News from the United Nations
- Adolescents face mounting pressure at school, decline in family support November 13, 2024Adolescents across Europe, Central Asia and Canada say they face rising school pressure and diminishing support from families and friends, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey.
- COP29: Energy transition must not trigger a ‘stampede of greed’ that crushes the poor November 13, 2024Climate talks at COP29 in Baku on Wednesday turned to the pressing issue of how to manage the demand for minerals essential to producing electric vehicles and solar panels without triggering a “stampede of greed” that exploits local communities and crushes the poor.
- Middle East: Gaza food markets ‘in decay’ as starvation looms November 13, 2024Reports of ongoing bombardments, likely starvation and despair continue to emerge from Gaza where many basic daily staples now “barely exist”, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday.
- COP29 climate talks: Major emitters must right ‘colossal injustice’ on island nations, says UN chief November 13, 2024COP29 talks in Baku on Wednesday turned to small island nations facing an existential threat from our warming planet, as UN Secretary-General António Guterres insisted that they “deserve support to deal with a crisis [that they] have done next to nothing to create”.
- Public execution in Afghanistan condemned as ‘clear human rights violation’ November 13, 2024A public execution carried out in a sports stadium in Afghanistan drew condemnation from senior UN officials on Wednesday, who demanded an immediate end to such practices by the ruling Taliban.
- UNRWA chief: Agency enduring ‘darkest moment’, as Israeli laws threaten operations November 13, 2024The UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, is living through the “darkest moment” of its 75 year history, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Wednesday, pointing to a trifecta of legislative, operational and security challenges.
- Middle East crisis: Live updates from Gaza, Lebanon and the Security Council as famine looms November 12, 2024Top UN officials warned the Security Council on Tuesday that famine is imminent in Gaza unless immediate action is taken, with UN agencies on the ground reporting dire conditions as the conflict rages on there and in Lebanon. UN News app users can follow the live feed here.
- Gaza: ‘People losing hope’ as aid access is refused to north, warns UNRWA November 12, 2024Dead bodies are lying in the streets of besieged northern Gaza while hospitals run out of blood packs – a situation that’s “nothing short of catastrophic”, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.
- COP29: Guterres urges countries to ‘get serious’ on loss and damage funding November 12, 2024UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Tuesday for countries to step up contributions to a financial mechanism to assist developing countries affected by climate change.
- Sudan: Allies of warring generals ‘enabling the slaughter,’ Security Council hears November 12, 2024The people of Sudan face an ever-deepening crisis as the relentless war between rival militaries pushes the country further into chaos, the UN’s top political affairs official told the Security Council on Tuesday, underscoring that a ceasefire and a negotiated political solution remain the only viable path to peace.