Conflict taking 'immense' toll on Yemen civilians, UN relief official warns
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:21 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS) Escalating conflict in Yemen over the past month has worsened the already large-scale humanitarian crisis, the top United Nations relief official for the country said today, warning that the upsurge in violence has further deepened the hardships faced by ordinary Yemenis.
Libya: UN official condemns terrorist attack on Spanish embassy
Apr 23, 2015, at 01:08 pm
New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Bernardino León has strongly condemned the latest terrorist attack in the Libyan capital of Tripoli in which the Spanish Embassy was targeted.
Ban urges faith leaders to speak up against injustice and brutality
Apr 23, 2015, at 01:07 pm
New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged faith leaders gathered in the General Assembly to stand up for the collective good and amplify their voices in support of moderation and mutual understanding, warning that he fears an “empathy gap†is causing people to turn their eyes from injustice and numbing them to atrocities.
UN agency ‘extremely worried’ about missing staff in volatile South Sudan
Apr 23, 2015, at 01:06 pm
New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): The World Food Programme on Wednesday drew attention to the disappearance of three of its staff members who went missing earlier this month when fighting reportedly erupted along their food distribution route in volatile Malakal South Sudan, where more than 2 million people are unsure of where their next meal is coming from.
The power to change begins with you: Ban
Apr 23, 2015, at 01:01 pm
New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): Humanity is well aware of the devastating damage and pollution it have wrought on planet Earth, and “even with this knowledge, we have yet to change our ways,†United Nations Secretary-General said on Wednesday urging people to reset their relationship with nature and every living being it sustains.
World Immunization Week: UN warns global vaccination targets ‘far off track’
Apr 23, 2015, at 01:00 pm
New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): The United Nations World Health Organization on Wednesday warned that progress towards global vaccination targets for 2015 is “far off track,†with one in five children still missing out on routine life-saving immunizations that could avert 1.5 million deaths each year from preventable diseases.
WHO reports deaths top 1,000 in Yemen, hospitals risk shutdowns
Apr 23, 2015, at 12:58 pm
New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): As the United Nations humanitarian wing appealed for “any initiative that can reduce the violence†in Yemen, the World Health Organization (WHO) office in the country reported that the death toll from the fighting topped 1,000 over the past month and warned that main hospitals face shutting down because of critical shortages of power, lack of fuel and oxygen.
Ban condemns deadly xenophobic violence in South Africa
Apr 23, 2015, at 12:57 pm
New York, Apr 23 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa that has resulted in the deaths of at least seven people in the past few weeks.
'Swift, courageous' action needed to stem tide of illegal migration: UNICEF
Apr 22, 2015, at 03:01 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged the international community to commit to “swift, collective and courageous action†and address the surge in illegal migration across the Mediterranean Sea which has resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives.
Security Council: UN chief urges negotiations between Israel and Palestine
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:55 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The prospects of a two-State solution in the Middle East are getting dimmer with potentially explosive consequences for the entire region, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Tuesday as he urged the international community to boost efforts at bringing both Israeli and Palestinian delegations back to the negotiating table.
Displaced Iraqis face mounting difficulties as fighting continues
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:53 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday warned about the difficulties facing thousands of Iraqi civilians fleeing violence, including dwindling resources, checkpoints, entry restrictions and security procedures to navigate on their journeys to safety.
Yemen: UN warns of deteriorating health situation amid ongoing fighting
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:49 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The health situation in Yemen is steadily deteriorating as escalating hostilities impede civilian access to critical health services, according to a spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO).
UN rights official cites Afghanistan’s ‘paradox’ of new opportunities for peace
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:47 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): At the end of a seven-day mission to Afghanistan, a senior United Nations’ human rights official on Tuesday described the “paradoxical situation†in which the country finds itself.
Ban urges ridding the world of chemical weapons ‘once and for all’
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:46 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has reminded the international community on the anniversary of the first use of chemical weapons in a Belgian battlefield 100 years ago on Tuesday and amid allegations of their continued use, the only fitting tribute is to rid the world of these indiscriminate arms “once and for all.â€
Respect for UN flag disappearing: UN relief chief
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:45 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): "Horrific†attack on the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) staff in Somalia, on Monday is a reminder of the dangers many aid workers face on a daily basis, the top UN humanitarian official said on Tuesday, urging that those who perpetrated the attacks be held accountable.
Ban and Ukraine President discuss peace efforts amid ongoing conflict
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:43 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko about the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine and continuing international efforts to mediate a peace in the war-torn region, a United Nations spokesperson has confirmed.
UN partnership puts marmalade from Ethiopian village on ‘Eataly’ stores
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:42 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): Who could have imagined that a small group of women farmers from a remote village could get their marmalade made from prickly cactus pears to a major European market like Eataly in Rome?
Bogotá: UN deputy rights chief says ‘peace is the only option’ for Colombia
Apr 22, 2015, at 02:40 pm
New York, Apr 22 (IBNS): The road to peace is a complex and winding one, the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday during her visit to Colombia, a country with a “unique opportunity to evolve into a society†where everyone enjoys rights equally and without discrimination.
Maglev train breaks own records at 603 kmph
Apr 22, 2015, at 04:57 am
Tokyo, Apr 21 (IBNS) Fastest passenger train in the world has broken its own speed record by travelling at 603 kmph at a test run.
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 'seriously wounded' in Coalition air strike
Apr 22, 2015, at 04:38 am
Baghdad, Apr 21 (IBNS): ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been seriously injured in an air strike, media reports said.
Vanuatu: UNICEF launches birth registration campaign
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:35 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Thousands of children affected by the devastation of last month’s Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu are slated to receive new birth certificates through a United Nations-supported campaign, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Monday.
UN official stresses link between healthy soils, sustainable development
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:34 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): As Global Soil Week began in Berlin on Monday, a United Nations agricultural agency official used his opening address to stress the significance of healthy soils to global food production and the importance of prioritizing soil health in public policy.
UN official stresses link between healthy soils, sustainable development
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:34 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): As Global Soil Week began in Berlin on Monday, a United Nations agricultural agency official used his opening address to stress the significance of healthy soils to global food production and the importance of prioritizing soil health in public policy.
Renewed global development partnership vital to post-2015 agenda: Ban
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:32 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Kicking off a high-level meeting with global financial institutions and development agencies at United Nations Headquarters this morning, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on governments, the business sector and civil society to work closely together to push forward the post-2015 development agenda.
UN chief deplores ‘barbaric’ killing of Ethiopian nationals in Libya
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:31 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned in the strongest terms the killing of a number of Ethiopian nationals in Libya by extremists affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), according to a United Nations spokesperson.
Deputy UN chief says 2015 a ‘critical year’ for world’s indigenous people
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:30 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): With the deadline of a post-2015 development agenda looming on the horizon, 2015 is set to be an important year for the security and prosperity of the world’s indigenous peoples, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson affirmed today in remarks delivered to the opening of the fourteenth session of the Organization’s Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
Security Council concerned about situations for refugees in Yarmouk camp
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:28 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council has on Monday expressed deep concern about the grave humanitarian situation in Yarmouk refugee camp, located on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Callous EU politics on migrants costing lives: UN rights chief
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:27 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Following the loss of some 700 lives after a boat carrying migrants capsized and sank over the weekend, the UN human rights chief has urged European Union (EU) governments to take a “more sophisticated, more courageous and less callous approach†to coping with the flows of migrants towards Europe.
World Malaria Day: UN officials urge investment in fight against the disease
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:24 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Although more investment and stronger coordination have helped the international community make significant inroads in the global fight against malaria, continued investment for malaria control and elimination targets remains essential for a post-2015 future, top United Nations officials declared on Monday.
UN member States set for talks in New York on tolerance and fostering peace
Apr 21, 2015, at 02:23 pm
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): The United Nations is set to host at its New York Headquarters a meeting bringing together the Organization’s Member States with faith leaders to discuss ways to promote tolerance and reconciliation, as well as to address the challenges of countering radicalization and extremism.