Week in Review

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Weekly Wrap 7 August 2020 © UNOCHA As Beirut rescuers search for survivors, UN warns of 'huge' needs Across Lebanon, "the needs are immediate, and they are huge" in the aftermath of the explosion that destroyed Beirut city port, UN agencies said on Friday. Humanitarian Aid UNDP/Ya'axche Pandemic highlights importance of indigenous self-determination: UN rights chief The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need to ensure the world's indigenous people have control over their own communities, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has affirmed. Human Rights © UNICEF COVID-19: Lift sanctions 'bringing suffering and death', urge UN rights experts A group of UN independent human rights experts have called on countries to lift – or at the very least, ease – sanctions to allow affected nations and communities access to vital supplies to fight against the global coronavirus pandemic. Human Rights UN Mexico/Gabriela Ramirez Global cooperation is our only choice against COVID-19, says WHO chief With more than 18.5 million cases of COVID-19 reported worldwide as of Thursday, and 700,000 deaths, the UN's top health official again appealed to countries to unite in the fight against the disease Health UN/Pasqual Gorriz 'Immediate humanitarian assistance' mobilized in force, to support Beirut after deadly blast The response to Tuesday's explosion in Beirut requires global support in order to "surmount the devastating impact" of the crisis facing the Lebanese people, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the country said on Thursday.   Humanitarian Aid WFP/Allan Stephen New humanitarian air service boosts COVID-19 response in the Pacific A flight carrying protective masks, ventilators and other essential medical supplies for COVID-19 response, landed in Papua New Guinea on Thursday, marking the start of a humanitarian air service for the Pacific region, Governments and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) have announced. Health UN Photo/Eluchi Matsumoto 75 years after the bomb, Hiroshima still chooses 'reconciliation and hope' In a video message delivered to a Peace Memorial Ceremony in Japan on Thursday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has paid tribute to the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which devastated the city in 1945.  Peace and Security Joe Hobbs First Person: Turning 'apathetic people into climate activists'; a young person's view An 18-year-old environmental campaigner from the United States has told UN News how she wants to "turn apathetic people into climate activists". Sophia Kianni, whose family originally comes from Iran, is one of seven young people from across the world who have been selected to participate in the UN Secretary-General's Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. The group which was launched at the end of the July aims to engage young people in "an open and transparent dialogue" about climate issues. Climate Change UN Photo/Stuart Price Cross-border links between terrorists, organized crime, underscore need for coherent global response The nexus between terrorism and organized crime took centre stage in the Security Council on Thursday, with experts raising fresh concerns over opportunistic alliances emerging among belligerents who share a hostility towards national authorities, and seek to exploit vulnerabilities created by the COVID-19 crisis. Peace and Security Mohamed Nasser Yemen: Human rights violations against journalists, coming 'from all quarters' Unparalleled rights violations and abuses against journalists are being carried out by all parties to the armed conflict in Yemen, the UN human rights chief said on Thursday Human Rights UNIFIL Lebanon: Support for hospitals top UN priority in the wake of deadly blast The United Nations is working closely with the authorities in Lebanon to support ongoing response in the aftermath of the massive deadly explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday, destroying large swathes of the capital. Peace and Security © UNICEF/Michele Spatari/AFP-Services South Africa: UN health agency sends experts to help battle against COVID-19  new "surge team" of leading UN health experts is on its way to South Africa to ramp up the COVID-19 response there, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. Health IOM Thailand/Jidapa Khoonsinsub Thailand's COVID-19 response an example of resilience and solidarity: a UN Resident Coordinator's Blog In January, Thailand became the second country to confirm a COVID-19 case but, since then, the country has shown remarkable resilience and, as of late July, there had not been any recorded cases of domestic transmission for nearly two months. Gita Sabharwal, the UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand, explains that this success is thanks to a combination of government action, social responsibility and community solidarity.  Health © John Isaac Independent rights experts call on India to remedy 'alarming' situation in Jammu and Kashmir UN-appointed independent human rights experts have called for urgent action in India's Jammu and Kashmir, amid concerns of ongoing abuses against civilians there. Human Rights @UNICEF Breastfeeding link to COVID-19 is negligible, says World Health Organization The risk of COVID-19 infection from breastfeeding is negligible and has never been documented, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, in a call for greater support for the practice.  Health © UNHCR/Tobin Jones South Sudan refugee, athlete, Olympian is newest UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador A track and field athlete from South Sudan who was forced to flee conflict as a child was on Tuesday named a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. Migrants and Refugees UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe UN censures 'heinous attacks' in Lake Chad Basin The Secretary-General strongly condemned "heinous attacks" against civilians in the Lake Chad Basin, a UN spokesperson said on Monday. Peace and Security © UNICEF/Translieu/Nyaberi UN chief outlines 'bold steps' for education in the face of COVID-19 disruption The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption to education in history and prolonged school closures could further entrench inequalities in access to learning, the UN Secretary-General said on Tuesday, underlining the need for "bold steps" to address the crisis. Culture and Education Giles Clarke/ Getty Images Reportage Six years after genocide, international community must prioritize justice for Yazidi community Six years after ISIL launched a genocidal campaign against the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq, the international community must live up to its promise to deliver justice, survivor and Nobel Peace Laureate Nadia Murad told a virtual event on Monday marking the anniversary. Peace and Security Coronavirus Portal & News Updates Readers can find information and guidance on the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from the UN, World Health Organization and UN agencies here. For daily news updates from UN News, click here. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences