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As rescue operations continue after last week’s devastating earthquake in Haiti, simultaneous efforts are needed to support agriculture in the poor Caribbean country as the spring planting season approaches, the head of the United Nations agriculture agency said today.

United Nations-supported relief efforts to reach the countless victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake are expanding to areas away from Port-au-Prince, the capital, to smaller towns and communities as aid agencies struggle to ramp up their operations to meet the enormity of the task.

The envoy leading United Nations efforts against malaria today praised one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies for its plan to open up its database to scientists in hopes of promoting research to help combat the deadly disease.

Côte d’Ivoire has made significant gains in recent months towards holding its long-awaited presidential elections, and if the remaining issues are resolved, the polls could be held this spring, the top United Nations envoy to the West African nation said today.

Israel’s settlement construction on occupied Palestinian territory, its annexation of East Jerusalem which remains part of that territory, and its blockade of Gaza are hindering Middle East peace efforts, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today, calling for the resumption of long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will take part in next week’s international conference aimed at helping Afghanistan to chart its way forward in the wake of last year’s presidential elections and build a more secure and prosperous country, it was announced today.

The Security Council voted today to extend the United Nations political mission in Nepal (UNMIN) by nearly four months amid heightened tensions in the Asian country ahead of the issuing of a new constitution.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United Nations Special Envoy Bill Clinton today stressed the need to help get the Haitian economy back on its feet as soon as possible in the aftermath of last week’s devastating earthquake, as emergency humanitarian assistance continued in the hardest-hit areas.

The number of United Nations staff killed in last week’s Haitian earthquake has climbed to 61 as rescuers continue their efforts to both find people alive and recover bodies from the collapsed headquarters of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country’s capital.

A United Nations independent human rights expert today voiced concern over the deaths of homeless people in India’s capital from a cold wave, underscoring the need for adequate shelter to protect them from harsh weather.