Syria: UN health agency urges donors to assist countries ‘doing the heavy lifting’
Sep 25, 2015, at 03:04 pm
New York, Sept 25 (IBNS) Crippling funding shortfalls are hindering the ability of emergency teams to meet the escalating health needs of the millions of Syrians displaced by civil war and donors need to step up support to countries in the region doing the “heavy lifting,†warned the World Health Organization (WHO).
Three new suspected cases of typhoid near Yarmouk camp in Syria
Sep 24, 2015, at 02:08 pm
New York, Sept 24 (IBNS) Following humanitarian operations in the southern Syrian town of Yalda, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said it has identified three new suspected cases of typhoid.
Ban praises progress of panel to investigate chemical weapons in Syria
Sep 23, 2015, at 03:05 pm
New York, Sept 23 (IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday congratulated the leadership of a panel that has been charged with establishing a mechanism to investigate the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
'Time to overcome diplomatic failure' in Syria, says head of UN-mandated rights probe
Sep 22, 2015, at 02:44 pm
New York, Sept 22 (IBNS) It is time to overcome diplomatic failure and recognise that there is a global interest in returning Syria to peace, the head of a United Nations-mandated human rights inquiry said today, warning that if conflict continues, nations will be "fuelling a war to keep their influence over a country that will barely exist."
Syria: UN official appeals to Security Council to find political solution to crisis
Sep 17, 2015, at 02:02 pm
New York, Sept 17 (IBNS): The United Nations humanitarian chief on Wednesday urged the Security Council to find a political solution to end the conflict in Syria, warning its members that the fighting had created one of the largest refugee exoduses since the Second World War.
Millions of children in Syria deprived of education: UNICEF
Sep 16, 2015, at 02:21 pm
New York, Sept 16 (IBNS): As children around the world return to school, there are more than two million in Syria who will not be able to join them, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) cautioned on Tuesday, adding that another 400,000 are at risk of dropping out of school as a direct result of conflict, violence and displacement.
Syria: Ban promises establishment of chemical weapons accountability probe
Sep 11, 2015, at 03:12 pm
New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday welcomed the United Nations Security Council’s authorization to set up an investigative mechanism to identify who is responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, promising its "speedy establishment" and urging full cooperation by all parties in Syria.
Syria: UN agency discovers nine suspected cases of typhoid near Yarmouk camp
Sep 03, 2015, at 02:44 pm
New York, Sep 3 (IBNS): Following humanitarian operations in the southern Syrian town of Yalda, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said it has identified nine new suspected cases of typhoid and one case of scabies.
Volatile Syria requires sustained donor support: UN relief chief
Sep 02, 2015, at 02:31 pm
New York, Sep 2 (IBNS): Even as aid agencies continue to reach those impacted by the Syria conflict, the needs of the 7.6 million people displaced by the war and the 4 million others who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries are "greater than ever," and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis looks set to deteriorate even further unless a political solution is found, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Tuesday.
Syria: UNESCO chief condemns destruction of Palmyra's ancient temple
Aug 25, 2015, at 02:59 pm
New York, Aug 25 (IBNS) Extremists “cannot silence history,†the Director-General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, declared today, firmly condemning the destruction of Palmyra’s ancient temple of Baalshamin, in Syria, a World Heritage site.
Syria: UNRWA reaches near Yarmouk camp as typhoid outbreak hits Palestinian refugees
Aug 20, 2015, at 02:28 pm
New York, Aug 20 (IBNS): The United Nations relief agency responsible for the welfare of Palestine refugees across the Middle East announced on Wednesday it has conducted its first humanitarian mission to Yalda, near the besieged Yarmouk camp in Syria, where six cases of typhoid have been confirmed.
Aug 18, 2015, at 08:19 pm
New York, Aug 18 (IBNS): Horrified by the "total disrespect" for civilian life in Syria, as evidenced by airstrikes on a market in Douma, the top United Nations humanitarian official today warned that the protracted conflict in the country not only severely affects the lives of millions of people, but also threatens the stability of the entire region and beyond.
Syria: UN special envoy condemns indiscriminate shelling in civilian areas
Aug 15, 2015, at 02:51 pm
New York, Aug 15 (IBNS): Condemning the continued use of indiscriminate weapons in civilian areas of Syria, the United Nations special envoy for the country has today renewed his call on the warring parties to immediately cease such attacks and focus on finding a political solution to the “unacceptable situation†in their homeland.
Head of UN food relief agency appeals for continued support to Syrian refugees
Aug 14, 2015, at 03:26 pm
New York, Aug 14 (IBNS) The head of United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) called on Friday on the international community to continue supporting Syrian refugees displaced in neighboring countries, appealing to the world “not to forget†the crisis and to provide the agency the means to meet their needs.
Syria: Security Council approves probe into the use of chemical weapons
Aug 08, 2015, at 02:12 pm
New York, Aug 8 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Thursday gave the greenlight for the establishment of a Joint Investigative Mechanism to identify those responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
Syria’s grim statistics speak for themselves: Security Council
Jul 29, 2015, at 02:12 pm
New York, Jul 29 (IBNS): A political solution is more urgent than ever to end the “futile, hopeless†cycle of brutality and violence in Syria, the top United Nations humanitarian official said on Tuesday, urging the Security Council to consider its options through “the eyes of the beleaguered, now long-suffering†civilians.
Syria: bread prices up nearly 90 per cent, pushing more people into hunger, UN report warns
Jul 24, 2015, at 03:19 pm
New York , July 24 (IBNS) Syria’s food production in 2015 remains at 40 per cent below its pre-crisis levels, impacting the price of bread, which has spiralled by 87 per cent, and shrinking poultry production by half, according to a United Nations agency report released on Thursdaythat warns that "the risk of irreversible damage to the children is real, with tragic future consequences."
Jul 03, 2015, at 03:28 pm
New York, July 3 (IBNS) Much more needs to be done to reverse the trend of an ever increasing number of children forced to work as a result of the conflict in Syria often "carrying heavy loads, being exposed to pesticides and toxic chemicals, and working long hours," according to a joint report released on Thursday by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Save the Children.
Syria: UN special envoy continues consultations on ways to end an escalating conflict
Jun 27, 2015, at 06:10 pm
New York, June 27 (IBNS) The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, continues his talks with the parties to the conflict in this country within the framework of the Geneva consultations, having on Thursday met with leaders of the Syrian tribes, according to a UN spokesperson.
UN relief workers press ahead with effort to reach Yarmouk camp in Syria
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:51 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS)United Nations relief workers on Thursday provided drinking water, bread and recreational kits for children in displaced communities outside Yarmouk camp, the former heart of Palestine refugee community, and sought access to the besieged suburb itself, where the basic humanitarian needs of some 18,000 Palestinian and Syrian civilians are left unmet.
Syria, other poorly-funded crises to receive $100 million from UN emergency fund
Jan 24, 2015, at 06:19 pm
New York, Jan 24 (IBNS) Poorly-funded United Nations aid operations received a boost on Friday when Valerie Amos, the UN's humanitarian chief, announced the allocation of $100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to boost relief work in twelve countries in need.
Syria: humanitarian efforts falling short, UN relief chief warns, calling for end to violence
Nov 26, 2014, at 10:28 pm
New York, Nov 26 (IBNS): While humanitarians have made some progress in delivering much-needed supplies to the growing numbers of people in conflict-riven Syria, efforts by the United Nations and its partners are still falling short, a top UN relief official has said today, calling on the Security Council to push for an end to the violence that is destroying the country and destabilizing the region.
Syria: UN envoy proposes new plan to 'freeze' conflict, promote political solution
Nov 04, 2014, at 07:03 pm
New York, Nov 4 (IBNS) The war in Syria must be "frozen locally" on the ground so that the growing threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) may be fully confronted, a United Nations envoy said on Monday, suggesting that a peace introduced in increments would also provide all stakeholders with a better understanding of how to bring the three-year conflict to a definitive conclusion.
Syria: Security Council condemns bomb attacks on school in Homs
Oct 04, 2014, at 07:57 pm
New York, Oct 4 (IBNS) The members of the Security Council on Friday added their voices to growing condemnation of twin bomb attacks on a school complex in Syria that killed dozens of children.
More than 191,000 people killed in Syria with 'no end in sight' : UN
Aug 23, 2014, at 05:28 pm
New York, Aug 23 (IBNS) The number of people killed in Syria is double the number documented a year ago, the United Nations human rights chief on Friday announced, criticizing the international community for its failure to stop the “killers, destroyers and torturers†that have torn the country apart.
'Flagrant' violations of international law continue in Syria, top UN relief official warns
Jul 31, 2014, at 05:09 pm
New York, July 31 (IBNS) 'Flagrant' violations of international law continue in Syria, Top UN relief official warns With the United Nations and its partners in Syria begin to ramp up aid deliveries across battle lines, the Organization's Emergency Relief Coordinator warned on Wednesday that attacks on civilians by all parties to the conflict and human rights abuses continue "in flagrant violation of the most basic principles of international law."
Syria: UN agency urges Europe to shoulder more of refugee challenge
Jul 12, 2014, at 05:51 pm
New York, July 12 (IBNS)With Syria heading into its fourth year of conflict, a United Nations agency on Friday called on Europe to do more to help Syrian refugees, after a new report found that some nations in the region are turning back asylum seekers and ‘shouldering only a small part’ of the challenges.
Humanitarian needs outpacing response amid ongoing obstacles to aid delivery in Syria: UN
Jun 27, 2014, at 07:11 pm
New York, June 27 (IBNS): Four months after the Security Council adopted a resolution demanding unimpeded access to people in need of assistance in Syria, relief agencies continue to face obstacles to aid delivery while the needs continue to grow and are now outpacing response efforts, the United Nations humanitarian chief reported Thursday.
Syria: UN agency ready to expand aid work in Yarmouk, if reported truce holds
Jun 24, 2014, at 09:59 pm
New York, June 24 (IBNS): Following a reported ceasefire in the besieged Yarmouk camp in Syria, the United Nations agency that administers aid to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East said it is ready to resume and expand its humanitarian activities as soon as it has access to the site.
Removal of Syria's chemical weapons material complete: OPCW-UN mission
Jun 24, 2014, at 07:16 pm
New York, June 24 (IBNS): The Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations (OPCW-UN) announced Monday that the removal of Syria’s chemical weapons material is now complete.