New York  - A United Nations human rights expert Friday called on the United States not to deport undocumented Haitians as their country still hadn't recovered from the destruction caused by last year's hurricanes.

Michel Forst, an independent human rights expert, said the US Department of Homeland Security should not deport "tens of thousands" of Haitians living illegally in the US.

New York  - A United Nations Security Council delegation is to visit Haiti next week to evaluate UN contributions to development and security, Costa Rican Ambassador Jorge Urdina said Friday.

The visit by the nine-member delegation led by Urdina, which is to start Wednesday, follows a first-hand assessment by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and former US president Bill Clinton of conditions in the one of the poorest nations in the Caribbean.

Ban and Clinton will arrive in Port-au-Prince Monday for discussions with the Haiti government on issues ranging from economic recovery to security.

New York/Colombo  - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern over the increasing number of civilian victims in the fighting between government troops and Tamil separatist rebels in north-eastern Sri Lanka.

"The secretary general is extremely concerned over the deteriorating situation for civilians trapped in northern Sri Lanka," a statement released by Ban's office said Thursday.

New York - The Sudanese government is inflicting "irrevocable damage" in Darfur by expelling relief groups that provided humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of people, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday.

Khartoum has withdrawn work permits and expelled at least 13 non- governmental organizations involved in aid operations in Darfur since the International Criminal Court
(ICC) on Wednesday issued an international arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes.

New York  - The physical impacts of violence against women are just the tip of an iceberg of sufferings caused by abuse, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday on International Women's Day.

"The consequences of violence go beyond the visible and immediate," Ban told the Commission on the Status of Women, which met at UN headquarters in New York to discuss programmes to end violence against women and girls, from domestic violence to armed conflict.

Beijing  - China on Thursday urged the International Criminal Court to suspend its case against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, expressing concern that it could worsen the situation in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region.

"China expresses its regret and concern over the arrest warrant for the Sudanese president issued by the International Criminal Court," said foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang.

"China opposes any action that could hamper efforts to realize peace in Darfur and in Sudan," Qin said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.