The people of Burkina Faso are being urged by the UN Secretary-General to use dialogue to solve the recent political crisis. On Friday, the President of the West African country, Blaise Compaoré, resigned after the military seized control of Parliament. On Thursday, protesters reportedly set fire to government buildings after President Compaoré attempted to amend [...]
Somalia is on the verge of another humanitarian crisis as a poor rainy season followed by severe flooding threatens local harvests, the United Nations warned on Friday. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says more than one million people are now in critical need of assistance. It says there's been a 20 per cent [...]
The international community needs to remain focused until every single case of Ebola is identified and dealt with, according to the UN Coordinator for Ebola. David Nabarro shared his latest update on the global Ebola response at UN Headquarters on Friday. Close to 5000 people have died from the virus in Liberia, Sierra Leone and [...]
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The importance of well-planned and well-managed cities is being stressed on the first ever celebration of World Cities Day on 31st October. According to the United Nations, nearly five billion people will live in cities by 2030, creating immense pressure on housing, services, resources and the environment. It is also estimated that over 60 per [...]
Thousands of Nigerian refugees in Cameroon have been fleeing attacks by rebels, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. The Agency reports that in recent days, Nigerian insurgents have launched repeated cross-border attacks into northern Cameroon, hindering the UN's efforts to bring refugees to a camp. The West African country currently hosts over 100,000 people [...]
Telecommunications and logistics experts from WFP, the UN World Food Programme are working to ensure that humanitarian agencies can provide rapid delivery of aid in Iraq. Over 1.8 million Iraqis have been forced to flee their homes since January this year, because of an on-going conflict. Aid agencies working on the ground need to communicate [...]
The decision to continue criminalizing consensual same-sex relations between men in Singapore is disappointing, according to the UN Human Rights Office, OHCHR. This week, the country's Supreme Court decided to uphold anti-gay laws, stating that its penal code which criminalizes male homosexuality does not violate Singapore's constitution. The Court added that it is up to [...]
Renewed fighting in the north and west of the Central African Republic and an increase in violence in the country's capital Bangui is putting humanitarian access in jeopardy, according to United Nations aid agencies. The upsurge in unrest has also led to a number of unprecedented attacks against humanitarian workers. From the beginning of this [...]
A "staggering array" of gross human rights abuses have been committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in northern Iraq, according to a recent report. Compiled by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the UN Human Rights Office, it describes violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, reportedly [...]
Youth rights should be translated into action and not remain on paper. That's what the Vice Chairperson of the Advisory Council on Youth said during the First Global Forum on Youth Policies in Baku, Azerbaijan. Hanan Bihi sits on the Council of Europe's Advisory Council on Youth which is made up of 30 representatives from [...]
As cities grow both in size and population, people are being urged to seize the opportunity to start shaping them. That's the message of UN Habitat Executive Director Joan Clos on the first-ever World Cities Day observed on 31 October. Under the slogan, "Better city, Better Life", the city of Shanghai, China is hosting the [...]
There is a need to address what has been described as the "deep challenges" of urbanization. That's the message of the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Joan Clos, on World Cities Day, celebrated for the first time on 31 October. He says the day was created to celebrate the positive impact that well-managed urbanisation can have [...]
The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to worsen with levels of violence, death and destruction described by the UN as "unrelenting". Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Kyung-wha Kang was speaking at a Security Council meeting on Thursday, to give a monthly update on conditions under which millions of Syrians are living. She said Syrians are [...]
It's time to make commitments, not only declarations to create youth policies, according to the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth. Ahmad Alhendawi was speaking in Baku, Azerbaijan, one the last day of the First Global Forum on Youth Policies. He said he witnessed great energy from the hundreds of policy makers from governments, civil society, [...]
The role of cartoonists as watchdogs of society is being examined in a UN-backed documentary film. "Cartoonists-Foot Soldiers of democracy" shows how cartoonists contribute to political life, but also the dangers they face when exposing wrong-doing. The film about twelve cartoon artists from around the world premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival in France. [...]
Tributes have been paid at the United Nations to President Michael Sata of Zambia who passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in London. The president, who took office in September 2011, has been praised by the UN Secretary-General for his vision and commitment to addressing the needs of Zambia's poor. The President of the [...]
Over 10 million people in Africa have said "no" to female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) as a result of a worldwide effort to stop the practice. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) andUNICEF are joint sponsors of a programme to get communities to abandon FGM/C in one generation. On Thursday the UN Secretary-General launched a [...]
The availability of essential medicines in emergencies is still lacking in many parts of the world, according to the President of the International Narcotics Control Board. Meeting in Vienna for the third time this year, the board monitors and supports governments' compliance with international drug control treaties. Doctor Lochan Naidoo expressed his concern about access [...]
A new framework that will set in motion Africa's sustainable transport transition has been adopted in Kenya, according to the UN Environment Programme, UNEP. Over 42 countries from across the continent participated in the Africa Sustainable Transport Forum (ASFT) which aimed to implement concrete actions towards lower air pollution, more sustainable fuels, and better road [...]
A global media campaign to end female genital mutilation (FGM) has been launched in Kenya by the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon, who spoke in the country's capital, Nairobi, said the campaign recognizes the critical role of media to help end FGM within one generation. The World Health Organisation describes the procedure of FGM as intentionally [...]
Women in prison experience more difficult conditions than men, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Rashida Manjo. She said women in jail sometimes have to trade sex for basic necessities, they experience inappropriate touching, and their privacy in bathrooms is often violated. Stephanie Coutrix asked Ms Manjoo about the investigations she [...]
One hundred million dollars is being provided by the World Bank to speed up the deployment of foreign health workers to combat the Ebola disease outbreak in West Africa. The announcement increases the Bank's funding to fight the virus over the last three months in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to more than $500 million. [...]
Child poverty has increased in many of the world's wealthy nations because of the impact on households of the 2008 global financial crisis. The report by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates that the well-being of 2.6 million children has been affected since 2008. The research was undertaken in 41 countries in the European Union [...]
Political tensions and civil unrest in the Central African Republic have created an environment that is making it difficult for people to find enough food to eat. That's according to the Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) report issued by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The [...]
South Sudan is moving ahead to build its information and communications infrastructure, according to the country's Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services. When the new nation became independent from Sudan in July 201, the minister says it had "no real infrastructure", especially broadband. Rebecca Joshua Okwaci, is one of the senior government officials attending a [...]
Widespread looting and insecurity in the Central African Republic (CAR) have taken a heavy toll on crops, livestock and fishing, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). A new report by FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP) has found a significant decline in agricultural production due to conflict in the country. CAR [...]
Israel has been urged by the UN Secretary-General to reverse its settlement activities and abide by international law. A Security Council meeting was held on Wednesday to discuss what the UN political affairs chief, Jeffrey Feltman, described as "worrisome developments in Jerusalem." The Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN has demanded [...]
Crimes against civilians and peacekeepers were not intentionally covered up by the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), according to a review initiated by the UN Secretary-General. The review sought to clarify whether UNAMID deliberately failed to report on 16 incidents, including possible wrongdoings by Sudanese Government or pro-Government forces. The UN says [...]
There has been significant mobilization in West Africa of international personnel whose efforts are starting to pay off, according to the Head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). Anthony Banbury held a joint press conference with the US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power in Accra, Ghana. Ms Power was at UNMEER [...]
The Nobel Peace Prize winner and young Pakistani advocate for universal education, Malala Yousafzai, is giving $50,000 to rebuild damaged schools in Gaza. The teenager is donating the prize money from the "World's Children's Prize" that she was recently awarded in Stockholm, Sweden. Ms Yousafzai says she is giving the money to the UN Agency [...]
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Somalia is facing "immense" challenges as it emerges from two decades of civil war and recurrent droughts according to the United Nations. The UN Secretary-General visited the Horn of Africa country on Wednesday to pledge support for its transition to democracy and to promote security and development in the region. Ban Ki-moon was joined by [...]
A campaign to stop children from joining the military has been launched in South Sudan by the country's government and the United Nations. Called "Children, not soldiers", it aims to end the recruitment of minors by government security forces in armed conflict by the end of 2016. The South Sudanese Minister of Defence Kuol Manyang [...]
There has been a surge in executions in Iran for crimes that are not recognized as capital offences under international law, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ahmed Shaheed has raised a number of concerns about the human rights situation in Iran, including reports of torture, [...]
Japan needs a central structure so that the voices of young people can be taken into account, according to a Japanese delegate to a major conference on youth policies. Yukari Kayama is attending the Global Youth Forum which is under way this week in Baku, Azerbaijan. She said the government of Japan is doing what [...]
Women can play a significant role in situations of violent extremism through lobbying for laws that fight discrimination and impunity. That's according to an Iraqi female lawyer, Suaad Allami, who established the first legal clinic in the Middle Eastern country. Since January this year, the UN estimates that 1.8 million people in Iraq have fled [...]
A small village in Guinea is going down in history as "ground zero" for the Ebola epidemic. The virus is believed to have started in the densely-forested area of Meliandou, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The area borders Sierra Leone and Liberia, two other West African countries where the outbreak has been described [...]
Somalia is "waking from a long nightmare", following more than two decades of conflict and instability according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon said the Horn of Africa country is on the right track, making security gains against terrorists and pushing forward political reform. Mr Ban arrived in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu on Wednesday with World [...]
Progress is being made in fighting the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, according to the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Samantha Power was on Tuesday in Monrovia in Liberia, after visiting Sierra Leone and Guinea. She said the United States has deployed nearly one thousand military forces in West Africa, where around 5000 [...]
For years a fruit fly that has caused damage to fruits and vegetables in Asia, Africa, the Pacific and parts of South America had been regarded as different species in these regions. This created trade problems as, for instance, African countries could not export to other regions which feared that they would be importing food [...]
The few women who work in the technology sector are in a position to influence how information and communication technologies can be used to empower women. That view has been expressed by the Minister of Communications and Technology of Nigeria, who is attending the International Telecommunication Union meeting in Busan, South Korea. Omobola Johnson said [...]
A resolution calling to end the United States' economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba has been adopted almost unanimously by the UN General Assembly. 188 Member States voted in favour, the United States and Israel voted against. Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands abstained. This is the twenty-third consecutive resolution of its kind, which [...]
A "bias" that keeps women out of science, engineering and technology, needs to be tackled according to a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at CISCO, an American multinational company. The comments were made ahead of the inaugural GEM-TECH Awards, co-organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UN Women to celebrate the power of technology to [...]
Easing the situation in Lebanon is essential to its continued stability, according to the UN Secretary-General. A message from Ban Ki-moon to the International Support Group for Lebanon was delivered by the UN Special Coordinator for the country, Derrek Plumbly, in Berlin on Tuesday. Last month, the Group expressed concern about the severe and growing [...]
Increased violence around the world, mass displacement and humanitarian catastrophes have been detrimental to the security of women and girls, according to the UN. On Tuesday, the Security Council held a debate on the situation of refugee, displaced and stateless women and girls. Countries addressed the need to protect these groups as well as the [...]
The international community should understand that with 75 million unemployed youth around the world a "business as usual" approach is no longer acceptable, the UNDP's Assistant Administrator has warned. Magdy Martínez-Solimán was speaking at the opening of the first global forum on youth issues, taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan. The three-day forum is bringing together [...]
Forming ties and networking with young people around the world is what a United States delegate hopes to get out of the first ever Global Youth Forum which opened in Baku, Azerbaijan on Tuesday. Youth representatives, government ministers and experts are discussing policies to address the needs of young people many of whom face challenges [...]
Policies which focus on the needs of the world's growing population of young people are an important part of future development efforts, according to an expert on youth issues. A global forum has opened in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday to take stock of what has been done and what needs to be done to progress [...]
The trial of an experimental Ebola vaccine at Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland has been approved by a Swiss agency that supervises health products. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the trial will test the safety of the vaccine and its capacity to induce an immune response. Scheduled to begin this week, it is the [...]
The World Health Organization says that it's too early to tell if restrictions on health workers will deter medical staff from travelling to West Africa to help fight the Ebola crisis. New Jersey is one of three states in the US that has introduced a 21-day quarantine for all health workers who have had contact [...]
An investigation is under way to determine what sparked clashes at a site where displaced people are being protected by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The Mission says that up to 60 people were injured in the clashes which broke out on Sunday between two groups of people at the site sheltering up [...]
Seven projects promoting women's empowerment through digital technology have received awards at a conference in South Korea. More than two thousand delegates attended a special ceremony organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UN Women to recognize those who have used the power of technology to help transform women's lives. ITU estimates that some [...]
A global meeting in Azerbaijan is expected to generate what has been described as a "new push" for government to adopt youth-friendly policies around the world. About 700 youth delegates from around the world are gathering in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan for the first ever Global Youth Forum on Youth Policies from 28 to [...]
Millions more children were plunged into poverty in the world's most affluent countries due to the 2008 financial crisis, according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF. A new report released by UNICEF on the impact of the economic crisis on child well-being ranks 41 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and [...]
Simphiwe Dana, one of South Africa's soulful singers renowned for her impressive vocals, recently sang at UN Headquarters to observe the International Day of Non-Violence. Ms Dana participated in an event organized by the UN Academic Impact, which included a musical presentation and a panel discussion on the situation in her country. She expressed her [...]
A humanitarian emergency is unfolding in Iraq which has been described as "immense" by the UN's humanitarian agency, OCHA. Rashid Khalikov, OCHA's director in Geneva, has just returned from a four day mission to Iraq. With 1.8 million people displaced since January 2014 due to conflict, Mr Khalikov says it is imperative that support be [...]
The world is at risk of losing its audiovisual heritage of sound recordings and moving images due to neglect, natural decay, technological obsolescence and deliberate destruction. This warning has come from the UN cultural agency, UNESCO on World Day for Audiovisual Heritage, observed on 27 October each year. The agency says this problem is affecting [...]
The conflict that broke out in South Sudan between government and opposition forces in December 2013 continues to take its toll on innocent civilians. The conflict has not only displaced thousands of people who have lost their homes and livelihoods, it has also robbed children of their childhood. One of them is 17-year old Adut [...]
The world's audiovisual heritage of sound recordings and moving images are extremely vulnerable, according to the UN cultural agency, UNESCO. On World Day for Audiovisual Heritage marked every 27 October, UNESCO says it is raising consciousness on the importance of preserving recordings. They are said to be disappearing due to neglect, natural decay, technological obsolescence, [...]
The aspirations and demands of young people around the world are coming under the spotlight in Baku, Azerbaijan this week at a UN-backed conference focussing on global youth policies. The meeting will bring together policy experts from governments and parliaments, youth networks as well as research and development communities. They'll discuss how youth policy can [...]
Only action, not words against rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) can restore the population's confidence in the country's armed forces, FARDC, and the UN Mission, MONUSCO. That's what the Head of MONUSCO Martin Kobler said following multiple attacks last week against a UN base in Beni, North Kivu. Speaking at [...]
More than 60 people have been injured after riots broke out at a UN protection of civilians site in South Sudan, according to the UN Mission in the country, UNMISS. The Mission said the fighting broke out on Sunday at one of their sites on the outskirts of the country's capital, Juba. Four people are [...]
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced extremes of "hope and despair' in less than one month. That's what the head of the United Nations mission in the country (MONUSCO) told the UN Security Council during a briefing on Monday. The eastern part of the country continues to experience extreme violence despite efforts by [...]
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A new plan to support national response efforts to fight the Ebola virus disease has been developed by the United Nations and its international partners. The framework was designed in consultation with the governments of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the three countries worst hit by the epidemic. According to the World Health Organization, close [...]
International donors have pledged $8 billion in new development aid for the Horn of Africa, according to the United Nations. On Monday, leaders of global and regional institutions began a trip to east Africa to pledge new support and financial assistance for stability and development. The initiative covers eight countries, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, [...]
Kyrgyzstan is being urged by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) to refrain from passing an anti-gay law. The proposed law, described as "discriminatory", would violate fundamental human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Those include the right to liberty, security, to physical integrity, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. OHCHR [...]
The international community is looking at how best to prevent individuals from travelling to foreign countries to fight for terrorist organizations. In Syria and Iraq, a number of people from other countries have been identified as fighting alongside the ISIL or Islamic State radical group. In September the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that [...]
The continued disappearance of students from the town of Iguala in Mexico's Guerrero state has raised the concern of the UN human rights office. Forty-three students were last seen in the town a month ago being taken by the municipal police. During the operation, the UN says 6 people were killed, including a 15 year [...]
Europe's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030 has been hailed by the UN Secretary-General. Greenhouse gas emissions trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the climate. The move contributes towards the global effort to keep temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius this century, Ban [...]
Reports have surfaced in recent days alleging the "widespread use" of banned cluster munitions in Ukraine. That's what Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, the Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) for Political Affairs told the Security Council on Friday. He said there were 12 documented incidents in eastern Ukraine in which 6 people were killed and dozens were wounded. Cluster munitions [...]
Young musicians from around the world are preparing to perform at the UN with the world-renowned concert pianist Lang Lang. On Friday evening, Lang Lang and 16-time Grammy Award winner Sting are marking United Nations Day with a concert in the General Assembly Hall. UN Day commemorates the birth of the Organization with the entry [...]
Ships off the coast of Somalia suspected of carrying illicit arms or charcoal can be stopped and searched, the UN Security Council has determined. The Council passed the resolution on Friday, with 13 votes in favour. Russia and Jordan abstained. The resolution authorizes any state to carry out inspections. It also renews the partial lifting [...]
Millions of doses of Ebola vaccines will be produced by the end of 2015, according to the World Health Organization, which says that hundreds of thousands of doses are expected to be ready in the first half of next year. Clinical trials are currently underway for two of the most advanced potential vaccines, with the [...]
A two-year-old girl has tested positive for Ebola in Mali, the first confirmed case of the virus in the country. The World Health Organization says that it was informed about the little girl’s condition by authorities in Mali last night. The child was admitted to a hospital in Kayes, 600 kilometres from the capital Bamako, [...]
Women in prison experience more difficult conditions than men, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women. Ms Rashida Manjoo was at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday to talk about problems faced by women who are in custody or incarcerated. She said women in jail sometimes have to trade sex for [...]
The UN in Afghanistan has been focused on rebuilding and restoring peace in the country since it opened a political mission in 2002. The Mission has helped organize the 2014 president and provincial council elections at the request of Afghan authorities. It's also providing support to the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of peace and reconciliation. [...]
Twenty-five million children under five across the Middle East will get vaccinated against polio in the coming weeks. The announcement was made by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) ahead of World Polio Day, observed annually on 24 October. Poliomyelitis, or polio as it is known, is a viral and infectious disease that can [...]
The UN was created to save future generations from the scourge of war, to advance human rights, and to promote justice, according to the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Kosovo, Farid Zarif. The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) was established by the Security Council in 1999. The Mission's role is to help ensure conditions for [...]
The United Nations is needed more than ever in this time of multiple crises. That's what the Secretary-General said on 24 October, the 69th birthday of the organization also known as UN Day. The Day marks the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. Poverty, disease, terrorism, discrimination and climate change are exacting [...]
Exit screenings in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone can help reduce the exportation of the Ebola virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended. An emergency committee led by the agency met in Geneva on Thursday to review international health regulations. The Committee agreed that the situation continues to constitute a Public Health Emergency of [...]
Violence in schools around the world is considered as "normal" which is why it is often not documented, according to an expert on international education. Professor Fiona Leach from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom, outlines three broad categories of violence in school-related settings namely physical, psychological and sexual. Recent studies have also [...]
Burundi is still facing the challenge of dealing with political intolerance as the country prepares for elections in 2015. That's what the head of the UN Office in Burundi (BNUB), Parfait Onanga-Anyanga said on Thursday following a meeting to assess the implementation of the Roadmap towards the elections. The meeting, in Gitenga, brought together representatives [...]
There is need to address remaining concerns, including security for Burundi to hold free and fair elections in 2015. That's what the UN top envoy in Burundi, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga said on Thursday following a meeting held in Gitega to assess the implementation of the Roadmap towards the elections. He said the UN will be deploying [...]
An attack on parliament is an attack on democracy itself, according to the Secretary-General of the UN-backed Inter-Parliamentary Union, IPU. On Wednesday, in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa, an armed gunman killed a soldier standing guard at the National War Memorial before entering the Parliament building. Martin Chungong expressed shock and sadness over what he [...]
A billion dollars has been made available to Kuwait for losses incurred in the 1990 Iraqi invasion of the country. The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), in charge of handling claims and making payments, made the announcement on Thursday. The claims are divided into six categories and include individuals, corporations, Governments and international organizations. The [...]
The Minister of Finance of Timor-Leste is voicing that some aid donors are still using "bully tactics" in her small south-east Asian island. On the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, Emilia Pires said a partnership means you are supposed to work together and respect the priorities of a country. Minister Pires [...]
An award winning a capella group from South Africa known as "The Soil" brought its harmonies to the UN recently. The group participated in a "Music for Peace" event organized by the UN Academic Impact in early October. After performing for the UN community in New York, the group also participated in a panel discussion [...]
An appeal for $2.2 billion has been made by the United Nations to assist the Iraqi people in conflict-affected areas. Over five million people across the country are in urgent need of aid and shelter, according to OCHA, the UN's humanitarian agency. The majority of people have been displaced since January this year and are [...]
Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa continue to enjoy economic growth which is currently at five per cent according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In its latest Regional Economic Outlook, the IMF says this growth will rise to 5.75 per cent in 2015. However, this good news is overshadowed by the threat the Ebola outbreak is [...]
Policy makers can now trace not only where many of the world's weapons come from but also where and how they are moved. A global weapons tracking system called iTrace designed by the Conflict Armament Research group (CAR) is going public on Thursday. The project, funded by the European Union and Switzerland, will be launched [...]
"Recipes" to combat desertification exist, according to a forestry expert at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Nora Berrahmouni says that if nothing is done to prevent desertification, which is the process of land degradation, people's livelihoods and food security will deteriorate. She was speaking in the context of a new €41 million programme [...]
A Congolese surgeon has received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament on Wednesday. Dr Denis Mukwege is the founder of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu city, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is well known for his work with victims of rape. The Prize is given to exceptional [...]
Children in Cambodia who have experienced violence growing up are more likely to engage in risky behaviours as adolescents and adults. That's one of the main findings of a survey conducted in the South East Asian country in 2013 and sponsored by UNICEF. For the first time, Cambodia has national estimates that show the magnitude [...]
Improvement in the collection of information on tuberculosis shows that there are almost half a million more cases of the disease than previously estimated. That's according to a report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday. WHO's "Global Tuberculosis Report 2014" reveals that nine million people developed TB in 2013 and 1.5 million [...]
A new programme against desertification in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific will help end hunger and adapt to climate change, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO and the European Union launched the €41 million, 4.5-year programme called Action against Desertification on Wednesday. They announced that it will support sustainable land [...]
A comprehensive peace agreement is urgently needed to restore peace and security in South Sudan. That's what Ellen Margrethe Lǿj, the head of the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS) told the Security Council on Wednesday. The Special Envoy said she has conveyed her message to South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek [...]
New estimates of the tuberculosis (TB) burden reveal that there are half a million more cases of the disease than previously estimated. That's according to the World Health Organization's 2014 Global Tuberculosis Report launched on Wednesday. However, the mortality rate for TB is still falling and the number of people developing the disease is declining [...]
The Republic of Korea has called on Japan to acknowledge its army forced thousands of women to work as wartime sex slaves. Ambassador Hahn Choong-hee made the appeal during a General Assembly meeting on the advancement of women earlier in the week. Many of these so-called "comfort women" are getting older and have yet to [...]
Delivering humanitarian aid to the people in need in South Sudan is a huge challenge due to the rainy season, poor road system and conflict. That's according to Margrethe Løj, the head of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) who assumed her duties last month. The new African country is mired in a conflict [...]
Physical evidence collected and examined at a crime scene can help address impunity for acts of torture. That's according to the UN Special Envoy on Torture, Juan E Mendez. Forensic medical science, as it is called, is a powerful tool available to survivors to corroborate allegations of torture and ill-treatment. It can also help States [...]
Senior government ministers are meeting in Montego Bay, Jamaica, later this week to discuss ways to unlock economic growth in the Caribbean region. The meeting from 23 to 24 October is being hosted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the government of Jamaica. The issues to be discussed include the reliability and efficiency of [...]
A number of new protection sites have been built in the towns of Juba, Malakal and Bor in South Sudan for civilians uprooted by conflict. That's according to Derk Segaar, the Resident Coordinator for the UN Relief, Reintegration and Protection (RRP) programme. Since December 2013 South Sudan's government has been at war with forces loyal [...]
A trust fund set up to scale up the global Ebola response has received $14 million in deposits but needs "much more", the UN Secretary-General announced through his spokesperson on Tuesday. The needs include trained medical personnel, mobile laboratories, vehicles, helicopters, protective equipment, and medevac capacities. A growing number of financial and in-kind commitments are [...]
Efforts are ongoing to develop vaccines for the deadly Ebola virus disease which has claimed more than 4, 500 lives in West Africa. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are at least 9,000 Ebola cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. There is concern around the world that the virus may spread from [...]
Fifteen new members were on Tuesday elected to sit on the UN Human Rights Council. The Council was created by the General Assembly in 2006 to address human rights violations. The five regional groups include Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Western Europe and Eastern Europe. Sam Kutesa, the President of the General Assembly, [...]
The cycle of build and destroy in Gaza must end, the UN Secretary-General urged on Tuesday. Mr Ban Ki-moon was speaking to members of the Security Council during a quarterly open debate on the Middle East. He said the international community cannot be expected to continually pick up the pieces of another war and then [...]
There is clear connection between torture, ill-treatment and corrupt practices, a UN expert says. Malcolm Evans, Chairperson on a UN torture prevention body, is in New York to present his annual report to the General Assembly. In States with higher levels of corruption, he says, the chances of torture and ill-treatment being discovered or persecuted [...]
For the first time in a year, children displaced by fierce fighting in Kobane, a town in northern Syria, are receiving aid, UNICEF said on Tuesday. The town which shares a border with Turkey is also referred to as Ain Al Arab. Five food aid trucks left the Government-controlled Aleppo city on Sunday and reached [...]
Two experimental Ebola vaccines are the "front runners" in the race to stop the transmission of the virus, a senior UN official has confirmed. The first vaccine was developed by the British company GlaxoSmithKline, and the other one by the Government of Canada. Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, an Assistant Director-General for the World Health Organization (WHO) [...]
Fifteen new members are on Tuesday being elected to sit on the UN Human Rights Council. The Council was created by the General Assembly in 2006 to address human rights violations. Composed of 47 Member States, its Membership is based on equitable geographical distribution. The five regional groups include Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the [...]
Violence in schools around the world is considered as "normal" which is why it is often not documented, according to an expert on international education. Professor Fiona Leach outlines three broad categories of violence in school-related settings namely physical, psychological and sexual. Recent studies have also linked violence to low academic achievement. Speaking to Alex [...]
Efforts are being made by the UN to provide better protections for displaced Iraqis before winter sets in. Around 800,000 people are in urgent need of shelter and at least 940,000 lack essential household and other life-sustaining items, says the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). As the lead agency for shelter, UNHCR warns, it only has [...]
Venezuelan authorities have been urged to "immediately release" two opposition leaders and their followers who were arrested in February. They were held along with 69 other people during mass public protests that took place throughout the country. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, made the appeal in Geneva on Monday. [...]
Aid workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say they are extremely concerned about civilians trapped in violence near Beni town. Uganda-based rebels called the Allied Defence Forces (ADF) are believed to be behind the recent attacks against villages in the North Kivu province. The UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, has increased the [...]
Cuba is being praised for sending more doctors and nurses to help fight the Ebola pandemic in West Africa. Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) spoke via video conference to delegates attending a Summit of a regional group of Latin American and Caribbean countries on Ebola. The aim of the meeting [...]
Scientists with a clear vision and commitment to work together are needed to find solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues. The UN Secretary-General made the appeal on Monday during an event to reaffirm the important role science plays in promoting progress and peace. The day also coincides with the 60th anniversary of [...]
The National Geographic Society and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are teaming up to raise awareness about hunger and nutrition. The National Geographic magazine's in depth "Future of Food" series examines the topic of feeding a booming population and covers the complex issues surrounding food around the world. On Friday, senior officials of [...]
China has contributed $6 million to the UN Food agency's emergency operation in response to the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. An estimated 1.3 million people have been impacted by the virus in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The donation will allow WFP to purchase vital food supplies for more than 300,000 people for [...]
There has been a decrease in the number of Syrian refugees entering Lebanon, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Lebanon, which already hosts approximately 1.17 million displaced Syrians, has shouldered a heavy burden of the refugees who now comprise one quarter of the population. UNHCR has called on the international community to increase investment [...]
The international community is being called on once again to help Lebanon share the burden of helping refugees from Syria. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) made the appeal on Monday following a recent decision by the Lebanese government to stem the flow of asylum seekers. Over the past month, UNHCR figures have shown a considerable [...]
Women in South Sudan have unveiled an agenda for peace and sustainable development which includes the voices and aspirations of women from the country's ten states. The release of agenda which was unveiled at Juba University in the country's capital, coincides with the break in peace talks between the South Sudan government and the opposition [...]
The transformative power of science is being recognised at the United Nations on Monday as the international community gets together to celebrate the 60th anniversary of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. Geneva-based CERN is one of the world's leading laboratories for particle physics. Scientists there have made major breakthroughs in understanding the building [...]
A movie depicting the experience of young Sudanese immigrants in Kansas in the United States can be used as an "educational tool". That's according to Kuoth Weil, an actress from Minnesota who landed a role in the movie, a Good Lie about the "lost boys" of Sudan. These were orphans who walked thousands of miles [...]
International financial aid is set to be doubled for biodiversity-related initiatives in developing countries. The aid is targeting the least developed countries, small island developing states and countries with economies in transition. It will begin by 2015 and carry through the next five years. The plan was announced at the conclusion of the 12th meeting [...]
One in five people in the developing world still live on less than $1.25 a day, despite the progress that has been made in eradicating global poverty according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon spoke at an event at UN headquarters in New York to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on [...]
Efforts are being made by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to secure the release of two staff members who have been abducted in Malakal. Three individual contractors employed by UNMISS, who were working at the airfield in Malakal were seized by an armed group of 15 to [...]
The Ebola virus disease has "hijacked" every aspect of life in West Africa. That's the assessment of Sarah Crowe, Crisis Communications Chief of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) who has just returned from Liberia. Ms. Crowe said that UNICEF is outraged that in the face of what she described as a "historic epidemic", children would [...]
A mass screening campaign to identify and treat children suffering from malnutrition has been launched in South Sudan. The campaign by the UN Children Fund (UNICEF), the Ministry of Health, Sanitation and Environment and the World Food Programme is starting in Juba County. UNICEF spokesperson, Christophe Boulierac, says that trained government social mobilizers have gone [...]
Aid workers fighting to control the deadly Ebola epidemic in Africa are in "totally unmapped terrain", according to a UN official who has just returned from Liberia. The West African country, along with Guinea and Sierra Leone, has been hard-hit by the epidemic. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is setting up community health care centres [...]
The outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa is creating serious problems for farmers in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). A rapid assessment of the impact of the disease on agriculture and food security in Guinea has been conducted this week by FAO together [...]
The bamboo plant can help in the fight against climate change and the loss of biodiversity according to the international association which represents 40 bamboo-growing countries. The plant can absorb harmful carbon dioxide gasses quicker than trees and its roots can help to prevent soil erosion. The international community is currently meeting in South Korea [...]
The government of the island nation of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean has been urged to defend the independence of the country's Human Rights Commission. The appeal has come from the UN human rights office after the Supreme Court of Maldives laid serious criminal charges against five members of the Commission. The case was [...]
Armed groups in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, have been urged by the United Nations to protect civilians and to leave health facilities alone. The call has come amid reports of a flare up of violence that has resulted in the loss of life and the displacement of over 3,000 people. Jens [...]
More people have died at sea trying to get to Yemen this year than in the past three years, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The agency says that smugglers' boats that carry the migrants and asylum seekers, mainly from the Horn of Africa, are overcrowded. Smugglers have reportedly thrown passengers overboard to prevent [...]
Young volunteers are being recruited by the United Nations in West Africa to help inform members of the community on ways to prevent contracting the Ebola virus disease. The worst-ever outbreak of Ebola continues to ravage communities in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, with now close to 4500 reported deaths. These community efforts are said [...]
Young people in Kenya have hope for a better future thanks to new economic policies; that's according to a youth delegate from the East African country. Wambui Kahara was at the UN in New York to talk about employment challenges at the organization's committee on social issues. Ms Kahara said that with 78 per cent [...]
The economic empowerment of women is the key to poverty eradication, according to a senior UN official. Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, the entity for gender equality, was speaking ahead of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The day is observed on 17 October each year to promote awareness of [...]
October has been a "bloody" month for UN peacekeepers, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday. Ban Ki-moon spoke to reporters after two Ethiopian peacekeepers were killed while they were guarding a water borehole in North Darfur in Sudan. A third peacekeeper, who was wounded, later died from his injuries. Mr. Ban strongly condemned the attack [...]
Family farms can play a significant role in eradicating hunger and ensuring food security, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). On Thursday, FAO released the State of Food and Agriculture for 2014. Its findings show that innovating family farming can help solve global food challenges. FAO says 9 out of 10 of the [...]
Political leaders and the people of Madagascar have been urged to continue working together for national reconciliation, democracy and economic recovery. The call has come from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon following the return to Madagascar of former President Marc Ravalomanana who was ousted in a military coup in 2009. On his return from five years [...]
Indigenous groups in 20 countries around the world are being given a helping hand to protect the natural areas in which they live. It follows a $16 million donation from the German government for the creation of a fund for areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities known as ICCAs. The fund was launched [...]
Five new non-permanent members of the Security Council were elected on Thursday. In three rounds of voting, the 193-member General Assembly elected Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela to serve on the Council for two-year terms beginning on 1 January 2015. Angola, Malaysia, Venezuela and New Zealand were elected in the first round of [...]
Acute malnutrition continues to haunt the Sahel region of Africa where about 1.2 million children under the age of five die each year. That's what Robert Piper, the UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel told reporters in New York on Thursday. He said 25 million people don't have enough food in the region which [...]
Female farmers in the developed world face particular challenges in what is a male-dominated industry, according to a representative from the World Farmer's Organisation. Sarah Campbell, a livestock famer based outside Washington DC in the US, was at UN Headquarters to share her perspective on the difficulties women face to be recognized as farmers. On [...]
Among the thousands of Syrian refugees who were forced by the conflict to flee their country to Iraq a year ago is a former grocery store owner, Shareef. In Iraq, Shareef has opened a bakery which has become a successful business. Iraq now has its own problems. Attacks by militants have forced thousands of Iraqis [...]
An "urgent and global response" is needed to stop the Ebola outbreak in its tracks, the UN chief has warned. The United Nations says it requires a billion dollars to bring the outbreak in West Africa under control. The number of cases in West Africa has reached 9,000 and the death toll is expected to [...]
A bomb blast outside a popular restaurant in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, on Wednesday evening has been strongly condemned by the top UN envoy in the country. According to reports, at least five people were killed and several others wounded in the car bomb attack. Nicholas Kay, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia described [...]
The international community has been urged to provide $1 billion to respond to the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa. The appeal was made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday on his return from a trip to the Middle-East. According to the World Health Organization, more than 4, 400 people have [...]
The vast majority of the world's 570 million farms that are managed by families can play a critical role in achieving food security, according to a UN report out on Thursday. The State of Food and Agriculture 2014 released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says family farms produce about 80 per cent of [...]
Female farmers in the developed world face particular challenges in what is a male-dominated industry, according to a representative from the World Farmer's Organisation. Sarah Campbell, who is a livestock famer based outside Washington DC in the US, was at UN Headquarters to share her perspective on the difficulties women face to be recognized as [...]
The Ebola disease outbreak in West Africa and the ISIL terrorist group are two plagues that have been neglected by the international community, that's according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Speaking at his first press conference in Geneva on Thursday, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said that ISIL kills, tortures and rapes and [...]
A "pool of experts" composed of Ebloa survivors is being established during a conference in Sierra Leone to help fight the disease. Thirty-five Ebola survivors will travel to Kenema in the South East of the West African country for two days to launch this pilot project. The UN says Sierra Leone has more than 2950 [...]
Thirty-five people who caught the Ebola virus and survived are meeting in Sierra Leone for two days to discuss what they can do to help allay fears about the disease. According to a recent study by the UN Children's Fund UNICEF, which is co-organizing the event, 96 per cent of the 1,400 households surveyed discriminated [...]
Investing in the rural people can help fight poverty and reduce hunger. That's according to the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Kanayo Nywanze, ahead of World Food Day. Observed annually on 16 October, this year's focus is on the important contribution of family farmers to world food security. Family farmers are women [...]
Five non-permanent members of the Security Council are being elected on Thursday for a two-year term starting in January 2015. The three candidates competing for two seats for the Western Europe and Others Group are New Zealand, Spain and Turkey. Malaysia is the sole candidate for the Asia Pacific Group, Angola for the African Group [...]
Rural women are key agents for achieving economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development. That's the message of the United Nations for the International Day of Rural Women which is observed on 15 October. Lakshmi Puri, the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women, the entity for gender equality, explained why it's important to [...]
A simple act of washing hands with soap can help protect people against viral infections, including Ebola, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). On the 7th Global Handwashing Day, observed around the world on 15 October, the UN children's agency is highlighting the value of washing hands for improved hygiene. It says that simple [...]
Four United Nations peacekeepers have been injured in an attack on their convoy by armed Christian anti-Balaka militia in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. According to reports, violence has flared up again in the country as the militia insist that the country's president resign. The Central African Republic has been mired in [...]
Handwashing is a cheap and effective tool to fight the spread of Ebola, according to the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF. As the world marks Global Handwashing Day, UNICEF is highlighting the importance of this practice to prevent many diseases including the Ebola virus. The Fund recently distributed 1.5 million bars of soap in Sierra Leone [...]
Humanitarian supplies and equipment are being delivered to the countries affected by the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa, according to a UN spokesperson. On Wednesday morning a German aircraft arrived in Accra, Ghana. It will be loaded with cargo which is due to be delivered to Sierra Leone and Guinea later this week. UN [...]
An initiative that bolsters efforts to combat child labour and achieve the goal of total eradication by 2020 has been launched by 25 Latin American and Caribbean countries. The UN says there are 12.5 million children involved in child labour across the region, of which the vast majority are in hazardous work. The initiative was [...]
Women have always been the "heart and soul" of conservation and environmental work on the Caribbean island of Antigua and Barbuda. That's according to Helena Brown, A Technical Coordinator in the state's Ministry of Health and Environment. She is in Pyeongchang, Korea for the 12th Conference of the Parties (COP12) of the United Nations Convention [...]
Serious violations of human rights were committed by the security forces against civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo capital, Kinshasa, between November 2013 and February this year. In a report released on Wednesday, the United Nations says that during what was called Operation "Likofi" there were summary and extrajudicial executions as well as [...]
Africa's partnership with China is a long-standing and continues to evolve in the interest of both parties, according to the CEO of an African Union development agency. Dr Ibrahim Mayaki of the New Partnership for Africa' Development (NEPAD) was speaking at side event of "Africa Week". Africa Week is a series of high-level discussions and [...]
Germany has donated $16 million for the creation of a global fund for areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities known as ICCAs. The fund was launched at a c onference on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) taking place in the Republic of Korea. The initiative brings together the German government, the UN [...]
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has said he was shocked and alarmed by underground tunnels used for terrorist purposes in Israel. Mr Ban spoke to reporters after he was shown the tunnels by an Israeli army general in southern Israel on Tuesday. The Secretary-General said he particularly condemned rocket attacks by the Palestinian faction Hamas [...]
A campaign has been launched to inform people who visit zoos and aquariums around the world about the importance of biodiversity. The "Biodiversity is Us" campaign was featured at a major UN conference, taking place in Pyeongchang in the Republic of Korea. Gerald Dick, Executive Director of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, says [...]
A mobile app that is intended to show that biodiversity or the natural world is not "detached from humankind" has been launched at a UN conference by an association of the world's zoos. The app which is part of a broader campaign, called "Biodiversity is Us" shows how the behaviour of humans can directly affect [...]
Nuclear technology is contributing to slowing down the outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa, according to the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The agency is providing specialized equipment which will enable the early diagnosis of the deadly disease by doctors. Around 4500 people have died in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Michel [...]
The future recovery of Syria is dependent on the education of its children, according to the Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF. UNICEF recently marked one year since the launch of the "No Lost Generation" initiative which aims to alleviate the impact of the Syrian crisis on children's learning and psychological well-being. In [...]
Sixty days starting from 1 October are critical to prevent more deaths from the deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa, according to the head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER). Anthony Banbury briefed the Security Council via video conference from Accra, Ghana during the discussion of the health emergency on Tuesday. Mr. [...]
The mandate of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has been renewed for another year, but the number of troops has been cut by more than half to 2,370. The UN Security Council adopted the resolution to renew the mandate unanimously on Tuesday which also calls to increase the police component to over2,600 officers. [...]
The latest offensive on the city of Hit in Iraq's Anbar province by the militant ISIL terrorist group has forced an estimated 180,000 civilians to flee their homes, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The exodus from Hit is the fourth major wave of displacement in less than a year in Iraq. Many people [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) is appealing for $8.7 million to rebuild Gaza's health system damaged by the Israeli attacks in July. The UN health agency says the amount is part of a $45.1 million project to repair and enhance Gaza's health care system. The appeal comes in the wake of a donor conference held [...]
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Feeding people who are on the run and making sure they safely get the commodities they need was on the agenda of a forum on global food security. Experts in the world food system are meeting, at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy, this week. The 41st session of [...]
Somali lawmakers have been urged to pass key laws to pave the way for a new constitution and democratic elections in 2016. The appeal was made by the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia Nicholas Kay, who briefed the Security Council by video conference on Tuesday. He said when he last spoke to the Council [...]
New and creative ideas are needed to resolve the impasse over the status of the oil-rich Abyei region which is claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan. That's what the representative of South Sudan, Ambassador Francis Deng told the Security Council following its renewal of the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei [...]
Ten thousand new cases per week of the deadly Ebola virus are being predicted by the World Health Organization (WHO). Close to 4500 people have died from the disease in West Africa, mainly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. WHO has also confirmed that the death rate of people who contract the disease has risen [...]
Participants in the conflict in the Central African Republic are being urged by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to allow unhindered access to humanitarian workers. UNHCR says recent violent incidents in the capital, Bangui, have forced over 6,000 people to flee their homes. The country is struggling to restore stability following a conflict that broke [...]
In the Western and Central Pacific tuna fish are a part of the culture – and a multi-billion dollar business. They are eaten everywhere around the world – and they are becoming easier and easier to catch. Now with modern technology, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is encouraging the Pacific to track its fish [...]
The destruction in Gaza as a result of Israeli attacks in July has been described by the UN Secretary-General as a source of personal "pain." Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday visited Gaza where he met with the Deputy Prime Minister of the government of national consensus, as well as Palestinians who have been displaced by the [...]
Another food crisis is on the "doorstep" of West Africa because of the impact of the Ebola epidemic on the agricultural sector. The warning has come from the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, which focuses on reducing poverty in rural areas. Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are the hardest hit by [...]
Fifty thousand children in Somalia could die unless they are given immediate assistance, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Horn of Africa country has warned. A drought has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation in the country which has experienced more than two decades of insecurity. The Al Shabaab terrorist group has been driven out [...]
The outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa and conflict in South Sudan are causing food shortages, according to the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Kanayo Nwanze told reporters in New York on Monday that in South Sudan where 1.7 million people have been displaced by conflict, there is [...]
The humanitarian situation in Somalia is deteriorating as drought conditions take hold, according to the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Horn of Africa country. Over one million people are in need of assistance. At least 50,000 children are said to be close to death. The Al Shabaab terrorist group has been driven from a number [...]
Governments around the world have been urged to help tackle the vulnerabilities of older persons in emergencies and disasters. The call has come from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the International Day for Disaster Reduction which is observed annually on 13 October. According to the United Nations, older people suffer disproportionately high levels of death [...]
The international community is being urged to "stop the clock" for a week to consider how best to support the development of the continent. The call has come from the office of the UN Special Adviser on Africa at the beginning "Africa Week." This year the annual event will focus on how to create a [...]
The government of South Sudan has agreed to take clear steps to prevent sexual violence crimes, according to the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura. In a statement issued at the conclusion of her first visit to the new African country, Ms Bangura said that sexual violence was a [...]
Two million people in the Sudanese region of Darfur are still not able to return home as a result of an ongoing conflict, the UN has said. The internally displaced people or IDPs are living in more than 120 camps. Darfur has experienced more than a decade of instability after civil war broke out between [...]
The only way to avoid another tragic conflict in Gaza in the future is by tackling the root causes of instability in the territory, according to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Mr. Ban on Monday visited Palestine and Israel after attending a donors meeting held in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday for the reconstruction of Gaza following [...]
Africa continues to be an attractive destination for increased investment, according to the President of the UN General Assembly, Sam Kutesa. Mr. Kutesa spoke on Monday at a high-level panel on "The Africa We Want: Support of the United Nations system to the African Union's Agenda 2063." The meeting kicked off Africa Week which is [...]
A plan to end the use of child soldiers in ethnic clashes in North Darfur has been welcomed by the joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). According to UNAMID, the community-led plan has been initiated by a local leader, Sheikh Musa Hilal, and endorsed by leaders of various ethnic communities in the Sudanese [...]
Free software to help developing countries better monitor their forests has been launched by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Deforestation and forest degradation are among the chief causes of increased carbon emissions which cause global warming and climate change. The agency says the software, known as Open Foris, is designed to assist countries [...]
There's been a steady rise in malaria cases and respiratory tract infections in Bentiu as a result of standing water and flooding, the World Health Organization has found. Tens of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) occupy the UN Protection of Civilians site in the northern oil producing state. The majority of people are forced [...]
A car bombing in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Sunday night has been condemned by the United Nations envoy for the country, Nicholas Kay. At least 13 people are reported to have been killed. In a statement issued on Monday, Mr Kay called the bombing, near a crowded café, an "appalling terrorist attack against innocent [...]
More than 700 members of parliament from around the world are expected to discuss how they can address violence against women and girls at the UN in Geneva this week. A total of 774 members of parliament from 141 countries are gathering, at an assembly organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). The IPU says members [...]
The large-scale reconstruction of Gaza must start without delay according to the UN Secretary-General. Much of the Palestinian territory was razed to the ground and more than two thousand civilians died after Israel carried out a military operation against the Palestinian faction Hamas in July. UN chief, Ban Ki-moon is due to travel to Gaza [...]
The cycle of building and destroying in Gaza must end, according to the UN Secretary-General. On Sunday Ban Ki-moon attended a conference in Cairo, Egypt, to ask the international community to support a UN plan for the transformation of the Gaza Strip. He said donors may be fatigued, but the people of Gaza are what [...]
The humanitarian situation caused by the ongoing conflict in Syria has been described as "terrible" by the top United Nations humanitarian official in the country. The conflict, which started as an uprising against the government in 2011 degenerated into civil war, displacing over 6 million Syrians and claiming more than 190,000 lives. Relief agencies have [...]
Labour and delivery rooms in Malawi are too far away for most pregnant women, putting their lives and their newborn babies' lives at risk. That's according to Dr Mary Shawa, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Affair of Malawi. The UN Secretary-General recently held a special event for partners of [...]
All problems in Libya can be solved through dialogue and there is no alternative, according to the UN Secretary-General. On Saturday, Ban Ki-moon arrived in Libya's capital, Tripoli, urging politicians to help restore stability in the North African country. Since the overthrow of former President Muammar al-Qadhafi three years ago, Libya has suffered from killings [...]
Almost one quarter of girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide are victims of some form of physical violence, according to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). The agency reports that globally, nearly half of adolescents girls believe a man is justified in beating his wife under certain circumstances such as refusing to have sex or leaving [...]
Nine civilians, including children, have been killed in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO. Martin Kobler, the mission Head, said the killers are suspected members of the Ugandan rebel group, ADF. The attack is said to have taken place in the night of Wednesday to [...]
People living with schizophrenia die younger than the general population, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). On World Mental Health Day observed every 10 October, WHO is raising awareness about the challenges of living with this disorder which affects more than 21 million people worldwide. WHO says schizophrenia is characterized by profound disruptions in [...]
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Tributes are being paid on Friday to two Asian activists who have won this year's Nobel Peace prize for campaigning for children's rights. Indian children's rights advocate Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai who was shot in the head by the Taliban two years ago for advocating girls’ right to education are the winners [...]
"Every hour counts" in the fight against the Ebola disease outbreak in West Africa, according to the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Jan Eliasson on Friday was addressing the General Assembly on the public health crisis caused by the outbreak of the virus. So far, close to 4033 people have died from Ebola, mainly [...]
Fighting on the outskirts of Tripoli in the past three weeks has forced an estimated 100,000 people out of their homes, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. The area of recent displacement is named after the Warshefana tribe in western Libya following its clashes with the rival Dawn tribe. UNHCR and its local partners [...]
Turkish authorities have been urged by the United Nations to help facilitate a self-defence operation in order to protect civilians in the Syrian town of Kobane. For the past three weeks, the city of 400,000 inhabitants has been under siege, with reported executions and other atrocities by the Islamist militant group ISIL, including reports of [...]
Syrian refugees who have escaped the violence in their conflict-torn country and now live in the Za’atari camp in Jordan are getting a helping hand from the country's most famous nurse and midwife. Munira Sha’ban affectionately known as "Mama Munira" is well known for her involvement in projects for family planning and giving women business [...]
Tributes are being paid to the Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai after she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on the right of girls to education. The teenager was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen in October 2012 because of her beliefs. The prize was awarded jointly to the Indian child rights [...]
A 26-year old Pakistani activist for women's education says that young people in her country are determined to do something for their communities. Humaira Bachal, who fought for her own education supported by her mother but vehemently opposed by her father, created the Dream Foundation Trust to empower women. She became an instant celebrity in [...]
The death penalty has no place in the 21st century and should be abolished, according to the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-moon delivered this message on the occasion of World Day Against the Death Penalty, marked every 10 October. He said the death penalty fails to deter crimes more than other punishments. Its abolition, he says, [...]
Local farmers in Viet Nam are struggling with the effects of climate change like irregular rainfall, hotter temperatures, as well as high salt levels in sea water. That's according to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) which has set up a six year plan to help farmers adapt to these changes. The Mekong Delta, [...]
A school in Indonesia which is made entirely from bamboo has been hailed as a contribution to making the world a greener, more environmentally friendly place. The aptly named Green School in Bali is the brainchild of a Canadian jewelry designer, who became fascinated by the craft traditions of the Indonesian island. United Nations Secretary-General [...]
Indigenous people are the oldest conservationists in the world, according to a consortium of indigenous groups known by the acronym, ICCA. An international meeting on biodiversity is currently underway in Korea, which is considering how knowledge and traditional practices of local communities are key to halting the loss of natural resources. Ashish Kothari is from [...]
The world needs more growth and more jobs to escape the prospect of a prolonged, mediocre future, the head of the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday. Speaking at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington DC, Christine Lagarde laid out the prospects for the global economy and the priorities for the international organization in [...]
The Republic of Korea has been urged by a UN independent expert to adopt an anti-discrimination law to address racism and xenophobia in the country. UN Special Rapporteur on racism Mutuma Ruteere said it is essential the government address these issues, as more foreigners and migrant workers are living in South Korea. Mr Ruteere added [...]
The Indian film actor and director Aamir Khan has been named as a UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Ambassador in South Asia. Mr Khan will support UNICEF's work to promote the rights of children in the region to nutrition, with a focus on ending stunting. UN Spokesperson Vannina Maestracci: "Mr Khan said that child stunting remains [...]
The World Bank has approved $400 million in grants and loans for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone which have been affected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease. According to the Centre for Disease Control there are now more than 8,000 cases, over 4,400 laboratory confirmed cases and more than 3, 800 deaths from [...]
The emergence of radical groups and spread of the Ebola virus in West Africa are some of the new and complex challenges UN peacekeepers are facing. The Security Council heard a briefing by a panel of UN force commanders on Thursday regarding these challenges This marks the fifth year that the Council is hosting such [...]
Dialogue is the only way towards reconciliation and lasting peace in the Central African Republic, according to the Head of the UN Mission in the country, MINUSCA. General Babacar Gaye on Thursday strongly condemned the ongoing violence in the streets of Bangui, the Central African Republic's capital. The Mission reports that violent demonstrations have taken [...]
Peacekeepers are facing unprecedented risks and new responsibilities across the world, according to the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Samantha Power was speaking on Thursday at a Security Council meeting which invited UN peacekeeping force commanders to share the operational challenges they face. Force commanders stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, [...]
The humanitarian air service of the World Food Programme (WFP) has been boosted in response to the worsening outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa. Almost three and a half thousand people have died in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. WFP's air service has deployed three aircraft in the region to facilitate the [...]
Fifty million dollars have been pledged by the World Bank to improve safe water and sanitation and fight cholera in Haiti. In 2010, 8,500 died and over 800,000 people were infected with the disease in the Caribbean country. On Thursday, the Bank president, Jim Yong Kim spoke at a donor conference in Washington D.C., which [...]
Prices for most agricultural commodities are sharply lower than they have been in recent years, according to the latest report of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). FAO's biannual Food Outlook report attributes the drop in food prices to good harvests and ample stockpiles. It says that world cereal production in 2014 is expected [...]
The international community should increase assistance twenty-fold to fight the Ebola disease outbreak in West Africa according to the UN Secretary-General. So far 3865 people have died from Ebola, mainly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Ban Ki-moon told a high-level donor conference in Washington D.C. that West Africans are scared. He said the best [...]
People with disabilities and their advocates have recently marked a milestone with one more country signing the Convention on the Right of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). In September, Guyana was the 150th Member State to ratify the document which supports the rights of persons with disabilities in their respective societies. According to the UN, one [...]
The benefits of investing in protecting the world's natural resources or biodiversity "outweigh financial costs" a UN-backed report has found. The report released on the margins of an international biodiversity meeting in Pyeongchang, in South Korea aims to help governments and organizations understand how to develop financial investment plans to protect the environment. Carlos Manuel [...]
Hundreds of millions of dollars are needed to help accelerate the access in Haiti to clean water, sanitation and health services over the next 3 years, according to the World Bank. A high-level donor conference is taking place on Thursday in Washington D.C., to mobilize the funds. The World Bank says about 38 per cent [...]
More than 30 people are infected with cholera every day in Haiti despite the progress the Caribbean country has made fighting it, according to the World Bank. An epidemic which broke out in 2010 has cost over 8,500 lives and infected over 800,000 people. Water borne diseases, like cholera, are the leading cause for mortality [...]
The Universal Postal Union (UPU) remains committed to delivering mail to countries affected by the Ebola virus disease. That's according to the Director General of UPU Bishar Hussein, who spoke in Geneva ahead of World Post Day, celebrated every 9 October. The purpose of the international day is to raise awareness about the role of [...]
The risk of Ebola spreading in Europe is avoidable and extremely low, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). On Wednesday, WHO's regional office in Europe said sporadic cases of the disease are unavoidable due to travel between Europe and the affected countries. However, European countries are among the best prepared in the world to [...]
Civilians in Ukraine are continuing to die and be wounded despite the ceasefire in the east of the country, according to the UN Human Rights Office, OHCHR. The latest report on the human rights situation in Ukraine was released on Wednesday and showed that at least 3,660 people were killed and close to 9,000 wounded [...]
The world will "deeply regret" the take over of the city of Kobane in northern Syria, also known as Ayn Al-Arab, a senior UN envoy for the country has warned. For the past three weeks, the city of 400,000 inhabitants has been under siege by the Islamist militant group ISIS, also called ISIL. According to [...]
The global economy could lose as much as $1 trillion annually by the end of the century if urgent steps are not taken to stop ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is the term given to the chemical changes in sea water as a result an increase in carbon dioxide absorption. The warning has come from a [...]
Peacekeepers are increasingly becoming victims of terrorist attacks now that the UN is the main foreign presence in Mali, according to the UN peacekeeping chief. On Wednesday, Hervé Ladsous briefed the Security Council from the UN Mission in the country, MINUSMA. He said that since the UN began its operation in July 2013, 31 peacekeepers [...]
In Somalia the real "shabaab", which means "youth" in Arabic, are the young people who are working to rebuild their country, not the Al Shabaab "radical extremist group". That's the view of Ahmad Alhendawi, the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth who recently visited Somalia to reaffirm the support of the United Nations to youth development [...]
The Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has come before the UN-backed International Criminal Court or ICC in The Hague, in the Netherlands on Wednesday. President Kenyatta is the first sitting president to appear before the chamber. He faces charges of crimes against humanity in connection with post-election violence in Kenya in 2007 and 2008. Kuniko Ozaki [...]
The Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta is due to come before the UN-backed International Criminal Court or ICC in The Hague, in the Netherlands on Wednesday. President Kenyatta will become the first sitting president to appear before the chamber. He faces charges of crimes against humanity in connection with post-election violence in Kenya in 2007 and [...]
The changing habits of birds migrating through Asia is acting as an" early warning system" for the loss of coastal habitats, according to a network of organisations which protects migratory routes. The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership says that if birds need to change those routes it shows the eco-systems they depend on are degrading. The [...]
The protection of civilians remains a core priority of the United Nations, according to the Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS. Margrethe Løj, who assumed her duties last month, said that progress on the peace talks was taking longer than hoped for. She's called on the South Sudanese political leaders to make [...]
The world is still living with the fall-out of the 2008 global financial crisis according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The Fund's flagship bi-annual report, The World Economic Outlook (WEO), predicts that global growth will be 3.3 per cent in 2014, down from its April forecast. But as Jocelyne Frank reports economic growth is [...]
The onset of winter will be deadly for hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq if they do not have shelter. That's according to the UN's humanitarian office, OCHA, which has been assisting large populations in Iraq that remain trapped due to conflict. Almost two million people are estimated to be displaced [...]
Millions of children in South Asia don't get the education that gives them the fundamental skills to read, write and count, according to a paper released by the UN cultural agency (UNESCO). The paper was released on the occasion of World Teachers Day which is observed on 5 October each year to put a spotlight [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The killers of nine peacekeepers in Mali will be brought to justice according to the UN peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous. The soldiers from Niger were killed in the north-eastern desert on Friday in what was the deadliest ever attack on the UN mission, MINUSMA. The men were remembered at a ceremony on Tuesday in Bamako, [...]
The Spanish authorities have notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the first case of Ebola in Europe. WHO said on Tuesday they were informed of the case late on Monday. The victim is reportedly a female Spanish healthcare worker. Fadela Chaib, spokesperson for WHO in Geneva, spoke to the press in French about the [...]
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he's gravely concerned by an attack by Islamic State (ISIL) fighters on the northern Syrian town of Kobane. About 400 people are reported to have been killed and approximately 160,000 others have fled since fighting for the control of the town started three weeks ago. An international coalition is [...]
The President of Afghanistan has been asked once again by the UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) to suspend the death sentences of five men. The men are scheduled to be executed on Wednesday in Paghman, near Kabul. On 29 September, the UN High Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein wrote to the newly appointed Afghan President, [...]
Indigenous people are the oldest conservationists in the world, according to a consortium of indigenous groups known by the acronym, ICCA. An international meeting on biodiversity is currently underway in Korea, which is considering how knowledge and traditional practices of local communities are key to halting the loss of natural resources. Ashish Kothari is from [...]
Immediate action must be taken to protect civilians in the northern Syrian town of Ayn al-Arab, according to the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The UN chief is urgently calling on all those who can, to protect people from the terrorist group ISIL. Ayn Al-Arab, also know as Kobane, is reportedly very close to being [...]
The human rights record of six countries is coming under the spotlight in Geneva this week during the UN Human Rights Committee's 112th session. The Committee will review the reports of Sri Lanka, Burundi, Haiti, Malta, Montenegro and Israel on how they are implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. [...]
A United Nations which has been described as an organization "under siege" by the international community, a decade ago, has been remembered by a senior retiring official. Robert Orr, joined the UN under Secretary-General Kofi Annan, a time when the United States had serious concerns about the organization relating to the war in Iraq. Ahead [...]
A shipwreck near Haiti, cannot have been the flagship of Christopher Columbus on his first voyage to America, an expert report has concluded. The report by the UN cultural agency, UNESCO was requested by the Haitian Government, following claims earlier this year by an American explorer that he had found the remains of the Santa [...]
An appeal to "end rape and violence" in South Sudan has been made by a senior United Nations official. The Secretary-General's Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, is currently in the country to discuss what measures can be taken to prevent and respond to widespread violations taking place. Since fighting broke [...]
Governments need to review the way international agricultural commodity markets are governed, the Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization FAO said on Monday. José Graziano da Silva told ministers from around the world that while prices are currently declining, the underlying problems which led to volatile fluctuations in the past five years persist. [...]
The governance of international agricultural commodity markets is coming under spotlight in Rome this week. Ministers from around the world are gathering at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO to discuss how improvements can be made to the way the markets are governed. The agriculture sector employs more than a billion people globally and [...]
A "better relationship" is needed between development and the sustainable use of the world's biodiversity, according to the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, UNEP. Biodiversity refers to the variety of the world's natural resources. The international community is currently meeting in Pyeongchang in Korea to review the progress made in reaching global targets [...]
Bold and innovative action is urgently required if governments are to meet a 10-year global plan to curb the loss of biodiversity, or various forms of life on Earth. That's the message delivered on Monday at opening of the 12th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Strategic Plan for [...]
Although Lebanon has one of the largest amounts of fresh water in the Middle East, its people have limited access to water, according to the World Bank. The Bank is now embarking on a massive project to get water flowing to over 1.6 million people in and around the capital Beirut. It is expected to [...]
Significant advances have been made in expanding the coverage of protected habitats both on land and sea, a senior UN official has said. Aichi target 11 is part of a list of 20 time-bound global targets to help reduce or stop the loss of life on Earth or biodiversity. The Executive Secretary of the UN [...]
People living in slums are being asked to share their experiences and knowledge on this year's World Habitat Day, under the theme "Voices from Slums". According to UN-Habitat, the UN agency dedicated to urbanization issues, a quarter of the world's urban population is living in slums. Joan Clos, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, says the [...]
The human rights record of six countries is coming under the spotlight in Geneva this week during the UN Human Rights Committee's one hundred and twelfth session. The Committee will review the reports of Sri Lanka, Burundi, Haiti, Malta, Montenegro and Israel on how they are implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil [...]
Syrian refugees who have escaped the violence in their conflict-torn country and now live in the Za’atari camp in Jordan are getting a helping hand from the country's most famous nurse and midwife. Munira Sha’ban affectionately known as "Mama Munira" is well known for her involvement in projects for family planning and giving women business [...]
Teachers are an investment for the future of countries. That's the message of the UN's educational organization, UNESCO, on this year's World Teacher's Day. UNESCO is highlighting that teachers need the skills, knowledge and support that will enable them to meet the diverse learning needs of every girl and boy. According to the organization, the [...]
In the rush to fill the chronic, global shortage of teachers, many countries are sacrificing standards, according to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). To mark World Teachers Day, which is observed on 5 October, UNESCO is on Monday publishing a new paper that shows that at least 93 countries have an acute [...]
People living in Rakhine State in Myanmar have been through what the United Nations has described as "appalling suffering". On Friday, senior UN officials reported on what they encountered during a recent visit to the country where they met displaced people. In 2012, inter-communal violence in Rakhine State led to the displacement of 140,000 people [...]
The detention of human rights campaigners in Bahrain sends a "chilling message" to other activists, according to the United Nations. Nabeel Rajab was arrested on Wednesday on his return to Bahrain following a trip overseas where he discussed the human rights situation in his country with a number of organizations, including the UN. It's the [...]
Bloodshed and destruction continue in Libya despite a call for a ceasefire by Libyan parliamentarians, according to the UN Mission in the country, UNSMIL. On Friday, UNSMIL condemned the latest escalation of violence in Benghazi and other parts of Libya. The North African country has suffered instability since the overthrow three years ago of former [...]
Barbados is "leading by example" in its transition to a green economy, according to Foreign Minister Maxine McClean. Government buildings are already using renewable energy solutions. Bajans are also using creative and home-grown solutions to counter the negative effects of the changing weather. The Small Island Developing State (SIDS) is also inspiring other islands in [...]
An additional four thousand displaced people in Ukraine will be receiving support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). IOM made the announcement on Friday, explaining that more people will need assistance with winter approaching. Ukrainians have been fleeing their homes since the beginning of the year to avoid fighting between pro-Russian groups and Ukrainian [...]
Terrorists have been blamed for an attack on a United Nations convoy in north-east Mali on Friday morning, in which 9 peacekeepers were killed. Olivier Salgado, the Spokesperson for the UN Mission in Mali, MINUSMA said a rocket-propelled grenade or RPG was fired from a motorcycle, hitting the convoy The soldiers who died were all [...]
Ukraine has blamed Russia for what it described as the "occupation of Crimea" and said other states had not been involved. In March, the Ukrainian region of Crimea voted in a referendum to join the Russian Federation, a move which was branded illegal by much of the international community. Speaking at a press conference on [...]
As the number of people affected by the Ebola virus spirals in West Africa, the UN Food agency (WFP) is sending in more than just food. WFP has teamed up with the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) to better respond to the crisis in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The agency is providing [...]
Nine United Nations peacekeepers from Niger have been killed in an ambush in eastern Mali, according to the UN Mission in the country, MINUSMA. MINUSMA said they were targeted while travelling near Menaka, in the Gao region. The Mission added that necessary means were immediately deployed to secure the area and assist surviving peacekeepers. This [...]
Seventy Kurdish children who were kidnapped by the militant group Islamic state (ISIL) in the northern Syrian governorate of Aleppo have been freed, according to the UN Children's fund UNICEF. The children aged between 14 and 16 years were abducted at the end of May this year while traveling from their home town of Ai'n [...]
The First Ladies of Africa are calling on the international community to strengthen support for maternal and new-born health. On Monday, the wives of over 30 African presidents met at UN Headquarters in New York at an event organized by Chad and the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA. According to the UNFPA, the rate of [...]
The shadow banking sector has surged in China over recent years according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The agency says shadow banks are not officially banks at all but institutions outside of the banking system that loan money. Savers are attracted to the better returns, but those higher returns are only possible because loans [...]
Governments around the world are meeting on Friday at UN Headquarters to discuss ways of boosting the economic development of some of the poorest countries in the world. Thirty-two so called Landlocked Developing Countries, or LLDCs, are preparing for a 10-year review conference, which will take place later this year in Vienna. The conference will [...]
An upsurge in inter-tribal clashes has been a great challenge for peacekeepers in Darfur since January this year, according to its new deputy-envoy. Abiodun Bashua was appointed Deputy Joint Special Representative for UNAMID, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Mission in Darfur, on 17 September. The conflict in the western region of Sudan, which broke out [...]
The inhabitants of two territories in the province of North Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have reportedly fled a recent upsurge in fighting. The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, says militia men have raped, kidnapped and killed villagers and other have left their homes. Many are now sleeping in the bush for [...]
