WHO backs African efforts to combat mpox spread, as Sweden records new case
The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting African countries to scale up response to curb mpox, which is now an international global health emergency.
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World News in Brief: Zimbabwe rights plea, ‘serious concern’ over Azerbaijan prosecutions, Bahrain prisoner alert
Zimbabwean authorities must immediately release human rights defenders who have been arbitrarily detained for over two weeks and drop the charges against them, a group of independent UN human rights experts said on Thursday.
UN reiterates call to release staffers detained in Yemen
Ansar Allah in Yemen must immediately release 13 UN staff and dozens of personnel from civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other entities, who have been arbitrarily detained for more than two months, two senior officials told the Security Council on Thursday.
Most of Gaza 40,000 dead are women and children, says UN rights chief
As the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza passes the dark milestone of 40,000, UN rights chief Volker Türk called on Thursday for an end to the killing “once and for all” and the release of all hostages, while negotiators prepared to meet in Qatar to renew efforts to halt the conflict and avert a wider war.
Growing concerns for Yemenis battered by relentless rain and flooding
Exceptionally heavy rain and deadly flash-flooding in Yemen have compounded the already dire situation for people across the country, UN humanitarians said on Thursday.
Afghanistan: 20 years of steady education progress ‘almost wiped out’
The de facto authorities in Afghanistan “have almost wiped out two decades of steady progress for education” there, putting the future of an entire generation in jeopardy, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural agency (UNESCO) reported on Wednesday.
Humanitarians report rise in children killed and injured in the West Bank
The killing, injury and displacement of Palestinians continues in the West Back against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, now in its 10th month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update issued on Wednesday.
Extreme heat increasingly disrupting child health, UNICEF warns
One in five children – or 466 million – live in areas that experience at least double the number of extremely hot days every year compared with their grandparents’ generation, according to a new UNICEF analysis released on Wednesday.
WHO declares mpox virus a public health emergency of international concern
The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the rise in mpox cases constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), following advice from members at Wednesday’s International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee meeting.
No date yet for long-awaited South Sudan elections
The UN continues to support an enabling environment for general elections in South Sudan, but the date remains elusive, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the country told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Gaza remains at ‘high risk’ of polio virus spread, warn UN aid teams
The risk of polio spreading in Gaza remains high unless there is an urgent and comprehensive response to the serious health threat, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday.
Security Council: Political affairs chief underlines ‘desperate need’ for Gaza ceasefire
As civilian suffering intensifies in war-ravaged Gaza, senior UN officials on Tuesday called once more for an immediate ceasefire and conditions which would allow full humanitarian access, following Saturday’s deadly Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter.