 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||||||
 |
|||||||||||
 |
 |
The First Anniversary of the Fatal Bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad is Observed
|
|
Government report to UN shows that Bangladeshi women are more educated but domestic violence still prevails The
UN fights human trafficking in Kosovo
Indigenous People call for equal treatment on questions of land The Maoris share their culture with UN audience on International Day of World's Indigenous People A new control strategy cuts tuberculosis rates in China by one-third Female
genital mutilation in Egypt: UNICEF supports civil society to
end the practice
Japan promises continued assistance to Haiti as efforts continue to restore stability to the country; General Assembly President Julian Hunte calls for a cessation of hostilities during the Olympic Games;
Jamaica urges increased role for the Economic and Social Council in the follow-up to major conferences
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Head of UN Peacekeeping Warns of Spiral of Violence in The Great Lakes Region The head of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie Guehenno, has warned that there is a real danger of a spiral of violence in the Great Lakes region. This follows last week's massacre of Congolese refugees in the Gatumba camp in Burundi. Mr. Guehenno stressed the importance for leaders in the region to avoid making the tense situation worse:
Meanwhile, the
UN High Commissioner for Refugees this morning reached an agreement
with the government of Burundi to relocate the Congolese refugees
who are in transit centres along the border with the Democratic Republic
of the Congo.
Thousands of Displaced People in Darfur Continue to Face Hardships: UNHCR The Director of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees operations in Sudan, Jean-Marie Fakhouri continued his visit to the troubled Darfur region in western Sudan. Mr. Fakhouri met with representatives of thousands of displaced people in a large village in Masteri. The people told Mr. Fakhouri and his team that they continue to be attacked by the janjaweed militias when they venture out. UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond says Mr. Fakhouri was moved by the stories he heard including that of a man whose mother was killed before the janjaweed stole her cattle: "A 43-year-old woman told members of Fakhouri's team that she was one of many women who have been raped when she went out of Masteri for food and firewood. She said women are being raped everyday, but they continue to go out because the men will be killed if they venture out." The UN refugee
agency has warned that about 30,000 Sudanese refugees may cross to
Chad as soon as the rain swollen river dries up. The agency says this
influx would put a strain on its ability to care for and feed refugees
already in the camps in Chad.
ICRC Expresses Concern About Continuing Violence in Iraq The International Committee of the Red Cross has expressed concern about impact of the continuing violence in various parts of Iraq. The agency says it is particularly worried about the fighting in Najaf. The spokesman for the Red Cross, Florian Westphal says it is clear that fighting in such heavily populated areas will have consequences cause civilian casualties:
UN Express Concern about Verbal Escalation Among Political Parties in Guinea Bissau The UN Peace-Building
Office in Guinea Bissau has called on all political actors in Guinea
Bissau to show restraint. The Office says it is concerned about the
current verbal escalation among the political actors in the country.
UN Spokesman Fred Eckhard says the UN Office in Guinea Bissau has
reiterated its commitment to the stability of the country which is
gaining more support from the international community. The Office
called on all political players to refrain from any action that could
jeopardize the achievements of the political process. It says it is
available to heal ease the current tension in the country.
The UN Refugee Agency Suspends Repatriation Convoys Due to Fighting in Afghanistan The UN High Commissioner
for Refugees Ruud Lubbers says he remains concerned about the worsening
of the security situation in some parts of Afghanistan. The UN refugee
agency suspended its daily repatriation convoys of refugees from Iran
earlier this week following fighting in Herat. UNHCR says this forced
it to provide emergency help to thousands of stranded refugees in
Iran and Afghanistan. The agency says hundreds more are stranded in
transit camps in Herat. Ruud Lubbers notes with concern that this
week's temporary suspension of convoys and other security problems
in Afghanistan have coincided with an upsurge in the numbers of refugees
wanting to go home.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
"Now
it's very important to make sure that all leaders make the right statements
that there are no inflammatory statements, that everyone sees that
tragedy as a strong signal that they have to go back on the path of
reconciliation and deal with extremist elements who are prepared to
commit acts of genocide."
"And
the ICRC again wants to stress the needs and the obligation to spare
civilians and to ensure their safety in all circumstances, to work
towards facilitating the evacuation and the treatment of all those
who are sick and wounded."