Page 22 - United Nations

Terror attacks surge in parts of Yemen despite truce brokered by UN

The ongoing truce went into force on April 2 and was renewed for two months on June 2, and then extended for another 60 days on August 2

UN chief Antonio Guterres to appeal for 'massive support' for Pakistan

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he will appeal for "massive support" for Pakistan during his upcoming visit to the country, as one third of its territory is underwater.

At least $1 bn needed to avert famine in Somalia: UN humanitarian chief

The UN humanitarian chief has predicted that at least USD 1 billion will be needed urgently to avert famine in Somalia in the coming months and early next year when two more dry seasons are expected to compound the historic drought that has hit the Horn of Africa nation. Martin Griffiths said in a video briefing from Somalia's capital Mogadishu that a new report from an authoritative panel of independent experts says there will be a famine in Somalia between October and December if we don't manage to stave it off and avoid it as had been the case in 2016 and 2017. The undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs told UN correspondents that more than USD 1 billion in new funds is needed in addition to the UN appeal of about USD 1.4 billion. That appeal has been very well-funded, he said, thanks to the US Agency for International Development, which announced a USD 476 million donation of humanitarian and development aid in July. The Famine Early Warning Systems Network, created by

UN chief appoints former Kyrgyzstan President as new Afghan envoy

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has appointed former Kyrgyzstan President Roza Otunbayeva as his new envoy to Afghanistan

UN expresses concern over food security amid worsening Pakistan floods

The devastating floods in Pakistan will place huge strains on efforts to get food into neighbouring Afghanistan to relieve its catastrophic humanitarian crisis, said UN

North Korea calls UN monitor on its rights issue 'puppet' of the US

North Korea called the UN's top expert on the country's human rights a puppet of the United States, warning on Friday that it won't tolerate an American-led plot to use the rights issue to overthrow its political system. North Korea's government is extremely sensitive to any outside criticism of its rights record, viewing it as an attempt to slander and rattle its authoritarian rule of its 26 million people, most of whom have little access to foreign news. Its comments come as Elizabeth Salmn, the UN special rapporteur on the North's human rights, is making her first visit to South Korea this week to meet officials, activists and North Korean defectors since her appointment last month. North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused Salmn of displaying ignorance and biased vision" on the North. It also accused Washington of being behind Salmn's mandate as part of an anti-North Korea scheme. The human rights' racket of the US and other hostile forces is nothing but the most politicised hosti

India contributed 3000 police personnel in 24 missions across globe: IB

India has contributed 3000 police personnel in 24 missions across the world, the Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka said during a high-level event on Thursday.

US slams China on human rights violations against minorities in Xinjiang

The White House has slammed China for its continued violation of human rights against minority communities. White House Press Secretary Karen Jean-Pierre during her daily news conference on Thursday welcomed the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report on Xinjiang that was released the previous night. The report said China's discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the western region of Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity. "The report deepens our grave concern regarding the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity that China is perpetrating. Our position on the atrocities in Xinjiang has been clearly demonstrated with our words and in our actions," Jean-Pierre said. The Biden administration has taken concrete measures and the President has rallied allies and partners, including the G7, to ensure all global supply chains are free from the use of forced labour including from Xinjiang, she said. "We will continue to work closely

UN chief Guterres urges China to follow Xinjiang report recommendations

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for Secretary-General said that the UN Chief was "concerned" by what he had read in the report that was released yesterday

UN inspectors' team heads to Ukraine nuclear plant despite heavy shelling

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of waging attacks on Thursday near Europe's largest nuclear power plant just as a team of UN inspectors were heading to visit it despite the fighting. A group of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, led by its director Rafael Grossi, set off for the Russia-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant despite the heavy shelling that led to an emergency system shutting down one of its reactors. There has been increased military activity, including this morning until very recently," Grossi said, adding that after being briefed by the Ukrainian military he decided to get moving despite the inherent risks. But weighing the pros and cons and having come so far, we are not stopping. He noted that the risks are very, very high in the so-called grey zone between Ukrainian and Russian positions, but we consider that we have the minimum conditions to move". Zaporizhzhia, Europe's largest nuclear power plant, has been occupied by Russian forces

Uyghurs abuse: Why UN is accusing China for 'crimes against humanity'

The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity, the UN said

China rejects UN report on Uyghur human rights violations in Xinjiang

China has denounced a long-delayed U.N. report that was released over its protest and that says the government's arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the western region of Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity. Human rights groups and the Japanese government welcomed the report, which had become caught up in a tug-of-war between China and others, who were critical of the delay and lobbying for its release. The assessment released late Wednesday by the U.N. human rights office in Geneva concluded that China has committed serious human rights violations under its anti-terrorism and anti-extremism policies and calls for urgent attention from the U.N., the world community and China itself to address them. The report largely corroborates earlier reporting by researchers, advocacy groups and the news media, while carefully steering away from estimates and other findings that cannot be definitively proven. It adds the weight of the U.N. to the .

UN report on China indicates possible crimes against humanity in Xinjiang

United Nations accused China of actions that "may constitute international crimes, in particular, crimes against humanity" in Xinjiang for mass detention of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities

Palestinian PM urges US not to block its bid for full UN membership

The US administration has urged the Palestinian Authority not to advance the voting process in the Security Council and warned against doing so, according to Israeli media reports

UN weather agency predicts 21st century's first triple-dip La Nina in 2022

The UN weather agency is predicting that the phenomenon known as La Nina is poised to last through the end of this year, a mysterious triple dip the first this century caused by three straight years of its effect on climate patterns like drought and flooding worldwide. The World Meteorological Organisation on Wednesday said La Nina conditions, which involve a large-scale cooling of ocean surface temperatures, have strengthened in the eastern and central equatorial Pacific with an increase in trade winds in recent weeks. The agency's top official was quick to caution that the triple dip doesn't mean global warming is easing. It is exceptional to have three consecutive years with a La Nina event. Its cooling influence is temporarily slowing the rise in global temperatures, but it will not halt or reverse the long-term warming trend, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said. La Nina is a natural and cyclical cooling of parts of the equatorial Pacific that changes weather patterns .

UN monitors head to Ukraine nuclear plant amid concerns over radiation leak

A team of international nuclear inspectors was heading Wednesday to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant caught in the middle of the fighting in southern Ukraine amid international concern of a potential accident or radiation leak. Rafael Grossi, the head of the the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he hoped to establish a permanent mission in Ukraine to monitor Europe's largest nuclear plant. These operations are very complex operations. We are going to a war zone. We are going to occupied territory. And this requires explicit guarantees from not only from the Russians, but also from the Republic of Ukraine, Grossi said in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv before the monitoring the mission's departure. We have been able to secure that. ... So now we are moving. The power plant has been occupied by Russian forces and operated by Ukrainian workers since the early days of the 6-month-old war. The site was recently temporarily cut off from the electrical grid because of fire damag

Food aid ship with 37,000 MT wheat leaves Ukraine port for Yemen: UN agency

A ship chartered by the World Food Programme (WFP) carrying 37,000 metric tonne of wheat left the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Yuznhy for Yemen on Tuesday, the UN agency said in a statement

Focus on nutrition: PM's appeal in 'Mann Ki Baat'

Increasing the use of nutritious coarse grains like millets will help

'Pak facing monsoon on steroids': UN issues appeal amid devastating floods

The United Nations issued a flash appeal on Tuesday for USD 160 million to help Pakistan deal with devastating floods that have killed over 1,000 people and affected millions of lives

Japan provides food assistance worth $1.5 mn to Sri Lanka under UNWFP

This first tranche forms part of the donation consisting of rice, lentils, and oil, which will be distributed by WFP to approximately 15,000 people in both urban and rural areas