The International Rescue Committee (IRC) declared on Dec. 11 that Sudan is currently experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis ever recorded. The report states that approximately 30.4 million people—over half of Sudan's population—are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, a staggering figure that accounts for 10% of all people globally requiring aid, despite Sudan representing less than 1% of the world's population. Health services have been critically impacted, with more than 70% of healthcare facilities nonfunctional and widespread outbreaks of diseases like cholera and malaria threatening already vulnerable populations.

The US government unsealed an indictment Dec. 9 charging two former high-ranking officials of Syrian Air Force Intelligence with war crimes. The indictment accuses Jamil Hassan and Abdul Salam Mahmoud of cruel and inhuman treatment, including the torture of detainees, some of whom were US citizens, at the Mezzeh military airbase prison in Damascus. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The charges brought against Hassan and Mahmoud in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois are based on 18 USC §§ 2441(a) and (d)(1)(B), which prohibit war crimes, including acts of torture and cruel treatment of detainees.

The Nicaraguan Human Rights Collective "Nunca Más" issued a report Dec. 10 charging that at least 229 individuals detained in the country for political reasons have endured various forms of torture and other acts that could be classified as "crimes against humanity" over the past seven years. The report documents claims of physical and psychological torture, arbitrary detention, forced disappearances, and other severe human rights violations committed by the Nicaraguan government. The victims, identified as individuals who were arrested during anti-government protests and in connection with opposition activities, have reportedly faced beatings, sexual violence, and prolonged solitary confinement.

In a landmark 300-page report released Dec. 5, Amnesty International has accused Israeli authorities of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The report outlines three specific violations of the Genocide Convention: the killing of Palestinians, causing serious bodily or mental harm, and deliberately inflicting conditions intended to bring about their physical destruction.

The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) on Dec. 5 condemned a new Taliban directive barring Afghan women and girls from attending classes at medical institutions, warning that it will have devastating consequences for the country's healthcare system. OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani stated: "The measure is profoundly discriminatory, short-sighted and puts the lives of women and girls at risk in multiple ways. It removes the only remaining path for women and girls towards higher education and will decimate the already inadequate supply of female midwives, nurses and doctors."

Several non-governmental organizations on Dec. 3 demanded access to Cuban prisons, calling for international support following the death of a man imprisoned for participating in the July 2021 anti-government demonstrations on the island.

Several NGOs including Justicia 11J and the Centro de Documentación de Prisiones Cubanas (Cuban Prison Documentation Center), operated by Mexico-based non-profit organization Iniciativa para la Investigación y la Incidencia (Research & Advocacy Initiative), released statements denouncing the conduct of the Cuban authorities and demanding access to Cuban prisons to ensure an end to the systemic violation of prisoners' rights. Justicia 11J and the Center for a Free Cuba urged "governments, the United Nations, international human rights organizations and medical associations around the world" to "pressure the Cuban regime" and "provide the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to all Cuban prisons," and to provide care and treatment for sick or injured prisoners.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, commenced hearings Dec. 2 on the obligations of states concerning climate change. The oral proceedings are scheduled to run for nine days at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.

The request for an advisory opinion from the ICJ was submitted in March 2023, following the unanimous adoption of Resolution 77/276 by the UN General Assembly. The resolution sought the court's guidance on the obligations of sates to "ensure the protection of the climate system…for present and future generations," and the legal implications of "acts and omissions [that] have caused significant harm to the climate system." The second question especially addresses the international community's legal responsibilities to small island developing States, which are disproportionately threatened by the adverse effects of climate change.

The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) filed an application Nov. 27 for an arrest warrant against Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, ruling military chief of Myanmar (Burma), on charges of crimes against humanity. ICC Prosecutor Karim AA Khan KC announced the move, citing "reasonable grounds to believe" that Min Aung Hlaing bears criminal responsibility for the deportation and persecution of Rohingya Muslims beginning in 2017. "The crimes were committed by the armed forces of Myanmar, the Tatmadaw, supported by the national police, the border guard police, as well as non-Rohingya civilians," Khan said in a statement.