Monthly Archives: May 2025

Climate change: World Likely to Breach 1.5°C limit in next five years

Posted on by
Reply

According to the Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update, the planet is predicted to experience temperatures between 1.2°C and 1.9°C above pre-industrial levels (1850–1900) over the next five years.

Breaching critical thresholds

In 2024, the WMO estimated that the average global temperature was between 1.34°C and 1.41°C higher than pre-industrial levels (1850-1900). The WMO now projects the 20-year average warming for 2015–2034 to reach around 1.44°C above pre-industrial levels.

The report finds a staggering 86 per cent chance that global average temperatures will exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in at least one of the next five years, and a one per cent chance of one of those years exceeding 2°C of warming.

There is a 70 per cent chance that the five-year average itself will exceed this 1.5 degree threshold.

The WMO stressed that the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target refers to long-term averages over 20 years, meaning its threshold has not been breached quite yet.

However, these near-term spikes are warning signs of an accelerating climate crisis.

The forecast also highlights regional precipitation impacts, including wetter-than-average conditions expected in the African Sahel, northern Europe, and South Asia. Conversely, the Amazon region could see continued drought.

Arctic Warming Accelerates

The situation is even more catastrophic in the Arctic than in the rest of the world. The average Arctic temperature over the next five winters (November to March) is expected to be 2.4°C warmer than the 1991–2020 average, more than three and a half times the increase in the global average temperature.

Sea ice is expected to keep shrinking, particularly in the Barents, Bering, and Okhotsk Seas, contributing to rising sea levels and disrupted weather patterns worldwide.

As the world enters this critical window, the UN agency urged climate action to prevent even more dangerous warming in the decades ahead and keep long-term warming below the 1.5°C limit.

Source link

UN aims to transform urgency into action at Nice Ocean Conference

Posted on by
Reply

The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) from 9-13 June will bring together Heads of State, scientists, civil society and business leaders around a single goal: to halt the silent collapse of the planet’s largest – and arguably most vital – ecosystem.

The ocean is suffocating due to rising temperatures, rampant acidification, erosion of biodiversity, plastic invasion, predatory fishing.

‘A state of emergency’

“Our planet’s life support system is in a state of emergency,” said Li Junhua, head of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the Secretary-General of the upcoming summit. 

He insisted that there is still time to change course.

“The future of the ocean is not predetermined.  It will be shaped by the decisions and actions that we are making now,” Mr. Li said on Tuesday during a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. 

In the eyes of the senior official, UNOC 3 “will not be just another routine gathering.” 

“We hope that it proves to be the pivotal opportunity to accelerate action and mobilize all stakeholders across the sectors and borders.”

World-class conference

More than 50 world leaders are expected on the Côte d’Azur, alongside 1,500 delegates from nearly 200 countries. 

The programme includes 10 plenary meetings, 10 thematic roundtables, a blue zone reserved for official delegations, and a series of parallel forums during five days of negotiations.

For France, which is co-hosting the conference alongside Costa Rica, the challenge is clear: to make Nice a historic milestone. 

“This is an emergency,” declared Jérôme Bonnafont, Permanent Representative of France to the UN, during the press conference.

“An ecological emergency: we are witnessing the deterioration of the quality of the oceans as an environment, as a reservoir of biodiversity, as a carbon sink.”

France hopes to make the conference a turning point and the goal “is to produce a Nice agreement that is pro-oceans, as the Paris Agreement 10 years ago now was for the climate.” 

This agreement will take the form of a Nice Action Plan for the Ocean, a “concise action-oriented declaration,” according to Mr. Li, accompanied by renewed voluntary commitments.

Three milestones

Three events will prepare the ground for UNOC 3.

The One Ocean Science Congress, from 4-6 June, will bring together several thousand researchers. The Summit on Ocean Rise and Coastal Resilience to be held the following day will explore responses to rising sea levels. Finally, the Blue Economy Finance Forum, on 7-8 June in Monaco, will mobilize investors and policymakers.

For Costa Rican Ambassador Maritza Chan Valverde, there is no more time for procrastination.

“We’re expecting concrete commitments with clear timelines, budgets and accountability mechanisms. What is different this time around, zero rhetoric, maximum results,” she said.

‘Transform ambition into action’

The conference’s theme Accelerating Action and Mobilizing All Stakeholders to Conserve and Sustainably Use the Ocean will address several topics, ranging from sustainable fishing to marine pollution and the interactions between climate and biodiversity.

“This is our moment to transform ambition into action,” Mr. Li concluded, calling for governments, businesses, scientists, and civil society to come together in a common spirit. 

He also praised the “visionary leadership” of France and Costa Rica, without whom this large-scale mobilization would not have been possible.

A slogan promoted by Costa Rica seems to sum up the spirit of the summit: “Five days. One ocean. One unique opportunity.” 

Source link

Exponential rise in synthetic drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle

Posted on by
Reply

According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the production and trafficking of methamphetamine – an illegal synthetic stimulant – have risen sharply since 2021, particularly in Myanmar’s Shan State.

UNODC emphasised that both the scale of production and the flow of trafficking in Shan State have “significantly” increased over the past few years.

Record seizures

A record 236 tons of methamphetamine (commonly known as meth) was seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2024, a 24 per cent increase from 2023.

However, “the 236 tons represent only the amount seized” and it’s likely that much more is reaching the streets and illicit market, said Benedikt Hofmann from UNODC, describing the amount as “unprecedented.”

Seizures in Southeast Asia represent 85 per cent of the total, with Thailand alone seizing one billion meth tablets.

Conducive conditions

While Thailand remains the main transit and destination point, the drug is mostly produced in Myanmar’s Shan State.

Amid the ongoing civil war involving multiple armed groups, Myanmar’s military regime is experiencing instability and governance challenges that are fuelling the illicit production of synthetic and other drugs.

Although certain areas of Myanmar have been spared from the ongoing conflict and remain stable, “the ongoing crisis in Myanmar is further increasing the need for proceeds from the drug trade,” said Mr. Hofmann.

“This combination of conflict and stability has created favourable conditions for the expansion of drug production impacting countries across the region and beyond,” he said.

Expanding trafficking routes

One of the fastest-growing meth trafficking routes in East and Southeast Asia stretches from Myanmar’s Shan State to Cambodia.

Cambodian authorities notably reported seizing nearly 10 tons of methamphetamine in 2024, representing “by far the largest methamphetamine seizure in history,” said UNODC.

“The trafficking route connecting Cambodia with Myanmar, primarily through Lao People’s Democratic Republic, has been rapidly expanding,” said Inshik Sim, an analyst with UNODC.

As transnational drug trafficking groups continue to exploit new routes to avoid law enforcement, the trafficking corridors connecting Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are becoming another “increasingly significant corridor,” Mr. Sim added.

Source link

Sanctions relief for Syria offers ‘powerful message of hope,’ says UN migration agency

Posted on by
Reply

After more than a decade of conflict and severe economic stagnation, lifting the punitive measures will encourage long-term recovery and peacebuilding in Syria, Amy Pope, IOM Director-General, said in a statement.

“The lifting of sanctions sends a powerful message of hope to millions of displaced Syrians, both within the country and across the region,” she said.

$800 billion lost

UN estimates suggest that the Syrian economy lost over $800 billion during the 14-year civil war. 

According to a UN Development Programme (UNDP) report, if the current annual growth rate continues, Syria’s economy will not return to its pre-conflict gross domestic product (GDP) levels until 2080.

The sanctions relief from the US, UK and EU – covering around $15 billion in restricted assets and trade measures – could unlock important investment opportunities for rebuilding key infrastructure, IOM said.

Most of these sanctions were originally imposed during the Assad era and have long been blamed for Syria’s hindering economic recovery.

Alongside the sanctions relief, Saudi Arabia and Qatar pledged to pay $15.5 million of Syria’s arrears to the World Bank. Together with Türkiye, they also offered to fund public salaries and support energy infrastructure.

These changes reflect “momentum from re-engagement and reconstruction,” IOM added.

A country torn apart

The Syrian conflict, which began March 2011 after pro-democracy protests against Bashar Al-Assad, lasted almost 14 years. During this time, tens of thousands of Syrians were killed and countless more disappeared. The fighting and insecurity also displaced more than 10 million civilians – within the country or as refugees outside its borders.

Poverty rates tripled, affecting 90 per cent of the population, with 66 per cent living in extreme poverty.

Since the end of the war in December 2024 with the overthrow of the Assad regime, half a million Syrian refugees have returned. A further 1.5 million internally displaced persons (IPDs) have also returned to their places of origin.

They returned home amidst great hope for the future of Syria, but also severe economic projections.

“Hope must be matched with concrete support,” Director General Pope said. “Syrians need not just the ability to return but the means to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.”

Moving from relief to resilience

The UN estimates that over 16.5 million Syrians – roughly 70 per cent of the population – continue to require humanitarian assistance.

But funding shortfalls have complicated aid efforts. Already in the last week of May, only 10 per cent of the estimated $2 billion needed between January and June to assist eight million Syrians has been received.

Ms. Pope noted that it is important for the Syrian people and economy to begin moving towards longer-term solutions outside of humanitarian aid.

“While humanitarian assistance remains critical, IOM urges donors and development partners to expand their focus to medium- and long-term recovery. A transition from relief to resilience is not only necessary – it is urgent,” she said. 

Source link

New judge elected to the International Court of Justice

Posted on by
Reply

Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud was appointed following a parallel and independent voting process in the General Assembly and Security Council, conducted by secret ballot.

He will fill the vacancy left by former ICJ President Nawaf Salam of Lebanon, who resigned in January to become the country’s Prime Minister.

He will hold office for the remainder of Judge Salam’s term, which was set to end on 5 February 2027.

Absolute majority

Mr. Hmoud was the sole person vying for the slot and he was nominated by Egypt, Jordan, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden.

Candidates must secure an absolute majority in both the General Assembly and the Security Council, or 97 and eight votes respectively.

All 15 Council members voted in his favour while in the General Assembly, which comprises all 193 UN Member States, he received the support of 178 out of 181 countries who took part in the vote.  Three countries abstained.

Mr. Hmoud has been Jordan’s Ambassador to the UN in New York since September 2021 and his other postings include Legal Adviser and Director of the Legal Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He is also a former chairman and member of the International Law Commission, a UN expert body that promotes the development and codification of international law.

The towers and gables of the Peace Palace, home of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

The ‘world court’

The ICJ, informally known as the “world court”, settles legal disputes between UN Member States and gives advisory opinions on legal questions that have been referred to it by UN organs and agencies.

It has been in the spotlight following an advisory opinion, issued last July, which said that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, “is unlawful.”

Last month, hearings began into Israel’s continuing restriction on the work of UN and other international agencies operating in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT).

The Court is composed of 15 judges who serve nine-year terms. Five seats come up for election every three years and there is no bar on consecutive terms.

Judges are chosen on the basis of their qualifications, not their nationality; however, no two judges can be from the same country.

The ICJ was established in June 1945 and is based at the Peace Palace in The Hague, a city in the Netherlands.

It is one of the six main organs of the UN – alongside the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Trusteeship Council, and the Secretariat – and is the only one not based in New York.

Find out more about the ICJ and its role in global peace and security here. 

Source link

Sudan conflict triggers regional health crisis, warns WHO

Posted on by
Reply

“The ongoing conflict and displacement, in addition to fragile health infrastructure and limited access to affected populations, pose a risk of mass disease transmission,” the UN health agency said in a report issued Tuesday, urging immediate support to sustain surveillance, bolster outbreak response and preserve lifesaving health services.

Since civil war erupted in April 2023, 14.5 million people have been displaced – 10.5 million internally and four million to neighbouring countries such as Egypt, South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Libya and the Central African Republic – making this the world’s largest displacement crisis.

Inside Sudan, conflict has devastated infrastructure and triggered the breakdown of essential services and infrastructure, fuelling the spread of cholera, measles and other communicable diseases.

At Tuesday’s press briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported that with fighting and shelling intensify across the country “the cholera outbreak in Khartoum state is worsening at an alarming rate,” with cases rising by 80 per cent over the past two weeks.

Mr. Dujarric called for “increased, flexible and timely funding to scale-up the humanitarian response, as well as unimpeded access via all necessary routes, so that aid workers can reach people in need wherever they may be.”

Disease and displacement

The impact extends well beyond Sudan’s borders. As of 7 May, Egypt has received 1.5 million Sudanese refugees during the two years of fighting. 

The country has expanded healthcare coverage, but Sudanese face higher costs under the Universal Health Insurance system. WHO Egypt is working with national authorities to strengthen health services and reach the most vulnerable.

However, as Sudanese refugees arrive at overcrowded refugee camps across the region, the situation is far grimmer.

Chad. Rapid Influx of Sudanese refugees leaves thousands in desperate need

In Chad, where over 726,000 have arrived in four crisis-affected eastern provinces already overwhelmed with other refugees, health needs are urgent.

Refugees face outbreaks of malaria, measles, hepatitis E and severe acute malnutrition. There have been 657,135 cases of malaria alone and 314 deaths across the country this year.

South Sudan has received over 1.5 million people, including 352,000 Sudanese. But conflict and attacks on health facilities in the host country have severely hindered response efforts and exacerbated disease.

Hunger and cholera are especially concerning, with 7.7 million people facing severe food insecurity, and more than 54,800 cholera cases and 1,000 deaths since late September.

Ongoing WHO support

Despite the growing funding crisis and severe operational challenges, WHO and its partners continue providing support.

These include support for 136 nutrition stabilisation centres, delivery of medical supplies and consultations, cholera treatment sites, and efforts to rebuild damaged health infrastructure.

The agency has called for sustained support to prevent the worsening of what is already one of the gravest humanitarian and public health emergencies in the world today.

Real cost of disasters is 10 times higher than previously thought, says UN

Posted on by
Reply

That’s according to a report released Tuesday by the UN’s disaster risk reduction agency, UNDRR.

While current estimates suggest the global economic impact of natural emergencies – such as earthquakes, landslides and floods – amounts to around $200 billion annually, this figure represents “only a fraction of the real costs,” said Jenty Kirsch-Wood, head of global risk analysis for UNDRR.

The true cost is closer to $2.3 trillion, she added, warning that the world has been “chronically underestimating and undermeasuring the impact of disasters” on sustainable development progress.

Catastrophic floods

A person born in 1990 has a 63 per cent chance of experiencing a once-in-a-century catastrophic flood in their lifetime. For a child born in 2025, that probability rises to 86 per cent.

“Those events are affecting us all,” said Ms. Kirsch-Wood.

The cost of extreme weather is not measured solely in destroyed infrastructure, but also in lost years of health, education and opportunity.

Unsustainable humanitarian response

Healthcare, education, and employment are increasingly disrupted by emergencies, leading to higher national debt and slower recovery – particularly in already vulnerable countries.

This has contributed to “an unsustainable and unsupportable humanitarian response,” Ms Kirsch-Wood added, as nations grapple with increasingly frequent and severe climate shocks.

UNDRR using data from EM-DAR, CRED/UCLouvain, 2025, Brussels, Belgium.

Losses have doubled

According to UNDRR, financial losses from disasters have doubled in the past two decades.

The agency’s new report outlines how the international community can collaborate to make sustainable investments that build resilience to future disasters and ease pressure on public finances.

Most of the damage caused by climate-related events is preventable, Ms. Kirsch-Wood stressed.

The challenge ahead, she said, is to “better align our financing systems” and “use public and private investment to make sure that we’re optimally reducing the burden on governments.”

Nearly 240 million people were internally displaced by disasters between 2014 and 2023.

China and the Philippines each reported over 40 million displaced persons, while India, Bangladesh and Pakistan saw numbers ranging from 10 to 30 million.

The steep costs associated with climate events – and the debt they generate – disproportionately affect developing countries and vulnerable populations.

UNDRR using CRED and UCLouvain, 2025.

Vulnerable hardest-hit

In 2023, North America recorded $69.57 billion in direct disaster-related losses – more than any other region – but this amounted to just 0.23 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

By contrast, Micronesia incurred only $4.3 billion in losses, but this represented a staggering 46.1 per cent of its GDP.

The UNDRR report “shows the eye-watering losses inflicted by disasters today, which hit vulnerable people the hardest… and it demonstrates that, on our current trajectory, costs will continue to mount as the climate crisis worsens,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

“But it also illustrates that, by boosting and sustaining investment in disaster risk reduction and prevention, we can slow that trend and reap economic benefits – saving lives and livelihoods while driving growth and prosperity to help reach our Sustainable Development Goals.”

Private sector role

Proven tools – such as flood protection infrastructure and early warning systems – can help the worst-affected nations curb the rising costs of climate-related disasters.

Increased investment in risk reduction and resilience can reverse current trends, said the head of UNDRR, Special Representative Kamal Kishore, citing the example of protection from overflowing rivers. 

“When riverbank communities have access to scientific tools for land use planning, resources for building flood protection systems, and early warning systems, they not only reduce damages and losses from floods, but also create conditions for prosperity and sustainable growth in their communities,” he said.

The private sector, UNDRR emphasised, must also step up to “fill the protection gap that leaves many countries in a worsening spiral of repeated disasters.”

UN rights chief calls for end to daily killings in Ukraine after deadly weekend attacks

Posted on by
Reply

The majority of those killed and injured were in major cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv, or in populated areas in other regions.

Meanwhile, large numbers of long-range drones launched into Russia by Ukrainian armed forces injured at least 11 civilians over the weekend, according to Russian authorities.

Silence the guns

High Commissioner Volker Türk underscored the urgency for an end to hostilities.

“It is time to put an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, to commit to – and implement – a comprehensive ceasefire that stops the daily killing and destruction, and to start genuine peace negotiations, built on respect for international law,” he said.

He highlighted that – even amid ongoing hostilities – people deprived of their liberty must be protected. Summary executions, torture and all forms of inhumane and degrading treatment of prisoners are always prohibited, in any circumstances, and must stop immediately.

In addition, civilian detainees should be released as soon as the lawful reason for their detention ceases to exist and their protection against refoulement must be ensured, he said.

Relief, but also loss

High Commissioner Türk welcomed the recent exchange of prisoners of war and civilian detainees.

Nearly 900 prisoners of war and 120 civilians from each side were exchanged. Most of the civilians appeared to have been detainees, but details on individuals included in the exchange are not yet available, according to his office, OHCHR.

“Many families can now breathe a sigh of relief because their loved ones have finally returned home,” Mr. Türk said.

“But at the same time, other families have lost relatives and their homes, as their communities across Ukraine came under attack.”

Impact on children

In a separate statement, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) expressed deep concern for the impact of the latest attacks on Ukraine’s children.

Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine, said that in the past three days, at least three children were reportedly killed in Zhytomyr, and at least 13 children were injured in several regions across the country.

“Ukraine’s children have suffered for far too long. How many more futures must be stolen? The senseless violence and loss of young lives must stop,” Mr. Mammadzade said.

According to UNICEF, more than 220 children were killed or injured between January and April 2025 – a 40 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

“Attacks on civilian areas must end, and children must always be protected,” Mr. Mammadzade emphasised. “Above all, children need an end to this war.”

Source link

UN warns of ‘catastrophic’ human rights crisis in Myanmar as violence and economic collapse deepen

Posted on by
Reply

Published ahead of the Human Rights Council’s upcoming session, the report highlighted the worsening situation since the military coup in 2021, which derailed Myanmar’s democratic transition and ignited widespread armed resistance.

In the years since, military forces have targeted civilian populations with airstrikes, artillery bombardments and other forms of violence, while anti-military armed groups have gained ground, particularly in Rakhine state.

“The country has endured an increasingly catastrophic human rights crisis marked by unabated violence and atrocities that have affected every single aspect of life,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Grim toll

The report documents a grim toll: military operations killed more civilians in 2024 than in any previous year since the coup.

In Rakhine, the Arakan Army seized control of most of the state, displacing tens of thousands, while Rohingya civilians were caught between warring factions, facing killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and widespread destruction of villages.

Some Rohingya armed groups have also been drawn into the conflict, according to reports.

Economic crisis deepening

The escalating violence has had a cascading effect on Myanmar’s economy, worsening already dire humanitarian conditions.

Myanmar’s economy has lost an estimated $93.9 billion since the coup, with the gross domestic product (GDP) not expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels before 2028.

Inflation has surged, the kyat has lost 40 per cent of its value, and over half the population now lives below the poverty line, facing food insecurity and soaring prices.

The March earthquakes further exacerbated the crisis, leaving thousands more displaced, homeless and without basic services.

Military control of revenue

Meanwhile, the military continues to control key revenue sources, including the central bank and state-owned enterprises, particularly in the extractive sector.

While targeted international sanctions slowed some revenue streams, the junta has maintained its financial lifelines through forced currency conversion, import restrictions, and a crackdown on informal money transfers.

Myanmar has also become the world’s largest producer of opium and synthetic drugs, with transnational criminal networks thriving under military rule.

Multifaceted approach needed

The report urged a multifaceted response to the crisis, including urgent humanitarian support, cross-border aid for displaced populations and increased political engagement with Myanmar’s democratic forces and emerging governance structures.

It also emphasised the need for accountability through international justice mechanisms, including a referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The report also identified key “constituents for change” in the country’s future – women, youth, ethnic minorities, civil society and pro-democracy actors – and highlighted the work of communities who have established local institutions and forms of governance, often with increased participation from women.

Buildings lie in ruins in Mandalay region, central Myanmar, following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck in March.

Hopes for a peaceful future

The report underscored the importance of planning for the day-after, ensuring human rights are central to a future Myanmar – from rebuilding systems to restoring fundamental freedoms.

“There are strong, resourceful and principled individuals and groups rallying and creating the conditions for an inclusive and democratic future,” High Commissioner Türk said. “They are a shining example of hope for a peaceful future.”

The report will be formally presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 1 July.

Gaza: UN agencies calls for aid ‘surge’ as Israeli distribution plan begins

Posted on by
Reply

After nearly three months of complete blockade by Israel, a “vastly insufficient” amount of aid was finally allowed into the war-ravaged enclave in the last week, insisted Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

“We have not stopped operating,” he said, referring to staff still inside Gaza, who are tasked with liaising with the Israeli authorities to retrieve supplies allowed into Gaza from Israel, via the Kerem Shalom crossing.

Mr. Laerke insisted that the UN is not participating in the Israeli aid plan known as the Gaza Humanitarian Fund: “It is a distraction from what is actually needed, which is a reopening of all the crossings into Gaza, a secure environment within Gaza and faster facilitation of permissions and final approvals of all the emergency supplies that we have just outside the border; [aid] needs to get in.”

The veteran humanitarian stressed the ongoing dangers and obstacles that have prevented aid teams from picking up and dispatching lifesaving supplies via the UN’s existing delivery network in Gaza.

“We are not always able to collect what is being dropped off on the other side because of the insecure routes that are being assigned to us by the Israeli authorities to use,” he told journalists in Geneva.

‘Cherry-picking’ warning

All types of aid must be allowed through and not “cherry-picked”, Mr. Laerke stressed: “The bottom line again is that we are talking about a vastly insufficient amount of aid that eventually enters Gaza at the moment. That’s why we need [the] opening of more crossings, we need all types of aid – not that aid that is cherry-picked by the Israeli side that we are allowed to get in.”

In an update, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that as of Monday, 294 trucks have reached Kerem Shalom from Port Ashdod. On Tuesday, media reports indicated that protesters attempted to block lorries loaded with aid from leaving the Israeli port.

“While desperately needed aid is finally trickling into Gaza, the pace is far too slow to meet the overwhelming needs,” WFP said. “Gaza families are at a breaking point, amid intensified fighting, waves of evacuation orders and population displacement.”

Crossing the line

The UN agency noted that it has “more than 130,000 metric tonnes of food in the pipeline as well as a functioning delivery network ready to provide assistance. An immediate surge in daily aid trucks and unrestricted access to safely collect and distribute food inside Gaza are critical before it is too late.”

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, meanwhile, explained that “no supplies whatsoever” prepared by the agency have reached Gaza since the Israeli siege began on 2 March.

This is despite UNRWA having readied more than 3,000 trucks carrying food and medicines in Jordan and Egypt which will perish soon.

“We have clinics, we have pharmacies that the agency runs and there we normally would distribute medicines against chronic diseases…but also basic medicines, things like paracetamol and then childhood diseases and these are the medicines that we’re running out of,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communications.

Evidence call to Israel

The development comes as UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini urged the Israeli Government to provide proof to back up its unsubstantiated allegations that the UN agency’s staff were involved in the Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel that sparked the war in October 2023.

Investigations carried out internally by the UN last year found sufficient evidence that nine active UNRWA staff had been involved.

A separate independent probe commissioned by the UN Secretary-General found that the agency’s rules, mechanisms and procedures were the most “elaborate” within the UN, reflecting the complex and sensitive demands associated with working in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

“It’s been over 20 months of these claims coming our way, harming the agency’s reputation of course, but more importantly, putting the lives of our staff, especially those working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, at risk,” said Ms. Touma.

Despite numerous requests by UNRWA to the Israeli Government for evidence to substantiate “numerous accusations”, no evidence has been shared to back up the claims against the agency and its personnel, Ms. Touma continued.

Source link

Top marks for Lebanon schools project helping marginalised kids

Posted on by
Reply

According to UNICEF, there are an estimated 300,000 children with disabilities in Lebanon today, although data is limited. To help them access learning opportunities, the UN agency and Lebanese authorities launched a pilot project in 2018 to create inclusive schools in 30 public institutions across all governorates.

Today, that number has grown to 117 inclusive schools nationwide.

Equal right to learning

All children need access to inclusive schools and inclusive environments, Amal El Jabali, an Education Officer with UNICEF Lebanon, told UN News.

“It is not about society including them – it is about society adapting its ways to ensure they are part of the community and have an equal right to be there.”

Under the programme, children with disabilities can receive therapy and gain access to assistive devices at participating schools, creating a more level playing field.

Follow their dreams

At Al Fadila Inclusive Public School in Tripoli, 10-year-old Lama studies alongside her classmates, supported by teachers, paraprofessionals and special educators. She is determined that her dwarfism will not hold her back.

She dreams of becoming a chef and believes that anything is possible, said Ms. El Jabali, adding that with the right support, children like Lama can be empowered to follow their dreams and reach their full potential.

After all, every child has a right to education, UNICEF insists.

What’s your poison? Alcohol linked to higher risk of pancreatic cancer

Posted on by
Reply

The research, led by the UN World Health Organization’s centre for cancer research, pooled data from nearly 2.5 million people across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America.

It revealed a “modest but significant” association between alcohol consumption and the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, regardless of sex or smoking status.

“Alcohol consumption is a known carcinogen, but until now, the evidence linking it specifically to pancreatic cancer has been considered inconclusive,” said Pietro Ferrari, senior author of the study at the international cancer research agency and Head of Nutrition and Metabolism Branch at the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The pancreas is a vital organ that produces enzymes for digestion and hormones that regulate blood sugar. Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal cancers, largely due to late diagnosis.

All drinkers are at risk

The IARC study found that each additional 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day was associated with a 3 per cent increase in pancreatic cancer risk.

For women consuming 15 to 30 grams of alcohol daily – about one to two drinks – the risk rose by 12 per cent compared to light drinkers. Among men, those who drank 30 to 60 grams daily faced a 15 per cent increased risk, while men drinking more than 60 grams daily saw a 36 per cent higher risk.

“Alcohol is often consumed in combination with tobacco, which has led to questions about whether smoking might confound the relationship,” Mr. Ferrari said.

“However, our analysis showed that the association between alcohol and pancreatic cancer risk holds even for non-smokers, indicating that alcohol itself is an independent risk factor.”

Further research is needed, he added, to better understand the impact of lifetime alcohol consumption, including patterns such as binge drinking and early-life exposure.

A growing global challenge

Pancreatic cancer is the twelfth most common cancer globally, but it accounts for 5 per cent of cancer-related deaths due to its high fatality rate.

In 2022, incidence and mortality rates were up to five times higher in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and Eastern Asia than in other regions.

Gazans’ suffering goes on amid intensifying Israeli strikes

Posted on by
Reply

In occupied East Jerusalem, meanwhile, Israeli protesters illegally entered a compound of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA.

The development comes after the Israeli military coordination unit COGAT said on Saturday that 388 trucks had entered Gaza since last Monday – the first aid to arrive in well over two months of blockade that have caused hunger levels to spike.

Humanitarians have repeatedly warned that at least 500 to 600 trucks need to cross into Gaza every day to provide people with their daily needs – as they did before war erupted on 7 October 2023 after Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel.

Token assistance

“We are on the back of 11 weeks of nothing entering the Gaza Strip, no food, no medicines for 11 weeks, nothing apart from bombs,” said James Elder, a spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“And so today, a week after life-saving aid was finally allowed into Gaza again, the scale of that aid is painfully inadequate,” he told UN News. “It looks like a token that appears more like cynical optics than any real attempt to tackle the soaring hunger crisis among children and civilians in Gaza.”

Today, Gazans remain at “critical risk of famine”, UN-backed food security experts warned earlier this month. In their latest update, they estimated that one in five people in Gaza – 500,000 – faces starvation.

Another school hit

Reports on Monday indicated meanwhile that Israel’s intensifying military operation in northern Gaza against alleged terrorists and their infrastructure had killed at least 50 people in air strikes.

One attack hit a school in Gaza City sheltering hundreds of people uprooted by more than 19 months of violence. Footage reportedly taken after the incident showed the silhouette of a child stumbling through a classroom set ablaze at Fahmi al-Jarjawi school.

Another air strike hit a home elsewhere in Gaza City killing four people, according to the health authorities.

UN-run shelters are now “overwhelmed with displaced people desperately seeking safety”, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said in an update on Monday. It also underscored that the lack of food has added to people’s suffering.

“Many families are sheltering in abandoned, unfinished, or damaged buildings,” the agency explained. “Sanitation conditions are dire; in some cases, hundreds of people are having to share a single toilet. Others, including children and pregnant women, are sleeping in the open.”

Farming smashed

Across Gaza, less than five per cent of the Strip’s cropland remains available for cultivation, according to UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT).

Using high-definition imagery, the agencies’ findings emphasize just how much food production capacity has shrunk in Gaza because of the war, exacerbating  the risk of famine.

As of April 2025, more than 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip’s total cropland area has been damaged (12,537 hectares out of 15,053) and 77.8 percent is not accessible to farmers, leaving just 688 hectares (4.6 percent) available for cultivation.

The situation is particularly critical in Rafah and in the northern governorates, where nearly all cropland is not accessible.

Settler protest

Following the protest at the UNRWA compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday, a spokesperson for the UN agency noted that one member of the Israeli Knesset had joined the settlers inside the gates. Monday is a national holiday in Israel, marking the moment following the Six-Day War in 1967 when the country’s troops occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The UNRWA facility – located in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem – has been targeted in past arson attacks that set light to the perimeter fence.

At the end of January, UNRWA withdrew its staff from the compound in protest at the entry into force of an Israeli law banning the agency’s operations in occupied East Jerusalem.

The location retains its status as a UN facility that is protected under international law. 

Source link

UN rights mission deplores deadly Russian strikes in Ukraine

Posted on by
Reply

According to the UN mission, the overnight assault from Saturday into Sunday – one of the largest of its kind since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 – resulted in civilian casualties and damage to homes and infrastructure across 10 regions of Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv.

At least three children were among those killed and nine children were reported injured. The mission is currently working to verify the full extent of the casualties and the broader impact of the attack.

“With at least 78 people reported killed or injured across the country, last night’s attack tragically demonstrates the persistent deadly risk to civilians of using powerful weapons in urban areas, including those far away from the frontline,” Danielle Bell, HRMMU Head, said in a news release on Sunday.

“It is yet another addition to the staggering human toll this war continues to inflict on civilians, with more families across the country now grieving their losses.”

No place is safe

Matthias Schmale, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, also voiced deep concern over the civilian suffering.

“I am horrified that yet again civilians – among them children – were killed in last night’s massive attacks,” he said in a statement posted on the social media platform X.

“Across Ukraine, no place is safe. Homes and civilian infrastructure were hit. Grateful to humanitarian NGOs and state services who are immediately supporting affected people. Civilians must never be a target.”

Use of long-range weapons

Ukrainian authorities reported that the Russian armed forces launched at least 367 missiles and loitering munitions during the night, in a coordinated attack with air, sea and land-based systems.

The strike followed a similar assault the previous night, which had mainly targeted the Kyiv region.

HRMMU noted that the use of long-range weapons in urban areas has been a major driver of civilian casualties in March and April. While the number of casualties in May had been somewhat lower than April before the latest attack, the toll from this weekend’s strikes will add to the monthly figures.

Source link

Thousands flee homes in Mozambique as conflict and disasters fuel worsening crisis

Posted on by
Reply

The latest displacement brings the total number of people uprooted by violence, cyclones and social unrest in Mozambique to nearly 1.3 million, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

The situation is particularly dire in Cabo Delgado province, where attacks by non-state armed groups continue to drive displacement, destroy infrastructure and disrupt recovery efforts.

“Thousands have lost their homes, many for the second or third time and are seeking safety in already overstretched communities,” Xavier Creach, UNHCR Representative in Mozambique told journalists at a regular news briefing in Geneva on Friday.

A ‘triple crisis’

Mr. Creach warned that the southeast African country is grappling with a “triple crisis” – armed conflict and displacement, recurring extreme weather events, and months of post-electoral unrest.

At the same time, extreme weather events – most recently Cyclone Jude in March – have devastated communities already hosting large numbers of displaced families. Food prices have surged by up to 20 per cent in some areas, compounding the strain on households and deepening the economic fragility in one of the world’s poorest countries.

The risks facing displaced people, particularly women and children, are severe. Protection concerns, including gender-based violence, family separation and limited access to documentation, are rising sharply.

According to UNHCR estimates, nearly 5.2 million people across the country require some form of humanitarian assistance.

Dwindling funds

In the challenging environment, UNHCR’s response is constrained by lack of funding with less than one-third of the $42.7 million funding appeal for the year met so far.

The agency warned that unless urgent support is mobilized, vital programmes will be at risk.

The broader UN humanitarian appeal, addressing other critical sectors such as nutrition and food security, health, water and sanitation, and education also faces severe shortages, having received only about 15 per cent of the required $352 million.

“A perfect storm is gathering. If we turn away now, the country will face a much larger humanitarian emergency,” Mr. Creach said.

“The crisis is unfolding now. We have a choice. We can act to prevent, support and protect – or we can sit on our hands.”

Source link

UNHCR underscores plight of Rohingya refugees amid alarming reports

Posted on by
Reply

According to reports, one boat carrying 267 people from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and Rakhine State in Myanmar, sank on 9 May, with only 66 survivors, UNHCR said. 

The following day, a second boat fleeing with 247 people capsized, leaving just 21 survivors. In a separate incident, reports indicate that on 14 May, a third vessel carrying 188 Rohingya was intercepted while departing from Myanmar.

Since August 2017, mass violence, armed attacks and human rights violations have forced hundreds of thousands of mainly-Muslim Rohingya to flee Myanmar’s Rakhine State to seek refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh, particularly in the Cox Bazar’s region.

Last week, UNHCR voiced alarm over reports that Rohingya refugees had been forced off an Indian navy vessel into the Andaman Sea. News reports said that dozens of refugees were detained in Delhi, blindfolded, flown to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, then transferred to a naval ship and forced to swim ashore.

UN response

In Friday’s statement, Hai Kyung Jun, Director of UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, warned that the worsening humanitarian situation exacerbated by funding cuts to UN agencies is pushing more Rohingya to risk dangerous sea journeys.

She stressed the urgent need for stronger protection in first-asylum countries and greater responsibility-sharing to prevent further tragedies.

Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq highlighted during Friday’s press briefing that, with the annual monsoon season now underway, the perilous sea conditions reflect the desperation of those attempting to flee.

Rohingya refugees arrive in North Aceh, Indonesia, after a dangerous sea voyage from Bangladesh.

He also noted that so far this year, one in five people undertaking such sea journeys in the region has been reported dead or missing, underscoring the scale of risk and despair facing the Rohingya.

According to UNHCR data, as of 30 April, there are 1,272,081 Rohingya refugees officially displaced and stateless from Myanmar. Some 89 per cent are seeking asylum in Bangladesh and 8.8 per cent in Malaysia.

The refugee agency requires $383.1 million to sustain essential support for Rohingya refugees and host communities across Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, and Thailand in 2025. To date, only 30 per cent of that funding target has been met.

Source link

Public health champions honoured for work ‘beyond the call of normal duty’

Posted on by
Reply

But this is not universal. Many people worldwide struggle – unable to walk into clinics or explain their symptoms: “[These patients] do not line up on waiting lists. They wait, unknowingly, for inside understanding and the courage to seek care,” said Dr. Merete Nordentoft of Denmark, describing the patients with whom she has worked most closely.

Dr. Nordentoft was one of six public health champions to receive an award on Friday for “outstanding, innovative work in health development”, at the 78th World Health Assembly.

Each was honoured for their contributions to treating underserved communities and advancing the goal of healthcare for all.

“We celebrate the lifelong commitment and the relentless work accomplished by our very own health professionals across member states from every region of the world with one common goal – health for all,” President Teodoro Herbosa who presided over the awards ceremony.

Reaching vulnerable communities

Dr. Nordentoft received the Sasakawa Health Prize for her work on suicide prevention and with young patients undergoing their first psychotic episode. She was the first to receive this prize for mental health work, and emphasized the importance of early interventions which prioritize community-based care.

“With the right support, early enough, recovery is not only possible – it is likely,” Dr. Nordentoft said of her patients.

Many of the other award recipients have also spent their careers focused on healthcare policies and treatments which foreground integrated, community-based care. 

The principles for which Nelson Mandela fought urge us to pursue a policy of cooperation and partnership in sharing knowledge, science and resources – Dr. Majed Zemni

Professor Huali Wang of China and the Geriatric Healthcare Directorate of Kuwait were both awarded the Sheikh Al-Sabah Prize which honours research and policy done to support and advance healthy ageing.

Professor Wang was recognised in part for her work to integrate professional and family support networks for older adults with dementia. She dedicated her award to these families and everyone living with the complex illness.

The Kuwaiti Directorate was also honoured for the way in which they promoted high-quality, integrated care for older adults which “[preserves] the dignity, the rights and [recognises] the invaluable experiences of older persons.”

Dr. Jožica Maučec Zakotnik from Slovenia, who received the United Arab Emirates Foundation Prize, has also worked tirelessly to increase healthcare access and co-developed a new type of free-of-charge health care promotion centre scheme.

“Growing up in a less developed region in Slovenia, I set myself a task that the most disadvantaged communities would be given greater attention,” she said.

‘Force quit button’

Some of the awardees acknowledged that they were receiving these highly coveted awards during a time when global health is facing unprecedented challenges, specifically financial.

The proposed budget before the 78th World Health Assembly has been reduced by over $1.1 billion due to currently projected funding cuts.

“The global health world has just been hit with a ‘force quit’ button and we have been pushed to stop some of the things we really want to do,” said Dr. Helen Rees of South Africa, recipient of the Dr. LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for her work in HIV prevention and community-based health services. 

Dr. Majed Zemni of Tunisia received the Nelson Mandela Award for his patient-centred work in forensic medicine and in promoting the integration of medical ethics into policy. In his remarks, he noted the global civil rights icon’s legacy in also fighting for health policies.

“The principles for which Nelson Mandela fought urge us to pursue a policy of cooperation and partnership in sharing knowledge, science and resources,” Dr. Zemni said. 

Continuing the work 

Dr. Rees also emphasized the importance of seizing this moment to reimage global public health and uphold its sustainability.

“What we need now is action. We need good science and evidence-based policies so we can address the needs of all people, including the most vulnerable,” she said.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General, also urged all of the recipients to continue their work towards a healthier and fairer world.

“At a time when the world faces many challenges, each of you is an inspiration and a reminder of the progress that can be made to improve health and well-being for all.”

Source link

Escalating violence drives food crisis across eastern DR Congo, warns WFP

Posted on by
Reply

Conflict has plagued the DRC for decades, particularly in the east. Armed clashes escalated sharply this year as M23 rebels wrested control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in January, followed by Bukavu in South Kivu a month later.

The security and humanitarian situation further deteriorated with recent outbreaks of anthrax and mpox in April and May, fuelled by overcrowded conditions and poor sanitation.

Deepening food insecurity

WFP’s latest report estimates that 7.9 million people are food insecure in the conflict-affected eastern provinces, with 28 million in need across the country.

Food production in Grand Nord, an important agricultural hub in eastern DRC, has been slashed due to recent conflict and displacement. In addition, the closure of Goma’s airport – critical for aid delivery – continues to disrupt operations.

Despite these challenges, WFP reached 1.1 million people in the east between January and March, providing school meals and take-home rations for 100,000 children, nutrition supplements for 340,000 children and pregnant or breastfeeding women – along with logistics and supply chain assistance.

Regional turbulence

The 140,000 Congolese who have fled to neighbouring countries since January – mainly Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania – have turned a national emergency into a regional crisis.

Refugee camps in these countries, already under strain from refugees from other countries, are struggling to absorb the new arrivals.

WFP warned that the surge in need is outpacing available resources. Budget constraints have forced the agency to make sharp cuts: food rations have been halved in Burundi, while cash support has also been halved in Rwanda.

In Uganda, the number of refugees receiving assistance has dropped from 1.6 million to 630,000. In Tanzania, food rations have been reduced from 82 to 65 per cent.

To sustain its emergency operations, WFP is appealing for $433 million to support its work inside the DRC through October.

Additional funding needs include $16.6 million to provide full food assistance in Burundi through 2025, $12 million to maintain full rations for refugees in Rwanda through 2025, $26 million to sustain operations in Uganda through 2025, and $18 million to provide just 75 per cent of full rations in Tanzania through April 2026.

Displaced families in the Bulengo camp on the outskirts of Goma face a dire and uncertain future as M23 authorities instruct them to dismantle their makeshift shelters.

Source link

Diplomats prepare ground for June conference on two-State solution for Israel and Palestine

Posted on by
Reply

The preparatory session brought together UN Member States to align expectations and finalise arrangements for eight thematic roundtables that will help shape the conference’s outcome.

General Assembly President Philémon Yang urged countries to seize the crucial opportunity to finally make progress.

“The horrors we have witnessed in Gaza for over nineteen months should spur us to urgent action to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The devastating cycles of death, destruction, and displacement cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.

“This conflict cannot be resolved through permanent war, nor through endless occupation or annexation. It will only end when Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in their own sovereign, independent States, in peace, security, and dignity,” he added.

General Assembly President Yang addresses the preparatory meeting.

Concrete outcomes needed

Co-chairs France and Saudi Arabia emphasised the need for the June conference to go beyond reaffirming principles and achieve concrete results on the ground.

“We must urgently move from words to deeds. We must move from ending the war in Gaza to ending the conflict itself,” said Anne-Claire Legendre, Middle East and North Africa advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron.

“Faced with the facts on the ground, the prospects of a Palestinian State must be maintained. Irreversible steps and concrete measures for the implementation thereof are necessary.”

Alongside, she reiterated calls for a lasting ceasefire, an immediate influx of humanitarian aid and the release of hostages.

Historic moment

Manal bint Hassan Radwan, head of the Saudi Arabian negotiating team, called the moment “historic,” stating that the preparatory meeting must “chart a course for action, not reflection.”  

“Civilians continue to pay the price of a war that must end immediately. The escalation in the West Bank is equally alarming. Despair grows deeper by the day,” she said.

“This is precisely why we must speak not only of ending the war, but of ending a conflict that has lasted nearly eight decades,” she continued, adding efforts to end fighting and secure release of hostages and detainees must be “anchored in a credible and irreversible political plan that addresses the root cause of the conflict and offers a real path to peace, dignity and mutual security.”

Outcome document

The General Assembly decided to convene the conference in its resolution ES-10/24. Further details were outlined in resolution 79/81.

As outlined in General Assembly resolution 79/81, the Conference will produce an action-oriented outcome document entitled “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-State solution”.

The aim is to chart a clear and irreversible pathway toward a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in accordance with UN resolutions.

About the Conference

The conference will include a plenary session with statements from the President of the General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General, and the co-chairs, followed by interventions from Member States and observers.

According to a concept note from the co-chairs, the conference will also feature eight thematic roundtables, each focused on critical dimensions of the two-State solution. 

The working groups include security arrangements for both Israelis and Palestinians, the economic viability of a Palestinian State, and humanitarian action and reconstruction.

Source link

UN rights chief calls on South Sudan’s warring parties to end renewed fighting

Posted on by
Reply

At least 75 civilians have been killed in hostilities between the national army (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) – which is both a political party and militia group loyal to First Vice President Riek Machar – and their respective allied armed groups, said UN human rights office, OHCHR, in a press release.

Thousands have been displaced from their homes.

South Sudan was plunged into civil war in 2013 between supporters of the President Salva Kiir and his rival Mr. Machar but a 2018 peace accord led to a fragile power-sharing agreement.

Escalating hostilities “portend a real risk of further exacerbating the already dire human rights and humanitarian situation,” said Volker Türk, head of the UN human rights office (OHCHR), urging all parties to the conflict to “urgently pull back from the brink.”

Intensifying hostilities

The latest armed violence erupted in February when a militia group identified as the White Army reportedly launched a series of attacks in Upper Nile State, OHCHR said.

Hostilities intensified between 3 May and 20 May with reports of indiscriminate aerial bombardments and river and ground offensives by the SSPDF on SPLA-IO positions in the states of Jonglei and Upper Nile.

Civilian displacement further increased on 21 May because of the SPLA-IO and allies’ counter-offensive in Jonglei State.

“I urge all parties to uphold the 2018 peace agreement,” said the UN human rights chief, calling for the warring parties to “ensure protection of civilians and civilian objects,” and facilitating “humanitarian access in line with their obligations under international law.”

Concern of arbitrary detention

Between 5 and 26 March, at least 55 high-ranking government officials affiliated with the SPLM-IP, among them civilians, have been arrested across the country. Notably, South Sudan’s first vice-president, ministers, members of parliament and military officers were among the dozens of politicians who have been detained.

“I am concerned that many of the detentions are arbitrary in nature,” Mr Türk said, as these arrests were conducted without warrant or due process.”

Mr Türk called for the immediate and unconditional release of those arbitrarily detained, as he urged for authorities to grant the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) access to National Security Service detention sites to assess the welfare of those detained there.

Finally, the UN also urged the authorities to take “prompt, effective and meaningful” steps to halt the spread of hate speech in the country.

Source link