News headlines in February 2024, page 17

Amid reports on Monday that two hostages have been rescued during a raid by Israeli special forces in Rafah city, the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said that the spiralling humanitarian crisis in Gaza is still not being met with anywhere near sufficient aid relief.

On the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Sciencecelebrated on 11 February, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that gender equality in science is essential to building a better future for all.

Small-scale chicken farmers in the south of Madagascar are hatching a plan to boost their incomes and improve the stock of local poultry breeds, thanks to support from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The latest song by Spanish-Palestinian singer Marwán, one of Spain's most acclaimed songwriters, is a lullaby for the children living under Israeli bombardment in Gaza. He tells UN News about his enduring links to the Palestinian people.

VIENNA, Austria, Feb 09 (IPS) - A bloodbath is taking place in the Middle East, and yet, the world is embroiled in absurd debates. One is tempted to say, paraphrasing Marx: here the tragedy, there the farce. The German-speaking world – and Germany in particular – takes a decidedly pro-Israeli stance, while in other societies, an equally dubious anti-Israeli position prevails.

UNITED NATIONS, Feb 09 (IPS) - As the UN continues its never-ending saga on the reform of the Security Council (UNSC), one of the political anomalies that keeps cropping up is the absence of Africa, among the five permanent members (P5)—a privilege bestowed only on the US, UK, France, China and the Russian Federation.

The ongoing “white and iron” dzud in Mongolia has reached a “critical” level, with over 90 per cent of the country facing high levels of risk from the unique weather phenomenon, UN agencies have reported.

The unprecedented population density in Rafah in southern Gaza makes it nearly impossible to protect civilians in the event of ground attacks, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, warned on Friday.

The already dire human rights situation in Haiti has deteriorated even further amid unrelenting and expanding gang violence, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Friday.

The UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide on Friday expressed profound horror at the ongoing situation in the Middle East, reiterating the call for a humanitarian ceasefire and protection of civilians.