16 January 2018 – On top of the already-desperate conditions in Syria’s war-ravaged East Ghouta and north-west Idlib governorate, a violence upsurge is intensifying insecurity, the United Nations food relief agency said Tuesday.

“Since the end of last year, airstrikes have destroyed numerous civilian buildings, killing hundreds of people in both places and, in the case of Idlib, displacing some 100,000 people,” said UN World Food Programme (WFP) Senior Communications Officer Bettina Luescher at the regular press briefing in Geneva.

In Idlib, armed clashes between Government forces, their allies and opposition armed groups have intensified, with insecurity also spreading to parts of northeast Hama, western rural Aleppo and southern Idlib – forcing 100,000 people to abandon their homes near the frontline and move towards safer areas. Conditions in Idlib are dire, with many displaced people forced to stay out in the open during the winter period.

“WFP had assisted a total of 70,000 displaced people in Idlib in December and January with ready-to-eat, five-day rations; [and] there were plans to distribute additional ready-to-eat rations in the coming days,” Ms. Luescher said, adding that WFP had prepositioned over 27,000 rations in Idlib and Aleppo, and that emergency supply shipments from Turkey were also ongoing.

WFP and partners are also conducting needs assessments there.

Fighting continues in the besieged enclave of Eastern Ghouta where nearly 400,000 people are living in dire conditions suffering severe food, fuel and drinking water shortages.

“A total of 417,000 people were currently living under siege in Syria, with the largest proportion of them in besieged areas of Eastern Ghouta, where almost 400,000 people lived,” Ms. Luescher continued, adding: “WFP access to Eastern Ghouta had been severely restricted for the past five years, allowing only a trickle of aid to reach families in need.”

In 2017, WFP had helped to deliver food assistance for 110,000 people in 13 parts of the enclave.

She called ending the seven-year conflict “the single greatest priority,” noting that it continues to push “ever-more people into hunger and misery.”

WFP appealed to all parties to protect civilians, respect humanitarian principles and allow the safe delivery of food to families in need, no matter where they were.

16 January 2018 – The traditional Assyk games of Kazakhstan and Italy’s culinary art of the Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’ are two of the newest elements inscribed on the United Nations Representative List of intangible contributions to preserve for future generations.

Late last year on Jeju Island in the Republic of Korea, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage deemed a host of new elements significant in protecting a way of life.

Ranging from songs and stories to activities and practices – each testifies to the diversity of intangible heritage and raise awareness of its importance.

India: Kumbh Mela

Kumbh Mela, the festival of the sacred Pitcher, is a peaceful congregation of pilgrims in which participants take a dip in a sacred river [see photo above]. The congregation includes ascetics, saints, sadhus, aspirants-kalpavasis and visitors. The tradition plays a central spiritual role in the country, encapsulating a diverse range of cultural customs.

Knowledge and skills relating to Kumbh Mela are mainly imparted through the teacher-student relationship, but transmission and safeguarding are also ensured through oral traditions and religious and historical texts.

Kazakhstan: Traditional Assyk Games

Children choosing a game to play (2015). Photo: Studio “Mergen,” Kazakhstan

Assyk Games are an ancient tradition in Kazakhstan, in which each player has their own set of Assyks, traditionally made out of sheep bone. While most practitioners are children between the ages of 4 and 18, young people and adults also participate.

The game is a good model for positive collaboration, social inclusiveness and a sense of friendship, and is primarily transmitted through observation from older children to younger ones.

Portugal: Craftmanship of Estremoz clay figures

Creating an Estremoz clay figure (2015). Photo: Municipio de Estremoz

The craftmanship of Estremoz clay figures dates back to the 17th century and involves a process lasting several days. The figures are dressed in the regional attires of Alentejo or religious clothing and follow specific themes. Their characteristic aesthetic features make the figures identifiable, and the craft is strongly attached to the region.

Artisans ensure the viability and recognition of their craft through non-formal workshops and instructive initiatives, as well as through local, national and international fairs.

Germany: Organ craftsmanship and music

Constructing an organ in Germany (2006). Photo: Thomas Ehret

Organ craftsmanship and music have shaped Germany’s musical landscape for centuries – with a diverse number of traditions surrounding the instrument’s construction and playing. The highly specialized knowledge and skills of organ makers are significant markers of group identity and its music constitutes a universal language that fosters interreligious understanding.

Knowledge and skills related to the element are transmitted through a direct teacher-pupil experience as well as in vocational schools, universities, and organ construction workshops.

Greece: Rebetiko

Young boy learns to play the rebetiko (2016). Photo: Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports

Rebetiko is a musical and cultural expression directly linked to song and dance, which initially spread among urban working-class populations. Rebetiko songs are now a standardized repertoire in social occasions, containing invaluable references to the customs and traditions of a particular way of life.

Rebetiko is transmitted orally, as well as by the media and in music schools, conservatories and universities, and musicians and enthusiasts continue to play a key role in keeping the practice alive.

Indonesia: Pinisi in South Sulawesi

The schooner is ready to sail (2015). Photo: Ministry of Education and Culture, Indonesia

Pinisi, or the art of boatbuilding in South Sulawesi, refers to the famed Sulawesi schooner and represents the epitome of the Archipelago’s indigenous sailing craft. Today, boatbuilding centres are located at Tana Beru, Bira and Batu Licin – where shipbuilding and sailing are central to the community’s social, economic and cultural fabric.

Knowledge and skills are transmitted from generation to generation both within and outside of the family circle, and local shipbuilders are engaged in active marketing initiatives to safeguard the practice.

Iran: Chogan

Chogan influence on miniature motifs (2016). Photo: Iranian cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization

Chogan is a horse-riding game traditionally played in royal courts and urban fields, which is accompanied by music and storytelling. In Chogan, two-rider teams use wooden sticks to pass a ball through the opposing team’s goal post. It has a strong connection to the identity and history of its bearers and practitioners.

Chogan is transmitted informally within the family sphere, as well as by dedicated associations through training and support for local masters.

Ireland: Uilleann piping

Youngsters play the uilleann (2015). Photo: NPU

Uilleann piping is a musical practice in which an uilleann, also known as Irish or union, bagpipe is used to play traditional music. Bearers and practitioners include participants of all ages, dispersed throughout the world. Uilleann piping offers an important way of socializing, providing a sense of rootedness and connection to the past.

Knowledge and skills are transmitted using both long-established and modern practices, and the practice is primarily safeguarded through the efforts of the group Na Piorabairi Uilleann.

Italy: Art of Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’

The second phase of creating a Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’ is a performing art in itself (2015). Photo: Sebilo

Creating the Neapolitan ‘Pizzaiuolo’ is a culinary practice consisting of four different phases relating to the preparation of the dough and its baking in a wood-fired oven. The practice originated in Naples, where around 3,000 Pizzaiuoli now live and perform – and plays a key role in fostering social gatherings and intergenerational exchange.

Knowledge and skills related to the element are primarily transmitted in the ‘bottega’ of the Pizzaiuolo, where young apprentices can observe their master at work.

Kyrgyzstan: Kok boru

The players of the ‘Dostuk’ (Osh city) and ‘Talas’ (Talas city) teams (2016). Photo: National Kok-Boru Federation, Kyrgyzstan

The Kok boru game is played by two teams on horseback, who compete in trying to score points by putting as many ‘ulaks’ (goat’s carcasses) – replaced by moulds of the animal in modern-day games – into their opponents’ goal as possible. The horse game integrates traditional practices and performances. It is an expression of the cultural and historic tradition of its practitioners and unites communities, regardless of social status.

Related knowledge and skills are primarily transmitted through demonstration, as well as during festive and social events.

Malawi: Nsima

Photo depicts the steps for Nsima from drying the maize to preparing, serving and sharing the dish communally (2016). Photo: Malawi National Commission for UNESCO

Nsima is a compound name for the culinary and dietary tradition of Malawians as well as a form of thick porridge prepared with maize flour. It is prepared through an elaborate process requiring specific knowledge, and eating it is a communal tradition in families.

Communities safeguard the element through continued practice, publications, festivals and revitalization activities, and knowledge is transmitted both informally and through on-the-job training and education.

16 January 2018 – Having taken office with a call for peace to be the watchword of 2017, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday said the world instead had ‘gone in reverse,” and that there are critical areas that need action in the New year, including climate change, the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, the Middle East conflict, and the Rohingya crisis.

“I took office last year calling for us to make 2017 a year for peace. One year later, we must recognize that peace remains elusive,” the Secretary-General said in his informal briefing to the UN Member States on his top concerns for 2018.

He said that conflicts have deepened and new dangers have emerged, global anxieties about nuclear weapons are the highest since the Cold War, and climate change is moving faster than counter-measures.

Further, inequalities are growing, horrific violations of human rights are ongoing, and nationalism, racism and xenophobia are on the rise, he added, stressing the need for greater unity and courage to “set the world on track towards a better future.”

Noting that it is up to Member States to define the priorities of UN action, the Secretary-General went on to highlight some parts of the world requiring attention.

Everyone, everywhere, can do something to make our world more safe, sustainable and secure. Even in the face of headwinds and hatred, we must uphold the values of the United Nations Charter UN chief Guterres

On the Korean Peninsula, Mr. Guterres reiterated the need to avoid sleepwalking into calamity.

To that end, he welcomed the firm decisions the Security Council has taken in response to nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), while also welcoming the reopening of inter-Korean communication channels, especially military-to-military.

He said he was also encouraged by the decision of the DPRK to participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics in the Republic of Korea.

“We need to build on these small signs of hope, and expand diplomatic efforts to achieve the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in the context of regional security,” he said.

On the broader Middle East region, including Yemen, Syria and Iraq, he said the situation has become a Gordian knot, stressing the need for “disentangling the mess.”

“With so many inter-related flashpoints, the risk of an escalatory cycle is real,” he said.

As for the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, there is no alternative to a two-State solution, he stressed.

The UN chief also stressed to need for pushing back the dangerous tide of nationalism in Europe, and the need for revitalizing the relevant mediation initiatives for Eastern Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh, Georgia and Transnistria.

A concerted effort is also urgently needed for solutions leading to long-term stability in the Western Balkans, he added.

Turning to the need to reverse the large-scale exodus of Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims, Mr. Guterres called on the Government to ensure unfettered humanitarian access in Rakhine State, and appealed to the international community to support those who have fled to Bangladesh.

Mr. Guterres stressed the need for promoting a true new deal for fair globalization. “It is not by chance that eight people have as much wealth as the poorest half of humankind,” he said.

Uneven benefits of globalization

The workings of the global economy and international trade are the product of human choices. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a bold vision to build prosperous, peaceful societies for all, leaving no one behind. “This work depends crucially on financing,” he said.

The UN chief also underscored the need to greatly increase ambition in the fight against climate change.

“The year 2016 saw the first rise in CO2 emissions in three years. The past five years have been the hottest period on record,” he said, adding that he will convene a climate summit next year to build momentum among the international community for more ambitious reductions in emissions, as well as adaptation and the much-needed energy transition.

On migration, Mr. Guterres said that it is a positive global phenomenon, and therefore the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is an important task for this year.

Regarding technological advances, he said it is important to reap the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution while guarding against the threats.

Technological advances can help provide answers to many of today’s most pressing challenges, but at the same time, technology can exacerbate inequality.

Mr. Guterres also underlined the needs to strengthen African Union-UN partnership, maintain a strong focus on counter-terrorism, strengthen UN peace operations, and overcome the false contradiction between human rights and national sovereignty.

“Human rights and national sovereignty go hand in hand. The achievement of human rights strengthens states and societies, thereby reinforcing sovereignty,” he said.

Empowerment of women – cross-cutting issue

One cross-cutting imperative, he said, is the empowerment of women.

He said he has launched a roadmap for achieving gender parity at all levels of the United Nations, now reaching full parity in the 44 member UN Senior Management Group.

He also explained how he is taking action on preventing sexual exploitation and abuse against women, and preventing and addressing sexual harassment.

“All our challenges – everything, everywhere, demand an investment of time, money, energy, political capital and more. Member States must assume their leadership,” Mr. Guterres said.

“But everyone, everywhere, can do something to make our world more safe, sustainable and secure,” he said.

16 January 2018 – As the Bay of Bengal region gears up for cyclone and monsoon seasons, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is warning that more than 500,000 Rohingya children already living in “horrific” conditions in makeshift settlements in Bangladesh may face compounded risks of disease and displacement.

“What is already a dire humanitarian situation risks becoming a catastrophe,” Edouard Beigbeder, the head of UNICEF programmes in Bangladesh said Tuesday, warning on the impact of the approaching cyclone and monsoon seasons.

“Hundreds of thousands of children are already living in horrific conditions, and they will face an even greater risk of disease, flooding, landslides and further displacement,” he added.

More than 4,000 suspected cases of diphtheria have been reported among the refugees – with 32 deaths, including at least 24 children.

UNICEF and partners have launched a diphtheria vaccination campaign, and are working to provide access to safe water and sanitation facilities, but overcrowding and the growing risk of extreme weather increases the risk of further outbreaks.

“Unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene conditions can lead to cholera outbreaks and to Hepatitis E, a deadly disease for pregnant women and their babies, while standing water pools can attract malaria-carrying mosquitos. Keeping children safe from disease must be an absolute priority,” Mr. Beigbeder added.

In addition to the increased threat of disease outbreaks, cyclones can cause flooding and landslides. With little time to prepare before the cyclone season begins in March, even a moderate storm could have a devastating impact.

Tropical cyclones generally strike Bangladesh from March through July, and September through December – with the greatest number of storms arriving in May and October.

In May 2017, Cyclone Mora caused widespread damage when it barrelled through the region, including destroying some 25 per cent of Rohingya refugee camp shelters.

Additionally, June monsoons threaten landslides and floods, which may also render severe damage on shelters, water systems, latrines and other infrastructure.

Since 25 August, widespread violence in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state has forced over 650,000 members of the Rohingya community to flee their homes and seek shelter across the border in Bangladesh. A number of UN agencies, together with humanitarian partners and the Bangladesh Government have been providing them with life-saving support.

15 January 2018 – Strongly condemning two terrorist attacks in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has underscored the Organization’s support for the country in its fight against terrorism.

In a statement attributable to his spokesperson, Secretary-General Guterres reiterated that the “UN will continue to stand by the Government and people of Iraq in their efforts to fight terrorism and rebuild their country.”

According to media reports, at least 35 individuals were killed and another 90 injured when suicide bombers detonated two explosives in a busy square in the city during the morning rush hour.

Earlier today, Jan Kubis, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq and the head of the UN Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMI) also denounced the attack and said that despite a defeat on the battlefield, terrorist groups continue to pose a threat, in particular to ordinary citizens.

“I urge greater vigilance by the authorities and unity among the Iraqi people to thwart the aims of terrorists like Da’esh [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant or ISIL] who seek to derail the country’s recovery after a long conflict,” said Mr. Kubis in a tweet by UNAMI.

Both the Secretary-General and his Special Representative for Iraq expressed their sympathies to the families of the victims and wished those injured a speedy recovery to those injured.