News headlines for “Natural Disasters”, page 5
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.
A Triple Planetary Crisis Scarring Africa’s Landscapes
- Inter Press Service
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 30 (IPS) - Some of the creeping impacts of this triple crisis are possibly the most debilitating: Africa is the most severely impacted region by desertification and land degradation, with approximately 45% of its land area affected. In the Horn of Africa and the Sahel alone, it imposes food shortages on more than 23 million people. Just last month, more than 700,000 people were affected by floods in Central and West Africa, and tens of millions in southern Africa are facing drought.
Seeds of Resilience Despite Massive Destruction in Gaza
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 29 (IPS) - It was two weeks before October 7—when Hamas attacked Israel—that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood behind the rostrum in the United Nations General Assembly hall clutching a crude map of what he called the "new Middle East," a visual that erased the land of Palestine.
Sudanese Civil War Exacerbates Economies in Neighbouring Countries
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 28 (IPS) - Critical levels of nationwide hunger in Sudan has only increased to critical levels since the start of the Sudanese civil war in April 2023. Escalated hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have led to limited mobility and repeated blockages of humanitarian aid. This, coupled with the volatile floods and droughts, have decimated crop fields which has only exacerbated famine levels greatly. All of these factors have left nearly 25 million people in Sudan in need of humanitarian assistance in 2024.
Biden’s Middle East Endgame Spells a Death Sentence for Thousands More Palestinians and the Israeli Hostages
- Inter Press Service
PARIS, Oct 24 (IPS) - Nobody should be fooled by President Biden's recent warning to Israel that the U.S. may level consequences if it doesn't do more to surge humanitarian aid into Gaza within the next 30 days. Biden's warning, along with Anthony Blinken's 11th trip to Israel and the region to try and revive ceasefire talks, is nothing more than cynical double talk designed to appease domestic audiences and buy time for Israel to deepen its genocidal aims against the Palestinian people and brutally punish those who support their liberation.
Without Accelerated Action, We Will Miss the Chance to Limit Warming to 1.5°C, Says UNEY Chief Climate Advisor
- Inter Press Service
COPENHAGEN & SRINAGAR, Oct 24 (IPS) - Anne Olhoff, Chief Climate Advisor at UNEP, underlined the urgent need for accelerated climate action ahead of COP29 in an exclusive interview with IPS. "The next six years are crucial—without accelerated action, we will miss the chance to limit warming to 1.5°C," she warned.
UNEP’s 2024 Emissions Gap Report Warns: “No More Hot Air, Please”
- Inter Press Service
COPENHAGEN, Oct 24 2024 (IPS) - The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report 2024 delivered a stark reminder that the world is still far from meeting its climate commitments.