August 13, 2018 No comments
UNICEF appeals for end to ‘war on children’ in Syria and Yemen
INTERNATIONAL, 13 August 2018, Peace and Security - Attacks against children caught in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen must stop, the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, appealed on Monday. In a tightly worded statement, UNICEF pointed out that since Sunday, 28 children were reported killed in Idlib and western Aleppo, located in northern Syria. The death toll included an entire family of seven. Furthermore, three UNICEF-supported health facilities were also attacked, two of which are now out of service. “The war on children in Syria is putting at least one million children at risk in Idlib alone,” said the statement, attributable to Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. These latest incidents follow the deaths of 21 children in Yemen last week, killed when their...
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August 13, 2018 No comments
Somalia: UN urges steps to ensure future elections not ‘marred’ by rights abuses seen in recent polls
INTERNATIONAL, 13 August 2018, Human Rights - In a report released on Monday, the United Nations urged Somalia to take steps to ensure future elections are not marred by the human rights violations and abuses committed during the 2016-2017 electoral process. “Insecurity, weak justice institutions, and an insufficient human rights protection system contributed to the lack of accountability for human rights violations throughout Somalia,” the report says, looking back at the 2016 polls and calling for prompt action to bolster human rights protections ahead of the 2020-2021 electoral process. The report – from the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the UN human rights office (OHCHR) – details violations and abuses by State security forces, including the police and intelligence agencies, and non-State groups, including...
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August 13, 2018 No comments
To beat hunger and combat climate change, world must ‘scale-up’ health of its soils – UN
INTERNATIONAL, 13 August 2018, Climate Change - Healthy soils are essential to achieve ‘Zero Hunger’ – and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – peace and prosperity, the United Nations agriculture agency chief underscored in Brazil at the World Congress of Soil Science. On Sunday, more than 2,000 scientists gathered in Rio de Janeiro under the theme “Soil Science: Beyond food and fuel,” for a week of exploring the increasingly complex, diverse role of soils; grappling with resilient agriculture practices to address environmental and climatic changes; and confronting threats to food security and sovereignty. “Soil degradation affects food production, causing hunger and malnutrition, amplifying food-price volatility, forcing land abandonment and involuntary migration-leading millions into poverty,” said José Graziano da Silva, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organizaation (FAO), in a...
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August 12, 2018 No comments
Free and secure access needed in DR Congo conflict zone to tackle Ebola – WHO
INTERNATIONAL, 12 August 2018, Health - After seeing first-hand the complexities of the Ebola response in the conflict-affected region of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) called for “free and secure” access to the disease-affected people. “All of those participating in the response must be able to move freely and safely in conflict areas to do the work that is needed to bring the outbreak under control,” said Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General. “The population must also have access to treatment centers that save lives and stop the spread of disease.” While this is the country’s 10th Ebola outbreak, it is the first time that the disease has struck a densely populated active conflict zone. As was...
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August 11, 2018 No comments
FROM THE FIELD: Sailing a traditional and sustainable path in Fiji’s tropical waters
INTERNATIONAL, 10 August 2018, Culture and Education - Young people in Fiji are helping to revive indigenous cultural practices of the Pacific Ocean island while learning about sustainable transport thanks to an initiative supported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Uto ni Yalo Trust/Samuela Ulacake They are sailing the traditional 72-foot long Fijian boat, Uto ni Yalo, which translates as ‘Heart of the Spirit’ and which is navigating along ancient Pacific trade and migratory routes to help re-establish historical ties. It’s also reviving significant cultural links between people all over the region. The boat is ferrying relief supplies to islands in the wake of tropical cyclones - demonstrating how low carbon sea transport can offset Fiji’s fossil fuel reliance and become a viable option for cargo transfer...
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