United Nations, April 18 (IANS) Following the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, thousands of the 1.2 million people displaced in southern Lebanon are returning home despite warnings of unexploded ordnance, UN humanitarians said. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday (local time) said its partners reported that displaced families are starting to return to Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern Lebanon, including parts of Nabatieh and Tyre.However, OCHA warned that ri…
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United Nations, March 31 (IANS) Amid Middle East hostilities, UN humanitarians pointed to a sharp rise in attacks on healthcare in Lebanon and growing obstacles for humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said attacks on healthcare facilities, ambulances and medical personnel in Lebanon have risen at an alarming rate.The World Health Organization (WHO) reported seven incidents over the weekend alone, which killed at least nine h…
United Nations, March 11 (IANS) Fuel shortages in Cuba have triggered a humanitarian crisis with the island nation’s health system approaching a critical point, a UN spokesman said.”We remain deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation, driven by the inability to import fuel,” said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.”This has triggered an energy crisis.”The world body is engaging with member states, including the United States, so aid can be deliv…
United Nations, March 6 (IANS) An alarming intensification of fighting in Sudan’s Kordofan region has killed and injured civilians, destroyed homes, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, UN humanitarians said.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the escalation of violence also impeded relief workers’ ability to reach civilians in need of aid.The office said that in South Kordofan, confrontations between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forc…
Antananarivo, Feb 16 (IANS) The death toll from Cyclone Gezani in Madagascar has risen to 59, with 804 people injured, according to an update released Monday by the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC). The BNGRC said more than 420,000 people were affected across 25 districts in five regions in eastern and central Madagascar. The cyclone also damaged more than 49,000 houses and destroyed over 25,000 houses.Authorities are continuing to assess damage and carry out relief opera…
Kabul, Feb 10 (IANS) The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has stated that the economic conditions of Afghan women remain fragile, with limited access to jobs and income opportunities, deteriorating household vulnerabilities in Afghanistan, local media reported on Tuesday. The report released on Tuesday has revealed that 75 per cent of Afghans face difficulty in meeting daily needs, while 88 per cent of female-headed households do not have access to minimum living requirements, showcas…
Kabul, Jan 29 (IANS) The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has predicted that 14.4 million people in Afghanistan will require health services in 2026, local media reported on Thursday. Among these people, only 7.2 million people are expected to be covered by existing programmes, according to OCHA statement. It stated that 54 per cent of those who need health services are children, 24 per cent are women and 10 per cent are specially-abled people, Afghanista…
United Nations, Jan 13 (IANS) As the Ukraine War nears its fourth year, the UN and several Security Council members expressed concern over the latest escalation by Russia, which used a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that hit targets near the border with NATO member Poland.Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo, who briefed the Council on Monday, said, “The Oreshnik system is believed to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, which has heightened concern over its deployment”.This was t…
United Nations, Jan 7 (IANS) A snowstorm on December 31 in northern Syria hit 90 sites for the displaced, affecting more than 150,000 people, destroying or damaging 5,000 shelters, UN humanitarians said.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said its partners in the governorates of Aleppo, Idlib and Al-Hasakah reported the storm claimed the lives of two infants due to extreme cold.Thousands of people were exposed to freezing temperatures at risk of hypothermia and resp…
Kabul, Jan 1 (IANS) At least 12 people were killed and 11 others injured after heavy rainfall and snowfall triggered severe flash floods across multiple provinces in Afghanistan over the past three days, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Authority said on Thursday. Hafiz Mohammad Yusuf Hammad, spokesman for the authority, said the disaster struck Kapisa, Parwan, Daykundi, Uruzgan, Kandahar, Helmand, Badghis, Faryab, Badakhshan, Herat and Farah provinces.The mishap also caused exte…