Life-saving sexual and reproductive health services are more vital than ever, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said on Monday, launching an $835 million appeal to support people in crisis settings during 2022.

COLOMBO, Si Lanka, Dec 13 (IPS) - Every time, breaking news of a barbaric crime or terror act is reported from anywhere in the world, peace-loving Muslims the world over feel dejected and wish it had not been another tragedy that will make others glower at them with suspicion as though they too are complicit in the crime.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 13 (IPS) - Created in 1945 following the devastation caused by World War II, the United Nations was mandated with the task of maintaining international peace and security as one of its primary political missions.

A new World Health Organization (WHO) report shows that close to seven million deaths could be prevented by 2030, if low and lower-middle income countries were to make an additional investment of less than a dollar per person each year, in the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to halt two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage, according to reports released on Sunday from the World Health Organization (WHO) and World Bank, which reveal more than half a billion people are being pushed into extreme poverty because they have to pay for health services out of their own pockets.

Farmers in south-west of Haiti are cultivating a future for the country as they continue to work their land despite the challenges caused by the 14 August earthquake. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) has been supporting their development over many years as FAO’s Jérémie-based staff member Mykerlange Balmir explains.

SANTIAGO, Dec 10 (IPS) - Camps made up of thousands of tents and shacks have mushroomed in Chile due to the failure of housing policies and official subsidies for the sector, aggravated by the rise in poverty, the covid-19 pandemic and the massive influx of immigrants.

Around two months into a six-month residency at Dubai Expo, the UN Hub has already attracted a large number of visitors, including several delegations from UN Member States. Dena Assaf, the UN Resident Coordinator for the UAE, and Deputy Commissioner-General of the UN at Expo, says that the event is a unique opportunity to highlight the aims and messages of the Organization.

“The mountain for me is like the ocean, a space of liberty where you go where you want. We must respect these beautiful and magical places.”  

NEW DELHI, India, Dec 10 (IPS) - Discriminated in society and concerned about the discrimination of women in their homes, the two women who co-founded the Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) started the movement to further Muslim women’s leadership and help them reclaim their rights.