Category: Pacific

The Geneva-based body was briefed by Nicholas Koumjian, Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), who presented its latest report.  The Mechanism was established by the Council to collect and preserve evidence of the most serious international crimes in the country.  Lack of accountability  Mr. Koumjian began by pointing out that it has been five years since the… Read More

The UN chief landed in Sindh province before flying over some of the worst-affected areas on his way to Balochistan, where he met with local residents, some of whom were directly impacted by the floods. Many had lost their loved ones, homes and everything they owned, amid the near continuous monsoon rainfall, flash flooding, and rain-induced landslides that have pummeled… Read More

Chinese black pigs, by Bryson John Cheng/ Unsplash The Access and Benefit-Sharing project (ABS), which is working in Yunnan, Hunan, and Guangxi provinces, is also designed to prevent biopiracy, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and traditional knowledge. Remote and less-developed regions, which are frequently endowed with rich natural resources and long traditions of agriculture, are expected to benefit from… Read More

Pakistan has been inundated with near continuous monsoon rainfall, flash flooding, and rain-induced landslides since mid-June, causing widespread devastation and casualties affecting millions of people across the South Asian country. Upon his arrival, Mr. Guterres was briefed on the latest developments and the Pakistan-led response by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, as well as other… Read More

The funding will help prevent waterborne diseases and epidemics, and provide nutrition supplements, clean water and reproductive health care for the most vulnerable people, as well as feed for livestock.  WFP has already reached more than 400,000 people impacted by #PakistanFloods with food assistance. Support is needed to urgently recover and rebuild community infrastructure, livelihoods opportunities, and resilience. 🔗https://t.co/mXSj20yNaf —… Read More

Their statement follows the recent publication of a long-awaited report by the UN human rights office, OHCHR, which found that “serious human rights violations” had been committed against the Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim communities there.  Support for UN report  In supporting the assessment, the experts highlighted the conclusion, which stated that “the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of… Read More

“Our region spends less than half of the global average on social protection,” said ESCAP Executive Secretary Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana. “Almost 60 per cent of the population has no social protection coverage against normal life events such as pregnancy, child-raising, sickness, disability, unemployment or simply getting old”. The 2022 Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific: The Workforce We Need was… Read More

From 13 to 30 August, IOM partnered with local authorities in deploying its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) team to track and monitor internal displacement and identify the needs of those most affected in the Highlands region. As assessments in hard-to-access provinces continue, the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is expected to rise.   Most immediate needs While security… Read More

With more than 33 million people impacted, that represents 15 per cent of the total Pakistani population, said Dr. Palitha Mahipala, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in the country. Some “6.4 plus million people are in dire need of humanitarian aid”, he said, speaking from Islamabad to journalists in Geneva. In the past few weeks, record monsoon rains dumped more than… Read More

An ongoing economic crisis and political turmoil have pushed food price inflation to above 90 percent, with a shortage of fuel disrupting access, livelihoods, and food safety programmes, leaving millions vulnerable to food insecurity. Pregnant and anxious As the food voucher distribution gets underway, the women make their way up through an open staircase to the first-floor hall awaiting their… Read More