17 November 2014 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that he is deeply troubled about persistent allegations of mass rape in Tabit, North Darfur, and urged Government officials to grant unfettered access to the town so that investigators can verify these reports. In a statement released by his spokesperson in New York, the UN Chief expressed concern that even after intense consultations with the Government in Sudan and with local authorities in Darfur, authorities investigating the reports were yesterday denied access to the town of Tabit. Earlier this month, allegations of the mass rape of 200 women and…
Author: UN News
14 November 2014 – As the United Nations moves to broker a freeze of the ongoing Syrian conflict, the world body’s humanitarian agencies are continuing with their deliveries of critical assistance to civilians in the Middle Eastern country’s besieged areas in anticipation of an expectedly harsh winter. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson, Elizabeth Byrs, confirmed that earlier this week, a 23-truck convoy had entered the war-ravaged neighbourhood of Al Wa’er in Homs, delivering 12,000 WFP food rations and other humanitarian supplies for some 60,000 civilians. The convoy managed to break through the frontlines on 11…
16 November 2014 – The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, has expressed concern over yesterday’s outbreak of violence during preparations for the parliamentary elections in Somaliland. There have been reports that some members of parliament may have been detained and that the violence has led to a number of casualties, Mr. Kay said in a statement issued to the press. Mr. Kay, who is also head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), called on all parties to exercise restraint and fully respect the democratic process. Somaliland has been making positive strides…
12 November 2014 – Prevailing hostilities in Ukraine in recent days are putting the ceasefire agreed to in September under “continuous and serious strain,” a senior United Nations political official told the Security Council today, warning against the possibility of a return to full-scale fighting despite prospects of hope offered by recent parliamentary elections. “The promise of renewal, and of renewed, energy towards solving Ukraine’s problems embodied in the recent parliamentary elections, threatens to be overshadowed by the worsening security situation in the east of the country,” said Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen, Assistant Secretary-General ad interim for UN Political Affairs, in…
14 November 2014 – The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) today cautioned against jumping to conclusions regarding the “complex and ongoing” investigation into the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico, amid reports that a number badly burned bodies have been recovered from sites in Guerrero state. During the bi-weekly press briefing on human rights and humanitarian issues at the UN Office in Geneva earlier today, OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville, took questions from a journalist about reports that DNA identification of the badly burned bodies of 43 missing students in Mexico would not be possible due to the extent of…
14 November 2014 – mali is at a critical humanitarian crossroads and failure to act immediately in response to the country’s urgent needs may ultimately jeopardize its path towards peace and stability, three senior United Nations relief officials warned today following a three-day visit to the country. “The situation in mali remains highly fragile,” said John Ging, Operations Director for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in a press release issued after a briefing for reporters at UN Headquarters in New York. “Although humanitarian assistance cannot provide the solution to this crisis, which goes back more…
14 November 2014 – Starting tomorrow, about half a million refugees, mainly from Somalia and South Sudan, living in the Dadaab and Kakuma camps in remote areas in northern Kenya will receive reduced rations from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) as a result of insufficient funding. The 50 per cent ration cut comes as WFP struggles to raise $38 million to cover its refugee operations for the next six months. This includes $15.5 million that is urgently required to address food needs through January 2015. “Cutting rations is the last resort and we’re doing it to eke out…
13 November 2014 – The illegal killing of elephants for their ivory is now at “critically high levels” in Africa with increased involvement by organized crime groups, leading to their possible extinction in parts of the continent, the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said today. “Wildlife crime is a serious and growing problem worldwide,” said the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC) ‘ in releasing Guidelines on methods and procedures for ivory sampling and laboratory analysis in support of the deployment of forensic technology to combat elephant poaching. Led by UNODC, as a member of the consortium,…
13 November 2014 – Palestinian students attending United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools for refugees in the West Bank, Gaza and Jordan are achieving higher-than-average results in international assessments despite their challenging circumstances, a new World Bank report said today. The report, Learning in the Face of Adversity: The UNRWA Education Program for Palestine Refugees, highlights how a resilience approach that includes effective classroom practices of teachers, strong school leadership, assessments and shared accountability for learning can support adaptability and performance in high-risk contexts. “UNRWA schools have created a distinguished learning community centred on the student,” said Harry…
11 November 2014 – Amid an outburst of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged all parties to do everything they can to reduce the simmering hostilities and continue, through dialogue, on the path to peace. In a statement attributable to his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, the Secretary-General expressed his deep concern about the upsurge in violence and killings over the past few days in Israel and the West Bank. “Violence only deepens distrust, while making more distant the prospects for peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” Mr. Ban said. According to media reports, tensions between Israelis…