The United Nations has assured the Government that the safety of Irish peacekeepers is paramount on their upcoming mission to the Golan Heights.

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon told members of the US Congress that the world body was committed to helping Haiti overcome a cholera epidemic, even though it is refusing to pay compensation to victims who blame UN peacekeepers for starting the outbreak.

The United Nations appeared to have met its target of €358m in immediate aid for flood-stricken Pakistan today, after Ireland, the US and other nations dramatically upped their pledges.

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon will announce a new global initiative on Friday to eliminate more than one million deaths every year caused by malaria as quickly as possible.

Insurgent and terrorist violence in Afghanistan increased sharply in 2007, with over 8,000 conflict-related deaths and an average of 566 incidents per month, United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon said.