April 19, 2024 No comments
World News in Brief: Green light for new cholera vaccine, Ukraine attacks condemned, action against racism call, Brazil rights defenders…
INTERNATIONAL, 19 April 2024, Humanitarian Aid - A new oral vaccine for cholera has been given the green light for manufacture by the UN health agency allowing for the massive scale-up of lifesaving immunisation in the world’s most vulnerable communities. The World Health Organization (WHO) decision means that Euvichol-S vaccine can be added to other cholera-busting drugs which are not being produced in sufficient quantities to help countries battling outbreaks of the preventable disease. WHO reported 473,000 cholera cases in 2022 - double the number in 2021. “The new vaccine is the third product of the same family of vaccines we have for cholera in our WHO prequalification list,” said Dr. Rogerio Gaspar, Director of the WHO Department for Regulation and Prequalification. Production boost It is hoped it...
Read more
April 19, 2024 No comments
Ukraine war, ‘stark reminder’ of the trials facing multilateralism
INTERNATIONAL, 19 April 2024, Peace and Security - The Russian invasion of Ukraine is “a stark reminder” of the challenges to multilateralism and remains the top priority of UN partner the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Security Council heard on Friday. OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ian Borg briefed ambassadors during their annual meeting on cooperation between the UN and the regional body, which is comprised of 57 States spanning Europe, Central Asia and North America, representing one billion people. The Maltese Foreign Minister said OSCE countries and their societies “are confronted with an era of profound uncertainty”, given the challenging security situation in the region following more than two years of conflict in Ukraine. Multilateralism under fire “Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine not only...
Read more
April 19, 2024 No comments
Retaliatory spiral in Middle East must end, says UN chief after reported strikes on Iran
INTERNATIONAL, 19 April 2024, Peace and Security - Following reports of alleged Israeli strikes inside Iran near a nuclear power station early Friday, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a new appeal to all parties to “stop the dangerous cycle of retaliation in the Middle East”. “The Secretary-General condemns any act of retaliation and appeals to the international community to work together to prevent any further development that could lead to devastating consequences for the entire region and beyond,” he said in a statement issued by his Office. Echoing those concerns, UN atomic energy agency chief Rafael Grossi urged “extreme restraint” from all sides, after more than six and a half months of war in Gaza that have fuelled fears of a wider regional conflict. “IAEA can confirm that there is...
Read more
April 19, 2024 No comments
Myanmar: Rohingyas in firing line as Rakhine conflict intensifies
INTERNATIONAL, 19 April 2024, Peace and Security - The UN’s top human rights official on Friday raised alarm over the escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state between junta and opposition forces, amid reports of the military regime forcing members of the minority Muslim Rohingya community to join their ranks. Rakhine was the site of a brutal crackdown on the Rohingyas by the military in 2017, leading to killing of some 10,000 men, women and newborns, and the exodus of nearly 750,000 community members – many of whom continue to languish in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh. “Rakhine state has once again become a battleground involving multiple actors, and civilians are paying a heavy price, with Rohingya at particular risk,” Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said. “What is particularly disturbing...
Read more
April 18, 2024 No comments
Renewable energy transforming the landscape
INTERNATIONAL, 18 April 2024, Climate and Environment - Renewable energy, if supported by governments, can “truly change the landscape” in terms of achieving equitable access to affordable and clean energy, but only if those governments can move from “commitment to action”; That’s according to the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable energy is generally defined as any energy source that is continuously replenished. It includes solar and wind power as well as bioenergy (organic matter burned as fuel) and hydroelectric power. IRENA’s Francesco La Camera, spoke to UN News ahead of a special meeting on Friday on transitioning to sustainable sources of energy which is taking place at the United Nations in New York as part of the first ever Sustainability Week. Ensuring access to affordable reliable, sustainable...
Read more
