The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, established by the Human Rights Council, issued a report today in which it called for the country’s military leaders to be investigated for crimes committed in north Rakhine State, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
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Noon Briefings
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a joint United Nations‑Ministry of Health team is taking action to combat the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu Province, which has killed 61 people as of 21 August. Since 8 August, more than 2,000 people have been vaccinated.
The 2018 Department of Public Information/NGO Conference got under way today under the theme “We the Peoples… Together Finding Global Solutions for Global Problems”. It will focus on the value of multilateralism in solving global problems, and on opportunities for closer partnership between the United Nations and civil society in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory called on donors to immediately provide funding for emergency fuel to prevent emergency services in the Gaza Strip from shutting down. To ensure that a minimum level of essential services continues through the end of the year, $4.5 million is required.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that an estimated 200 to 250 civilian casualties have been reported in Afghanistan following recent fighting in Ghazni, which damaged the water system and electricity services. In support of Government efforts, humanitarian partners are on standby to scale up activities once safe, secure access is ensured for aid workers and people in need.
The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is providing logistical support and the World Health Organization is sending medical supplies and expertise to the Ministry of Health and its partners to facilitate ground operations in response to the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu Province.
Leading the response to the regional refugee crisis related to the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration have launched regional appeals of $46 million and $32 million respectively to help Governments and host communities.
The Food and Agriculture Organization today warned that Fall Armyworm could threaten the livelihoods of millions of small‑scale farmers in Asia — where it’s been found for the first time — as this invasive pest is highly likely to spread further from India.
A new United Nations report has urged Somalia to build on the significant gains made in its peace process over the last five years and to ensure that future elections are not marred by the human rights violations and abuses seen during the 2016-2017 electoral process. It notes that, to date, only 2 of the 44 documented killings during that time have been investigated and prosecuted.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is ramping up assistance to Ecuador, which declared a state of emergency in three provinces on Wednesday due to the influx of Venezuelans, some 547,000 of whom entered the country through the Colombian border. About 30,000 Venezuelans entered at a rate exceeding 4,000 per day in the first week of August.