Category: Pacific

For the nearly 900,000 Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, 2021 marks the fourth year since their mass displacement from Myanmar, which was preceded by decades of influxes triggered by systematic discrimination and targeted violence.   StatelessnessDiscrimination Targeted violence  Over the past few decades, nearly 1 million Rohingya have fled their homes in Myanmar in search of peace and safety. While many fled across borders, some remain displaced… Read More

Across the region of almost 2 billion people, more than three new COVID-19 infections are being recorded every second, while over three lives are lost every minute to the disease, according to UNICEF. George Laryea-Adjei, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, warned that the scale and speed of the COVID-19 surge is “outstripping” countries’ abilities to provide life-saving treatment for… Read More

“In my career, there have been times when people I work with in the music industry have advised me to concentrate on building an audience and making money, and do my activism later. They think that social activism and art are two different worlds that can’t exist together. But my team and I don’t agree. We aren’t saying that everyone… Read More

Gerald James Daly, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bhutan., by UN Photo “Bhutan has been exemplary in the way it has responded to COVID-19. Practically the entire eligible adult population of more than 530,000 people (anyone in Bhutan with no history of allergic reaction to the COVID-19 vaccines is eligible) have received the first dose. The initial batch of AstraZeneca… Read More

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