Ban applauds six decades of principled leadership of Spain at the UN
Oct 30, 2015, at 02:38 pm
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS): The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday commended the leading role played by Spain, since it first joined the UN 60 years ago, by supporting the Organization in all its activities, including tackling terrorism, aiding women empowerment, peace, security and contributing towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and developing the new Agenda 2030.
South Sudan: UN launches nutrition screening as hunger threatens lives of children
Oct 30, 2015, at 02:37 pm
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS): The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have stepped up their activities in South Sudan after the recently released Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on Thursday revealed that nearly 237,000 children in the country are estimated to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Health and safety of women and children in disaster-prone areas must be a priority: UN
Oct 30, 2015, at 02:32 pm
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS): Disaster response specialists, including from the United Nations and other organizations, gathered in Suva, Fiji this week for the annual Pacific Humanitarian Partnership meeting, where the focus has been on high rates of preventable mortality and morbidity among women and children in the disaster-prone region.
Amid situation in Darfur, UN peacekeeping official urges political settlement
Oct 29, 2015, at 03:41 pm
New York, Oct 29 (IBNS): Warning of an "unpredictable" political and security situation in Darfur, a senior United Nations peacekeeping official told the Security Council on Wednesday that a comprehensive resolution of the Darfur conflict, which would allow for the return of over 2.6 million displaced persons, required first and foremost a political settlement between the Government and the armed movements.
Despite raging conflict, scores of refugees continue to arrive in Yemen by sea: UN
Oct 28, 2015, at 02:50 pm
New York, Oct 28 (IBNS): The ongoing conflict and the widening humanitarian crisis in Yemen has not deterred nearly 70,000 refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants to reach the country by sea causing the Yemini population to 'bear the brunt,' said the United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday.
UN report links processed meats to cancer in humans
Oct 27, 2015, at 02:47 pm
New York, Oct 27 (IBNS):The cancer research arm of the World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the consumption of processed meats like hotdogs, ham, sausages and meat-based sauces causes colorectal cancer, while eating red meat like beef, pork and lamb is "probably carcinogenic to humans."
Burundi: UN warns of 'rapidly worsening' human rights and security situation
Oct 24, 2015, at 02:48 pm
New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday expressed its concern over the "rapidly worsening" security and human rights situation in Burundi, where at least 198 people have been killed since April, including the execution of at least nine civilians ten days ago.
Children's right to freedom of religion or belief must be protected: UN expert
Oct 24, 2015, at 02:29 pm
New York, Oct 24 (IBNS): The United Nations expert on religious freedom is calling on all Governments represented at the UN General Assembly "to respect religious practices by children and their families and support families in fulfilling their role in providing an enabling environment for the realisation of the rights of the child."
UN health agency report cites measures to reduce risks from climate pollutants
Oct 23, 2015, at 01:52 pm
New York, Oct 23 (IBNS): The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday spotlighted the need to reduce short-lived climate pollutants like black carbon, ozone, methane and carbon dioxide that contribute to climate change and lead to more than 7 million deaths linked to air pollution each year.
Central Africa's crisis deepens, UN relief chief urges efforts to protect civilians
Oct 23, 2015, at 01:50 pm
New York, Oct 23 (IBNS): The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator on Thursday called for greater and more sustained international commitment to the Central African Republic (CAR), where a worsening humanitarian crisis is impacting half the country's population.
Floods deal devastating blow to agriculture and food security in Myanmar: UN
Oct 21, 2015, at 04:28 pm
New York, Oct 21 (IBNS): A new joint United Nations agency-Myanmar Government report paints a grim picture of the destruction caused by flooding in the country, where more than half a million hectares of rice paddy were affected and almost a quarter of a million livestock were killed, including poultry, cattle, pigs and goats, when Cyclone Komen struck in late July and early August this year.
Floods deal devastating blow to agriculture and food security in Myanmar: UN
Oct 21, 2015, at 04:23 pm
New York, Oct 21 (IBNS): A new joint United Nations agency-Myanmar Government report paints a grim picture of the destruction caused by flooding in the country, where more than half a million hectares of rice paddy were affected and almost a quarter of a million livestock were killed, including poultry, cattle, pigs and goats, when Cyclone Komen struck in late July and early August this year.
Ban inaugurates exhibition on UN's 70th anniversary, meets with students in Slovakia
Oct 20, 2015, at 05:07 pm
New York, Oct 20 (IBNS): During a visit to the capital of Slovakia on Monday, the United Nations Secretary-General inaugurated an exhibition commemorating the 70th anniversary of Organization, featured at the National Council of the Slovak Republic.
Global event to turn world 'UN blue' to mark 70th anniversary of United Nations
Oct 20, 2015, at 03:55 pm
New York, Oct 20 (IBNS): Ahead of UN Day, marked annually on 24 October, the United Nations announced on Monday that around 200 iconic monuments, buildings, museums, bridges and other landmarks in nearly 60 countries around the world will be lit up blue – the official colour of the Organization – as part of a global campaign to commemorate its 70th anniversary.
At least seven people dead after boat collision off the coast of Lesvos: UN agency
Oct 17, 2015, at 02:29 pm
New York, Oct 17 (IBNS): Up to seven people have been killed – four of them children – in a collision between a smuggling boat and a Greek Coast Guard vessel off the coast of Lesvos, Greek authorities and the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday.
More than half a million children now risk malnutrition in Yemen: UNICEF
Oct 17, 2015, at 02:16 pm
New York, Oct 17 (IBNS): Yemen's spiralling crisis has caused "alarming malnutrition levels" among children because of the limited availability of and lack of access to food due to blocked or damaged delivery routes and restrictions on food and fuel imports caused by the conflict, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday.
Iran: UN rights experts outraged at the execution of two juvenile offenders
Oct 17, 2015, at 02:14 pm
New York, Oct 17 (IBNS): United Nations human rights experts on Friday expressed their outrage and profound sadness at the execution of a juvenile offender convicted for the death of her husband, whom she had been forced to marry at the age of 16, and which follows the death of a young man last week, who’d been sentenced to death at age 17.
Rights of victims of trafficking during migration must be protected, UN tells EU
Oct 17, 2015, at 02:07 pm
New Delhi, Oct 17 (IBNS): Urging the Europe Union (EU) to safeguard the rights of migrants at risk, especially the most vulnerable, a United Nations human rights expert on Friday called on EU member States to ensure their anti-trafficking measures do not include restrictive and exclusionary immigration policies that are not effective and further heighten risks for trafficking and exploitation.
Ending violence in Middle East focus of emergency Security Council session
Oct 17, 2015, at 02:05 pm
New York, Oct 17 (IBNS): Against a backdrop of escalating violence in the Middle East, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Tayé-Brook Zerihoun briefed an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on Friday, reporting on the latest violent incident in which a large group of Palestinians set fire to the compound containing the holy site of Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus.
Ban says new 2030 Agenda can help eradicate poverty
Oct 17, 2015, at 02:03 pm
New York, Oct 17 (IBNS): This can be the first generation to witness a world without extreme poverty, where all people – not only the powerful and the privileged – can participate and contribute equally, free of discrimination and want, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared on Friday, urging global action to fully implement the newly-adopted goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.
Global food accord aims to tackle hunger in protracted crises: UN agency
Oct 17, 2015, at 01:59 pm
New York, Oct 17 (IBNS): The first global agreement involving all stakeholders of food aid aims to "do business differently" in order to combat hunger and undernutrition among people living in protracted crises around the world, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Friday.
Despite calm in Kunduz, conditions for humanitarian assistance not yet restored: UN
Oct 16, 2015, at 01:17 pm
New York, Oct 16 (IBNS): While reports indicate that Kunduz city centre in northeast Afghanistan remains relatively quiet, with sporadic fighting taking place on the outskirts, full conditions for the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance have not yet been restored, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Rural women are the backbone of sustainable livelihoods: Ban
Oct 16, 2015, at 01:12 pm
New York, Oct 16 (IBNS): Marking the International Day of Rural Women, the United Nations on Thursday affirmed the role of women as significant and crucial for the progress of rural households, local and national economies.
FAO hails pledge by more than 100 cities to fight hunger and improve nutrition
Oct 16, 2015, at 12:54 pm
New York, Oct 16 (IBNS): Cities have a key role to play in ending hunger and improving nutrition, the head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Thursday, welcoming a commitment by more than 100 cities from around the world to make food systems in urban areas more equitable and sustainable.
After six years on the rise, Afghan opium crop cultivation declines: UN survey
Oct 15, 2015, at 03:08 pm
New York, Oct 15 (IBNS): Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan decreased 19 per cent in 2015, compared to the previous year, according to the latest Afghanistan Opium Survey figures released on Wednesday by the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Turkey: UN deputy chief says response to migration movement being tested
Oct 15, 2015, at 02:57 pm
New York, Oct 15 (IBNS): The world's ability to respond to migration and refugee movement is "being tested as never before," the United Nations deputy chief on Wednesday said speaking at the Global Forum on Migration and Development taking place in Istanbul, Turkey, while recalling some key principles underscored by the UN to address this global challenge.
Burundi: Post-election crisis forces UN and partners to seek $32 million for relief plan
Oct 14, 2015, at 01:59 pm
New York, Oct 14 (IBNS): The United Nations in Burundi is calling for aid funding for the humanitarian crisis facing the country, which is facing its deepest political crisis since the end of the civil war after President Pierre Nkurunziza's decision to run for a controversial third term in office.
Iran: UN deputy chief highlights country's contributions over the decades
Oct 14, 2015, at 01:46 pm
New York, Oct 14 (IBNS): Commemorating in Tehran the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, the UN Deputy Secretary-General has highlighted the contributions Iran has made to the global community over the decades, as well as the significant challenges the country still faces.
Syria: UN human rights advisers alarmed at rise of incitement to religious violence
Oct 14, 2015, at 01:34 pm
New York, Oct 14 (IBNS): Senior United Nations human rights officials on Tuesday expressed their alarm at the rise in violent rhetoric by influential religious leaders – including calls for "holy war" against certain faiths – in relation to the situation in Syria.
Dutch Safety Board's final report on flight MH17 crash in Ukraine welcomed by UN
Oct 14, 2015, at 01:31 pm
New York, Oct 14 (IBNS): The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on Tuesday welcomed the Dutch Safety Board's final report on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which crashed on 17 July 2014 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine.