News headlines in 2021, page 189

NEW DELHI, India, May 17 (IPS) - Somalia is one of the most complex regions of the world, with threats and political instability, extreme weather conditions, movement of internally displaced people (IDPs), decades of conflict, poverty-related deprivation, poor health and communicable diseases that are killing people. There is a constant risk of gender violence making women, children and members of minority groups particularly vulnerable, and more so during displacement or while seeking work.

Three decades of civil war and instability have weakened Somalia’s health system and contributed to it having some of the lowest health indicators in the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has added yet another strain on its tremendously fragile infrastructure presenting unexpected challenges and dilemmas.

URBANA, Illinois, May 17 (IPS) - Recently, I participated in a Congressional hearing on the “Effects of climate change in Africa”, before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and Internal Organizations, chaired by Congresswoman, Karen Bass.

Accountability is an important step on the road to peace in Libya, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) told the Security Council on Monday.  

South Africa’s failure to address domestic violence is a violation of women’s rights, independent UN experts said in a report published on Monday, citing low levels of prosecution and conviction as factors. 

CANBERRA, Australia, May 17 (IPS) - Local communities in the vicinity of the abandoned Panguna copper mine, have taken decisive action to hold the global mining multinational, Rio Tinto, accountable for alleged environmental and human rights violations during the mine’s operations between 1972 and 1989.

More than one in two LGBTQI students in Europe have suffered bullying based on their sexuality, the UN educational, cultural and scientific body (UNESCO) said on Monday, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia.

Responding to rising humanitarian needs brought about by the escalation of conflict in the Gaza Strip, the World Food Programme (WFP) on Monday began providing emergency assistance to support families, amid fears of low food stocks and rising prices. 

Although COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to decline globally for a second consecutive week, the UN health agency chief said on Monday that “a huge disconnect” is mounting between some highly vaccinated countries, which see the pandemic as largely resolved, while huge waves of infection continue to grip others where shots are scarce.   

Continued international support for Sudan is critical as the country undergoes a historic political and economic transformation, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told a major investment conference in Paris on Monday. 

NEW JERSEY, USA, May 17 (IPS) - The global community is conducting a rapid vaccination program against the SARS.Cov-2 virus, using several vaccines, authorised for emergency use. To date, the percentages of adults vaccinated vary between less than 2% to over 90% in different countries.