The United Nations is committed to fostering international peace and global security. However, due to conflicts plaguing various U.N. member nations, the founding mission of the U.N. has yet to be fulfilled.
Article one in chapter one of the United Nations Charter states that employing peaceful collective action based on justice and international law is essential to eliminating threats to peace and resolving disputes. Unfortunately, the ideals of this article have not been extended to populations in Congo or Sudan where humanitarian crises persist despite the presence of U.N. operations.
Congo
The people of Goma, a city in Congo, are being displaced while enduring a political crisis and war. Diseases are spreading, food is sparse and life is a constant fight for survival. Many people are unjustly displaced as they leave their homes in Congo to seek refuge from war. According to e The New York Times, over 500,000 people have left their homes since October to live in stick huts due to the high-risk nature of where they lived. The total death toll has staggeringly amounted to over 5 million.
Humans being forced to take refuge in houses made of sticks is a significant violation of human rights. Many of us take our homes and the comfort they provide for granted, while people in Congo, among other nations, do not have this same luxury. I do not have to think twice about my right to call my home a safe place, and I believe every human is entitled to this. However, the people of Congo do not, due to the lack of a basic human necessity — shelter.
The people of Congo are starving and dying every day, partially due to the U.N.’s shortcomings in providing necessities such as food and adequate shelter. This is unacceptable, as the U.N. must protect and uphold its purpose as a peacekeeping organization. However, even though organizations such as the U.N. are still active, the people of Congo live under dire and inhumane circumstances.
The U.N. is not only ignoring the realities of Congo but actually worsening the country’s circumstances. MONUSCO, the U.N.’s mission in the Congo, has employed several peacekeepers. These peacekeepers are intended to “protect civilians” and “consolidate peace,” according to the U.N.; however, they have been reported several times shooting at civilians at anti-U.N. protests, according to The New Humanitarian. The U.N. is committed to fostering peace and security. Yet, they appear to be doing the opposite by inciting violence and worsening the situation in Congo.
Furthermore, civilians have recently risen against the Congolese Revolutionary Army, also known as the M23, which is a rebel military group active in eastern Congo. It was formed by former members of the National Congress for the Defense of the People and is primarily composed of ethnic Tutsis advocating for political reforms and protection against ethnic violence. Many demonstrators believe MONUSCO has been inactive and has not adequately acknowledged the alleged support from Rwanda for the group, according to The New Humanitarian, highlighting the U.N.’s shortcomings in the nation.
While providing peacekeepers to the region is the bare minimum that the U.N. can accomplish, as they are there to create a safe environment for people living under violence, it is imperative that MONUSCO does its job and promotes peace and security for the population of Congo.
Sudan
In Sudan, bombs, raids and screams fill the air. The loud, piercing noise of bombs unwarrantedly invades the eardrums of citizens, forcing them to flee and take shelter. Citizens are forced to leave their homes and everything that was once theirs.
There is an ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, Sudan. Additionally, in Darfur, a region outside of Khartoum, there have been reports of ethnic cleansing of civilians by SAF and RSF groups.
As a result, a rapid escalation of violence has affected surrounding civilians. The U.N. is currently neglecting its duty, as it should mediate this violence and hold these groups accountable for the widespread suffering they have caused.
As of 2024, over 12,000 people have been killed and 5.9 million have been internally displaced due to the conflict surrounding the SAF and RSF groups, according to the International Rescue Committee. These numbers place Sudan in the world’s most significant internal displacement crisis.
The U.N. is arguably the largest humanitarian organization in the world, requiring it to seek peace and ensure human rights are secure globally. Unfortunately, this is not occurring at present. The U.N. can provide resources such as refugee camps that could make an immeasurable difference to the suffering children and innocent civilians.
The 2023 conflict was not the beginning of Sudan’s demand for humanitarian aid. The International Rescue Committee also states that on top of everything, their healthcare system is on the brink of collapsing, and the country’s economic instability is intensifying poverty, causing many to go hungry.
More recently, the conflict has exponentially increased the number of people requiring aid to almost 25 million, according to the International Rescue Committee. ACAPS, an independent analysis provider that works with humanitarian workers, donors and influencers, has rated the crisis in Sudan as a five out of five — the most extreme rating — further emphasizing the urgent need for the U.N.’s help.
Due to the U.N. not acting fast enough, as well as the lack of aid entering Sudan, an increasing number of people are losing their lives or being displaced.
Allegations of human rights abuses in places such as Congo and multiple other areas, as well as, violations of international law, continue in conflict zones despite the U.N.’s presence. The U.N. has been ineffective in resolving major conflicts.
The U.N. is meant to be a peace-keeping organization but has unfortunately not held up its obligations to its member states and, in some cases, worsened violence. It is time for the U.N. to take action, whether through adequate funding or changing its processes.
