Uncategorized Archives - Page 14 of 233

Afghanistan: Opium prices approach historic peaks, crime syndicates benefit

·March 13, 2025·1 min read

One kilogramme of opium cost $750 last year, up from $75 just three years ago, compensating sellers for the loss in overall production and poppy fields, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). “Heroin and opium seizures are down about 50 per cent in weight since 2021,”...

Guterres prioritises UN reform to ensure taxpayers’ money reaches those in need

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·March 13, 2025·2 min read

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, in New York, Mr. Guterres emphasised that the reforms are not just about internal processes but aimed at delivering tangible improvements in peace, development and humanitarian aid – all while ensuring that public funds are used wisely and transparently. “These efforts are not ends...

World News in Brief: Gaza aid ‘unravelling’, funding cuts in Ukraine, concern over Syria aid access, Duterte in ICC custody

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·March 12, 2025·4 min read

Citing reports from humanitarians in the Strip, he said it was becoming more difficult to access “decent and sufficient food, water, medical services and other vital items”. Briefing reporters in New York, Mr. Dujarric said restoring the overall healthcare system was progressing, but progress is proving slow. In the devastated...

UN launches gender equality plan: ‘We’re at a turning point’

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·March 12, 2025·1 min read

From embarking on a digital revolution to fill the gaping gender divide to ensuring a seat at decision making tables, the new plan builds on the landmark 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which presented a blueprint for achieving gender equality and advancing women’s rights. UN Women chief Sima...

‘Haiti’s survival is at stake,’ says UN expert, warning of worsening crisis

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·March 12, 2025·2 min read

After his fourth visit to assess conditions on the ground, Mr. O’Neill briefed journalists at UN Headquarters in New York, describing a nation overwhelmed by pain and despair. “I hate to sound like a broken record,” he said, “but the situation is more dire each time I go”. Despite the...

‘Furious kickback against equality’ must end, UN chief tells women activists, as conference adopts landmark declaration

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·March 12, 2025·3 min read

“A surge in misogyny, and a furious kickback against equality threaten to slam on the brakes, and push progress into reverse,” he said. “Let me be clear: This is unacceptable, immoral, and self-defeating. We must stop it – and we must stop it together.” The event, marking 30 years since...

In the face of ‘unprecedented pressure’, EU calls for primacy of international law and partnership

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·March 12, 2025·3 min read

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas condemned Russia’s full-scale invasion and continuing war against Ukraine, underscored the need for humanitarian aid to reach civilians in Gaza, and reaffirmed the EU as a steadfast partner of the United Nations. She also emphasised that reinforcing multilateral cooperation is the only...

Bangladesh: Rohingya children’s acute hunger surges amid funding cuts

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·March 11, 2025·2 min read

“Children in the world’s largest refugee camp are experiencing the worst levels of malnutrition since the massive displacement that occurred in 2017,” Rana Flowers, UNICEF representative in Bangladesh, told journalists in Geneva, almost eight years since hundreds of thousands of ethnic Rohingya fled widespread military attacks in Myanmar. Speaking from...

Afghanistan: Top UN envoy calls for ‘a moment of realism’, as Taliban’s isolation grows

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·March 11, 2025·2 min read

Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, warned that political engagement with the Taliban has yielded little progress, while frustration among international stakeholders is growing. “The space for engagement is narrowing,” she said, adding that some governments now question whether dialogue with the...

Nine out of 10 Gazans unable to access safe drinking water: UNICEF

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·March 11, 2025·1 min read

The situation has deteriorated further following Israel’s decision on Sunday to cut power to the enclave – in a bid to increase pressure on Hamas over hostage releases – disrupting vital desalination operations. Rosalia Bollen, a UNICEF official in Gaza, reported that 600,000 people who had regained access to drinking...

World’s largest conference on women calls for equality amid gender backlash

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·March 11, 2025·4 min read

The 69th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), which runs from 10 to 21 March, is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of their lives throughout the world and shaping global standards on gender equality and empowerment. Last year, CSW68 was attended by 100...

Syria: Children among the dead amid reports of mass killings and looting

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·March 10, 2025·1 min read

According to Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East, a six-month-old baby was among at least 13 children reported to have been killed. Clashes erupted on Friday between Syrian Caretaker Authority forces and soldiers loyal to the former Assad regime. According to widely reported eyewitness accounts much of...