A drone loaded with explosives crashed into a structure designed to contain possible radiation leaks at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, located in northern Ukraine. The incident occurred at 01:50 hours, when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team in the area heard the explosion and noticed smoke and flames from their dormitories. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that the drone reached the New Safe Confinement (NSC), a key structure that houses the remains of the reactor that exploded in 1986 and is designed to prevent radioactive emissions.
The explosion caused a breach in the outer layer of the NSC, and an investigation is underway to determine if the interior lining has also been damaged. Despite the severity of the attack, authorities reported that radiation levels inside and outside the building remain normal and stable, with no reported casualties.
Meanwhile, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, M23 rebels have taken control of a key airport in Bukavu, a strategic city. The fighters’ offensive intensified after the capture of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, at the end of January, and they are now advancing towards the capital of South Kivu. This situation has led to forced displacements of people seeking humanitarian aid in areas affected by insecurity. More than half of the organizations supporting survivors of sexual violence have had trouble reaching those in need, while in North Kivu, the destruction of health centers and overcrowding in hospitals increase the risk of infectious disease outbreaks.
On the other hand, in the West Bank, the Israeli army has been accused of using a UNRWA health center as a temporary detention facility during a search and arrest operation. This act has been described as a blatant violation of UN facilities. Since October 2023, there has been an increase in incidents of raids on these facilities, exacerbated by new laws in Israel that limit interaction with UNRWA officials and make it difficult to report these events.
Finally, in honor of Valentine’s Day, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is launching a global call to reject child marriage, a practice that remains common in many parts of the world. Currently, almost one in five young women were married as children, and Latin America and the Caribbean are expected to become one of the regions with the highest prevalence of child marriages by 2030. In Colombia, recent legislative advances have sought to eliminate this practice to protect the rights of girls and adolescents, but the problem persists globally, affecting even developed countries like the United Kingdom and the United States.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
