Greece: UN agency cites struggle to provide shelter for asylum-seekers as winter arrives
Dec 10, 2016, at 01:13 pm
New York, Dec 10 (Just Earth News): As winter closes in on Greece, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Friday that improving living conditions for asylum-seekers and migrants is the ‘number one priority’ for humanitarian actors in the country and urged the European Union to speed up its relocation efforts.
Honouring victims of genocide, UN chief decries attempts to separate people into ‘us and them’
Dec 10, 2016, at 01:13 pm
New York, Dec 10 (Just Earth News): Marking the second International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime, United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Member States to honour those victims by “working even harder against expressions of hatred, intolerance, racism and xenophobia.â€
UN relief wing allocates $58 million for life-saving assistance in war-torn Yemen
Dec 10, 2016, at 01:12 pm
New York, Dec 10 (Just Earth News): Amid soaring malnutrition and collapsing basic services in Yemen, a staggering 18.8 million people need humanitarian assistance, the United Nations relief wing has reported as it allocated $58 million through the Humanitarian Pooled Fund to bolster life-saving activities across the crisis-gripped country.
‘Outraged’ UN Member States demand immediate halt to attacks against civilians in Syria
Dec 10, 2016, at 01:11 pm
New York, Dec 10 (Just Earth News): Expressing “outrage†at the escalation of violence in Syria, particularly war-battered Aleppo, the General Assembly – the universal body comprising all 193 United Nations Members States – on Friday adopted a resolution demanding an immediate and complete end to all attacks on civilians as well as an end to all sieges in war-ravaged country.
Nearly 535 million children living in crisis-hit countries – UNICEF
Dec 10, 2016, at 05:19 am
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): As the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of its work for the world's most vulnerable children, the agency on Friday issued a stark warning that despite significant progress, too many children are still being left behind, with nearly 535 million of them living in harsh conditions, lacking access to decent health, education and protection services.
Dec 10, 2016, at 05:16 am
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): A new report by INTERPOL and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) links environmental crimes with other serious illegal activity, including corruption, counterfeiting, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and financial crimes as well as with terrorist organizations and non-State armed groups.
On International Day, UN urges world to stand united against corruption
Dec 10, 2016, at 05:15 am
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): No country is immune, and every country bears a responsibility to end corruption, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Friday, warning that corruption is a “broad barrier†in the path to world's achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Ban congratulates Ghana on peaceful elections but urges peaceful resolution of any disputes
Dec 10, 2016, at 05:14 am
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the people of Ghana for exercising their democratic rights and peacefully conducting the presidential and parliamentary elections on 7 December.
South Korean parliament votes to impeach President
Dec 09, 2016, at 07:33 pm
Seoul, Dec 9 (IBNS): The South Korean parliament on Friday voted to impeach President Park Geun-hye over corruption scandal, according to media reports.
In Vienna, Ban visits fusion restaurant that exemplifies ‘togetherness’ of refugees and locals
Dec 09, 2016, at 12:47 pm
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): During his trip to Vienna, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday visited a restaurant where refugees work together with locals to serve Austrian-Arab fusion cuisine, using this opportunity to showcase the UN system-wide initiative to counter xenophobia launched in September.
UN rights expert calls on countries to comply with laws that protect environment defenders
Dec 09, 2016, at 12:46 pm
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): Governments must abide by the existing laws that protect indigenous and local communities who are stewards of key natural resources from which all humankind benefits, a United Nations human rights expert told the UN Conference on Biological Diversity on Thursday.
Myanmar must strengthen effort to diffuse tension in Myanmar – UN Special Adviser
Dec 09, 2016, at 12:45 pm
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): The Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar, said on Thursday that the UN is “seriously concerned†by the developing situation in Northern Rakhine state and has called on the security forces to act in accordance with the “rule of law and accepted international norms,†and to exercise caution in avoiding disproportionate responses that could cause violence to civilians.
UN refugee agency reshapes protection ‘toolkit’ for a world on the move
Dec 09, 2016, at 12:44 pm
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): The United Nations refugee agency has updated its ‘toolkit’ for protecting vulnerable people on the move, in response to a sharp increase in global flows of both refugees and migrants in the decade since it was published.
Sides ‘poles apart’ on agreeing access to civilians in Aleppo, UN envoy reports
Dec 09, 2016, at 12:44 pm
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): Discussions on how to assist civilians caught in the crossfire inside war-ravaged Aleppo continue to be difficult “because the Member States that are supposed to help us get access [are] poles apart on what is happening in Syria,†United Nations Senior Adviser Jan Egeland said on Thursday in Geneva.
Dec 09, 2016, at 12:43 pm
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): Highlighting the challenges confronting the protection of millions of children, many of whom are separated from their families as they flee wars and persecution, the top United Nations refugee official on Thursday called for prompt action to stave off the risk of losing an entire generation.
UN agriculture agency to support land reforms at core of Colombia’s new peace deal
Dec 09, 2016, at 12:42 pm
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): On behalf of millions of Colombian farmers affected by the violent conflict that plagued the Latin American country for more than 50 years, a comprehensive rural reform, aimed at strengthening food security and peace, including measures which address issues of land access and restitution will be supported by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Conflict in Ukraine continues to take civilian toll – UN human rights report
Dec 09, 2016, at 12:40 pm
New York, Dec 9 (Just Earth News): A new United Nations report out on Thursday has confirmed that Ukrainians living close to the “contact line†– the area between Government-controlled and armed group-controlled territory in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions – not only suffer due to fighting near their homes but also face the threat of landmines and unexploded ordinance as well as have to contend with severe restrictions on movement.
UN agencies sign agreement on purchasing ‘greener’ health commodities
Dec 09, 2016, at 04:52 am
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): The World Health Organization (WHO) has joined other United Nations and international agencies in a new agreement that will lead to more environmentally and socially sustainable procurement of health commodities.
Civil conflict and unpredictable weather cast ‘long shadow’ on food security’ in 2016 – UN
Dec 09, 2016, at 04:51 am
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): This year, the world suffered many weather-related shocks and civil conflicts which pressured food security for many countries, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said on Thursday in a new report, which said that while the global agricultural situation is posited to improve in 2017, some 39 countries currently need food assistance.
Libya: Security Council reaffirms full support for political agreement signed a year ago
Dec 09, 2016, at 04:50 am
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): Expressing deep concern over the serious political polarization resulting in a deterioration of the security, economic and humanitarian situation in Libya, the Security Council on Thursday reiterated its support for the United Nations envoy for Libya, who leads efforts in facilitating implementation of the political agreement signed about a year ago.
Dec 08, 2016, at 07:37 pm
Beijing, Dec 8 (IBNS): An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter Scale hit China on Thursday.
'No safe place left' for children in war-ravaged Aleppo, says senior UNICEF official
Dec 08, 2016, at 01:21 pm
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): Returning from a mission to Aleppo, a senior United Nations Children's Agency (UNICEF) official in Syria described “haunting images†of children killed by mortars and malnourishment, and said that the terrible situation “continues to plummet to even greater lows.â€
'Dangerous funding gap' may lead to more cuts in food rations for refugees in Kenya – UN
Dec 08, 2016, at 01:20 pm
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): Forced to make a new round of cuts in food rations for refugees in Kenya, the World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed urgently for nearly $14 million to feed the 434,000 refugees living in Kenya's Dadaab and Kakuma camps and in the new Kalobeyei settlement.
UN launches $2.66 billion appeal for emergency assistance in Sahel region
Dec 08, 2016, at 01:19 pm
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): The United Nations and its partner non-governmental organizations on Wednesday launched an appeal for $2.66 billion to provide emergency assistance across eight countries in the Sahel region, where “millions of people still live in conditions of deplorable human suffering.â€
Dec 08, 2016, at 01:18 pm
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): A new report from the United Nations human rights wing calls attention to more than 60 years of separation between families on the Korean peninsula, and urges action in order to alleviate the suffering of families.
Recent violence in Central African Republic spotlights subregion's volatility, Security Council
Dec 08, 2016, at 01:17 pm
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): Despite a peaceful and successful transition in the Central African Republic (CAR) earlier in 2016, the recent outbreak of violence there had demonstrated the extremely fragile situation in the country, the Secretary-General's Acting Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), told the Security Council on Wednesday.
On International Day, top UN aviation official recalls contributions of civil aviation
Dec 08, 2016, at 01:15 pm
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): In a message on the International Civil Aviation Day, celebrated annually on 7 December, the head of the United Nations civil aviation agency underlined the socio-economic importance and contribution of air travel and aviation.
In Vienna, Ban says UN and Austria will continue cooperation in promoting shared goa
Dec 08, 2016, at 01:14 pm
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): Kicking off what is likely to be his final overseas trip before leaving office at the end of the month, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Austria on Wednesday, meeting the President-elect, foreign ministry officials, and press in Vienna.
Dec 08, 2016, at 01:13 pm
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, has delivered its Order on the case concerning Immunities and Criminal Proceedings (Equatorial Guinea v. France) and the request by Equatorial Guinea to indicate provisional measures.
UN aid agencies ramp up response amid the worst southern African drought in decades
Dec 08, 2016, at 05:51 am
New York, Dec 8 (Just Earth News): Following the worst El Niño-induced drought in decades in southern Africa, United Nations humanitarian agencies and partners on Wednesday launched a revised Action Plan to outlining their response to the needs of an estimated 13.8 million people as the region enters the peak of the lean season with largely depleted food stocks due to poor and failed harvests.