Ebola, Islamic State 'Twin Plagues' Upon the World, Says UN Rights Chief

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad al Hussein, labeled the Ebola outbreak and Islamic State militants, as "twin plagues" upon the world that gained strength because of negligence and misunderstanding.

In his first news conference thursday, since taking over as the United Nations's top human rights official, al Hussein focused on the "two monumental crises" that he said would cost nations many billions to surmount, reports the Associated Press.

"The twin plagues of Ebola and ISIL," he told reporters, using an acronym for the group, "both fomented quietly, neglected by a world that knew they existed but misread their terrible potential before exploding into the global consciousness during the latter months of 2014."

Al Hussein said the U.N. human rights office has started drawing up rules for Ebola-hit nations to follow if they impose health quarantines on people, as such efforts can easily violate a wide range of human rights if imposed unfairly.

Turning to the issue of war crimes, al Hussein urged Iraq to join the International Criminal Court  and to agree to its jurisdiction to allow for the prosecution of alleged war crimes.

The U.N. High Commissioner also expressed disappointment over the acute dearth of funds for his agency's work, which he said could compel him to cut back at a time of rising demand from governments for the agency's support.

"I have to say I am shocked, shocked that just six weeks into the job I am already having to look at making cuts because of our current financial situation," al Hussein said. "Our operations are stretched to breaking point in a world that seems to be lurching from crisis to ever more dangerous crisis," he said, reports The New York Times.