Fighting engulfs over two-thirds of Myanmar, fuelling humanitarian needs

Fighting engulfs over two-thirds of Myanmar, fuelling humanitarian needs

Among those fighting the military are a loose coalition of well-armed ethnic militias, as well as the People’s Defence Forces (PDF) – an armed group supporting National Unity Government (NUG) and opposed to the February 2021 military coup, according to media reports. Telecommunication blackouts In a flash update, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian…

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Better data on corruption can reduce its impact, support sustainable development

Explainer: How the UN is promoting a ‘global commitment to fight corruption’

The Executive Director of UNODC, Ghada Waly, was speaking ahead of what she describes as a “milestone” meeting taking place in Atlanta in the United States which will discuss how to improve international cooperation and to better prevent and tackle corruption.   It’s widely accepted that corruption diverts crucial resources, hampers essential services, enables organized crime, and deepens inequalities and grievances. As the UN marks International Anti-Corruption…

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Homicide a bigger killer than armed conflict and terrorism combined

Homicide a bigger killer than armed conflict and terrorism combined

The Global Study on Homicide analyzes the complex dynamics behind these violent deaths and includes a special section on how organized crime is driving death rates up in Latin America and the Caribbean.  The report examines homicides related to criminal activities and interpersonal conflict, as well as “socio-politically motivated homicides” such as the deliberate killing…

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World must not look away from humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, UN chief tells Security Council

UPDATING LIVE: Security Council meets as Gazans stare ‘into the abyss’, says Guterres

Live broadcast of the meeting, which starts at 10 AM New York time. 10:25 AM Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine to the UN, outlined the impact of the strikes by Israel, saying the bombardment “placed every possible impediment on humanitarian aid and access.” “And we are all supposed to pretend…

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Gaza fighting further compromises aid amid near ‘apocalyptic’ conditions: UN humanitarians

Gaza fighting further compromises aid amid near ‘apocalyptic’ conditions: UN humanitarians

In a joint statement 27 aid organisations including UN agencies and their partners issued a call for an immediate stop to the fighting, stressing that conditions in Gaza are “amongst the worst we have witnessed”.  Meanwhile on Thursday Israeli troops reportedly entered the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, where hundreds of thousands of displaced…

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World News in Brief: Russia’s LGBT ban condemned, unprecedented Africa malnutrition crisis, health after childbirth

World News in Brief: Russia’s LGBT ban condemned, unprecedented Africa malnutrition crisis, health after childbirth

This, in effect, bans all public LGBT activities and organisations within the country. The nine UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts said the ruling “significantly distances” Russia from its obligations under international law to promote and protect human rights for all. The experts sent an official letter to the Russian Government on Monday, outlining their urgent…

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