UN official appeals to donors to aid 53,000 displaced by attacks on Lake Chad islands
New York, Dec 11 (Just Earth News/IBNS): More than 50,000 people forced to flee in the wake of attacks on islands of Lake Chad are living in “precarious conditions†in need of food, drinking water, shelter, health care and other services in a situation exacerbated by chronic drought, the top United Nations relief official in Chad says.
Rashid Khalikov, UN official from Russia, named to senior humanitarian position
New York, Nov 28 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday named Rashid Khalikov, a veteran United Nations humanitarian official from Russia, as Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Partnerships with the Middle East and Central Asia.
UN official warns health and education systems in war-torn Yemen near collapse
New York, Nov 20 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Warning that "humanitarian agencies cannot be a substitute for [Yemen’s] basic services," a senior United Nations relief official wrapped up a three-day visit to the country stressing that its health and education systems in the country are on the brink of collapse and stressed that "peace is the only solution to prevent a humanitarian disaster."
UN official pleads for access to Yemeni city of Taiz to avert humanitarian tragedy
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS): The World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday pleaded for the "safe and immediate access" to Taiz, where food aid last reached the besieged city in southern Yemen five weeks ago, warning that "if this situation continues the damage from hunger will be irreversible."
UN official urges support for people in central and eastern Africa
New York, Oct 30 (IBNS): Warning of worsening violence and humanitarian crises across areas of East and Central Africa, the Head of Operations for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), John Ging, on Thursday called for additional support to "people and communities who have faced years of crisis in Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia."
UN official welcomes EU agreement on plan for Western Balkans migration route
New York, Oct 27 (IBNS): As European leaders met this week to hammer out a 17-point plan of action on the Western Balkans migration route for refugees and migrants fleeing Syria and other strife-torn regions, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees commended the fact that a consensus had been reached.
UN official warns funding shortages could be disastrous for food-insecure Mauritania
New York, Oct 23 (IBNS): On her two-day visit to Mauritania, Ertharin Cousin, the Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), saw at first hand the challenges faced by nearly 1 million food insecure people amid rising malnutrition in the country.
Milan Expo: UN officials call for social protection and fairer food systems
New York, Oct 17 (IBNS): Celebrating World Food Day at the Milan Expo 2015, senior United Nations officials joined leading figures in the global fight against hunger in an appeal to the international community to speed up efforts on eradicating hunger and improving the way food is produced and consumed.
UN official thanks Greece and frontline islands for response to continued arrivals
New York, Oct 13 (IBNS): During a two-day mission to Greece – the main European Union entry point for nearly 450,000 refugees and migrants so far this year – the United Nations' most senior refugee official said he had witnessed the improved humanitarian response mounted by Greek local authorities and civil society while lamenting the continued lack of a large-scale and effective European response.
UN officials urge Libyan parties to endorse proposals on new unity government
New York, Oct 10 (IBNS): Following the proposal of the names of candidates for the presidency for a national unity government in Libya, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged parties to the Libyan "not to squander this opportunity to put the country back on the path to building a State that reflects the spirit and ambitions of the 2011 revolution."
Civilians killed by air strikes at Yemeni wedding party disturbing: UN official
New York, Oct 10 (IBNS): The top United Nations humanitarian official on Friday said he was "deeply disturbed" by the news of civilians being killed by coalition air strikes that hit a wedding party in Yemen's Dhamar Governorate on Thursday.
UN official urges global compact on refugee and asylum matters
New York, Oct 9 (IBNS): The top protection expert in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Thursday warned of a growing risk to people fleeing conflict and persecution and called for "an all-out effort to ensure that protection, and in particular the institution of asylum, remains life-saving, non-political, and fundamentally humanitarian."
UN refugee official calls for renewed international focus on Afghanistan
New York, Oct 8 (IBNS): The United Nations’ most senior refugee official is appealing to the international community to refocus its attention on Afghanistan, warning that it would be dangerous to ignore the country, and praised Iran and Pakistan for hosting so many Afghan refugees.
UN official welcomes proclamation of International Day to honour victims of genocide
New York, Sept 15 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide has welcomed the resolution adopted by the General Assembly last week proclaiming 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.
UN official stresses role of parliaments in success of development agenda
New York, Sep 2 (IBNS): Parliaments have a critical role in translating the new sustainable development agenda – which world leaders will adopt later this month at the United Nations – into real improvements for the lives of the world's people, says the head of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).