News headlines for “Natural Disasters”, page 44
Cities Will Be Hit Hardest By Climate Change, UN Report Warns
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 07 (IPS) - Cities are in a unique position, simultaneously the biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses and the most affected areas of the greenhouse effect. As a new UN report shows that rapid urbanization and industrialization have adverse effects on the environment, causing a rise in sea levels, prolonged rainfalls and flooding, and an increase in overall temperature. The coastal areas that cities most often inhabit face the brunt of these effects, with marginalized populations being the most vulnerable.
UNEP: Nations Must Step Up Adaptation—Starting with Bold Finance Action at COP 29
- Inter Press Service
NAIROBI, Nov 07 (IPS) - The United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) 2024 Adaptation Gap Report has warned that adaptation actions are not keeping pace with the surging demands of a warming planet. Released ahead of the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, the report—titled Come Hell and High Water—projected a bleak future where vulnerable communities bear the brunt of climate-induced hardships.
How Blue Carbon Ecosystems are Saving the Philippines’ Sinking Islands
- Inter Press Service
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Nov 06 (IPS) - Imagine living with water up to your knees for half of the year, where homes are flooded, and people constantly fear that the sea might one day engulf the town and everyone in it.
Israel’s Moves to Ban UNRWA—Signals Uncertainty for Affected Palestinians
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 05 (IPS) - The decision of Israel's parliament, the Knesset, to adopt two laws that would severely limit or outright ban UNRWA has the potential to set a dangerous precedent, where countries can simply implement their own justification to ban the activity of the United Nations, even if it violates their obligations under international humanitarian law. Even with the rest of the world condemning this course of action, for Israel, this has been a long time coming and they are unlikely to back down.
Armed Violence and Floods Aggravate Humanitarian Crisis in Chad
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 05 (IPS) - Chad is currently in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis due to persisting armed conflict, mass displacement, widespread hunger, natural disasters, and an overall lack of essential services. Due to security challenges from the Boko Haram militant group, millions of Chadians have faced decreased mobility as well as human rights violations including imprisonment, beatings, kidnappings, and killings.
Navigating the Waves: Strengthening Tsunami Preparedness in a Changing Climate
- Inter Press Service
BANGKOK, Thailand, Nov 04 (IPS) - This year's World Tsunami Awareness Day presents a moment of reflection 20 years on from the catastrophic Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. The tsunami resulted in 225,000 fatalities across 14 countries and emphasized the urgent need for effective tsunami preparedness, especially in the face of growing climate change challenges.
Lead for Learning: Decisive Leadership Urgently Needed To Improve Education Globally
- Inter Press Service
NAIROBI, Oct 31 (IPS) - Global education is facing a critical moment amid severe setbacks. Millions of children are out of school, learning levels are falling, and millions are leaving school without the skills they need. New out-of-school figures reveal that global progress in reducing the number of out-of-school children has been just 1 percent since 2015, leaving 251 million behind.
Israel's Ban on UNRWA Threatens the Stability of Palestine
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 31 (IPS) - On October 28, the Israeli parliament voted to ban activity from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Israel. Two bills were passed by the Knesset, Israel's house of representatives, one that barred all UNRWA efforts, and another that prevents interactions between Israeli authorities and UNRWA personnel. The implications of this amendment are expected to exacerbate dire conditions for millions of Palestinians who were already in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis.
Defending Biodiversity in Armed Conflict: Can COP16 Meet the Expectations?
- Inter Press Service
CALI, Columbia, Oct 31 (IPS) - José Aruna, a forest defender from Sud Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), remembers the night in September 2019 when a group of heavily armed men barged into his house in the middle of the night. Aruna and his wife—6 months pregnant at the time—were in bed when he heard sounds of boots on the front yard and quickly knew something was about to happen.
Hurricane Oscar Threatens Humanitarian Crisis in Cuba
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 30 (IPS) - Although classified as a compact tropical cyclone and considered one of the smallest in the North Atlantic, Hurricane Oscar has caused considerable damage in eastern Cuba since it made landfall on October 20, 2024. Cuban authorities have confirmed that the death toll has risen to seven, in additional to the damage in infrastructure. Communications and relief efforts were greatly impeded by a nationwide power grid blackout, which continues on in much of Cuba at the time of publication.
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