27 December 2013 – Amid reports of bodies found on the streets of the Central African Republic (CAR) capital of Bangui, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is again appealing for an end to the inter-communal violence between Christians and Muslims, calling the continued fighting “appalling.” In a statement from his spokesperson late Thursday, Mr. Ban also paid homage to six peacekeepers from the African-led International Support Mission (MISCA) killed the day before. The UN Security Council authorized the force earlier this month to quell the spiralling violence. “He calls on all parties and citizens to cooperate with the African Union and French…
Author: UN News
26 December 2013 – As efforts intensify to bring the Syrian sides to a negotiating table in Switzerland, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced his grave concern about the continued and indiscriminate use of heavy weapons and mortar shelling in the ongoing conflict, most recently in hard-hit Aleppo which has been the site of a “barrel bomb” campaign by Government forces. “Further escalation of violence will only serve the agendas of those who see military means as the only way forward, at the expense of the Syrian people who have suffered enough already,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said in a…
26 December 2013 – The United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees today condemned Israel’s latest demolitions in the West Bank which have displaced 68 people, including 32 children, in the depths of winter, saying it is violating international law and calling on it to abide by its obligations. “Because of these demolitions, which violate international law, these historically self-sufficient communities have been forced to endure the pitiless seasonal weather in inadequate housing, entirely dependent on international assistance,” the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said of the demolitions which took place on Christmas…
26 December 2013 – Independent United Nations human rights experts today voiced serious concern about recent lethal drone airstrikes, allegedly conducted by United States forces in Yemen, and stressed the need for accountability as a result of their use. According to local security officials, 16 civilians were killed and at least 10 injured when two separate wedding processions were hit on 12 December in Al-Baida Governorate. According to officials cited by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the victims had been mistakenly identified as members of Al-Qaida. “If armed drones are to be used, States must…
24 December 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today voiced concern about the escalating violence in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, and called for maximum restraint by all parties to prevent further bloodshed. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban condemned the killing of an Israeli civilian today as a result of cross-border fire from Gaza, and the bus bombing near Tel Aviv on Sunday. He also deplored the death of a young child in Gaza from Israeli retaliatory raids today as well as a number of Palestinian civilian casualties since Friday. “The Secretary-General rejects all actions targeting…
24 December 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his envoy for Yemen have welcomed an agreement, reached yesterday through the country’s ongoing National Dialogue Conference, on the structure of the State and the status of the southern region, which has experienced separatist movements. “The agreement paves the way for establishing a new unified state, on the basis of federalism and democracy, which upholds human rights, the rule of law, and equal citizenship through the creation of a new State structure and social contract,” Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said today in a statement. The agreement, according to the spokesperson, provides for the…
23 December 2013 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that preparations for the long-awaited international conference aimed at achieving a political solution to the crisis in Syria are moving ahead, and stressed that negotiations are the only way to end the ongoing bloodshed. “We expect the Syrian Government and opposition to focus hard in the coming days on making their delegations as strong and representative as possible,” Mr. Ban told a news conference at UN Headquarters in New York. “Negotiations will be difficult, but without them, there is only bloodshed and despair on the horizon. I count on those with…
26 December 2013 – The United Nations has voiced “extreme concern” that recent violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) will cause a sharp increase in children suffering severe malnutrition, putting an already vulnerable population at further risk. Before violence erupted earlier this month in the capital, Bangui, almost 1,000 children were being treated for severe acute malnutrition there. Now, only eight out of 15 nutrition centres in the city are operating, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). “Roughly half of the children have now resumed treatment, which in itself is remarkable, considering the current situation, with children and…
26 December 2013 – United Nations peacekeepers in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) yesterday helped the national armed forces retake control over a town following an attack by a Ugandan rebel group that left dozens dead and displaced many more. In the early hours of Wednesday, the Allied Democratic Forces-National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF-Nalu) attacked positions of the DRC national armed forces (FARDC) in the town of Kamango. The rebels captured the location after brief clashes, resulting in the killing of innocent people and massive displacement of civilian populations towards the Ugandan border, according to…
20 December 2013 – An independent United Nations human rights expert today called on the Government of Belize to adopt a comprehensive programme to protect and assist victims of trafficking and to ensure that the perpetrators of this scourge are punished. According to a news release issued by the UN human rights office (OHCHR), Belize is a country of destination, transit and, to a limited degree, of origin, where human trafficking disproportionately affects women who are mainly trafficked for sexual exploitation – particularly women from the neighbouring countries of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Wrapping up her official visit to…