News headlines in January 2022, page 5

NEW JERSEY, Jan 26 (IPS) - Coral reefs are one of the world’s most biologically diverse and productive ecosystems. They provide abundant ecological goods and services and are central to the socio-economic and cultural welfare of coastal and island communities – throughout tropical and subtropical ocean countries – by contributing billions of dollars to the local and global economies, when combined with tourism and recreation.

For the United Nations’ Secretary General, Brigadier General Constance Emefa Edjeani-Afenu, who passed away this week in her home country, Ghana, was “a true pioneer.” 

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 26 (IPS) - When Israeli Ambassador Gilat Erdan made an unusual presentation before the Security Council last week displaying a large rock, which he claimed, was hurled at Israeli vehicles in the Occupied Territories, a reporter at a UN press conference asked whether Palestinians will be given the right of reply--- by displaying in the Security Council chamber an Uzi sub- machine gun or a bulldozer deployed by Israeli armed forces against civilian demonstrations.

Nairobi, Kenya, Jan 25 (IPS) - Yohei Sasakawa said the youth have the power to change the world, and their participation in removing the stigma and myths about leprosy is crucial to the campaign to end the disease.

People everywhere must stand firm against hate, amid rising antisemitism and other forms of religious bigotry, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday. 

Violence in Yemen continues to escalate, raising casualties and spilling across the war-torn country’s borders, the Special Envoy for the country and the Humanitarian Coordinator warned on Tuesday.

Two separate tropical weather systems in Madagascar have left at least 34 dead and triggered flooding and landslides, particularly in the capital, Antananarivo, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Tuesday.

Opening a Security Council debate on how to protect civilians caught up in urban conflict,the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday said that more than 50 million people are currently impacted by fighting inside towns and cities.

Jan 25 (IPS) - The pandemic – alongside growing threats from climate change, widespread malnutritioneconomic instability and geopolitical conflict – has heightened problems with the ways we produce, distribute and consume food. And it’s made clear the urgent need to make global food systems more just.

Authorities in South Sudan must investigate a report of deadly intercommunal violence in Jonglei State earlier this week, the UN mission in the country, UNMISS, said on Tuesday.