3 October 2014 – The United Nations Security Council today reiterated that the “swift neutralization” of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) armed group is a top priority in bringing stability to and protecting the civilians of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes region. The 15-member body noted in a press statement that 2 October marked the half-way point of the six-month timeframe for the voluntary surrender of the FDLR as set out by the joint International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting of…
Author: UN News
2 October 2014 – The United Nations confirmed today that an incident involving troops from the sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and internally displaced persons seeking refuge at a UN camp in South sudan has “returned to normal.” According to information provided by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), around a dozen armed soldiers belonging to the SPLA advanced yesterday on the perimeter of the Bentiu camp in Unity state where over 47,000 people uprooted by the recent violence in the country are said to be sheltering. “The soldiers were asked not to enter the camp and did not…
2 October 2014 – The United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees across the Middle East said today that it is training teachers in Gaza to provide psychosocial support to the 241,000 children back in schools in the area. The spokesperson for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said the agency “remains committed to dealing with the psychological scars” of the Israel’s military operation that lasted 50 days in the summer of this year. As part of the UN agency’s mental health programme, teachers are trained in stress management skills, life skills education for elementary students and structured recreational activities…
1 October 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemns in the strongest terms today’s bomb attacks in Homs, which reportedly killed dozens of schoolchildren, as “an act of the utmost depravity.” Initial media reports indicate that at least 39 people were killed, of whom 30 are schoolchildren between the ages of six and nine. “The Secretary-General reiterates his call on all warring sides in this brutal and bloody conflict to stop the indiscriminate use of any weapons immediately,” his spokesperson said in a statement which extended condolences to the bereaved families. Mr. Ban appealed appeals to all Syrian, regional and international…
1 October 2014 – The Liberian Government, along with key United Nations agencies, is set to carry out a rapid field assessment on food security and livelihoods in the wake of the Ebola outbreak, as the top UN envoy on curbing the spread of the virus in West Africa arrived today in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. The assessment, performed by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP), is part of efforts to mitigate food insecurity in communities in 15 counties in the country. “The results of this rapid assessment will help us develop…
30 September 2014 – Two United Nations agencies have reached more than half a million people, including 100,000 children under the age of five, in the most remote and conflict-hit areas of South sudan with life-saving supplies and services. Using a combination of airdrops and airlifts, the joint emergency mission carried out by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) delivered food assistance and nutrition supplements, well as health support, learning materials and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies. Both agencies also provided nutrition screening and treatment, as well as information and messages on nutrition, according to…
20 September 2014 – Alarmed by reports that thousands of civilians in northern Syria have been forced from their homes by the latest Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) offensive in the area, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has demanded an immediate end to the violence. “The Secretary-General is closely following the continuing offensive by the terrorist group ISIL in the town of Ayn al-Arab in northern Syria,” according to a statement issued in New York by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson late last evening. According to reports, thousands of Syrians have crossed into Turkey since yesterday ahead of an…
17 September 2014 – The United Nations Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide today met today with the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, who reaffirmed their commitment to lead negotiations through a win-win approach and reach a settlement soon. “The leaders met today in a friendly and constructive atmosphere following their fruitful discussions at dinner last night,” said Mr. Eide in a statement to the press. According to the statement, the leaders agreed that their negotiators and teams had completed submitting proposals on all issues and recognised the enormous amount of work…
17 September 2014 – A United Nations human rights body today announced that it has decided to suspend its visit to Azerbaijan due to obstructions it encountered in carrying out its mandate under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, to which the south Caucasus country is a party. According to statement from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) delegation was prevented from visiting several places where people are being detained. The delegation was in other ways barred from completing its work at other sites, despite repeated…
15 September 2014 – Urging European countries to take action to alleviate the harsh and often deadly conditions migrants face on the high seas, the head of the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie today warned about the mounting crisis in the Mediterranean. “We all need to wake up to the scale of this crisis,” stressed Ms. Jolie, a UNHCR Special Envoy, during a visit on Sunday to the naval rescue headquarters in Malta. “There is a direct link between the conflicts in Syria and elsewhere and the rise in deaths at sea in the Mediterranean.…
20 September 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has officially established the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response and has instructed the advance teams for the first-of-its-kind operation to head to its base in Accra, Ghana, by Monday, 22 September. Following the unanimous adoption yesterday of a key resolution by the 193-Member UN General Assembly, and after Thursday’s historic meeting of the Security Council, which declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a threat to peace and security, Mr. Ban announced that he has now established the UN emegerncy response mission, to be known as UNMEER. The Mission’s initial roll-out…
18 September 2014 – On her first country visit as UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador, acclaimed British actor Emma Watson in Uruguay highlighted the need for women’s political participation as the country gears up for elections with a first-ever national quota law guaranteeing 30 per cent women’s representation. “Women must have a say in matters that affect their countries, communities and families. After all, they are half of the population, so women’s equal participation in decision-making is a question of justice and democracy,” Ms. Watson said yesterday in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo. The meeting Ms. Watson attended was hosted by the…
19 September 2014 – As an Ebola outbreak of “unprecedented nature and scope” continues its spread through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the United Nations General Assembly today underlined it strong commitment to responding to the emergency in a timely, effective and coordinated manner and to support the affected countries in tackling the virus. “The time to act in a swift, coordinated and powerful manner is now,” General Assembly President Sam Kutesa told the 193-Member body ahead of a vote on a resolution. “Without quick and decisive action, the trail of devastation this outbreak leaves behind will reach far beyond…
19 September 2014 – The Security Council today condemned in the strongest terms yesterday’s attack by an explosive device on a road in Mali, in which five Chadian peacekeepers were killed and three other peacekeepers were severely injured. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in mali (MINUSMA) peacekeepers were traveling on a road between Aguelhok and Tessalit when the explosion happened. In a statement issued by the 15-member Council, members expressed their condolences to the families of the peacekeepers, to the Government and people of Chad, and to MINUSMA. “The member of the Security Council commended the Chadian peacekeepers…
18 September 2014 – The Security Council, in its first emergency meeting on a public health crisis, today declared the Ebola outbreak in West Africa a threat to peace and security, as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced that the United Nations will deploy a new emergency health mission to combat one of most horrific diseases on the planet that has shattered the lives of millions. “This international mission, to be known as the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, or UNMEER, will have five priorities: stopping the outbreak, treating the infected, ensuring essential services, preserving stability and preventing further outbreaks,”…
16 September 2014 – With the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire holding in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations has reached agreement with Israel and Palestinian Authority on a new reconstruction mechanism for the enclave as “an important step” in the right direction to kick start recovery and rehabilitation and give hope to the people there, a senior UN envoy announced today. That announcement was made today by the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, as he briefed the Security Council on the situation in the region. “UNSCO (the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle…
17 September 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, together with the head of the United Nations health agency, will outline the international action plan to contain Ebola tomorrow when the Security Council convenes an emergency meeting on the outbreak. The United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO), in statements issued late Tuesday, both welcomed United States Government plans to ramp up its support to the global response to Ebola, saying the commitment exemplifies the kind of international effort required to intensify response activities. Mr Ban “called on the international community to be as bold and courageous in its response as…
17 September 2014 – A senior United Nations official today welcomed the opening of the Kismayo reconciliation conference in the southern Somali port town as a step towards strengthening the country and consolidating peace in the region. “I urge participants to create an environment that allows the conference to develop resolutions that are inclusive of all stakeholders – particularly women, youth and elders, regardless of social or economic status,” said the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia, Fatiha Serour in a news release. She added that this reconciliation process is “an avenue to develop a roadmap for the…
16 September 2014 – Alarming circumstances such as forced evictions, drought, conflict and lack of livelihood have forced over 130,000 people from their homes in Somalia so far this year, with the majority being internally displaced, warned the United Nations refugee agency today. “Insecurity was the main cause of internal displacement, with some 38,000 people fleeing their homes because of military conflict,” Babar Baloch, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told journalists in Geneva. According to Mr. Baloch, approximately 7,000 people have fled the ongoing military offensive in South Central Somalia in the past…
15 September 2014 – The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the Ebola outbreak that has gripped West Africa, the president of the 15-member body announced today. The outbreak, affecting Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone, is unprecedented in scope – with more than 4,000 cases having been reported across the region and over 2,200 deaths. It has also dealt a major blow to the already fragile health care systems in West Africa. “The trend lines in this crisis are grave and without immediate international action we are facing the potential for a…