Category: Pacific

Fiame Naomi Mata’afa was sworn in during a makeshift ceremony held in a tent on the statehouse lawn in the capital, Apia. Following Samoa’s general elections, Secretary-General @antonioguterres urges leaders to find solutions to political situation through dialogue in best interests of people and institutions in the country. https://t.co/VEidzC3lwC — UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) May 24, 2021 Her party, known by… Read More

Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the southeast Asian nation, underscored in a statement, the need to stop the flow of weapons and so called dual-use weapons technology into the hands of forces under the command of the military junta, describing it as “literally a matter of life and death.” “There is no time to… Read More

In the last 24 hours, India registered 3,915 coronavirus deaths and 414,188 cases “which is the highest daily case count recorded by any country in the history of COVID-19 pandemic”, said Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India. “UNICEF is of course very concerned about this deadly daily surge in new cases”, she added. “This wave is almost four times… Read More

The UN agency has approved the Sinopharm vaccine for emergency use, which is a prerequisite for inclusion in the global vaccine solidarity initiative, COVAX.   The vaccine is easy to store, making it suitable for locations with limited resources, and proved 79 per cent effective in clinical trials.  “The addition of this vaccine has the potential to rapidly accelerate COVID-19… Read More

In a statement on Tuesday, George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, called for “urgent action and steadfast leadership” to stop the catastrophe. Viruses know no borders. We must come together now as a global community to stop the devastation being created by #COVID19 in South Asia and protect our children. https://t.co/1ANLcF9gWK — UNICEF South Asia (@UNICEFROSA) May 4,… Read More

“At a time when Myanmar needs them the most, health workers fear arrest or detention for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly”, the Country Team said in a news release, reiterating its call for health workers, health facilities and patients to be protected. The United Nations in Myanmar warns of the impact on public health, including… Read More

Filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad received multiple sentences in February last year, including a seven-and-a-half-year prison term, after being convicted on charges relating to an open letter he and others signed calling for the Supreme Leader’s resignation and for constitutional changes, according to a news release by the experts. The Iranian authorities must release him immediately in line with medical opinions and give… Read More

Civilian casualties in Afghanistan witnessed a sharp rise since peace negotiations started in September last year, even though overall deaths and injuries dropped in 2020, compared to the previous year, according to a UN human rights report launched Tuesday.  Source UN News Read More

The Maldives had reported some 29,000 cases of the virus with 72 deaths up until 29 April.   As World Immunization Week comes to an end, Ms. Haswell explains how the UN has supported the authorities in the fight against the pandemic. UN Maldives/Nasheeth Thoha Catherine Haswell, the UN Resident Coordinator in the Maldives (left) meets a group of local… Read More

That level of impoverishment has not been seen in the country since 2005, and the economy is facing significant risks of a collapse, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said in its report, COVID-19, Coup d’état and Poverty: Compounding Negative Shocks and their Impact on Human Development in Myanmar. According to @UNDP_Myanmar new report, up to 25 million people in Myanmar… Read More