Liberia: UNICEF distributes thousands of learning kits after Ebola outbreak

Jun 06, 2015, at 03:20 pm

New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has begun distributing the first batches of 700,000 teaching and learning kits to thousands of schools across Liberia, where last year’s Ebola outbreak disrupted the education of over one million children.

WHO dispatches team to Seoul after fourth death reported from MERS

Jun 06, 2015, at 03:17 pm

New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday announced that in light of the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, or MERS-CoV, resulting in four deaths in the Republic of Korea, it will send a team to Seoul to conduct a joint mission to look into the situation and assess public health response efforts.

Pakistan: UN experts urge halt to execution of child offender

Jun 06, 2015, at 03:14 pm

New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The Government of Pakistan must halt the execution of a man convicted of a crime committed as a child and reinstate the country’s moratorium on the death penalty, three United Nations human rights experts have urged.

UN concerned by abduction of Eritrean asylum-seekers in eastern Sudan

Jun 06, 2015, at 03:06 pm

New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): An armed group opened fire on a convoy transporting Eritrean asylum-seekers in eastern Sudan and kidnapped 14 of them, including six boys and one girl, the United Nations refugee agency reported on Friday and urged the Sudanese Government to spare no effort in apprehending those responsible and bringing them to account.

Syria: Security Council ‘outraged’ by intensifying attacks against civilians

Jun 06, 2015, at 03:01 pm

New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): Amid surging violence in Aleppo, the United Nations Security Council on Friday expressed “outrage” at all attacks against civilians in Syria, as well as indiscriminate attacks.

Reformulation of HIV treatment will save more children’s lives: UN

Jun 06, 2015, at 02:55 pm

New York, Jun 6 (IBNS): The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new antiretroviral formulation that can be mixed with food, making it easier for children living with HIV to take their life-saving medicines, the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AID (UNAIDS) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Friday.

UN chief condemns rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza

Jun 05, 2015, at 03:03 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday has condemned the firing of rockets by militants from Gaza towards Israel which occurred on Wednesday.

UN official calls for global movement to end hunger once and for all

Jun 05, 2015, at 03:02 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday called for a global movement to eradicate hunger as countries look ahead to the new set of development goals that will be adopted in September.

Zambia: UN forum urges faster development action for landlocked developing nations

Jun 05, 2015, at 03:00 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): A United Nations-backed conference aimed at accelerating an ambitious development plan for the world’s 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) concluded on Thursday in Zambia with a global ‘Call to Action’ intended to streamline their path towards sustainable, inclusive and economic progress.

UN official stresses need for renewed momentum towards achieving climate accord

Jun 05, 2015, at 02:59 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): “The clock is ticking faster and faster” before an agreement must be reached in Paris in December, but “so much has happened over the past few weeks,” a senior United Nations climate change official said on Thursday.

Burundi: Concerned over potential violence, Ban urges resumption of dialogue

Jun 05, 2015, at 02:58 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon remains concerned about the potential for escalating violence in Burundi and has reiterated his call for calm and restraint amid the African country’s simmering political tensions.

UN mission in Central Africa opens investigation into sexual abuse claims

Jun 05, 2015, at 02:57 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) has launched an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against an underage person involving one of its personnel, it was announced on Thursday.

UN envoy ‘mustering’ required support for consultations to resolve Yemen conflict

Jun 05, 2015, at 02:54 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is working intensively to bring the parties to the conflict together as soon as possible in Geneva, a spokesperson for the world body said on Thursday.

DR Congo: UN voices support for Government offensive against militia

Jun 05, 2015, at 02:53 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has welcomed the latest military operation by the country’s armed forces against members of an independent militia group following the collapse of political negotiations.

Benefits of mammograms outweigh adverse effects for older women: WHO

Jun 05, 2015, at 02:51 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): A group of 29 independent experts from 16 countries, convened by the specialized cancer agency of the United Nations, has concluded that there is sufficient evidence that mammography screening is effective in reducing breast cancer-related deaths for women aged 50–69 years.

Ban commends leaders’ commitment to settle Cyprus issue

Jun 05, 2015, at 02:50 pm

New York, Jun 5 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday commended the commitment of the Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akinci, and the Greek Cypriot leader, Nicos Anastasiades, to reach a comprehensive settlement to the Cyprus issue.

FAO and IKEA join forces for sustainable forest management

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:50 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has teamed up with big-box retailer IKEA to launch a new initiative aimed at promoting the sustainable management of forest plantations and empowering forest-reliant communities in Viet Nam.

Philippines: UN experts urge country to tackle ‘chronic’ prison overcrowding

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:49 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations torture prevention body is urging the Philippines to deal urgently with prison overcrowding and improve independent monitoring of places of detention as part of efforts to protect people deprived of their liberty against torture and cruel treatment.

Child victims in Eastern Europe and Central Asia rarely get justice: UN report

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:45 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Most child victims of violence in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia find themselves unable to speak up and file charges in court, according to a new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) regional report launched on Wednesday.

UN rights office calls on Myanmar to release jailed columnist

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:44 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Appalled at the two-year prison sentence handed down to U Htin Lin Oo on charges of insulting religion, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Wednesday urged the Myanmar authorities to release the columnist and guarantee freedom of expression and opinion in the country.

Libya: UN envoy meets political actors on reaching final agreement to end crisis

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:42 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The only option Libya has, “the only real alternative for the future,” is an agreement, Special Representative and head of the United Nations Support Mission in the country (UNSMIL), Bernardino León said at a meeting in Algeria with Libyan political leaders and activists on Wednesday.

Gaza: UN project to provide hundreds of new housing units to Palestine refugees

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:41 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Palestinian refugee families living in substandard dwellings and owners of homes demolished in last year’s hostilities in Gaza, are among those gaining access to shelter under a United Nations-backed project to provide close to 450 newly-built housing units, which was stalled for three years due the lack of access to construction materials.

UNICEF and Gucci celebrate education successes across Africa and Asia

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:40 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is celebrating its longstanding partnership with luxury goods brand Gucci and marking a decade of successes in bringing access to quality education to more than seven million children across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, the agency announced.

Central Africa: Ban to launch independent inquiry into sexual abuse case

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:39 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced his intention to establish an independent review panel to investigate the United Nations’ handling of sexual abuse allegations involving foreign troops in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Organization has confirmed.

UN official urges global action against spread of extremism

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:36 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): At a Headquarters forum on the role of media in combating terrorism, senior United Nations officials on Wednesday expressed deep concerns over the impact of foreign terrorist fighters and their use of social media in spreading propaganda and radicalizing and recruit vulnerable young men and women to join their ranks.

South Sudan: Security Council expresses concern over expulsion of UN relief coordinator

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:33 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): Renewing its support to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the vital mandate it is performing to protect civilians there, the Security Council on Wednesday expressed its grave concern over the security and humanitarian situation in the country, which has been torn by “a conflict that is only growing more violent as it nears its 18th month.”

WHO warns rainy season now hampering Ebola response in West Africa

Jun 04, 2015, at 01:20 pm

New York, Jun 4 (IBNS): The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday reported an increase in the intensity and geographic area of Ebola transmission in Guinea and Sierra Leone, warned that the onset of the rainy season “from now onwards” will make field operations more difficult and noted that community engagement remains a challenge in both countries.

Afghanistan guest house attack: Spy agency claims breakthrough

Jun 04, 2015, at 02:21 am

Kabul, June 3 (IBNS) The Afghanistan spy agency on Wednesday said two people, who were planners and masterminds behind the terrorist attack on Park Palace guesthouse in country's capital Kabul, have been arrested, media reports said.

Pakistan, Kashmir are inseparable: COAS

Jun 04, 2015, at 12:23 am

Islamabad, June 3 (IBNS) Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday said Kashmir and Pakistan are 'inseparable'.

Cost of child maltreatment in Asia-Pacific tops $200 billion annually: UNICEF

Jun 03, 2015, at 02:16 pm

New York, Jun 3 (IBNS): Child abuse and violence is costing countries in East Asia and the Pacific around $209 billion a year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Tuesday in the first costing of child maltreatment in the region, revealing that “inaction about violence results in serious economic costs to countries and communities.”