United Nations : Syrian conflict worst man-made disaster since WWII (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday called the ongoing conflict in Syria, now entering its seventh year, as the "worst man-made disaster the world has seen since World War II."

United Nations : Suffering of children in war-torn Syria "hits rock bottom" (PRIV)
(IPS, Rome)
The suffering of children in war-torn Syria "hit rock bottom" in 2016 with the highest number of grave violations against them since verification began in 2014, underscored the United Nations children's agency.

Mideast : Violence, power vacuum, fertile ground for terrorism (PRIV)
(IPS, Rome/Geneva)
Long decades of violence in the Middle East and Northern Africa, resulting from the proliferation of international and local conflicts, have strained the social fabric that once held peaceful Arab societies together, says a Geneva-based think tank promoting global dialogue.

Development : Strengthening UN & business community partnerships on SDGs (PRIV)
(IPS, New York)
Just this year, public and private stakeholders from around the globe marked the one-year anniversary of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The milestone served as an important reminder of the fifteen-year framework that is now in place.

Africa : Khat - a scourge or blessing? (PRIV)
(IPS, Addis Ababa)
Throughout a Sunday afternoon in the Ethiopian capital, Yemeni emigre men in their fifties and sixties arrive at a traditional Yemeni-styled mafraj room clutching bundles of green, leafy stalks: khat.

Kenya : For societies to thrive, we must ensure gender equality (PRIV)
(IPS, Nairobi)
Consider this: gender inequality is costing sub-Saharan Africa US$95 billion annually in lost revenue.