July 21, 2018 No comments
UN chief urges Hamas and Israel to ‘step back from the brink of another devastating conflict’ in Gaza
INTERNATIONAL, 21 July 2018, Peace and Security - Voicing deep concern over the latest flare-up of violence around Gaza, the United Nations chief on Saturday urged all sides to “step back from the brink of another devastating conflict”. “I am gravely concerned over the dangerous escalation of violence in Gaza and southern Israel,” said Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement. “I deeply regret the loss of life. It is imperative that all sides urgently step back from the brink of another devastating conflict”, he added. On 30 March this year, Palestinians in Gaza – controlled by Hamas, a militant Palestinian faction – started a mass protest against a blockade of the enclave imposed by Israel since the early 1990’s. The confrontation between the sides has since escalated. On...
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July 21, 2018 No comments
Colombia: New Congress marks rebel group’s transition ‘from weapons to politics’, says UN
INTERNATIONAL, 21 July 2018, Peace and Security - Celebrating the holding of the first session of a new Congress in Colombia, the United Nations has said that the inclusion of former rebels in the legislative body marked their transition “from weapons to politics”. In a press release issued Friday, the UN Verification Mission in Colombia and other UN operations there said they “celebrate the installation today of the Colombian Congress resulting from the most participative and peaceful legislative elections in decades”. They added that the inclusion in the Senate and House of Representatives of the political party of the Common Alternative Revolutionary Force (FARC-EP) “marks this group’s transition from weapons to politics and the country’s transition from conflict to the search for reconciliation”. In 2016, the Government and the...
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July 20, 2018 No comments
E-Governance: A powerful tool to combat, mitigate and sustainably manage disaster risks
INTERNATIONAL, 20 July 2018, Climate Change - E-governance plays a critical role in building inclusive, resilient societies both before and in response to disasters, according to a United Nations report issued this week. The 2018 E-Government Survey highlights the complex challenges and varied opportunities of deploying e-government services. Contributing to the global report, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) highlights that the use of information and communications technology during all phases of disaster risk management presents “substantial opportunities to reduce disaster risks, enhance coping capabilities, and provide inclusive preparedness and response.” Several regional case studies illustrate that it is critical to integrate emerging innovations in digital technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), social media, space applications and geospatial information for e-resilience efforts. To...
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July 20, 2018 No comments
UN agriculture agency digs in to help forests and farms build resilience to climate change
INTERNATIONAL, 20 July 2018, Climate Change - Millions of small-scale farmers will be better equipped to withstand the negative impacts of climate change while at the same time improving livelihoods, thanks to a new global push by the United Nations agriculture agency announced during World Forest Week. On Friday, the Food and Agriculture Agency (FAO) and partners launched the second stage of a successful international partnership that supports forest and farm producer organizations across Africa, Asia and Latin America during the gathering, known as COFO 24. The Forest and Farm Facility initiative, or FFF, began in 2013 as a way to help rural women’s groups, local communities and indigenous peoples’ institutions, among others, bolstering their technical and business capacities to fight climate change and improve food...
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July 20, 2018 No comments
Refugee health services on track despite record level of displacement, says UN agency
INTERNATIONAL, 20 July 2018, Health - Despite record numbers of people fleeing conflict and natural disasters globally, vital health services have been largely able to cope, the United Nations refugee agency has said; although communicable diseases, anaemia and stunting remain areas of concern. The annual review of health cover in dozens of emergencies and ongoing operations, published by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), depicts the trends in the agency’s 37 key operations. In 2017, a year in which wars and persecution drove global forced displacement to a new high, the mortality rate for children under five in post-emergency situations averaged 0.4 deaths per 1,000 refugee children every month, sustaining the declining trend observed since 2011. There have been improvements in reproductive health service cover. Out of...
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