By Berta Acero

NABLUS, PALESTINE, 28 February 2013 - The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, today welcomed Nablus' commitment to become the first Palestinian city to join UNISDR's Making Cities Resilient Campaign.

Situated around 60 kilometers north of Jerusalem and with a population of more than 150,000, Nablus has experienced more than 20 major earthquakes in the last 1,000 years, with the last devastating quake occurring in 1927.

Highlights

• A winter storm, characterized by torrential rains strong winds, low temperatures and snowfall the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) between 7 and 10 January.

• Some 12,500 people were negatively impacted by the loss of, or damage to, residences and agricultural livelihoods due to flooding and strong winds

• Some 200 homes were severely damaged or destroyed and 650 people were temporarily displaced.

LA COMMISSION EUROPÉENNE,

vu le traité sur le fonctionnement de l’Union européenne,

vu le règlement (CE) nº 1257/96 du Conseil du 20 juin 1996 concernant l’aide humanitaire (ci-après dénommé «règlement concernant l’aide humanitaire») et notamment son article 2, en particulier le point c), son article 4 et son article 15, paragraphes 2 et 3,

GA/11336

Sixty-seventh General Assembly
HIGHLIGHTS

Assembly, ‘Grand Pantheon of Hope for World’s People’, Spotlights Peaceful Dispute Settlement, among other Vital Issues for Sixty-Seventh Session

Recognizing that populations were becoming ever more vulnerable to the effects of disasters, conflicts and crises, the General Assembly adopted a number of resolutions.

Reference: IP/12/1188 Event Date: 08/11/2012

Brussels, 8 November 2012

The European Commission announced today the launching of a new civil protection programme in the Mediterranean region, building on the achievements of the successful Euro-Mediterranean Regional Programme for the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to natural and man-made disasters (PPRD).

The new programme will start in the spring of 2013 and will run until 2016. It was announced at a high-level conference in Brussels which marked the completion of the current PPRD programme.

(Al Bireh – 3/10/2012): PRCS concluded today a drill to test the readiness of its field hospital. The drill took place at Al Bireh Al Jadideh schoolyard with the participation of around 40 volunteers from the West Bank.

GA/11283

Sixty-sixth General Assembly
Plenary
130th & 131st Meetings (AM & PM)

Delegates Adopt 6 Draft Resolutions, 1 Oral Decision, Deferring Other Action

Faced with conflicts in the Arab world and other global challenges, the General Assembly had “stood strong, active and responsive” over the past year, making key advances in dispute settlement, United Nations reform, disaster prevention and sustainable development, Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser ( Qatar), its outgoing President, said today, as the sixty-sixth session drew to a close.

The Swiss Foreign minister discuss the Syria crisis in Lebanon