World News in Brief: Vaccine ‘patches’ trial shows promise, lowering catheter infection risk, Guantanamo detainee facing revictimisation

World News in Brief: Vaccine ‘patches’ trial shows promise, lowering catheter infection risk, Guantanamo detainee facing revictimisation

But now, there could be an easier alternative in the form of patches that can be simply applied to the skin, much like a sticking plaster. Early data from a vaccine patch trial in the Gambia has shown promising indications that it could be effective in protecting children from measles. The UN World Health Organization…

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First UN civil society forum held in Africa heralds ‘inclusive’ Summit of the Future

First UN civil society forum held in Africa heralds ‘inclusive’ Summit of the Future

Bringing together civil society actors, government representatives, senior UN officials, young changemakers, academic and other stakeholders, the UN Civil Society Conference is the premier event on the civil society calendar at the United Nations, ahead of the Summit of the Future, set for this coming September.  Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, in a video message to…

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Record numbers risking lives to cross dangerous Darien Gap

Americas: Regional cooperation crucial to address migration and forced displacement

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,…

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Somalia urged to take ‘concrete action’ against officials who violate citizens’ rights

Somalia urged to take ‘concrete action’ against officials who violate citizens’ rights

Concluding an official visit to the Horn of Africa nation Isha Dyfan highlighted the impact on civilians, especially women and children, who continue to bear the brunt of deadly attacks carried out by Al-Shabaab terrorists. “I strongly condemn the continued deadly attacks perpetrated by Al-Shabaab and urge the Government to take all steps to ensure…

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Palestinian refugees face hitting ‘rock bottom’, warns UNRWA in $1.6 billion appeal

‘Outrageous’ arson attack forces UNRWA to temporarily shutter East Jerusalem compound

Posting on social media, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said “Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter” on Thursday evening.  UNRWA personnel and staff from other UN agencies were inside the compound at the time.  “Our director with the help of other staff had to put out the fire themselves as it took the Israeli fire extinguishers and police a while…

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Gaza: 80,000 displaced from Rafah as Israeli bombardment intensifies, say UN aid teams

Gaza: 80,000 displaced from Rafah as Israeli bombardment intensifies, say UN aid teams

Most of those uprooted by Israeli military evacuation orders in eastern Rafah have already been displaced from other areas of Gaza; they are now leaving with everything they can carry “in vehicles, trucks, (on) motorbikes and donkey carts”, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). An estimated more than 47,500 people left their…

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Stories from the UN Archive: Stevie Wonder sounds a note against apartheid

Stories from the UN Archive: Stevie Wonder sounds a note against apartheid

UN Photo/Allan Tannenbaum A segregated beach at Stranofontein near Cape Town, South Africa, in 1985. (file) The music legend held a press conference following an epic performance at a meeting of the UN Special Committee against Apartheid to honour him on his 35th birthday. “All people are created equal, not created to take care of another race of…

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Another climate record: Extreme heat, hurricanes, droughts ravage Latin America and Caribbean

Another climate record: Extreme heat, hurricanes, droughts ravage Latin America and Caribbean

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) attributed the temperatures to a “double whammy” of El Niño and long-term climate change, leading to droughts and wildfires, combined with extreme rainfall and hurricanes.  “Unfortunately, 2023 was a year of record climatic hazards in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said the agency’s head, Celeste Saulo. “El Niño conditions during…

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