News headlines in July 2024, page 16

Five senior UN officials have welcomed the decision by The Gambia to uphold its ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), calling it a critical win for women’s and girls’ rights.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General on Monday urged global leaders to redirect resources from warfare to peace and sustainable development initiatives.

The UN paid tribute on Monday to the life and legacy of the first democratically elected President of South Africa, the late Nelson Mandela, whose long walk to freedom during the racist apartheid era inspired people across the planet.

Twelve years on from independence the people of South Sudan continue to face huge challenges, exacerbated now by the war in neighbouring Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

New Israeli airstrikes reportedly struck southern and central areas of Gaza on Monday as UN humanitarians and partners continued to treat the victims of a deadly strike on Al Mawasi in southwest Gaza on Saturday that reportedly left at least 90 dead and around 300 injured.

A more humane approach to dealing with people accused of breaking the law in the Philippines is helping relieve overcrowding in one of the world’s most congested prison systems.

New data published on Monday by UN agencies shows that immunization coverage for children worldwide stalled during 2023, leaving around 2.7 million lacking the protection they need compared to the pre-COVID-19 levels of 2019.

With only 17 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on track and just six more years until the 2030 deadline, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has called for a new era of inspiring leadership, ahead of a special event on Monday to galvanize action.

The UN health agency and partners are helping treat many of those injured during Saturday’s deadly airstrikes by Israeli forces on Gaza’s Al Mawasi area which have reportedly left at least 90 dead and around 300 injured, according to figures from the war-torn enclave’s health ministry.

An ex-prisoner in the Philippines, released from jail as a result of a UN-supported Government programme to tackle overcrowding in detention facilities, has spoken of his joy ‘sleeping and eating’ as a free man.