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Hi, this is Michelle. The biggest health gathering of the year dove right into the most politically sensitive issues, with China striking down Taiwan’s bid to return to the World Health Organization.

New UN data exposes the human and economic costs of climate-driven disasters, and a truce to allow safe passage for humanitarian aid in Sudan was due to begin yesterday.

photo journaliste

Michelle Langrand

23.05.2023


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A display in front of Palais des Nations advocating for Taiwan's inclusion in the World Health Assembly, taking place from 22 to 30 May in Geneva. Taiwan has been praised as a success story for its response to the Covid-19 pandemic. (Geneva Solutions/Michelle Langrand)

⛔Taiwan excluded as World Health Assembly opening focuses on pandemic preparedness and funding. The US-backed bid to allow Taiwan back into the WHO as an observer was rejected by China for the fifth year in a row.

Health Policy Watch (EN)

📊The unequal burden of extreme weather and climate disasters. According to WMO, there were nearly 12,000 weather and climate-related disasters between 1970 and 2021. While developing countries bear the brunt in terms of deaths, the industrialised world paid the highest price in economic losses.

Axios (EN)

🏳️Sudan weeklong ceasefire due to start to allow delivery of aid. Humanitarian groups have been struggling to reach people in need amid the fighting as their staff get caught in the crossfire.

The Guardian (EN)

🌱Peace, food and fertiliser: African leaders' challenge heading to talks with Moscow, Kyiv. The presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, the Republic of Congo, Uganda and Zambia are likely to travel to Kyiv and Moscow next month to talk about peace and Russia’s fertiliser exports.

Associated Press (EN)

🆘UN's DR Congo aid appeal is only 20 per cent funded. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, a minister from the conflict-torn country called it a “neglected crisis (...) compared to the global reaction to Ukraine”.

AFP via The South African (EN)

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