Black people in UK 'living in fear' over racism, say UN experts

UN calls for calm in Middle East as Ramadan celebrations begin

Against the backdrop of Israeli-Palestinian tensions, Ramadan has often been a period of heightened conflict.

UN Report Warns Growing Number of People Face Water Scarcity

UN Report Warns , Growing Number of People , Face Water Scarcity. On March 21, the United Nations released a report warning that 26% of the world's population, approximately 2 billion people, lack access to safe drinking water. . According to NPR, the report comes on the eve of the U.N.'s first conference on the topic of water in over 45 years. . The U.N.'s World Water Development Report 2023 revealed that 46% of people lack access to basic sanitation globally, equal to about 3.6 billion people. . NPR reports that the U.N. has laid out a goal to ensure that all people in the world have access to clean water by 2030. According to Richard Connor, editor-in-chief of the report, meeting the goal will require somewhere between $600 billion and $1 trillion per year. . Connor said that with 70% of the world's water use going to agriculture, it becomes critical for irrigation to be more efficient. . According to the U.N.'s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) report, as climate change continues, water scarcity is expected to increase. . Seasonal water scarcity will increase in regions where it is currently abundant — such as Central Africa, East Asia and parts of South America — and worsen in regions where water is already in short supply, such as the Middle East and the Sahara in Africa, World Water Development Report 2023, via NPR. An increase in intensity or frequency of droughts and 'heat extremes' can be expected in most regions as a direct result of climate change. The UNESCO report states that an average of 10% of the world's population already lives in an area with high or critical water stress.

Hundreds of millions of children at risk from inadequate or unsafe drinking water

As World Water Day is marked, the United Nations says hundreds of millions of children are at risk from inadequate or unsafe drinking water

Scientists Release Urgent 'Final Warning' On Climate Crisis

Scientists Release Urgent , 'Final Warning' , On Climate Crisis. 'The Guardian' reports that scientists have issued a "final warning" regarding the climate crisis as they claim the world is on the brink of irrevocable damage. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), comprised of the world's top climate researchers, released the final part of its six part assessment on March 20. 'The Guardian' reports that the comprehensive review boils down to one clear message: , act now, before its too late. UN secretary general António Guterres emphasized the message of the report, stating that the world requires , "climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere all at once.". This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe, Kaisa Kosonen, Climate expert at Greenpeace International, via 'The Guardian'. According to the IPCC assessment, extreme weather caused by climate change has resulted in increased deaths from rapidly rising temperatures in all regions. Among the devastation already inflicted on large areas of the globe, the assessment sites millions of lives destroyed by droughts and floods, increasing hunger and loss of vital ecosystems. This report is definitely a final warning on 1.5C. If governments just stay on their current policies, the remaining carbon budget will be used up before the next IPCC report [due in 2030], Kaisa Kosonen, Climate expert at Greenpeace International, via 'The Guardian'. According to the IPCC, over three billion people already live in parts of the world that are "highly vulnerable" to climate breakdown. The report warns that the world is already approaching the limit to which it is able to adapt to severe changes, as weather extremes are "increasingly driving displacement."