Conflict forces thousands to flee in Darfur: UN reports
Feb 20, 2015, at 03:21 pm
New York, Feb 20 (IBNS): Some 41,000 people have been forced to flee conflict in Darfur so far this year, according to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
UN urges to boost investments to tackle neglected tropical diseases
Feb 20, 2015, at 03:19 pm
New York, Feb 20 (IBNS): Scaling up investment to tackle leprosy, dengue fever, sleeping sickness and other neglected tropical diseases will improve the health and well-being of more than 1.5 billion people, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, launching a new report stressing that countries must make firm and sustainable budgetary commitments if they are to meet the agency’s targets and accelerate progress.
UN agencies scale up humanitarian operations in Ukraine
Feb 20, 2015, at 02:51 pm
New York, Feb 20 (IBNS): Several days after parties to the conflict in Ukraine signed a ceasefire, United Nations agencies announced a scale up of their emergency operations to the country, delivering some 62 metric tons of humanitarian aid to the crisis-torn Donetsk region on Thursday.
UN rights chief calls on Syria to release detainees
Feb 20, 2015, at 02:42 pm
New York, Feb 20 (IBNS): Syrian authorities should release all those held by Government forces and its militias, without due process, in some cases for years on end, the United Nations rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein urged on Thursday.
Preventing violent extremism, promoting human rights go hand-in-hand: Ban
Feb 20, 2015, at 02:31 pm
New York, February 20 (IBNS): In Washington D.C. for a summit hosted by the United States on countering violent extremism, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon on Thursday warned leaders against “discarding our moral compass.â€
South Sudan: UN campaign for children forced out of school by war
Feb 20, 2015, at 02:12 pm
New York, Feb 20 (IBNS): UNICEF’s ‘Back to Learning’ campaign, which was launched in Juba on Thursday by the agency and the President of South Sudan Salva Kiir, will reach out-of-school children in all 10 states, including areas currently engulfed in conflict, over the next 12 months.
Feb 19, 2015, at 06:36 pm
New York, Feb 19 (IBNS) The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday urged the Government of Burundi to establish a climate of freedom and openness conducive to the holding of elections later this year and expressed concern about reports of intimidation, harassment, arbitrary detention and other curtailments to the enjoyment of the rights of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.
UN official says recent terror attacks represent 'exact opposite' of values of peace, stability
Feb 19, 2015, at 06:34 pm
New York, Feb 19 (IBNS) The High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Nassir Al-Nasser, said on Wednesday that the "vicious forces" of extremism, violence and terrorism should not hamper international efforts to prevent and combat such forces.
With Libya in 'imminent danger,' UN envoy urges support for push to end political, security crisis
Feb 19, 2015, at 06:32 pm
New York, Feb 19 (IBNS) Recent savage terrorist acts culminating in the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians highlight the "imminent danger" confronting Libya, its people and the wider region, the United Nations envoy to the country warned on Wednesday, urging swift agreement among the main parties on resolving the crisis and ending the military and political conflict.
UN political chief warns of 'increasingly toxic' Gaza; calls for new talks, international support
Feb 19, 2015, at 06:25 pm
New York, Feb 19 (IBNS) Briefing the United Nations Security Council after “another tumultuous and deadly month†in the Middle East, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, warned that further escalation remains possible in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and could be highly damaging to both parties and to the two-State solution.
Security Council extends UN Guinea-Bissau office for another year
Feb 19, 2015, at 06:21 pm
New York, Feb 19 (IBNS) The Security Council on Wednesday extended the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peace-Building Office in Guinea-Bissau, known as UNIOGBIS, so that it can continue to assist in tackling a range of political, security and development challenges in the country.
Iran: UN experts urge 'immediate halt' over scheduled execution of juvenile
Feb 19, 2015, at 06:19 pm
New York, Feb 19 (IBNS)The Government of Iran must comply with its international human rights obligations and immediately halt its planned execution of a juvenile offender, two United Nations human rights experts urged on Wednesday.
Over 10,000 Afghanistani civilian casualties in 2014: UN
Feb 19, 2015, at 02:42 pm
New York, Feb 19 (IBNS): Civilian casualties in Afghanistan topped 10,000 in 2014, a 22 per cent increase compared to the past year, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Wednesday.
South Sudan's Government commits to combat sexual violence: UN
Feb 19, 2015, at 02:30 pm
New York, Feb 19 (IBNS): UN representative Zainab Hawa Bangura on Sexual Violence in Conflict placed in South Sudan said on Wednesday, that any peace agreement reached to end the conflict in South Sudan should reflect the commitments made at the end of 2014 to ensure accountability for sexual violence crimes.
Syria indicates willingness to freeze Aleppo fighting
Feb 19, 2015, at 02:12 pm
New York, Feb 19 (IBNS): UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, sees a “glimmer of hope†for his proposed ‘freeze’ of localized hostilities in the city of Aleppo amid continuing fighting throughout the Middle Eastern country between Government forces and entrenched rebels.
Nigeria military op leaves 300 Boko Haram militants killed
Feb 19, 2015, at 02:36 am
Abuja, Feb 18 (IBNS): Nigerian forces have killed more than 300 Boko Haram fighters during an operation to recapture 11 towns and villages since the start of the week, media reports said on Wednesday.
Over 40 people burnt alive by IS militants in Iraq
Feb 18, 2015, at 06:16 pm
Baghdad, Feb 18 (IBNS): At least 40 people, including security personnel, were burnt alive by Sunni radical group Islamic State (IS) on Tuesday, media reports said. The incident reportedly took place in Iraq's western province of Anbar.
Security Council endorses Minsk ceasefire
Feb 18, 2015, at 05:35 pm
New York, Feb 18 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, adopted a resolution endorsing the 13-point accord on ending the Ukraine crisis agreed in Minsk, including a cease-fire, and called on all parties to the conflict to fully implement that cessation of hostilities, as the UN human rights office expressed concern over reported shelling and trapped civilians in the country's east.
UN rights chief condemns murder of 21 Christians in Libya
Feb 18, 2015, at 05:22 pm
New York, Feb 18 (IBNS): The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Tuesday that the beheading of 21 Christian men in Libya was a “vile crime targeting people on the basis of their religion†and urged Libyans to unite against extremists.
UN development chief begins last leg of West Africa Ebola mission
Feb 18, 2015, at 02:42 pm
New York, Feb 18 (IBNS): A United Nations development official, Helen Clark on Tuesday began the last leg of her Ebola-recovery focused visit to West Africa a day after she witnessed the reopening of schools in Liberia and urged the international community to support “recovery from this terrible crisis†beyond the emergency phase.
UN Security Council endorses Minsk ceasefire
Feb 18, 2015, at 01:52 pm
New York, Feb 18 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, adopted a resolution endorsing the 13-point accord on ending the Ukraine crisis agreed in Minsk, including a cease-fire, and called on all parties to the conflict to fully implement that cessation of hostilities, as the UN human rights office expressed concern over reported shelling and trapped civilians in the country’s east.
Security Council, Ban condemn ISIL murder of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya
Feb 17, 2015, at 01:56 pm
New York, Feb 17 (IBNS) Strongly condemning the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya by an affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Security Council deplored the targeting of persons based on religious affiliation, while also urging Libyan parties to press ahead with their political dialogue.
Amid reports of fighting in eastern Ukraine, Ban urges all parties to abide by cease-fire
Feb 17, 2015, at 01:12 pm
New York, Feb 17 (IBNS) With Ukraine cease-fire 'largely holding', United Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed serious concern at reports of continued instances of hostilities including in Debaltseve and reiterated his call for all parties to abide by the cease-fire without exception.
Egypt attacks IS group in Libya after video of mass beheading surfaces
Feb 16, 2015, at 11:32 pm
Cairo, Feb 16 (IBNS): Egypt on Monday launched airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Libya after the extremist group released a video, which showed the beheading of several Egyptian Coptic Christians, it had held hostage for weeks, media reports said.
Condemning Copenhagen attacks, Ban urges 'strong stand' for tolerance, end to discrimination
Feb 16, 2015, at 03:32 pm
New York, Feb 16 (IBNS) Strongly condemning this weekend's attacks at a freedom of expression event near a synagogue in Copenhagen, Denmark, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday stressed that there is no justification for attacks against civilians and reaffirmed the need for the world “stand strong†for tolerance and free expression.
Feb 16, 2015, at 03:24 pm
New York, Feb 16 (IBNS) Demanding that secessionist Houthi militias in Yemen "immediately and unconditionally" withdraw from Government and security institutions, the Security Council this evening called on all Yemeni parties to engage in good faith in the United Nations-brokered political talks being led by Special Adviser Jamal Benomar.
Feb 16, 2015, at 03:22 pm
New York, Feb 16 (IBNS) Senior UN, European Union relief officials urge protection for vulnerable people in Central African Republic.
Copenhagen attacks suspect shot dead by police
Feb 15, 2015, at 09:02 pm
Copenhagen, Feb 15 (IBNS): Copenhagen Police on Sunday said they had shot the suspected 'terrorist' responsible of killing two people and injuring five in shootings at a freedom of speech event and a synagogue in Denmark's Copenhagen, reports said.
2 killed, 5 injured in Copenhagen shootings
Feb 15, 2015, at 04:04 pm
Copenhagen, Feb 15 (IBNS): Denmark has been put on high alert on Sunday as hours after the first shooting at a cafe, a similar incident was reported from Copenhagen city where shots were fired near a synagogue in the city on Saturday night, taking the death toll to two, media reports said.
Copenhagen: Several injured in 2nd shooting
Feb 15, 2015, at 02:33 pm
Copenhagen, Feb 15 (IBNS): Hours after the first shooting at a cafe, similar incident was reported from Denmark's Copenhagen city where several people were injured as shots were fired near a synagogue in the city on Saturday, media reports said.