US calls out Israel and Hamas after Gaza aid shipment attacked, diverted
Washington DC, US Reuters The US on Thursday called on both Israel and Hamas to ensure that aid bound for civilians in Gaza is not disrupted, after a shipment from Jordan was attacked by Israeli settlers and subsequently diverted by Palestinian militants. Secretary of State Antony Blinken viewed the aid on Tuesday just before it […]
Hope for jobs drives recruitment by militant groups in Africa – report
Johannesburg, South AfricaReuters Hope of employment more than religious belief is driving people to join fast-growing extremist groups in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a report by the UN Development Programme based on interviews with hundreds of former fighters. While worldwide deaths from terrorism have declined in the last five years, deaths in sub-Saharan Africa have […]
Cost-of-living crisis driving “breathtaking” surge in extreme poverty – UNDP
London, UKReuters The global cost-of-living crisis is pushing an additional 71 million people in the world’s poorest countries into extreme poverty, a new report published by the UN Development Programme on Thursday has warned. Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator, said an analysis of 159 developing countries showed that the surge in key commodity prices this year […]
Ninety per cent of Ukrainian population could face poverty in protracted war – UNDP
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters Nine out of 10 Ukrainians could face poverty and extreme economic vulnerability if the war drags on over the next year, wiping out two decades of economic gains, the UN Development Programme said on Wednesday. Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, said that his agency was working with the Kyiv government to avoid a […]
UN says about half of Myanmar’s people could sink into poverty in 2022
Reuters Urban poverty is on course to triple in Myanmar, pushing nearly half the population below the poverty line next year, the United Nations said on Wednesday, as the twin impact of the pandemic and a military coup threaten progress made in the past decade. The army seized power from the elected civilian government of […]
UN pushes cash handouts to avert mass poverty in Afghanistan
United NationsReuters The United Nations said on Wednesday that a program to pay $US300 million a year in cash to Afghan families with children, elderly or people with disabilities is the best way to target increasing poverty. In what the UN Development Programme described as an “alarming” socio-economic outlook for Afghanistan for the next 13 […]
UN warns of ‘colossal’ collapse of Afghan banking system
United NationsReuters The United Nations on Monday pushed for urgent action to prop up Afghanistan’s banks, warning that a spike in people unable to repay loans, lower deposits and a cash liquidity crunch could cause the financial system to collapse within months. In a three-page report on Afghanistan’s banking and financial system seen by Reuters, […]
Climate change extremes spur UN plan to fund weather forecasting
Glasgow, UKReuters As climate change triggers deadly heatwaves, droughts and floods, three UN agencies on Wednesday will roll out funding plans to improve weather forecasting in vulnerable countries. The initiative, announced at the UN climate summit in Glasgow, aims to plug gaps in weather monitoring and data collection so developing countries can better prepare for […]
Many countries to miss Paris climate plan deadline due to COVID-19 delays, says UN
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Many countries will miss a deadline to submit updated climate action plans by 2020 as mandated by the Paris climate pact due to COVID-19 delays, a UN report said on Tuesday. Compliance with the commitment to upgrade climate action plans every five years is seen as important to the success of the 2015 […]
Most countries failing to address women’s needs during pandemic – UN
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Only one in eight countries worldwide have brought in measures to specifically protect women from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a database of government responses to COVID-19 launched by two UN agencies on Monday. The crisis offers a chance to reshape societies for a fairer future, but many […]