UN stresses key role of water management in tackling challenges of climate change
Nov 19, 2015, at 02:13 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hosted a meeting on the links between water management and disaster risk reduction on Wednesday, stressing that floods, droughts and cyclones have caused more than $1 trillion in damages and affected over 4 billion people since 1990.
Children risk bearing brunt of escalating violence in Burundi: UNICEF
Nov 19, 2015, at 02:11 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): After the crisis in Burundi left 17 children dead and many more injured, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday warned that the future of Burundian children are being compromised due to escalating violence in the country.
Ethiopia: Funding helps UN agency avoid cutbacks in food aid to drought-affected people
Nov 19, 2015, at 02:09 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Thanks to timely contributions from key donors, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Wednesday that it is able to continue food distributions later this month for more than 1.5 million people in the Somali region of Ethiopia, and can scale up nutrition help to more than 700,000 children and nursing mothers in the most drought-affected areas.
Yemen: UN warns humanitarian situation has deteriorated as conflict claims 5,700 lives
Nov 19, 2015, at 02:07 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations said on Wednesday that the ongoing conflict in Yemen has resulted in over 32,000 casualties, with people 5,700 killed, including 830 women and children, alongside a sharp rise in human rights violations – nearly 8,875 or an average of 43 violations occurring every day.
Yemen: UN warns humanitarian situation has deteriorated as conflict claims 5,700 lives
Nov 19, 2015, at 02:06 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations said on Wednesday that the ongoing conflict in Yemen has resulted in over 32,000 casualties, with people 5,700 killed, including 830 women and children, alongside a sharp rise in human rights violations – nearly 8,875 or an average of 43 violations occurring every day.
General Assembly elects Filippo Grandi as next UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Nov 19, 2015, at 02:04 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Filippo Grandi of Italy was on Wednesday elected by the United Nations General Assembly as the next United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, for a period of five years beginning on 1 January 2016.
Sri Lanka must fulfil the rights of families of the disappeared: UN rights experts
Nov 19, 2015, at 02:03 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Sri Lanka has the opportunity to once and for all meet the rights and legitimate expectations of thousands of families of disappeared, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances said on Wednesday, declaring "families have waited too long – the time for action has come."
Nigeria: Ban condemns deadly terrorist attack
Nov 19, 2015, at 02:02 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned the terrorist bomb attack in the Nigeria city of Yola, which killed dozens dead and injured scores.
Ban appeals for more information on Dag Hammarskjöld's death
Nov 19, 2015, at 02:00 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged United Nations Member States to make available all information they may have in their possession related to the circumstances and conditions of the crash that killed Dag Hammarskjöld while he was serving as UN chief more than 50 years ago, saying previous requests “have not been conclusively answered†and that unreleased material "may still be available" that could shed new light into his death.
UN report cites huge positive policy potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions
Nov 19, 2015, at 01:58 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): A new report packed with best practice climate policies from across the world was released on Wednesday by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), revealing a wealth of existing opportunities to immediately scale up reductions in greenhouse gas emissions while powering up ambition to keep the global average temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius.
Ban phones France's Hollande to offer condolences in wake of terrorist attacks
Nov 19, 2015, at 01:57 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): On a phone call to French President François Hollande, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated his condemnation of the terrorist attacks in Paris last week, and presented his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Government and people of France.
Ensuring 15,000 survivors of Ebola have support they need is first priority: UN envoy
Nov 19, 2015, at 01:55 pm
New York, Nov 19 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Transmission of Ebola has been stopped in Liberia and Sierra Leone, while Guinea is now treating a baby believed to be its last case, the United Nations Special Envoy on Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro, reported on Wednesday, underscoring that his top priority is to make sure the thousands of survivors and their families across West Africa have access to the support they need.
Paris attack mastermind kills self during French police raid?
Nov 19, 2015, at 04:20 am
Paris, Nov 18 (IBNS): Suspected mastermind of the Paris terror attacks Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who belongs from Belgium, has reportedly committed suicide during the police raid at Saint Denis on Wednesday.
Saint Denis raid continues, three suspected militants killed
Nov 18, 2015, at 09:11 pm
Paris, Nov 18 (IBNS) Days after multiple attacks killed at least 129 people, at least three suspected militants have been killed as French police and soldiers surrounded a building and engaged themselves in a heavy exchange of fire with a group holed up inside in it on Wednesday.
Three suspected terrorists killed in raid in Saint Denis
Nov 18, 2015, at 08:06 pm
Paris, Nov 18 (IBNS) Three suspected terrorists were killed, including a woman who detonated a suicide bomb, as gunfire and explosions rocked the Paris suburb of St Denis on Wednesday when French police and soldiers surrounded a building engaging a group holed up inside in a heavy exchange of fire.
Paris anti-terror operation:Two dead, including woman who blew herself up
Nov 18, 2015, at 07:08 pm
Paris, Nov 18 (IBNS) A suspected woman terrorist blew herself up and another person was killed in Saint Denis, the northern suburb of Paris on Wednesday as police continued anti-terrorist operation against a group believed to be holed up in an apartment, reports said.
Exchange of fire with suspected terrorists during operation in Paris
Nov 18, 2015, at 05:05 pm
Paris, Nov 18 (IBNS) Heavy exchange of fire was reported in a northern suburb of Paris during an anti-terrorist police operation on Wednesday, five days after the deadly string of terror attacks that killed 129 people in Paris as suspects are still believed to be holed-up in an apartment, media reports said.
Refugees should not be turned into scapegoats following Paris attacks: UN agency
Nov 18, 2015, at 04:07 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday expressed its shock and horror at the attacks in Paris and the killing of so many innocent people but warned against the scapegoating of refugees, in the wake of the deadly attacks.
Central Africa: UN official strongly condemns attacks on sites for internally displaced
Nov 18, 2015, at 04:05 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The top UN relief official in the Central African Republic (CAR) has condemned repeated and deadly attacks that took place last week on sites for internally displaced people (IDPs) in the towns of Batangafo and Bambari.
Access to higher education doesn't always lead to lower unemployment: UN agency
Nov 18, 2015, at 04:03 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Workers with post-secondary education are more likely to be unemployed in lower-income countries, reflecting a "mismatch" between skilled persons and the number of available jobs matching their competencies and expectations, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Somalia: UN official calls for global support to improve human rights situation
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:59 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): While noting significant improvement in several sectors in long-troubled Somalia, a senior United Nations official on Tuesday warned that the country's progress is "at risk" without increased support from international partners to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights.
After Beirut and Paris terror attacks, Security Council discusses root causes of conflict
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:57 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations Security Council held an already scheduled debate on conflict prevention on Tuesday amid added urgency fuelled by last week's terrorist attacks in Beirut and Paris, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressing that counter-terrorism must also tackle such root causes as bad governance, injustice and exclusion.
UN expert denounces Paris attacks as crime against humanity
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:54 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth Neews/IBNS): The United Nations Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights, Karima Bennoune, denounced in the strongest possible terms the 13 November terrorist attacks in Paris, saying they may constitute a crime against humanity in which people were targeted "simply for participating in cultural life."
Drought in Botswana is learning opportunity to achieve water security: UN rights expert
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:52 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): A United Nations human rights expert on Tuesday urged Botswana to take the current extreme drought in the southern African country as an opportunity to develop a strategy for providing access to safe drinking water and sanitation for all as "a short-cut to prevent illnesses and deaths" in the long run.
UN calls on countries to protect health from impacts of climate change
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:49 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): With the United Nations climate conference (COP21) starting in Paris in less than two weeks away, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday underlined that climate change is already causing tens of thousands of deaths every year, and called on countries to take strong actions to address the issue.
UN-backed conference adopts measures to tackle threats to migratory waterbirds
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:47 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS):With many of the world's migratory waterbirds under heightened threat due to human activities and climate change, a United Nations Environment Programme-supported conference has adopted action plans to tackle various dangers those vulnerable species face and provide guidance on their sustainable use.
Cambodia: Ban calls arrest warrant for opposition leader worrisome development
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:45 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): For the second time in three weeks the United Nations has expressed concern over increasing tensions between Cambodia’s Government and opposition, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday calling the arrest warrant issued against opposition leader Sam Rainsy "worrisome."
Tech companies commit to protecting children from online sexual exploitation: UNICEF
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:43 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): At the #WeProtect Children Online Global Summit hosted by the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom in Abu Dhabi, leading information technology companies, governments and international organizations on Tuesday pledged to protect millions of children from online sexual exploitation, said the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Biodegradable plastics are not the answer to reducing marine litter: UN
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:41 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Widespread adoption of products labelled "biodegradable" will not significantly decrease the volume of plastic entering the ocean or the physical and chemical risks that plastics pose to marine environment, accord to a United Nations report released on Tuesday.
Myanmar: Ban phones election victor, mentions UN support for democratic reform
Nov 18, 2015, at 03:39 pm
New York, Nov 18 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday phoned Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Myanmar’s National League for Democracy (NLD), to congratulate her on its resounding success in this month's elections, pledging continued United Nations support for democratic reform efforts.