UN Top Rights Official Criticizes Inaction on Aleppo, Rise of Xenophobia

 

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein is criticizing the U.N. Security Council’s inaction in ending the relentless bombing of eastern Aleppo in northern Syria by the government of Bashar al-Assad and his Russian ally.   Zeid cites a plethora of global emergencies that demand immediate and critical attention, including Syria, Yemen, Myanmar, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Burundi. Among them, the catastrophic situation in eastern Aleppo stands...

UN: Growing Xenophobia Undermining Protection for Refugees

 

The United Nations is warning the lives of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing war and persecution are at risk from growing xenophobia. The most recent figures put the number of refugees and internally displaced people at more than 65 million. U.N. refugee chief Filippo Grandi said the gravest displacement crisis continues to be generated in Syria. “We have run out of words to describe the death, destruction and suffering willingly inflicted on civilians by the parties to that...

Hungary Prepares for Controversial Migrant Vote

 

The question posed to Hungarian voters is relatively simple. Paraphrased: Should the European Union be allowed to tell them how many migrants they must take in, despite the wishes of their elected officials? For most Hungarians, according to polls, the answer is a resounding “No.” But for a small, vocal minority, the answer is more complex. They say xenophobia, not sovereignty, is the main issue. However, despite the clear leaning of the majority, analysts say it is not certain the...

German Government Warns Against Rising Xenophobia

 

Growing xenophobia and rightwing extremism in the ex-communist east of Germany could threaten peace and risk its image as a place to do business, a German government report warns, urging civil society to take a stronger stand against anti-migrant actions, Releasing the report in Berlin, the commissioner for eastern German affairs, Iris Gleicke, said “determined action from the government, the states, communes and civil societies is necessary to ensure peace in eastern...