Port-au-Prince has been in the grip of armed groups for several years now, and roughly two months ago they launched coordinated attacks which paralyzed the metropolitan area. Since then, UNICEF, alongside the National Directorate for Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) and partners, has provided more than 2.6 million litres of safe drinking water to children and families across 20 sites housing those displaced. Dire conditions, disease threat The recent escalation of violence has compounded the already dire situation faced by children and families, who already lack essential support and facilities. The current rainy season has only added to their plight, leading…
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A new report from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) confirmed that each year, hundreds of thousands of people risk their lives to migrate from sub-Saharan countries in Africa without access to immediate assistance, shelter or information about the dangers they may face including from traffickers – even though the location of major movement hubs is well known. Avoidable dangers Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean, said that the absence of critical services placed refugees and migrants “at great risk of harm and death” and also triggered dangerous secondary journeys. “Our capacity to partner directly with local authorities…
Bring your appetite for Friday food trucks Head over to Perkins Rowe on Friday, Aug. 9, for the Food Truck Round-Up at the Rowe. Food trucks will be lined up from Barnes & Noble to Kendra Scott. Perique will perform live music in Town Square. The event is rain-or-shine, but the music will be moved to The Great Hall in the event of rain. Featured food trucks include Joel’s Lobster Rolls, Louisiana Lemonade, Capitol Seafood, Bayou BBQ, Carnival Concessions and more. Food Truck Round-Up is from 6-8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Perkins Rowe is…
M&H Crates Inc. faces $254K in penalties after 2024 follow-up inspectionJACKSONVILLE, TX – Despite receiving warnings and citations for more than a decade, a Jacksonville pallet manufacturer’s history of failing to protect employees from the risk of amputation continues, a U.S. Department of Labor follow-up inspection has found. Inspectors with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration returned to M&H Crates Inc. in February 2024 and found lockout/tagout violations similar to those discovered during inspections in 2012 and in subsequent visits in 2014, 2020 and 2022. The company now faces $254,527 in proposed penalties.During two inspections in February 2022, OSHA cited…
The experts said they have received allegations that migrants are being deceived about “working and living conditions and the nature of their agreements with employers in the agricultural or care sectors.” “This is unlawful and highlights the need for urgent reform of the current system governing labour migration, to ensure effective protection of the rights of migrant workers,” they said. Exploiting migrants The UN experts are concerned about shortcomings of the Seasonal Worker Scheme – a system implemented in response to labour shortages in the UK. These specialists say some “scheme operators” which are licensed recruitment companies will recruit migrants…
The United States hosted Sweden for a dialogue on the Indo-Pacific August 5 in Washington, D.C. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Swedish State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Jan Knutsson co-chaired the dialogue. The U.S. delegation included senior government officials from the Department of State, the National Security Council, and the Department of Defense. The United States and Sweden discussed joint priorities in the region to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, including upholding international law and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, enhancing maritime and security cooperation in the…
WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor and the General Services Administration today announced a collaborative effort to centralize government benefits information on USA.gov and USAGov en Español, which will offer a new benefits experience for the public in English and Spanish. Benefits.gov, a website managed and hosted by the department since 2002, will shut down in September 2024. In alignment with Executive Order 14058, USA.gov will ensure users can continue to connect with government benefits programs, while also improving government services.“For over 20 years, Benefits.gov was a leading example of interagency collaboration, technological innovation and a focus on customer experience,” said the Department of Labor’s Chief Information Officer…
“The trajectory of the development in Yemen has since the beginning of the year moved in the wrong direction and if left unaddressed could reach a tipping point,” he said. Yemeni Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition have been battling with Houthi rebels, also known as Ansar Allah, since 2014. The Houthis also began attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea – a crucial route for global trade – following the eruption of war in Gaza last October. Regional dimension increasing Mr. Grundberg said the regional dimension of the Yemen conflict “is getting more and more pronounced”, and the “escalatory trajectory reached a new and dangerous level last week”. He was briefing a…
Today we mark sixteen years since Russia invaded the sovereign nation of Georgia and remember those killed, injured, or displaced by Russia’s military campaign and illegal occupation. To this day, Russia continues to occupy 20 percent of Georgia’s territory and impose its will on the people there, including by claiming the transfer of strategically important lands in Abkhazia to Russia and taking steps to establish a permanent naval base in Ochamchire. The United States remains steadfast in support of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. We call on Russia to fulfill its commitments and obligations under the 2008…
WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced its Wage and Hour Division will offer contracting agencies, contractors, unions, workers and other stakeholders an opportunity to attend an online seminar on Aug. 29 on requirements for paying prevailing wages on federally funded construction and service contracts.Part of the division’s continuing effort to increase awareness and improve compliance, the day-long seminar will offer sessions on the labor standards protections in the Davis-Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act – including how the department sets and administers prevailing wages – and other topics. “Prevailing wage laws empower workers by ensuring that federally funded construction and service jobs…