The literacy of women helps to promote the development and wellbeing of children, according to an official of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). To underline the importance of this issue, the United Nations observes International Literacy Day on 8 September each year. The United Nations estimates that 775 million young people, the [...]
The European Union is preparing to release an additional 50 million Euros in humanitarian funding to help Syrian civilians caught up in their country's crisis. The announcement was made in Geneva on Friday following the Syrian Humanitarian Forum. Claus Sorensen is the Director-General of the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). "The European Union announced [...]
Leaders of countries in East and Central Africa have been asked by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to make concerted efforts to resolve the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The eastern part of the country has faced attacks by a rebel group called M23 and other armed militias. In a message [...]
A new president of Somalia is expected to be elected by members of the country's newly formed parliament on Monday. The election will completely end the transitional period and move Somalia towards a phase of political and socio-economic transformation, according to the top United Nations envoy in the country. Augustine Mahiga has written an open [...]
Having a clear understanding of how well humanitarian efforts are working around the world is the subject of a new report released by ALNAP, a network of global humanitarian organizations. ALNAP Director John Mitchell says some information on case loads, numbers affected, how well aid has been delivered and funding flows is available, but not [...]
The entire population of Syria is gripped by fear and despair, says John Ging, who is in charge of coordination and response at the UN humanitarian organization, OCHA. Mr. Ging was speaking to the press following the Syria Humanitarian Forum in Geneva on Friday. The meeting brought together international agencies seeking to strengthen [...]
Literacy contributes to peace as it brings people closer to attaining individual freedoms and a better understanding of the world. That's the message of UNESCO, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on International Literacy Day observed on 8 September each year. Subbarao Ilapavuluri, Chief of the Literacy Section of UNESCO, speaks to Gerry Adams [...]
The pardoning of an Azerbaijani soldier who killed an Armenian officer during a NATO training course in 2004 is causing concern at the United Nations. Last week Ramil Safarov was extradited to Baku from Hungary, where he had been serving a life sentence for the murder of Gurgen Margaryan. UN human rights spokesperson Rupert Colville [...]
The United Nations is encouraging young professionals anywhere in the world who are ready to launch a career as international civil servants. Through its Young Professional Programme or YPP, the Organization is inviting potential candidates to submit their applications before the deadline of 12 September 2012. To get more information, you can go to https://careers.un.org/lbw/Home.aspx [...]
UN-Habitat just concluded a week-long meeting in Naples, Italy where world leaders gathered to talk about the future of the world's cities. Dr. Kulwant Singh, the UN-Habitat Coordinator in India attended the forum and spoke about the impact of urban growth in the Asia Pacific region. Cambodia works to reduce child labour World leaders [...]
A group of HIV-infected mothers and their partners have formed a mothers' support group attached to their local health clinic in Kitulo Ward, Makete District in Tanzania. Besides providing psycho-social support to each other, members of the group also speak to surrounding communities about prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. "Literacy and Peace" is the [...]
Members of the newly formed parliament in Somalia are being urged to elect a president who will form a good and credible government. The appeal has come from the top United Nations envoy in Somalia, Augustine Mahiga in an open letter to the Somali parliamentarians. He said the election of the president will completely end [...]
Humanitarian operations are being scaled up in Syria where the ongoing conflict has displaced hundreds of thousands of people and forced others to flee to neighbouring countries. Following a humanitarian forum on Syria held in Geneva on Friday, the UN and its humanitarian partners say the scale of the crisis is escalating and humanitarian needs [...]
China is being urged to protect thousands of refugees from Myanmar who have fled fighting between government troops and rebels in the volatile Kachin state. The appeal comes from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) which says that up to 5,000 people, the majority of them children, have been returned since mid-August and are living [...]
Thousands of Syrian children will not be able to return to school for the new academic year which starts on the September 16, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The agency says that 2,000 schools have been damaged or destroyed in the ongoing conflict while others have been occupied by thousands of displaced [...]
