May 03, 2024 No comments
Guterres demands better protection for journalists on environment beat
INTERNATIONAL, 2 May 2024, Culture and Education - Friday marks World Press Freedom Day and UN Secretary-General António Guterres is highlighting an uptick in violence faced by journalists covering environmental issues, which has made the profession increasingly dangerous. The UN chief said journalists and media professionals “have a key role in informing and educating” the public about the world’s current environmental and climate emergency which stands as a threat to future generations. It is through this work that people can have a greater understanding of environmental factors affecting the world and advocate for change, he said. However, based on recent UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reports, journalists, especially environmental journalists, face violent attacks, and even death, for simply doing their job. “Dozens of journalists covering illegal mining, logging, poaching...
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May 03, 2024 No comments
UN agencies warn of imminent starvation risk in Sudan’s Darfur region
INTERNATIONAL, 3 May 2024, Peace and Security - UN agencies issued a joint warning on Friday that time is running out to prevent starvation in Sudan’s Darfur region due to intensifying clashes around the northern capital of El Fasher, which are hindering efforts to deliver life-saving aid. Since fighting erupted last April between rival militaries, Sudan has witnessed shocking levels of violence, plunging the country into a devastating humanitarian and protection crisis. Close to 25 million people – more than half the population – are estimated to need assistance, with approximately 17.7 million people facing “acute” levels of food insecurity. The crisis, described as being of “epic proportions” by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is exacerbated by limited access to vulnerable communities due to...
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May 03, 2024 No comments
Targeting Rafah could lead to slaughter, warns UN aid agency
INTERNATIONAL, 3 May 2024, Peace and Security - An Israeli military operation in Rafah “could lead to a slaughter” and cripple lifesaving humanitarian work throughout Gaza, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Friday. “Any ground operation would mean more suffering and death” for the 1.2 million displaced Palestinians sheltering in and around the Strip’s southernmost city, OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told journalists in Geneva. Echoing those concerns, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said that “Band-Aid” contingency plans have been made in case a full-scale military incursion does indeed happen, but they will not be enough to prevent Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe from getting worse. Band-Aid plans “This contingency plan is Band-Aids. It will absolutely not prevent the expected substantial additional mortality and morbidity caused by a military operation,” said...
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May 03, 2024 No comments
East Africa: UN support continues amid heavy rains, severe floods and cyclone threat
INTERNATIONAL, 3 May 2024, Humanitarian Aid - The United Nations and partners continue to support authorities across East Africa as the region braces for more of the heavy rains and severe flooding that have reportedly killed upwards of 350 people since March. Torrential rains could worsen with the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Hidaya, the World Meteorological Office (WMO) warned on Friday. Prepare for impact The tropical cyclone is the first of its kind to develop in eastern Africa and is due to have a “very big impact”, WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists in Geneva. The UN weather agency said Tanzania was expected to suffer in particular because the ground is already waterlogged and “is about to get hit by even more rainfall” from the storm. Kenya is also on high alert after a dam burst its banks on Monday,...
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May 02, 2024 No comments
Sudan: Under siege, El Fasher teeters on the brink of famine
INTERNATIONAL, 2 May 2024, Humanitarian Aid - The ongoing year-long war in Sudan continues to spread across the country, and now El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, is surrounded by armed fighters amid the systematic burning of entire villages, escalating air strikes and blocked aid deliveries. The war has left 25 million Sudanese needing aid, but in El Fasher, an ever tightening siege is cutting off vulnerable civilians who urgently need such basic essentials as food, water and medicines. UN News’s Abdelmonem Makki spoke to Toby Harward, the UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, who described the deteriorating situation in the city, where he just returned from a recent mission. UN Sudan/Toby Harward Humanitarian aid is packed into a convoy heading to El Fasher, Darfur. UN News: Could...
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