What can the UN do to support India through its deadly COVID-19 surge?

8 May 2021
Health
© UNICEF/Amarjeet Singh

The UN is at the forefront of efforts to help India extricate itself from the almost unimaginable scale of suffering its citizens are undergoing, as a result of a devastating wave of COVID-19 infections. Earlier this week, UN News spoke to the country chiefs based in India, for the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund, to get their take on the crisis. Here are some key excerpts from the interviews.

Security Council upholds role of multilateralism in a complex world

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WHO approves Chinese COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use

India’s new COVID-19 wave is spreading like ‘wildfire’, warns UN Children’s Fund

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Unsplash/Zinko Hein

‘No time to lose’, stop flow of deadly weapons to Myanmar military now, urges UN rights expert

Peace and Security

The United Nations independent human rights expert on Myanmar on Friday called on countries that have not yet done so, to impose arms embargo on the country urgently, to stop the “massacre” of citizens across the country.

UNICEF/Giacomo Pirozzi

Brazil: UN rights office urges independent probe into deadly police operation in Rio de Janeiro

Human Rights

The UN's human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday called for an independent, thorough and impartial investigation into a major police operation in a favela in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, in which at least 25 were reportedly killed, including a police officer.

UNRWA/Lara Jonasdottir

Stop evictions in East Jerusalem neighbourhood immediately, UN rights office urges Israel

Human Rights

The UN’s human rights office (OHCHR), on Friday, called on Israel to immediately halt all forced evictions, including those in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, as well as to exercise maximum restraint in the use of force while ensuring safety and security there.

Unsplash/Daniel Moqvist

Cut methane emissions to avert global temperature rise, UN-backed study urges

Climate and Environment

Methane emissions caused by human activity can be reduced by up to 45 per cent this decade, thus helping to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, according to a UN-backed report published on Thursday. 

CIFOR/Nanang Sujana

Guterres renews zero-emissions appeal to avoid falling into climate abyss

Climate and Environment

All countries should commit to zero carbon emissions by 2050 if the world is to avoid a disastrous 2.4 degree Celsius temperature rise by the end of this century, UN Secretary General António Guterres said on Thursday.

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