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	Libyan forces attacks are endangering Civilian Populations by UN News / Human Rights Watch   20 April 2011 (UN News)   The United Nations human rights chief has condemned the reported repeated use of cluster munitions and heavy weaponry by Libyan Government forces against civilians in Misrata, warning that such acts could constitute international crimes.   “I urge the Libyan authorities to face the reality that they are digging themselves and the Libyan population deeper and deeper into the quagmire. They must halt the siege of Misrata and allow aid and medical care to reach the victims of the conflict,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.   Misrata, a north-western city with an estimated population of 300,000 people, has been the scene of continuous fighting since earlier this year between military forces allied to the regime of Muammar al-Qadhafi and opposition groups.   “Using imprecise weaponry such as cluster munitions, multiple rocket launchers and mortars, and other forms of heavy weaponry, in crowded urban areas will inevitably lead to civilian casualties,” she noted, adding that there are also reports of snipers deliberately targeting civilians in Misrata and other places in Libya.   “Under international law, the deliberate targeting of medical facilities is a war crime, and the deliberate targeting or reckless endangerment of civilians may also amount to serious violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.”   25 February 2011   UN Human Rights Council strongly condemns Libya violence.   The United Nations Human Rights Council has strongly condemned the ongoing violence in Libya and ordered an international inquiry into widespread abuses.   In a resolution adopted unanimously the 47-member Council also called on the Libyan Government to meet its responsibility to protect its population, immediately end all human rights violations, stop any attacks against civilians, and respect the popular will, aspirations and demands of its people.   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay warned that the crackdown on protesters is getting worse.   “According to some sources, thousands may have been killed or injured over the past week.. One thing is painfully clear: in brazen and continuing breach of international law, the crackdown in Libya of peaceful demonstrations is escalating alarmingly with reported mass killings, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture of protestors.”   Tanks, helicopters and military aircraft have been used indiscriminately to attack the protestors, she added.   She emphasized that under international law, “any official, at any level, ordering or carrying out atrocities and attacks can be held criminally accountable and that widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population may amount to crimes against humanity.”   All the Council’s independent human rights experts stressed that the international community should “act without delay” to protect civilians from serious human rights violations.   Witnesses in and out of Libya consistently describe horrifying scenes, Ms. Pillay told delegates. Libyan forces are firing at protestors and bystanders, sealing off neighbourhoods and shooting from rooftops. They also block ambulances so that the injured and dead are left on the streets.   Reports from hospitals indicate that most of the victims have been shot in the head, chest or neck, suggesting arbitrary and summary executions, she said. “Images received portray the digging of mass graves in Tripoli,” she added.   According to several accounts, killings have also been carried out by foreign fighters who were brought into the country and equipped with small arms and light weapons by the Government to suppress the protests.   In this connection, the High Commissioner’s Office has received reports that some Libyans are turning on refugees and migrants from other African countries, suspecting them of being mercenaries fighting for the Libyan Government.   Ms. Pillay stressed that the safety of all foreign nationals be ensured and that the freedom of movement of those wishing to leave the country be fully respected and protected.   “Libyan authorities must allow the safe passage of humanitarian and medical supplies and humanitarian workers into the country. They must also ensure that the fundamental human rights of the population are fully respected and promoted,” she said.   The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has commended the “humanitarian spirit” shown by the Tunisian and Egyptian Governments in welcoming and caring for people fleeing Libya.   “We call upon the international community to provide substantial humanitarian support for these two countries to assist them incoping with their needs”.   The Tunisian Government has declared that its borders are open for all nationalities attempting to flee the ongoing violence in Libya. The Egyptian Government has told UNHCR that Libyans are welcome and that it is ready to care for all injured and sick people who need to cross the border.
	Over 730,000 people have been internally displaced in Afghanistan due to conflict by ReliefWeb / UN News & agencies   11 Apr 2011   Need to minimise new displacement and increase protection for recently displaced. (Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre: Norwegian Refugee Council)   The UN and ICRC have recorded that 730,000 people have been internally displaced in Afghanistan due to conflict since 2006, an average of 400 a day. At the end of January 2011, 309,000 people remained internally displaced due to armed conflict, human rights abuses and other generalised violence. This figure was higher than at any time since 2005.   While armed opposition groups have been responsible for the majority of killings, most of the documented mass displacements have occurred as a result of offensives by international forces. Efforts by the International Security Assistance Force in 2010 to limit the impact of fighting on the civilian population have failed to reduce the rate of internal displacement.   The basic needs of recently displaced people across most regions of the country are often unmet, increasing the risk of disease and death. Internally displaced people (IDPs) have also been vulnerable to food insecurity, while insecurity and the absence of basic services in places of displacement have forced many IDPs into protracted secondary displacement in urban areas. The Afghan government is generally unable or unwilling to assist IDPs. Hundreds of thousands of IDPs have been assisted by international agencies, but assistance outside camps has been short-term and restricted by problems of funding and access.   Recommendations for policy development: International forces should minimise new displacements caused by their forces on the ground. This can be achieved through the adoption of standard operating procedures that oblige troops to take concrete action to protect civilians and their needs before, during and after military activities, and by the development of monitoring and reporting mechanisms on forced internal displacement.   International governments should ensure independent assessments of damage to IDPs   property and compensate those whose losses result from military operations. They should also take every necessary measure to safeguard the distinction between humanitarian action and political or military agendas necessary for humanitarian organisations to operate efficiently in all rural areas of the country.   The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan should give a higher priority to the protection and assistance of IDPs by developing a comprehensive IDP policy which corresponds to international standards, strengthen the coordinating role of the Ministry of Refugees and Returnees and, with the support of international donors, provide the necessary means to match their obligations to protect all IDPs in Afghanistan.   07 Apr 2011   Afghanistan: ambulance used in attack on police training compound (ICRC)   The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) strongly condemns the use of an ambulance – intended for transporting wounded and sick persons – in a suicide attack that took place today at an Afghan National Police regional training centre on the outskirts of Kandahar city, southern Afghanistan.   Several members of the security forces were killed and others injured during the assault.   "Using an ambulance for the purpose of deceiving the adversary in carrying out an attack constitutes perfidy. This is strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law and is totally unacceptable," said Jacques de Maio, the ICRC head of operations for South Asia.   By violating the neutrality of health care services, such acts of deception endanger medical personnel engaged in caring for the injured and sick in hospitals, clinics and rural health posts. "They undermine the delivery of and access to health care, already precarious for ordinary Afghans in many parts of the country as a result of the conflict," added Mr de Maio. Visit the related web page
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