News headlines in 2022, page 242

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 14 (IPS) - As Russia’s attack began rattling Kyiv with multiple missile and air raids about 5am, it suffused the dawn with stains of darkness. It was accompanied with military menaces in countries like Finland and Sweden and raising a warning to anyone who may assist the Ukrainian people – ordinary citizens bereaved, over 2.5 million displaced and boldly defending themselves – from nuclear war.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Monday that it is working “day and night” to keep medical supply chains open and preserve the health system in Ukraine, where, it says, medical facilities are stretched to breaking point.

ROME, Mar 14 (IPS) - Between the devastating effects of climate change and the fast advancing new technologies, it seems now evident that the future of food will change. Whether it's new foods like jellyfish, edible insects and cell-based meat, or new technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology, the future promises exciting opportunities for feeding the world, says a new report.

Ukraine is being “decimated before the eyes of the world” with Russia’s military offensive against civilians “reaching terrifying proportions”, said the UN chief on Monday, warning that a resulting meltdown of the global economy is provoking a hunger crisis that is hitting the poorest, hardest.

To forge a sustainable future for us all, “women and girls must be front and centre, leading the way”. Secretary-General António Guterres told the opening session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on Monday.

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 14 (IPS) - After several on-again and off-again pandemic lockdowns, the United Nations is planning to return to normal beginning this week.

A circular from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on March 11 says “based on the new guidelines, we are now able to institute associated changes in our workplace, returning to full operational capability while still prioritizing the health and safety of personnel, and balancing the operational needs of the Organization”.

Yemen’s already dire hunger crisis is “teetering on the edge of outright catastrophe”, UN agency chiefs said on Monday, as new data analysis from the war-ravaged country indicated potentially record food insecurity.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, 31 attacks on health care have been documented by the World Health Organization. These incidents have killed and injured civilians, as well as destroyed facilities and ambulances, disrupting access to essential health services.

The flooding of Lake Albert, in Africa’s Great Lakes Region, has caused huge economic losses on the shores of Uganda, where people were already struggling to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maya Aktar, a garment worker from Bangladesh, represents other migrants employed in the sector, in Jordan. She explains how she became involved in the union movement, and the positive difference this has made to the lives of her members.