May 05, 2024 No comments
Trafficking in the Sahel: Cracking down on illicit drugs
INTERNATIONAL, 5 May 2024, Law and Crime Prevention - Cocaine, cannabis and opioids are getting easier to buy as criminal networks and armed groups capitalise on the fragile Sahel region’s “natural stopover point” to Europe on trafficking routes from South America, but authorities with help from the UN are taking down criminal networks and making a record number of seizures of illicit drugs. In this feature, part of a series exploring trafficking in the Sahel, UN News focuses on the illicit drug trade. According to a new report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), drug trafficking in the Sahel continues to hinder security, economic development and the rule of law while jeopardising public health. “Drug trafficking is well-established in the Sahel region – with detrimental consequences both...
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May 05, 2024 No comments
Peace or war, midwives keep delivering
INTERNATIONAL, 5 May 2024, Health - Millions of lives each year rely on the expertise and care of midwives and yet a global shortage is squeezing the profession like never before, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNPFA said on Sunday, marking the International Day of the Midwife. This year the vital role of midwives during the ongoing climate crisis is in the spotlight. Every two minutes, a woman or girl dies due to pregnancy-related complications, a figure that climate change threatens to exacerbate said UNFPA, underscoring the crucial role that midwives play in mitigating these risks. “When crisis strikes, midwives are often first on the scene, especially in remote communities. They know that babies arrive no matter a childbearing woman’s circumstances – whether she’s resting at home or fleeing it due...
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May 05, 2024 No comments
First Person: Women in Madagascar too ashamed to seek help giving birth
INTERNATIONAL, 5 May 2024, Health - Some of the poorest women in an underdeveloped region south of Madagascar are “too ashamed” to seek the maternal health services they need, according to a midwife working in a health centre supported by United Nations agencies, but that may be about to change. The predominantly rural region of Androy has been beset by a series of humanitarian crises which have affected the most vulnerable people there, including mothers-to-be, however the delivery of simple, inexpensive maternity kits is encouraging more women to access a range of services that will help keep them and their babies healthy. Ahead of the International Day of the Midwife, celebrated annually on 5 May, Jeanne Bernadine Rasoanirina, a midwife in Behara, in Androy, spoke to UN...
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May 04, 2024 No comments
‘Our voices need to be included’: Trinidadian youth make case for strong role in climate negotiations
INTERNATIONAL, 4 May 2024, Climate and Environment - Trinidad and Tobago is described as one of the “frontline States”, those nations that are most severely affected by the impact of the climate emergency, and youth activists are among the most prominent voices in the country calling for stronger action to combat the crisis, both at home and abroad. Small island developing States are particularly vulnerable to climate change consequences, such as rising sea levels and heavy rains that cause flooding, increasing ocean temperatures that affect coral reefs and fishing and frequent hurricanes destroying homes and livelihoods. These countries often suffer from fragile economic conditions and don’t have the means to help their citizens to cope with these problems. In the face of such uncertain conditions,...
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May 04, 2024 No comments
‘Moral obligation’ of Haitian NGO worker to carry on despite kidnapping of two children
INTERNATIONAL, 4 May 2024, Peace and Security - A woman whose two children were kidnapped on the way to school in Haiti has said she feels a moral obligation to continue her work supporting displaced people despite the trauma the family has experienced The Caribbean island nation continues to endure extreme insecurity, with widespread and incessant violence as rival gangs fight each other and the police for control of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The violence, which includes kidnapping for ransom, is playing out against a backdrop of political and economic crises as well as poverty and underdevelopment. Chantale Valcourt leads CAPAC, a national non-governmental organisation (NGO) that supports vulnerable populations, especially women and girls, and partners with the World Food Programme (WFP). “My two daughters, who are 11...
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