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.
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
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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, Sudan and Afghanistan. In person observations from the visits of senior staff of the United Nations and other agencies highlight the need for a stronger commitment by the United Nations to work for agreements between warring parties/governments to reduce suffering and create conditions for a humanitarian peaceful non-violent society.
Yemen, forgotten and ignored: The world cannot overlook the heart-breaking first-hand reporting from BBC on the maimed children in Taiz and Mocha within the context of the protracted war, poverty, hunger and suffering since 2014. Across the country, aid agencies are scaling back and the few existing facilities are either closed or ill equipped. WFP ’s earlier warning of dwindling food supplies remain and now WFP forecasts that it will have to stop food supplies to about three to five million people by mid-September unless more funds come in. In a related story last week, was the killing of Moayad Hameidi, who had recently arrived in the country to take the post of the head of the WFP in the southwestern province of Taiz.
Unlawful detention of children in North East Syria : Following her visit to the camps, Finnuala Ni Aolain, UN Special Rapporteur called the mass and arbitrary detention of children in the Al-Hol camp as a violation of international law and questioned how they were ostensibly seen as a security threat due to alleged connection with suspected IS fighters. There were 31,000 children included in the 55,000 people held. Hundreds of adolescent boys were “snatched” and separated from their mothers and sent to unknown locations for the same reason. The dire facilities and harsh living conditions exacerbated their situation. Will these findings and that of Malik al-Abdeh’s Assessment of the UN’s role in Syria's Conflicts should push the UN to intervene and find solutions to end the conflict? Does it need to wait for negotiated peace, to free what Aoilin, the Special Rapporteur calls “ an unending cycle of cradle to grave detention” of people?
Impact of 100 days plus of Sudan conflict: UNICEF reports a staggering 2,500 (or more) severe violations of children’s rights, displacement of nearly 3.9 million people including 1.9 million children, death and injuries to hundreds of children, destruction of schools, hospitals and infrastructure, seems to be another conflict with no end in sight. Ted Chaiban, DED for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations voiced concern that in addition to the destruction and looting of critical supplies and facilities, on the ground obstacles impeded the timely delivery of the much needed humanitarian assistance. Despite the challenges and the under funded resources, Ted Chaiban emphasized that UNICEF and its partners continue to provide humanitarian services of health, nutrition, safe drinking water, screening and life saving treatment as well as psychosocial counseling and protection support through 400 safe places established throughout the country. As of mid-July, UNICEF's appeal for US$838 million to reach almost 10 million of the most vulnerable children in Sudan is only 9 per cent funded and UNICEF urgently needs $400 million to sustain its humanitarian assistance for the next 100 days.
Status quo worsening in Afghanistan: The Taliban’s control and dictates over the delivery of humanitarian aid agencies including the UN remain unabated. What is emerging is the increasing Taliban interference with foreign aid. A new report by the US Institute of Peace (USIP) has found that the Taliban is systematically diverting aid channeled through United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan. while millions are facing food insecurity and facing hardships. It casts doubt on the UN’s ability to control the flow of aid as the diversion is observed at all levels of the government. The “Taliban appear to view the UN system as yet another revenue stream, one which their movement will seek to monopolize and centralize control over,” and the urged the international community to hold the Taliban accountable for its actions of interference and diversion of aid.
Integrate human rights says Human Rights Watch: Following the Security Council resolution in March this year, Feridun Sinirlioğlu, was appointed as the Special Coordinator for the conduct of an integrated and independent Assessment of of the Afghanistan crisis with recommendations for forward looking strategies. Speaking on HRW's submission to the Special Coordinator, Heather Barr of HRW called for priority for human rights along with transparency and participatory outreach in the conduct of the Assessment, actively seeking out women’s groups, those affected by human rights violations, girls and families vulnerable and facing discrimination by the Taliban in their daily lives.
Pictures tell the Afghanistan story: The award winning Photo Story of the Year - "The Price of Peace" in Afghanistan by Danish Photographer, Mads Nissen, portrays the daily life in Afghanistan. He takes photos for advocating change, which Nissen believes is desperately needed in Afghanistan.
Making food production sustainable and safeguarding ecosystems : Speaking to the press, Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) outlined the ambitious agenda of the upcoming "UN Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment", a followup to the 2021 UN Food System Summit. Acknowledging the progress in agriculture and food production, Gardner highlighted two equally important dimensions which will be discussed in the Summit. One is the geo-political practices of subsidies to the tune of USD 540 billion and other by food producing nations as against the prevailing hunger among the world’s eight billion population. The other is exploring alternative food production systems; integration of traditional foods, biodiverse methods and knowledge resources that have been largely ignored by mass food production at the cost of environment degradation. The overall goal is to make our food systems more sustainable and resilient to climate change. Laudable goals and let us be hopeful that countries will make commitments and stand accountable to creating a better future for the world.
A World of Debt : According to a UN report, just released, global public debt has reached a record high of USD 92 trillion in 2022. According to the report, the number of countries dealing with high levels of debt has increased from 22 in 2011 to 59 countries in 2022 and highlights inequalities in the global financial architecture that bind developing countries to recurring debt. The map illustrates the extent of debt burden in countries of Africa, Asia and South America.
CIGNA sued : It appears that two claimants have opened the ‘Pandora’s box”, alleging that the insurance agency’s digital claims system "PXDX", is an “improper scheme designed to systematically, wrongfully, and automatically deny its insureds medical payments owed to them under Cigna’s insurance policies. “ As a CIGNA Plan member I was shocked to note the finding reported by ProPublica that “over two months last year, the company denied more than 300,000 claims, spending an average of 1.2 seconds on each claim. While medical doctors signed off on the denials, the system didn’t require them to open patient medical records for the review. “ Incredible as it seems, this is surely something that ASHI needs to investigate in the interest of us UN retirees.
Finally, some good news:
UNICEF Bangladesh successfully launched the Myanmar curriculum for Rohingya children in refugee camps this school year. The initiative has several advantages including their easier integration in the educational system in Myanmar and in the long term on increasing their opportunities for employment.
Green Climate Fund (GCF) - The GCF has for the first time suspended funding over human rights concerns. GCF raised objections over a forestry project for its failures for fostering peaceful participation of the indigenous people and settlers in the project’s implementation. Click here
Sree Gururaja
Editor of the Week
Denise Love Campbell - Rest In Peace
George adds that any resemblance to politicians facing the global climate crisis... is purely accidental. 
Tons of Puns - Leo Goulet
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Photo of the Week
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| Flamingos at Lake Elementita in the Rift Valley, Kenya (Courtesy George McBean) |
Videos of the Week
Two great videos by UNICEF Sudan Mark 100 days of war
Reports of the Week
A World of Debt - 52 Countries / 40% of developing world are in serious debt trouble
US Institute of Peace Report on Afghanistan
An Assessment of the UN's Role In Syria's conflict
Lighter Stuff
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ReplyDeleteAND THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD NEWS WEEK ?