Uncategorized Archives - Page 21 of 215

Haiti’s destiny ‘bright’ despite terrifying escalation of violence

·December 27, 2024·5 min read

Haiti is faced with a multifaceted crisis including rising gang violence, political instability, the displacement of over 700,000 people as well as widespread hunger. UNICEF has reported a sharp increase in the recruitment of minors by armed gangs, with the number of child recruits rising by 70 per cent in the past...

World News in Brief: Civilian killings in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan air crash, more Syrian refugees return home

Uncategorized

·December 27, 2024·1 min read

The Mission has called for an investigation to “ensure accountability, prevent recurrence and uphold victims’ rights”, noting that international law obliges military forces to take necessary precautions to prevent civilian harm, including distinguishing between civilians and combatants in operations. The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, also expressed concern over reports that...

Indian Ocean tsunami anniversary: A call to safeguard future generations

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·December 27, 2024·2 min read

On Boxing Day – 26 December 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, unleashing a massive tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean. Waves as high as 51 meters (167 feet) inundated communities in Aceh, Indonesia, with flooding extending up to five kilometres (three miles) inland. The...

WHO chief unharmed following Israeli airstrike at Yemen airport

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·December 26, 2024·1 min read

Tedros was in Yemen to negotiation the release of UN staffers who have been held hostage by the Houthi movement for several months, and assess the health and humanitarian situation in the country. With the mission concluded, explained the WHO chief, he and his team were about to board their...

Only 3 per cent of UN emergency food aid getting to desperate Gazans

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·December 26, 2024·1 min read

At the end of December, a joint UN convoy of nine trucks successfully reached people in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, who had been cut off from aid for over 75 days. Images taken by UN staffers showed desperate residents rushing out from shelters to retrieve the bottled water, flour and...

Southeast Asia provides fertile ground for women to benefit from AI

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·December 26, 2024·4 min read

With AI enabled technology becoming commonplace, the UN System is beginning to take advantage of the latest digital tools to bring gender equality closer to reality Southeast Asia, a middle-income region with widespread internet coverage and relatively high digital literacy levels, is fertile ground for AI enabled development. Here are...

Making the digital and physical world safer: Why the Convention against Cybercrime matters

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·December 26, 2024·3 min read

The 193 UN Member States adopted, by consensus, the historic Convention against Cybercrime – the first of its kind following five years of negotiations. Here are five key reasons why this landmark agreement matters for people everywhere: A critical tool for a growing threat In 2023, 67.4 per cent...

In Gaza, a Christmas without a tree

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·December 25, 2024·3 min read

In the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, Tony Al-Masri, known as Uncle Tony, sits with his wife, Amal Aboud, and neighbour, Hossam Al-Khalili in front of their small tent. They sip coffee and reminisce about the Christmas celebrations they missed for another year. 78-year-old Uncle Tony was first displaced...

Tchaikovsky and America: A mutual fascination

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·December 25, 2024·2 min read

In November Denis von Meck, a descendant of the great composer, came to UN Headquarters to talk about Tchaikovsky’s relationship with the United States, and his important role in ensuring the success of New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall. Denis von Meck In the late nineteenth century New York lacked good...

General Assembly approves $3.72 billion UN budget for 2025

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·December 25, 2024·1 min read

The approved $3.72 billion regular budget (RB) for 2025 represents an increase of about $1 million over the Secretary-General’s October proposal to the Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which oversees administrative and budgetary matters. The regular budget funds UN programmes across key areas, including political affairs, international justice and law, regional cooperation...

UN General Assembly adopts milestone cybercrime treaty

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·December 25, 2024·2 min read

The agreement on the legally binding treaty marked the culmination of a five-year effort by UN Member States, with inputs from civil society, information security experts, academia and the private sector. UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the adoption of the Convention – the first international criminal justice treaty to have...

Syria: UN health agency launches $56.4 million appeal to meet critical needs

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·December 24, 2024·1 min read

In addition, the developments since late November, culminating with the overthrow of the Assad regime added new dimensions to the crisis, including population displacements as well as return of Syrian refugees from neighbouring countries. Since November 2024, over 882,000 Syrians have been displaced amid surging violence, further straining the country’s...