UN concerned over South Sudanese refugees flooding in Ethiopia
May 07, 2014, at 04:57 pm
New York, May 7 (IBNS): Waves of South Sudanese women and children are fleeing across the Ethiopian border, with more than 11,000 people crossing in the past 72 hours, the United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday said confirming that UN agencies and humanitarian partners are rushing food and medical supplies to the site.
Afghanistan: UN officials visit landslide-hit north-eastern province
May 06, 2014, at 06:19 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): Following a visit on Monday to the site of the massive landslide which killed hundreds in north-eastern Afghanistan late last week, two senior United Nations humanitarian officials highlighted the longer-term needs of people displaced by natural disasters in the country, as well as the need for long-term preventive measures.
South Sudan: UN confirms weekend fighting in Unity state
May 06, 2014, at 06:12 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): Fighting with heavy and small arms fire resumed on Monday in South Sudan's Unity state where United Nations peacekeepers are protecting some 23,000 displaced civilians, a UN spokesperson confirmed.
UN spotlights role of culture in sustainable development
May 06, 2014, at 06:08 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): Culture, in all its multifaceted dynamism, must be thoroughly integrated in the post-2015 development agenda, senior United Nations officials told the General Assembly Monday, highlighting the need to recognize the vital role that culture plays in combatting poverty and promoting sustainable growth.
Syria: Gunfire forces UN to suspend food delivery
May 06, 2014, at 06:04 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): Gunfire stopped distribution of food on Monday in a besieged Palestinian refugee camp, a United Nations spokesperson confirmed on Monday, reiterating demands that the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees be allowed to safely and without interruption distribute substantial quantities of food and other humanitarian assistance inside Yarmouk.
DR Congo: UN supports rescue operation of shipwrecked passengers
May 06, 2014, at 05:48 pm
New York, May 6 (IBNS): At least one person died and 10 others are missing after a boat capsized in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the country (MONUSCO) reported on Monday, announcing that its peacekeepers rushed to the scene of the accident and were able to rescue more than a dozen passengers.
Afghanistan: UN condemns suicide attack in Panjshir province
May 03, 2014, at 05:31 pm
New York, May 3 (IBNS): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has strongly condemned the suicide car bombing which took place on Thursday in the central eastern province of Panjshir, killing at least 15 people - including seven civilians.
UN urges US to impose death penalty moratorium
May 03, 2014, at 05:28 pm
New York, May 3 (IBNS): The suffering of United States inmate Clayton Lockett during his execution in Oklahoma on Apr 29 could amount to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment according to international human rights law, the United Nations said on Friday, calling on the US authorities to impose an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
South Sudan: UN calls on all parties to end fighting
May 03, 2014, at 05:20 pm
New York, May 3 (IBNS): United Nations agencies are calling on the parties to the conflict in South Sudan to provide safe access to enable humanitarian assistance to reach vulnerable people, including 125,000 Sudanese refugees in Maban County, in Upper Nile state.
Cambodia: UN agenda seeks asylum reform, freedom of expression
May 03, 2014, at 05:14 pm
New York, May 3 (IBNS): Amidst reports that Cambodia has agreed in principle to house asylum seekers that had tried to enter Australia, a United Nations senior human rights official wrapping up her visit to the country on Friday urged its Government to respect its international commitments.
UN agency scales up food assistance in CAR
May 03, 2014, at 05:09 pm
New York, May 3 (IBNS): As the unprecedented crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to deepen, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has accelerated its operations - distributing 60 percent more food in April than in March.
UN supports rescue effort after landslides hit Afghanistan
May 03, 2014, at 05:05 pm
New York, May 3 (IBNS): Landslides triggered by heavy rains crashed into an area of north-eastern Afghanistan on Friday, killing at least 350 people and causing widespread damage to homes and agriculture, according to a senior United Nations relief official in the country, who said the world body is "fully engaged" in the effort to mobilize support for the initial search and rescue effort.
UN urges action before South Sudan plunges deeper into crisis
May 03, 2014, at 05:00 pm
New York, May 3 (IBNS): Senior United Nations officials on Friday reported a drastic deterioration in the human rights situation in South Sudan, marked by increasing ethnic violence and revenge killings, and urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) not to simply stand by as the world's youngest nation plunges deeper into crisis.
DR Congo: UN peacekeepers on alert after battling rebel group
May 03, 2014, at 04:55 pm
New York, May 3 (IBNS): Mayi-Mayi rebels attacked United Nations peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where the Mission is on alert monitoring and the situation, it was announced on Friday.
UN honours traditional farming sites in China, Iran, Korea
May 02, 2014, at 05:48 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): The birthplace of jasmine tea and a nearly 3,000 year old irrigation system are among the traditional farming sites designated "globally important" land use systems or landscapes by the United Nations food and agricultural agency, it was announced on Thursday.
UN voices concern over latest violence in parts of Sudan
May 02, 2014, at 05:37 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): Recent fighting in parts of South Kordofan and Blue Nile states has displaced or affected an estimated 16,500 people, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which on Thursday detailed the aid response being offered to them through the UN and its partners.
South Sudan: UN reports fighters restricting movement
May 02, 2014, at 05:30 pm
New York, May 2 (IBNS): United Nations peacekeepers in South Sudan reported on Thursday that opposition forces are occupying Lich University, located in the central part of the country, and that said harassment and detention of UN staff was preventing the Mission from carrying out its activities.
South Sudan: UN urges leaders to prevent catastrophe
May 01, 2014, at 05:34 pm
New York, May 1 (IBNS): Warning that the world's youngest nation is on the verge of catastrophe, the United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday called on South Sudan's leaders to relinquish their "personal power struggle" and steer their impoverished, war-battered country towards stability.
After deadly attack, UN urges safety for displaced in CAR
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:13 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): At least two people were killed and six others injured in the Central African Republic (CAR) after an attack on an 18-truck humanitarian convoy relocating 1,300 Muslims to safety in the country's north, a spokesperson for the United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday confirmed, renewing calls for protection of displaced people.
South Sudan: UN provides aid to displaced civilians ahead of rains
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:11 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency is preparing to airlift relief supplies to South Sudan on Tuesday for 100,000 displaced people ahead of the rainy season, while the top UN relief official there is calling for a month-long truce to enable people to move around safely and cultivate their fields.
UNSC extends mandate of Western Sahara mission
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:06 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday extended for another year the mandate of the United Nations mission tasked with monitoring the ceasefire in Western Sahara and organizing a referendum on self-determination for the people of the territory.
UN urges Mid-east parties to salvage peace efforts
Apr 30, 2014, at 06:03 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): In the wake of Israel's decision to break off talks with the Palestinians after a Fatah-Hamas unity deal, and amid a "volatile" situation on the ground with negative trends in the West Bank and a fragile calm in Gaza, a United Nations envoy on Tuesday challenged the parties to use this "moment of truth" to reflect on the hard choices required to keep peace from slipping further away.
Chemical watchdog to probe chlorine gas attacks in Syria
Apr 30, 2014, at 05:58 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Tuesday it will seek to "establish the facts" surrounding allegations of the use of chlorine in Syria, where it is already working jointly with the United Nations to rid the country of its chemical weapons.
Ukraine: UN urges efforts to achieve stability, peace
Apr 30, 2014, at 04:55 pm
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): Describing "alarming" developments in Ukraine - from the capture of European observers and the violent takeover of Government buildings by separatist groups, to the shooting of the mayor of a major eastern city - a senior United Nations official this evening appealed to all sides to "work expeditiously" at putting the crisis-torn country on the path to stability.
Kosovo: UN seeks justice for perpetrators of attack on European mission
Apr 29, 2014, at 05:34 pm
New York, Apr 29 (IBNS): A senior United Nations official on Monday condemned a recent attack on two vehicles belonging to the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and called for ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Honduras: UN urges measures to protect children from sexual abuse
Apr 29, 2014, at 05:32 pm
New York, Apr 29 (IBNS): Honduras must immediately adopt measures to effectively protect children, without discrimination, from all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation, an independent United Nations human rights expert has urged.
South Sudan: UN urges safety to allow displaced to return home
Apr 29, 2014, at 05:25 pm
New York, Apr 29 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights chief on Monday called on the parties to the conflict in South Sudan to respect the cessation of hostilities in order to stem the suffering of ordinary civilians and to ensure that it is safe enough for those uprooted by months of violence to return to their homes.
UN joins Olympic Committee to promote sport in development
Apr 29, 2014, at 05:17 pm
New York, Apr 29 (IBNS): With Norwegian professional biathlete Ole Einar Bjorndalen and Boston Marathon male winner Meb Keflezighi watching on, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach on Monday signed an agreement between their respective organizations, marking an "historic step" in their cooperation to promote the role of sport in development and peace.
UN urges Syria to complete chemical weapons removal
Apr 28, 2014, at 04:47 pm
New York, Apr 28 (IBNS): Nearly eight percent of Syria's declared chemical weapons material remains on its territory and should be removed in the shortest possible timeframe, despite the difficult security situation, the head of the Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations on Sunday urged.
Ban marks Chernobyl anniversary, seeks support for recovery efforts
Apr 26, 2014, at 05:36 pm
New York, Apr 26 (IBNS): "This is an opportunity to pay tribute to the emergency workers who responded, remember the more than 330,000 people who were evacuated from contaminated regions, and stand in solidarity with the millions who still live in the affected areas in Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine," said a statement issued by the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General.