Indian Ocean tsunami anniversary: A call to safeguard future generations
On Boxing Day – 26 December 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, unleashing a massive tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean. Waves as high as 51 meters (167 feet) inundated communities in Aceh, Indonesia, with…
Southeast Asia provides fertile ground for women to benefit from AI
With AI enabled technology becoming commonplace, the UN System is beginning to take advantage of the latest digital tools to bring gender equality closer to reality Southeast Asia, a middle-income region with widespread internet coverage and relatively high digital literacy…
UN surge teams mobilise as Vanuatu hit by second earthquake
A state of emergency remains in effect across the island nation, and a seven-day dusk-to-dawn curfew in parts of Port Vila was scheduled to end on 24 December. Access road to the seaport is also reportedly blocked. The second earthquake…
Tensions escalating over DPR Korea, political affairs chief warns Security Council
Briefing ambassadors, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo highlighted the need for de-escalation and dialogue, while also noting “indications” that DPRK is continuing to actively pursue its nuclear weapons programme. “Diplomatic engagement remains the only pathway to sustainable peace and the complete and…
Taliban’s pursuit of ‘Islamic vision’ eroding freedoms in Afghanistan: Security Council
Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, painted a grim picture of escalating human rights abuses, diminishing freedoms and growing humanitarian challenges. “It is now approaching nearly 1,200 days without girls…
Afghanistan: UN condemns Taliban ban on women attending medical classes
OHCHR Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani described the new directive, which reportedly took effect on Tuesday, as “yet another direct blow” by the de facto authorities against Afghan women and girls. “It is profoundly discriminatory, short-sighted and puts the lives of women…
Myanmar: UN experts call for ‘course correction’ as civilian deaths reach 6,000
“There are now 6,000 reminders that the international community is failing the people of Myanmar,” the Human Rights Council-appointed experts stated in a news release on Monday. “It is time for a change, starting with moving this disaster out of…
Arrest warrant sought for Myanmar Commander-in-Chief for Rohingya crimes
The move, announced on Wednesday, follows a comprehensive investigation by the ICC into the 2016 and 2017 waves of violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine province targeting the minority Muslim Rohingya community. “My Office has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to…
Afghanistan: Surge in synthetic drugs could threaten public health
The Mapping of Facilities for Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in Afghanistan report, conducted in collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), is the first comprehensive survey of the country’s treatment capacity. While services are operational in 32 of Afghanistan’s…
UN report reveals widespread restrictions on media freedom in Afghanistan
The joint report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Human Rights Office, OHCHR, documented 336 cases of human rights violations against media professionals between August 2021 and September 2024. Threats to press freedom “Journalists and media…