insert_link World UN aid facility attacked in Rafah The United Nations says Israeli Forces have hit a food distribution centre in the eastern part of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. One UNRWA staff member was killed in the attack and at least 22 people were injured. Jody Jacobs reports. today14 March, 2024
insert_link World Aid efforts for Gaza ramp up but EU says starvation being used as a weapon United Nations aid officials welcomed the news on Tuesday that an aid ship had left Cyprus for Gaza carrying 200 tonnes of supplies but they stressed that this was no substitute for overland assistance to Gazans on the verge of famine. From the UN aid coordination office OCHA, here’s spokesperson Jens Laerke. The European Union's foreign policy chief has said starvation is being used as a weapon of war in […] today13 March, 2024
World The UN Security Council Is Struggling ‘Day by Day,’ Japan Says Secretary-General António Guterres, left, and Kazuyuki Yamazaki, permanent representative of Japan and president of the Security Council for March, before a recent meeting on Sudan and South Sudan. Only three months in the UN post, Yamakazi leads the Council on a range of crises this month, from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine to conflicts in parts of Africa, as Japan also highlights its own two signature debates: building peace […] today13 March, 2024
insert_link Videos An estimated half a million people in Gaza are facing famine The gravity of the situation has prompted the UN to issue a warning of a potential famine. In response, the United States and other international governments have advocated for a surge in aid to the besieged Palestinian enclave. Given the closure of most border crossings into Gaza, they have resorted to airdrops as a means of delivering assistance. Particularly in the heavily affected northern region, many people are struggling to […] today7 March, 2024
insert_link World ‘There Can Be No Sustainable Development without Peace’, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Arab Forum Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development 2024, in Beirut: I congratulate the Government of the Sultanate of Oman for presiding. I also would like to thank the Executive Secretary of ESCWA [Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia], Ms. Rola Dashti, for bringing us together at a critical moment of our annual stocktake. Our world is facing complex challenges. In particular, the […] today6 March, 2024
insert_link World NGO Approvals by a UN Committee Could Finally See ‘Long-Overdue’ Reform The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, a little-known but powerful body that approves NGOs’ accreditation to the UN, is mired in politics and nearly dysfunctional. One organization, for example, promoting the rights of Dalits globally, took 15 years to get its acceptance. Now, a reform proposal by Costa Rica and the United Kingdom could upend the process for the better. Here, Dalit women taking part in a campaign preventing violence against […] today6 March, 2024
insert_link World ‘Flour Massacre’: Lifesaving Aid Becomes a Deadly Struggle in Gaza A boy injured from the aid convoy tragedy that occurred in Gaza City on Feb. 29, which has been described as a “massacre” by Gazans, who accuse Israel of shooting at the frenzied crowd trying to get food. Israel denies the allegations and says the people were trampled to death. The photographer, Mohammed Hajjar, was at the scene seeking food for his extended family of 34 relatives before the catastrophe […] today4 March, 2024
insert_link World The Hurdles Keep Climbing for the UN’s New Gaza-Aid Troubleshooter Sigrid Kaag, a former Dutch politician, was named to the new post of senior humanitarian coordinator for Gaza late last year. Since arriving on the job on Jan. 8, the enormous hurdles to delivering food and other essentials into the Palestinian enclave have worsened as famine alarms are being sounded by UN officials. MANUEL ELIAS/UN PHOTO By Damilola Banjo via Passblue Sigrid Kaag, a Dutch diplomat and former politician appointed […] today29 February, 2024
insert_link Environment Nile Basin farmers grow food forests to restore wetlands and bring back a turtle By David Njagi via Mongabay In the 44 years Naomi Rita Sitati has lived in Bukirimo village in western Kenya, she has known only one system of farming, which her community has depended on for generations. Cultivating sugarcane as the only crop in large plots is a common practice in the region, which is part of the larger Nile Basin, and Sitati was happy with it. Apart from creating jobs for […] today29 February, 2024
