Don’t give up on Haiti, plead senior UN aid officials

Don’t give up on Haiti, plead senior UN aid officials

The call comes amid reports that the situation in Haiti is deteriorating by the day, with citizens facing spiralling violence, human rights, and food emergencies, as well as a cholera epidemic. The influence of armed gangs is growing exponentially in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and beyond, reaching the Department of Artibonite, the country’s breadbasket. Armed violence…

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Fire at Rohingya refugee camp, Cox's Bazar, was sabotage, Bangladeshi officials

Fire at Rohingya refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, was sabotage, Bangladeshi officials

Bangladeshi investigators say last week’s fire at Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camp, Cox’s Bazar, was a deliberate act of sabotage. A fire in Bangladesh on March 5 displaced 15,000 Rohingya refugees, fortunately there were no casualties. A seven-member panel set up to investigate the fire incident in Bangladesh says militant groups set the fires to take…

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Former government officials embezzled two and a half billion dollars, arrest warrant issued

Former government officials embezzled two and a half billion dollars, arrest warrant issued

Iraq: Citizens hold anti-corruption placards during a protest. An Iraqi court has ordered the arrest of 4 former government officials for embezzling two and a half billion dollars from the national treasury. An investigative judge in Baghdad has issued arrest warrants for four former government officials. Among these officials are the relatives of former finance…

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UN officials call for Security Council’s support for post-quake Syria

UN officials call for Security Council’s support for post-quake Syria

The UN Emergency Coordinator and the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria called for robust support for ongoing emergency efforts and a “bold” plan for paving a political path towards lasting recovery and reconciliation. Race against time Briefing the 15-member body on the severity of humanitarian needs, Rasha Muhrez, Response Director at the international non-governmental organization…

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Deadly shipwreck in Italy must trigger action to save lives, UN officials say

Deadly shipwreck in Italy must trigger action to save lives, UN officials say

“Every person searching for a better life deserves safety and dignity,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. “We need safe, legal routes for migrants and refugees.” The UN refugee agency (UNCHR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in a joint statement, expressed condolences for the victims and called on countries to increase resources and capabilities…

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Celebrating the world’s rich ‘linguistic tapestry’, UN officials call for realizing multilingual education on Mother Language Day

Celebrating the world’s rich ‘linguistic tapestry’, UN officials call for realizing multilingual education on Mother Language Day

Commemorating the world’s languages – all 6,700 of them – since 1999, the Day aims at celebrating ways of showcasing the world’s linguistic tapestry, committing to the preservation of the diversity of languages as a common heritage, and working for quality education – in mother tongues – for all, said Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the…

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Amid ‘ominous’ surge in Israeli-Palestinian violence, top UN officials call on parties to swiftly reduce tensions

Amid ‘ominous’ surge in Israeli-Palestinian violence, top UN officials call on parties to swiftly reduce tensions

“We are witnessing a surge in violence, including some of the deadliest incidents in nearly 20 years,” said Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO). “We have seen ominous signs of what awaits if we fail to address the current instability.” Raising concerns that developments on the ground are continuing along…

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