More not being done to end violence against children in conflict: UNICEF chief
Jul 25, 2015, at 03:16 pm
New York, Jul 25 (IBNS): Millions of children around the world are caught up in adults’ wars, declared the head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday, marking the 10th anniversary of a UN Security Council resolution that established a monitoring and reporting mechanism on the use of child soldiers with a strong call for accountability and robust measures to end all “horrors†children face.
UN experts denounce televised reprisals against human rights defenders in Venezuela
Jul 24, 2015, at 03:28 pm
New York, July 24 (IBNS) In retaliation for their activities in Venezuela and cooperation with United Nations and regional human rights bodies, a group of UN and Inter-American rights experts has underscored their condemnation at attempts by Venezuela’s State-controlled television to discredit and intimidate rights activists.
Jul 24, 2015, at 03:27 pm
New York, July 24 (IBNS) Mid-way through a four-day visit to assess the humanitarian situation in South Sudan, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator reviewed aid operations in the warn-torn country today, stressing that "everything" should be done to protect civilians from violence.
Jul 24, 2015, at 03:26 pm
New York, July 24 (IBNS) Deeply concerned by escalating violence in southern Libya, the United Nations Support Mission in the crisis-torn country called for an immediate ceasefire on Thursdayamid fighting that has claimed dozens of lives in recent weeks and is a "further reminder of the chaos engulfing Libya and the need for the main…actors to move quickly to reach a political settlement."
UN rights experts on use of mercenaries weigh 'increasing activity' of foreign fighters
Jul 24, 2015, at 03:23 pm
New York, July 24 (IBNS) The United Nations expert group on the use of mercenaries on Thursday convened a discussion at UN Headquarters in New York to address the issue of the increasing activity of foreign fighters – particularly towards understanding their motivations – and its impact on human rights.
Jul 24, 2015, at 03:21 pm
New York, July 24 (IBNS) Welcoming the recent stated commitment by Israeli and Palestinian leaders to a peaceful solution to the region’s most enduring crisis, the United Nations special envoy on the Middle East told the Security Council on Thursday that such words need to be translated into “concrete and sustained actions on the ground."
Syria: bread prices up nearly 90 per cent, pushing more people into hunger, UN report warns
Jul 24, 2015, at 03:19 pm
New York , July 24 (IBNS) Syria’s food production in 2015 remains at 40 per cent below its pre-crisis levels, impacting the price of bread, which has spiralled by 87 per cent, and shrinking poultry production by half, according to a United Nations agency report released on Thursdaythat warns that "the risk of irreversible damage to the children is real, with tragic future consequences."
In Damascus, UN special envoy meets senior Syrian officials on political solution to crisis
Jul 24, 2015, at 03:18 pm
New York, July 24 (IBNS) Wrapping up his tour of the region, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura visited Damascus today, where he met with senior Government officials on ways to maintain momentum towards a political solution to the crisis in the country, which is entering its fifth year.
Burundi: After 'broadly peaceful' polls Ban urges parties to resume inclusive political dialogue
Jul 24, 2015, at 03:17 pm
New York, July 24 (IBNS) Taking note of the "broadly peaceful" conduct of polling in the Burundian presidential elections on 21 July, the top United Nations official on Thursday called on all parties to continue to remain calm and immediately resume an inclusive political dialogue.
UN Mission condemns deadly bombing in northern Afghan province
Jul 23, 2015, at 03:05 pm
New York, Jul 23 (IBNS): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Wednesday condemned the bombing that killed at least 19 civilians and injured at least another 28 in the Almar district of Faryab province.
UNICEF helps children threatened by water cuts in Aleppo
Jul 23, 2015, at 03:03 pm
New York, Jul 23 (IBNS): The restoration of water supplies to the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo has come as a welcome relief to residents whose taps have run dry in recent weeks due to the fighting and frequent power cuts, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday, as it stepped up efforts to assist the local population.
UNESCO launches plan to safeguard Yemen's cultural heritage sites
Jul 23, 2015, at 03:02 pm
New York, Jul 23 (IBNS): The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has launched an emergency plan to safeguard cultural heritage sites in Yemen, including the ancient city of Sana'a, with its historical mosques and monuments that have been damaged in the conflict that has killed nearly 1,700 people since March.
UN official in Central Africa urgently appeals for halt in attacks on aid workers
Jul 23, 2015, at 03:00 pm
New York, Jul 23 (IBNS): The top United Nations humanitarian official in the Central African Republic (CAR) condemned on Wednesday the surge in violence against aid workers in the country and appealed to all belligerents to allow them to do their jobs safely, particularly in the wake of a recent attack against a UN food convoy on a major supply route killed its driver.
Iraq still needs ‘continuous and massive’ international support: Security Council
Jul 23, 2015, at 02:59 pm
New York, Jul 23 (IBNS): With Iraq facing “one of the most difficult phases in its modern history,†the Government, its leadership and, most of all, Iraqis themselves, will need “continuous and massive†support and assistance from the international community, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council on Wednesday.
UN rights experts hail Zambia’s move away from death penalty
Jul 23, 2015, at 02:57 pm
New York, Jul 23 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Rapporteurs on summary executions, Christof Heyns, and on torture, Juan E. Méndez, welcomed Zambian President Edgar Lungui’s decision to commute death sentences of 332 people to life imprisonment, and encouraged the authorities “to take a step further by removing all reference to the death penalty in the country’s laws.â€
Syria: UN envoy deeply concerned over ‘unprecedented’ assault on Zabadani
Jul 23, 2015, at 02:56 pm
New York, Jul 23 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has expressed deep concern at the plight of civilians in Zabadani, in the wake of credible reports that overnight, a large number of barrel bombs were dropped on the north-western city.
Security Council strongly condemns deadly terrorist attack in Turkey
Jul 23, 2015, at 02:54 pm
New York, Jul 23 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council has condemned in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attack in Suruc, Turkey, which killed at least 31 and injuring over 100 people.
UN health agency reports no new Ebola cases in Liberia
Jul 23, 2015, at 02:52 pm
New York, Jul 23 (IBNS): No new cases of Ebola were reported in Liberia nor in recent hotspots in West Africa with half the 26 cases in this week’s update from the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) coming from the capitals of Guinea and Sierra Leone, bringing the number of people who have died of the disease to 11,269.
Birmingham Qur'an manuscript dated among the oldest in the world
Jul 23, 2015, at 04:32 am
London, July 22 (IBNS) A Qur'an manuscript held by the University of Birmingham has been placed among the oldest in the world thanks to modern scientific methods.
Ban urges parties in Burundi to refrain from violence during elections
Jul 22, 2015, at 02:24 pm
New York, Jul 22 (IBNS):In a “worrisome context,†and following the decision of the government of Burundi to hold the presidential election on 21 July, the United Nations chief called on Monday on the authorities to do all in their power to ensure security and a peaceful atmosphere during the polls.
First half of 2015 ‘hottest six months on record’: UN
Jul 22, 2015, at 02:22 pm
New York, Jul 22 (IBNS): From January to June 2015, the globally averaged temperature over land and ocean surfaces was the hottest for such period on record, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on Tuesday, citing new highs across the planet in June, with heatwaves across South Asia, Europe and pockets of the United States.
Yemen: UN food aid arrives in Aden as intense fighting takes toll on civilians
Jul 22, 2015, at 02:21 pm
New York, Jul 22 (IBNS): In “a major breakthrough,†the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced that its first ship since conflict erupted in Yemen in March berthed on Tuesday in the port of Aden after repeated attempts to reach huge numbers of increasingly desperate people and as intense fighting continues to take a serious toll on civilians.
Violence in Nigeria drives refugees deeper into neighbouring Cameroon: UN agency
Jul 22, 2015, at 02:19 pm
New York, Jul 22 (IBNS): Weeks after elections in Nigeria, violence and attacks continue to drive population movements within and outside the country, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) warned on Tuesday, reporting a “steady flow†of Nigerian refugees now seeking safety some 100 kilometres inside the Cameroon border.
UN relief chief heads to South Sudan to bolster humanitarian response
Jul 22, 2015, at 02:18 pm
New York, Jul 22 (IBNS): The top United Nations humanitarian official is heading to South Sudan where a new cholera outbreak has claimed nearly 40 lives, more than 2.2 million people have been uprooted from their homes by conflict and nearly 8 million others are expected to face food shortages during the rainy reason.
Middle East: Arthur David Gawn appointed Head of Truce Supervision Organisation
Jul 22, 2015, at 02:15 pm
New York, Jul 22 (IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday announced the appointment of Major General Arthur David Gawn, of New Zealand, as Head of Mission and Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO).
Turkey: Suicide bomber responsible for Suruc massacre identified
Jul 22, 2015, at 01:14 am
Suruc, July 21 (IBNS): The suicide bomber allegedly responsible for the attack in the Turkish town of Suruc on Monday that killed 32 people have been identified, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday.
FAO calls for $20 million to halt spread of 'virulent' avian flu in West Africa
Jul 21, 2015, at 02:30 pm
New York, Jul 21 (IBNS): The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday warned that without timely intervention "to stop it in its tracks," outbreaks of the highly virulent avian flu virus H5N1, which has already spread to five West African countries in six months, will spread across the region and beyond.
Security Council adopts resolution endorsing Iran nuclear deal
Jul 21, 2015, at 02:28 pm
New York, Jul 21 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution establishing a monitoring system for Iran’s nuclear programme and considering the “eventual removal†of all nuclear-related sanctions against the country.
Iraq: Funding shortage forces UN to shutter critical water and sanitation responses
Jul 21, 2015, at 02:27 pm
New York, Jul 21 (IBNS): With more than 74,000 new people displaced by fighting on the move in Iraq, the United Nations humanitarian wing has warned that overall, some 40 per cent of critically needed life-saving water and sanitation programmes will be forced to shut down by the end of the month due to lack of funding.
UN rights chief welcomed war crimes trial for former Chadian leader
Jul 21, 2015, at 02:25 pm
New York, Jul 21 (IBNS): The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, welcomed the opening today of the trial of Hissène Habré, the former President of Chad – who is accused of crimes against humanity – before a special court in Senegal, calling it “a milestone for justice in Africa.â€