Sudan, Palestine, Syria

Today's three stories you should know.

Sudan

Yesterday we covered one of the world’s under-reported hunger crises: northern Nigeria. Today, Sudan. Thirteen children died of malnutrition last month in East Darfur state, according to local doctors. The children died in a refugee camp that has been the subject of persistent attacks by armed groups. Sudan’s 27-month civil war has crippled the country, with tens of thousands of civilians killed and 12 million people forced out of their homes. Full-blown famine has been declared in 10 areas and 24.6 million people face acute hunger, according to the UN.

More from BBC here.

[N.B.: Sudan will be the focus of the first deeper dive for paid subscribers on Saturday]

Palestine

Two top Israeli government ministers have said the time is right for Israel to fully annex the occupied West Bank. Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a joint statement in which they said: “At this very moment, there is … an opportunity that must not be missed.” As the world’s eyes are on Gaza, violence has continued to spiral in the West Bank with near-daily attacks on Palestinians from Israeli settlers and soldiers. About 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank alongside three million Palestinians.

More from the Times of Israel here.

Syria

The UN is preparing an aid convoy for Syria’s Sweida province after an outbreak of communal violence killed at least 1,000 people and sent 175,000 fleeing, according to a report from the Reuters news agency. The fighting began with clashes between local factions of the Druze community and Bedouin fighters. When government forces arrived, ostensibly to quell the violence, the conflict escalated. In a separate report, Reuters pieced together three specific incidents of Druze civilians being executed, using footage filmed by their attackers. The UN told Reuters that a stable ceasefire is needed so it can keep the aid flowing.

Reuters piece on aid here. Investigation into civilian executions here.