World News in Brief: UN Support Office in Haiti, Goodwill Ambassador Theo James in Syria, urgent appeal for millions in DR Congo

The office established through a resolution in September, will provide support to the new Gang Suppression Force and the UN political mission in the country (BINUH). The Spokesperson’s updates included that Stephen McOwan has been selected as interim director of the office and he joined some 37 staff members already up and running in Port-au-Prince over […]

Aid cuts push millions in West and Central Africa deeper into hunger

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) issued the warning on Friday, citing latest analysis from the food security framework Cadre Harmonisé, the regional equivalent of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) that uses a one to five scale – with five spelling catastrophe/famine – to inform response. It projects that 13 million children are also expected to suffer from malnutrition this year while over three million people will […]

Somalia declares drought emergency as millions face hunger after failed rains

On 10 November, the Federal Government of Somalia formally declared a drought emergency and appealed for urgent international assistance as conditions continued to deteriorate across northern, central and southern regions, according to the UN relief coordination office, OCHA. Puntland is among the worst affected areas, where authorities estimate that nearly one million people need support, […]

Peacekeeping: A lifeline for millions seeking a ‘future without fear’

Peacekeeping: A lifeline for millions seeking a ‘future without fear’

Governments and civil society organizations have so far submitted more than 60 contributions to a review process mandated under the Pact for the Future, agreed by Member States last year. The UN has an 80-year legacy that includes deploying multidimensional peacekeeping operations that combine police, troop and civilian personnel; special political missions engaged in conflict […]

UN refugee agency urges support to end displacement for millions of Syrians

UN refugee agency urges support to end displacement for millions of Syrians

That’s the message from Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, speaking on Tuesday after concluding a five-day visit to Lebanon and Syria. “The international community cannot afford to be mere observers, assessing and judging the developments in Syria,” she said. “They must take an active role supporting stabilization and recovery […]

Latin America and Caribbean: Millions more children could face poverty due to climate change

Latin America and Caribbean: Millions more children could face poverty due to climate change

Even worse, the number could triple if countries do not meet their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to ensure that climate financing prioritises social and climate resilience services for children. The finding comes in a report by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the UN Children’s […]

Peacekeepers find weapons trove in southern Lebanon, as drought threatens millions

Peacekeepers find weapons trove in southern Lebanon, as drought threatens millions

On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, peacekeepers with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) discovered rocket launchers, rocket shells, mortar rounds, bomb fuses and a tunnel containing munitions in separate incidents in Sectors East and West, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York. All finds were referred to the Lebanese Armed Forces […]

Funding shortages threaten relief for millions of Sudanese refugees: WFP

Funding shortages threaten relief for millions of Sudanese refugees: WFP

In an alert, the UN agency warned that it faces having to make “drastic cuts” to life-saving food assistance, which may “grind to a halt” in the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya in the coming months as resources run out. WFP noted that the situation for many Sudanese refugees is already dire, more […]

Millions remain invisible – but Asia-Pacific leaders pledge change by 2030

Millions remain invisible – but Asia-Pacific leaders pledge change by 2030

Now, governments have committed to close that gap by 2030. At the conclusion of the Third Ministerial Conference on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Asia and the Pacific, leaders adopted a renewed declaration to strengthen national civil registration systems – the foundational mechanisms that register births, deaths and other vital events. The move extends […]

Make midwives universally accessible and save millions of lives, WHO urges

Make midwives universally accessible and save millions of lives, WHO urges

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this sort of large-scale life-saving is possible, if midwifery care is universally accessible and consistent with international standards. “Expanding and investing in midwifery models of care is one of the most effective strategies to improve maternal and newborn health globally,” said Dr. Anshu Banerjee, director for maternal, child […]

Millions will die from funding cuts, says UN aid chief

Millions will die from funding cuts, says UN aid chief

“Cutting funding for those in greatest need is not something to boast about…the impact of aid cuts is that millions die,” warned Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. Speaking from an overcrowded hospital in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan where three or four patients have to share a bed, Mr. Fletcher warned that the financial crisis has […]