Month: August 2017

More than 350,000 children vaccinated against polio in hard to reach areas of Syria – UN

A United Nations polio vaccination campaign in Syria has provided protection to more than 355,000 children under age five in two governorates, where violence has made access especially difficult. In response to a recent outbreak of vaccine-derived polio in the country, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners have completed […]

‘Racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia are poisoning our societies’ – UN chief

Urging people everywhere to speak out against hate speech and hate crimes, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today reiterated his call for tolerance, respect for the other and the importance of recognizing diversity. “Racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia are, as I mentioned yesterday, poisoning our societies,” the Secretary-General told journalists today at a briefing at the UN […]

Yemen’s cholera epidemic surpasses half-million suspected cases, UN agency says

More than 500,000 people in Yemen are suspected of having cholera, the United Nations health agency today said, warning that the disease is spreading quickly due to a lack of clean water or health access. “Yemen’s cholera epidemic, currently the largest in the world, has spread rapidly due to deteriorating hygiene and sanitation conditions and disruptions […]

In Iraq, UN Youth Envoy says young people are ‘most valuable force we have to shape a better future’

As International Youth Day events kicked off worldwide today, at a special event in Iraq, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake, pledged to do everything in her power to ensure the voices of youths, including those working to build peace, are heard. “Today, thousands of young women and men work tirelessly, often under very […]