World News in Brief: UN rights chief condemns attacks in Nigeria, WFP supplies looted in Sudan, non-discrimination protections in the US

PNP DeskDecember 28, 2023September 18, 202409 mins

Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the authorities to conduct prompt, thorough and independent investigations into the attacks that took place on Christmas Eve and to hold those responsible to account in fair trials. The violence occurred in the Plateau state, an ethnically and religiously diverse region, where inter-communal conflict has…

Stories from the UN Archive: Hollywood greats campaign against malaria and polio

PNP DeskDecember 28, 2023September 18, 202402 mins

Following the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, marked annually on 27 December, we took a look at how two renowned actors helped the UN health agency in 1959. A singing legend, Mr. Sinatra lent his golden voice to WHO for a UN Radio story, telling the tale of two victims of polio in Indonesia, and Hollywood…

Gaza crisis: southern areas ‘bursting at seams’ amid new wave of bombing and displacement

PNP DeskDecember 27, 2023September 18, 202404 mins

Locations in the north and south of the enclave were hit as Israeli ground forces also reportedly pushed into central areas, along with the firing of rockets by Palestinian armed groups into Israel, prompting concerns from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, about the safety of civilians uprooted time and again. Rafah governorate in…

Rights experts concerned over intimidation around mega tourism project in Indonesia

Indonesia urged to protect refugees following mob attack

PNP DeskDecember 27, 2023September 18, 202403 mins

Hundreds of young people stormed a building basement where scores of Rohingya refugees were sheltered, according to media reports. The Rohingya are a mainly Muslim community who have fled waves of persecution in Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country. Nearly one million are living in camps in Bangladesh and more than 1,000 have arrived in Indonesia…

‘Act on the lessons of COVID-19’, Guterres says on Epidemic Preparedness Day

PNP DeskDecember 27, 2023September 18, 202403 mins

The COVID-19 pandemic affected hundreds of millions of lives, caused millions of deaths and inflicted devastating impacts on humanity. After three years of unprecedented global efforts, on 5 May the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, stressing however, that it does not mean the disease is no longer…

UNICEF deplores deadly Christmas Day attack on family in Haiti

PNP DeskDecember 27, 2023September 18, 202403 mins

Four people, including two girls under the age of 10, were killed in the incident, which occured in the Croix de Bouquet district. Four other family members were kidnapped. ‘Unprecedented’ escalation in crime Similar attacks occurred in the same neighbourhood a week ago, said Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, in a statement issued on…

WHO and partners deliver aid to two Gaza hospitals in high-risk missions

PNP DeskDecember 27, 2023September 18, 202406 mins

Teams that undertook the high-risk missions witnessed intense hostilities in their vicinity, as well as high patient loads and overcrowding caused by people seeking refuge. They also reported that food needs remain dire across the enclave, which is impacting operations, with hungry people stopping convoys in hopes of finding something to eat. WHO Director-General Tedros…

Gaza health workers pushed to the limit amid airstrike ‘carnage’

PNP DeskDecember 26, 2023September 18, 202408 mins

World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Medical Teams coordinator Sean Casey said that “100-plus patients” had been brought into Al-Aqsa Hospital on Monday in the space of 30 minutes, following reported blasts, including near Al-Maghazi refugee camp. All of them needed urgent treatment for serious wounds, the WHO official told UN News, while “about 100” more…

Yemen: Warring parties must take concrete steps towards an inclusive peace

UN envoy welcomes ‘significant step’ towards ceasefire in Yemen

PNP DeskDecember 26, 2023September 18, 202403 mins

The development follows a series of meetings with the sides held in Riyadh and Muscat, his office said in a statement on Saturday. Special Envoy Hans Grundberg welcomed their commitment to a set of measures to implement a nation-wide ceasefire, improve living conditions, and engage in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process…

2023 marked by achievements and ‘avoidable suffering’: WHO chief

PNP DeskDecember 26, 2023September 18, 202406 mins

Reflecting on 2023, which also marked the UN agency’s 75th anniversary, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted key achievements and set out objectives for the coming year. “In May, I declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern. This marked a turning point for the world following three years of crisis,…