UN official warns of widespread sexual violence in Syria, Iraq
May 08, 2015, at 02:58 pm
New York, May 8 (IBNS): Sexual violence is being committed strategically, in a widespread and systematic manner, and with a high-degree of sophistication by most parties to the conflict in Syria and Iraq, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Bangura, said Thursday as she briefed journalists on her “scoping mission†to the region in April.
UN envoy on Syria meets Saudi minister
May 08, 2015, at 02:56 pm
New York, May 8 (IBNS): As part of ongoing Geneva consultations on Syria, the United Nations Special Envoy for the country, Staffan de Mistura, met on Thursday with Prince Mohammed bin Saud bin Khaled Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Information and Technology Affairs.
Poland: Ban commemorates 70th anniversary of Second World War's end
May 08, 2015, at 02:55 pm
New York, May 8 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in Poland on Thursday at an event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe, recalled the “tremendous†shared sacrifice and the huge price of victory over fascism, paid by the millions of lost lives.
South Sudan: UN confirms influx of displaced seeking refuge at Mission base
May 08, 2015, at 02:53 pm
New York, May 8 (IBNS): The number of internally displaced persons seeking refuge with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has grown to 53,000 following the latest bout of fighting in the African country, a spokesperson for the Organization has confirmed.
Gruelling lean season ahead for areas of Sahel: UN agency
May 08, 2015, at 02:51 pm
New York, May 8 (IBNS): Thousands of women and children in regions where Boko Haram violence has spilled into Cameroon, Niger and Chad, face a gruelling lean season and worsening malnutrition, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Thursday.
7.1 earthquake hit Papua New Guinea
May 07, 2015, at 08:04 pm
Papua New Guinea, May 7 (IBNS): An earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter Scale hit Papua New Guinea on Thursday, the US Geological Survey the said.
UN deplores deadly attack on ‘blue helmets’ in DR Congo
May 07, 2015, at 02:18 pm
New York, May 7 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the killing of two United Nations peacekeepers and the wounding of thirteen others in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following an ambush in the North Kivu region, a spokesperson for the Organization has confirmed.
"Let us renew our will to cooperate for peace," Ban declares
May 07, 2015, at 02:14 pm
New York, May 7 (IBNS): As one of the oldest outdoor gifts at the United Nations, the Peace Bell represents the “collective desire for the world to live in peace,†Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Wednesday at a ceremony to reinstall the symbolic bell at its permanent home at Headquarters in New York.
Yemen: UN envoy to begin consultation aimed at retrieving political process
May 07, 2015, at 02:09 pm
New York, May 7 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy on Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is conducting intensive consultations aimed at getting the political process back on track for the country, where conflict erupted in late March.
World’s forcibly displaced hit record 38 million, prompting UN appeal for peace
May 07, 2015, at 02:07 pm
New York, May 7 (IBNS): By the end of 2014, a record-breaking 38 million people had been forced to flee their homes within their own country because of conflict or violence, prompting the United Nations refugee agency to appeal on Wednesday for “an all-out effort to bring about peace in war-ravaged countries.â€
UN-backed report emphasizes possible contribution of forests to ending hunger
May 07, 2015, at 02:06 pm
New York, May 7 (IBNS): A new United Nations-backed report that woodlands could be the key to ending hunger and will be intimately linked to the global fight against climate change.
Thailand: UN urges action against trafficking after finding bodies in smugglers' camp
May 07, 2015, at 02:03 pm
New York, May 7 (IBNS); The United Nations refugee agency on Wednesday expressed its deep concern over the discovery of dozens of bodies in smugglers’ camps in Thailand, appealing for a regional effort to end human trafficking and protect those who escape difficult conditions from “the hands of ruthless smugglers.â€
Yemen's death toll nears 650, UN rights office spotlighted plight of 3 million disabled
May 06, 2015, at 02:48 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): The conflict in Yemen has now taken at least 646 civilian lives and injured more than 1,300 others, according to UN human rights monitors who also drew attention on Tuesday to the desperate plight of persons with disabilities who are facing increasing difficulties in meeting their basic needs.
Ban reaffirms UN's founding goals to ensure peace and dignity for all
May 06, 2015, at 02:47 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): Seventy years ago, in 1945, from the ashes of one of humanity's darkest moments, the United Nations was founded to lead the world “out of horror and into peace,†declared Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday at a tree planting and ceremony to remember the countless victims who lost their lives in the Second World War.
Central Africa's armed groups agree to release child soldiers: UNICEF
May 06, 2015, at 02:46 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): As part of an agreement facilitated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), up to 10,000 children currently associated with armed groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) will be released from roles such as combatants, sex slaves and cooks, a spokesperson for the agency told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday.
UN rights office launches website on albinism
May 06, 2015, at 02:44 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) launched on Tuesday a website dedicated to the issue of albinism aimed at debunking the myths of the rare condition which is “still profoundly misunderstood, socially and medically.â€
UN envoy announces start of talks to achieve return to political track on Syria
May 06, 2015, at 02:43 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): A series of consultations that began on Tuesday in Geneva aim to redouble international efforts in search of a political process to resolve the conflict in Syria, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, told journalists on Tuesday.
More funding needed to tackle massive humanitarian needs in Sudan: UN
May 06, 2015, at 02:42 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): The international humanitarian community in Sudan has appealed for more funds to respond to the “massive†needs in the country that has been long-affected by conflict and poverty, a senior United Nations relief official said on Tuesday.
International Day: UN says midwife training to tackle maternity and child deaths
May 06, 2015, at 02:41 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): Nearly 800 women continue to die every day from complications of pregnancy and childbirth, the United Nations spotlighted as it marked the International Day of the Midwife with a call for greater investment to increase the number of midwives and enhance the quality and reach of their services.
UNICEF brings aid to displaced Yarmouk families in Damascus suburb
May 06, 2015, at 02:34 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): The United Nations children’s agency participated in two missions this week to provide humanitarian assistance to families recently displaced from Yarmouk camp, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday.
UN urges international assistance as Niger and Chad faces regional crisis
May 06, 2015, at 02:32 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): Beset by multiple crises themselves, Niger and Chad are making heroic efforts to cope with the impact of the turmoil swirling around them, but the international community is failing in its responsibility to share the burden, a senior official for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday.
UN guide aims to address mental health needs in humanitarian emergencies
May 06, 2015, at 02:31 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): Two United Nations agencies on Tuesday issued a new guide to address the growing needs of millions of adults and children suffering from mental health problems in humanitarian emergencies around the world arising from natural disasters, disease outbreaks and armed conflicts.
Security Council hears Liberia briefing as country anticipates being Ebola-free
May 06, 2015, at 02:30 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): Liberia is expected to be declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) within the week if no more new cases of the disease are discovered before then, the top United Nations official in Liberia said on Tuesday as she briefed the Security Council.
UN lauds South Sudan as country ratifies landmark child rights treaty
May 05, 2015, at 03:09 pm
New York, May 5 (IBNS): The United Nations has hailed South Sudan’s ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as the African nation takes a critical step towards protecting and promoting the rights of all children.
UN officials cite strengthening cooperation with regional partners as a priority
May 05, 2015, at 03:08 pm
New York, May 5 (IBNs): United Nations Secretary-General Ban K-moon and the General Assembly President Sam Kutesa on Monday drew attention to the importance of the Organization’s cooperation with regional partners to shape a “bold new vision†for a post-2015 development agenda, as well as to tackle the world’s myriad pressing challenges.
UN launches #SaveKidsLives campaign to boost road safety for children
May 05, 2015, at 03:07 pm
New York, May 5 (IBNS): Each day some 500 children die from road traffic crashes, thousands more are injured and the situation is only getting worse, the United Nations warned on Monday as it launched #SaveKidsLives, a global campaign to generate action to make streets safe for children.
Yemen: UN official urges safe access to Sana’a airport to deliver critical aid
May 05, 2015, at 03:06 pm
New York, May 5 (IBNS): The aid operation in Yemen cannot meet the life-saving needs of people unless humanitarians are assured safe and reliable access to the capital’s international airport, the United Nations relief coordinator for the country said on Monday, calling it an “essential lifeline.â€
UN environment chief warns of ‘tsunami’ of e-waste at a conference
May 05, 2015, at 03:04 pm
New York, May 5 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations body tasked with setting the global environmental agenda on Monday stressed the need to limit the use of dangerous chemicals and to find a solution to the masses of electronic waste building up around the world, as a Conference of Parties to three major Conventions on the subject began in Geneva on Monday.
UN chief appoints new Deputy Special Coordinator for Middle East peace
May 05, 2015, at 03:02 pm
New York, May 5 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Robert Piper of Australia as his new Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, a United Nations spokesperson confirmed on Monday.
Ban condemns Texas shooting, urges for democratic debate and dialogue
May 05, 2015, at 03:01 pm
New York, May 5 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned Sunday’s shooting in Texas that injured a law enforcement officer, reiterating that such criminal acts have nothing to do with religion or belief.