Health workers need better safeguards at work: WHO, ILO 

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the UN health and labour agencies said on Monday that safer working conditions are needed for health teams globally to combat the “dangerous neglect” they are facing. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) underscored that the pandemic had already taken “an additional heavy toll” on health workers. 

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the health sector was among the most hazardous sectors to work in,” said WHO’s Dr  Maria Neira. 

Although staff suffered from infections, physical disorders and injuries, workplace violence, harassment and burnout, she added that very few healthcare facilities had programmes to manage their health and safety. 

A lack of safeguards for health workers contributed to the deaths of about 115,000 health workers who died from COVID-19 in the first 18 months of the pandemic.  

To combat this, WHO and ILO have released new health centre guidelines for implementation at national and local levels. 

Stop violence at European borders and protect refugees – UNHCR 

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has urged for greater protection for refugees and asylum-seekers in Europe.   

He said in a statement on Monday that violence, ill-treatment, and pushbacks continue to be regularly reported at multiple entry points at land and sea borders.   

The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, expressed deep concern over an increasing number of incidents of violence and serious human rights violations against refugees and migrants at various European borders, several of which have resulted in tragic deaths.  

Despite repeated calls by UNHCR, other UN agencies, intergovernmental organizations and NGOs, the violence continues within and beyond the European Union, the statement continued.   

“We are alarmed by recurrent and consistent reports coming from Greece’s land and sea borders with Turkey, where UNHCR has recorded almost 540 reported incidents of informal returns by Greece since the beginning of 2020,” said Mr. Grandi. 

Turkey currently hosts some 3.7 million Syrians and around 330,000 others, the majority of whom are Afghans.  

Disturbing incidents were also reported in Central and South-eastern Europe at the borders with EU Member States.  

According to UNHCR, people are  being pushed back, and suffering a “disturbing pattern of threats, intimidation, violence and humiliation.”   

Attacks against journalist Rana Ayyub must stop say rights experts 

To India now, where UN-appointed independent rights experts called for an end to a malicious online campaign against an investigative journalist. 

The appeal from Special Rapporteurs Irene Khan and Mary Lawlor follows what they have called “relentless misogynistic and sectarian attacks” against Rana Ayyub – including death and rape threats. 

The journalist and women’s rights defender is being targeted by far-right Hindu nationalist groups after reporting on issues affecting minority Muslims in India, criticizing the Government for its handling of the pandemic, and comments on recent hijab bans  in some schools and colleges. 

In a statement, the Special Rapporteurs said that the “lack of condemnation and proper investigation by the Government” has “only served to falsely legitimise the attacks and attackers and further endangered her safety”. 

Daniel Johnson, UN News.