Category: Pacific

In Thailand, as elsewhere in the world, the private sector has an essential role in addressing poverty and inequality, promoting sustainability, and working collectively to build a better world, despite the challenges of COVID-19. © IOM Thailand/Jidapa Khoonsins United Nations Resident Coordinator in Thailand Gita Sabharwal (left) visits the northeast of the country in July 2020. The United Nations and… Read More

The need for social protection safety nets has been further highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a new report, launched on Thursday.  “Comprehensive social protection creates the foundation for healthy societies and vibrant economies,” Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of… Read More

The two boys were killed in a crossfire between Myanmar’s military, known as the Tatmadaw, and the separatist Arakan Army. The incident occurred on 5 October in Buthidaung township – a hotspot for army abuses against children for non-combat purposes, since mid-2019, the UN agencies said in a statement, on Wednesday.   The children were part of a group of around… Read More

There are also reports that 200 people have been killed or injured.  As thousands of families flee #Helmand fighting, Taliban & ANSF urged to take all feasible measures to protect civilians, inc. safe paths for those wishing to leave area. UN teams working to verify casualty reports & advocating with parties to stop all civilian harm. #Afghanistan — UNAMA News… Read More

“I was concerned that I might get infected. Everyone was afraid,” says 32-year-old World Health Organization (WHO) data collector Myat Mon Yee. Since March, Ms. Mon Yee, a computer studies graduate from South Dagon Township in Yangon, has been working at the South Okkalapa Hospital in the former capital. The hospital was planned as the Women’s and Children’s Hospital but… Read More

Counsellors report urgent demands for mental and psychosocial support, particularly among women and girls who are facing an increase in gender-based violence, in addition to challenges brought on by the crisis. Pema, a mental health counsellor who volunteers with UNFPA in central Bhutan, has witnessed this first-hand. “This lockdown has brought the whole country to a standstill, but domestic violence and… Read More

According to news reports, one person died and hundreds were injured on Monday, after demonstrators gathered in anger over alleged vote-rigging. The protests which attracted thousands, were reportedly largely peaceful, but turned violent as a group tried to enter Government buildings and stormed parliament. On Tuesday, several high-profile political detainees were reportedly released, include a former president who had been… Read More

According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), conditions in Iranian prisons, suffering from chronic overcrowding and poor sanitary conditions, have worsened during the pandemic. Shortage of water and inadequate protective equipment, testing, isolation and treatment have led to a spread of coronavirus among detainees, reportedly resulting in a number of deaths.  Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,… Read More

Thaw Lay, a high school student from Yangon, the capital of Myanmar, knew that this school year would be unlike any other. “I was excited, but I also knew that things would be a little different, when school reopened later this year”, he recalls. Thaw Lay and his fellow students face unprecedented levels of disruption to their education: on 21… Read More

At least 13 people were killed and dozens more injured in the attack that targeted a district administrative building in Shinwar, where many civilians were present.  UNAMA outraged by killing of at least 13 civilians today in suicide attack, Shinwar #Nangarhar. Those responsible must be held to account. Extremists & spoilers need shunning, with full support to Afghans promoting a… Read More