As a first step on the road toward holding local elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Independent Electoral Committee supported by the UNDP and the UN have begun registering new voters and checking the data of voters already registered. UNDP
UNICEF is working with local partners in Nablus, and the wider West Bank to provide psychological support to Palestinians so that they can deal with the effects of constant violence. UNICEF
The UN estimates that nearly 70,000 of the war refugees from Swat are pregnant. More than 250 give birth every day, with as many as 40 facing life-threatening complications that call for skilled medical help. UNFPA
Commenting on a new resolution imposing further sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program, US Ambassador Susan Rice says the negotiations are productive and intense but, “we are not done yet.” UNTV
The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that millions of people in the Horn of Africa are once again facing a deadly mix of persistent drought, poor seasonal rains, conflict, and the cost of food which remains high in many developing countries. WFP