Khaled Mansour, now a writer and journalist, was the WFP spokesperson in Iraq at the time and narrowly missed the massive explosion which killed 22 of his UN colleagues. On World Humanitarian Day which was established to mark the 19 August attack, he reflects on his life since and what he has learnt. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré…
Laura Dolci’s husband, Jean-Selim Kanaan, had been deployed by the UN Office for Project Services to work as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. Twenty years after the attack and to mark World Humanitarian Day which is commemorated annually on 19 August, she remembers her husband. “In the terrorist attack against…
Speaking at the event on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underscored the “enormous” contributions of traditional medicine to human health and its understanding of the “intimate links” between health and the environment. Tedros stressed the importance of the gathering for “bringing together ancient wisdom and modern science for the health and well-being of people…
Briefing the UN Security Council, Volker Türk ran through a long list of rights abuses, saying that many “stem directly from, or support, the increasing militarisation of the DPRK.” His argument was reinforced by the UN independent human rights expert Elizabeth Salmón who told ambassadors that leaders of the DPRK – more commonly known as…
Sudan’s military leadership plunged into protracted conflict for control of Sudan with former partner turned rival, the Rapid Support Forces, four months ago, leaving thousands dead, and millions forcibly displaced, the group of more than 30 rights experts said. Around 700,000 refugees and asylum seekers have been forced to flee across Sudan’s many borders into…
“The influx of weapons and ammunition into any armed conflict can contribute to the escalation and presents significant risks of diversion and proliferation even after the conflict has ended,” Izumi Nakamitsu, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, told the Council, briefing on the latest developments in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022….
The grim forecast comes ahead of World Humanitarian Day, commemorated annually on 19 August. Since the start of the year, 62 aid workers have been killed, 84 have been wounded and 34 kidnapped, the UN said, citing provisional data from the independent research organization Humanitarian Outcomes. Last year, the death toll reached 116. Under attack South Sudan remains the most dangerous place to…
UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg provided an update on his mediation efforts, both in the country and abroad, while Edem Wosornu of the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, reported on access impediments and funding gaps affecting aid delivery to millions. Yemen continues to face a protracted political, humanitarian and developmental crisis after more than eight…
President Mohamed Bazoum remains in detention and the military junta that has in effect seized power said on Monday it plans to prosecute the elected leader for alleged “high treason”, according to media reports. He was seized by members of his own guard on 26 July. Vital work WFP’s Acting Regional Director for Western Africa,…
Genesis, not her real name, is one of more than seven million people who have left Venezuela in recent years as a result of the political turmoil, socio-economic instability and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the South American country. Curaçao is a popular Caribbean tourist destination. At least 321 migrants disappeared or died in the…
