Ms. DiCarlo strongly condemned the aerial strikes this week on the ports in Odesa, Chornomorsk and Mykolaiv, which destroyed critical infrastructure and killed or injured civilians. The attacks followed Russia’s decision on Monday to effectively end the Black Sea Initiative, the UN-brokered accord that facilitated Ukrainian grain and foodstuffs to be shipped to international markets
Read MoreIn making its decision, Russia also withdrew safe passage guarantees for ships carrying grain and other foodstuffs navigating in the northwestern part of the Black Sea. Over the past year, the Initiative has facilitated the export of more than 30 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain to global markets via three Black Sea ports, including Odesa.
Read MoreAlexander Senkevich, the Mayor of Mykolaiv, spoke to UN News about reconstruction efforts and the role of the United Nations amidst the threat of ongoing shelling. “We were bombed for 230 days, 159 people died, and 750 were injured. A lot of the city was destroyed because there was shelling everywhere. Mykolaiv City Council/Valery Fedchenko
Read MoreUnder-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the Security Council in the wake of the collapse earlier in the day of the Black Sea Initiative to bring grain and fertilizer from the region to the world. “The longer this war continues, the more dangerous its consequences, including the possibility of a wider conflict,” she warned. “For the sake
Read MoreAs of Wednesday, 12 July, no human contacts of A(H5N1) positive cats have reported any symptoms, the UN health agency said, adding that the surveillance period for all contacts has now complete. National first There have been previous “sporadic” cases of what is more commonly referred to as the bird flu virus, but the cases
Read MoreSince the outbreak of the conflict, tens of thousands have lost their lives, many more have been wounded, and millions displaced within Ukraine and outside its borders. “We must remember that behind every number lies a mother, a father, a child, a grandparent. To turn a blind eye would be an affront to the memory
Read MoreConcerns over legislation The Illegal Immigration Bill eliminates access to asylum for anyone who arrives “irregularly” in the UK, meaning they passed through a country – however briefly – where they did not face persecution. The bill bars migrants from presenting refugee protection or other human rights claims, regardless of their circumstances. It has
Read MoreIn an alert, the agency emphasized that heatwaves are amongst the deadliest natural hazards and WMO Senior Heat Advisor, John Nairn, told reporters that extreme temperatures are poised to grow in frequency, duration and intensity. “Repeated high night-time temperatures are particularly dangerous for human health because the body is unable to recover from sustained heat”,
Read MoreThe figure is equivalent to about 11 children dying each week, “far beyond what we hear in news headlines,” Vera Knaus, the agency’s Global Lead on Migration and Displacement, told journalists attending the biweekly UN humanitarian briefing in Geneva. “We cannot continue to ignore what is happening – stand by silently when nearly 300 children
Read MoreThe High Commissioner told the Human Rights Council in Geneva that his office (OHCHR) had documented the arbitrary detention of more than 900 civilians between 24 February 2022 and 23 May this year. He added that that Russia gave no access to places of detention, “which leads inevitably to undercounting”. The summary executions of 77
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