Berlin, 14 June 2019 (IOM)* –A new briefing from IOM’s Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) shows that thousands of people lost in the Central Mediterranean crossing have not been identified.
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 14 2019 (IPS)* – UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a Chatham House meeting in London last week that the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), one of the legacies of the late Secretary-General Kofi Annan, “spawned tremendous progress” in the battle against poverty worldwide.
She pointed out that the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day was reduced from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 836 million in 2015 — “the largest decline of its kind in human history”.
Together with Uganda, UN humanitarian agencies are racing to contain deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD) there, after the announcement that it has claimed a second victim.
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Finnish Red Cross/Maria Santto | Rinsing Ebola protective gear in Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo (31 May 2019).
The development, which is likely linked to the ongoing outbreak in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), comes ahead of a key meeting on Friday [14 June 2019] at the World Health Organization (WHO), to decide whether to announce an international public health emergency.
13 June 2019 (UN Environment)* — The brick-clay industry employs around 10 million people in India. The industry also burns around 35–40million tonnes of coal per year, emitting carbon dioxide and sulfur, contributing to air pollution.
Photo by Qube
According to India’s Central Pollution Control Board, India produces over 25,000 tonnes of plastic waste daily, much of which ends up in landfills.
Ultimately, 40 per cent of this waste finds its way into river and drainage systems, oceans, the soil and fragile ecosystems. Some of it is ingested by animals, causing environmental harm.
Virtually all countries are expected to see substantial growth in the number of older persons between 2015 and 2030, and that growth will be faster in developing regions.*
At Zagreb’s bustling open-air market, an elder woman is shopping for vegetables, Croatia. Photo: The World Bank/Peter Thomson (photo fromUN News).
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Because the numbers of older persons are growing, the amount of elder abuse can be expected to grow with it.
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While the taboo topic of elder abuse has started to gain visibility across the world, it remains one of the least investigated types of violence in national surveys, and one of the least addressed in national action plans.
As the world prepares to mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on 15 June 2019, the UN independent human rights expert mandated with defending the rights of older persons, Rosa Kornfeld-Matte, has stressed that they are often victims of sexual abuse and rape, although it remains rarely detected, reported or exposed.
WHO/Yoshi Shimizu | An elderly patient receives rehabilitation care in Japan.
“The sexual abuse and rape of older persons is a subject rarely discussed, but nevertheless is a reality,” said Ms. Kornfeld-Matte, in a statement issued on Thursday [13 June 2019], calling on everyone to “be more attentive and report suspected cases of abuse of older people”.
10 June 2019 (UNRWA)* — A performance assessment of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) commissioned by some of the world’s top donors has found that the Agency is “competent, resilient and resolute”, with an overall rating of “highly satisfactory” in four of the 11 areas of the assessment. UNRWA engagement in the region is considered highly relevant as it delivers critical support for the Palestine refugee population, to the host authorities and to the wider development processes of the region.
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 12 2019 (IPS)* – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has been forced to justify its existence at the United Nations ahead of a pledging conference later this month.
UNRWA came under fire by Jason Greenblatt, US Special Envoy for International Negotiations, at a Security Council meeting late last month.
Allegations and criticism raised by Greenblatt did little to aid the already precarious financial situation of the Agency. Last week, UNRWA held a press conference at the UN in an attempt to raise awareness — and funds for their work.
An in-depth look at workers’ participation in the climate and ecological breakdown, and how this might be transformed into ecological care, and leveraged for change.
Anti-fracking protester, London 2019 | SOPA Images/SIPA USA/PA Images
11 June 2019 (openDemocracy)* — For too long, we have related to climate change mainly as consumers and voters. We have been responsibilised as meat eaters and airplane travellers, we have been urged to vote for the party with the most green agenda, but we have never been addressed as workers.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 