Lebanon: Final repatriation flight brings Brazilians home amid ceasefire
The 13th and possibly last mission under Brazil’s Operation Cedar Roots carried 150 passengers, including elderly persons and children, back to safety. For many, the relief of reaching Brazilian soil was tempered by the devastation they left behind. “I’m very…
‘Reverse dangerous cycle of escalation’ in Ukraine, UN official urges, amid ballistic missile strike
“The latest developments follow the already disturbing reports of troops from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) being deployed to the conflict zone,” Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told ambassadors. He said the Ukrainian city…
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…
Guterres: Lebanon ceasefire deal ‘first ray of hope for peace’
“It is a moment of great importance, especially for the civilians who were paying an enormous price for the fact that this conflict is not only dragging on, but is also gaining increasingly worrying dimensions,” he said. The Secretary-General was…
Lebanon ceasefire deal: displaced communities start to return home
“Immediately after the ceasefire came into force at 4am, residents of south Lebanon, the southern suburbs of Beirut and the Bekaa (valley) began their return after months of forced displacement,” said the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. “Heavy traffic [was] observed…
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…
General Assembly President urges collective action on Sudan as crisis deepens
He was speaking at an Assembly meeting convened following the use of veto by Russia at the Security Council earlier this month. The negative vote by the permanent Council member prevented the adoption of a draft resolution that would have…
‘The UN is not leaving Haiti,’ spokesperson afffirms
In a briefing on Tuesday, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq highlighted the deepening insecurity, noting that essential personnel from various UN agencies and the UN Mission in Haiti (BINUH) are remaining in Port-au-Prince to continue their critical activities. While the…
Beloved comic strip character Mafalda realizes her dream of being a UN interpreter
Mafalda, the inquisitive and sharp-witted creation of the late humorist Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón, known as Quino, also fulfilled a long-held dream on her birthday: “to learn languages to be a UN interpreter” and “to help people understand each other”….
UN welcomes ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed hope that the agreement “can put an end to the violence, destruction and suffering the people of both countries have been experiencing.” “The Secretary-General urges the parties to fully…