UN peacekeepers rescue 36 at sea off Lebanon
The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon says it provided "immediate assistance" on Monday to 37 people on a boat presumably in distress. One of the passengers had already died.
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Amnesty slams Malta over 'illegal' refugee tactics
The international rights group has condemned Malta for "unlawful" treatment of migrants in the Mediterranean. The UN has also called on Malta to allow 27 migrants and refugees currently on a cargo ship to disembark.
Millions of Eastern African refugees risk starvation, WFP
The World Food Programme (WFP) has launched an alarm on the situation of Eastern African refugees. The UN body says millions of people face serious famine and malnutrition due to the socioeconomic consequences of the coronavirus.
Beirut: Palestinian refugees must be included in aid, UN says
The UN agency for Palestine refugees UNRWA has called on the international community to ensure that aid to support Lebanon in the wake of the August 4 explosion in Beirut also goes to Palestine refugees.
Syrian family’s sorrow in Lebanon
Dozens of those who died in last week's explosion in Beirut are thought to have been Syrian refugees. Ahmed Staifi lost his wife and two daughters in the blast.
'Conflict-related sexual violence is preventable'
Sexual violence is rampant in most armed conflicts and has a direct impact on mass population displacement, rise of extremism and structural gender-based inequality and discrimination, states a UN report released on July 22. We talked to Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (United Nations) on Sexual Violence in Conflict about the findings.
Virus adds to risk for trafficked migrants in war-torn Yemen
In the past two years, more migrants have traveled by boat to Yemen from the Horn of Africa than crossed the Mediterranean. Thousands of them are now trapped and facing multiple risks from the ongoing civil war, the threat of COVID-19, and abuse by human traffickers.
UN: Libyan coast guard intercepts 83 Europe-bound migrants
The UN migration agency (IOM) has said Libya's coast guard over the weekend returned 83 Europe-bound migrants to Libya and brought them to detention centers. Around 6,000 migrants have reportedly been intercepted and brought back to Libya this year.
Syria: Donors pledge $7.7 billion in humanitarian aid
Germany pledged €1.58 billion ($1.78 billion) for Syria at a conference hosted by the EU and the UN. While the event raised a total of $7.7 billion, charity association Oxfam said the sum was "simply not enough."
COVID-19 pandemic for refugees and displaced persons means 3 crises in 1, UN chief
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned once again of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on migrants and refugees, stressing that millions find themselves facing healthcare, economic and protection crises at the same time.
Conflict and COVID-19 threaten Libyan population, UN
In a joint statement, seven UN agencies on Wednesday launched an appeal to support the population in Libya, where the conflict and COVID-19 are a threat and the situation for migrants and refugees is especially alarming.
Stop deportations and release detained migrants in Libya, UN urges
Libya has illegally expelled at least 1,400 migrants and refugees this year, the UN human rights office says. The forced returns during the COVID-19 pandemic put migrants at risk of human rights violations and should be stopped, it says.