News in Brief 21 February 2020
Fleeing violence in Syria, families now forced to burn clothes to stay warm Escalating Burkina…
Category: UN
Distortion of genocide ‘leaves a window open’ for extremism and hate speech, expert says
Questioning details and attempting to distort actual history – its chronology or statistics – are just a few…
Situation in central Mali ‘deteriorating’ as violence, impunity rise, UN rights expert warns
The growing violence has contributed to a deteriorating security situation in central Mali, with impunity…
Cameroon: UN officials raise alarm over escalating violence, call for civilian protection
Four senior UN officials issued a joint statement on Friday deploring the continued human rights…
News in Brief 20 February 2020
‘Deliberate starvation’ tactics used in South Sudan could be a war crime 19 children among dead in Yemen strikes UN refugee agency chief appeals to Syria’s civilians…
On World Social Justice Day, the UN labour agency says ‘put people and planet first’
Reduce inequality around the world, the United Nations labour agency urged on Thursday, World Social…
Simple urine test could improve early detection of bladder cancer – WHO study
A new study conducted by researchers from the United Nations health agency revealed that bladder…
‘Deliberate starvation’ tactics used in South Sudan could be a war crime
The people of South Sudan have been “deliberately starved” in different parts of the country for ethnic and political reasons, and sexual…
News in Brief 19 February 2020
UN-backed report finds no country offers ‘flourishing’ future for children More than 3 million in…
At Stockholm road safety summit, UN officials join global call to end ‘scourge’ of preventable deaths
Road traffic accidents take some 1.35 million lives every year and cost most countries three…
‘Not a single country’ does enough to help children flourish, say health experts
The world’s survival depends on children being able to flourish, but no country is doing enough to give them a sustainable future, dozens of highly respected international health…
News in Brief 18 February 2020
UN rights chief appalled at civilian toll in war-torn Syria’s northeast Cameroon killings: Bachelet urges…
Pakistan-India crossing is a ‘Corridor of Hope’, UN chief says, wraps up visit with call for interfaith dialogue
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday said he had been moved by the show of religious…
UN rights experts ‘gravely’ concerned at spike in civilian casualties in north-west Myanmar following internet shutdown
Independent UN human rights experts on Tuesday voiced grave concern over the killing and displacement of civilians…
Polio eradication a UN priority, says Secretary-General in visit to Pakistan
In one of the last bastions for polio on the planet, millions of children are being given a…
‘Working night and day’, UN health agency seeks to prevent global coronavirus crisis
As COVID-19, also known as coronavirus, continues to spread, the head of the United Nations health agency…
Guterres ‘deeply concerned’ over deadly assault in northwest Cameroon
United Nations Secretary-General has extended his deepest condolences to the families of those killed in…
UN rights chief, agencies appalled at civilian toll in war-torn Syria’s north-east
Facing freezing temperatures and bombing, more than 900,000 civilians in Syria’s north-west have been forced…
News in Brief 17 February 2020
Pakistan’s solidarity and compassion for refugees is remarkable, says UN chief Yemen’s opposing sides agree to…
Iraq: Education access still a challenge in former ISIL-controlled areas
More than two years after the defeat of ISIL in Iraq, some children in areas formerly…
Amid global ‘learning crisis’, Parliaments can ensure adequate resources for education, says UN Assembly President
Education is the “great equalizer” and Parliaments have a major role to play in scaling…
‘This is a time for facts, not fear,’ says WHO chief as COVID-19 virus spreads
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday cautioned against panic over COVID-19…
News in Brief 14 February 2020
Vital Idlib aid deliveries resume after ‘heavy bombing’, say UN humanitarians Horn of Africa to…
Newly licensed vaccine, ‘milestone in the fight’ against Ebola in Africa, UN health agency
Four countries in Africa have licensed an Ebola vaccine to “cement hard-fought progress” in keeping…
Database of businesses linked to Israeli settlements ‘important initial step’ towards accountability: rights expert
A database of 112 businesses connected to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory has…
World Health Organization: Coronavirus must generate ‘solidarity not stigma’
Investing in preparedness is the smartest way to ensure that the coronavirus and other disease…
UNcomplicated: Keeping the peace
Uncomplicatedhosts, Sinduja Srinivasan and Jason DeWall, talk to UN peacekeeping officials Ken Payumo and Nick…
News in Brief 13 February 2020
Celebrating the diversity of radio, the most used medium Mounting Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria DPR…
Celebrating the diversity of radio, the medium people use the most
In an era of rapid media evolution, radio still has the power to bring people…
Transitional justice processes critical to lasting peace, Security Council hears
For countries to move forward after conflict or mass atrocities, suffering must be acknowledged and justice…
Outside China, Coronavirus transmission ‘iceberg’ may not be as big as feared
As infections from COVID-19 coronavirus continue to rise, a senior UN health expert on Thursday…
News in Brief 12 February 2020
Countries and airlines should react to COVID-19 risk proportionally, urges UN aviation organization chief Libya’s cities ‘re-contaminated’ by months…
Looking towards a future without landmines
A world without landmines is possible – and sooner than you think. That’s the message…
Ai Wei Wei sculpture celebrates pedal power, as Urban Forum continues in Abu Dhabi
“You can walk down to the sculpture,” said the guide, “or,” and he paused to…
DR Congo Ebola outbreak still an international public health concern
The Ebola virus disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains an international public health concern,…
UN health agency developing COVID-19 virus treatment master plan
The World Health Organization (WHO) is developing a master plan for coordinating clinical trials that…
‘We must all do more’ to protect children in armed conflict: UN chief
On the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized…
News in Brief 11 February 2020
Top scientists gather at UN to speed up coronavirus response Appeal for long-term help for Madagascar as…
Mobilizing countries to beat back ‘voracious’ Desert Locust threat in East Africa
Locust swarms of a magnitude not seen in decades are devastating crops and placing millions…
Teenage girls’ education, ‘an indispensable foundation’ for achieving development goals: Guterres
Promoting education for adolescent girls is an “indispensable foundation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”, …
Victim-centred laws ‘paramount’ to combat online sexual abuse against children
Comprehensive national strategies are urgently needed to prevent child sexual abuse online and other Internet…
‘Don’t forget Madagascar’s children’, UN appeals for long-term help as emergency worsens
Since 2012, the plight of children in Madagascar has not improved and is in many…
WHO convenes meeting of top scientists to slow coronavirus spread
Deaths from the coronavirus epidemic have surpassed 1,000, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on…
With science ‘held back by a gender gap’, Guterres calls for more empowerment for women and girls
Fewer than 30 per cent of the world’s scientific researchers are women: that’s just one…
Ignoring how children behave online is ‘sticking our heads in the sand’
The way children and teenagers behave online has profoundly changed, and if societies ignore the need to…
Commitment, not slogans, key to ending violence against children: UN expert
While the Internet has given children access to a world of information, including by providing…
News in Brief 10 February 2020
Coronavirus containment ‘still the priority’ as cases rise Locust threat ‘increases further’ in Horn of Africa Plea for action to…
Coronavirus containment is the key, as infections tick up: Tedros
Governments should continue to treat containment of the coronavirus as a priority, the head of…
World Urban Forum looks to realize a ‘common vision’ for cities of the future
The Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF10), the largest global gathering on the…
News in Brief 7 February 2020
Coronavirus: demand for facemasks has created shortfall for those in real need Thousands forced to…