As Muslims observe the three-day holiday of Eid il-Fitr marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, the head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) António Guterres is visiting the Horn of Africa. Mr. Guterres is there to show solidarity with displaced Somalis. UNHCR says that over the Eid period, it is airlifting aid [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Young people in South Africa are learning life skills like self-confidence and teambuilding with Sports for Development. It is a programme supported by UNICEF that encourages children to play sports for their health, happiness and well being. It also provides a platform for identifying sporting talent and developing it. Jocelyne Sambira has more. Duration: 2'38''
The world's top ranked tennis player from Serbia has become a national ambassador for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) following his appointment at a ceremony in New York on Monday. Priyanka Pruthi of UNICEF Television reports. The world's Number One tennis player, Novak Djokovic, is now championing the cause of child rights. He was [...]
PART I: Barriers to equality remains for women: UN. 4'04'' PART II: World population to hit 7 billion in October. 3'58'' PART III: Once daily pill prevents HIV infection. 3'08 PART IV: HIV prevention guideline for men who have sex with men. 1'27'' Duration: 15'00″ Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra
The terrorist bombing of the United Nations compound in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, last Friday won't deter the United Nations from continuing its work in Nigeria. This message is being stressed by the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Asha-Rose Migiro, who has returned from Nigeria where she was dispatched immediately after the attack. Ms. Migiro says [...]
The United Nations won't be deterred by the terrorist car-bombing of its compound in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria on Friday last week in which 23 people were killed and more than 80 others injured. That's the message of the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Asha-Rose Migiro who went to Nigeria immediately after the bombing. Ms. [...]
Piracy, maritime armed robbery and reports of hostage taking in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa are increasing, according to the Security Council. The Council stresses the need for regional coordination and leadership in developing a comprehensive strategy to address this threat. It calls on the international community to support the [...]
Serbia does not and shall not recognize the independence of Kosovo which broke away from it in 2008, according to Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. The Minister was speaking in the Security Council during a discussion of the said territory which is administered by the United Nations. Mr. Jeremic urged United Nations member states to [...]
Political parties in Nepal have been urged to form an inclusive government following the election of a new Prime Minister. The call has come from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who has welcomed the election of Babu Ram Bhattarai a member of the Maoist Party, on Sunday. He is the fourth Prime Minister to be [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
"Atrocious" human rights violations are being uncovered in Libya and the United Nations says it is cause for extreme alarm. The opposition-led Libyan National Transitional Council or TNC says that 50,000 people have disappeared at the hands of government forces loyal to former leader Qadhafi. The UN is calling for an investigation. Jocelyne Sambira reports. [...]
Since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, there have been tensions between the two territories. They were part of the former Yugoslavia which disintegrated during the collapse of Eastern Europe in the early nineties. The acting head of the United Nations mission in Kosovo, Farid Zarif, says that problems caused by commercial issues persist [...]
Tensions caused by a commercial dispute continue between Kosovo and Serbia. That's what the acting head of the United Nations mission in Kosovo, Farid Zarif told the Security Council during his briefing on Tuesday. He said that the report of the United Nations Secretary-General presented to the Council paints a hopeful picture of the [...]
The first International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances is being marked by the United Nations on 30 August. The observance is aimed at putting a spotlight on the problem of people who simply disappear without trace and to remind victims and their families that they are not alone. Derrick Mbatha reports. Some states [...]
The head of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) António Guterres is on a three-day visit to the Horn of Africa to show solidarity with displaced Somalis. The visit comes on the start the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid il-Fitr marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Adrian Edwards is UNHCR spokesman in [...]
Over 250,000 people are without shelter following the deadly inter-communal clashes in Jonglei State of South Sudan, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The displaced are living in six makeshift camps without any protection from the heavy rains that continue to pound many parts of South Sudan. IOM with the support of the [...]
The United Nations says it is alarmed by reports of mass summary executions and other atrocious human rights violations in Libya. The violations appear to have mostly been carried out by forces loyal to the Gaddafi government, although there were reports of similar acts by rebel forces, according to the Office of the High Commissioner [...]
Authorities in Iraq have been urged by the United Nations not to forcibly deport Iranian exiles currently living in Camp Ashraf. The camp, situated in the eastern province of Diyala, houses members of a group known as the People's Mujahadeen of Iran. Ben Malor reports. The head of the UN Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) Ad [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
A second ship chartered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) evacuated 850 stranded migrants from the Libyan capital, Tripoli on Sunday evening. The ship was carrying migrants from Egypt, the Philippines, Lebanon, Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Jordan, Iraq and Ukraine. The agency says the evacuees, who are escaping widespread shortages of fuel, food, water and [...]
A mutant strain of the deadly bird flu virus has resurfaced in Asia, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization or FAO. FAO says that it's too early to know if the new strain, also known as H5N1 2.3.2.1, is more virulent. The advance of the virus is associated with wild bird migrations. FAO Chief [...]
A technical team from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is working with Libyan authorities to assess water wells and identify alternatives for water resources. UNICEF is responding to the immediate needs in Tripoli where it is concerned about a possible water shortage in the coming days. Derrick Mbatha reports. The United Nations children's agency [...]
Five community leaders known as Sheiks have been granted amnesty by Sudanese authorities in the troubled region of Darfur. The Sheiks, who were sheltering at the Community Policing Centre of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), returned to their homes on Monday. They went to the centre in July last year following [...]
All states have been urged by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to support the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The call comes on the observance of the International Day Against Nuclear tests observed on 29 August marking the 20th anniversary of the closure of the nuclear weapons test sites in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. The Secretary-General says that although [...]
There is a high prevalence of HIV among sex workers in Asia. However, thanks to new policies and programmes, the region has seen a dramatic drop in new infections. This progress is now threatened by the ever changing face of the epidemic. Across the region, HIV epidemics among men who have sex with men are [...]
A new strain of the deadly Bird Flu virus is spreading across Asia and beyond with unpredictable risks to human health according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). At least eight people have died in Cambodia this year after being infected with the bird flu virus. Patrick Maigua Reports from Geneva. The UN Food and Agricultural [...]
29 August 2011 is the International Day Against Nuclear Tests. It's a day of special significance for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which outlaws all nuclear explosions, anytime, anywhere. More than 180 countries of the world have committed to the Treaty. But before it can enter into force, nine remaining nuclear holder States must [...]
There is a high prevalence of HIV among sex workers in Asia. However, thanks to new policies and programmes, the region has seen a dramatic drop in new infections. This progress is now threatened by the ever changing face of the epidemic. Across the region, HIV epidemics among men who have sex with men are [...]
A former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) has pleaded guilty to contempt of court charges at International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. ShefqetKabashi is a key witness in the trial of Ramush Haradinaj, a former commander of the KLA and Prime Minister of Kosovo. In 2007, Mr. Kabashi was [...]
United Nations Secretary Ban Ki-moon is considering deploying a UN mission to help rebuild Libya. On Friday afternoon Mr. Ban discussed the situation in Libya via a video conference with leaders of the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the African Union and the European Union. He told reporters in New York [...]
It's estimated that statelessness affects some 12 million people worldwide. The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, has begun a campaign appealing to more countries to sign up to two United Nations conventions on statelessness in order to find a durable global solution to the problem. Viet Nam is one country that has introduced one solution [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
All actors involved in United Nations peacekeeping operations should have their views heard when decisions are made about peacekeeping mandates. That's what the Security Council says in a statement adopted at a meeting it held on Friday to take stock of peacekeeping operations. The statement reaffirms that under the Charter of the United Nations, the [...]
A second boat has left the Libyan city of Benghazi for Tripoli to deliver humanitarian assistance and evacuate more migrants stranded by fighting there. The departure of the ship, chartered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), follows the successful evacuation of a first group of 263 migrants from Tripoli on Thursday night. IOM spokesperson, [...]
The delivery of water, food and medical services is an urgent priority now in Libya, according to the United Nations. Die hard Qadhafi loyalists are still battling it out in the capital Tripoli, where media reports indicate that rebel forces are in control. The UN and its diplomatic partners are calling for the release of [...]
It's been nearly 20 years since the groundbreaking UN Conference on Environment and Development took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That conference focused on environmental sustainability. This year's annual conference of the UN Department of Public Information and Non-Governmental Organizations, will discuss how far we've advanced in achieving sustainable development and the increasing importance [...]
An extremely dangerous storm surge caused by Hurricane Irene is threatening to raise water levels above normal tide levels over the Bahamas. The warning has come from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) which says that Hurricane Irene continued to batter Northern Bahamas as a category 3 on Thursday night. WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis says that [...]
More than 3,700 Somalis have arrived in Yemen on rickety boats across the Gulf of Aden. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says this is happening as fewer Somalis are being displaced within their own country. Flights into Kenya and Ethiopia are also decreasing. The agency says the arrival of Somalis in Yemen is testament [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned Friday's attack on the United Nations main office in the Nigerian capital Abuja. He has despatched the Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Asha-Rose Migiro, to Nigeria immediately to the scene of a bomb blast.. Ms. Migiro was already in Africa for a Horn of Africa Pledging Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. [...]
An attack on the United Nations building in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Friday morning has been condemned by United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. A car bomb blast at the building housing 26 United Nations humanitarian and development agencies has reportedly killed at least 10 people and left a number of others badly injured. Mr. [...]
Despite continuing efforts by humanitarian agencies to scale up their response to the Horn of Africa drought crisis, the situation continues to deteriorate, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA. The sheer scope of the disaster, access and logistical constraints, poor harvests, unfavorable weather outlook and shortfall in food supply and [...]
• More than 12 million people in the Horn of Africa need urgent humanitarian assistance in the face of drought and famine. The UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) is warning that the situation is getting worse. The agency is also stressing the need to look into long- term solutions to the crisis in the region. Mozambique [...]
The holding of the run-off presidential election in Cape Verde last Sunday has been welcomed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Mr. Ban congratulates Jorge Carlos Fonseca for winning the election which was widely acclaimed by international observers as peaceful and credible. He commends the people of Cape Verde for participating in the voting in [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
More than 12 million people worldwide are living without citizenship of any country, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and denial of basic human rights, according to the UN Refugee agency UNHCR. Although statelessness is a global phenomenon, the problem is most acute in South East Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Economic growth in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) showed some improvement in 2010, although unemployment, poverty and food insecurity remains high according to the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The economy grew by 9.3 per cent but was largely driven by support provided by donors as opposed to local productivity. UNCTAD says restrictions on the importation of raw [...]
PART I: 60% increase in trade aid since 2005 1'17'' PART II: Progress made in poverty reduction despite global economic downturn. 5'05'' PART III: Haitian inmates learn to read and write while serving time. 2'49'' PART IV: Cattle killer rinderpest eradicated. 3'14'' Duration: 14'43″ Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra
1. Floods in Pakistan : FAO returns to Pakistan flood-relief camps 2. UN fact finding mission on Syria: Syrian security forces may have committed crimes against humanity 3. Sponsors & organizers of Iraqi terror attacks should also be brought to justice, says UN Security Council 4. FAO to host meeting in Rome to take stock [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Plans to evacuate hundreds of migrant workers trapped in Libya's have been put off after heavy fighting for the control of the capital Tripoli prevented a boat chartered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) from docking at the Tripoli port. IOM says the permission to dock given to the boat captain yesterday by the [...]
The UN Human Rights Council is to send an international commission of inquiry to Syria to investigate human rights violations committed during the on going crackdown on anti government protests. At the conclusion of a two day special session on Syria, the council overwhelmingly adopted a resolution which condemned continued human rights violations by the [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Violence against civilians has escalated in Syria even after President Bashar Al-Assad's promise to the United Nations to end army operations. At least 40 people have been killed since last week, bringing the total number of casualties to two thousand, according to the UN human rights chief, Navi Pillay. The Human Rights Council has convened [...]
Syrian Authorities are still using military force to quell peaceful demonstrations, according to the UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay. At least 40 people were killed between Thursday and Friday last week by Syria military and security forces just a day after President Assad assured the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that there were no [...]
In the aftermath of the Tropical Storm Haima, entire villages in Lao were destroyed. Many of the wooden homes were washed away. Only the sturdier brick homes remain submerged in water. Almost a month after the storm occurred, an estimated 100,000 people have left the area. Duration: 2’39″
Sérgio Vieira de Mello died in a terrorist attack in 2003 while on duty in Iraq's capital Baghdad after 40 years of humanitarian service. The Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad also claimed the lives of 22 UN staff members and wounded more than 150 people. The top UN envoy in Iraq had been on assignment [...]
Indian nationals, both men and women, are being trafficked to Jamaica and other islands in the Caribbean. They are being told, says Chissey Mueller of the International Organization for Migration, that lucrative jobs await them. When they arrive, however, they are forced into prostitution or to work in exploitative conditions. Gerry Adams asked Ms. Mueller [...]
A suicide bomber has attacked a mosque in north-west Pakistan reportedly killing more than 40 people and injuring over a 100. The Secretary-General has strongly condemned the act and says he is appalled at the deliberate attack at a place of worship. August is the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. A teenager is said to [...]
During humanitarian emergencies like earthquakes, tsunamis and even war, people often suffer from psychological distress. That's why the World Health Organization has devised a tool to help aid workers in the field assist disaster-affected populations. The psychological first aid guide for field workers, as WHO calls it, is being released to coincide with World Humanitarian [...]
World Humanitarian Day was observed on August 19th. It commemorates the day in August 2003 that a suicide truck bomb exploded at the United Nations offices in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 22 UN staff, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Sergio Vieira de Mello. It was the first time in the history of humanitarian work [...]
An event honouring aid workers who have given their lives to humanitarian service as well as those who continue to brave dangers to help people in need is being commemorated by the United Nations. World Humanitarian Day marked every year on 19 August, is a celebration of people helping people. This year's event also aims [...]
An estimated six thousand Palestinian refugees displaced by fighting in the Syrian port city of Latakia have been located. Earlier in the week, the United Nations Relief and Works for Palestine Refugees or UNRWA had voiced concern over the well-being of these refugees after fighting took place in the area. Syrian security forces reportedly used [...]
Distribution of relief aid in the drought stricken Horn of Africa region continues, although lack of funding and disease outbreaks are compounding the relief efforts according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The UN World Food Programme(WFP) is boosting nutritional support for more than 90,000 children at the Dadaab refugee [...]
"Outrageous" and "shocking" are the words used by the UN human rights chief, Navi Pillay, to describe the deliberate killings of civilian protestors in Syria. Ms. Pillay was referring to the findings of a fact-finding mission sent to investigate a violent crackdown of pro-democracy demonstrators by Syrian security forces. Close to 2,000 people have reportedly [...]
United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay says a fact-finding report on Syria has identified 50 individuals as suspects behind the killing of civilian protestors in Syria. The report says 1,900 people have been killed in a violent government crackdown since mid-March. This includes 353 people who were summarily executed. Ms. Navi Pillay says all [...]
The World Health Organization will receive 100 million euros of Libya's frozen funds from the Dutch government to buy medical supplies. The UN Security Council in February had imposed travel bans and asset freezes on Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, members of his family and his inner circle. Low medical supplies, rising food prices and significant [...]
The head of the United Nations peacekeeping force in Lebanon is seeking to defuse tensions over the line that separates Israel and Lebanon. The demarcation line known as the Blue Line was drawn by the United Nations after Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000. The meeting with Lebanese and Israeli commanders seeks to avoid a [...]
Burundi and Uganda are offering an additional three thousand troops to reinforce the African Union Mission in Somalia or AMISOM. That's according to Augustine Mahiga, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia. He's currently in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa where he briefed a special session of the African Union's Peace and Security Council on Somalia. Mahiga [...]
Peacekeepers are urgently needed in Somalia to occupy the areas evacuated by the Al Sahaab rebels, according to the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Augustine Mahiga. Mahiga says that Al Shabaab is expected to resort to classical terrorist and guerrilla tactics. Therefore he has appealed for countries to deploy more troops. The Secretary-General's Representative was speaking at [...]
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned a series of coordinated terrorist attacks carried out in southern Israel. Gunmen fired at a bus travelling close to the Israeli-Egyptian border killing six people and injuring many more, media reports in the region say. Two other vehicles in the same area were subsequently hit by either rocket fire [...]
Over three million people are on the brink of starvation in Somalia, says Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos. In addition, more than 12 million across the wider region, which includes Kenya, Djibouti and Ethiopia, are in need of food and humanitarian assistance due to the effects of the worst drought in decades. The UN [...]
The Food and Agriculture Organization is hosting a meeting in Rome to take stock of the evolving crisis in the Horn of Africa triggered by a prolonged drought and famine in several regions of Somalia. FAO says member countries, as well as humanitarian and development partners, are attending. Delegates are looking at the root causes [...]
A fact-finding mission on Syria has found the Syrian government guilty of "widespread and systematic" attacks against its own people that could possibly amount to crimes against humanity. The report produced by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights or OHCHR says these crimes may also warrant an investigation by the International [...]
The Security Council has condemned a series of terrorist attacks that hit Iraqi cities across the country earlier in the week. Suicide bombers, car bombs and improvised devices were used to carry out these strikes in which reportedly 80 civilians were killed and 300 others wounded. Members of the Council are calling on Iraqi authorities [...]
Government security forces in Syria may have committed crimes against humanity during the violent crackdown of demonstrations by opposition groups, according to a report by the UN Fact finding mission on Syria. Although the mission was denied access to Syria, it says it received numerous reports of gross violations of human rights including murder, summary [...]
Airplanes and unmanned drone attacks must avoid killing civilians, particularly women and children, a senior United Nations official has warned. Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict is urging all international forces to redouble their efforts to ensure that such casualties do not take place. She says she still receives reports [...]
Efforts need to be scaled up to assist the millions of people suffering in Somalia, according to United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos. Ms. Amos has just returned from a three-day visit to Kenya and Somalia. She warns that medicine and other essential supplies are lacking. So far donors have provided more than $1.3 [...]
The World Health Organization will receive 100 million euros of Libya’s frozen funds from the Dutch government to buy medical supplies. The UN Security Council in February had imposed travel bans and asset freezes on Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, members of his family and his inner circle. Low medical supplies, rising food prices and significant [...]
The U.N.-backed Lebanon court has ruled that there is enough evidence for a trial over the killing of the country's former Prime minister. Rafik al-Hariri was killed in a car bombing in February 2005. In June, four men had been indicted by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the Hague for their involvement in the [...]
The United Nations is temporarily relocating some staff from Syria amid mounting concern regarding the violent government crackdown against civilian demonstrators, according to Michael Williams, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon. Mr. Williams also said he was "very concerned" about the situation in the northern port city of Latakia, where Syrian military forces launched an [...]
The Dutch government has decided to unfreeze a portion of Libya's assets and give the funds to the World Health Organization. WHO says it will receive 100 million euros to buy medical supplies to the Libyan population suffering from the ongoing crisis. The supplies will go to both government and rebel controlled areas. The agency [...]
The World Health Organization has released a first aid guide designed to help humanitarian and emergency workers in the field deal with psychological issues during disasters. Humanitarian emergencies like earthquakes, extreme drought, or war can affect people's physical health as well as their mental health. This guide will provide support to people in acute distress [...]
Funding by donor governments for the AIDS response in low- and middle-income countries fell in 2010. That's according to a new study by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS and the Kaiser Family Foundation. In their annual funding analysis, $6.9 billion was disbursed for HIV prevention, treatment, care and support in 2010. That's 10% less [...]
The demand for elephant ivory and rhino horn is increasing in Asia, according to a UN backed Convention to preserve wildlife, CITES. In Vietnam, rhino horns are said to have cancer-fighting properties. Meanwhile in China, elephant ivory has become a favourite among the new upper class looking to have traditional Chinese ivory carvings made. Bypassing [...]
PART I: Chinese ageing rate ''rarely seen in the world'' 1'41'''' PART II: World still unprepared for major influenza pandemic. 3'17'' PART III Ending hazardous child labour in India. 2'48'' PART IV: No sustainable future without care of the oceans. 2'39'' Duration: 14'47″ Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra
Nuclear-based techniques are effective for measuring the amount of nutrients absorbed by plants and the soil. These techniques also help develop efficient water management strategies for crop production and environmental preservation. Joseph Miriti, a soil scientist from Kenya, learned that from a training organized by the UN's nuclear agency, IAEA, in Vienna. He shared with [...]
The United Nations and its partners for peace in the Middle East, otherwise known as the Quartet, have expressed grave concern over Israel's plans to build new housing units in Ariel and East Jerusalem. In addition to the UN, the Quartet is comprised of the European Union, Russia and the United States. The Quartet called [...]
Several buildings belonging to human rights groups in Azerbaijan's capital Baku have been destroyed despite a ruling by a local court prohibiting the move. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights or OHCHR is calling on the authorities to investigate the demolitions. The buildings destroyed belonged to the Institute of Peace and Democracy [...]
Two thousand people arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa over the weekend from Libya and Tunisia, the United Nations refugee agency reports. People continue to make this perilous journey from the two North Africa countries for a variety of reasons, the agency notes. A group of Sudanese men from Libya said they were rounded [...]
Fighting in the remote Western Jebel Marra region in Darfur has left several towns in the area isolated and cut off from humanitarian aid. UN agencies in the region launched “Operation Spring Basket” in May to allow the delivery of aid to insecure and remote areas in Darfur, including Jebel Marra. A seven day mission [...]
Four hundred thousand people displaced from the Western Jebel Marra Sudanese region of Darfur were able to receive aid after two years of isolation. Clashes between the Sudanese army and rebels have made it difficult for humanitarian agencies to get into the area. UN agencies led by the joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur, [...]
Indian nationals, both men and women, are being trafficked to Jamaica and other islands in the Caribbean. They are being told, says Chissey Mueller of the International Organization for Migration, that lucrative jobs await them, but when they are arrive, they are forced into prostitution or to work in exploitative conditions. Gerry Adams asked Ms. [...]
Poaching and illegal trading in elephant ivory are on the rise. That's according to a recent report by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES. The CITES programme for Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) says last year saw the highest levels of elephant poaching since [...]
Humanitarian agencies in Iraq say they are alarmed by the growing number of foreign migrant workers seeking humanitarian aid and protection after being abandoned by private companies in Baghdad. The International Organization for Migration IOM says the workers are being forced to live in unsanitary conditions, have no food, lack funds to enable them return [...]
Hundreds of Somali children have died over the past two months as a deadly combination of measles and acute malnutrition takes its toll on Somali refugees in Ethiopia, according to the UN Refugee Agency UNHCR. The agency says at least 10 children under the age of five are dying daily at the Kobe refugee [...]
The UN Security Council is calling on all Somali stakeholders to attend a three day meeting in the country in September to discuss key tasks and priorities for the next 12 months. Council President and Permanent Representative of India Hardeep Singh Puri told reporters in New York that the Council stood behind the UN envoy [...]
KARI, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, has sent many agricultural specialists to participate in a fellowship programme sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA. The programme gives men and women from all its member states a chance to get project-related, on-the-job experience and training at the Agency's laboratories and in field projects around [...]
The five countries bordering the Caspian Sea are to introduce an emergency response system to tackle oil pollution under a new United-Nations backed treaty. Delegates from Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have just concluded a meeting in Aktu, Kazakhstan, according to the UN Environment Programme or UNEP. The oil boom in the region surrounding [...]
A possible theft of food aid has been uncovered in Somalia and is being investigated by the World Food Programme. WFP says it is strengthening its monitoring and control of food supplies in the area. Food sacks bearing the WFP stamp are reportedly being sold in the markets in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. The [...]
More than 5,000 Palestinian refugees living in a camp in the Syrian port city of Latakia are missing, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency or UNRWA. Syrian security forces have reportedly been using gunboats and tanks to shell the city since Sunday. UNRWA Spokesperson Chris Gunness says he has no idea where [...]
A series of bomb attacks including suicide bombers, car bombs and improvised explosive devices have hit Iraqi cities across the country. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the attacks in which 60 people have reportedly been killed and several others wounded. Mr. Ban Ki-moon says the attacks are "particularly heinous" since they took place during [...]
1. 1500 Afghan refugees resetteled in Bani Najjar, Iran : UNHCR report 2. Ban Ki-moon asks young people to “Change the world” 3. Population movement in Somalia fuels cholera outbreak: WHO 4. UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos to visit Kenyan camps 5. Horn of Africa crisis surpasses Somalia's 1991 famine, UN official says 6. FAO [...]
The United Nations is calling for a thorough investigation into crimes committed in Sudan's Southern Kordofan state after fighting broke out on 5 June between the Sudanese army and rebels. A report produced by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights or OHCHR and the UN Mission in Sudan describes attacks against civilians [...]
Crimes against humanity may have been committed by government and rebel forces, during the recent spate of violence in the disputed Sudanese region of South Kordofan, according to a report by the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR). The report describes a wide range of alleged violations of international law in the town of Kadugli, as [...]
1. Commemoration of International Day of Indigenous People. Duration: 8’31″
Syrian security forces launch assault on Latakia The United Nations agency helping Palestinian refugees has expressed grave concern over reports that Syrian security forces have fired at a refugee camp in the country's northern port city of Latakia. UNRWA spokesperson Chris Gunness says poor communications make it impossible to confirm the exact number of dead [...]
Saving elephant ivory, rhino horns from poachers and illegal traders are some of the topics being discussed at a UN convention on the protection of wildlife from extinction or CITES. 175 countries are signatories to the convention. CITES meets every three years to debate trade proposals by the member states. John Scanlon, Secretary General of [...]
Controlling the trade in wild animals and plants has never been more important. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says species are disappearing at a rate up to 10,000 times higher than normal. For plants and animals already in danger, trade controls can often mean the difference between the survival of a species [...]
The international community must do more to help the famine-stricken Somalis who continue to cross into Kenya to seek aid, the United Nations humanitarian chief said. Ms. Valerie Amos was on a visit to Dadaab in north-eastern Kenya to see first-hand the crisis gripping the region. Dadaab is home to more than 400,000 registered refugees, [...]
A senior United Nations official has welcomed today’s re-opening of the International Medical Corps (IMC), a non-governmental organization (NGO) that provides humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip. Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, expressed his appreciation regarding the important work of NGOs in Gaza. He also said he was [...]
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, has described the scenes she witnessed at a hospital in the Somali capital of Mogadishu as heartbreaking. One her one-day visit, Ms.Valerie Amos visited Banadir Hospital where children suffering from acute malnutrition were being treated. Ms. Amos says the children were so weak they could not life their [...]
Chad's growing cholera problem has raised the concern of humanitarian workers on the ground. Cholera outbreaks in the country usually appear during the rainy season but the disease has persisted throughout the dry season as well. Climate experts believe that extreme weather conditions have changed the ecology of the virus, causing it to multiply and [...]
Thousands of refugees who fled violence in Côte d'Ivoire are still being cared for by Liberian families in impoverished villages situated along the border. Hundreds of thousands of Ivorians were forced to flee their homes following the violence which was caused by disputed presidential elections in November last year Many are young children and as Daniel [...]
There are 5,000 distinct groups of indigenous peoples in some 90 countries around the world. They make up more than five per cent of the world’s population. On August 9th, they were celebrated at the United Nations during the annual International Day for the World's Indigenous Peoples. Sangini Rana of Nepal is with the Federation [...]
As the International Year of the Youth comes to an end, a day-long event featuring young women and girls keen on addressing global challenges and concerns took place at United Nations headquarters in New York. Called the UN International Year of Youth Culmination Celebration Day, the event provided a motivational forum for more than 200 [...]
Rain in Sierra Leone is becoming scare because of climate change. The farmers are the ones suffering the most, says agronomist Samuel Soki Harding. Their harvest is poor and they still rely on old farming techniques. Harding learned about drip irrigation at a training organized by the International Agency for Atomic Energy in Nairobi, Kenya. [...]
2,000 South Sudanese stuck at border to reach home Two thousand South Sudanese who were stranded in the border town of Renk are being assisted by the International Organization for Migration to return home. IOM has agreed to make available four barges on Sunday to transport them to their villages in Upper The returnees had [...]
Sustainable development will remain the Secretary-General's top priority during his second term as the head of the United Nations. Mr. Ban Ki-moon was speaking to Korean dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps during an official visit in the capital, Seoul. The General Assembly in June agreed to appoint Mr. Ban to a second consecutive [...]
The Wayuu Taya bag has become very fashionable in the United States and a great accessory for the socially conscious individual. It takes 21 days for one individual to make one hand woven bucket bag. But the money made has helped the indigenous women of Venezuela improve their lives while safeguarding their culture. Latin supermodel [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Demand for United Nations-led peacekeeping operations is likely to continue over the next five years, the outgoing head of UN peacekeeping has said. More than 120,000 peacekeepers are spread across 15 operations worldwide, ranging from Haiti and Kosovo to Timor-Leste and South Sudan. Le Roy gave Ari Gaitanis a glimpse of what it was like [...]
A Cholera epidemic has been confirmed among internally displaced Somalis who have fled into the capital Mogadishu, according to the World Health Organisation. 18 cases of cholera have been confirmed. Poor water and sanitation are the reasons behind an outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea in Mogadishu which has claimed 11 lives, among them four children. WHO [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has admitted before a visiting delegation from Brazil, India and South Africa to "some mistakes made by his security forces in battling protests." The delegates are members of an international tripartite group called IBSA, created to forge stronger cooperation between India, Brazil, and South Africa. IBSA has been playing an increasing [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Governments and health workers now have access to a new internet based tool developed by the World Health Organization which provides the latest scientific guidance on the management of health threats posed by malnutrition. The WHO e-library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA) has information on tackling the three main forms of malnutrition including undernutrition, [...]
PART I: A double barrelled challenge: climate change and international security. 3'23'' PART II: Jobs sought for 81 million young people. 3'14'' PART III: Statistics and Asian population. 3'17'' PART IV: Pulitzer prize winning play writer tackles issue of exploited women and girls. 2'47'' Duration: 15'00″ Narrated and Produced by Ambalika Misra
United Nations humanitarian workers in Sudan's troubled Darfur region are on a week-long mission to distribute aid. The joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission or UNAMID says food, medical supplies and other relief items are being delivered to people living in the West of the mountainous Jebel Marra. The town has been largely cut off from [...]
Tanzania has made history by becoming the first African country to release a study on the extent of all forms of violence against girls and boys in the country. Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Asha Rose Migiro has hailed the study as a breakthrough that shows how much Tanzania values the protection of [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Duration: 5’39″
The famine situation is worsening in south and central Somalia, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, FAO. However, the organization is encouraging people to remain in their localities to receive aid, as refugee camps in surrounding countries are rapidly reaching their full capacity. Conflict and increasing food prices are making the [...]
1. Two million people in Pakistan at risk of flooding again 2, Investing in sustainable agriculture for food security and poverty reduction. Duration: 8’34″
The Wayuu Taya bag has become very fashionable in the United States and a great accessory for the socially conscious individual. It takes 21 days for one individual to make one hand woven bucket bag. But the money made has helped the indigenous women of Venezuela improve their lives while safeguarding their culture. Latin supermodel [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The human rights situation in Iraq remains fragile as armed violence continues in the country. That's according to a new report released by the United Nations. 3,000 Iraqi civilians were killed violently in 2010, according to a new UN report. These killings have been largely carried out by armed insurgents and terrorist groups. The report [...]
Building purpose-driven for-profit ventures is something youth entrepreneur John Kluge says can do good for people, while doing well for businesses. His company is investing in mechanisms for social change, including better sanitation methods and education initiatives. Kluge spoke at a recent International Labour Organisation and UN Programme on Youth (UNPY) event at the UN promoting [...]
More than 2.6 billion people around the world live on less than $2 a day. To help lift the poorest out of poverty, MasterCard Foundation has been educating youth and increasing access to microfinance to those that need it most. They have also partnered with the International Labour Organisation to create tools so that youth [...]
Opening peoples eyes up to the world around them is what Chris Bashinelli says he does. The 24-year-old actor is the founder and face of "Bridge the Gap TV", a socially conscience production company. He was recently at an event in New York sponsored by the International Labour Organisation and the UN Programme on Youth [...]
An Anglican Bishop from Kadugli, the main town in Sudan's South Kordofan is describing the killings going on there as 'ethnic cleansing.' Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail is calling on the UN Security Council to protect the people of Nuba Mountains. Fighting broke out in the area in June between the Sudanese Armed Forces-SAF and the [...]
The number of Somali refugees who continue to arrive in the Dadaab refugee camps in north-east Kenya has increased to a daily average of 1,500. That's up from 1,300 a day in July, the UN's Refugee Agency says. To cope with the growing numbers, UNHCR has put in place a huge humanitarian operation at the [...]
Eighty-six Irish traveller families are facing forced evictions from their homes in the United Kingdom, according to UN independent human rights experts. The rights experts are calling on the UK government to halt the evictions process and pursue negotiations. The Basildon District Council in Essex has been trying to evict Irish Traveller families since the [...]
A prominent Belarusian human rights defender, Ales Bialatski, has been arrested in the capital, Minsk. Ravina Shamdasani of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says her office is concerned about his well-being. Bialatski is the President of Viasna, a human rights centre, and Vice-President of the International Federation for Human Rights. [...]
Immediate action is needed in Somalia and the Horn of Africa to save the lives and livelihoods of millions of farmers and pastoralists who are facing a drought and conflict-induced crisis across the region. This is the latest warning from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, following the declaration of famine in five regions [...]
One peacekeeper has died and another has been seriously wounded after an attack on their vehicle in South Darfur. The two soldiers were serving in the joint African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur or UNAMID. The identity of the assailants is unknown. Martin Nesirky says the mission's vehicle has been recovered. "Their vehicle came under [...]
Half of the children arriving in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya are severely malnourished, according to the UN's Children's Fund. With over 1,300 famine-affected Somalis crossing into Kenya every day, the camp resources are strained. Eighty percent of them are women and children. UNICEF is speeding up its delivery of ready-to-use therapeutic food to [...]
Syrian authorities have been using tanks against civilians in an escalation of force in the western Asian country, as tens of thousands of protesters demand an end to the regime of President Bashar Assad. One hundred people have died in Syria in the last four days and thousands in recent weeks, says Christof Heyns, United [...]
One hundred people have died in the last 4 days as the crackdown by the Syrian government on its own people continues. The death toll has now risen to over a thousand, says the Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions. Christof Heyns says he is worried about the killings but also about the [...]
The UN Children's Fund is increasing its delivery of ready-to-use therapeutic food as the needs grow for Somalis fleeing the famine into Kenya. The influx of new arrivals is straining resources in the Dadaab refugee camps and host communities. Somali refugees are arriving in Dadaab at an average rate of 1,300 per day, and nearly [...]
Cholera has broken out in drought and famine affected areas in Somalia the World Health Organization has confirmed. The agency says that acute watery diarrhoea, a symptom of cholera, is on the rise in the country. From Geneva Claire Doole reports. In drought hit Somalia millions of people are at risk of cholera, an acute [...]
Prince Charles' organization "Youth Business International" believes in giving young people the capital to start their own companies. They helped a young man in China start a home cleaning business and another young man in Kenya start a garbage collection company. The International Labour Organisation has been promoting partnerships between young people and the private [...]
The international community must tangibly demonstrate even greater levels of trust and faith in the youth. The call comes from the Permanent representative of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ambassador Camillo Gonsalves. He told the General Assembly's High-Level Meeting on Youth that the challenges they face are often without parallel in historical memory. Gonsalves: In [...]
In light of the new challenges affecting youth, Trinidad and Tobago says it recognizes the need to further develop and improve the current international framework on youth. Trinidad and Tobago's representative Ambassador Rodney Charles told a high-level meeting on youth that his country has developed a National Youth Policy in recognition of the importance of [...]
Grenada has expressed solidarity with all the youth worldwide who are set upon by wars, famine and bombings. Ambassador Dessima Williams told a high-level meeting on youth that Grenada, especially mourns the hundreds dying everyday in the Horn of Africa from famine. At the same time, she said the conference is an opportunity for the [...]
The unpredictable security situation in western Côte d'Ivoire and capital, Abidjan, is hampering the delivery of humanitarian assistance and discouraging many people from returning home. OCHA reports that the internally displaced are hesitant to head home due to insecurity, intimidation and the uncertainty of receiving assistance. Half a million people remain displaced by the violence [...]
A mother's depression can negatively effect the growth of her child in developing countries, says a study by the World Health Organization. The study was carried out in 11 middle and low income countries and included nearly 14 thousand mother and child pairs. It found that maternal depression was associated with early childhood underweight issues [...]
The United Nations is encouraging all political actors in Haiti to reach a consensus on a new government. Haiti has been without a government for almost three months, the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti says. The reason behind it is the ongoing struggle between President Michel Martelly and Parliament over the confirmation of a new [...]
A report released today by the UN Environment Programme- UNEP – shows that oil pollution in the Ogoniland region of Nigeria is posing serious threats to ecosystems and human health and that it could take up to 30 years to repair the damage caused to the environment. The report recommends that the Nigerian government and [...]
The environmental restoration of the Ogoniland region in Nigeria could prove to be the world's biggest oil clean-up. That's according to a landmark report released by the United Nations Environment Programme-UNEP. UNEP recommends that one billion dollars be paid by the oil industry and the Nigerian government to restore the local environment over the next [...]
As many as 20 out of every ten thousand children under the age of five are dying each day in parts of drought-hit Somalia. That's five times higher than the death rate used to define an area as being in famine. Latest figures from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, show that famine in the [...]
Senior Government officials at a special session of the General Assembly have called on Member States, with the support of the United Nations, to take action to enable young people to overcome widespread unemployment and other problems. They've also urged the UN to ensure that the youth participate integrally in global efforts for peace and [...]
Perhaps no one knows more about engaging the youth of today than Ronan Farrow. He was a child prodigy, who has grown up to be a humanitarian and activist, among other things. The 24-year-old says having young people at the center of programs that foster positive change around the world is key. Farrow is a [...]
The Security Council has condemned the widespread violations and use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities. In a presidential statement issued by Hardeep Sing Puri, the Council members called for an immediate end to all violence in Syria and urged all sides to act with restraint. The Council also expressed its profound regret [...]
A fact-finding exercise is taking place following allegations of a major cyber attack on the United Nations. Martin Nesirky, the Secretary-General's Spokesperson, says the UN office in Geneva is verifying whether the intrusion took place or not. Security experts on Wednesday revealed that a series of cyber attacks over five years has affected a huge [...]
Three more areas of Somalia have slipped into famine, the UN says. Mark Bowden, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia has now declared famine in the Afgoye corridor, the capital Mogadishu and Middle Shabelle. The Afgoye cooridor, located just outside Mogdishu, is home to thousands of internally displaced people. Augustine Mahiga, the UN envoy in [...]
The famine in Somalia appears to have spread to three more areas, bringing the total to five, according to the UN envoy for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga. Mahiga says the affected areas are under the control of Al Shabab rebels, where access is restricted. Al Shabab is a militant Islamist group in Somalia that is waging [...]
Alain Le Roy, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, is retiring at the end of August for family reasons. Mr. Le Roy has been head of UN Peacekeeping for three years. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon thanked Mr. Le Roy for his outstanding service, saying his three year tenure has seen extraordinary challenges in peacekeeping in countries like [...]
A senior United Nations official today appealed to Somalis inside and outside the country to help alleviate the suffering of those affected by the famine. Augustine Mahiga is asking them to give as much as they can during the Holy Month of Ramadan to feed the hungry. The Somali diaspora sends $2 billion dollars a [...]
There is a growing trend for a more robust form of peacekeeping, says the outgoing Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. Alain Le Roy says it has happened in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in Côte d'Ivoire and in Sudan. The French diplomat says the support of the Security Council has been instrumental in allowing for [...]
Just how much can the state restrict freedom of expression? That's one of the most sensitive topics in international human rights law. Now, new guidelines covering blasphemy, terrorism and when you can and can't let people know exactly what you think have been agreed by the United Nations Human Rights Committee. Nicki Chadwick spoke to [...]
The recent exchange of gunfire between Lebanese and Israeli forces along their common border could easily lead to war, according to the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Michael Williams. In a meeting with the Lebanese Prime Minister, Williams described the incident that took place along the UN Blue Line in the Wazzani area as "disturbing". [...]
PART I: Among other issues India will focus on peace keeping during it's presidency of Security Council for the month of August: says Indian ambassador. 4'17'' PART II: Two million people in Pakistan at risk of flooding; while drought stricken Somalia is getting aid despite rebel claims. 3'16'' PART III: Hepatitis screening needed to tackle [...]
PART I: Historic 2000th Security Council resolution adopted. 3'53'' PART II: Middle East coordinator warns of danger if peace talks do not resume. Mean while Palestinians seek statehood from the UN. 5'03'' PART III: Norway stands united in democracy and openness following massacre. 2'33'' PART IV: WHO warns against TB blood test. 0'57'' Duration: 10'00″ [...]
The new United Nations Special Rapporteur for the Islamic Republic of Iran says he's seeking the co-operation of Iranian authorities on the country's human rights situation. Ahmed Shaheed, who's just taken up the new post, has appealed to the Iranian government to give its full co-operation with his mandate, as required by the UN Human [...]
There is no question that social media is playing a role in helping non-profits change the world. Matthew Mahan and his team took this idea and turned it into an app called Facebook Causes. So far it has raised $40 million from users for various charities around the world. He recently attended a UN event [...]
United Nations special envoy for Libya has met with China's foreign minister Yang Jiechi to discuss the crisis in the North African country. Abdel-Elah Al-Khatib has recently returned from Libya where he talked to representatives of the warring parties. The Secretary-General's spokesperson Martin Nesirky says the UN envoy expressed his satisfaction with UN efforts to [...]
The situation with children fleeing famine in Somalia is mind-boggling, according to UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Operations, Louis-George Arsenault. Arsenault has just returned from a week long mission to the Horn of Africa, where a dire humanitarian crisis is brewing. He was able to visit camps in Ethiopia and Kenya where thousands of Somalis are [...]
Four United Nations peacekeepers serving in Sudan's troubled Abyei area were killed on Tuesday and seven others injured in a landmine explosion, the UN reports. The Ethiopian blue helmets were part of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei or UNISFA. The Security Council established the mission after heavy fighting between northern and southern Sudanese [...]
1. Fighting in Mogadishu puts civilians further at risk 2. Famine stricken Somalis escaping to Kenya 3. Deadly anti-government protests in Malawi condemned by UN 4. 252 million dollars more needed to feed the hungry in Horn of Africa 5. Two million pep[le in Pakistan at risk of flodding again 6. UN envoy Robert Sperry [...]
The head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is calling for those responsible for killing an Afghan journalist to be brought to justice. Irina Bokova says his death is a loss for Afghanistan, a country struggling for democracy and the rule of law. Ahmad Omed Khpalwak was a freelance reporter for [...]
Investing in young people and their future is a win win for the private sector. That's the message the International Labour Organisation wants businesses to know. The ILO and the UN Programme on Youth (UNPY) held several events during the UN High-Level meeting on Youth to promote partnerships between young people and the private sector to work together [...]
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has urged the Syrian government to 'stop the bloodshed' of the Syrian people. One hundred forty anti-government protestors have been killed and many others injured in violent attacks by security forces. The High Commissioner has demanded that the persistent violation of human rights against peaceful [...]
The status of the European Union at the United Nations has been formally upgraded after the adoption in Europe of the Lisbon Treaty. The Lisbon Treaty provides the new constitutional basis of the European Union and has required that the 27-country organisation redefines it s relationship with the United Nations. Daniel Dickinson asked Pedro Serrano, [...]
Ongoing fighting in the Somali capital of Mogadishu is affecting the ability of UN agencies to deliver assistance to the populations in distress. The UN refugee agency or UNHCR says the staff's only means of travel in the city is in heavily armoured vehicles protected by security escorts. The agency is preparing to deliver assistance [...]
More than half a million children in the Horn of Africa will die within weeks if they do not get help, according to the United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF. The agency is appealing to airlines to help carry thousands of tonnes of vital food supplies, either free of charge or at a reduced rate, to [...]
Airlines are being asked to carry vital food supplies for starving children in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa, free of charge or at a fraction of the normal cost. The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, says it desperately needs help from the air transport industry to get 400 metric tonnes of supplies to the Horn [...]
The UN Security Council has called for an emergency meeting following a violent crack down on anti-government protestors by security forces in Syria. The meeting which is being held behind closed doors was called by Germany. Hundreds of peaceful demonstrators have reportedly been killed. The UN Secretary-General has condemned the violence calling on the Syrian [...]
$ 1.4 billion is needed immediately to stop the famine in Somalia from spreading, the United Nations humanitarian chief said. Valerie Amos told a press conference in New York the money will enable relief organizations working in the Horn of Africa region to scale up their response to the crisis. OCHA has already declared famine [...]
Two Palestinians were killed and five Israeli soldiers wounded in a raid at a Palestinian camp north of Jerusalem. The UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, has expressed concern over the killings. Israeli soldiers reportedly carried out the operation for security reasons, says Martin Nesirky, the Secretary-General's Spokesman. "Mr. Serry calls [...]
The United Nations says it has opened an investigation into a brief exchange of fire that occurred between Lebanese and Israeli forces along their common border. No casualties have been reported. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon says the firing has since ceased and the situation in the area is quiet. Martin Nesirky is the [...]
A peaceful demonstration at Tahrir Square on Friday turned into one of the largest pro-Islam demonstrations to take place in Egypt. Khawala Matter of the United Nations Information Centre in the capital Cairo says it was the last day of a three week sit-in to demand speedier reforms. Last spring the Egyptian youth took to [...]
25 migrants were reportedly found dead in the hub of a ship transporting 300 people to the Italian island of Lampedusa, according to the International Organization for Migration or IOM. The agency says 270 people were saved by Italian coastguards. The majority of the migrants travelling on the ship are from Sub-Saharan Africa. Following the [...]
Breastfeeding is important to improving child health and nutrition regardless of what part of the world you live in. During World Breastfeeding Week celebrated August 1st through to 7 , the UN is calling for the benefits of breastfeeding to be broadcast beyond the clinics and delivery rooms. Only 36 per cent of infants under [...]
Islamist groups in Egypt staged a sit-in at Tahrir Square in a show of force on Friday calling for an Islamic state ruled by Sharia law. That's according to Khawala Matter, the United Nations Information Centre Director in the capital, Cairo. Matter says the sit-in was initially organized by pro-democracy forces in the country to [...]
Hundreds of anti-government protestors have been killed or injured in Syria on Sunday in a violent offensive by security forces. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on the Government to stop the use of force against civilians "immediately". Mr. Ban Ki-moon reminds the Syrian authorities of their obligation to respect the rights of their [...]
"Talk to me! Breastfeeding – A 3D Experience" is the catchy theme for World Breastfeeding Week 2011, taking place from August 1st to the 7th. Dr. Maria del Carmen Casanovas of the World Health Organization briefed Gerry Adams on some of the long-term benefits of the practice for babies. She also talked about breastfeeding in times of [...]
Experts say that within 20 years, India will overtake China as the most populous nation on the planet. According to this years census, there were 1.21 billion people living in the country. As India expands, more people are moving from rural areas to cities in search on employment and better living opportunities. Pat Duffy reports. [...]
