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Miami Herald
an hour ago
- Health
- Miami Herald
David Nabarro, doctor who tried to raise millions to treat cholera in Haiti, dies at 75
The United Nations and world health community are mourning the death of David Nabarro, the British physician and public health champion who led the U.N response to eradicating cholera in Haiti after taking on some of the world's most pressing diseases, including Ebola. A passionate advocate who was once described to the Miami Herald as the U.N.'s go-to guy for responding 'to really tricky' situations, Nabarro died Friday at his home in Ferney-Voltaire, France, a suburb of Geneva, according to the 4SD Foundation, a Switzerland-based social enterprise he founded and where he served as strategic director. He was 75. His passing was described as a 'sudden death.' 'Dr. Nabarro was a tireless advocate for global health -- a leader who brought clarity, compassion and conviction to some of the world's most complex health emergencies, from AIDS and malaria to avian influenza and the COVID-19 pandemic,' Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, said in a statement Tuesday. 'He dedicated his life to the conviction that health is a human right — and worked to help make that right a reality for all people everywhere,' Haq added. Nabarro was known for his organized, results-oriented style and willingness to take personal risks. During the COVID pandemic, he served as one of six special envoys to the World Health Organization dealing with the coronavirus crisis. For his efforts and overall contributions to global health, he was knighted by King Charles III in 2023. Among those contributions was his fight against Ebola. With more than 30 years experience as a public health doctor when he was appointed coordinator of the U.N's efforts, Nabarro ended up raising $3.5 billion to fight Ebola despite the incessant and worrying questions from donors asking him if he knew what he was doing and if he had a strategy. 'There was a question mark always over whether or not we had a strategy that made sense, whether or not we knew what we were up to,'' he told the Herald in a 2016 interview. Soon he faced the same kinds of question as he tried to raise $400 million for the U.N.'s cholera plan in Haiti. Nabarro had been tapped to serve as special adviser to then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who after years of fighting litigation efforts by victims and refusing to acknowledge the U.N.'s role in inadvertently introducing the deadly disease into Haiti, was ready to take it on the problem. Scientific studies and a confidential U.N. report had traced Haiti's outbreak to Nepalese soldiers, part of a U.N. peacekeeping contingent stationed near a river in the rural town of Mirebalais after the devastating Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. By the time Nabarro was involved cholera had killed at least 9,393 people and sickened more than 790,840 in the Caribbean country. His job was to help the secretary general raise hundreds of millions of dollars over two years to fund a U.N. plan to eliminate cholera with rapid responses, vaccinations and improving long-term access to clean water and sanitation. By the time Nabarro came on the scene in late 2016, Ban had finally admitted the U.N.'s role and offered an apology during a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. He wanted Nabarro to do for cholera what he had done for Ebola in Africa: galvanize government efforts and raise money. 'I have no illusions about this. It's going to be tough,' Nabarro told the Herald two weeks before visiting Haiti with Ban. 'But I am not scared by it.' Over the next few months, Nabarro made other visits and devoted himself to the cholera problem as well as to the fight against global hunger. To understand the waterborne disease's evolution and response, he reached out to a number of public health experts including Ariel Henry. The physician, who would later serve as Haiti's prime minister, was in the administration of then-President René Préval and was helping with the government's response. At the time Préval was facing immense pressure from the Obama administration to hold presidential and legislative elections in Haiti despite the deaths of more than 300,000 people and 1.5 million homeless in the quake. Fearing that placing blame on the U.N. would lead to the departure of its blue helmet peacekeepers and open the door to more violence and instability, Préval tried to manage the response on his own. But as time went by, pressure built for the U.N. to not only acknowledge its role but to apologize and compensate victims. Instead of checks to victims, Ban called for vaccinating adults and dispatching more rapid response teams within 24 to 48 hours of an infection. He also pledged that the U.N. would improve water and sanitation in places where cholera had spread. In an email exchange in 2017 while vying for the top job at the World Health Organization, Nabarro acknowledged that the effort to raise financing to eradicate cholera in Haiti had not been easy. The amount of money raised was small, but he still held onto hope that the benefits would be enormous. 'I really do hope that I get to the director general of the World Health Organization as I would then be able to give a very high priority to a concerted and sustained effort to reduce the incidence of cholera in the country and to help all Haitians to access drinking water and functioning sanitation,' he told a Herald reporter. Nabarro lost out on the WHO job to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In a post on the social media platform X on Saturday, Ghebreyesus remembered Nabarro as 'a great champion of global health and health equity, and a wise, generous mentor to countless individuals.' Through Nabarro's efforts and those of others in Haiti, the country was declared cholera-free in February 2022 by Henry, now the country's prime minister, after three years without a confirmed case. The celebration was short-lived. By the end of the year, repeated gang clashes, which cut off access to water, fuel and hospitals in Port-au-Prince, gave rise to a resurgence of cholera cases. Nabarro is survived by his wife, Flo; his children, Tom, Ollie, Polly, Josie and Lucas, and seven grandchildren.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Saudi Arabia, France seek support for declaration on two-state solution between Israel, Palestinians
Saudi Arabia, France seek support for declaration on two-state solution between Israel, Palestinians By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Saudi Arabia and France on Tuesday called on countries at the United Nations to support a declaration that outlines "tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps" towards implementing a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The seven-page declaration is the result of an international conference at the U.N. this week - hosted by Saudi Arabia and France - on the decades-long conflict. The United States and Israel boycotted the event. "We call on you to support this document before the end of the 79th session of the General Assembly by contacting the missions of Saudi Arabia and France in New York," Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told the conference on Tuesday. The 80th U.N. General Assembly is due to start in September. The first step outlined in the declaration is to end the 22-month war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "Following the ceasefire, a transitional administrative committee must be immediately established to operate in Gaza under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority," it reads. The Palestinian Authority currently exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank under Israeli occupation. The declaration supports the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission, mandated by the U.N. Security Council, and welcomes "the readiness expressed by some member states to contribute troops." It calls on Israel's leadership to "issue a clear public commitment to the two-state solution, including a sovereign and viable Palestinian State," to immediately end violence and incitement against Palestinians, and to halt all settlement, land grabs, and annexation activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem. The declaration commits to adopting restrictive measures against violent extremist settlers and those who support illegal settlements, and adopting targeted measures "against entities and individuals acting against the principle of the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, through violence or acts of terrorism, and in breach of international law." It also describes regional integration and independent Palestinian statehood as "intertwined objectives." "Only by ending the war in Gaza, releasing all hostages, ending occupation, rejecting violence and terror, realizing an independent, sovereign, and democratic Palestinian State, ending the occupation of all Arab territories and providing solid security guarantees for Israel and Palestine, can normal relations and coexistence among the region's peoples and States be achieved," it reads. Solve the daily Crossword
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Al Qaeda affiliate has killed dozens of civilians in Togo this year, minister says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Togo's Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Dussey addresses the 78th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo A group affiliated with Al Qaeda has killed dozens of civilians and eight soldiers so far this year in Togo, the country's foreign minister told Reuters last week, in a rare official acknowledgement of the toll of rising attacks. Minister of Foreign Affairs Robert Dussey said 15 attacks in northern Togo had been perpetrated so far this year by Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM), an insurgent group in West Africa's Sahel region. He put the civilian death toll at 54. Togo has seen a rise in jihadist activity in recent years, as groups linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda have spread from the Sahel. A surge in attacks in May and June marked one of the deadliest periods in the Sahel's recent history, underscoring the threat posed by jihadist groups at a time when regional governments are estranged from former Western military allies, analysts say. Violence in the region south of the Sahara started when jihadist groups hijacked a Tuareg rebellion in the north of Mali in 2012. Groups linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State have since seized territory despite costly military efforts to push them back, spreading into Burkina Faso and Niger and more recently into the north of coastal countries such as Togo. Thousands have been killed and millions displaced by the fighting. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business No clarity yet on baseline or pharmaceutical tariffs with US: DPM Gan Singapore Grace Fu apologises for Tanjong Katong sinkhole, says road may stay closed for a few more days Singapore Terrorism threat in Singapore remains high, driven by events like Israeli-Palestinian conflict: ISD Singapore Liquidators score victory to recoup over $900 million from alleged scammer Ng Yu Zhi's associates Singapore Man on trial for raping woman who hired him to repair lights in her flat Sport IOC president Kirsty Coventry a 'huge supporter' of Singapore Singapore Child and firefighter among 7 taken to hospital after fire breaks out in Toa Payoh flat Singapore S'pore can and must meaningfully apply tech like AI in a way that creates jobs for locals: PM Wong Dussey told Reuters that there are about 8,000 Togolese forces in the north between Togo and neighboring Burkina Faso. Analysts say JNIM has been ramping up attacks in Burkina Faso. Dussey said Togo's cooperation with Burkina Faso was very good, and said that Togo acts as a bridge between the Economic Community of West African States, of which it is a member, and the Confederation of Sahel States, consisting of military-ruled Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. REUTERS
CBS News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
U.K. will recognize Palestine as a state unless Israel moves toward ceasefire in Gaza, prime minister says
The United Kingdom will recognize Palestine as a state in September unless Israel takes "substantive steps" to end the "appalling situation in Gaza," Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday. Addressing reporters at Downing Street, the prime minister said the U.K. will recognize Palestine as a state at the United Nations General Assembly in September unless Israel takes a number of steps — including the establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza, a commitment to halting the annexation of territory in the West Bank, and a pledge to work towards a peace process involving a two state solution. "Meanwhile, our message to the terrorists of Hamas is unchanged and unequivocal. They must immediately release all of the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza," Starmer added. Speaking at the United Nations headquarters in New York moments after Starmer had finished speaking, Britain's Foreign Minister David Lammy said the U.K. government had taken this decision as the "two-state solution is in peril." "Let me be clear - the Netanyahu government's rejection of a two-state solution is wrong. It's wrong morally and it's wrong strategically. It harms the interest of the Israeli people, closing off the only path to a just and lasting peace, and that is why we are determined to protect the viability of a two-state solution," Lammy said. In a statement on X, Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the decision by the U.K. and called it a "reward for Hamas" that "harms efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of hostages." Speaking to reporters on Air Force One on Tuesday, President Trump said that he did not discuss the decision with Starmer during their bilateral meeting in Scotland a day before the announcement. Seated alongside Starmer on Monday, Mr. Trump addressed the situation in Gaza, saying the U.S. will be providing food to the people of Gaza and working to eliminate barriers to humanitarian aid. "Some of those kids are, that's real starvation stuff," Mr. Trump said Monday. "I see it. And you can't fake that. So we're going to be even more involved. He added: "I told Israel maybe they have to do it a different way." Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize Palestine as a state and would formalize that decision at the U.N. General Assembly in September. "Consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine," Macron said at the time. "The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population." That announcement came as pressure has mounted on Israel to allow more aid into Gaza as images of starving Palestinian children have garnered widespread global attention over the past week. The international pressure led Israel over the weekend to announce measures, including daily humanitarian pauses in fighting in parts of Gaza and airdrops. Netanyahu said Israel "strongly" condemned that decision and said that it "rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became." "A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel," the Israeli leader said in a post on X. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists 149 countries that currently recognise the state of Palestine. That number would rise to 151 should France and the U.K. formalize recognition of Palestine as a state in September. At least 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israel-Hamas conflict began, according to the most recent figures released by the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Politico
4 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Tens of thousands flee their homes as Thailand and Cambodia clash
Cambodia's U.N. Ambassador Chhea Keo told reporters afterward that his country, which called for the emergency meeting, 'asked for immediate ceasefires, unconditionally, and we also call for the peaceful solution to the dispute.' He responded to accusations that Cambodia attacked Thailand asking how a small country with no air force could attack a much larger country with an army three times its size, stressing, 'We do not do that.' Keo said the Security Council called for both sides to exercise 'maximum restraint and resort to diplomatic solution' which is what Cambodia is calling for as well. Asked what he expects next, the ambassador said: 'Let's see how the call can be heard by all the members there.' Thailand's U.N. ambassador left the meeting without stopping to talk to reporters. The Thai Health Ministry on Friday said more than 58,000 have fled from villages to temporary shelters in four affected border provinces, while Cambodian authorities said more than 23,000 people have evacuated from areas near the border. The latest flare-up in a long-running border dispute between the two countries has killed at least 19 people in Thailand — mostly civilians —while Cambodia confirmed its first fatality Friday. Early Saturday, Cambodian officials reported 12 new deaths in addition to the one death it reported earlier, bringing death toll on both sides to 32.
