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Russia has not offered the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) any free grain, WFP deputy chief Carl Skau said on Friday, nearly two weeks after Moscow quit a deal that allowed the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain. Ukrainian grain is a primary U.N. food aid source. Carl Skau, DED WFP "We have not been in talks about any free grain so far," Skau told reporters. "We have not been approached for any such discussion." Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday told African leaders at a summit in St Petersburg that Moscow is able to replace Ukrainian grain exports to Africa and that he would gift tens of thousands of tons of grain to six countries within months. Ukraine, along with Russia, is one of the world's biggest exporters of grain and any interruption could drive up food prices around the globe. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday that a "handful of donations" won't correct the dramatic impact of the end of the Black

An impasse at the United Nations over a border crossing with Syria 's last rebel-held enclave is putting 4.1 million Syrian there in danger, the president of the International Rescue Committee warned this week. David Miliband’s comments came more than two weeks after the U.N. Security Council failed to renew the mandate for the Bab al-Hawa border crossing between Syria and Turkey , which secures aid for Syrians in the enclave. The vast majority of people in northwestern Syria live in poverty and rely on aid to survive — a crisis that was further worsened by a devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria in February. The earthquake killed more than 50,000 people, including over 6,000 in Syria, according to the United Nations. The quake also displaced hundreds of thousands of others. “The people of northwest Syria can ill afford a new wave of suffering, having lived through the trauma of the earthquake,” Miliband told The Associated Press in an i

‘This is another beast’: UN chief heat officer on living amid fires, how to cool cities and fears for her daughter It is “shocking” how little people know about the danger of hot weather, the United Nations global chief heat officer has said, as high temperatures bake cities across the northern hemisphere and politicians backslide on climate promises. A study this month found that extreme heat in Europe last summer killed 61,000 people , most of whom were women and older people. As well as killing people through heatstroke, hot weather can push the bodies of people with heart and lung disease into deadly overdrive. “It’s total cognitive dissonance that this information is not common knowledge or part of our collective subconscious,” said Eleni Myrivili, the chief heat officer for the UN’s human settlement programme, who served the city of Athens in a similar role until June last year. She said many people, particularly in the Mediterranean and Middle East, mistakenly believed they w

Inclusion, not exclusion, is often the answer. Sadly anti-trafficking efforts are often misused to justify anti-migrant policies. Many of those falling prey to traffickers are migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers who have left their country of origin for various reasons; including conflict, natural disaster, persecution or extreme poverty. “They have left behind their social protection network, and are particularly vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation,” said Maria Grazia Giammarinaro , Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, in a statement marking the Day. Ms. Giammarinaro observed that in the current “poisonous anti-migration political atmosphere,” migrants are often targeted as a threat, while in fact they are a net-gain for host countries where they live and work. Against that backdrop, the UN expert stressed that anti-trafficking discourse is often misused “to justify restrictive migration policies and push-back activities.” “Taking a stand against xenophobic

The conflict between the armed forces of Sudan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is entering its fourth month and the situation of children is increasingly desperate. UNICEF reports that the fighting has displaced more than 1 million children. Hundreds have been killed, thousands are injured. There are reports of children’s bodies within mass graves and crimes of sexual violence against girls. As fighting has extended into civilian areas, schools are closed, children’s institutions have been attacked, and health care facilities have been looted and destroyed. Aid agencies are struggling to provide humanitarian aid. The United Nations Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict called on all parties to fully comply with all principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. However, conditions on the ground show that both sides are failing to abide by international legal standards and committing grave violations against children. Chil

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Armenia and Azerbaijan have made “further progress” toward a peace agreement in three days of U.S.-hosted talks near Washington between the two former Soviet republics that have repeatedly clashed over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. However, he also noted that there was much work ahead for the two parties before a final agreement. A key issue is the re-opening of a road which passes through the Lachin Corridor in Azerbaijan and has been blocked since December 2022. In a statement on July 25th ICRC has noted the urgency of reopening this aid corridor for humanitarian supplies. "Despite persistent efforts, the ICRC is not currently able to bring humanitarian assistance to the civilian population through the Lachin corridor or through any other routes, including Aghdam. Under international humanitarian law, sides must allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need. This includes

UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Gillian Triggs (left) meets a group of asylum seekers on Samos island, Greece. During visit to Greece, UN official calls for enhanced refugee protection During the visit, Ms. Triggs mentioned that one of the worst shipwrecks in the Mediterranean happened just over a month ago. Protecting refugee rights “The Pylos tragedy and the other devastating tragedies in the Mediterranean underscore the primacy of saving lives and protecting the rights of people forced to flee. This was my message to the authorities,” she said . She emphasized the criticality of safeguarding access to territory and asylum, ensuring a predictable and well-coordinated search-and-rescue system, and the need for responsibility-sharing and solidarity measures among States. Ms. Triggs also raised concern about reports of summary forced returns, stressing the urgency of effective investigations and measures for prevention and remediation. Noting that Greece and other coun

  Editor's Note. Myra Rudin has a vast collection of candid street photos. What I like most is the skilful framing and the story that each frame is telling us. This is what Myra has to say:  In my last submission to the Newsletter, I presented photos representing people, some happy, some not so much, at their workday jobs, entitled “The Daily Grind”.  Here, in comparison, these photos show people at leisure, alone or with others, having a connection with a friend, family, their pet, or with nature. People around the world often have the same rituals for leisure time – a coffee with a friend, a walk in the park, or reading under a tree.  Children have no problem finding fun – sailing a boat, playing with a ball, or even old tires.   I call these photos “Connections” in six chapters, “A Family Affair”, “I Love My Pet”, “That’s What Friends are For”, “Alone But Still Connecting”, “Child’s Play”, “Romantic Connections”.  Enjoy! “A Family Affair” It's always nice to capture family m

    Welcome to a brief overview of articles that appeared last week on our website. Please don't stop here - be sure to browse the full list of articles that appeared this week.  xunicefnewsandviews.blogspot.com Our Photographer of the Week: Connections by Myra Rudin Myra has a vast collection of candid photographs from which she makes a selection arranged imaginatively around a theme. Introducing her presentation,  "Connections",  Myra explains that while her previous submission last November presented photos of people at their workday jobs, entitled “The Daily Grind”, this set  shows people at leisure, alone or with others, having a connection with a friend, family, their pet, or with nature. Click here to view  Connections . Our Columnist This Week   Ramesh Shrestha  (Dis)satisfaction with Government This week, more disturbing evidence on the impact of armed conflict, repressive governments and warring parties on the lives of children and their families in Yemen, Syria