114 million refugees, international law violated

In a scathing speech, Filippo Grandi criticized the United Nations Security Council, the body responsible for maintaining international peace and security, for failing to use its voice to resolve conflicts from Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Congo to Myanmar, as well as many other places.

Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Photo: AP

“Double standards” and “just talk”

He also accused some countries, without naming them, of making “short-sighted foreign policy decisions, often built on double standards, with lip service to international law, but showing little action to strengthen it – and with it – peace and security”.

Mr Grandi said the failure to comply with international humanitarian law meant that “parties to conflicts – increasingly everywhere, almost all – have stopped respecting the laws of war”, although some pretend to do so.

As a result, more civilians are killed, sexual violence is used as a weapon of war, hospitals, schools and other civilian infrastructure are attacked and destroyed, and humanitarian workers are targeted.

The UN refugee chief told the Security Council it was too late for tens of thousands of people killed in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and other conflicts.

“But it is not too late to focus your energies on the crises and conflicts that remain unresolved, so that they are not allowed to fester and flare up again” and “It is not too late to scale up help for millions of forcibly displaced people to return to their homes voluntarily, safely and with dignity”.

The head of the UN refugee agency says it is not too late to save millions of people from the scourge of war.

But the Security Council is increasingly polarized and its five veto-wielding permanent members are at odds, with the United States, the United Kingdom and France often strongly opposing the views of Russia and China.

On the Gaza war, the Council has been unable to call for a ceasefire because of opposition from the United States, Israel’s closest ally. And on Ukraine, the Council has been ineffective because Russia would apparently veto almost any resolution against it.

The “cruel acts”

Mr. Grandi called what has happened in Gaza since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel an example of “brutal behavior,” of hostility aimed not only at destroying opponents but also at terrifying civilians,” who increasingly have no choice but to flee.

Devastation in Gaza caused by the Israel-Hamas war. Photo: AP

Gaza is also “a tragic reminder of what happens when conflicts (and the refugee crisis more broadly) go unchecked” for decades, he said. He also pointed to Syria, where after 13 years of conflict, 5.6 million Syrian refugees remain in neighboring countries including Lebanon and Jordan, which also host Palestinian refugees.

Mr. Grandi said violations of international law, including forcing civilians to flee, were having grave consequences for humanity around the world .

In Myanmar, for example, more than 1.5 million people have been displaced by fighting since October, bringing the total to more than 3 million, “many of whom are seeking refuge in neighboring countries.” He added that in Ukraine, international humanitarian law is being violated daily as Russia attacks the country’s power grid, homes and other civilian infrastructure.

And in Congo, Mr. Grandi said, “violence between men using guns is so widespread that there is no other place on Earth more dangerous for women and children than the east of that country.”

“But how can the members of the United Nations, how can ‘our peoples’ pay so little attention and fail to act in a place where sex with children can be bought for less than the price of a glass of soft drink?” he lamented. “What a shameful stain on humanity!”

Hoang Hai (according to UN, AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/lien-hop-quoc-114-trieu-nguoi-ti-nan-vi-xung-dot-luat-phap-quoc-te-dang-bi-xam-pham-post297725.html