19/10/2019
Displaced by the Desert: An Expanding Sahara Leaves Broken Families and Violence in Its Wake
Human Wrongs Watch
– Abdoulaye Maiga proudly displays an album showing photos of him and his family during happier times when they all lived together in their home in northern Mali. Today, these memories seem distant and painful.
An aerial view of settlements in the middle of the desert in the surrounding area of Timbuktu, North of Mali. Courtesy: UN Photo/Marco Domino
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18/10/2019
Let Plants be Thy Medicine – You Are What You Eat
Human Wrongs Watch
– United Nations World Food Day is celebrated around the world on October 16 under the theme: “Our Actions ARE Our Future. Healthy Diets for a Zero Hunger World”. This theme is timely, especially, because across Africa and around the world, there has been a gradual rise in malnutrition and diet-related non communicable diseases, as highlighted in The Lancet study and a United Nations Report published earlier this year.
Credit: Busani Bafana/IPS
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18/10/2019
Greening the Blue Report: 2018 Data on Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Waste, Water and Environmental Management from Over 60 Entities across the UN System
By UN Environment* — This year’s report includes 2018 data on greenhouse gas emissions, waste, water and environmental management from over 60 entities across the UN System, representing approximately 290,000 personnel. It shows that in 2018 the UN System emitted 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2eq)– or 7 tCO2eq per capita.
18/10/2019
‘A Region on the Move’: Over 8 Million Remain Internally Displaced in East and Horn of Africa
Nairobi, October 2019 (IOM)* – Over half of all movements observed in the first six month of 2019 through flow monitoring in the East and Horn of Africa (EHoA) were motivated by economic reasons, and yet over 8 million people remain internally displaced. This is according to a new edition of ‘A Region on the Move’, a report that provides an analysis of the mixed migration movement trends affecting the region.
IOM distributes shelter materials and blankets to displaced people in Gedeb, Ethiopia. Photo:IOM/Olivia Headon
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18/10/2019
Forced Movement of Migrants in Bosnia Sparks Warning of Humanitarian Emergency
Sarajevo, 17 October 2019 (IOM)* — Serious concerns have been expressed in Bosnia at the forcible transfer of large numbers of migrants to an already overcrowded and dangerous accommodation centre.
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Concern is rising for the welfare of migrants in Bosnia with winter just around the corner. Archive/IOM 2018
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17/10/2019
UN’s 75th Anniversary Shadowed by Right-Wing Nationalism, Widespread Authoritarianism and Budgetary Cuts
Human Wrongs Watch
– When the six much-ballyhooed high-level UN meetings concluded late September, there were mixed feelings about the final outcomes.
And civil society organizations (CSOs), who were mostly disappointed with the results, are now gearing themselves for two upcoming key climate summit meetings: COP25 in Santiago, Chile in December and COP26 in Glasgow, UK in late 2020, along with the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Women’s Conference scheduled to take place in September 2020 in New York.
But perhaps the most politically-significant event in 2020 will be the 75th anniversary of the United Nations which will take place amidst continued threats against multilateral institutions, rising right-wing nationalism, growing authoritarianism and widespread disinformation.
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17/10/2019
Trump’s Border Wall Is a Multi-Billion Dollar Corporate Handout
Human Wrongs Watch
The militarisation of the US border has led to an increase in migrant deaths and a windfall for the security industry.
15 October 2019 (openDemocracy)* — Donald Trump is a master of distraction, but he is also an illusionist and there are few illusions bigger than his favourite obsession – the US border wall. On 1 October the New York Times reported that Trump told aides he would like to electrify his proposed wall and add to it a water-filled trench, stocked with snakes or alligators.
17/10/2019
Holding Transnational Corporations Accountable for Human Rights Abuses
Human Wrongs Watch
– In Geneva this week, a treaty process is underway that promises to usher in a new era for human rights around the globe.
The process—the intergovernmental working group on the binding treaty on transnational corporations and human rights—could mean that for the first time, human rights would be prioritized above corporate profits.
But the future of the agreement and human rights writ large will depend on whether governments can agree on a strong text this week.
Communities and governments have long struggled to hold abusive corporations and industries accountable.
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17/10/2019
Ingredients for a New Life: How Cooking Helps Refugees and Migrants Blend In
16 October 2019 (UN News)* — On a Friday afternoon, in a small restaurant kitchen in the New York borough of Brooklyn, head chef Alexander Harris is giving instructions to his attentive team, preparing them for the busy evening ahead. So far, the tables are empty, but the small, popular space, with just a handful of tables – and some stools around the bar – will soon be bustling with the evening crowd.
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HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 