Uncategorized Archives - Page 6 of 183

Gaza: Possible atrocity crimes unfold, new UN report warns

·November 8, 2024·2 min read

The report details the horrific reality faced by both the people of Israel and Gaza since 7 October 2023, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stressing the imperative for Israel to fully and immediately comply with its obligations under international law and the rules of war....

Unhealthy eating drives $8 trillion in annual hidden costs

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·November 8, 2024·3 min read

The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report confirmed that hidden costs of getting food from farm to table amount to approximately $12 trillion annually. Of this number, roughly 70 per cent – $8 trillion – arises from unhealthy dietary patterns and are linked to NCDs, which far exceeds the...

Deadly weather events show cost of climate inaction

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·November 8, 2024·6 min read

The context in which COP29 begins in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 11 is critical but not hopeless. A UN climate report released just days before the Conference confirmed that global average temperature rise is approaching 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, which would put the world on course for a catastrophic rise...

Record heat persists as WMO calls for urgent services and investment boost

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·November 8, 2024·1 min read

“Humanity’s torching the planet and paying the price,” warned UN Secretary-General António Guterres responding to WMO’s latest global temperature analysis covering January to September 2024. Youth-led momentum for change In a powerful video message to 19th Climate Change Conference of Youth, Mr. Guterres emphasized their critical role in driving climate...

Adapt or perish: UN calls for urgent action at COP29 climate summit

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·November 7, 2024·3 min read

In its Adaptation Gap Report 2024: Come Hell and High Water, UNEP warned that vulnerable communities are already bearing the brunt of climate change impacts through extreme weather and disasters. “Climate change is already devastating communities across the world, particularly the most poor and vulnerable. Raging storms are flattening homes,...

Ukraine’s nuclear security situation ‘highly challenging’, warns UN atomic watchdog

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·November 7, 2024·2 min read

Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) – which is also Europe’s biggest nuclear energy facility – has been under Russian control since shortly after it launched a full-scale military campaign in February 2022. In recent days, an IAEA expert team crossed the frontline to replace colleagues at the Zaporizhzhya plant who...

How has the war in Gaza affected UNRWA’s ability to support Palestinians?

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·November 7, 2024·1 min read

As well as bringing emergency aid to those living in Occupied Palestinian Territory, UNRWA, the agency for Palestine refugees, also provides a range of crucial services. In Gaza, the year-long war has severely threatened the delivery of these crucial services....

Middle East crisis: Live updates as General Assembly meets on UNRWA and more

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·November 7, 2024·1 min read

Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini made an impassioned plea to protect the UN agency for Palestine refugees at the General Assembly’s meeting on UNRWA’s fate days after Israel informed the world body of new laws to ban it as bombings and displacement continued on Wednesday across Gaza and Lebanon, with UN officials...

UNESCO urges more action to combat violence and bullying at school

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·November 6, 2024·2 min read

The agency is calling for pupils to be better protected from physical, verbal and psychological aggression in a report published on the eve of the International Day against Violence and Harassment in Schools, including Cyberbullying. Learning in safety “At school, every child should feel respected, accepted and safe, so that...

Lebanon conflict at ‘critical point’ with more than 3,000 confirmed dead

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·November 6, 2024·4 min read

According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, the updated death toll – which includes fatalities recorded since 8 October 2023 – is 58 per cent higher than the 1,900 people killed during the 34-day conflict in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah. “Across the country, at least 71 people were...

Rise in Afghan opium cultivation reflects economic hardship, despite Taliban ban

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·November 6, 2024·1 min read

The rebound follows a massive 95 per cent decrease in 2023, when the ban nearly eliminated poppy production nationwide, leading to a severe decline in Afghanistan’s opium output. However, while cultivation has increased, the current levels remain substantially lower than in 2022, which saw 232,000 hectares under poppy cultivation. UNODC...

Over 2 billion in cities will be exposed to 0.5ºC rise by 2040

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·November 6, 2024·2 min read

“Almost no urban resident will be unaffected, with billions of people subjected to hotter temperatures or exposed to the risks of flooding and other threats,” said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat. The report also highlights a significant funding gap for resilient urban infrastructure. Cities overall need an estimated $4.5...