General News

Over half of the female homicide victims worldwide are killed by intimate partners or family members.

Men, on the other hand, are much more likely to be killed by someone they have never met.

That’s the conclusion of a report on global homicide statistics recently released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

It shows the vast differences between murder rates in countries around the world.

Women refugees experience considerable hardships in their host countries, which are compounded when they are the sole providers of households, a new report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has found.

More than 145,000 Syrian refugee families in Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan – or one in four of all households – are headed by women facing a lone fight for survival, the agency says.

Forced to take responsibility for their families after their men were killed, captured or otherwise separated, they often experience poverty, isolation and fear of exploitation.

The global sale of medicinal plants like South Africa’s devil’s claw used to treat rheumatism and the vastly popular appetite suppressant, hoodia goordoni, is part of a billion dollar industry.

These traditional herbal remedies have been grown and cultivated for generations by local communities and the indigenous peoples.

A UN treaty that will allow for the fair sharing of benefits that result from their use and avoid the plundering of resources by foreign entities is set to enter into force.

Women ambassadors who serve on the United Nations Security Council have the responsibility to open the door for other women to follow in their steps.

That’s according to Maria Cristina Perceval, the Permanent Representative of Argentina, who is one of five female ambassadors serving on the Council.

It’s the first time there have been five women on the 15-member body.

Millions of Yemenis do not know where their next meal will come from, according to a joint survey by two UN agencies.

The World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) carried out the assessment in 22 governorates or provinces of the country.

It shows that acute malnutrition rates in Yemen are serious across most of the country and at emergency levels in some areas.

Children remain the most vulnerable in terms of food insecurity and malnutrition.

Cholera rates in Haiti are declining but weak water and sanitation problems are slowing down progress and allowing the epidemic and other waterborne diseases to persist, according to the UN Secretary-General.

Mr Ban Ki-moon arrived in Caribbean island on Monday to raise support for initiative which aims to eliminate cholera in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The cholera outbreak which has affected Haiti since October 2010 is still considered the largest in the Western Hemisphere, with more than 700,000 cases and over 8,500 deaths.

Jocelyne Sambira reports.

After a political impasse lasting weeks, the two candidates in Afghanistan’s presidential election have reached an agreement.

The deal, facilitated by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the US Secretary of State, John Kerry breaks the deadlock and allows the country’s electoral process to continue.

The two rivals have agreed to a complete audit of the results in the Presidential run-off elections and the formation of a national unity government after the results are announced.

UNAMA’s Seyto Budi reports.

The eating habits of people across the world over the next decade are being predicted in a new study by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The latest Agricultural Outlook report by the OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the FAO looks at how changing eating habits are transforming what farmers are growing.

Cereals are still at the core of what people eat, but in many parts of the world diets are becoming higher in protein, fats and sugar as incomes rise and urbanisation increases.

Scientists from around the world are collaborating on a five-year long project to improve the diet, nutritional status and ultimately health of vulnerable populations.

The project launched by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will assess the impact on children and women’s health when more nutritious food is produced and eaten.

It could provide important information which will contribute to an overhaul of agriculture policies and practices.

Steve Thachet reports.

Duartion:2’40”

The world’s indigenous youth are being penalised for being indigenous. So says Tuhi Marktukaw, a member of the Pinuyumayan people of Taiwan.

She believes that indigenous populations around the world have been too trusting of governments assuming that they will uphold their rights.

Often this has not been the case. Sophie Outhwaite spoke to Tuhi Marktukaw about the challenges her people face.

Duration:  2'30"