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The United Nations humanitarian arm has stepped in to assist Afghanistan, where the population is suffering on two fronts – drought is devastating large swathes of the country and recent floods have caused damage to two provinces.

The United Nations refugee agency today warmly welcomed a decision by Kazakhstan’s authorities not to extradite an Uzbek refugee, despite a request from Uzbekistan, but instead to hand him over to the UN for immediate permanent resettlement with his family.

Over a dozen Iraqi officials have benefited from a workshop on international human rights treaties, related national institutions and other mechanisms designed to prevent abuses and promote the enjoyment of human rights at a workshop held in Geneva and organized by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

There have been no breaches of the Security Council-mandated cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah since it came into effect on Monday morning, the United Nations Interim Force for Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported today.

Reacting to a bombing in Sri Lanka on Monday that reportedly killed dozens of children and wounded many more, two senior United Nations officials added their voices to growing international calls for the Government and separatist rebels to lay down their arms and resume talks.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today pledged the world body’s continued support to Ethiopia as it works to assist victims of recent floods that took the lives of more than 350 people and displaced nearly 20,000 others.

In his first public comments since being named Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative in Kosovo yesterday, the new envoy said he expects to be the last person to hold that position because he believes a resolution of the province’s final political status can soon be reached.

Given the fragile security situation in Timor-Leste, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to that country today called on the Security Council to establish a new, larger United Nations mission there.

A successful outcome of negotiations now taking place at the United Nations on a treaty to protect the rights of persons with disabilities could make a huge difference in the lives of almost 650 million such people, the Ambassador chairing the process said today.

United Nations emergency aid is being distributed today to Lebanese in the devastated southern port city of Tyre, tonnes of fuel are being sent to hospitals to keep them operating, and two UN-chartered ships are off-loading supplies in the capital Beirut, a spokesman for the world body reported.