World News in Brief: UN staff detained in Yemen, cyclone threat for Haiti, rights chief Lao PDR, climate change

World News in Brief: UN staff detained in Yemen, cyclone threat for Haiti, rights chief Lao PDR, climate change

“We are very concerned about these developments, and we are actively seeking clarification from the Houthi de facto authorities regarding the circumstances of these detentions and most importantly to ensure the immediate access to those UN personnel,” Mr. Dujarric said.   Of the detainees, two are women and nine are men. Six work for the…

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Cabo Verde beats back climate change through South-South cooperation

Cabo Verde beats back climate change through South-South cooperation

The UN agency facilitates experts from China who share their knowledge and skills with farmers in the West African nation through a collaborative process known as South-South cooperation.*  Cabo Verde consists of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, nine of which are inhabited.  Although the country’s name means “Green Cape” in Portuguese, it…

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‘Critical gaps’ in understanding climate change fuel tropical disease spread

‘Critical gaps’ in understanding climate change fuel tropical disease spread

The World Health Organization (WHO) study, conducted in partnership with Reaching the Last Mile (RLM), a global health initiative to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), found that rising temperatures and changing weather patterns are altering the spread of vector-borne diseases, posing significant health risks. As the geographical spread of disease vectors like mosquitoes expand, the…

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Madagascar: Coordination, convergence and change from the grass roots up

Madagascar: Coordination, convergence and change from the grass roots up

Those are the questions that UN agencies on the ground in Madagascar are considering as the island nation struggles against climate change, huge humanitarian needs and persistent underdevelopment. UNICEF’s Deputy Representative, Head of Programmes Gilles Chevalier and Natasha van Rijn the Resident Representative for the UN Development Programme discuss how changes in the way they…

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WMO report: Asia hit hardest by climate change and extreme weather

WMO report: Asia hit hardest by climate change and extreme weather

Following close on the heels of the study of climate change in Europe, published by WMO on Monday, the State of the Climate in Asia 2023 report highlighted the accelerating rate of climate change across several indicators such as surface temperature, glacier retreat, sea level rise and more.  “The report’s conclusions are sobering. Many countries in the…

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Israel must allow ‘quantum leap’ in aid delivery UN chief urges, calling for change in military tactics

Israel must allow ‘quantum leap’ in aid delivery UN chief urges, calling for change in military tactics

Marking six months of war since the “abhorrent” Hamas-led terror attacks of 7 October, António Guterres told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York that nothing could justify the horror unleashed by Palestinian militants that day.  “I once again utterly condemn the use of sexual violence, torture injuring and kidnapping of civilians, the firing of…

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World News in Brief: Climate change in the countryside, Yemen polio drive success, development and peace

World News in Brief: Climate change in the countryside, Yemen polio drive success, development and peace

The Unjust Climate report highlights the reality that every year in low and middle-income countries, female heads of households in rural areas suffer significantly greater financial losses than men. On average, female-headed households lose eight per cent more of their income due to heat stress and three per cent more due to floods compared with male-headed households….

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UN chief appeals for greater support for small islands fighting climate change

UN chief appeals for greater support for small islands fighting climate change

Mr. Guterres visited a project that is helping the Caribbean nation to combat the effects of coastal erosion and rising seas – among the impacts of global warming. While commending the initiative, known as the Georgetown Sea Defense, he underlined the need for greater solidarity and financial support. UN Photo/Lucanus Ollivierre Efforts to tackle erosion…

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