This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.
Deadly flooding, heatwaves in Europe, highlight need for climate action
Downpours that have triggered catastrophic flooding in western Europe are just the latest indicator that all countries must do more to hold back climate change-induced disasters, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.
The agency said that Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands had received up to two months’ rain in two days, on ground that was “already near saturation”.
Photos taken at the scene of some of the worst water surges and landslides show huge, gaping holes where earth and buildings once stood.
Media reports have pointed to well over 100 confirmed fatalities in Germany and Belgium, with hundreds reportedly missing across vast areas where houses were swept away.
WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said that under climate change scenarios, scientists had predicted more extreme events in future, in particular, heatwaves.
“We need to step up climate action, we need to step up the level of ambition; we’re not doing nearly enough to stay, you know, within the targets of the Paris Agreement and keep temperatures below two degrees Celsius, even 1.5 degrees Celsius, by the end of this century.”
In contrast to the wet conditions, parts of Scandinavia continue to endure scorching temperatures, while smoke plumes from Siberia have affected air quality in Alaska.
Among the Scandinavian countries affected by the unusual heat, the southern Finnish town of Kouvola Anjala has seen 27 consecutive days with temperatures above 25C.
UN rights chief calls for prompt release of protestors held in Cuba
To Cuba now, and a call from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to release protesters and journalists detained during anti-government demonstrations.
Massive rallies began on Sunday, with thousands taking to the streets across the Caribbean island nation to demand the lifting of economic measures which have restricted access to food, medicine and COVID-19 vaccines.
Media reports indicate that more than 100 people have been arrested.
In her statement, Ms Bachelet expressed concern at the alleged use of excessive force, the large number of arrests and internet blackouts.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights also urged the Government to enter into dialogue with its citizens and to address their needs.
“It is particularly worrying that these include individuals allegedly held incommunicado and people whose whereabouts are unknown, Ms. Bachelet said, in reference to the detainees, before calling for an independent probe into the death of a protester in the capital.
Panic and anxiety in eastern DR Congo amid ongoing attacks on civilians
Alarming news from the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo now, where armed groups have attacked communities in the city of Beni for the first time in two years.
The alert from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, follows looting and pillaging by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which have displaced nearly 20,000 people in wider North Kivu province.
It comes despite government-led efforts to restore law and order in the eastern provinces of the Kivus and Ituri, but the area is vast and the terrain difficult to police.
Here’s UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch:
“They have been going from town to town, village to village, killing people, burning their houses, looting the houses, injuring people as well. Our appeal is for a comprehensive approach to bring peace back to civilian lives in this part of the DRC.”
The UN refugee agency said that people felt “panic and anxiety” following the latest attacks, which have claimed 14 lives and injured many others in and around the city of Beni since 22 June.
Communities also lacked confidence in security forces, UNHCR said, given the high expectations of improved security conditions promised by President Felix Tshisekedi, after a state of emergency was declared on 6 May in the east.
Daniel Johnson, UN News.
