News from the United Nations

• Gaza: Israeli war tactics condemned as aid still blocked from reaching north November 14, 2024
  Intense Israeli military operations have continued in Gaza as UN humanitarians reported that multiple attempts to deliver lifesaving aid to besieged areas in the north of the enclave had been either “denied or impeded”.
• Middle East crisis: Live updates for 14 November November 14, 2024
  Israeli military operations are blocking, denying or impeding lifesaving aid requests in Gaza on Thursday as the war there and in Lebanon continues to kill, injure and displace civilians. Stay tuned for live updates from the field and at UN Headquarters in New York, where in an interview with UN News, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini […]
• COP29: ‘Now is the time to fast-track, not backtrack’ on the path to net-zero November 14, 2024
  Meeting on Thursday with non-governmental entities in Baku for the COP29 climate talks, UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlighted the crucial role that cities, regions, businesses and financial institutions must play in driving the worldwide effort towards reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century.
• Coffee, tea and cocoa costs see global food import bill soaring past $2 trillion November 14, 2024
  The global food import bill is projected to exceed $2 trillion in 2024 – fuelled by the rising cost of everyone’s favourite hot drinks – according to the latest Food Outlook released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday. 
• COP29 climate talks: Major emitters must right ‘colossal injustice’ on island nations, says UN chief November 13, 2024
  COP29 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, 2024
  A 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.
• Adolescents face mounting pressure at school, decline in family support November 13, 2024
  Adolescents 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.
• UNRWA chief: Agency enduring ‘darkest moment’, as Israeli laws threaten operations November 13, 2024
  The 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.
• COP29: Energy transition must not trigger a ‘stampede of greed’ that crushes the poor November 13, 2024
  Climate 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, 2024
  Reports 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.