Somalia: UN calls for urgent action to support drought-hit communities
May 12, 2016, at 01:13 pm
New York, May 12 (Just Earth News/IBNS): A senior United Nations humanitarian official in Somalia on Wednesday called for urgent action to support drought-stricken communities in Puntland and Somaliland and avert a further deterioration of the situation.
FEATURE: UN poster contest paints picture of hope for a nuclear-free world
May 11, 2016, at 10:40 am
New York, May 11 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The winning artists in an international competition to commemorate the very first United Nations General Assembly resolution, which established the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction, are advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons. The first and last time these weapons were used was decades before the artists were born.
'Alarming' reports of major violations in south-east Turkey – UN rights chief
May 11, 2016, at 10:38 am
New York, May 11 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations human rights chief on Tuesday reported having received a succession of alarming reports about violations allegedly committed by Turkish military and security forces in south-east Turkey over the past few months, and urged the Turkish authorities to give independent investigators, including UN staff, unimpeded access to the area to verify the veracity of such reports.
Protection of schools essential to boost access to education in Africa – UN envoy
May 11, 2016, at 10:34 am
New York, May 11 (Just Earth News/IBNS):Protecting schools from attacks and military use is essential to ensuring access to education for all children in Africa, a United Nations child rights envoy said on Tuesday, urging world leaders to use the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit as an opportunity to generate new commitments to ensure that conflict does not mean the end of learning for millions of children.
Warning skies may 'fall silent,' UN calls for end to illegal poaching and trade of migratory birds
May 11, 2016, at 10:32 am
New York, May 11 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Millions of migratory birds are being lost each year as a result of illegal killing, taking and trade, United Nations officials warned on World Migratory Bird Day, calling for concerted action to end the threats to migratory birds and urging everyone to step outside and “listen to the birds chirping,†to appreciate how important they are to our planet.
May 11, 2016, at 10:31 am
New York, May 11 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan has condemned the reported shooting deaths of six civilians, including two children, by armed local tribes in Sortony – next to a site for recently displaced people from the mountainous Jebel Marra area in North Darfur.
UN regrets execution of six people in Afghanistan
May 11, 2016, at 10:29 am
New York, May 11 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations human rights arm has expressed regret over the execution of six people in Afghanistan on Sunday, amid serious concerns about compliance with fair trial standards, and reports about the widespread use of torture and ill-treatment as a means of extracting confessions.
UN experts urge Sri Lanka to adopt measures to fight torture and strengthen justice system
May 11, 2016, at 10:26 am
New York, May 11 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Two United Nations experts have urged the Government of Sri Lanka to replace the legal framework that allowed human rights violations to occur and to establish democratic institutions in line with international human rights standards.
Syria: UN adviser on preventing genocide expresses outrage at ongoing civilian attacks
May 10, 2016, at 10:02 am
New York, May 10 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, expressed his outrage on Monday at the ongoing “indiscriminate and seemingly calculated†attacks against civilians and civilian objects in Syria.
Ban condemns deadly terrorist attack against police officers in Egypt
May 10, 2016, at 09:58 am
New York, May 10 (Just Earth News/IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday condemned the deadly terrorist attack in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday, which reportedly killed eight police officers, his spokesperson said.
Feature: Central African Republic’s Parliament seated after UN support for polls
May 07, 2016, at 04:53 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The top United Nations official in the Central African Republic (CAR) met this week with the new National Assembly, which took office after a series of successful elections supported by UN peacekeepers in the country.
Karen AbuZayd, Special Adviser on the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants
May 07, 2016, at 04:52 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Karen AbuZayd wants you to think of refugees and migrants in a positive way. The United Nations Special Adviser has been working behind the scenes since January to raise support for global compacts to support large movements of refugees and migrants. These will be up for discussion on 19 September 2016, when the UN will host a high-level meeting to address large movements of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing Member States together behind a more humane and coordinated approach.
New UN report shows that urgent action is needed to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030
May 07, 2016, at 04:49 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): A new report released by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warns that the AIDS epidemic could be prolonged indefinitely if urgent action is not implemented within the next five years.
‘El Niño is not a one-off event,’ UN says, calling for action to address phenomenon’s impacts
May 07, 2016, at 04:47 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The international community must boost efforts to build the capacity for disaster risk management and readiness to prevent El Niño weather extremes from causing humanitarian crises in affected countries and impeding their development, the President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) said on Friday.
UN Advocate Princess Haya Al Hussein of Jordan calls for more coordination in aid community
May 07, 2016, at 04:46 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): People who are starving are not thinking about other anti-poverty goals, Princess Haya Al Hussein said at the United Nations, calling for cooperation and coordination among the humanitarian community to meet the world’s basic needs, starting with zero hunger.
Youth employment an ‘absolute priority’ in Latin America – UN labour chief
May 07, 2016, at 04:45 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): “Innovative solutions†with a concrete action plan are crucial to tackle youth employment challenge in Latin America, the Director-General of the United Nations’ International Labour Organization (ILO) told representatives at the 9th Ibero-American Conference of Ministers of Labour, recently held in Colombia.
Political impasse adds ‘new layer of complications’ to Iraq’s complex challenges – UN envoy
May 07, 2016, at 04:43 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): A profound political crisis has engulfed Iraq, adding “a new layer of complications to the already complex set of military, security, humanitarian, economic and human rights challenges,†the United Nations envoy for the country warned on Friday, urging the Government, constitutional and political leaders, and civil society to work together to break the impasse and advance reforms.
UN launches multi-partner trust fund for Zika virus response
May 07, 2016, at 04:38 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday announced the establishment of the UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak.
Unaccompanied refugee and migrant children in Europe ‘falling between the cracks’ – UNICEF
May 07, 2016, at 01:13 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): New data reveal that a record 96,500 unaccompanied refugee and migrant children applied for asylum across Europe in 2015, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday, calling for urgent measures to protect these children from the serious risks of abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
Ecuador: UN reports quake death toll hits 660; donor response poor
May 07, 2016, at 01:10 pm
New York, May 7 (Just Earth News/IBNS): At the start of the third week of response to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Ecuador, the country’s call for $72.7 million in financial assistance has received little support while the death toll has risen to 660, the United Nations humanitarian aid wing said on Friday, urging donors to contribute to the projects that benefit the affected people.
May 06, 2016, at 01:40 pm
New York, May 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS): In his latest update on the Yemeni peace talks currently under way in Kuwait, the UN envoy for the conflict-torn country confirmed they are continuing despite a number of breaches of the cessation of hostilities yesterday, which he described as “worrying.â€
At World Humanitarian Summit, leaders must take ‘bold decisions’ for real change – UN
May 06, 2016, at 01:35 pm
New York, May 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS): As world leaders prepare to gather for a first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in Turkey later this month, the United Nations humanitarian coordinators for the Middle East and North Africa on Thursday called on the international community to assume its responsibility in finding solutions to end the widespread conflict and humanitarian crises in the region.
At climate summit in Washington, UN officials call to take action ‘to the next level’
May 06, 2016, at 01:34 pm
New York, May 6 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Recalling that just two weeks ago, 175 countries came to the United Nations to sign the historic Paris Agreement on climate change, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday said it is time to take climate action to the next level.
At regional session, UN agricultural agency urges sustainable development for better nutrition
May 05, 2016, at 01:41 pm
New York, May 5 (Just Earth News/IBNS): While many countries in Europe and Central Asia have made progress in reducing the prevalence of hunger, other forms of malnutrition still exist in the region and can only be combated by prioritizing food security, agriculture and rural development, the head of the United Nation’s agricultural agency said on Wednesday
UN agencies boost partnership on visualization of food security data for Yemen
May 05, 2016, at 01:39 pm
New York, May 5 (Just Earth News/IBNS):The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) are boosting wider understanding of how families in conflict-torn Yemen struggle with persistent food insecurity, through a new interactive visualization of data captured by mobile technology and shared on an open source platform.
Nearly a quarter of the world’s school-age children live in crisis-hit countries – UNICEF
May 05, 2016, at 01:35 pm
New York, May 5 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Almost one quarter of the world’s school-age children – 562 million – live in countries affected by humanitarian emergencies – a new report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners has revealed.
Ban welcomes launch of UN inspection to facilitate flow of commercial goods to Yemen
May 04, 2016, at 01:41 pm
New York, May 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed yesterday’s official launch of the operations of a UN inspection mechanism to facilitate the unimpeded flow of commercial goods and services to Yemen, while ensuring compliance with the arms embargo created by the Security Council, his spokesman said on Tuesday.
UN expert warns combat against violent extremism could be used as ‘excuse’ to curb free speech
May 04, 2016, at 01:38 pm
New York, May 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS): A United Nations human rights expert on Tuesday signaled concern that efforts to counter “violent extremism†may be construed as the “perfect excuse†for democratic and authoritarian governments to restrict free expression and control access to information.
Greater assistance needed to help tackle Iraq’s humanitarian crisis – UN refugee agency
May 04, 2016, at 01:34 pm
New York, May 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS):The United Nations refugee agency has reported that Iraq will continue to need greater humanitarian assistance as the country’s displacement crisis shows no sign of easing, with more than 3.4 million people displaced and ongoing conflict causing thousands more families to leave their homes in search of safety.
On World Day, UN highlights link between press freedom and development
May 04, 2016, at 01:33 pm
New York, May 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Top United Nations officials on Tuesday highlighted the dependency of human rights, democratic societies and sustainable development on the free flow of information and press freedom, stressing that these fundamental rights are vital in providing information to citizens around the world and for progress itself.