Yemen: UN urges humanitarian access, respect for international law
Apr 25, 2015, at 02:59 pm
New York, Apr 25 (IBNS): The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that civilians are continuing to die in Yemen, with the total number killed between 26 March and 22 April now estimated at 551, including 31 women and at least 115 children.
SC must match scale of Syria crisis with bold response: UN officials
Apr 25, 2015, at 02:57 pm
New York, Apr 25 (IBNS): The Syrian crisis is getting worse and civilians are paying the price, senior United Nations humanitarian officials said on Friday as they called for an end to the “numbness to the senseless violenceâ€, while the Security Council demanded parties to the conflict facilitate expanded aid operations and immediate delivery of life-saving supplies to hard-to-reach and besieged areas.
UNICEF welcomes final release of child soldiers by armed group in South Sudan
Apr 25, 2015, at 02:54 pm
New York, Apr 25 (IBNS): Militants in South Sudan have handed over to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) a final group of 283 children in what the agency described as “a small piece of good news in what is otherwise a terrible situation for children in other parts of [the country],†where many boys and girls have been abducted and forcibly recruited as child soldiers.
Ban appoints new deputy head of humanitarian operations in Lebanon
Apr 25, 2015, at 02:53 pm
New York, Apr 25 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of Philippe Lazzarini of Switzerland as his new Deputy Special Coordinator for Lebanon, a spokesperson for the Organization said on Friday.
On eve of Togo national election, Ban calls for calm and transparency
Apr 25, 2015, at 02:52 pm
New York, Apr 25 (IBNS): On the eve of the presidential election in Togo, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on all national stakeholders to recommit themselves to ensuring that the election is conducted in a peaceful, free and transparent manner and reflects the will of the people of Togo.
Myanmar: Ban says ‘much more hard work lies ahead’
Apr 25, 2015, at 02:50 pm
New York, Apr 25 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, convening a meeting on Myanmar on Saturday, welcomed the positive direction of its reform process as it continues on its “path of historic transitionâ€, but emphasized that more work remains to be done to address the country’s myriad challenges.
UN resumes vaccination drive for three million children in West Africa
Apr 25, 2015, at 02:48 pm
New York, Apr 25 (IBNS): For the first time since the start of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, thousands of health workers are fanning out across Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in nationwide immunization campaigns with an aim to protect three million children against preventable but potentially deadly diseases such as measles and polio.
In Morocco, UN-backed forum highlights role of religious leaders in preventing atrocities
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:56 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS) At a forum on the role of religious leaders in preventing incitement to violence and atrocities, which opened on Thursday in Fez, Morocco, a senior UN rights official stressed the importance of religious leaders worldwide in the prevention, mitigation and resolution of conflicts.
On 'Girls in ICT Day,' UN urges increased opportunity in information and communications technology
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:55 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS): Aiming to attract women to fields "where strong demand is creating global skills shortfall," the tech community is gearing up to celebrate ‘Girls in ICT Day' around the world.
UN Assembly President urges collective action to end intolerance, promote reconciliation
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:52 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS) On the heels of a two-day United Nations High-Level meeting on Promoting Tolerance and Reconciliation, Fostering Peaceful, Inclusive Societies and Countering Violent Extremism, President of General Assembly, Sam Kutesa, has called for the defeat of obscurantism and urged faith leaders around the world to denounce those who preach intolerance in the name of religion.
UN relief workers press ahead with effort to reach Yarmouk camp in Syria
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:51 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS)United Nations relief workers on Thursday provided drinking water, bread and recreational kits for children in displaced communities outside Yarmouk camp, the former heart of Palestine refugee community, and sought access to the besieged suburb itself, where the basic humanitarian needs of some 18,000 Palestinian and Syrian civilians are left unmet.
Eight months after Gaza war, 'not a single home has been rebuilt' UN agency
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:47 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS) Nearly eight months after the ceasefire that ended the most recent hostilities in the Gaza Strip, not a single destroyed home has been rebuilt in the enclave, according to the United Nations agency mandated with ensuring the well-being of Palestine refugees.
Hostile parties in South Sudan's Malakal urged to respect UN personnel and property
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:45 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS) The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Thursday expressed deep regret at the continuation of hostilities in the Upper Nile state capital of Malakal, and the resulting civilian displacement.
'Youth represent promise not peril,' Ban tells Council debate on countering extremism
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:44 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS) Involving youth in peacebuilding processes the world over is essential to lasting global stability and stemming the growth of radicalism, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared on Thursday in remarks delivered to a Security Council session devoted to the role of youth in countering violent extremism and promoting peace.
UN urges Europe to 'put human life, rights and dignity first' in response to Mediterranean crisis
Apr 24, 2015, at 07:43 pm
New York, Apr 24 (IBNS) The most senior United Nations officials dealing respectively with refugees, human rights, and migration and development, have appealed strongly to European leaders to put human life, rights, and dignity first when agreeing on Thursday a common response to what they called the "tragedy of epic proportions" unfolding in the Mediterranean Sea, where some 1,600 people have died this year trying to flee their strife-torn homelands.
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.