Amid a funding crisis, UNRWA’s work in Lebanon could end by March

$414 million appeal for Palestine refugees in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan

UNRWA on Tuesday launched a $414.4 million appeal for Palestine refugees in Syria and those who have fled the country for neighbouring Lebanon and Jordan due to the conflict. Continue the support  The funding will be used to keep cash and in-kind food assistance running, along with healthcare, education, and technical and vocational training.  “We…

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World News in Brief: Rights chief dismay over Uganda anti-LGBT law, Haiti update, aid for Sudan, executions alert in Egypt

World News in Brief: Rights chief dismay over Uganda anti-LGBT law, Haiti update, aid for Sudan, executions alert in Egypt

In a statement, Volker Türk urged authorities in Kampala to repeal it in its entirety, together with other discriminatory legislation passed into law by parliamentary majority. “Close to 600 people are reported to have been subjected to human rights violations and abuses based on their actual or imputed sexual orientation or gender identity” since being…

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‘Shocking’ increase in children denied aid in conflicts

‘Shocking’ increase in children denied aid in conflicts

Painting a grim landscape of the world’s war zones, Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, briefed ambassadors, citing grave concerns, from war-torn Gaza to gang-ravaged Haiti, where famine looms amid rampant violence and displacement. Denying aid access has long-lasting effects on children’s wellbeing and development, she said. Virginia Gamba, Special…

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UN calls for restraint following Iran consulate attack in Syria

UN calls for restraint following Iran consulate attack in Syria

Briefing ambassadors a day after the attack, Assistant-Secretary-General Khaled Khiari stressed the need for restraint.   “We appeal to the Council today, as we do every month, to continue to actively engage all concerned parties to prevent further escalation and the worsening of tensions that undermine regional peace and security,” he said.  Respect diplomatic premises  UN…

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United States: UN rights experts gravely concerned over ‘brutal deaths’ at hands of police

Unravelling the legacies of slavery

“You’re speaking about the greatest crime against humanity ever committed,” said renowned historian Sir Hilary Beckles, who also chairs the Caribbean Community’s Reparations Commission, reflecting on the transatlantic trade that enslaved more than 10 million Africans over four centuries. “One could say it was an institution that was abolished 200 years ago, but let me…

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