When natural disasters strike, a lack of gender equality can mean the difference between life and death.
That’s according to Robert Glasser, head of disaster risk reduction office UNISDR since January this year.
He’s one of more than 100 heads of UN agencies and international organisations who’ve signed up to the International Geneva Gender Champions initiative.
The extent of the damage caused by Ecuador’s devastating earthquake is massive, UN agencies have announced, as the response operation continues.
The 7.8 magnitude tremor was the strongest to hit the country since 1979, with more than 400 reported fatalities and thousands of injured.
The latest indications are that the earthquake last Saturday destroyed more than 800 buildings including schools and hospitals.
Here’s Daniel Johnson in Geneva.
Duration: 2'04"
The vulnerability of Syrian refugees in Lebanon has “skyrocketed” over the last year, according to a new report released by a group of UN agencies.
An estimated 70 per cent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are now living below the country’s extreme poverty line. That’s up from 49 per cent in 2014, according to the annual Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees.
A range of restrictions put in place by governments against movements of refugees and migrants from Greece through the Western Balkans and further northwards will put already vulnerable people at risk according to the United Nations.
A joint statement has been released by two UN agencies and the International Organization for Migration saying that the new restrictions are becoming increasingly untenable on humanitarian, legal and safety grounds.
Nicki Chadwick has more.
Duration 2’02”
Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, violates more than their human rights – it creates serious socio-economic challenges and results in lost development and economic opportunities.
That’s according to 12 UN agencies that issued a joint statement Tuesday. The statement highlights the link between human rights abuses against LGBTI people and socio-economic challenges, including health concerns, family issues and lost development.
Diplomats, UN agencies and the private sector needs to do much more to break down the barriers that hold back women in the workplace, the UN’s new chief in Geneva said on Wednesday.
In a call for greater equality promoted by the US Mission in Geneva, United Nations Office at Geneva Director-General Michael Moller said he wanted to help create a network of “gender champions” in the Swiss city and beyond.
He explained what the #FutureSheDeserves project is all about to Daniel Johnson.
Duration: 3'45"