Month: August 2022
UN renews commitment to Yazidi community eight years after ISIL onslaught |
ISIL, also known by the Arabic moniker, Daesh, conducted a genocidal campaign against the Yazidis, whose historic homeland is the northern town of Sinjar. The atrocities they committed included sexual violence, mass executions, forced conversions, and other crimes. Trauma and perseverance “As we commemorate this traumatic page of Iraqi history, we renew our…
Read MoreUN chief slams ‘immoral’ profiteering amid global energy crisis |
Secretary-General António Guterres said it was “immoral” that major oil and gas companies are reporting “record profits”, while prices soar. “The combined profits of the largest energy companies in the first quarter of this year are close to $100 billion,” he said, urging governments to “tax these excessive profits, and use the funds raised to…
Read MoreNew sculpture at UN honours rights experts killed in DR Congo |
Speaking at the ceremony, UN Secretary-General António Guterres again expressed deepest condolences to the families of Zaida Catalán and Michael Sharp, who attended the dedication of Abused Ammunition, a glass sculpture which appears in the form of a golden bullet. Ms. Catalán, who was from Sweden, and Mr. Sharp, an American, were members of the…
Read MoreUN experts call for international investigation into 2020 Beirut explosion |
The powerful blast, caused by a stockpile of ammonium nitrate in a port warehouse, occurred on 4 August 2020 and killed more than 200 people while decimating a vast swath of the Lebanese capital. The explosion destroyed 77,000 apartments, wounded 7,000 people, displaced over 300,000 more, at least 80,000 of which were children, the experts…
Read MoreUN delegation returns from human rights fact-finding mission in Ethiopia |
The UN International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia is mandated to conduct a thorough and impartial probe into allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights law. Specifically, it will investigate violations of international humanitarian law and international refugee law in Ethiopia state committed on 3 November 2020 by all parties to…
Read MoreUN Human Rights Office ‘deplores’ executions in Singapore |
“We deplore the hanging today of two men in Singapore and are deeply troubled by the planned execution of two others on 5 August,” OHCHR Spokesman Liz Throssell said in a statement. Drug crimes The two prisoners, a Malaysian and a Singaporean, were hanged at after being convicted in May 2015 of drug trafficking and…
Read MoreYemen truce renewed for another two months |
The extension includes a commitment by the Government and Houthi rebels to intensify negotiations to reach an expanded agreement as soon as possible. The envoy thanked the leadership of both sides for agreeing to the extension, and for their continued constructive engagements. “I count on the continued cooperation of the parties to meet their commitments and…
Read MoreHorn of Africa faces most ‘catastrophic’ food insecurity in decades, warns WHO |
More than 37 million people are facing acute hunger, with approximately seven million children under the age of five acutely malnourished in the region. While finding food and safe water is the absolute priority, WHO said that ensuring a strong health emergency response is needed to avert preventable disease and deaths. The UN…
Read MoreHumanity’s just one misunderstanding away from ‘nuclear annihilation’ warns UN chief |
The UN chief was speaking at the opening of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which runs through 26 August. Mr. Guterres highlighted some of the current challenges to global peace and security, with the world under greater stress due to the climate crisis, stark…
Read MoreNew global alliance launched to end AIDS in children by 2030 |
The new Global Alliance for Ending AIDS in Children by 2030, made up of UN agencies, civil society groups, governments and international partners, was announced at the landmark International AIDS Conference, which comes to a close in Montréal, Canada, on Tuesday. ‘Healthy, informed generation’ Addressing the conference, Limpho Nteko from Lesotho shared her journey from…
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