The attacks damaged civilian buildings just next to the UN office in Kyiv, she said, adding that homes also were damaged and civilians “who were only trying to continue with their lives despite the war are now hospitalized.” “In a single deadly incident in November 2023, it is feared that some 200 Rohingya lost their lives when their boat was reported to have sunk in the Andaman Sea,” said UNHCR spokesperson Matthew Saltmarsh, speaking in Geneva.
End ‘brutal’ attacks
“These strikes are yet another bitter reminder of the devastation, suffering and distress that Russia’s invasion is causing for millions of people in Ukraine,” she said. “Brutal and indiscriminate attacks against civilians must stop.” The two-day special meeting is being held at the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), which is based in the Chilean capital. Additionally, nearly 4,500 embarked on deadly sea journeys in 2023, marking a significant increase on previous years. The majority of those making these crossings, around 66 per cent, are women and children.
UNHCR alarmed by surge in Rohingya deaths at sea
Estimates show that one Rohingya was reported to have died or gone missing for every eight attempting the journey in 2023, making the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal one of the deadliest stretches of water in the world. Nancy Yáñez CorralesAlthough factors such as emerging technologies, globalization and demographic trends offer exciting opportunities for enhanced productivity and innovation, they also present challenges – both for workers and policymakers. It will feature plenary sessions, interactive roundtable discussions, and a side event to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of both ECLAC and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as a special celebration of the legacy of Chilean lawyer and diplomat Hernán Santa Cruz, one of the original drafters of the Universal Declaration.
Mostly women and children
“Greater cooperation, additional international financing, and technical assistance can complement national resources to expand decent work and access to social protection. A coordinated effort is needed to counter informality and create policies that require living wages, secure contracts, and good working conditions,” she said. UNHCR called on regional authorities to take urgent action to prevent future tragedies, reminding them of the international obligation to save lives and rescue those in distress at sea. UNHCR said statistics reveal a surge in the number who reportedly are dying or going missing while taking risky boat journeys in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.“I was having coffee at home this morning in Kyiv, my neighbours were getting ready for work, children preparing to go to school, when our homes started to shake because of a wave of airstrikes on the Ukrainian capital,” Denise Brown said in a statement.
In her opening remarks, ECOSOC President Paula Narváez stressed how decent work, job creation, social protection, workers’ rights, and social dialogue are crucial for sustainable development.
ECOSOC meeting puts the world of work in the spotlight
Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, also came under attack. Roughly 30 residential buildings were reportedly damaged and six people were killed.She appealed for increased investment to create more decent jobs. Nancy Nuñez coordinates a marketing network for artisanal products in Mexico.The Rohingya are a mainly Muslim community whose members have fled waves of persecution in Myanmar for neighbouring Bangladesh. Scores have been departing from Bangladesh and, to a lesser extent, Myanmar, in recent months.Ms. Brown said the UN team on the ground reported that rescuers were trying to find people under the rubble of one of the buildings. The wave of aerial assaults also caused loss and destruction in the Dnipro Region.
Roughly 569 Rohingya were reported to have died or disappeared in 2023 – the highest number since 2014, when the total reached 730, and 200 more than in 2022. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, on Tuesday called for urgent action to address the dramatic rise in deaths of Rohingya refugees at sea.
