Address root causes of Ukraine war, UN official urges, as anniversary of Russian invasion approaches

Address root causes of Ukraine war, UN official urges, as anniversary of Russian invasion approaches

Miroslav Jenča, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Europe at the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), warned that the fighting risked “further diminishing the prospects for a just and lasting solution”. “The approaching anniversary of the invasion is not only an occasion to recount the horrors of the past two years, but also a reminder…

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Ukraine: IAEA chief slams ‘complacency’ over stricken Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant

World News in Brief: Ukraine nuclear power plant update, DR Congo flood response, impact of US terrorism designations

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi took stock of the safety and security situation at the plant as part of ongoing efforts to help prevent a nuclear accident during the ongoing war. Russian forces seized control of ZNPP – Europe’s largest nuclear plant – shortly after the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly…

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World News in Brief: UN official condemns attacks in Ukraine, DR Congo faces fresh fighting and devastating floods

World News in Brief: UN official condemns attacks in Ukraine, DR Congo faces fresh fighting and devastating floods

The morning assault reportedly involved Russian-fired missiles and drones which hit six Ukrainian regions leaving at least five dead.  The attacks also disrupted essential services, including electricity, water and gas supplies, especially in Mykolaiv city and Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, when they are much needed this cold winter. “Millions of people rely on these services for…

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UN’s political chief warns of escalating toll as third year of war in Ukraine looms

UN’s political chief warns of escalating toll as third year of war in Ukraine looms

Briefing the Security Council, Political and Peacebuilding Affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo told ambassadors: “We are no closer to the end of this illegal and unjustified war”. “With each passing day, the damage the conflict has done – and is doing – to Ukraine, but also to global peace and security and international law, becomes increasingly…

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Unprecedented drought emergency demands urgent action

World News in Brief: Drought in Ethiopia, peacekeepers wounded in DR Congo, deadly strike on Ukraine aid workers

Drought is ravaging communities in Afar, Amhara, Tigray and Oromia, as well as the Southern and South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region. Severe water shortages, dried pastures and reduced harvests are impacting millions of people and livestock, with reports of food insecurity and rising malnutrition.  Among those who are particularly vulnerable are people affected by the…

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World News in Brief: Dozens killed in Mali ‘summary executions’, Ukraine update, civilian protection in DR Congo

World News in Brief: Dozens killed in Mali ‘summary executions’, Ukraine update, civilian protection in DR Congo

The alleged massacre happened in Welingara village in the Nara region of central Mali on 26 January. Some 30 civilians were also reportedly killed by unidentified gunmen in the Bandiagara region at the weekend. In his call for impartial investigations into the allegations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized the need for justice…

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World News in Brief: Response plan for Somalia launched, mass executions in Iraq, Ukraine update, new European heat record

World News in Brief: Response plan for Somalia launched, mass executions in Iraq, Ukraine update, new European heat record

Somalia was hit by multiple shocks last year, including devastating drought, unprecedented heavy rains and flooding, and further mass displacement. Millions of people also continue to suffer from hunger and malnutrition, the UN said. The plan, launched with federal and state Governments, was launched as four million people – nearly a quarter of the population –…

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World News in Brief: Progress on transfats, Ukraine war update, General Assembly President in China

World News in Brief: Progress on transfats, Ukraine war update, General Assembly President in China

Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand have received the first-ever WHO certificates for demonstrating that they have a best practice policy for industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) elimination in effect, supported by adequate monitoring and enforcement systems. Trans fats are industrially produced or naturally occurring, and both are linked to an increased risk of…

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Ukraine: UN rights office deplores attack in Russian-occupied Donetsk

World News in Brief: UNHCR chief on frontlines in Ukraine, 10 million displaced in Sudan, instability grows in Lebanon

Wrapping up a week-long visit to the country, he made a strong appeal for greater international humanitarian support. “The fighting has escalated and the humanitarian situation in the country is dramatic and urgent. Millions have been forced to flee the war and Russian attacks, and they are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance,” he said….

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Ukraine war: Political Affairs chief warns against rhetoric fuelling ‘already dangerous conflict’

Ukraine war: Political Affairs chief warns against rhetoric fuelling ‘already dangerous conflict’

“We understand both Russia and Ukraine are conducting separate investigations into the incident, and Kyiv has called for an international probe,” Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told ambassadors in the Security Council. Russia said that there were no survivors from Monday’s crash in the Belgorod region close to the Ukrainian border and…

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