Month: March 2023
Southern Africa: Cyclone Freddy aftermath brings diseases, healthcare gaps
The devastation caused by the cyclone in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique has increased the spread of cholera and malaria, as well as malnutrition. Meanwhile, more than 300 health facilities have been destroyed or flooded in the three countries, limiting health care access. The cyclone’s destruction increased public health risks including a surge in the spread…
Read MoreAmid recent slowdown in global trade, ‘green goods’ are the winning ticket
According to UNCTAD’s latest Global Trade Update, trade in “green goods”, which use fewer resources and pollute less, grew by four per cent in the second half of the year, reaching a record $1.9 trillion in 2022. “This is good news for the planet, as these goods are key to protecting the environment and fighting…
Read MoreUN chief calls on EU to help world get ‘back on track’
In a joint press encounter with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, Mr. Guterres appealed for EU leaders to help the world “get back on track” towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a time when progress in so many parts of the world had been reversed. Acceleration and reform “We need an acceleration agenda,” he…
Read MoreAccess to chronic disease medication ‘still out of reach for many’: WHO report
Access to NCD Medicines: Emergent Issues During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Key Structural Factors, highlights the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to NCD medicines, and the policies and strategies implemented by countries to both anticipate and mitigate the disruption that has hit medical supply chains. Pandemic shortages During the pandemic, people living with cancer, heart diseases, chronic…
Read MoreGuterres warns of ‘catastrophic’ consequences of a world without glaciers
Secretary-General António Guterres told a conference side event dedicated to the issue of preserving the world’s glaciers that new data released by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) showed global average sea levels have already risen faster since 1900, “than over any preceding century in the last 3,000 years.” ‘Erased forever’ He said that “low-lying communities and entire countries could be…
Read MoreUganda: UN rights chief calls on President not to sign anti-homosexuality bill
The UN rights chief called on Uganda’s President, Yoweri Museveni, not to sign the bill into law, saying that it would mean lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Uganda will become criminals simply “for existing, for being who they are“. He warned the legislation would lead to “systematic” human rights violations. Adopted by Uganda’s parliament…
Read MorePakistan: 10 million deprived of safe drinking water in flood-affected areas
The crisis has left families in the flood-affected areas with no choice but to use potentially contaminated water. “Safe drinking water is not a privilege, it is a basic human right”, said UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, Abdullah Fadil. “Yet, every day, millions of girls and boys in Pakistan are fighting a losing battle against preventable…
Read MoreSchool meals fuel young minds, but most vulnerable still missing out: WFP
Amid the current global food crisis, with many families struggling to put food on the table, governments are increasingly seeing the value of these initiatives, according to the State of School-Feeding Worldwide report. Critical safety net School meals are a critical safety net for vulnerable children and households at a time when some 345 million…
Read MoreExtreme weather: UN global early warning initiative ‘fast-tracked into action’
UN chief António Guterres convened an Advisory Panel of top UN agency officials which met for the first time to inject more “political, technical and financial clout to ensure that Early Warnings for All becomes a reality for everyone, everywhere”, said WMO in a press release. Tuesday’s panel included development banks, humanitarian organisations, civil society…
Read MoreHaiti: Deploy specialized force to take down gang violence, UN rights chief
“We are gravely concerned that extreme violence continues to spiral out of control in Haiti,” said Marta Hurtado, spokesperson for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Volker Türk. In the first two weeks of March alone, clashes among gangs left at least 208 dead, 164 injured, and 101 kidnapped. Mirroring those grave concerns, UN…
Read More