No evidence yet of Israel’s claims against UNWRA: Colonna report

No evidence yet of Israel’s claims against UNWRA: Colonna report

“Israel made public claims that a significant number of UNRWA employees are members of terrorist organisations. However, Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence of this,” according to the 54-page final report, Independent review of mechanisms and procedures to ensure adherence by UNRWA to the humanitarian principle of neutrality. The UN Secretary-General, who received the final…

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Thousands of children killed or maimed by explosive weapons in populated areas: UNICEF

Thousands of children killed or maimed by explosive weapons in populated areas: UNICEF

UNICEF warned that as urban warfare increases, the use of weapons designed for open battlefields are now a common reality in cities, towns and villages, with devastating effects on their young residents.  Between 2018 and 2022, explosive weapons were responsible for 49.8 per cent of the more than 47,500 instances of children killed and maimed…

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UNRWA report: UN chief stands with agency, backs findings of probe into 7 October attacks in Israel

UNRWA report: UN chief stands with agency, backs findings of probe into 7 October attacks in Israel

The Final Report, led by former French foreign minister Catherine Colonna, was due to be released later on Monday; Ms. Colonna was also preparing to speak to journalists at a scheduled noon briefing in New York as Chair of the Independent Review Group on UNRWA.  “The Secretary-General accepts the recommendations contained in Ms. Colonna’s report,” Mr….

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UNICEF urges support for children, as wildfires rage across Greece

Heatwave deaths increased across almost all Europe in 2023, says UN weather agency

New data published jointly by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed fears that 2023 was the joint warmest or second warmest year on record in Europe. In practical terms, this led to a record number of days with “extreme heat stress” across Europe, “an increasing trend” in the number “strong…

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First Person: Crafting a new life after a devastating hurricane

44-year-old Vanessa Winston lives in Roseau, the capital of Dominica, where she runs a small-scale business primarily making bespoke, hand-made fashion accessories. She is also President of the UN-supported Dominica Arts & Craft Producers Association, which helps its members to promote their products.  Hurricane Maria destroyed her home and the workshop where she produced all…

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War in Sudan is ‘a crisis of epic proportions’ as atrocities abound

War in Sudan is ‘a crisis of epic proportions’ as atrocities abound

The Sudanese people have endured “unbearable suffering” since the conflict started just over a year ago when an outbreak of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) “brutally interrupted the political transition”, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said. “This is a crisis of epic proportions;…

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Mixed efforts to achieve energy goals highlighted at the end of Sustainability Week

Mixed efforts to achieve energy goals highlighted at the end of Sustainability Week

The unanimous declaration of the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All in 2012 aimed to hone on the importance of improving “access to reliable, affordable, economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound energy services and resources for sustainable development.”  Dennis Francis said there have been both achievements and shortcomings in meeting the goal throughout the…

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