'Alarming' disparity in broadband connectivity within Asia-Pacific, UN regional study finds
Aug 20, 2016, at 01:13 pm
New York, Aug 20 (Just Earth News): New findings by the economic and social development arm of the United Nations in the Asia-Pacific have revealed that nearly 75 per cent of the region's broadband capabilities and access are concentrated in countries in East and North-East Asia while the Pacific subregion accounts for a mere 1.93 per cent.
Nigeria’s military gains against Boko Haram uncover vast humanitarian needs – UN
Aug 20, 2016, at 04:12 am
New York, Aug 19 (Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency said on Friday that it is increasingly alarmed at the unfolding situation in north-east Nigeria where the advancing military campaign against Boko Haram has exposed “catastrophic†levels of suffering among a population outside humanitarian reach over months or years.
Syria: Citing lack of action, UN envoy cuts short humanitarian taskforce meeting
Aug 19, 2016, at 01:30 pm
New York, Aug 19 (Just Earth News): The United Nations envoy for Syria abruptly suspended the regular international humanitarian taskforce meeting in Geneva on Thursday shortly after it started, saying it made “no sense†to continue unless there is a pause in the fighting so aid convoys could reach besieged areas of the war-ravaged country.
UN and Ugandan government cut food rations amid influx of South Sudanese refugees
Aug 18, 2016, at 01:21 pm
New York, Aug 18 (Just Earth News): Appealing to donors to urgently help bolster the humanitarian response in Uganda following an influx of thousands of people fleeing violence in neighbouring South Sudan, the United and the Ugandan Government on Wednesday announced that they will be forced to halve food rations or cash assistance in Uganda and put priority focus on those refugees most in need.
UN rights chief appeals to India and Pakistan for ‘full and unhindered’ access to Kashmir
Aug 18, 2016, at 01:18 pm
New York, Aug 18 (Just Earth News): Expressing deep regret at the failure of Indian and Pakistani authorities to grant the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) access to Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir respectively, the UN rights chief on Wednesday voiced concern about recent allegations of serious violations and reiterated a request for access to the region.
Central African Republic: After standoff, UN force detains 10 armed men, recovers weapons cache
Aug 16, 2016, at 12:17 pm
New York, Aug 16 (Just Earth News): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) has reported that after a standoff with a convoy of heavily-armed men near Sibut, the capital of Kémo Prefecture, UN forces detained 10 of the suspects and recovered a “significant quantity†of weapons and munitions.
Central African Republic: After standoff, UN force detains 10 armed men, recovers weapons cache
Aug 16, 2016, at 12:15 pm
New York, Aug 16 (Just Earth News): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) has reported that after a standoff with a convoy of heavily-armed men near Sibut, the capital of Kémo Prefecture, UN forces detained 10 of the suspects and recovered a “significant quantity†of weapons and munitions.
Ethiopia will need urgent global support in race to prepare for main agricultural season – UN
Aug 16, 2016, at 04:43 am
New York, Aug 15 (Just Earth News): Seasonal floods, resulting in crop damage and inundation of pastures, following a severe El Niño-induced drought in Ethiopia may be further exacerbated by its cool weather counterpart, La Niña, expected from October onwards, the United Nations agricultural agency has warned.
DR Congo: Denying visa to human rights researcher ‘regrettable,’ says UN rights chief
Aug 13, 2016, at 12:29 pm
New York, Aug 13 (Just Earth News): United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Friday said that the denial of visa to a human rights researcher in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a regrettable development.
Security Council approves regional protection force for UN mission in South Sudan
Aug 13, 2016, at 12:27 pm
New York, Aug 13 (Just Earth News): The Security Council on Friday authorized a 4,000-strong regional protection force within the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), “responsible for providing a secure environment in and around Juba,†the capital, which in early July was the scene of the latest eruption of deadly violence in the young country, exacerbating an already desperate humanitarian situation.
South Sudan: Scale of refugee exodus straining capacity in neighbouring countries, warns UN
Aug 13, 2016, at 04:34 am
New York, Aug 12 (Just Earth News): The countries hosting refugees from their crisis-gripped neighbour, South Sudan, are straining under the sheer weight of the ongoing exodus as desperate people continue to arrive at their borders daily, joining hundreds of thousands of others that fled for safety before them, the United Nations has warned.
Aug 13, 2016, at 04:25 am
New York, Aug 12 (Just Earth News): The world's young people – who make up the largest generation of youth in history – can lead a global drive to break the patterns of the past and set the world on course to a more sustainable future, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said youth, with their creativity and idealism are the key to delivering the goals of the new UN sustainability agenda.
Aug 12, 2016, at 01:30 pm
New York, Aug 12 (Just Earth News): Encouraging young refugees gathered for an event at resettlement centre in Los Angeles to “study hard [and] be a full part of your new communities,†United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the United States and other countries to keep reaching out to people in need, wherever they are, because “we will all be stronger†by building bridges instead of walls.
Syria: UN refugee agency 'gravely concerned' by attacks on civilians, internally displaced persons
Aug 12, 2016, at 04:34 am
New York, Aug 11 (Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency has expressed grave concern at the dire situation of civilians in the Syrian city of Aleppo and at attacks on internally displaced people (IDP) settlements in its Idleb Governorate.
Child-directed advertising must be better regulated to curb adverse impacts – UN experts
Aug 11, 2016, at 12:39 pm
New York, Aug 11 (Just Earth News): Just head of International Youth Day, two United Nations human rights experts are drawing attention to the impact of commercial advertising directed at young children that instils, at an early age, over-consumption and indebtedness, and have urged the Governments to redefine those child-directed advertisements.
New law a ‘direct attack’ on free expression in Maldives, UN rights expert warns
Aug 11, 2016, at 12:37 pm
New York, Aug 11 (Just Earth News): Denouncing a new law in Maldives as a “direct attack†on free speech, a United Nations human rights expert warned on Wednesday that elements of the bill, such as the vague use of religion, social norms and defamation as reasons for punishing expression, contradict not only international norms, but also obligations set out in the country’s own Constitution.
UN chief honours Nagasaki victims, urges recommitment to ‘a more secure future for all’
Aug 10, 2016, at 01:33 pm
New York, Aug 10 (Just Earth News): Mourning those who perished in the 1945 atomic bombing and suffered through its horrendous after-effects, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday conveyed his solidarity to a peace memorial ceremony in Nagasaki, Japan, and urged all to “recommit to building a safer and more secure future.â€
As temperatures soar and taps run dry in war-ravaged Aleppo, UN warns of looming ‘catastrophe’
Aug 10, 2016, at 01:27 pm
New York, Aug 10 (Just Earth News): As the United Nations relief wing warned on Tuesday that soaring temperatures and dwindling medical supplies are deepening the woes of some two million people trapped by fighting in and around Aleppo, the world body kept up its call for an immediate halt to the hostilities and, at a minimum, a two-day weekly humanitarian pause so the city’s heavily damaged water and electrical systems can be repaired.
On International Day, UN spotlights indigenous peoples' right to education
Aug 10, 2016, at 03:58 am
New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): To mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, senior United Nations officials are calling on Governments to improve access to education and ensure that the most vulnerable are not left behind as the journey to achieve the new UN Sustainable Development Goals gets under way.
As water and basic supplies run out in Aleppo, UN urges truce to provide humanitarian assistance
Aug 09, 2016, at 01:28 pm
New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): With more than two million people impacted by the fighting in and around war-ravaged Aleppo, where wide swaths of the area are now without power and water supplies are dwindling, the United Nations on Monday urgently called for a humanitarian pause in the hostilities to enable immediate access to repair the electricity and water networks, and provide assistance to people in need.
FEATURE SERIES: Mali and the UN Peacebuilding Fund
Aug 09, 2016, at 01:23 pm
New York, Aug 9 (Just Earth News): “In the talk about peacebuilding and reconciliation, we sometimes forget that it’s about how local communities come back together,†said the United Nations Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, discussing the UN’s Peacebuilding Fund – which supports millions of people in 27 countries.
UN chief welcomes South Sudan's acceptance of African-led regional protection force
Aug 08, 2016, at 01:17 pm
New York, Aug 8 (Just Earth News): Welcoming the Government of South Sudan's acceptance of a regional protection force to help quell the ongoing violence in the country, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called on all South Sudanese parties to uphold their responsibility to protect civilians and to demonstrate their commitment to a peace agreement, “the only viable path†out of the crisis.
In Brazil, UN chief encourages Olympic Refugee Team to ‘show strength,’ inspire the world
Aug 05, 2016, at 12:09 pm
New York, Aug 5 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday paid a visit to the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he encouraged refugee athletes to show the world their strengths.
In South Sudan, UN humanitarian chief calls for end to attacks against civilians, aid workers
Aug 04, 2016, at 01:22 pm
New York, Aug 4 (Just Earth News): United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien concluded on Wednesday his three-day mission to crisis-torn South Sudan, voicing serious concern at the humanitarian situation in the country and in particular the violence against civilians, as well as attacks against aid workers, which is hampering efforts to respond to the needs of the people affected by the fighting.
E-government a powerful tool to implement global sustainability goals, UN survey finds
Aug 04, 2016, at 01:15 pm
New York, Aug 4 (Just Earth News): A new United Nations report has found that e-government is an effective tool for facilitating integrated policies and public service by promoting accountable and transparent institutions, such as through open data and participatory decision-making, and therefore it has the potential to help support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In South Sudan, UN humanitarian chief calls on all parties to work together for peace
Aug 03, 2016, at 12:41 pm
New York, Aug 3 (Just Earth News): United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien on Tuesday called on all actors in South Sudan, including the international community supporting the country, to work together for a peace that will enable the nation and its people to realize their hopes for a better future.
In wake of renowned lawyer’s murder, UN experts urge Kenya to put an end to police impunity
Aug 02, 2016, at 01:16 pm
New York, Aug 2 (Just Earth News): Voicing deep concern over the continuing pattern of extrajudicial executions in Kenya, United Nations human rights experts have called on the Government to halt police violence and ensure accountability for the perpetrators.
On International Tiger Day, UN calls for urgent action against illegal wildlife trade
Jul 30, 2016, at 05:21 am
New York, July 29 (Just Earth News): The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific on Friday marked International Tiger Day with a call for urgent action to protect tigers and combat illegal trade in wildlife.
UN appeals for halting imminent execution of prisoners in Indonesia
Jul 29, 2016, at 01:40 pm
New York, July 29 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and a group of UN rights experts on Thursday appealed to the Government of Indonesia to stop the reportedly imminent execution of a number of prisoners for alleged drug-related crimes.
With planting season weeks away, millions in drought-hit southern Africa need support – UN
Jul 29, 2016, at 04:19 am
New York, July 28 (Just Earth News): Some 23 million people in southern Africa are in need of urgent support to be able to produce enough food to feed themselves and avoid being dependent on humanitarian assistance until mid-2018, the United Nations agricultural agency has warned.