Page 123 - Lobal Issues News Today

PRETORIA, South Africa, Aug 24 (IPS) - Many people may be tempted to view the World Bank’s recent announcement that it will freeze new loans to Uganda because of the country’s vicious anti-LGBTIQ+ law as a harbinger of the Bank taking a more progressive approach to human rights issues.

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said on Friday that the spread of fighting and hunger in Sudan could destroy the country, as the future of a “lost generation” of children lies in the balance.

Millions of children in Pakistan remain dependent on humanitarian assistance as recovery and rehabilitation efforts from last year’s catastrophic floods lack sufficient funding, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday.

SRINAGAR, INDIA, Aug 24 (IPS) - Sadiq Dar, 68, is surprised how the heavy siltation of Wular Lake has turned many of its areas into land masses. “When we were growing up, we would only see water in this lake. Now, we see cattle grazing in it while a large portion is also being used by children for playing cricket,” he tells IPS.

The UN chief on Thursday underscored the urgent need for unity and justice to tackle humanity’s pressing challenges, which range from the climate crisis to economic disparities and conflicts with global implications.

The top UN political affairs official on Thursday highlighted “unimaginable” human suffering due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as the war hit its somber 18-month mark.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk, on Thursday, reiterated the call for accountability and justice for the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya driven from their homes in Myanmar by security forces in 2017, in what has been described as “textbook” ethnic cleansing.

An independent UN expert expressed grave concern on Thursday over the human rights situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), calling for political dialogue and a new “climate of trust”.

Japan has begun discharging treated radioactive wastewater from the disabled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station into the Pacific Ocean, 12 years on from the major meltdown there, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed on Thursday.

Four organizations working with young people with disabilities are the winners of the first AccessAbility innovation challenge held by the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA.