Month: August 2024

 The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has announced the signing of an agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to provide USD 7 million in support of critical humanitarian efforts in Sudan and South Sudan. The agreement allocates USD 6 million for UNICEF’s operations in Sudan and USD 1 million for its activities in South Sudan, further solidifying the UAE’s commitment to alleviating the severe humanitarian crises in […]

 Chad hosts more than 1.1 million refugees, many escaping violence in Sudan, where rival militaries have been fighting since April 2023. At the same time, the war has also triggered colossal suffering within Sudan’s borders. “The humanitarian task that we have in Sudan has been very big,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said. “It has been one that we have been consistently supporting the government to try to address the crisis. The […]

 As the global funding outlook remains grim, the United Nations today released US$100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to address critical underfunding of humanitarian emergencies across 10 countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East. “In far too many humanitarian emergencies, a lack of funding prevents aid agencies from reaching people who need life-saving assistance, and that is heart-wrenching,” said Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs […]

 More than a third of the funds will support aid efforts in Yemen ($20 million) and Ethiopia ($15 million), where desperate civilians are grappling with the combined impact of hunger, displacement, diseases and climate disasters. Allocations are also included for operations in conflict and climate-affected countries, including Myanmar ($12 million), Mali ($11 million), Burkina Faso ($10 million), Haiti ($9 million), Cameroon ($7 million) and Mozambique ($7 million). Countries responding to El Niño-induced drought and flooding, such as Burundi ($5 million) and Malawi ($4 million), will also receive additional funds, a […]

 In December 2013, the UN General Assembly declared the International Decade for People of African Descent to address issues of recognition, justice, and development. The decade beginning in 2015 aimed to promote the rights of people of African descent, increase awareness of their cultural contributions, and strengthen legal frameworks to combat racial discrimination. In 2021, 31 August was recognised as the international day. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Member States to declare a second […]

 Democratic Republic of Congo authorities should expand their investigation into security force personnel responsible for killing scores of people in eastern Congo one year ago, Human Rights Watch said today. The government should also provide prompt and adequate compensation to victims or their families. On August 30, 2023, Congolese security forces killed at least 57 people in Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province. Most were members of a mystic […]

 The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Infrastructure extends heartfelt congratulations to all the winners of the 2024 Empowerment and Recognition of Women in Construction (ERWIC) Awards. The Chairperson is encouraged by the evolution of this initiative, which began as a celebration of women thriving in a male-dominated construction sector. Over the years, it has grown into a vital platform for knowledge exchange, empowerment, and advocacy for […]

 “The lack of care, stigma, and administrative barriers, including in accessing medical and trauma services, rape kits, emergency contraception, and safe abortion performed by medical professionals, have resulted in dire consequences for survivors and repeated cycles of violence,” they emphasised. The experts added that for those who have carried pregnancies to term, pre and post-partum services are “scarce, insecure, or entirely inaccessible”. The many documented cases of sexual abuse, rape, enforced prostitution, […]

 A UN report warned today that the continued lack of accountability and years of impunity enjoyed by those behind the human rights violations and abuses committed in the Libyan city of Tarhuna between 2013 and 2022 risk fuelling more instability and further division in the country. The report by the Human Rights Service of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the UN Human Rights Office describes how the Al-Kaniyat, an […]