Heavy rains and thunderstorms in the area of the Kakhovka dam disaster in southern Ukraine aggravated the humanitarian situation there on Monday, making evacuations and aid distribution harder. That’s the latest from the UN’s aid coordination office (OCHA), which tweeted that the UN and its humanitarian partners have delivered vital supplies, mainly water, hygiene items and … [Read more...]
Ukraine dam destruction a monumental ecological catastrophe
Tens of thousands of civilians in Ukraine are in danger on the frontline, after the apparent destruction of a huge dam on Tuesday, which UN Secretary-General António Guterres described as a “monumental humanitarian, economic and environmental catastrophe” resulting directly from Russia’s invasion of the country. Water from the reservoir of the Kakhovka dam is also used to … [Read more...]
UN General Assembly calls for immediate end to war in Ukraine
The UN General Assembly on Thursday called for ending the war in Ukraine and demanded Russia’s immediate withdrawal from the country, in line with the UN Charter. At its resumed eleventh emergency special session, the world body adopted a new resolution calling for an end to the war, only hours before the conflict enters its second year on Friday. The results were 141 … [Read more...]
Council of Europe assembly adopts resolution to codify ecocide
Last month in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) voted overwhelmingly to adopt resolution 2477 and recommendation 2246, both calling for recognition of ecocide, based on a recently issued report from its Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development on the Environmental impact of armed conflicts. Submitted by rapporteur … [Read more...]
Downward slide in global food prices continue
Global food prices dropped for the tenth consecutive month in January, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said on Friday. Price indexes for vegetable oils, dairy and sugar drove the January decline, the UN food agency said, issuing two new reports on food production expectations. The FAO food price index fell 17.9 per cent below its all-time … [Read more...]
$2.54 billion needed to tackle unprecedented health needs
In its appeal, the WHO said that a staggering 339 million people now need humanitarian assistance globally. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the UN agency’s Director-General, urged donors “to be generous” and help WHO to save lives, prevent the spread of disease within and across borders, and support communities as they rebuild. Today, WHO staff are providing assistance in 54 … [Read more...]
COP27 spotlights agriculture challenges and solutions
Small-scale farmers from developing countries produce one-third of the world’s food, yet they only receive 1.7 per cent of climate finance even as they are forced to cope with droughts, floods, cyclones and other disasters. This sentiment echoed through dozens of pavilions and conference rooms in Sharm el-Sheikh on Saturday as COP27 turned its attention to the vital issues … [Read more...]
South Africa must lead at COP27
With the Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, known as COP27 underway in Sharm el-Sheikh, the LAC campaign – which includes Earthlife Africa, groundWork and the Centre for Environmental Rights, calls on the South African government to play a leading role at COP27, and to stand in solidarity with developing and climate … [Read more...]
Guterres calls for safety of Europe’s largest nuclear plant
Briefing the Security Council on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres again underlined the need to de-escalate the situation around the embattled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. Europe’s largest nuclear plant has come under repeated shelling in recent weeks, sparking fears of a potential nuclear disaster. Highlighting his continued grave concern … [Read more...]
WWF reveals unnecessary environmental barriers in Europe
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)’s new Potential of Barrier Removal to Reconnect Europe’s Rivers report analyses a sample of 30,000 barriers on large and medium-sized rivers in Europe, and assesses their reconnection potential for the whole continent, the EU27, and by country. The conclusions are based on the length of river which could be reconnected, and the ecological … [Read more...]
