Lives are at risk, and “the cost of inaction is simply too high”, Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, said in a statement on Saturday after concluding a five-day visit to Syria. She expressed grave concern over the complexities and challenges facing the population and humanitarian operations on the ground. “The…
“The war in Gaza is an open wound that threatens to infect the entire region,” he said. “In its speed and scale, it is the deadliest conflict in my time as Secretary-General – for civilians, aid workers, journalists, and our own UN colleagues.” He stressed that nothing can justify the abhorrent 7 October terror attacks…
UNHCR has renewed its call for a coordinated continental approach to the issue, as underscored during the ministerial meeting on the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, held in Guatemala on Tuesday. New approach The landmark declaration aims to transform how the region manages migration and is based on the principles of solidarity, responsibility-sharing,…
In a tradition that started when he served as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to shine a light on Muslim communities in distress, Mr. Guterres is slated to arrive in Cairo on Saturday, where he will reiterate his urgent calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and the cessation of violence, notably in Gaza and Sudan….
The island nation is hosting the latest summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which comprises more than 30 countries. With the bloc meeting “to help foster solutions for the region and for the world”, Mr. Guterres highlighted the need for solidarity in the areas of peace and security, sustainable development,…
“This morning a food convoy waiting to move into northern Gaza was hit by Israeli naval gunfire; thankfully no-one was injured,” said Tom White, Director of Affairs for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNWRA. Accompanying the post on X, formerly Twitter, two photographs showed a stationary flat-bed lorry parked in front of a UN…
Agreement in Brussels on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum reportedly followed three years of intense negotiations, and it should start taking effect in 2024. The deal will attempt to distribute migrants more evenly across the bloc, providing enhanced support and coordination for processing claims away from frontier states such as Italy and Greece,…
“The situation underscores the urgent need for the immediate collective involvement of governments from origin, transit and destination countries to provide humanitarian assistance, especially to vulnerable groups like women and children,” said Michele Klein Solomon, IOM Regional Director for Central America, North America and the Caribbean. Perilous journeys IOM cited statistics that reveal the…
The focus of the plan is on criminal activity associated with casinos in the region, and other scams including money laundering and cybercrime. The plan of action was announced in the Thai capital by officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) together with partner China, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)….
Mohammad Najib Azmi Mikati argued that one of the primary challenges facing Lebanon was filling the presidential vacancy, along with instituting reforms needed to achieve economic recovery, ease the financial crisis, and promote institutional and political stability in the country. He expressed hope that the Lebanese Parliament would elect a president the Lebanese people could…
