A new UN Women report shows the deteriorating situation of women in Afghanistan. Top news of the day | Tuesday: Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, Uzbekistan UN
Top news of the day in the UN and the world: three years since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, the seizure of the UN office by the Houthis in the capital of Yemen, violence and humanitarian disaster in Sudan, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on sustainable forest management at the initiative of Uzbekistan.
Women and Girls of Afghanistan
This week marks three years since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. A new UN Women report shows the situation is worsening for women in the country. The study shows a mental health crisis, with 68 per cent of women reporting “bad” or “very bad” health, and eight per cent saying they knew at least one woman or girl who had attempted suicide. By 2026, an estimated 1.1 million girls and more than 100,000 women lacking access to education could increase early childbearing rates by 45 percent and the risk of maternal mortality by at least 50 percent.
UN Office Takeover in Yemen
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk has strongly condemned the storming of his office by the Houthis in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and reiterated his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN staff detained in Yemen. The rebels, who are the de facto authorities in the capital and northern Yemen, have forced the UN staff to hand over their belongings, including documents, furniture, vehicles, and office keys. Ansar Allah representatives still control the captured premises.
Sudan crisis
Women and girls in Sudan are being sexually abused, and tens of thousands of children are at risk of starvation and dangerous diseases, UN agencies have warned. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the floods have exacerbated the problems faced by millions of Sudanese as a result of military standoffs since April 2022. The IOM estimates that 97 percent of those displaced are in food insecure areas. At the same time, the scale of displacement continues to grow: more than 10.7 million people are seeking safety within the country, many of whom have left their homes and shelters several times already.
Sustainable Forest Management
The UN General Assembly, at the initiative of Uzbekistan, adopted a resolution on promoting sustainable forest management: the document speaks of its economic, social and environmental benefits. UN structures are recommended to include sustainable forest management issues in their programs when providing support to countries affected by desertification and land degradation. The resolution was co-sponsored by 102 countries representing all regions of the world. Among them are Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.