March 23, 2023 No comments
Southern Africa: Cyclone Freddy aftermath brings diseases, healthcare gaps
INTERNATIONAL, 23 March 2023, Humanitarian Aid - Southern African countries hit hard by tropical Cyclone Freddy are reeling from disease outbreaks, with health services stretched to the limit, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday. The devastation caused by the cyclone in Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique has increased the spread of cholera and malaria, as well as malnutrition. Meanwhile, more than 300 health facilities have been destroyed or flooded in the three countries, limiting health care access. The cyclone’s destruction increased public health risks including a surge in the spread of cholera, malaria, malnutrition, COVID-19, and other vaccine-treatable diseases. WHO said that Malawi was still in the midst of its “worst-ever” cholera outbreak, although cases are declining. In Mozambique, cholera cases have more than doubled over the past week, to almost...
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March 23, 2023 No comments
Deadly Syria earthquake provides chance to move forward: UN envoy
INTERNATIONAL, 23 March 2023, Peace and Security - Renewed diplomatic attention on Syria, and the suffering of its people following the recent deadly earthquake, create new obligations and opportunities to forge lasting peace, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen told the Security Council on Thursday. War-torn Syria and neighbouring Türkiye were rocked by twin earthquakes on 6 February, which killed more than 56,000 people and caused widespread destruction, displacing millions. “The situation today is so unprecedented that it calls for leadership, bold ideas and a cooperative spirit,” said Mr. Pedersen, speaking via videoconference from Geneva. “A political solution is the only way forward for Syria. We may not be able to reach that in one step – but I believe we can progress towards it gradually.” Maintain calm on...
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March 23, 2023 No comments
UN chief calls on EU to help world get ‘back on track’
INTERNATIONAL, 23 March 2023, UN Affairs - UN Secretary-General António Guterres attended an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, seeking support for action on climate change, sustainable development and addressing the ongoing challenges linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a joint press encounter with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, Mr. Guterres appealed for EU leaders to help the world “get back on track” towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at a time when progress in so many parts of the world had been reversed. Acceleration and reform “We need an acceleration agenda,” he said. Mr. Guterres also highlighted the need for financial system reforms and urgent climate action. He said the Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing “tremendous suffering” to the Ukrainian people, but also having a “huge impact”...
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March 23, 2023 No comments
Climate change making Earth ‘uninhabitable’ Guterres warns
INTERNATIONAL, 23 March 2023, Climate and Environment - Humanity is facing a “difficult truth” the UN chief said just ahead of World Meteorological Day, marked on Thursday – the damage already being caused by climate change is “making our planet uninhabitable.” He laid down the challenge to governments worldwide, to make 2023 a year of “transformation, not tinkering” when it comes to seriously addressing climate change, with meaningful climate action. ‘Closer to the brink’ “Every year of insufficient action to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius drives us closer to the brink, increasing systemic risks and reducing our resilience against climate catastrophe”, said Secretary-General António Guterres. Climate change is intensifying heatwaves, droughts, flooding, wildfires and famines, he warned, while threatening to submerge low-lying countries and cities as sea levels rise due...
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March 23, 2023 No comments
Amid recent slowdown in global trade, ‘green goods’ are the winning ticket
INTERNATIONAL, 23 March 2023, Economic Development - Global trade slowed down in the second half of 2022, but demand for environmentally friendly goods stayed strong, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD, said on Thursday. According to UNCTAD’s latest Global Trade Update, trade in “green goods”, which use fewer resources and pollute less, grew by four per cent in the second half of the year, reaching a record $1.9 trillion in 2022. “This is good news for the planet, as these goods are key to protecting the environment and fighting climate change,” said UNCTAD economist Alessandro Nicita, one of the report’s authors. Green goods that performed especially well in 2022 included electric and hybrid vehicles, non-plastic packaging and wind turbines. The findings come days after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change...
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