Category: Pacific

Updating journalists at the daily media briefing in New York, Stéphane Dujarric cited humanitarians in saying that “conflict, food insecurity, natural disasters and COVID-19” have left some three million women, children and men in urgent need of life-saving assistance and protection. “This includes one million people who were in need at the start of the year, plus an additional two million people identified as needing help after the military takeover… Read More

Spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said Afghan refugees have been approaching UNHCR offices, desperately concerned about the safety and welfare of their loved ones left behind, or living in neighbouring countries.  “While recent political developments in Afghanistan have not led to large-scale cross-border displacement, many among pre-existing Afghan refugee and asylum seeker populations remain separated from their families owing to the inaccessibility… Read More

The attack marked the second consecutive week that a Shia mosque in the country has been targeted, following a blast last Friday in the northeastern city of Kunduz, which left more than 100 worshippers dead.  I condemn in the strongest terms the despicable attack on the Imam Baragah mosque in Kandahar City, Afghanistan. The perpetrators of this latest crime against… Read More

Working out of Geneva, there are experts in gender violence and crimes against children; analysts with experience in international justice; specialists in open source evidence; and investigators working with sophisticated information systems.   The team of professionals are formally known as the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, (IIMM) or Myanmar Mechanism, and was created in 2018 by the Human Rights Council.  Experts have collected 2 million pieces of information about human rights violations in Myanmar. Nicholas Koumjian, head of the Myanmar Mechanism, told… Read More

A farmer in Lao holds up a bag of fresh fish that he has cultivated in his rice field., by © FAO/Xaykhame Manilasith Rice-fish has a millennia old history in the landlocked South East Asian country, but the practice has fallen out or practice largely due to the intensification of rice production and the accompanying pesticide use. However, a combination… Read More

The human rights lawyer, who was arrested on 8 September, was a member of the Hong Kong Alliance, an advocacy group which organized an annual candlelight vigil marking the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square. Several other activists have been similarly arrested and charged under the National Security Law. The law came into force at the end of June last year,… Read More

A month since the UN-led $606 million appeal for solidarity for the people of Afghanistan, the UN refugee agency said that only 35 per cent of the funds it needed to fund operations for the next two months had been received. Core relief items include essential household items such as blankets, plastic sheets, buckets, jerry cans, kitchen set & soap… Read More

“If we do not act and help Afghans weather this storm, and do it soon, not only they but all the world will pay a heavy price”, Mr. Guterres told journalists in New York, ahead of Tuesday, when G20 leading industrialized nations will meet to discuss the country embroiled in crisis.   Currently, at least 18 million people, or about half of the country’s population are affected.  “Without food, without jobs, without their rights protected, we will see more… Read More

Around 16 million new jobs could be created in clean energy, energy efficiency, engineering, manufacturing and construction industries in the Asia-Pacific region, more than compensating for the estimated loss of five million jobs by downscaling industries.  The Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2021 was jointly launched on Monday by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). … Read More

Afghanistan was already among the world’s worst humanitarian situations prior to the Taliban assuming power in August, which has deepened existing needs and vulnerabilities.   🚨🚨🚨Conflict, displacement, economic collapse, COVID-19, a failing health system… Afghans have endured 40 years of hardship. The situation is worsening for millions of vulnerable people. Here are 9 facts you need to know about #Afghanistan now⤵️… Read More