais Elmi recalled greeting smiling guests in the packed wedding hall only to see their bodies carried out hours later.   "My family, my bride are in shock, they cannot even speak. My bride keeps fainting," he said. "I've lost hope. I lost my brother, I lost my friends, I lost my relatives. I will never see happiness in my life again.. I know that this won't be the last suffering for Afghans, the suffering will continue".   Ahmad Jamal, 26, a relative of the bride, told the Guardian: 'This explosion occurred exactly at the middle of the hall, I was chatting with my friends less than 20 metres away when a huge explosion went off. Before that everyone was happy, some were dancing, some laughing, but the bomb ended everything. Some lost their lives while dancing'.   He added: 'There were bodies on the ground everywhere you look. There were hands, feet and many other parts of the body with so [much] blood, I tried to count but it was countless. Ambulances and police arrived 30 minutes after the explosion. I feel the world has forgotten us, no one consider us as a human here'.   Afghan President Ashraf Ghani released a statement: 'I strongly condemn the inhumane attack on the wedding hall in Kabul last night. My top priority for now is to reach out to the families of victims of this barbaric attack. On behalf of the nation I send my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who died'.   The terrorist group IS has claimed responsibility for the attack.   The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemns last night's Kabul attack that killed scores of civilians and injured many more, among them women and children.   On the evening of 17 August, a suicide attacker detonated explosives in the Shahr-e-Dubai Wedding Hall in West Kabul where approximately 1,000 people were gathered for a Shia wedding ceremony.   Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan said, 'I condemn these deliberate attacks on civilians that signal a deliberate intent to spread fear among the population, which has already suffered too much'.   The wedding hall where the attack took place is situated in an area of the city heavily populated by Afghanistan's Shia Hazara Muslim minority. UNAMA has documented several previous attacks deliberately carried out against this community.   'The pace of such atrocious attacks indicates that current measures in place to protect civilian lives must be urgently strengthened', he said.   Aug. 2019   The United Nations in Afghanistan reminds all parties to the conflict of their responsibility to protect civilians and to comply with their obligations under international law, as the latest UN documentation shows that civilian casualty rates returned to record high levels in the month of July.   Civilians bore the brunt of escalating violence in July, with preliminary UN findings showing that more than 1,500 civilians were killed and injured, the highest number of any month this year, and the highest number documented in a single month since May 2017, the UN said in a statement.   http://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/un-reports-record-number-afghan-civilian-deaths-july http://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/afghanistan-civilian-suffering-remains-far-too-high http://tolonews.com/afghanistan/afghan-civilians-suffering-remains-far-too-high-icrc Visit the related web page
	Justice must be an essential part of the COVID-19 response and recovery by Hina Jilani Pathfinders, The Elders, agencies   Apr. 2020   'The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global emergency. It is not only a health crisis but also a human rights crisis. Justice actors face daunting responsibilities as they design, implement, and enforce new measures to prevent the spread of infection. Measures that heighten the risk of human rights abuses can undermine trust, at a time when the justice system most needs to maintain the public's confidence.   For better or for worse, justice systems and justice workers are on the frontline of this pandemic. If we get our response right, societies will be better able to confront the pandemic effectively and fairly. That will build the foundations for reset and recovery. If we get it wrong, it is no exaggeration to say that people will die unnecessarily.   In the Justice for All report released last year, the Task Force on Justice noted that 1.5 billion people had a justice problem that they could not resolve. Now as well as before the pandemic, marginalized communities - already poorly served by justice systems - face the highest risks, as do vulnerable groups.   The pandemic is widening the justice gap, with a sharp increase in the problems that many people face and the ability of justice actors to respond declining.   This briefing - Justice for All and the Public Health Emergency - discusses the most pressing priorities that the public health emergency poses for justice leaders and proposes seven areas for urgent action as the tide of infections continues to rise. It will soon be followed by a second briefing to cover the role justice plays in the economic crisis and recovery, and in building cohesion and hope for a better world.   In the health sector we are seeing a massive global effort, with people coming together in response to the pandemic. This includes unprecedented international cooperation, a global drive to find treatment and a vaccine, and intensive international sharing and learning among health professionals as they battle the pandemic.   This briefing is also a call to action for the justice community to rally to help countries under extraordinary pressure to get it right. We call on everyone working for justice globally, nationally, locally; in government, civil society, community organizations or the private sector to pull together to resolve the justice problems the pandemic is creating, to prevent injustices from occurring, and to use justice as a platform for people to play the fullest possible role in their economies and societies'.   Hina Jilani, as co-chair on the Taskforce for Justice, reflects The Elders concern that COVID-19 is widening the justice gap.   The Elders support the report's call for an effective justice response ensuring that emergency measures are enforced fairly, all groups are protected from violence, and future disease containment phases are considered in line with human rights standards.   The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global emergency. It both worsens existing justice deficiencies and introduces new challenges to achieving justice for all (SDG16).   COVID-19 is not just a health crisis, but a human rights crisis. Justice actors face daunting responsibilities as they design, implement, and enforce new measures to prevent the spread of infection. Emergency orders, laws, regulations and directives are being enacted in haste.   Measures that heighten the risk of human rights abuses can undermine trust, at a time when the justice system most needs to maintain the public's confidence.   Now as well as before the pandemic, marginalized communities - already poorly served by justice systems - face the highest risks, as do vulnerable groups, such as migrants, detainees, women and girls.   The pandemic is widening the justice gap, with a sharp increase in the problems that many people face and the capacity of justice actors to respond declining.   Frontline justice workers are an essential part of the COVID-19 response, such as engaging communities on preventative practices and access to health services, providing legal advice services to victims of domestic violence and helping ensure human rights and accountability.   However, many grassroots justice groups are finding it difficult to access funding and they need to be included in recovery and response efforts. Only an effective response will enable societies to overcome the pandemic fairly and build the foundations for recovery. People-centered justice approaches must take centre-stage.   Of particular concern is that since the outbreak of COVID-19, violence against women and girls (VAWG), and particularly domestic violence has intensified. This underscores the need to invest in legal aid and proactive outreach to victims of abuse, and create safe spaces for people at risk of gender-based and domestic violence.   While COVID-19 is a threat to us all, this does not mean it affects people equally. Those groups who already face the greatest risk of injustice are most vulnerable. Such groups include migrants, detainees, women, children, and marginalised groups and communities. A renewed commitment to Justice For All can assist in preventing further exclusion.   The Elders call on the justice community to work together to resolve the problems the COVID-19 pandemic is creating, to prevent injustices from occurring, and to use justice as a platform for people to play the fullest possible role in their economies and societies.   * Justice for All & the Public Health Emergency: http://www.justice.sdg16.plus/justice-in-a-pandemic http://www.theelders.org/news/justice-must-be-essential-part-covid-19-response-and-recovery http://www.theelders.org/content/home#covid19 http://www.icj.org/human-rights-in-the-time-of-covid-19-front-and-centre/ Visit the related web page
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