17 September 2014

Obama says world has ‘responsibility to act, to step up and do more’ in response to Ebola

President Obama urged world powers to accelerate the global response to the Ebola outbreak that is ravaging West Africa, warning that unless health care workers, medical equipment and treatment centers were swiftly deployed, the disease could take hundreds of thousands of lives. Mr. Obama said at a meeting with doctors who had just returned from West Africa that the world ‘has the responsibility to act, to step up and to do more. The United States intends to do more.’ He announced a major American deployment to Liberia and Senegal of medicine, equipment and 3,000 military personnel. (more…)

Source: The New York Times | Obama Presses Leaders to Speed Ebola Response

17 September 2014

In the fight against ISIS, Shiite militias and US forces find themselves on the same side but will not work together

Identified in 2008 by American officials as the biggest threat to US forces, Asaib Ahl al-Haq and the US military are now fighting on the same side, though each insists that they will not work together, The New York Times reports. According to the same source, Asaib Ahl ah-Haq or The League of the Righteous, considered to be the most formidable of Iraq’s three large Iranian-backed militias, is now spearheading the fight against the Sunny extremists of the Islamic State. (more…)

Source: The New York Times | Shiite Militias Pose Challenge for U.S. in Iraq
Source: The Washington Post | Iranian-backed militant group in Iraq is recasting itself as a political player
Source: HRW | Iraq: Pro-Government Militias’ Trail of Death

16 September 2014

UN officials: ‘responsibility to protect’ more urgent than ever

Today’s crises, from the horrors in Iraq and Syria to the persistent violence in South Sudan and Ukraine, demand urgent and collective action to stem atrocity crimes and protect civilians, UN officials said during the meeting of the General Assembly to discuss the ‘responsibility to protect’ adopted nearly 10 years ago by world leaders. (more…)

Source: UN News Centre | Amid multiple crises, ‘responsibility to protect’ more urgent than ever – UN officials

15 September 2014

SHARES News Items Overview: 16 August 2014-15 September 2014

This is our News Items Overview of 16 August 2014-15 September 2014, a summary of recent news relating to shared responsibility. (more…)

9 September 2014

Ban Ki-moon urged Israel to heed the calls of the international community to refrain from settlement activity and abide by its commitments under international law

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced his alarm at the announcement by Israeli authorities to declare nearly 1,000 acres of land in Bethlehem as so-called ‘state land’. (more…)

Source: UN News Centre | Ban alarmed at Israel's announced seizure of West Bank land