UN report shows wars in Syria and Iraq drive high asylum numbers
New York, Mar 27 (IBNS):The wars in Syria and Iraq, as well as armed conflicts, human rights violations and deteriorating security and humanitarian conditions elsewhere, has pushed the number of people seeking asylum in industrialized countries to the highest level since 1992 at the beginning of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday.
2014 devastating year for Palestinians: UN report
New York, Mar 27 (IBNS): Amid a surge in hostilities and an ongoing blockade, 2014 was a traumatic year for millions of people living in the occupied Palestinian territory, a senior United Nations humanitarian official said on Thursday, as the Organization released its latest report on the situation on the ground.
Ban notes Saudi Arabia’s military operations in Yemen
New York, Mar 27 (IBNS): Noting Saudi Arabia’s announcement that, at the request of the Government of Yemen, it has begun military operations in the Gulf nation, United NationsSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and emphasized that despite escalation, negotiations remain the only option for ultimately resolving the crisis.
Losing sight of Middle East peace might aggravate region’s flames: UN
New York, Mar 27 (IBNS): As Israeli and Palestinian parties do not appear ready to recommence talks, the international community must consider presenting a viable framework for negotiations, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said on Thursday during his final briefing to the Security Council, noting that “this may be the only way to preserve the goal of the two-State solution.â€
Central Africa: Security Council boosts UN mission presence
New York, Mar 27 (IBNS): The Security Council has agreed to boost the United Nations peacekeeping presence in the Central African Republic (CAR) amid the country's continuing instability and simmering sectarian tensions.
Security Council renews Congo mission, reduces troop numbers by 2,000
New York, Mar 27 (IBNS): The Security Council passed a resolution on Thursday renewing for 12 months the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and endorsing recommendations made in the Secretary-General’s report on the strategic review of the mission.
Syria crisis worsening, warns UN relief official
New York, Mar 27 (IBNS): The situation on the ground in Syria has “dramatically†worsened as the country enters its fifth year of war amid escalating fighting and targeted attacks against civilians, the top United Nations humanitarian official warned on Thursday as she urged the international community to bring the violence to an end.
Germanwings co-pilot "deliberately" crashed aircraft: French Prosecutor
Paris, Mar 26 (IBNS): Chief Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin, who is in charge of investigating into the crash of a Germanwings jetliner which left 150 people dead, on Thursday said that evidence from the cockpit voice recorder indicated that the co-pilot had deliberately locked the captain out of the cockpit and steered the plane into its descent.
UN marks 'Day of Remembrance' with calls to end modern slavery
New York, Mar 26 (IBNS): As the international community gathers to commemorate the millions of victims exploited by slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday warned that the insidious practice of forced bondage continued to reverberate around the world in various forms, from forced labour and trafficking to sexual exploitation and captivity in slavery-like conditions.
Libya: UN report documents targeting of human rights defenders
New York, Mar 26 (IBNS): Armed groups across Libya have targeted human rights defenders seeking to shed light on abuses, according to a new United Nations report that outlines a litany of violent attacks and threats against defenders in the country, and in some cases even after they are forced to leave.
UN officials urge protection for war’s youngest victims
New York, Mar 26 (IBNS): The international community must act “collectively and expeditiously†to thwart the growing number of children affected by armed conflicts, United NationsSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared on Wednesday, as the Security Council met to discuss the myriad horrors faced by children caught up in wars worldwide.
International Day: Ban calls for release of UN personnel unlawfully arrested
New York, Mar 26 (IBNS): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Wednesday for the release of all United Nations personnel who have been unlawfully arrested and detained, in a message to mark the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members.
Lowest weekly total of Ebola cases in 2015 reported: WHO
New York, Mar 26 (IBNS): The first case of Ebola in three weeks was found in Liberia, prompting heightened vigilance, while the United Nations health agency noted some improvements in Guinea, where the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Guinean Scouts held campfire sensitization sessions as part of its efforts to overcome community resistance to health interventions.
UN unveils permanent memorial to victims of transatlantic slave trade
New York, Mar 26 (IBNS): United Nations officials on Wednesday welcomed the unveiling at the world body’s New York Headquarters of a permanent memorial to the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade which they acknowledged was one of the most horrific tragedies of modern history.
After Germanwings crash, crew members declare unfit to fly
Frankfurt, Mar 25 (IBNS): After the tragic crash of its Airbus A320 in the French Alps between Barcelonnette and Digne on Tuesday with 150 people on board, Lufthansa's Germanwings airliner has announced that crew members have declared themselves unfit to fly resulting in the disruptions of several flights.