Deadly outbreak of kala-azar disease continues in South Sudan, UN agency says 28 October 2011 At least 720 people have died in South Sudan from a protracted outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease, and the number of deaths could be much higher, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. WHO spokesperson Tarik […]

Niger: UN agency boosts aid as a million people face urgent food crisis 28 October 2011   The United Nations food aid agency announced plans today to scale up its operations inside the poor West African country of Niger, where a poor harvest and insect attacks against cereals have left a million people in need of immediate […]

As flood disaster worsens in Thailand, UN steps up relief efforts The United Nations will provide 20,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets in temporary shelters and other areas in flood-hit Thailand in a bid to protect people from dengue fever and other mosquito-borne diseases, as weather forecasts predict more heavy rainfall over the weekend. The UN Children’s […]

UN refugee agency begins emergency airlift for quake victims in eastern Turkey 28 October 2011 The United Nations refugee agency has launched an emergency airlift to bring tents, blankets and other vital relief supplies for the victims of the deadly earthquake that struck eastern Turkey earlier this week. The 7.2-magnitude earthquake near the city of […]

Women must play greater role in conflict prevention, UN says The Security Council began a day-long debate today on the role of women in achieving peace and security, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calling for much greater involvement by women in conflict prevention and mediation as essential building blocks in reinforcing democracy. “Women’s participation remains low, both in […]

Phase-out of leaded petrol brings huge health and cost benefits – UN–backed study 27 October 2011 Ridding the world of leaded petrol, with the United Nations leading the effort in developing countries, has resulted in $2.4 trillion in annual benefits, 1.2 million fewer premature deaths, higher overall intelligence and 58 million fewer crimes, according to […]

UN officials urge concerted effort to achieve global food security United Nations officials today called for concerted efforts to ensure the world’s fast-growing population has enough food, stressing that global food production will have to double by 2050 when the planet is expected to host an additional one billion inhabitants. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that guaranteeing sustainable food […]

Comic book on UN anti-poverty goals honoured with prize 27 October 2011 A comic book produced by the United Nations to raise awareness and to educate children around the world about the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was honoured today with a prize at an awards ceremony in Monaco. The six organizations involved […]

UN agencies to present plan for sustainable future of oceans 27 October 2011 Four United Nations agencies have prepared a plan to limit the degradation of oceans and address issues such as overfishing, pollution and declining biodiversity to encourage countries to renew their commitment to improve oceans’ governance, the UN announced today. The plan, Blueprint for […]

Who will feed the 7 billionth person? IFAD President says smallholder farmers can, with increased investment in rural areas … 27 October 2011 31 October 2011 is being marked as the day on which the global population reaches 7 billion. But it won’t stop there; the human population is expected to top 9 billion by 2050. […]