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…

UN rights chief warns of ‘dehumanization’ of Palestinians amid West Bank violence as Gaza crisis deepens

PNP DeskDecember 28, 2023September 18, 2024011 mins

Commenting on a new report on the West Bank released by his office, OHCHR, Mr. Türk expressed concern at the use of military means and weapons by law enforcement, movement restrictions affecting Palestinians and a sharp rise in settler violence resulting in the displacement of herding communities. “The dehumanization of Palestinians that characterizes many of the…

Rebuild trust and restore hope in 2024: UN chief’s call

PNP DeskDecember 28, 2023September 18, 202403 mins

“Humanity is strongest when we stand together. 2024 must be a year for rebuilding trust and restoring hope,” expressed Mr. Guterres in his New Year’s message. “Let’s resolve to make 2024 a year of building trust and hope in all that we can accomplish together,” he urged, concluding with warm wishes for a happy and…

Ethiopia: Prioritize victims amidst legacy of rights abuses, UN office urges

PNP DeskDecember 28, 2023September 18, 202404 mins

A joint report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission emphasized the need to implement all components of transitional justice equally. These include criminal accountability, truth-seeking, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence, involving effective remedies for victims, legal reforms, and reconciliation. One of the recommendations…

Lebanon: UN Force condemns attack on peacekeepers

PNP DeskDecember 28, 2023September 18, 202403 mins

The windows of a patrol vehicle were also smashed. The patrol was attacked on Wednesday night (local time) by a group of young men in Taybeh in Marjayoun district, south Lebanon, the Force said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Attacks on men and women serving the cause of peace are not only condemnable,…

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…