Category: Pacific

In May 2021, India’s hospitals were at breaking point. The country found itself at the epicentre of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the biggest challenges was providing enough medical oxygen for the sickest patients, unable to breathe unaided, as demand rose ten-fold.By the end of April, there were just under 18 million confirmed cases, and over 200,000 deaths.… Read More

Speaking to journalists in New York, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Noeleen Heyzer, urged the international community to “use this opening to help Myanmar work towards a common vision for their country.” “The road ahead will be long and difficult, but the time to act is now”, she said.  Escalation According to her, there has been “a broad-based resistance movement built… Read More

These are some of the disturbing statistics contained in a new report published on Friday by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), showing how the crisis is forcing young people to drop out of school and engage in ill-paid, irregular work just to survive and help feed their families. The report also says that 31 per cent of young people are not in… Read More

Ms. Bachelet reported that this week she spoke in person with “determined, courageous” human rights defenders who are pleading for the international community not to abandon them, but to take robust effective measures to ensure their rights are protected and that the military is held accountable.  Heed the call  “I urge governments – in the region and beyond – as… Read More

“At this moment, we need the global community – and this Council – to put their hands on the wheel of progress, provide resources, and prevent Afghanistan from spiraling any further,” he said.  Daily life has become a frozen hell for the people of Afghanistan. As a matter of moral responsibility — and regional and global security and prosperity —… Read More

Pauline Vaiangina, her husband, and their four young children, who live in Tongatapu, Tonga’s main island, were visiting their grandmother on the tiny remote island, when Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai erupted. Sudden explosions “It was a Saturday like any other”, says Pauline. We had just finished eating fish for dinner and I was washing the plates, when the dogs barked… Read More

In a joint statement, Hans Grundberg and David Gressley said they were alarmed by the situation and confirmed that January will “almost certainly” be a record-shattering month for civilian casualties in Yemen. Mr. Grundberg and Mr. Gressley also reiterate the UN Secretary-General’s condemnation of air strikes carried out by the Saudi-led Coalition on 21 January against a prison facility in Sa’dah, where migrants were also held. The airstrikes reportedly killed 91 detainees… Read More

“I grew up here in Australia, but I spent my last few years living in Tonga as Pacific Director for climate action group 350.org. I came back to Australia at the beginning of the pandemic, and I have not been able to go home since because the borders have been completely shut off to the rest of the world. COVID-free… Read More

The Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognized Government, has been fighting Houthi militants who control much of the country including the capital Sana’a, since 2015. Conflict escalated this week, following an attack on coalition partner, the United Arab Emirates by Houthi forces, on Monday.  Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement issued by his Spokesperson, that Fridays bombings, which included other areas of the country,… Read More

“The resources that we have in the ground are not enough”, Sione Hufanga explained, in an interview on Saturday morning local time, with UN News. “We ought to always look at the situation and ask, have we done enough, for this very small country, isolated in the Pacific islands?” The underwater volcano eruption of a week ago, is believed to… Read More