Italy sea rescue law could put more migrant lives at risk: UN rights chief

Italy sea rescue law could put more migrant lives at risk: UN rights chief

“More people in distress will be made to suffer and more lives risk being lost because timely help is not available, if this law is passed,” he said in a statement.  Mr. Türk expressed his serious concerns a day after the Italian Parliament approved legislation that imposes stricter requirements on humanitarian ships which are attempting…

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78 million children don’t go to school at all, warns UN chief in call for action

78 million children don’t go to school at all, warns UN chief in call for action

Lending his support to a call for more funding for education in emergencies spearheaded by the UN global fund Education Cannot Wait (ECW) the UN chief insisted in a video message that no-one should be denied their chance to learn. A full 222 million children today experience blighted education today, Mr. Guterres noted. To help them, 18…

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UN launches $1 billion appeal to scale-up aid operations in Türkiye

UN launches $1 billion appeal to scale-up aid operations in Türkiye

The funding, which covers a three-month-period, will allow aid organizations to swiftly ramp up their operations to support Government-led response efforts in areas that include food security, protection, education, water and shelter.    UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged the international community to step up and fully fund the response effort.  “Türkiye is home to the…

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Ukraine: UN appeals for $5.6 billion to help millions affected by relentless conflict

Ukraine: UN appeals for $5.6 billion to help millions affected by relentless conflict

The situation for many in Ukraine remains desperate, amid “relentless” shelling of civilian targets and infrastructure, the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, told journalists in Geneva. Humanitarian funding is needed to continue supporting lifesaving aid convoy deliveries to communities on the front line, “into areas of great danger and difficulty and priority needs”, said…

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UN mission signs new plan for election security in Central African Republic

UN mission signs new plan for election security in Central African Republic

The security plan represents “an essential tool” paving the way for the coming local elections, UN mission spokesperson Vladimir Monteiro said. Voters will be casting ballots in local elections for the first time since 1988. The Government of CAR and the UN stabilization mission (MINUSCA) signed a new plan on Tuesday amid recent flaring tensions….

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UN rights expert calls on Bangladesh to draft anti-discrimination leprosy laws

UN rights expert calls on Bangladesh to draft anti-discrimination leprosy laws

“Leprosy is hidden beneath multiple layers of systemic exclusion, structural discrimination, and institutional neglect,” said UN Special Rapporteur on discrimination against persons with leprosy, Alice Cruz, following an eight-day visit to Bangladesh. Currently, people from 120 countries are affected by leprosy, known as Hansen’s disease, with more than 200,000 new cases reported worldwide yearly. The…

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Outbreaks underline critical need to ramp up health systems: Tedros

Outbreaks underline critical need to ramp up health systems: Tedros

The call comes against a backdrop of Marburg and mpox outbreaks, the more than 10,000 COVID-19 deaths still being reported weekly, and the ongoing emergency response to the deadly earthquake in Syria and Türkiye, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Together, these current conditions point to the critical need for all countries to build health…

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Exhibition showcases millets as ‘smart food’, rich in heritage and full of potential

Exhibition showcases millets as ‘smart food’, rich in heritage and full of potential

Launched by India’s mission to the UN, during the International Year of Millets, the exhibition showcases different kinds of millets grown in India, their nutritional value and various health benefits. Millets encompass a diverse group of nutritious cereals including pearl, proso, foxtail, barnyard, kodo, browntop, finger and Guinea millets, as well as fonio, sorghum and teff.  Millet-based refreshments…

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