Crisis in Haiti deepens after earthquake, heavy floods — and other world news you may have missed

Haitians have been dealing with the aftermath of a string of devastating natural disasters, Euronews reported.

On Tuesday, a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, killing at least four people and injuring nearly 40 others. Just days before, heavy floods killed at least 52 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Some of the people struggling with the aftermath were already living in displacement campsites, after a 2021 earthquake destroyed their homes.

The World Food Program said that tens of thousands of Haitians had been affected. “A significant weather-induced event of this level so early in the hurricane season … raises concerns about the ability to provide a sustained response should extreme weather incidents continue to occur,” the group said.

Why it matters

In the last decade, Haiti has been hit with an unrelenting series of natural catastrophes as well as spiraling gang violence and political crises. With more disasters striking the Caribbean nation, officials fear the country will never be able to fully recover.

Here are four other international news stories you may have missed this week from Yahoo News’ partner network.

U.N. investigation finds ‘credible evidence’ of sexual abuse by peacekeepers

As reported by CNN, the United Nations announced on Friday that it would send home a unit of 60 peacekeepers from the Central African Republic following allegations of sexual assault and exploitation.

Stéphane Dujarric, a U.N. spokesperson, told reporters that a preliminary investigation found that 11 peacekeepers, from Tanzania, had allegedly sexually abused and exploited at least four victims — two of whom were children. Investigators from the U.N. also discovered that there had been a breakdown in the authority of those leading the mission. The suspects had been stationed in a temporary base in the west of the country. “The unit will be repatriated once their presence is no longer required by the investigation,” Dujarric said on Friday.

Why it matters

The U.N. has been based in the Central African Republic since 2014, when conflict broke out following years of civil war. According to statistics from the U.N., more than half of the population of the Central African Republic is in need of assistance and protection. U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the Central African Republic, Mohamed Ag Ayoya, said last week that 2.4 million people “have needs so severe and complex that their survival and dignity is at risk.” The dire situation continues to worsen with persistent conflict, a lack of safe drinking water and underdevelopment.

Dutch town imposes ‘increased monitoring’ to curb sex on nudist beach

The Guardian reported on Saturday that a town in the Netherlands has launched a campaign to discourage visitors from engaging in sexual acts on a nudist beach.

Mayor Frederiek Schouwenaar of Veere, the southwestern Dutch city where the beach is located, said in a statement that the dunes are hugely important to the local community and so “must be protected from undesirable behavior that damages the natural environment and can disturb other holidaymakers.”

Veere’s city council set up “Project Oranjezon” after receiving a high number of complaints about “sex acts carried out by naked recreationists.” Last Thursday, posters and boards located on the beach warned beachgoers that public sex is banned on the beach and around the dunes. “Increased monitoring” would be conducted by the local government in a bid to stop “sexual meeting place activities in the dunes, nature reserve, and beach.”

EU calls for probe after 77 Afghan schoolgirls poisoned

The European Union has called for an investigation into two separate poison attacks that left nearly 80 schoolgirls hospitalized in Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday.

Sixty girls were poisoned in Naswan-e-Kabod Aab School and another 17 were poisoned in Naswan-e-Faizabad in two separate attacks on June 3 and 4 in the northern Afghan province of Sar-e-Pul. The head of the education department, Mohammad Rahmani, said the girls began experiencing vertigo, asthma and headaches, while others vomited.

An initial investigation found that the person who has been accused of the attacks had a personal vendetta but used a third party to carry out the poisonings.

The EU called the attacks a “heinous crime that needs to be followed up by the de facto authorities.” It added: “Right to education is the human right of all children, everywhere. Schools need to be safe places for all children.” Since the Taliban took over in August 2021, education for women and girls has been barred past the sixth grade.

Thousands of fake tweets found defending UAE hosting U.N. climate summit

An expert in social media disinformation found at least 30,000 tweets from 100 fake Twitter accounts defending the United Arab Emirates’ hosting of the United Nations’ climate summit COP 28, the Guardian reported.

Dr. Marc Owen Jones, of Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, discovered a “large, multilingual astroturfing effort” of fake accounts promoting and defending the controversial event. Environmental activists have criticized the choice because the UAE is a major producer of oil and natural gas, which are major contributors to climate change.

“It is a network of fake accounts trying to promote UAE foreign policy,” Jones said. “They’re focusing on promoting, or greenwashing, Cop28 by defending and deflecting criticism of having Cop28 in the UAE.” Since exposing the accounts, some have been removed by Twitter.

“These [fake accounts] are generated by outside actors unconnected to Cop28 and are clearly designed to discredit Cop28 and the climate process,” a COP28 spokesperson told the Guardian.