1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
COVID-19 crisis putting human trafficking victims at risk of further exploitation, experts warn
06 May 2020
Lockdowns, travel restrictions, resource cutbacks and other measures to curb the spread of the new coronavirus are putting victims of human trafficking at risk of further exploitation, while organized crime networks could further profit from the pandemic, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
New analysis from the agency shows that the crisis is…
1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
Senior UN official calls for universal basic income to tackle growing inequality
06 May 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a health crisis, but it is also proving to be an economic disaster for huge numbers of people worldwide. A senior UN official with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is calling for countries to provide citizens with a universal basic income, to help the millions who have lost their jobs, because of measures to curb the virus, combined with increasing…
1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
Coronavirus and human rights: New UN report calls for disability-inclusive recovery
06 May 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying inequalities experienced by the world’s one billion people with disabilities, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in launching a report issued on Wednesday that calls for a disability-inclusive recovery and response to the crisis.
Even under normal circumstances, people with disabilities are less likely to access education,…
1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
COVID-19 makes universal digital access and cooperation essential: UN tech agency
05 May 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic reshapes the way in which we work, keep in touch, go to school and shop for essentials – across the world – it has never been more important to bridge the digital divide for the 3.6 billion people who remain off-line.
That’s according to top experts from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), who outlined the implications of the new coronavirus…
1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
COVID-19: UN teams step up efforts to protect rights in prisons, as revolts intensify worldwide
05 May 2020
As senior UN officials spread the alarm over the rapid spread of COVID-19 through prisons – where physical distancing is nigh on impossible, and hygiene is often inadequate – UN Corrections, Justice and Human Rights teams are working to protect prison staff and detainees from the ravages of the virus.
On Tuesday, Rupert Colville, a spokesperson for the UN Human…
1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
Attacks on civilians, arbitrary arrests, top list of abuses in Libya: ICC Prosecutor
05 May 2020
Unabated violence, particularly in and around the Libyan capital, has now been raging for more than a year, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) told the Security Council in a virtual briefing on Tuesday, warning that war crimes may have been committed.
“Of particular concern to my Office are the high numbers of civilian casualties, largely reported to be…
1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
Soap for refugee shelters; a matter of life and death as pandemic continues
05 May 2020
Handwashing with soap and water has been identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an extremely important way to reduce the spread of COVID-19 but, in many countries, even basic facilities are hard to come by. On Hand Hygiene Day, marked on Tuesday, we look in-depth at the work that one US-based NGO is doing, providing soap in shelters supported by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), in…
1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
Food insecurity in West Africa could leave 43 million at risk as coronavirus hits
05 May 2020
Well over 40 million people across West Africa face desperate food shortages in coming months, with COVID-19 restrictions a new factor adding to people’s vulnerability, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.
Appealing for continued support from the international community for the agency’s global aid effort, WFP spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs, warned that the new coronavirus…
1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
UN rights expert urges States to step-up anti-slavery efforts to protect most vulnerable during COVID-19
05 May 2020
A UN human rights expert urged governments on Tuesday to increase protection for those millions of workers, who due to the COVID-19 pandemic, risk being pushed into exploitative jobs that are tantamount to slavery.
“The severe socio-economic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to increase the scourge of modern-day slavery, already impacting over 40…
1 year 3 months ago
Breadcrumb
Home
UN celebrates midwives during COVID-19 crisis because ‘childbirth doesn’t stop for pandemics’
05 May 2020
With many national health systems totally overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, midwives are demonstrating courage and resilience as they support women and newborns in the toughest of circumstances, the head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Tuesday.
In her statement for the International Day of the Midwife, Natalia Kanem praised these health professionals for…
