The UN and its partners launched on Saturday an emergency response plan to help 136,000 refugees, appealing for $97 million to respond to urgent needs of those who fled the Karabakh region and their hosts in Armenia.
Armenia: UN launches urgent appeal to help refugees fleeing Karabakh
Germany: Bavaria and the return of religious cleansing in the EU
You may be surprised that a “democratic” country like Germany, with the past we know, would engage in a religious cleansing today. Who wouldn’t be? Nevertheless, as hard as it is to believe it, what some called a “cultural genocide” (Cultural genocide is the systematic destruction of traditions, values, language, and other elements that make one group of people distinct from another) is happening today in Germany, touching thousands of lives in some of the German landers.
The target of this cleansing: The Scientologists. Whatever you think or know about Scientologists, whether you think you like them or not, what we are going to expose goes beyond the boundaries of what should be tolerated from any State, moreover from a founding member of the European Union.
Sect Filters in Germany
As was reported recently by USCIRF (US Commission on International Religious Freedom) in a report called “Religious Freedom Concerns in the European Union”, for several decades now, Germany practiced what they call the “sect-filter”, which consists of the following: Anybody looking for a job, or for doing business with public institutions and companies, should sign a statement that she or he is not a Scientologist nor does she or he “uses the technology of L. Ron Hubbard” (the founder of Scientology, 1911–1986).
In fact, these sect filters go as far as asking if you or any of your employees or even volunteers have attended a lecture organized by a Scientology group, Church or linked organization during the last three years. If your answer is yes, then you will never be able to be retained for a job in a public institution, or even in a private company or association which has contracts with a public institution. And if you represent a company, you will have to terminate contracts with any person (whether it is one of your employees or an external contractor) who would answer yes to the above questions, if you want to keep doing business with public institutions.
While you would think that this would only apply to sensitive jobs or contracts, in fact, these sect filters also apply to jobs like tennis coach, gardener, marketer, engineer, architect, printer, IT expert, events manager, constructor, trainer, accounts auditor, driving school teacher, programmer, supplier of waste sacks and waste bags, web designer, interpreter etc.
Asking about the religious beliefs of a candidate before hiring them, and making it a factor of decision in the hiring process, is of course absolutely illegal. It’s illegal per the EU Employment Equality Directive which requires all Member States to protect against discrimination on grounds of religion and belief in employment, occupation, and vocational training. But it’s also illegal per the European Convention of Human Rights, as it’s a blatant discrimination based on religious grounds, and so violates Article 9 (Freedom of Religion or Belief) and Article 14 (right to non-discrimination).
In fact, there are dozens of court decisions in Germany which judged that such “sect filters” were illegal, including some by federal higher courts, and that they constitute a violation of the right to non-discrimination of the Scientologists, many of them adding that Scientology and Scientologists were to receive protection under article 4 (on Freedom of religion or belief) of the German Fundamental Law (German Constitution).
Unfortunately, the sanctions and penalties resulting from these court rulings seem to be of no effect on some landers as Bavaria, and they continue the practice of “sect filters” every day as if nothing happened.
The EU Commission Corrupted by the German Sect Filters
What is even more concerning, is that such “sect filters” of Germany can be found by the hundreds on the EU official website for European public tenders, TED[1]. The European Commission is then unwillingly forwarding these discriminatory practices, without having yet tried to correct them.
Since the beginning of 2023, more than 300 German tenders containing “sect filters” discriminating against anyone belonging to the Church of Scientology or associating with Scientologists appeared on the EU website.
Germany, in addition to being aware of its own court decisions, could have corrected the situation in 2019 when questioned by the United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Minorities Issues (Fernand Varennes) and the one on Freedom of Religion or Belief (Ahmed Shaheed) in these terms:
“…we would like to express our concern about the continued use of measures that explicitly prevent individuals from obtaining grants and employment opportunities otherwise extended to the general population, on the basis of religion or belief. (…) Individuals identifying as Scientologists should not have to endure undue scrutiny nor disclose their beliefs…”
UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief & UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues Ref: AL DEU 2/2019
But it didn’t and chose to continue erring on the sides of the religious cleansers.
Can you imagine that because of your religious or philosophical beliefs, you’d be barred from applying to jobs for which you have perfect and legitimate qualifications? Even if your qualifications are those of a competent gardener, the fact that you would belong to your religious group would stick on you an infamous label preventing you from getting the job that would feed your family. Without a job, without a salary or resources, death is not far. And when death is involved and planned for a category of citizens belonging to a certain religious group, genocide is not far either.
Dehumanization
This kind of discriminatory practices already happened in history, unfortunately in many places. And we know where it leads. Dehumanization of part of a population is a way to justify future hate crimes. The sect filters are in some way dehumanizing Scientologists. They are not anymore full citizens, but some kind of sub-citizens, who do not enjoy the same rights than others when it comes to being able to work. By using those “sect filters”, the German authorities also try to punish people who, even not being Scientologists, would associate with Scientologists in any manner, increasing then the feeling of being segregated and ostracized by thousands of German citizens, targeted and selected on the basis of their belief.
But the dehumanization of Scientologists by Bavarian authorities goes even further. On the 30th of September 2020, the Minister of Interior of the Bavarian government Joachim Herrmann, gave a press conference to present a new edition of the brochure “The Scientology System” and a short film “10 Tips on How Not to Get Fooled – This Time by Scientologists”. Inter-alia, the film featured images explaining how to throw Scientology books into the garbage (burning them may have seemed too old-fashioned) and depicting Scientologists as robots not to be trusted. They almost reached here the pinnacle of dehumanization.
Hate Crimes
Only a few weeks after this press conference, on December 12, 2020, an arson attack occurred against the Church of Scientology of Berlin. Sometime a bit later, stones were thrown through the windows of the Church of Scientology of Munich. This kind of hate crime doesn’t just happen. They result from a climate of hate and stigmatization. Anyone who has studied genocides knows that before a genocide could occur, a long process of undermining by hate propaganda must take place. Hatemongers come first and then hate crimes occur. When the hatemongers are a government, then hate crimes become easy, as the perpetrators may even feel they are backed by their own government. And in fact, this is the case in Germany.
As Franco-Israeli Jewish philosopher Georges Elia Sarfati wrote in New Europe in May 2019,
“Is Germany in 2019 really the democratic state we believe? Are freedom of conscience and expression respected by the authorities, as most Europeans think? There is every reason to believe that this is not the case when we consider the poor faith trials, as well as the discrimination suffered by the followers or sympathisers of the Church of Scientology whose inspiration and value system have their source in the thought and work of the writer L. Ron Hubbard. (…) Has Bavaria, once known for its strong pro-Nazi tradition, not overcome this shameful tradition of quarantining a minority? As a Franco-Israeli scholar, I wonder about the persistence of ways that defeat the idea of a Europe with tolerance and equality (…) Discrimination of persons is not an abstract notion. It is a silent process that leads to exclusion, marginalisation and stigmatisation. Exclusion, in this case, targets people who are at risk of unemployment. The economic and social marginalisation that this situation often entails is a factor of desocialisation. As for the stigmatisation that results, it is to banish those who are the object of this double indignity.”
Franco-Israeli Jewish philosopher Georges Elia Sarfati
Will Religious Cleansing Continue?
There is no doubt that these shocking practices, which can be seen without forcing imagination as a system of religious cleansing, are aimed at preventing a certain category of people from earning an honest livelihood, with the ultimate purpose of erasing their particular religious group in Germany. In fact, the Bavarian authorities are not even shy about it. What’s more intriguing is the fact that the European Commission did not yet intervene to put an end to the practice of “sect filters” in its public tenders’ website. This has certainly gone unnoticed for some time. But it should not continue now. European Union faces many challenges. It’s easy to cast stones at undemocratic countries and blame them for their criminal behaviours. But the real challenge is to track down these criminal behaviours among the countries of the Union and be efficient enough to put an end to them. Without that, the Union will lose its meaning, and its fundamental rights charter will stay an empty shell.
[1] TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) is the online version of the ‘Supplement to the Official Journal’ of the EU, dedicated to European public procurement.
European Green Bond: MEPs approve new standard to fight greenwashing
MEPs on Thursday adopted a new voluntary standard for the use of a “European Green Bond” label, the first of its kind in the world.
The regulation, adopted by 418 votes in favour, 79 against and 72 abstentions, lays down uniform standards for issuers who wish to use the designation ‘European green bond’ or ‘EuGB’ for the marketing of their bond.
The standards will enable investors to direct their money more confidently towards more sustainable technologies and businesses. It will also give the company issuing the bond more certainty that their bond will be suitable to investors who want to add green bonds to their portfolio. This will increase interest for this kind of financial product and support the EU’s transition to climate neutrality.
The standards align with the EU’s taxonomy framework that defines which economic activities the EU considers environmentally sustainable.
Transparency
All companies choosing to adopt the standards and therefore also the EuGB label when marketing a green bond will be required to disclose considerable information about how the bond’s proceeds will be used. They would also be obliged to show how these investments feed into the transition plans of the company as a whole. The standard therefore requires companies to be engaging in a general green transition.
The disclosure requirements, set out in so-called “template formats”, can also be used by companies issuing bonds which are not yet able to adhere to all the strict standards of the EuGB but still wish to signal their green aspirations.
External reviewers
The regulation establishes a registration system and supervisory framework for external reviewers of European green bonds – the independent entities responsible for assessing whether standards are being adhered to. It also stipulates that any actual or potential conflicts of interest external reviewers may face are properly identified, eliminated or managed, and disclosed in a transparent manner.
Flexibility
Until the taxonomy framework is fully up and running, issuers of a European Green Bond would need to ensure that at least 85% of the funds raised by the bond are allocated to economic activities that align with the EU’s Taxonomy Regulation. The other 15% can be allocated to other economic activities provided the issuer complies with the requirements to clearly explain where this investment will go.
Quote
The rapporteur, Paul Tang (S&D, NL) said, “Businesses want to make the green transition. And the European Green Bond gives them the best tool yet to help them finance this shift. It provides a transparent and trustworthy tool to drive a company’s transition plan.
Today’s vote is the starting shot for business to get serious about their green bond issuances. Investors are eager to invest in European Green Bonds and from today onwards business can start developing them. This way European Green Bonds can boost Europe‘s transition to a sustainable economy.”
Background
The green bond market has seen exponential growth since 2007 with annual green bond issuance breaking through the USD half trillion mark for the first time in 2021, a 75% increase compared to 2020. Europe is the most prolific issuance region, with 51 % of the global volume of green bonds in 2020. Green bonds represent about 3-3.5% of overall bond issuance.
Responding to the concerns of citizens
With the adoption of this legislation, Parliament is responding to the demands of citizens made in the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe, notably in proposals 3(9), 11(1) and 11(8).
Nobel Peace Prize choice of Narges Mohammadi highlights ‘courage and determination’ of Iranian women
The Nobel Committee’s decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi underscores the “courage and determination” of the women of Iran, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.
“I think what is absolutely clear is that the women of Iran have been a source of inspiration for the world. We’ve seen their courage and determination in the face of reprisals, intimidation, violence and detention,” Spokesperson Liz Throssell told journalists in Geneva.
“This courage, this determination, have been remarkable. They’ve been harassed for what they do or don’t wear, there are increasingly stringent legal, social and economic measures against them.”
Tribute to women activists
In a statement on the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Ms. Mohammadi, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called it “an important reminder that the rights of women and girls are facing a strong pushback, including through the persecution of women human rights defenders, in Iran and elsewhere.”
“This Nobel Peace Prize is a tribute to all those women who are fighting for their rights at the risk of their freedom, their health and even their lives,” said the UN chief.
Welcoming the announcement to award the 2023 Nobel Peace prize to Mohammadi, UN experts urged the government of Iran to free all those imprisoned for promoting women’s human rights and protect the rights of women and girls in the country.
“The awarding of the 2023 Nobel Peace prize to a courageous journalist and woman human rights defender highlights the struggle of women against institutionalised systems of discrimination, segregation, humiliation and the exclusion of women and girls everywhere in the world,” the UN experts said.
About Narges Mohammadi
Ms. Mohammadi is currently serving a 16-year sentence in Tehran’s Evin Prison. She has worked for many years as a journalist and is also an author and Vice-Director of the Tehran-based civil society organization Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC).
In May she was awarded a prize that celebrates press freedom by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), along with two other imprisoned Iranian women journalists, in the context of the wave of protests surrounding the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022.
More UN reaction to follow.
Human rights breaches in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Egypt
The European Parliament adopted three resolutions on the human rights breaches in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Egypt.
Human rights situation in Afghanistan, in particular the persecution of former government officials
European Parliament strongly denounces the severe human rights violations in Afghanistan and warns that since the Taliban takeover of the country the frequency of human rights abuses has risen exponentially in the country. This includes the staggering oppression of women and girls, a policy of gender apartheid and the targeting of civil society organisations and human rights defenders.
MEPs call on Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to fully enforce their publically announced commitment to a general amnesty of former government officials and former National Security Forces members who are being subjected to arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture. They also demand reversing severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls in line with Afghanistan’s international obligations.
The Parliament also condemns the Taliban for their brutal persecution of Christians and other religious minorities as part of efforts to eradicate them from the country. MEPs call on the EU and member states to step up their support for Afghan civil society including by funding specific assistance and protection programmes for human rights defenders.
The text was adopted by 519 votes in favour, 15 against and 18 abstentions. It will be available in full here. (05.10.2023)
Egypt, in particular the sentencing of Hisham Kassem
MEPs demand the immediate and unconditional release of Hisham Kassem, sentenced in September to six months in prison and a fine on a charge of defamation and slander for an online post criticising former Egyptian minister Abu Eita. They urge Egyptian authorities to drop all politically motivated charges against him and call on the EU delegation and member states representatives to visit him in prison.
Ahead of the December 2023 presidential election in Egypt, Mr. Kassem has played a pivotal role in founding the Free Current, a coalition of liberal opposition parties and personalities.
MEPs underline the importance of holding credible, free and fair elections in Egypt and urge authorities to stop the harassment of peaceful opposition figures, including aspiring presidential candidates like former parliamentarian Ahmed El Tantawy,
MEPs also call on the Egyptian authorities to uphold the rule of law, freedom of expression, press, media and association and an independent judiciary. They demand the release of tens of thousands of prisoners arbitrarily detained for peacefully expressing their opinion.
The text was adopted by 379 votes in favour, 30 against and 31 abstentions. It will be available in full here. (05.10.2023)
The case of Zarema Musaeva in Chechnya
MEPs strongly condemn the kidnapping and politically-motivated detention of Zarema Musaeva, urging the Chechen authorities to immediately release her and provide her with proper medical care.
Ms. Musaeva, (the wife of former Chechen Supreme Court judge Saidi Yangulbaev and mother of human rights defender Abubakar and opposition bloggers Ibrahim and Baysangur Yangulbaev), was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of fraud and assaulting the authorities. MEPs consider this a retaliation for the legitimate human rights work and political views of her sons.
Condemning the brutal attacks on and repression of civil society, media and opposition in Chechnya, MEPs want the authorities to immediately end all forms of harassment. The Chechen government should conduct a transparent and thorough investigation into these attacks and hold those responsible accountable.
The resolution adopted by MEPs calls on the international community and the EU to respond to the extremely worrying human rights breach in Russia and in particular in Chechnya, and increase assistance to Chechen political prisoners and dissidents.
The text was adopted by 502 votes in favour, 13 against and 28 abstentions. It will be available in full here. (05.10.2023)
A man who died 128 years ago will be buried
An American will be buried 128 years after his death. All this time, his mortal remains have been displayed behind a display case in a funeral home in Pennsylvania, SkyNews reports.
Stoneman Willie died in a local jail in 1895 of kidney failure. He ends up behind bars after being arrested for pickpocketing. When arrested, he presented himself under a false name, so his identity remained unknown for many years, and the authorities were unable to contact his relatives.
Willie was accidentally mummified by an undertaker who was experimenting with new embalming techniques.
Dressed in a suit with a bow tie, his body has lain in a casket at the funeral home for over a century. The deceased’s hair and teeth are intact from time, and his flesh resembles treated leather.
Now, with the help of unearthed historical documents, his identity has been identified and his name will be inscribed on his tombstone when his body is buried. This is scheduled to take place on October 7.
“We don’t call him mummy, we call him ‘our friend Willie,'” said funeral home director Kyle Blankenbiller.
Stoneman Willie’s casket was carried on a motorcycle hearse as part of a parade for the city. Thus, at last, the man will find eternal rest.
Experiment: A project in Denver gave away $1,000 to vulnerable people, what were the results?
Six months later, most of the beneficiaries of the project were higher off
It would not essentially purchase happiness, however each private expertise and scientific analysis present that when individuals have extra money, they’re extra possible to lead glad lives. That’s the premise of a social experiment in Denver, the place over the previous few months, a number of hundred of the metropolis’s most vulnerable individuals have been receiving money with no strings hooked up.
The outcomes to date are as follows: People who slept tough at the starting of the experiment, then – with extra money in their pockets – really feel safer, have higher psychological well being and revel in entry to extra secure and pleasant dwelling circumstances.
Mark Donovan, founder and government director of the Denver-based Basic Income Project, informed Insider he was “very encouraged” by the outcomes.
“Many participants reported using the money to pay off debt, fix their car, secure a home, and enroll in a course. These are all avenues that can ultimately lift participants out of poverty and allow them to to be less dependent on welfare programs,” he says.
Donovan based the Denver Basic Income Project in 2021. He’s an entrepreneur who made his cash from Wooden Ships, a clothes firm specializing in girls’s sweaters, and an funding in Tesla, which has soared throughout the pandemic. In 2022, he used a few of that cash, plus a $2 million contribution from the metropolis, and commenced distributing cash to different individuals.
Commentary on homelessness typically focuses on psychological well being and habit, that are seen as main components in the sharp improve in the variety of individuals sleeping tough. But as the Pew Charitable Trust famous in a latest evaluation, analysis “consistently finds that homelessness in a given area is determined by the cost of housing” (ie, hire, not time).
Six months later, most of those that acquired project cash were higher off—considerably higher off, in accordance to researchers at the University of Denver’s Center for the Study of Housing and Homelessness.
How the Universal Basic Income plan works in Denver
As of October final 12 months, greater than 800 individuals were enrolled in the primary earnings plan, however not everybody receives the similar stipend. There are three teams – one will get $1,000 a month for a 12 months; the different receives $6,500 upfront and $500 month-to-month thereafter; and a 3rd will get solely $50 a month.
While cautioning that that is solely an interim report of a year-long examine, the researchers nonetheless discovered stark and inspiring modifications in the materials well-being of the members. Those who acquired $500 or extra monthly were the most profitable. At the starting, lower than 10% of them lived in their very own home or residence, whereas after six months greater than a 3rd had their very own dwelling.
Guaranteed Income has additionally dramatically decreased seen homelessness. When the initiative began, about 6 % of individuals in the $1,000-a-month group were sleeping outdoors, and 6 months later that quantity had dropped to zero. The group that acquired a big lump sum additionally noticed a drop from 10% sleeping outdoors to 3%. Even those that acquired as little as $50 moved into a house, with the fee dropping from 8% to 4%.
In the $1,000-a-month group, 34% of members now dwell in their very own home or residence, in contrast to simply 8% half a 12 months earlier. For all teams, the variety of individuals sleeping in shelters greater than halved, and all reported an elevated sense of security in their present place of residence. Overall psychological well being additionally improved, though the $50 group reported barely extra stress and anxiousness than earlier than — and barely much less hope.
Other cities are additionally implementing the experiment
The undeniable fact that materials advantages were seen amongst all teams means that a minimum of a few of the enhancements could also be due to one thing apart from cash, equivalent to elevated entry to different providers throughout the examine interval (the researchers make no assumptions). Additionally, the examine relied on members self-reporting their scenario in trade for funds of up to USD 30.
But the outcomes match the expertise of different cities.
In San Francisco, a examine of 14 individuals receiving $500 a month discovered that two-thirds of those that were homeless at the starting discovered everlasting housing six months later. Smaller cities, equivalent to Santa Fe, have additionally experimented with money funds, as have rural areas, together with upstate New York. Philadelphia is even increasing the idea to different vulnerable teams, together with pregnant individuals.
Outside the United States, different nations are additionally discovering that the methodology of direct money help is proving to be a simpler technique of coping with some social issues than policing or the patronage of extra conventional support applications the place support is tied to circumstances.
Vancouver, Canada lately awarded about $5,600 to a bunch of greater than 100 individuals affected by poverty.
“Housing is improved, homelessness is reduced, spending and savings are increased over time, and it’s a net saving for the government and taxpayers,” Jiaying Zhao, an affiliate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, informed The Guardian.
Source: Business Insider
Illustrative Photo by Aidan Roof: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-black-crew-neck-shirt-wearing-gray-hat-4071362/
Churches help refugees after “ethnic cleansing” in Nagorno-Karabakh
| By Evert van Vlastuin (CNE.news) Really sad and really heavy. That is how pastor Craig Simonian responds to the moment that Nagorno-Karabakh is emptied of Armenians. “No one is left there.” For centuries, the Armenians lived there, he says. They built their lives there and buried their relatives. “And in one week, it is over.” Simonian speaks to CNE.news from the Armenian capital Yerevan. Most of the refugees come to that city. That is logical, he says. “One-third of Armenians live here, so there is a big chance that people have their relatives here.” But they go to other towns and villages as well. “The populations of some places grow with 10 per cent.” Above that, the health care is best in the city, as are the schools and universities. Also, other towns and cities take in the refugees. He says the influx is “overwhelming” for the whole country. Where are the refugees located? “Anywhere and everywhere”, Simonian says. “People stay with relatives and in empty houses. House owners lower their rents as well. Others live in camps used during the summer and in school and church buildings.” Simonian thinks it would need about 40,000 houses to locate all the Armenians from the former Republic of Artsakh. He reckons that 120,000 Armenians lived in Nagorno-Karabakh. “108,000 of them had registered in Armenia in this week.” Building houses for them will be a challenge for the poor country. Mosques It is no less than an “ethnic cleansing” from the side of Azerbaijan, says Simonian. “People are driven away from their land. You can google “ancient Azeri map”, but you won’t find Nagorno-Karabakh on that. The Armenians have lived there for centuries. Also, in the Soviet Union, it was an autonomous oblast. It is not disputed land, and Artsakh is not a breakaway republic.” It makes Simonian angry that old monuments are destroyed in the region. “Our people have always built churches there. These were always used for worship. But the Muslim Azeris will knock them down or convert them into mosques.” The United Nations have been allowed to go to Nagorno-Karabakh, and their observers will show the fate of the ancient churches, the pastor expects. All this happened in the first Christian country in the world. “Yerevan is even older than Rome. Even two of Jesus’ disciples have been buried here as martyrs: Bartholomew and Taddeus.” The depopulation of Karabakh will not be the end, Simonian fears. “Armenia is amid strong powers. In the Turkish media, you hear stories about attacks from Armenia. This is pure silliness, but it happens. Turkish generals are also active in the Azerbaijan army. And the Russians have stopped protecting us; they now make energy deals with Azerbaijan. Armenia is not weighty enough to negotiate itself out of this.” Western sanctions Simonian has a dual Armenian-American citizenship. He served as pastor at an Evangelical church in New Jersey for twenty years. It strikes him that the Western world is not taking sanctions against Azerbaijan. “Some Congressmen are speaking about that but have not taken measures so far. Also, the European Union has used strong language but done nothing.” Simonian sees that the churches in Armenia are very active in helping the refugees. He does not know a church that is not caring for the displaced. “The 85,000 Evangelicals are perhaps responding quicker than the Apostolics because they are more active. But every refugee who goes to an Apostolic church will receive help.” Simonian sees that the events bring the churches closer together. He hopes this will lead to an Evangelical Alliance in his country. Simonian is connected to the Peace & Reconciliation Network of the European Evangelical Alliance. Many refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh are Protestants as well. “Stepanakert was the centre for the Baptists in this region.” Photo: Craig Simonian. Photo private A link to the original publication: https://cne.news/article/3697-churches-armenia-help-refugees-after-ethnic-cleansing-in-nagorno-karabakh |
Weather-related disasters displace 43.1 million children in six years, UNICEF reports
Weather-related disasters forcibly displaced a staggering 43.1 million children across 44 countries over the past six years, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
Karabakh crisis: UN response continues
UN teams on the ground in Armenia are providing vital support to help address the needs of over 100,000 refugees who recently fled the Karabakh region.
The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, has continued its aid efforts by distributing essential relief items.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said a shipment of 180 foldable beds, hundreds of foam mattresses, beds, pillows, blankets, and more, transported by some 16 UNHCR-backed trucks, arrived on Thursday.
Dignity kits
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has also been actively distributing dignity kits to assist women and girls in maintaining proper hygiene after their displacement.
So far, approximately 13,000 kits have been distributed.
Additionally, the agency is actively supporting local service providers in preventing gender-based violence and providing training to partners on survivor-centred support.
Child protection
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has conducted training for social workers specializing in child protection within emergency settings.
It has established the first of two planned support centres in the primary municipality receiving refugees, Goris.
UNICEF is also working to improve psychological support services and child protection case management.
Green energy
Likewise, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is investing in green energy solutions to meet the needs of vulnerable refugees and their host communities.
