Syria: UN agency condemns killing of four Palestinian refugees at Khan Eshieh camp
Oct 22, 2016, at 12:40 pm
New York, Oct 22 (Just Earth News): The United Nations agency tasked with the well-being of Palestine refugees on Friday condemned the killing of four Palestinians in a camp south of the Syrian capital, Damascus, and expressed deep concern that the site faces the real risk of being turned into another camp in the area that has been devastated by years of fighting.
'Wonder Woman' appointed UN honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls
Oct 22, 2016, at 12:38 pm
New York, Oct 22 (Just Earth News): Wonder Woman, the iconic superhero, has been named an Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls by the United Nations and will be tasked with raising awareness about Goal 5 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls by 2030.
Oct 22, 2016, at 12:37 pm
New York, Oct 22 (Just Earth News):The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has welcomed the start of the cessation of hostilities that began at midnight, 19 October, while the UN refugee agency took advantage of the pause in fighting to rush desperately needed aid to the embattled south-central city of Taiz.
DR Congo security forces used ‘excessive force’ against protesters, UN probe finds
Oct 22, 2016, at 05:20 am
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): State agents, such as police and armed forces, used excessive – including lethal – force during demonstrations in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), last month, when at least 53 people were killed over two days, 143 injured and more than 299 unlawfully arrested, a United Nations preliminary investigation revealed on Friday.
‘Crimes of historic proportions’ being committed in Aleppo, UN rights chief warns
Oct 22, 2016, at 05:19 am
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Describing the bombardment and crippling siege of Syria’s war-ravaged eastern Aleppo as “crimes of historic proportions†the top United Nations rights official on Friday urged the members of the UN Human Rights Council to “speak with one voice†in an effort to end the bloodshed.
UN agencies provide shelter, clean water to families displaced amid Iraq’s Mosul offensive
Oct 22, 2016, at 05:18 am
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): With the military offensive still unfolding in Mosul, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) are rushing to provide shelter, drinking water, and sanitation services for displaced families and children.
Security Council welcomes initiative to end political crisis in Guinea-Bissau
Oct 22, 2016, at 05:16 am
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Security Council has welcomed a recent inclusive dialogue, convened in Conakry, by Alpha Condé, the President of Guinea, that involved political leaders, civil society and religious communities of Guinea-Bissau as part of a regional efforts to end the political crisis in the country.
Afghan interpreter gang-raped in Calais refugee camp
Oct 21, 2016, at 05:47 pm
Calais, France, Oct 21 (IBNS): A 35-year old Afghan interpreter was allegedly raped at knife-point by three men in the Calais refugee jungle, reports said.
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:56 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Stressing that the Syrian conflict “continues to reach new and awful depths,†United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday welcomed Russia’s latest unilateral announcement of a humanitarian pause to the bombing in war-raved eastern Aleppo, but emphasized that the nationwide ceasefire must be revived.
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:55 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): A major conference on the future of the world’s cities and towns, known as Habitat III, has wrapped up in Quito, Ecuador, with delegations adopting a new framework that will set the world on a course towards sustainable urban development by rethinking how cities are planned, managed and inhabited.
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:53 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): The top United Nations official dealing with the world body’s support for Colombia’s peace process is long-serving veteran Jean Arnault.
UN chief calls on General Assembly to 'fulfil moral duty' to assist storm-ravaged Haiti
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:50 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Briefing the United Nations General Assembly on the humanitarian situation in Haiti following the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underlined the urgency of additional resources to help respond to the dire needs on the island.
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:48 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News):The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Coalition for Climate and Clean Air (CCAC) and the Government of Norway has launched a global awareness campaign on the dangers of air pollution – especially ‘invisible killers’ such as black carbon, ground-level ozone and methane – for the health of individuals and the planet.
Free expression under worldwide assault, UN human rights expert warns in new report
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:47 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Warning that the freedom of expression is under the widespread assault, a new United Nations human rights report has found that governments worldwide, wielding the tools of censorship, are “treating words as weapons.â€
UN report reveals stark gap between urban and rural employment in Latin America and the Caribbean
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:46 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): A new United Nations labour report has revealed that more than half of the 52 million workers in rural areas of the Latin American and Caribbean region are in a state of vulnerable employment, characterized by lower wages, lower social protections and the prevalence to poverty.
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:45 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Following a report that more than half of the population in southern Madagascar – 840,000 people – is experiencing alarming rates of food insecurity, United Nations agencies are responding to the most severe cases of malnutrition and acute hunger to prevent a catastrophe.
UN provides emergency food aid to 8,000 people amid renewed violence in Central African Republic
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:42 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): The United Nations food relief agency is providing emergency aid to 8,000 people affected by an upsurge in violence in the north of the Central African Republic (CAR), in addition to regular food and nutrition support for some 120,000 people.
Put ‘people, not cars’ first in transport systems, says UN Environment chief
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:40 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): Lack of investment in safe walking and cycling infrastructure not only contributes to the deaths of millions of people in traffic accidents on unsafe roads and poorly designed roadways, but also overlooks a great opportunity to boost the fight against climate change, a new UN Environment report said on Thursday.
Investing in 10-year-old girls will yield huge demographic payoff towards Global Goals – UN
Oct 21, 2016, at 01:39 pm
New York, Oct 21 (Just Earth News): If all of the ten-year-old girls living in developing countries that currently drop out of or do not attend school were to complete their secondary education, it would lead to an additional $21 billion per year, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed on Thursday in its annual State of the World Population Report.
UN experts concerned about situation of jailed anti-slavery activists in Mauritania
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:39 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): Voicing serious concern over recent intensified crackdown by the Mauritanian Government on the imprisoned anti-slavery activists, a group of United Nations human rights experts on Wednesday urged the authorities to ensure a fair hearing and provide needed medical treatment for the detainees.
DR Congo: Ban notes conclusion of national dialogue, urges active engagement with all stakeholders
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:38 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): Taking note of the wrap-up of the African-Union mediated national dialogue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged the Government to remain actively engage with all political stakeholders, and called on political actors not involved in the talks to resolve their difference peacefully.
UN calls for protecting civilians as fighting, though reduced, continues in north-west Myanmar
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:37 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): Even though fighting between security forces and a group, identified by the Government as the Aqa mul moujahideen, in some villages on the outskirts of Maungdaw township in Myanmar’s Northern Rakhine province appear to have reduced in severity, an atmosphere of fear and tension continues to grip the local population, a spokesperson for the United Nations said on Wednesday.
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:34 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): With violent extremism on the rise and waves of intolerance and hate targeting minorities, migrants and the most vulnerable, the international community must renew efforts to uphold its human rights treaties, the United Nations General Assembly heard this morning.
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:33 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): On 13 October 2016, the UN General Assembly appointed, by acclamation António Guterres, as the next United Nations Secretary-General, to succeed Ban Ki-moon when he steps down on 31 December.
UN, African Union partnership to foster job opportunities for African rural youth
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:32 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has partnered with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) to generate job and business opportunities for young people in rural Benin, Cameroon, Malawi, and Niger, thanks to a $4 million grant from the Africa Solidarity Trust Fund.
Emotional family reunions highlight need for psychosocial care for all girls abducted by Boko Haram
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:31 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): After more than two years of being held hostage by Boko Haram insurgents in north-east Nigeria, the 21 recently-released Chibok girls have finally been reunited with their families, however, their return emphasizes the necessity of urgent and intensive psychosocial care, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In turbulent Middle East, UN envoy warns against ‘sleep-walking into another violent conflict’
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:30 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): As the absence of progress towards a two-state solution has led to growing anger and frustration among Palestinians and profound disillusionment among Israelis, the top United Nations Middle East envoy warned on Wednesday: “We must all avoid the risk of sleep-walking into another violent conflict at a time when the region as a whole needs moderate forces†to stand up to rising radicalization.
Oct 20, 2016, at 01:26 pm
New York, Oct 20 (Just Earth News): On 13 June 2016, the United Nations General Assembly elected Peter Thomson of Fiji to serve as President of its seventy-first session, which runs from September 2016 to September 2017. Thomson, who had had been serving as the Permanent Representative of Fiji to the United Nations until his appointment, announced that the theme of the 71st session will be ‘The Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform our World.’
UN relief wing and partners ready to rush in aid once pause in Yemen fighting begins
Oct 20, 2016, at 05:14 am
New York, Oct 19 (Just Earth News): Following a month that saw civilians continuing to bear the brunt of the conflict in Yemen, a 72-hour halt to fighting set to take effect later on Wednesday is welcome, but not nearly enough time, according to a senior United Nations relief official, who appealed for more predictable access to be able deliver aid to hard-to-reach communities caught up in the crisis.
Reforesting Kilimanjaro could ease East Africa's severe water shortages – UN
Oct 20, 2016, at 05:13 am
New York, Oct 19 (Just Earth News): There is a need to reforest Africa’s highest mountain to help protect vital water supplies that are under threat across large parts of East Africa, a UN Environment report urged on Wednesday.