February 28, 2021 No comments
Myanmar: UN condemns escalating violence in deadliest day of protests so far
INTERNATIONAL, 28 February 2021, Human Rights - In response to the killing of at least 18 protesters demonstrating against Myanmar’s military coup, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Sunday together with the UN chief, strongly condemned the “escalating violence” and called for an immediate end to the use of force. More than 30 demonstrators have been wounded as police and military forces used live rounds together with less-than-lethal force against crowds nationwide protesting the month-long takeover, according to OHCHR, citing “credible information”. The Secretary-General António Guterres "strongly condemned" the violent weekend crackdown, said a statement issued by his Spokesperson. "He is deeply disturbed by the increase in deaths and serious injuries. The use of lethal force against peaceful protestors and arbitrary arrests are unacceptable." Mr. Guterres urged the international community "to come together...
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February 28, 2021 No comments
UNICEF urges repatriation of all children in Syria’s Al-Hol camp following deadly fire
INTERNATIONAL, 28 February 2021, Peace and Security - The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Sunday urged all countries to repatriate and safely reintegrate their young nationals being held at Syria’s largest camp for refugees and internally-displaced, following a deadly weekend fire at Al-Hol camp which saw at least three children die, and another 15 injured. In and around the notorious camp which has housed many families of alleged extremist fighters since the defeat of ISIL in Syria and neighbouring Iraq, “there are more than 22,000 foreign children of at least 60 nationalities who languish in camps and prisons, in addition to many thousands of Syrian children”, said UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Ted Chaiban. According to the UN, a fire broke out on Saturday evening during a...
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February 28, 2021 No comments
First Person: Yemen ‘cannot even afford to worry about the coronavirus’
INTERNATIONAL, 28 February 2021, Humanitarian Aid - In Yemen, whose people are living through a long-running, brutal war, which has led to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, COVID-19 is far from being a top priority, says the top UN refugee agency (UNHCR) official in the Arabian Peninsula country. UNHCR's Jean-Nicolas Beuze meets a Syrian woman at a refugee camp in Zarqa Governorate, Jordan in 2017., by © UNHCR/David Azia Famine, conflict and widespread poverty mean that Yemen is one of the toughest countries in the world in which to live, both for internally displaced people and refugees who have arrived from countries like Somalia. Ahead of a major international conference to raise funds for humanitarian aid initiatives in Yemen, UNHCR’s Jean-Nicolas Beuze has been speaking to the...
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February 28, 2021 No comments
FROM THE FIELD: Adapting to survive and thrive in Ghana
INTERNATIONAL, 28 February 2021, Climate and Environment - In the West African country of Ghana, many people from farming backgrounds are forced to find new ways to survive, as droughts, floods and erratic weather patterns upend age-old agricultural practices. Women across Ghana are learning how to process their crops into food stuffs that can be sold in markets., by UNDP/PraiseNutakor Programmes supported by the UN are helping, especially, women to acquire new skills, and adapt to an increasingly uncertain world. They’ve been learning how to process soy beans, shea and rice, turning them into more profitable products, such as soy milk, soy flour, and shea butter. Selling these processed goods at the local market, can help them to live through lean times, for example when drought and...
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February 27, 2021 No comments
FROM THE FIELD: Humanitarian crises of concern in 2021
INTERNATIONAL, 27 February 2021, Humanitarian Aid - The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated much of the world’s attention over the last 12 months, but many other crises will continue to require the urgent attention of the UN and the international community in 2021. A woman survivor of gender-based violence in Kalemie, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. , by UNOCHA/Alioune Ndiaye Syria and Yemen are probably the best known long-running conflict zones. A decade of fighting in Syria has seen millions of people displaced, many requiring humanitarian assistance. Yemen, meanwhile, remains the scene of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, where the risk of large-scale famine has never been more acute. Insecurity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been exacerbated by the pandemic,...
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