Haiti: UNICEF reports nine-fold increase in violence targeting schools

Haiti: UNICEF reports nine-fold increase in violence targeting schools

“Violence continues to take a heavy toll on children’s lives in and around Port-au-Prince, and schools are no longer spared,” said Bruno Maes, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative in Haiti. “As children reel from the effects of armed violence, insecurity in Haiti shows no sign of abating.” ‘Huge impact’ on children “The targeting of…

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ISIL terror threat still high and increasing in conflict zones, Security Council hears

ISIL terror threat still high and increasing in conflict zones, Security Council hears

Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov briefed the Security Council where he presented the latest UN report on the terrorist organization, underlining the need for concerted global action.  Mr. Voronkov began by focusing on the plight of victims and survivors of terrorism worldwide.  “Because beyond the headlines and behind the numbers, there are numerous people and communities who…

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Education: More investment in school health, nutrition, will realize childhood potential

Education: More investment in school health, nutrition, will realize childhood potential

It is estimated that some 584 million children have limited or no access to basic drinking water services at school.    Nearly half live in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the study by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP).  A supportive environment  Furthermore,…

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Slamming ‘big formula milk companies’, WHO scientist calls for swift clampdown to protect nursing mothers

Slamming ‘big formula milk companies’, WHO scientist calls for swift clampdown to protect nursing mothers

“This new research highlights the vast economic and political power of the big formula milk companies, as well as serious public policy failures that prevent millions of women from breastfeeding their children,” said Nigel Rollins, one of the authors of a series on the $55 billion-a-year industry and their marketing “playbooks”, published in the peer-reviewed…

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UN ‘blueprint’ to protect least developed nations amid global slowdown

UN ‘blueprint’ to protect least developed nations amid global slowdown

The Doha Programme of Action, as it’s formally known, has been designed as a roadmap up to 2031, to foster strengthened commitments between the least developed countries and their development partners. “The world is reeling under the cascading impacts of complex, interlocking challenges and structural limitations and constrained fiscal capabilities make least developed countries the…

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Ukraine: Influx of weapons ‘must not derail aspiration for peace’, Security Council hears

Ukraine: Influx of weapons ‘must not derail aspiration for peace’, Security Council hears

Speaking during the meeting, which was requested by the delegation of the Russian Federation, Izumi Nakamitsu, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, noted that a number of governments have already provided heavy conventional armaments and munitions to Ukraine. Those include battlefield vehicles, air defence capabilities, large-calibre artillery systems, and uncrewed combat aerial vehicles, or drones,…

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Continued urgent action needed to prevent food and nutrition crisis from worsening

Continued urgent action needed to prevent food and nutrition crisis from worsening

The heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) called for rescuing “hunger hotspots” and facilitating trade, among other measures.  They advised countries to balance short-term urgent interventions with longer-term resilience efforts.    Expected drop…

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Air travel set to soar to pre-pandemic levels in 2023: UN aviation agency

Air travel set to soar to pre-pandemic levels in 2023: UN aviation agency

“Assuring the safe, secure, and sustainable recovery of air services will be key to restoring aviation’s ability to act as a catalyst for sustainable development at the local, national, and global levels, and will consequently be vital to countries’ recovery from the broader impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of the International…

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Earthquake disaster latest: fresh snow compounds Syrians’ misery

Earthquake disaster latest: fresh snow compounds Syrians’ misery

“We have already a very vulnerable situation; people (are) already vulnerable, not capable of taking care of themselves…and all of a sudden comes this,” said El-Mostafa Benlamlih, UN Resident Coordinator for Syria. Progress lost “All the achievements we had before, anybody who had a small business has lost that business, anybody who could go to school…

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