Myanmar earthquake latest: Entire communities flattened, aid teams say
Speaking to journalists from Yangon on Tuesday, Julia Rees, Deputy Representative of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the country described seeing massive needs rising by the hour, after a 7.7 magnitude quake. “Entire communities have been flattened,” she said,…
Sudan on brink of famine as fighting ravages Darfur, UN warns
Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric warned that “the humanitarian and security situation in Sudan remains dire and is worsening.” He highlighted intense fighting around El Fasher, noting, “we are gravely alarmed by reports of intensified hostilities… including attacks in the past two…
Gaza: UN relief chief demands ‘answers and justice’ following killings of first responders
The clearly identified humanitarian workers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, Palestinian Civil Defence and the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, had been despatched to collect injured people on 23 March in the Rafah area of southern Gaza, when they…
Myanmar earthquake tragedy ‘compounds already dire crisis’
Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator Marcoluigi Corsi expressed the UN’s profound sorry at the immense loss of life stemming from Friday’s 7.7 and 6.4 magnitude quakes with the death toll rising to around 2,000, according to the country’s military junta. “The…
Myanmar earthquake: Search and rescue efforts continue in race against time
According to news reports citing Myanmar’s military leader, around 1,700 are confirmed dead from Friday’s 7.7 magnitude quake, with some 3,400 injured and hundreds still missing. In the Thai capital Bangkok which was also rocked by the seismic event, 76…
Myanmar quake: More than 1,600 reported killed, as UN aid operation supports rescue efforts
The earthquakes of 7.7 and 6.4 magnitude struck Myanmar in the centre of the country northwest of Sagaing. The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, reported on Saturday that hospitals in the area are overwhelmed with extensive damage to health infrastructure….
Gaza: Acts of war bear hallmarks of atrocity crimes, warn UN humanitarians
According to local health authorities in Gaza, 830 people were killed between 18-23 March, including 174 women and 322 children. A further 1,787 were injured. “The acts of war that we see bear the hallmarks of atrocity crimes,” said Jens Laerke,…
UN teams ramp up response to deadly quake in Myanmar and Thailand
The Emergency Relief Coordinator tweeted that UN teams are being “supported by expertise across our global network”. News reports quoting sources in the Burmese city of Mandalay, close to the epicentre of the quake, indicate that hundreds have died. In…
Extreme weather impacts cascading ‘from the Andes to the Amazon’
The study also highlights positive developments amid the bleak news, such as the growing role of renewable energy in the region and the power of early warning systems to save lives. “In 2024, weather and climate impacts cascaded from the…
Haiti reaches ‘yet another crisis point’ as gangs tighten their grip
Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that the country had reached “yet another crisis Security Council-mandated Multinational Security Support Mission, the State is losing ground. Law enforcement operations against gangs have resulted in over 2,000 people killed…