UN establishes International Day of reflection for Srebrenica genocide

UN establishes International Day of reflection for Srebrenica genocide

Adopting a resolution with the same title, the Assembly also asked the Secretary-General to establish an outreach programme on the Srebrenica genocide in preparation for the 30th anniversary next year. It further condemned any denial of the Srebrenica genocide as a historical event and called on Member States to preserve the established facts, including through…

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‘Critical gaps’ in understanding climate change fuel tropical disease spread

‘Critical gaps’ in understanding climate change fuel tropical disease spread

The World Health Organization (WHO) study, conducted in partnership with Reaching the Last Mile (RLM), a global health initiative to eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), found that rising temperatures and changing weather patterns are altering the spread of vector-borne diseases, posing significant health risks. As the geographical spread of disease vectors like mosquitoes expand, the…

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World News in Brief: Food aid reaches Haitians, UN chief condemns attack on Slovakian leader, Russian strikes drive influx of evacuees in Ukraine

Haiti’s health system pushed to breaking point: UNICEF

There are only six out of ten hospitals which still have some operational capacity as the gang-led chaos continues across the capital, Port-au-Prince, leaving vulnerable children deprived of essential care. Mr. Maes said that the increased violence along with “mass displacement, dangerous epidemics and increasing malnutrition” has stretched the country’s health system to the limit and…

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Droughts and floods threaten ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ across southern Africa

Droughts and floods threaten ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ across southern Africa

The droughts have destroyed harvests in areas where 70 per cent of the population depends on agriculture for survival. Executive Director McCain said what she has seen has been both alarming and heartbreaking. “I met farmers who usually grow enough to feed their families and communities. This year they harvested nothing. Now imagine a similar…

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Accelerating extinction rate triggers domino effect of biodiversity loss

Accelerating extinction rate triggers domino effect of biodiversity loss

The issue is in the spotlight ahead of the International Day for Biological Diversity, observed annually on 22 May, and covered in the most recent edition of UNU’s Interconnected Disaster Risks report. Among the animals at risk is the gopher tortoise, one of the oldest living species on the planet. This tragic story of biodiversity loss is unfolding at…

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WHO reports major increase in sexually transmitted infections

WHO reports major increase in sexually transmitted infections

HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections continue as significant public health challenges globally and cause 2.5 million deaths each year: New syphilis cases among adults aged 15-49 increased by over one million in 2022, reaching eight million, and there were 230,000 syphilis-related deaths. The highest increases occurred in the Americas and Africa.  Health targets…

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Climate crisis fuels deadly floods, worsening hunger in Afghanistan

Climate crisis fuels deadly floods, worsening hunger in Afghanistan

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that as erratic weather on the back of the worsening climate crisis “becomes the norm”, things will only get worse. This month’s unusually high rainfall followed a dry winter, rendering the ground too hard to absorb water, leading to massive flooding. Unseasonably warm temperatures further complicated the situation…

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