UNESCO chief urges cessation of hostilities at Palmyra world heritage site
New York, May 21 (IBNS): The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday called on all warring factions in Syria to immediately end hostilities within the archaeological site of Palmyra following reports that extremist groups had breached the ancient city’s perimeter.
Expert urges WHO to do more to protect people from toxic substances
New York, May 21 (IBNS): The UN independent expert on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes on Wednesday urged the World Health Organization to “play a much larger, more active role†in protecting people from the negative impacts of toxic pollution.
UN officials urge Israel to halt plans to transfer Palestinian Bedouins
New York, May 21 (IBNS): Two United Nations humanitarian officials with responsibilities in the occupied Palestinian territory have on Wednesday expressed their grave concern over the Government of Israel’s “rapidly advancing plans†to transfer Palestinian Bedouins in the central West Bank from their current communities.
Ebola: WHO deploys team on border of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau
New York, May 21 (IBNS): The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday reported “a substantial increase†in the weekly total of new Ebola cases in Guinea and Sierra Leone and deployed a response team to the border with Guinea-Bissau because of its proximity to a recent cluster of cases in a neighbouring Guinean prefecture.
Health services for Palestine refugees extended despite regional turmoil: WHO
New York, May 21 (IBNS): A newly published report by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) spotlights improved health services being delivered to millions in five fields across the Middle East, despite pronounced challenges in the region.
UN calls on Southeast Asian countries to protect migrants making sea journeys
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Several senior United Nations officials have on Tuesday strongly urged the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, to protect migrants and refugees stranded on vessels in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, to facilitate safe disembarkation, and to give priority to saving lives, protecting rights, and respecting human dignity.
Yemen: UN agencies urge predictable pauses for humanitarian aid
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Yemen’s five-day ceasefire aimed at allowing the delivery of critical aid to the country’s beleaguered civilian population did not last long enough for providing the necessary relief, according to the United Nations humanitarian agencies.
Ban announces visit to DPR Korea, aims to boost cooperation on Peninsula
New York, May 20 (IBNS): UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday announced he will visit an industrial complex in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday, saying that he hoped the rare trip “will provide positive impetus to further develop it and expand to other areas†to promote inter-Korean relations.
Burundi humanitarian crisis worsens as political tensions in country grow
New York, May 20 (IBNS): The humanitarian crisis caused by the “escalating political tensions†in Burundi has worsened, according to the United Nations which on Tuesday reported an uptick in the number of Burundian refugees seeking asylum and a deterioration in health conditions at refugee camps receiving them.
UN agency calls for renewed global commitment to develop effective HIV vaccine
New York, May 20 (IBNS): To mark HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, has renewed its call for a sustained worldwide commitment to finding an effective HIV vaccine.
South Sudan: UNICEF warns women and children being victimized
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Almost two years since the eruption of the conflict in South Sudan, the situation continues to deteriorate with women and small children making up the majority of most recent casualties, a representative from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the country said on Tuesday.
UN forum: Ban urges leaders aim to set global education roadmap until 2030
New York, May 20 (IBNS): Education is not a privilege but rather a birthright that secures human rights and fights violent extremism, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday in Incheon, Republic of Korea, as he opened the World Education Forum 2015 which aims to set the roadmap for global education until 2030.
Security Council: UN envoy says world must not squander opportunity in Somalia
New York, May 20 (IBNS): While it is too soon to celebrate definitive success in Somalia, and while the situation remains challenging, progress is being made and the international community would be missing a strategic opportunity if it failed to realize how much is being achieved, the top United Nations in the country told the Security Council on Tuesday.
Iraq must protect internally displaced as crisis deepens: UN expert
New York, May 20 (IBNS): A United Nations human rights expert on Tuesday urged the Government of Iraq to step-up its efforts and give a higher priority to nearly three million internally displaced persons (IDPs).
UN rights expert urges Armenia to shed light on violence against children
New York, May 20 (IBNS): The UN independent human rights expert on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography on Tuesday urged the Armenian government to devote more attention to the issue of violence against children as well as irregularities in adoption processes, which can amount to sale of children