Poor hygiene conditions and inadequate water and sanitation facilities have raised the threat of cholera and diarrhoea outbreaks in Yemen. Photo: OCHA/Eman al Awami GENEVA–(ENEWSPF)–7 April 2015 – Amid ongoing heavy fighting in Yemen, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that a plane carrying[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—April 7, 2015. There were 5.1 million job openings on the last business day of February, little changed from 5.0 million in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires were little changed at 4.9 million in February and separations were little changed at 4.7 million. Within[Read More…]

Washington, DC—(ENEWSPF)—April 7, 2015 Twenty-one years ago today, a genocide began that would claim the lives of more than 800,000 Rwandan men, women, and children and mark the beginning of one hundred days of horror for Rwanda’s people.  Today is a day to commemorate those who lost their lives, to[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–April 7, 2015 – 9:30 A.M. EDT THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the White House.  Religious leaders, lay faithful, it’s an honor — it’s an honor to join you in a morning of prayer and reflection, and it’s a delight to have many of you[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–April 6, 2015 – 12:22 P.M. EDT MR. EARNEST:  Good afternoon, everybody.  So I hope everybody had a good weekend — the unofficial start of spring — with all the holidays, opening day in baseball.  To mark that occasion here at the White House, we’re not just going to[Read More…]

Washington, DC–(ENEWSPF)–April 6, 2015 Index for Today’s Briefing AFGHANISTAN IRAN/REGION SECRETARY’S TRAVEL IRAN/REGION YEMEN MOROCCO SYRIA/REGION MIDDLE EAST PEACE UKRAINE/RUSSIA CZECH REPUBLIC/REGION JAPAN TRANSCRIPT: MS HARF: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the daily press briefing. I have one item at the top. QUESTION: Does it have to do with opening[Read More…]

Washington, D.C. –(ENEWSPF)—April 6, 2015. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today issued the following statement after the National Transportation Safety Board issued urgent recommendations for trains carrying crude oil and other flammable liquids: “Six weeks ago, I asked the White House to take a hard look at the newer, supposedly safer[Read More…]

Washington, D.C. –(ENEWSPF)—April 6, 2015. Today, Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR) issued the following statement after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued urgent recommendations that would improve safety of rail tank cars transporting hazardous materials. “For nearly 25 years, NTSB has been[Read More…]

A family finds temporary shelter at a school in Aden Governorate, Yemen. Photo: OCHA/Eman GENEVA–(ENEWSPF)–6 April 2015 – The violence in Yemen continues to wreak havoc upon the country’s civilian population and restrict humanitarian access to those most in need amid a spate of aerial attacks and ground incursions, the[Read More…]

UNRWA Commissioner-General Pierre Krähenbühl (on screen), briefs Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, via video conference, on the desperate situation of Palestinians in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, Syria. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe GENEVA–(ENEWSPF)–6 April 2015 – The current escalation is “more desperate than ever” for civilians in Yarmouk displaced persons camp which[Read More…]