Record $10 billion pledged in humanitarian aid for Syria at UN co-hosted conference in London
Feb 05, 2016, at 02:51 pm
New York, Feb 5 (Just Earth News/IBNS) An international conference on war-torn Syria in London on Thursday pledged a record $10 billion after United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon laid out three main objectives: raising $7 billion in immediate humanitarian aid, mustering long-term support, and protecting civilians.
Timbuktu: 900-year-old ceremony re-consecrates mausoleums destroyed by armed groups
Feb 05, 2016, at 02:46 pm
New York, Feb 5 (Just Earth News/IBNS) A consecration ceremony of the Timbuktu mausoleums, last held in the 11th century, was celebrated on Thursday at the initiative of the local community, the final phase of the United Nations-backed cultural rebirth of the age-old Sahara city after the destruction wrought by radical Islamists in 2012.
New allegations of sexual abuse emerge against UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic
Feb 05, 2016, at 02:44 pm
New York, Feb 5 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reported on Thursday that it has identified seven new possible victims of sexual exploitation and abuse in the town of Bambari, just days after the UN revealed which countries' troops have been accused of abusing minors.
Social inclusion central to 2030 Agenda, UN Social Development Commission hears as new session opens
Feb 05, 2016, at 02:38 pm
New York, Feb 5 (Just Earth News/IBNS) The adoption of the 2030 Agenda – which places people and the planet at the centre of global development – presents new challenges and opportunity for the United Nations Commission on Social Development, a senior UN official said today, opening the body's 54th annual session with a call for building on its strengths to foster an integrated approach when addressing social policies.
Somalia: UN political chief visits top leaders in show of support for electoral process
Feb 05, 2016, at 02:35 pm
New York, Feb 5 (Just Earth News/IBNS) A senior United Nations official has held talks with Somali leaders in Mogadishu, the capital, in a show of support for last month's “breakthrough†political achievement in selecting an electoral model to be used later this year in efforts to lead the Horn of Africa country out of decades of factional war.
Saudi Arabia donates $59 million to UN agency assisting Palestine refugees
Feb 05, 2016, at 02:32 pm
New York, Feb 5 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Shelters, schools and health centres in Gaza, the West Bank and Jordan will benefit from $59 million donated by Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the Near East under three agreements signed on Thursday.
Assange gets a favourable ruling from UN panel about his 'arbitrarily detained' plea
Feb 04, 2016, at 09:25 pm
London, Feb 4 (IBNS) WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange who had tweeted earlier on Thursday that he will surrender to United Kingdom Police on Friday if the United Nation's (UN) panel rejects his plea and says that he has not been unlawfully detained, has got a favourable ruling from the panel, according to media reports.
You fit right here, Obama tells American Muslims
Feb 04, 2016, at 04:31 pm
Washington, Feb 4 (IBNS) President Obama,who for the first time visited a mosque in the US on Wednesday, urged people to call off bias against Muslims after US Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump in December during his campaign had called for barring Muslims from entering America, according to reports.
UN mediator suspends intra-Syrian talks for three weeks
Feb 04, 2016, at 02:27 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Just two days after declaring the official start of delayed intra-Syrian talks in Geneva to end five years of bloody warfare, the United Nations mediator suspended them for three weeks on Wednesday following differences between Government and opposition delegations on the priority of humanitarian issues.
UN emergency fund allocates $8 million to assist vulnerable women and children in DPR Korea
Feb 04, 2016, at 02:22 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has released eight million dollars from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for severely underfunded aid operations in the People’s Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK), to enable life-saving assistance for more than 2.2 million people most vulnerable and at risk of malnutrition.
Ukraine: UN official urges Government to keep checkpoints open for access to medicines, food
Feb 04, 2016, at 02:20 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS) A senior United Nations humanitarian official in Ukraine on Wednesday called on the Government to keep checkpoints open in conflict-affected areas in the country's east to prevent hardship for thousands of mostly elderly people seeking access to medicines, and food and other items.
DPR Korea's intention to launch a satellite 'deeply troubling' - UN chief
Feb 04, 2016, at 02:15 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS) United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said the intention of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to launch a satellite in the coming weeks is a "deeply worrying development."
Citing 'new agenda for humanity,' UN deputy chief urges bold action on humanitarian funding
Feb 04, 2016, at 02:12 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Maintaining the United Nations momentum towards the first-everWorld Humanitarian Summit – set for 23 and 24 May in Istanbul, Turkey – Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson on Wednesday urged bold action to alleviate the suffering of 125 million people who depend on the international community to survive.
At Cambridge, Ban says universality of human rights is key to preventing crises of 21st century
Feb 04, 2016, at 02:08 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Warning of "a strong sense that that we are off track and in a deep mess," United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday called on the world to move from a pattern of reaction to crises to a culture of prevention, with a heightened focus on the universality of human rights in tackling the "mega-crises" of the 21st century.
Crucial UN aid reaches Syrian town cut off by fighting for three years
Feb 04, 2016, at 01:59 pm
New York, Feb 4 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Working with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), the United Nations refugee agency has delivered crucial humanitarian aid to a rural town near Damascus that has been cut off by fighting for three years, stranding thousands of residents in dire conditions without clean water or fuel for warmth.
Somalia: Explosion creates hole, plane makes emergency landing
Feb 03, 2016, at 11:08 pm
Mogadishu, Feb 3 (IBNS): A plane made an emergency landing at an airport in Somalian capital Mogadishu after it developed a hole in its fuselage on Tuesday, media reports said.
Closing 2016 Youth Forum, senior UN official says young people key to new sustainability agenda
Feb 03, 2016, at 02:49 pm
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Marking the end of the two-day United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, the President of the 54-member body told hundreds of youth leaders that the event exceeded high expectations and that the time is now for young people to get behind global efforts to ensure sustainable development for all.
Turkey's Erdogan visits UN regional commission in Latin America and Caribbean
Feb 03, 2016, at 02:47 pm
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Appealing for international collaboration to cope with the crisis of Syrian refugees and the challenges to peace in the Middle East, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a recent keynote lecture delivered at the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), that his country would like to broaden its political and trade relationships with the region.
Nigeria: Security Council condemns 'heinous' terrorist attack attributed to Boko Haram
Feb 03, 2016, at 02:46 pm
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Condemning in the strongest terms Saturday’s "horrific terrorist attacks" attributed to Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria, which resulted in a large number of dead and wounded, the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday called on all States to cooperate in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Senior UN humanitarian official deeply concerned at Israel's administrative detention practices
Feb 03, 2016, at 02:42 pm
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News/IBNS): A senior United Nations humanitarian official on Tuesday voiced deep concern at the administrative detention of more than 525 Palestinians in Israeli jails and detention centres, including one who has been on hunger strike for over two months.
UN envoy for Syria meets with Government delegation in Geneva
Feb 03, 2016, at 02:41 pm
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria on Tuesday met with a delegation from the country’s Government, one day after meeting with representatives of the opposition High Negotiation Committee (HNC), which he said had officially begun the UN-mediated intra-Syrian talks in Geneva.
As flood of child refugees and migrants into Europe soars, UN calls for enhanced protection
Feb 03, 2016, at 02:31 pm
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Child protection systems across Europe are completely overwhelmed as the rate of youngsters in the flood of refugees and migrants has soared to one in three compared with one in 10 less than a year ago, the United Nations warned today, calling for strengthened steps to prevent exploitation and abuse.
With 4 million Syrian children out of school, $1.4 billion sought by UN to save 'lost generation'
Feb 03, 2016, at 02:20 pm
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News/IBNS): With four million Syrian and host community children in need of education and no let-up in sight in the fighting tearing the country apart, the United Nations and its partners are seeking $1.4 billion at a major conference in London on Thursday to save the current youth generation.
UN in Central African Republic releases $9 million to respond to urgent needs
Feb 03, 2016, at 02:19 pm
New York, Feb 3 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations announced on Tuesday that the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) in the Central African Republic (CAR) has released $9 million for life-saving assistance to 2.3 million people who need urgent support, including those displaced by violence, returnees, refugees and vulnerable host communities.
Iowa Democratic caucuses: Hillary wins by a narrow margin
Feb 02, 2016, at 09:03 pm
Des Moines, Feb 2 (IBNS) Former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, won the Democratic Iowa caucus by a narrow margin of 0.3% over Vermont senator Bernie Sanders.
Donald Trump defeated by Ted Cruz in Iowa caucuses
Feb 02, 2016, at 05:00 pm
Iowa, Feb 2 (IBNS) US Presidential candidate Donald Trump received a major setback on Monday as he lost to Texas' Senator Ted Cruz in the Iowa caucuses.
UN experts urge Cyprus to address migrant detention conditions
Feb 02, 2016, at 02:22 pm
New York, Feb 2 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Cyprus has seen many positive developments concerning the treatment of people in detention, but still faces several challenges, particularly regarding the independent monitoring of places of detention and the treatment of migrants, the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT) said on Monday after visiting the country.
Films with on-screen smoking should carry warnings to protect children: WHO
Feb 02, 2016, at 02:14 pm
New York, Feb 2 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Noting that films showing on-screen smoking have enticed millions of young people around the world into tobacco addiction, the United Nations health agency on Monday called for them to be rated and display warnings to save children from subsequent disability and death.
Turkey: UN rights chief concerned by actions of security forces
Feb 02, 2016, at 02:13 pm
New York, Feb 2 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations human rights chief on Monday called on the Turkish authorities to respect the fundamental rights of civilians in its security operations and to promptly investigate the alleged shooting of a group of unarmed people after "shocking" video footage of the event.
Syria: Ban condemns bombings in Damascus
Feb 02, 2016, at 02:11 pm
New York, Feb 2 (Just Earth News/IBNS): In the wake of a "heinous" terrorist bombing outside Damascus on Sunday, which reportedly killed more than 60 people, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Syrian Government and opposition negotiators at UN-mediated talks in Geneva to "agree on immediate improvements to Syria’s dire humanitarian situation."