Syria must respond urgently to complete all outstanding issues on the elimination of its chemical weapons programme in line with international law, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today, citing the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Technical Secretariat’s evaluation that the country’s declarations still have not advanced.
In Haiti, suspected cholera cases have doubled over the past few days to nearly 2,000. In Cité Soleil, the outbreak’s epicentre, the United Nations Children’s Fund has begun delivering potable water to 1,000 people and the World Food Programme brought food to 6,000 of the most vulnerable people over the weekend.
In Lebanon, the World Health Organization, UN Refugee Agency and the United Nations Children’s Fund are coordinating efforts, and the United Nations is seeking $43 million more over the next three months to address the cholera outbreak. As of 22 October, there have been a reported 239 confirmed cases and 10 deaths.
The latest Every Woman Every Child progress report was released today, and it shows that women’s and children’s health has suffered globally, as the impacts of conflict, the pandemic and climate change have converged with devastating impacts.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) today released a report which says plastics are accumulating in the world’s soil at a high rate. The report found that plastics used extensively in farming — from plastic coated fertilizers to mulch film — are contaminating the soil and potentially threatening food security.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies released a report today which says that heatwaves account for some of the deadliest disasters and are intensifying.
The United Nations is concerned about the safety of journalists in Myanmar. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as of this week, at least 170 journalists have been arrested since the military takeover of that country in February of 2021.
Syria must change its attitude and cooperate fully with the body charged with verifying its compliance with international law governing chemical weapons, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today, as speakers diverged over the propriety of that body’s efforts so far.
The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide welcomed the opening of the trial against Félicien Kabuga before the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague. Mr. Kabuga, among other offenses, is charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, committed in Rwanda in 1994.
In Cuba, the United Nations took part in the consultation process to make reforms to the country’s Family Code. Almost 75 per cent of Cubans voted on 25 September in a referendum on the diversity of families, affection and solidarity as key social values and strengthening the protection of a host of vulnerable groups.
