UN officials urge Israel to halt plans to transfer Palestinian Bedouins
May 21, 2015, at 02:52 pm
New York, May 21 (IBNS): Two United Nations humanitarian officials with responsibilities in the occupied Palestinian territory have on Wednesday expressed their grave concern over the Government of Israel’s “rapidly advancing plans†to transfer Palestinian Bedouins in the central West Bank from their current communities.
Ebola: WHO deploys team on border of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau
May 21, 2015, at 02:50 pm
New York, May 21 (IBNS): The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday reported “a substantial increase†in the weekly total of new Ebola cases in Guinea and Sierra Leone and deployed a response team to the border with Guinea-Bissau because of its proximity to a recent cluster of cases in a neighbouring Guinean prefecture.
Health services for Palestine refugees extended despite regional turmoil: WHO
May 21, 2015, at 02:48 pm
New York, May 21 (IBNS): A newly published report by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) spotlights improved health services being delivered to millions in five fields across the Middle East, despite pronounced challenges in the region.
UN calls on Southeast Asian countries to protect migrants making sea journeys
May 20, 2015, at 02:02 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Several senior United Nations officials have on Tuesday strongly urged the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, to protect migrants and refugees stranded on vessels in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, to facilitate safe disembarkation, and to give priority to saving lives, protecting rights, and respecting human dignity.
Yemen: UN agencies urge predictable pauses for humanitarian aid
May 20, 2015, at 02:00 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Yemen’s five-day ceasefire aimed at allowing the delivery of critical aid to the country’s beleaguered civilian population did not last long enough for providing the necessary relief, according to the United Nations humanitarian agencies.
Ban announces visit to DPR Korea, aims to boost cooperation on Peninsula
May 20, 2015, at 01:59 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday announced he will visit an industrial complex in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday, saying that he hoped the rare trip “will provide positive impetus to further develop it and expand to other areas†to promote inter-Korean relations.
Burundi humanitarian crisis worsens as political tensions in country grow
May 20, 2015, at 01:57 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): The humanitarian crisis caused by the “escalating political tensions†in Burundi has worsened, according to the United Nations which on Tuesday reported an uptick in the number of Burundian refugees seeking asylum and a deterioration in health conditions at refugee camps receiving them.
UN agency calls for renewed global commitment to develop effective HIV vaccine
May 20, 2015, at 01:56 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): To mark HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, has renewed its call for a sustained worldwide commitment to finding an effective HIV vaccine.
South Sudan: UNICEF warns women and children being victimized
May 20, 2015, at 01:55 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Almost two years since the eruption of the conflict in South Sudan, the situation continues to deteriorate with women and small children making up the majority of most recent casualties, a representative from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the country said on Tuesday.
UN forum: Ban urges leaders aim to set global education roadmap until 2030
May 20, 2015, at 01:54 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Education is not a privilege but rather a birthright that secures human rights and fights violent extremism, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday in Incheon, Republic of Korea, as he opened the World Education Forum 2015 which aims to set the roadmap for global education until 2030.
Security Council: UN envoy says world must not squander opportunity in Somalia
May 20, 2015, at 01:52 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): While it is too soon to celebrate definitive success in Somalia, and while the situation remains challenging, progress is being made and the international community would be missing a strategic opportunity if it failed to realize how much is being achieved, the top United Nations in the country told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Iraq must protect internally displaced as crisis deepens: UN expert
May 20, 2015, at 01:51 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): A United Nations human rights expert on Tuesday urged the Government of Iraq to step-up its efforts and give a higher priority to nearly three million internally displaced persons (IDPs).
UN rights expert urges Armenia to shed light on violence against children
May 20, 2015, at 01:49 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): The UN independent human rights expert on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography on Tuesday urged the Armenian government to devote more attention to the issue of violence against children as well as irregularities in adoption processes, which can amount to sale of children
Security Council: UN official warns Middle East status quo not tenable
May 20, 2015, at 01:48 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): The Middle East is threatened by “a vicious tide of terror and extremism†amid stalled peace negotiations and growing regional tensions, a United Nations envoy on the region warned on Tuesday.
Violence against women and girls shames every society: UN anti-crime chief
May 20, 2015, at 01:46 pm
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Voicing concern over the continued killing of women and girls, the United Nations anti-crime chief on Tuesday issued a strong call to end such acts, as well as to unravel the gender at the heart of the “dreadful daily experiences of violence†that blight so many of their lives.
Republic of Korea: Ban says education key for global peace and stability
May 19, 2015, at 02:49 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has returned to his native Republic of Korea (ROK) for the first time in two years in order to attend a series of international events, including a critical summit on education and development, the United Nations confirmed on Monday.
Civilians in Yarmouk facing vulnerability of highest severity: UN agency
May 19, 2015, at 02:46 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): As the United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees in the Middle East continued humanitarian operations in around the Yarmouk Camp, deep concerns remained about violence that continues to profoundly threaten the lives and safety of Palestine refugees.
UN assists as diarrhoea leaves seven Burundi refugees dead at Tanzania camp
May 19, 2015, at 02:45 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency has announced on Monday that it is taking urgent measures to contain the spread of a severe watery diarrhoea outbreak among newly arrived Burundian refugees in Tanzania, as seven people have been reported dead since Wednesday.
South Sudan: UN says 650,000 at risk due to renewed violence
May 19, 2015, at 02:44 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): Gravely concerned at the ongoing violence in South Sudan, the Security Council has condemned both the renewed Government-led offensive in Unity state, as well as a recent large-scale attack by opposition forces on the war-torn town of Malakal, threatening to impose sanctions on all those threatening the country’s peace, security and stability.
Progress on sustainable energy improving, but 'world must move faster': UN report
May 19, 2015, at 02:42 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): Renewable energy generation and energy efficiency improvements will need to accelerate dramatically if the world is to achieve universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, according to a United Nations-backed report released on Monday as senior leaders from government, business, finance, civil society and global institutions are gathering in New York for the second annual Sustainable Energy for All Forum.
Citing ‘defining moment’ sparked by Ebola outbreak, WHO chief pledges reforms
May 19, 2015, at 02:41 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday promised a new $100 million emergency fund and a global health crisis workforce as part of a reform package prompted by the response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Yemen: Ban urges all sides to renew commitment for humanitarian pause
May 19, 2015, at 02:40 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): Stressing that Yemenis have faced “tragic levels of suffering and violence†in recent months, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on all sides in the conflict to refrain from any actions that undermine the safety and security of the country’s airports, seaports and transportation infrastructure, and to join consultations without preconditions.
Geneva: UN envoy on Syria meets with international stakeholders
May 19, 2015, at 02:38 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria has continued to meet with Syrian, regional and international interlocutors on Monday in the framework of the Geneva Consultations, according to a spokesperson for the Organization.
UN official opens Crime Commission urging action to prevent migrant smuggling
May 19, 2015, at 02:37 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): The top United Nations official involved in the Organization’s fight against illegal drugs and international crime said today how horrified he was when he first heard the news of migrants dying when their boats sank in the Mediterranean – “the latest reports of a tragedy seemingly without end.â€
UN expert calls for adoption of set of fundamental human rights for detainees
May 19, 2015, at 02:35 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights expert on torture on Monday called for the adoption of the revised Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, which are being considered this week by the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Vienna.
Nearly 25,000 flee Ramadi amid ISIL attacks and heavy fighting: UN relief wing
May 19, 2015, at 02:34 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): With stocks running low and funds running out, United Nations aid agencies are rushing humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the city of Ramadi in central Iraq for the second time this month, according to the UN office tasked with coordinating relief operations.
Most workers now employed in part-time or temporary jobs: UN labour agency
May 19, 2015, at 02:33 pm
New York, May 19 (IBNS): The International Labour Organization (ILO) on Monday warned of widespread insecurity in the global employment market, saying that some 75 per cent of all workers are employed on temporary or short-term contracts in informal jobs often without any contract, under own-account arrangements or in unpaid family jobs.
Ban hails 'resilience' of International Telecommunication Union, as it turns 150
May 18, 2015, at 01:48 pm
New York, May 18 (IBNS): Marking 150 years since founding of oldest member in the United Nations system, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday applauded the continued resilience and relevance of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), emphasizing that telecommunications – as well as information and communications technology (ICT) – drive innovation.
South-east Asia: UN officials stress need to protect migrants stranded at sea
May 18, 2015, at 01:47 pm
New York, May 18 (IBNS): Increasingly concerned about the plight of migrants and refugees stranded in the Andaman Sea and Straits of Malacca, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson have spoken separately to leaders in Southeast Asia reiterating the need to protect lives and uphold the obligation of rescue at sea.
IS commander killed in US raid
May 17, 2015, at 06:30 am
Washington, May 16 (IBNS): The US on Saturday said a key ISIS commander was killed during a daring raid in eastern Syria.