September 22, 2018 No comments
UN chief “alarmed” by violations of UN-backed ceasefire in Libya
INTERNATIONAL, 22 September 2018, Peace and Security - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated on Friday that he is “alarmed by the increasing number of violations of the ceasefire” in the capital of Libya, Tripoli, which has led to the death of dozens of civilians. Violence escalated in the city in August, with rival militias fighting and with tanks and heavy artillery deployed into residential neighborhoods. News reports indicate that, to date, over 100 Libyans have been killed in the violence and dozens more injured. The Secretary-General extended his condolences to those who have lost loved ones and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured as a result of the continuing violence. In addition, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), hundreds have been displaced by these...
Read more
September 21, 2018 No comments
As Yemen conflict rages, ‘all too abundantly clear’ millions of civilians are the ones losing – UN relief chief
INTERNATIONAL, 21 September 2018, Humanitarian Aid - Raising the alarm over the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen, the top United Nations relief official on Friday underscored the need for all parties to avoid further military activity around Hudaydah port – the vital lifeline through which food and fuel flows into the war-torn country. “It is far from clear that the recent intensification of fighting is producing any winners,” Mark Lowcock, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the Security Council on Friday. “It is, though, abundantly clear, all too abundantly clear, who the losers are: millions of Yemenis civilians, most of them women and children, whose lives are right on the line.” Bleak humanitarian situation Across Yemen – which was already among the world’s poorest countries...
Read more
September 21, 2018 No comments
Afghanistan: Short-term emergency can ‘derail’ years of progress, warns UN official
INTERNATIONAL, 21 September 2018, Humanitarian Aid - Even though Afghans today have better prospects for a semblance of peace than at any time in the past few years, immediate risks facing the country can seriously jeopardize progress and derail aspirations for a peaceful, secure and prosperous Afghanistan, a senior United Nations official warned on Friday. Speaking to the press at the UN Headquarters, in New York, Toby Lanzer, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, highlighted major achievements in the country, including economic progress for the third year in a row as well as upcoming parliamentary elections in October and presidential elections in April next year. However, alongside these Afghanistan also saw the killings of 13 journalists on the job – the highest number in the...
Read more
September 21, 2018 No comments
‘Faith and inspiration’ of late Kofi Annan needed now more than ever – UN chief Guterres
INTERNATIONAL, 21 September 2018, UN Affairs - At the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday led tributes to former UN chief Kofi Annan, who died on 18 August at the age of 80. Outlining Mr. Annan’s key achievements, the Secretary-General pointed to the mobilization of a global response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, that led to millions of lives being saved. He also pointed to the ground-breaking Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest, and have been credited with cutting world poverty by half. The MDGs, said Mr. Guterres, provided the blueprint for the 2030 Agenda, “today’s ambitious blueprint for a better world.” Referring to current attacks on multilateralism, Mr. Guterres called Mr. Annan “principled and...
Read more
September 21, 2018 No comments
DR Congo: Amid renewed risk of spread, Ebola virus leaves more than 150 children orphaned
INTERNATIONAL, 21 September 2018, Health - New Ebola virus hotspots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are threatening progress made in tackling the deadly disease and increasing its risk of spreading, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday. To date, there have been 142 cases of Ebola in the country’s north-east, with 97 deaths. According to WHO, the cities of Beni and Butembo, in North Kivu, have become the new hotspots for the disease. “Significant risks for further spread of the disease remain,” WHO Spokesperson Fadela Chaib told reporters in Geneva. “Continued challenges include contacts lost to follow-up, delayed recognition of [the virus] in health centres, poor infection prevention and control in health centres, and reluctance among some cases to be treatment in...
Read more
