Week in Review

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Weekly Wrap 15 April 2022 © UNICEF/Julia Kochetova 30,000 Ukrainians returning home every day, say relief agencies More than 870,000 people who fled abroad since the Russian invasion on 24 February, have now returned to Ukraine, UN humanitarians said in their latest emergency update, amid concerns about deteriorating food security inside the country. Peace and Security © UNICEF/STARS/Kristian Buus Justice critical to fighting sexual violence in conflict Women's rights are human rights, and universal in times of war and peace, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Wednesday, urging ambassadors to ensure accountability for conflict-related sexual violence.  Peace and Security IMF/Esther Ruth Mbabazi COVID-19: Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants, not more severe or transmissible, so far As the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 continues to evolve, we cannot afford to 'lose sight' of the changes, the UN health agency said on Wednesday, warning that lower case numbers and deaths do not necessarily mean 'lower risk'. Health © WFP/Bechir Malum West Africa: WFP working to feed millions amid record hunger, rising costs The conflict in Ukraine is driving up global food and fuel prices which is affecting efforts to feed millions in West Africa, where hunger levels have reached a 10-year high, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Thursday.  Humanitarian Aid © UNICEF/Prashanth Vishwanathan Ukraine war unleashing a 'perfect storm' of crises, warns UN chief On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented the first detailed policy brief issued by the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance (GCRG), which he set up to study the effects of the war in Ukraine on the world's most vulnerable. Here is a summary of the findings, and some of your key questions answered, on what the Group aims to achieve. Economic Development © UNHCR/Adelina Gomez Monteagud Eastern Africa: Millions displaced, amid growing hunger, 'unprecedented needs' Millions of displaced families across eastern Africa will fall deeper into hunger as food rations dwindle due to humanitarian resources being stretched to the limit as the world grapples with a toxic cocktail of conflict, climate shocks, and COVID-19, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday. Humanitarian Aid © UNICEF/Sebastian Rich Humanitarians urge action to avert famine in Somalia and South Sudan The threat of famine is very real in Somalia and South Sudan and urgent action is needed now to avoid a catastrophe, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday. Humanitarian Aid © FAO/Genya Savilov Ukraine conflict putting global trade recovery at risk: WTO The war in Ukraine has created immense human suffering but it is also putting the fragile recovery of global trade at risk, and the impact will be felt across the planet, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Tuesday.  Economic Development © WHO/Anastasia Vlasova Ukraine war: Trauma 'risks destroying a generation', Security Council hears Increasing reports of sexual violence and human trafficking in Ukraine - allegedly committed against women and children in the context of massive displacement and the ongoing Russian invasion - are raising "all the red flags" about a potential protection crisis, the head of the UN's gender agency warned the Security Council on Monday. Peace and Security © Unsplash/Raychan Protection of older persons' rights needed now 'more than ever': Bachelet The basic rights of older persons need to be protected today, more than ever before, said the UN human rights chief on Monday, but existing legal safeguards render them, in effect, "invisible". Human Rights UN/ Eskinder Debebe First Person: From taking lives to saving lives, in DR Congo Fabien Mwingwa once fought as a child soldier with an armed group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Today, he has turned his life around, and works for the UN peacekeeping mission in the country as a firefighter, helping to keep local people safe. Peace and Security PAHO/Nadege Mazars New COVID wave a reminder pandemic is 'far from over': Guterres Governments and pharmaceutical companies need to work together in a better way, to deliver vaccines "to every person, everywhere" – not simply in the wealthiest nations, said the UN chief on Friday. Health © Marine Traffic UN unveils plan to prevent stricken oil tanker disaster off Yemen coast Critical funding and timely action are needed to prevent a decaying tanker anchored close to Yemen's coastline from sparking a major oil spill, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the country said on Friday in New York. Climate and Environment Coronavirus Portal & News Updates Readers can find information and guidance on the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from the UN, World Health Organization and UN agencies here. For daily news updates from UN News, click here. unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences