Archive for ‘Others-USA-Europe-etc.’

04/11/2024

Gaza Polio Vaccine Campaign under Fire. Israeli Forces’ Airstrikes on Lebanon and Yemen. Dire Situation on Syria Border

Human Wrongs Watch

(UN News)* — Attacks on a clinic and UN staff member were reported during a resumed polio vaccine campaign in besieged northern Gaza, Israeli forces continued airstrikes on Lebanon on Sunday and in Yemen, a new water project launched a “lifeline” for populations fleeing conflict, with updates from Syria.

A UN-supported campaign plans to deliver the required two vaccine doses to ensure Gaza's 640,000 children are immune to the paralysing virus.
© UNRWA | A UN-supported campaign plans to deliver the required two vaccine doses to ensure Gaza’s 640,000 children are immune to the paralysing virus.
04/11/2024

Hunger and Cholera Escalate in South Sudan

Human Wrongs Watch

By Vibhu Mishra

(UN News)* — South Sudan is facing a spiralling humanitarian crisis with hunger and cholera cases escalating in several parts of the country. UN agencies on Friday [] called for more international support and interventions to ease the widespread suffering.

People from the local community receiving food supplies in Rupchai, Unity state, South Sudan.
© WFP/Eulalia Berlanga | People from the local community receiving food supplies in Rupchai, Unity state, South Sudan.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have raised the alarm over worsening hunger, malnutrition, and disease outbreaks in the world’s youngest nation.
03/11/2024

What Does ‘Biodiversity’ Mean and Why Is It Important?

Human Wrongs Watch

(UN News)* — The UN and its global partners will grapple with the massive loss of animal and plant species and how to avoid further extinction at a major conference beginning 23 January [Report dated 22 January 2024].

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UNEP/NOOR/Kadir van Lohuize | An underwater sculpture at Molinere Bay, in the Marine Protected Area of Grenada.

Here’s a primer on what exactly biodiversity is and how the UN can help support efforts to enable nature to survive and thrive.

In simple terms, biodiversity refers to all types of life on Earth. The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) describes it as “the diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems, including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi”.

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03/11/2024

Balancing Biodiversity at Global UN Summit in Colombia

Human Wrongs Watch

By Greace Vanega

(UN News)* — Countries from around the world are meeting in the Colombian city of Cali, to discuss how best to protect biological diversity and develop a lasting blueprint that will allow humankind to live in harmony with nature.

A hummingbird hovers over an orange flower.
© Unsplash/Dulcey Lima | A hummingbird hovers over an orange flower.
 
More than 190 nations signed up to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Colombia for the 16th Conference of the Parties or COP16, a meeting which is held every two years to agree on commitments to safeguard the environment.
 
The slogan of the meeting is ‘Peace with Nature’, recognising that economic development should not come at the expense of the environment.
03/11/2024

Biodiversity: COP16 Delivers on Indigenous Peoples, Digital Sequencing, But Fails on Finance

Human Wrongs Watch

CALI, Columbia, Nov 3 2024 (IPS)* The curtains fell on the 16th Conference of the Parties of UN Biodiversity (COP16) on Sunday without any formal closing. In a voice message, David Ainsworth, the Communications Director of the UNCBD, confirmed that the COP was suspended due to a lack of quorum in the plenary and would be resumed sometime later.
 
An image of an indigenous woman at the Plenary in session at COP16 which took a historic decision on the indigenous peoples and local communities. Credit: Stella Paul/IPS

An image of an indigenous woman at the Plenary in session at COP16 which took a historic decision on the indigenous peoples and local communities. Credit: Stella Paul/IPS

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02/11/2024

Lebanon: People Continue to Be Killed, Injured and Displaced by Airstrikes, Hostilities and Displacement Orders

Human Wrongs Watch

(UN News)* — People in Lebanon continue to be killed, injured and displaced by airstrikes, hostilities and displacement orders, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on .

Members of a family who fled their home in Lebanon rest under a tree.
© UNICEF/Dar al Mussawir/Ramzi Haidar | Members of a family who fled their home in Lebanon rest under a tree.
 
Israel issued new displacement orders that day for several villages and Rashiedeh Palestinian refugee camp, located in the south of the country.
 
This marked the first time the Israeli army has called for the evacuation of a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, the UN agency said.
02/11/2024

Gaza: ‘Lack of Access to Maternal and Newborn Care Is Elevating Health Risks for around 50,000 Pregnant Women and New Mothers…’

Human Wrongs Watch

By the UN Population Fund*

Occupied Palestinian territory

The war in Gaza has taken a catastrophic toll on women and girls. They have lost homes and loved ones and lack access to food, water, protection and health care. Many have been displaced at least once, moving from one unsafe place to another.

Shelters are overcrowded, and sanitation conditions are dire, exposing women and girls to violence, infection and disease. 

© UNFPA Palestine
02/11/2024

‘Gaza Has Seen the Highest Number of Killings of Journalists and Media Workers in Any War in Decades’

Human Wrongs Watch

85 percent of journalist killings worldwide go unpunished

Journalists covering a terrorist attack in Kenya.
©UNESCO/ Enos Teche | Journalists covering a terrorist attack in Kenya.
 
(UN News)* — Between 2006 and 2024, over 1,700 journalists have been killed around the world, and around 85 percent of the cases did not make it to court, according to a report by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
 
The dangers faced by journalists, including risks to their lives, are highlighted each year on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, which falls on November 2.
02/11/2024

Thailand Moves to End Statelessness for Nearly 500,000 People

Human Wrongs Watch

(UN News)* — In a landmark move towards ending statelessness, Thailand’s cabinet has approved an accelerated pathway to permanent residency and nationality for nearly half a million stateless people, marking one of the region’s most significant citizenship initiatives.

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UNHCR caseworkers are helping stateless residents in the Chiang Mai region of Thailand with their citizenship applications.
© UNHCR/Apipar Norapoompipat | UNHCR caseworkers are helping stateless residents in the Chiang Mai region of Thailand with their citizenship applications.
 
The decision announced on Friday [] will benefit 335,000 longtime residents and members of officially recognized minority ethnic groups, along with approximately 142,000 of their children born in Thailand.
01/11/2024

‘Acute Food Insecurity Is Set to Increase in Magnitude and Severity in 22 Countries and Territories’

Human Wrongs Watch

New UN report warns of conflict-induced famine and catastrophic hunger in 5 major hotspots alongside the looming La Niña climate threat in others

© FAO /  Yousef AlrozziLivestock-holding farmers and herders receive animal fodder distributed by FAO to support local food production in Rafah, Gaza Strip. ©FAO/Yousef Alrozzi

Rome, 31 October 2024 (FAO/WFP)*– Acute food insecurity is set to increase in both magnitude and severity across 22 countries and territories, according to a new United Nations report.

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