Month: February 2023
WHO: Nations step closer to global guides on pandemics, disease outbreaks
The two processes are complementary, guided by the imperative of making the world safer from communicable diseases and ensuring equitable responses to public health threats, said Ashley Bloomfield, former Director-General of Health of New Zealand, who co-chairs the working group on updating the 2005 WHO International Health Regulations, which concluded its latest round of discussions…
Read MoreFrom the Field: Weathering climate change in Sudan
Women farmers in Sudan are being encouraged to take a more active role in their communities. The livelihood of many farming families is under threat due to the cumulative effects of conflict, economic and political instability, coupled with increased water consumption from population growth and agricultural development; climate change is the latest threat. Women in…
Read MoreEarly action saves lives, as Tropical Cyclone Freddy hits Mozambique
Accurate early warnings and early action on the ground helped limit loss of life over the course of the cyclone, UN officials said. UN agencies delivered a host of supplies ahead of the approaching cyclone and are providing assistance to those in need. Currently, strong winds and high seas are threatening Mozambique with dangerous and…
Read MoreUN Security Council hears echoed demands to end war in Ukraine
“Life is a living hell for the people of Ukraine,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Council, which has held more than 40 debates on the conflict since Russia’s full-scale invasion one year ago. On the occasion, the 15-member organ held a ministerial-level meeting on the heels of the UN General Assembly’s new demand that…
Read MoreUNICEF appeals for support for children affected by Türkiye earthquakes
Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, briefed journalists in Geneva on her recent visit to the region, where she saw first-hand some of the destruction. “Children in Türkiye are at risk of developing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder; they need to be able to resume their education, and they urgently…
Read MoreUkraine: 18 million need support as war enters second year
“Since the start of the full-scale war we, along with our humanitarian partners in Ukraine, have made every effort to ramp up operations to provide life-saving support to those who need it most,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York. Last year, thousands of convoys delivered vital supplies to people in all regions…
Read MoreUkraine: ‘Calling it a crisis seems so insignificant compared to everyday reality on the ground’: A UN Resident Coordinator blog
Denise Brown is the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine. Based in the capital Kyiv, she works alongside around 20 UN agencies with some 2,600 staff, the majority Ukrainians. She spoke to UN News about the challenges of supporting communities in a country at war. “Conditions have been pretty difficult in Ukraine over the…
Read MoreDR Congo: Senior UN rights official calls on authorities to stop ‘appalling’ violence
The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ilze Brands Kehris, concluding a 10-day visit to the country on Wednesday, reported a resurgence of attacks by armed groups and the devastating toll on communities alongside the need for action. “The violence must stop,” she said, encouraging authorities to redouble their efforts to counter rising hatred and…
Read MoreUN officials call for de-escalation after deadly Israel-Palestinian clashes
Top UN officials have called for halting escalating cycles of violence following Israeli-Palestinian clashes and airstrikes on Wednesday that left 11 dead and more than 100 injured.
Read MoreSyria-Türkiye earthquakes: Food, shelter and medicines among latest aid deliveries
The trucks carried items from the World Food Programme (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, including food commodities, shelter, hygiene, and other supplies. Most of the trucks, 47, went through the Bab al-Hawa crossing and the remainder entered through Bab al-Salam, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in…
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