Yemen: UN rights chief urges government to reverse decision to expel envoy
New York, Jan 9 (Just Earth News/IBNS): The United Nations human rights chief on Friday urged the Government of Yemen to reverse its decision to declare his Representative in the strife-torn country persona non grata [unwelcomed person], saying that it was "unwarranted, counter-productive and damaging to the reputation of the Government and its coalition partners."
Alarming outbreak of violence in new area of South Sudan uproots 15,000: UN
New York, Jan 9 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Fighting between armed groups and Government soldiers and an apparent breakdown in law and order in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria state, with hundreds of houses burned down or looted, has uprooted 15,000 people over the past five weeks, and 500 a day are now pouring into Uganda, the United Nations refugee agency reported on Friday.
Oral cholera vaccines to double to 6 million doses after WHO approves new supplier
New York, Jan 9 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Faced with a global shortage of oral cholera vaccines (OCV), the United Nations health agency announced on Friday that supply should double this year to six million doses, with further increases later, after it approved a third producer to fight a disease that kills up to 142,000 people annually.
Calling state of besieged Syrian town 'horrendous,' UN seeks humanitarian access
New York, Jan 9 (Just Earth News/IBNS): As the United Nations and its partners struggled on Friday to gain humanitarian access to the Government-beseiged Syrian city of Madaya, amid reports of people starving to death or being killed while trying to leave, UN officials called the situation "horrendous…ghastly," and a potential war crime.
Australian national takes the helm as new UN disaster risk reduction chief
New York, Jan 9 (Just Earth News): Following his appointment by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Robert Glasser, an experienced leader and thinker on development issues, took up his new role this week as head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).
Ban concerned about intensification of airstrikes and ground fighting in Yemen
New York, Jan 9 (Just Earth News/IBNS): United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said he is "deeply concerned" about the intensification of Saudi-led coalition airstrikes and ground fighting and shelling in Yemen, despite repeated calls for a renewed cessation of hostilities.
Chad: UN provides funds for scores displaced by Boko Haram violence
New York, Jan 9 (Just Earth News/IBNS): With nearly 200,000 people in Chad in need of urgent aid – 50,000 of them uprooted by Boko Haram terrorists from Nigeria – the United Nations emergency fund on Friday announced a $7 million grant, the second in five months, and called on international donors to provide much more.
Security Council urges Libyan parties to come together to combat terrorists
New York, Jan 9 (Just Earth News/IBNS): Strongly condemning Thursday's terrorist attack on a security training centre in Zliten, Libya, and in the wake of that deadly incident and the recent attacks on the country’s oil infrastructure, the United Nations Security Council has urged all Libyan parties to joint together to combat terrorist threats by implementing the recent agreement on a unity government.
ISIS fighter publicly executes his own mother
London Jan 8 (IBNS): In a shocking episode, an ISIS fighter has executed his own mother in front of hundreds of citizens on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.
African Union-UN peacekeepers ambushed in Darfur; one injured, weapons stolen
New York, Jan 8 (Just Earth News/IBNS) A joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping patrol was ambushed in Sudan’s strife-torn Darfur region today by an unidentified armed group, who greatly outnumbered it and seized a machine gun, four rifles and rounds of ammunition.
New York, Jan 8 (Just Earth News/IBNS ) Welcoming today's announcement of the results of the first round of the presidential elections in the Central African Republic (CAR), the United Nations envoy for the country has invited the two candidates that will participate in an upcoming run-off poll, "to maintain the spirit of peace and restraint that has prevailed" throughout the process thus far.
UN agency condemns demolition of homes of Palestinian Bedouins in West Bank
New York, Jan 8 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Condemning the demolition by Israeli authorities of the homes of Palestinian Bedouins in the West Bank, a senior United Nations relief official on Friday called on Israel to end such destruction and halt its plans to forcibly relocate Bedouin families.
Solutions needed to stem global refugee crisis, says new UN agency chief
New York, Jan 8 (Just Earth News/IBNS) With record numbers of refugees and displaced people worldwide, the new head of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is urging greater diplomatic efforts to find solutions to the conflicts and abuses driving people from their homes.
'Libya cannot afford to remain divided,' says UN envoy, deploring latest deadly terrorist attack
New York, Jan 8 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Condemning the "reprehensible" deadly terrorist attack on a security training centre on Thursday in Libya’s coastal city of Zliten, the top United Nations official in the country said the incident again shows the urgent need for all stakeholders to press ahead with forming a recently-agreed unity government.
Yemen: Ban condemns expulsion of UN rights official; 'extremely concerned' for staff
New York, Jan 8 (Just Earth News/IBNS) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday condemned the Government of Yemen’s decision to expel the United Nations Human Rights representative in the war-torn country, voicing “extreme concern†for the safety of the remaining national and international staff.