Democratic Republic of the Congo
As Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) surpass the 10,000 mark, the World Health Organization (WHO) has underlined the need for continued efforts to contain spread of the disease. Latest data from the Congolese Ministry of Health indicates there were 10,141 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths as of Monday. “Sustained efforts are essential to end the outbreak,” WHO said in a tweet. “This requires continued scale-up of key control measures, greater access to affected areas, and community outreach that builds trust and encourages people to engage with the response.” – UN News DR Congo: WHO urges sustained efforts as Ebola cases top 10,000
US – Cuba – UN
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday called for the 34th time for an end to the US economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba – but with the weakest backing for the resolution in two decades. The text passed by 130 votes in favour to 17 against, with 25 abstentions. Last year it was adopted by 165 votes to seven, with 12 abstentions. The vote came as Cuba struggles with a severe energy crisis exacerbated by a US fuel embargo following the rendition of Venezuela’s president to New York, that has made life harder for people across the island. – UN News Backing for UN call to end Cuba embargo falls to 20-year low
Civilians in Conflicts
Youth-led protests against corruption and inequality in Serbia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Madagascar reflect a growing demand for reinforcing human rights around the world, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said at a press briefing on Wednesday. “The vast majority of people care about human rights [and] reject cruelty,” he said, noting that many advocates nonetheless feel isolated and disconnected from each other. Taking questions from journalists, he addressed crises around the world and called for greater respect for international law, especially with regard to the rights of civilians trapped in conflict zones. – UN News UN human rights chief urges better protection of civilians in conflicts
Climate Action
Climate inaction continues to harm and kill people in all countries with a record 710,000 estimated deaths globally from heat in 2023, a UN-partnered report warned on Wednesday. For the first time, more than seven in 10 fatalities were attributable to human-caused climate change. The latest Lancet Countdown report in association with the World Health Organization (WHO), finds that health harms from climate change are accelerating, with expanded fossil fuel extraction holding back progress and threatening “catastrophic” health risks. “Heat-related deaths, drought and other climate-related risks (are) increasing faster than a decade ago, even as clean energy investments and climate action begin to deliver health benefits,” the report’s authors state. – UN News Record heat-related deaths in 2023, WHO-partnered report finds
The ocean absorbs around 30 per cent of human-caused carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and 90 per cent of excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases. But climate change has already reduced its capacity to absorb carbon by approximately six per cent, a new UN report warns ahead of the COP31 climate conference in November. The report was a collaboration between the UN’s environment agency, UNEP, and the UN climate secretariat, UNFCCC, which co-organises COP31. “For a long time the ocean has been doing us an enormous climate service, but that service is under increasing pressure,” Sara Traerup, lead author of the report, told UN News. Rising temperatures and changes in ocean chemistry, circulation and ecosystems are weakening its ability to absorb and store carbon, leaving more CO₂ in the atmosphere. And this process “can definitely accelerate” in the foreseeable future, Ms. Traerup warned. – UN News Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon is weakening as climate change intensifies, UN warns
Global Hunger/Food Security
Reducing conflict is the single most effective way to tackle global hunger, the new head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), Luke Lindberg, said on Wednesday, noting that conflict drives two thirds of the acute food insecurity affecting 266 million people worldwide. “Conflict is a man-made situation. It is something that we can solve,” Mr. Lindberg told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York in his first press conference since taking office earlier this week. “The number one thing we can do to reduce hunger in the world is to reduce the amount of conflict that is happening all around the world”. On top of that, El Niño is set to push 49 million more people into acute food insecurity, while chokepoints in global supply chains are exacerbating the problem further, he said. – UN News Ending conflict is ‘number one thing’ to reduce world hunger, new WFP chief says
Women Journalists in Conflcts
As online abuse, gender-based attacks and impunity ramp up the threats to women reporting from crisis zones, journalists and UN leaders are calling for urgent action to protect those who document conflict. “Every woman journalist driven out of a conflict zone is a peace process that loses its witness,” said Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, addressing the United Nations this week. She urged governments to move beyond promises and take concrete action to protect women media workers in the field. “When the messenger is a woman, it is sexualized, it’s dehumanizing, and it is relentless,” said Ms. Ressa, co-founder of the Philippine news organisation Rappler. As part of Women, Peace and Security Week, she was speaking at a high-level event organised by the Permanent Mission of Greece, gender equality agency UN Women, and the UN education and culture agency, UNESCO, which champions journalist protection – UN News Protecting the storytellers: Women journalists on the frontline of conflict
