Category: Uncategorized

The 15-member Council is charged with taking action, through resolutions and decisions, on any threats to international peace and security, but sometimes adopting a draft into a legally binding document for the UN’s 193 Member States faces multiple hurdles. Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, for example, Council members have drafted,… Continue reading Explainer: The journey of a UN Security Council resolution

4 October 2024 Peace and Security An attack by a notorious gang in the town of Pont Sondé, Haiti, left at least 70 people dead on Thursday, after gunmen armed with automatic rifles opened fire, a spokesperson for the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday. Among the victims at the hands of the… Continue reading Gang attack in Haiti’s Pont Sondé leaves 70 dead

At least 18 people were killed, and many more fatalities could be trapped under the rubble of the three-storied building, according to the UN human rights office (OHCHR). The killings “marked yet another escalation of the violence”, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing at UN Headquarters in New… Continue reading UN condemns deadly West Bank airstrike, attacks on Gaza schools

“There were two strikes and a huge crater was created in the no-man’s land between the Syrian and the Lebanese side. It’s very hard for vehicles still to go through this road,” said Rula Amin, Senior Communications Advisor for the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, for the Middle East and North Africa. Speaking from Amman, Ms.… Continue reading Lebanon: Medical aid arrives in Beirut amid intensifying Israeli strikes

The report – the first of its kind – analyses the links between child trafficking and the six grave violations against children caught up in war. They are recruitment and use, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abduction, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access.     It was produced… Continue reading Report highlights links between child trafficking and grave violations during conflict

Attacks in the northeast city killed or injured more than 190 people in September alone, said the UN’s top aid coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale. “One thought that’s going through my mind is the mental trauma that people suffer from these repeated strikes,” he continued. “In September alone, there were 53 strikes in Kharkiv. That’s… Continue reading World News in Brief: Deadly strikes in Ukraine, justice must be served over custody deaths, FIFA urged to challenge law-breaking by Israeli clubs

James Swan, acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), briefed the Security Council in New York alongside Mohammed El-Amine Souef, Head of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). The mandate for UNSOM is set to expire at the end of the month, and Somalia has… Continue reading Somalia: UN official reports on electoral progress, ongoing security challenges

3 October 2024 Climate and Environment The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced on Thursday they are partnering to raise awareness about climate change’s harmful effects on winter sports and tourism. The two organizations are joining forces to call attention to the extensive impacts of increasing global temperatures on… Continue reading WMO partnership to highlight damaging impact of climate change on winter sports

3 October 2024 Peace and Security People in Lebanon uprooted by Israeli airstrikes including in central Beirut have described being forced to flee “total destruction”, amid fresh reports of Hezbollah projectile attacks into Israel and close-quarter clashes along the UN-patrolled line of separation between the two countries. In the Lebanese capital, UN humanitarians reported “another… Continue reading Victims of deadly Lebanon escalation describe fleeing ‘total destruction’

By Vibhu Mishra 2 October 2024 Peace and Security Despite the significant peace and security challenges facing Africa, there are reasons to be hopeful, the head of the UN Office to the African Union (UNOAU) told ambassadors at the Security Council on Wednesday, urging their continued focus on the continent. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the Special Representative… Continue reading Security Council briefed on progress in UN-AU partnership for peace

New data from the International Organization for Migration indicates a 22 per cent spike in the number of people uprooted from their homes since June. IOM said that gang violence had forced more than 110,000 people to flee their homes in the last seven months, particularly in Gressier, which lies west of the capital. Grégoire… Continue reading World News in Brief: Half of Haiti’s displaced are children, alarm over low immunisation rates, aid to East Africa

UN humanitarians launched a $426 million appeal for Lebanon on Tuesday to support one million people uprooted by widespread Israeli shelling amid what Israel has described as a “limited, localised and targeted” ground operation into Lebanon, across the UN-patrolled line of separation.

2 October 2024 Peace and Security Hours after Iran fired a reported 200 missiles at Israel in response to Israeli military incursions in southern Lebanon raising fears of a wider Middle East escalation, UN human rights chief Volker Türk insisted on Wednesday that “peace must prevail” in the Middle East, while UN Member States meeting… Continue reading UN rights chief adds voice to urgent calls for Middle East de-escalation

A former combatant fighting for the rights of her people on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines has been talking about how she has swapped her combat fatigues for jilbabs [outer garment]and her life in the jungle for a more peaceful rural community. Suraida ‘Sur’ Amil joined the Bangsamoro Islamic Women Auxiliary Brigade (BIWAB)… Continue reading First Person: Swapping guns for ballpens in the Philippines

Global perspective Human stories UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the media at UN Headquarters in New York (file photo). He said on Wednesday it was everyone’s 1 October 2024 Peace and Security With war ramping up across the Middle East on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appealed for the violence to end now.  “I condemn… Continue reading Guterres condemns ‘escalation after escalation’ in the Middle East

Those discussions come at a time when attacks are escalating between Israel and Hezbollah, an armed group that holds with its allies 62 of the 128 democratically elected seats in Lebanon’s parliament. Here’s what you need to know about the critical resolution that has been the linchpin of peace between Israel and Lebanon for almost… Continue reading Explainer: What is Security Council resolution 1701?

1 October 2024 Peace and Security The UN Secretary-General on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants, as Israel launched what it described as a “limited” ground incursion into Southern Lebanon. “An all-out war must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon… Continue reading All-out war ‘must be avoided in Lebanon at all costs’: Guterres

“Yet again, another unfathomable attack of the Russian Armed Forces killed and injured civilians, this time at the start of their day at a busy marketplace in Kherson City, south of Ukraine,” Matthias Schmale said in a statement. At least five people were killed, and others injured, according to media reports. Mr. Schmale said the… Continue reading Ukraine: Top UN aid official condemns deadly marketplace strike in Kherson

From the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, spokesperson Jens Laerke described chaotic scenes across Lebanon as people continued to flee airstrikes that have killed  more than 1,000 people in the past two weeks alone, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR.  “We should expect further displacement,” Mr. Laerke told journalists in Geneva. “We do… Continue reading Lebanon crisis: UN launches $426 million aid appeal as ‘limited’ ground invasion reportedly begins

Aid coordination office, OCHA, said it was assessing priority areas for response in Yemen given that the war-ravaged population rely on imports of fuel and food through both Hudaydah and the nearby port of Ras Issa. Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN noted with concern the claim by the Houthis – who control the ports… Continue reading World News in Brief: Possible ‘dire consequences’ for Yemen following strikes, Ukraine hospital attack, human rights in Algeria

The mission was authorized last October to assist Haiti’s beleaguered police force. Led by Kenya, it currently has around 410 police officers on the ground and is expected to grow to around 2,500. For now, the country remains mired in crisis. The renewal comes as the mission tries to curb rampant gang violence, enable an… Continue reading Security Council renews Haiti mission mandate, calls for more action against gangs

“We need to collectively remain engaged in assisting the country on its path to peace and stability,” said Bintou Keita, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the DRC and head of the UN Mission there, MONUSCO. Ceasefire and dialogue ‘framework’ There has been a notable reduction in fighting among warring parties in the east since a… Continue reading Collective effort essential to get DR Congo on firm path to peace

Among the victims of the weekend bombardment was six-year-old Selena al Smarah, killed along with her parents at home in the southern city of Tyre on Saturday. Her sister Celine, 10, survived but sustained injuries in the attack. The sisters were regulars at an arts workshop run by the NGO Tiro Association for Arts which… Continue reading Lebanon crisis: over one million people flee strikes amid invasion fears

This follows Israeli airstrikes in southern suburbs of Beirut that targeted the leader of the Hezbollah armed group, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed, according to media reports. The development comes amid escalating violence between Israeli forces and Hezbollah along the UN-patrolled line of separation in southern Lebanon, known as the Blue Line, and against the… Continue reading Lebanon crisis: Guterres urges parties to ‘step back from the brink’

The medical facility was hit in twin drone strikes that morning and at least nine people were killed, according to media reports. UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Matthias Schmale issued a statement saying he was devastated by the attacks. Not a target “Places providing healthcare must always be safe and not be subjected to such… Continue reading Ukraine: UN official deplores deadly double attack on hospital

Prime Ministers of Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Tuvalu and Tonga underlined the UN’s role as a platform for driving unified, decisive action to mitigate this threat. Indeed, the theme of collective action echoed strongly through the speeches, as they united in their message that without timely action, vulnerable nations like… Continue reading From vulnerability to action: Asia-Pacific leaders urge global responsibility

27 September 2024 Humanitarian Aid The UN Security Council will convene within the hour on the current situation on the ground in war-torn Gaza, where Israeli strikes have killed more than 41,500 Palestinians amid mass displacement and stymied humanitarian efforts as Israel continues hampering the entry of lifesaving aid. The meeting is scheduled to begin… Continue reading SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: Members to meet on humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Around 80 per cent of the Strip’s 2.3 million people have been displaced during Israel’s nearly year-long offensive, with many “continuing to survive in abysmal conditions, crammed in worn-out tents and damaged structures with limited food, water and other necessities,” OCHA reported, following inter-agency assessments in Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis. It’s forecast that flooding… Continue reading Desperation grows in Gaza: At least 11 schools hit this month, nearly 100 dead

“We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation and many expressed their fear that this is just the beginning,” said Imran Riza, the UN’s top aid official in Lebanon. “The UN and its partners are closely coordinating with the Lebanese government to support the response efforts. This includes aligning aid distribution, conducting… Continue reading Lebanon crisis: ‘This is just the beginning’ say those impacted by deadly escalation

They articulated a compelling case, highlighting how the legacy of colonialism and its lingering effects have left the continent disproportionately excluded. This exclusion is not merely a matter of representation, it directly impacts Africa’s ability to influence discussions on critical issues, such as conflict resolution, climate change and sustainable development. The leaders emphasized the urgent… Continue reading Calls by African leaders for equitable representation on UN Security Council gain momentum

26 September 2024 Peace and Security The UN agency that supports Palestine refugees, UNRWA, is the only “outpost of hope” left in the hellscape that is Gaza, the UN Secretary-General told a high-level ministerial meeting on Thursday in New York. The world has “failed the people of Gaza”, he said. More than 41,000 people have… Continue reading ‘We have failed the people of Gaza,’ Guterres tells ministers

The High-Level Meeting was held to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, observed annually on 26 September.  “There should be no place for these devices of death in our world,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.    Nuclear ‘spectre’ looming  He warned, however, that “not since the worst days of the Cold… Continue reading Governments urged to ‘stop gambling with humanity’s future’ and eliminate nuclear weapons

26 September 2024 Peace and Security A new humanitarian crisis is unfolding at Lebanon’s border with Syria as thousands of people flee Israeli shelling linked to the war in Gaza, UN humanitarians said on Thursday, just as Israel premier Benyamin Netanyahu arrived in New York for the UN General Assembly. Only hours earlier, UN Secretary-General… Continue reading Lebanon crisis: 90,000 displaced in last 72 hours, warns refugee agency

Separated by oceans, the leaders were united in their call on the international community to prioritize urgent action and financial support to combat the climate crisis, emphasizing that their nations are in crosshairs of the emergency and already bearing its impacts. As the small island States continue to fight for their survival, their united message… Continue reading Island nations unite at UN: ‘Empty pledges’ will not save future generations

“Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon” the UN chief warned, noting that the exchanges of fire along the UN-patrolled line of separation “have expanded in scope, depth and intensity.” Monday saw Lebanon’s bloodiest day in a generation, as Israel continues to bombard largely Hezbollah-controlled territory, doubling down on the devastating electronic device attacks which killed… Continue reading ‘Hell is breaking loose in Lebanon’, Guterres warns Security Council

The situation is critical, said UN General Assembly President Philémon Yang, who convened the high-level meeting which included a plenary session and panel discussions.   He noted that estimates indicate up to 1.2 billion people could be forcibly displaced.  “For those on the front lines, the impacts of rising seas threaten livelihoods, inflict damage to settlements and… Continue reading Stop global warming to turn the tide on sea level rise: UN Assembly President

25 September 2024 Economic Development As foreign ministers from the G20 group of industrialised nations met on Wednesday to discuss sustainability and justice issues, the UN chief urged global financial institutions to “cooperate and collaborate for the good of humanity.”  UN Secretary-General António Guterres, said progress on ending the climate crisis, inequality and the harmful… Continue reading UN chief to G20 ministers: Collaboration key to a sustainable future

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“Hundreds of vehicles are backed up in queues at the Syrian border; many people are also arriving on foot, carrying what they can,” UNHCR reported. “Large crowds, including women, young children and babies are waiting in line after spending the night outdoors in falling temperatures. Some carry fresh injuries from the recent bombardments.” UNHCR chief… Continue reading Lebanon escalation: UN boosts support at border with Syria

25 September 2024 Peace and Security With war raging in Sudan and no end in sight to the catastrophic hunger crisis it has created, UN agencies and Member States meeting at the General Assembly in New York on Wednesday prepared to issue a renewed call for urgent action to protect the country’s people. The development… Continue reading Sudan crisis: Countries gather at UN General Assembly for action call

Global perspective Human stories People survey the damage caused by a missile attack on a building in Kharkiv City, Ukraine. 24 September 2024 Peace and Security The UN Security Council is due to be briefed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zellenskyy in New York on Tuesday as he seeks support for a new “victory plan” from… Continue reading SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: Ukraine President set to brief, as UN chief calls for ‘just peace’

24 September 2024 UN Affairs The world is locked in a “purgatory of polarity” with a growing number of governments and others feeling entitled to a “get out of jail free card”, Secretary-General António Guterres told the UN General Assembly, which opened its annual high-level meeting on Tuesday. Delivering his 2024 report on the UN’s… Continue reading UN’s Guterres urges global solutions as uncertain world edges toward a ‘powder keg’

24 September 2024 Humanitarian Aid Ongoing heavy fighting in Sudan has continued to kill and uproot the country’s people who global leaders should remember as they gather in New York on Tuesday, UN humanitarians have said. In an appeal for greater global solidarity with the people of Sudan, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that… Continue reading Sudan crisis must not be forgotten by world leaders, says UN food agency

Speaking from Beirut in the aftermath of Lebanon’s “worst day in 18 years”, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) deputy representative in the country, Ettie Higgins, said that unless the violence stopped, the consequences could be “unconscionable”. The wide-ranging Israeli strikes conducted on Monday in retaliation to attacks by the armed group Hezbollah killed at least… Continue reading Lebanon escalation: Have we learned nothing from Gaza, UN humanitarians ask

In an oral update to members, Erik Møse, chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, said it has documented new cases of torture committed by Russian authorities against civilians and prisoners of war in occupied areas of Ukraine and in the Russian Federation.  “We gathered evidence of sexual violence used as torture, mainly against… Continue reading Torture ‘a common and acceptable practice’ in Ukraine war, UN investigators say

The development comes as the UN’s top official in Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert began an official visit to Israel to meet senior government officials, after insisting that “there is no military solution that will make either side safer”. In Lebanon, it has been reported that people in the south received phone and social media messages on Monday… Continue reading Middle East crisis: Dramatic uptick in violence in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon

The 15-member Council is charged with taking action, through resolutions and decisions, on any threats to international peace and security, but sometimes adopting a draft into a legally binding document for the UN’s 193 Member States faces multiple hurdles. Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, for example, Council members have drafted,… Continue reading Journey of a Security Council resolution

21 September 2024 Peace and Security The UN Secretary-General is gravely alarmed by reports of a full-scale assault on El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, his Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric said on Saturday. UN chief António Guterres called on Lt. General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo to act responsibly and immediately order a… Continue reading Sudan: UN chief alarmed at full-scale assault on El Fasher

By Laura Quinones 21 September 2024 Peace and Security In the heart of Colombia, where the scars of conflict run deep, a remarkable transformation is taking place. Farmers, once displaced and dispossessed, are reclaiming their land, rebuilding their communities, and forging a path towards a more peaceful and prosperous future with the support of the… Continue reading Sowing peace one agribusiness at a time: Colombian farmers reclaim their land and livelihoods

Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, told ambassadors in the Security Council, that strikes and exchanges of fire across the Blue Line, which have been going on for nearly a year, “have expanded in scope and intensity”. In some cases, they reached much deeper into Lebanese and Israeli territory, displacing tens of… Continue reading Lebanon: UN warns of escalating horror in Middle East as ‘communications tools become weapons’

In a modest tent in a makeshift camp for displaced people west of the town of Al-Zawaida in Deir al-Balah governorate in Gaza, children whose lives have been turned upside down by a deadly war and widespread destruction are meeting speech therapist Amina Al-Dahdouh. She is there to help them regain confidence in speaking. An… Continue reading ‘Fear of war’ causing speech problems in Gaza

The Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting in New York on Friday from 3pm, following Israeli strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut and in the south, which have left at least a dozen dead. It comes amid an uptick in cross-border fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces and two days of deadly… Continue reading SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: Ambassadors to meet over deepening Lebanon crisis, with region ‘on the brink of catastrophe’

Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Geir Pedersen expressed grave concern over the mounting violence and its cascading impact on Syria, which has been embroiled in civil conflict – later drawing in outside forces – since 2011.   He highlighted an attack earlier in the day on a vehicle at Damascus International Airport, warning of… Continue reading Middle East: Regional crisis risks engulfing Syria, UN envoy warns

Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar outlined how the UN agency has been supporting Lebanon’s Ministry of Health, including following the wave of electronic device explosions this week. Hundreds of pagers across the country simultaneously detonated on Tuesday, while walkie-talkies and solar panels blew up the following day.  The attacks reportedly targeted the Hezbollah militant group, killing civilians,… Continue reading Lebanon: WHO appeals for more support for civilians as crises intensify

Last October’s terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on Israeli communities marked a devastating day for children, and the suffering has continued unabated, a senior UNICEF official said on Thursday.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for accountability following a “despicable” terrorist attack in Mali this week, his Spokesperson said on Thursday. 

“The series of explosions across Lebanon and rockets fired toward Israel in recent days adds to the volatility,” said Tor Wennesland, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. He urged all sides “to refrain from steps that will further exacerbate the situation and take immediate steps to de-escalate.” Settlement activity continues Mr. Wennesland made… Continue reading Security Council: Middle East envoy warns against escalation, highlights continued Israeli settlement activity

The alert from the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine follows significant destruction to power plants and the worsening energy crisis that has affected access to electricity, clean water and heating, while also pushing up prices for consumers. The strikes on the national grid included one coordinated attack on 26 August which the Mission… Continue reading Russian attacks on Ukraine energy set to push 500,000 people out of country

Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with their allied militias, continue to flout international humanitarian and human rights laws, said Martha Pobee, Assistant Secretary-General for Africa at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), while addressing the Security Council. “Violations include summary executions, abductions and… Continue reading Sudan: UN urges immediate action to stop fighting in El Fasher

More than 50 personnel from the UN, international and national NGOs, civil society, and diplomatic missions, are being held by the de facto Houthi authorities in the capital, Sana’a. In addition, four UN staff members have been detained since 2021 and 2023. Protect aid workers “Attacks on humanitarian workers, including detentions and false accusations, violate… Continue reading World News in Brief: Yemen detainee appeal, Typhoon Yagi impacts, ease asylum seekers’ plight, mpox cash boost

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, said the country’s de facto rulers who have imposed their own interpretation of strict Islamic law have “delivered a period of stability not seen in decades” in Afghanistan, yet the population is at risk of a worsened humanitarian and development crisis as international funding declines.… Continue reading Afghanistan: UN warns of growing crisis under increasingly authoritarian Taliban rule

Global perspective Human stories A shopping district in Beirut, Lebanon. 18 September 2024 Peace and Security UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an end to the escalation in violence in the Middle East amid reports of a fresh wave of electronic device detonations in Lebanon which caused further deaths and injuries.  International media reported… Continue reading UN appeals for restraint after further devices explode across Lebanon

With a recorded vote of 124 nations in favour, 14 against, and 43 abstentions, the resolution calls for Israel to comply with international law and withdraw its military forces, immediately cease all new settlement activity, evacuate all settlers from occupied land, and dismantle parts of the separation wall it constructed inside the occupied West Bank.… Continue reading UN General Assembly demands Israel end ‘unlawful presence’ in Occupied Palestinian Territory

18 September 2024 Climate and Environment Amid renewed warnings from leading climate scientists that global warming could reach 3C above pre-industrial levels this century, the head of the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) insisted on Wednesday that new technology and AI offer the opportunity to implement the drastic action needed to resist the existential crisis. … Continue reading Climate crisis: Satellites and AI offer hope for global action, says UN weather agency

17 September 2024 Peace and Security The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, has called for calm following attacks across the country on Tuesday which killed at least nine people, including children, and left thousands injured – many critically.  The coordinated attacks reportedly targeted the Hezbollah militant group, with hundreds of electronic pagers belonging… Continue reading Top UN official appeals for calm following wave of attacks in Lebanon

UN News looked at the needs triggered by the ongoing conflict through a lens of how much aid is getting into Gaza compared with what is required to address the grim situation on the ground,  where 2.3 million Palestinians are trapped amid an ongoing war that began almost one year ago following Hamas-led attacks that… Continue reading How aid is (and is not) getting into Gaza

16 September 2024 Climate and Environment New evidence in the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) annual Ozone and UV Bulletin published on Monday reveals strong evidence that the ozone layer is well on track for a long-term recovery. The Ozone and UV Bulletin’s release coincides with World Ozone Day which celebrates the implementation of the Montreal… Continue reading Climate change: Ozone layer still well on track for full recovery

Sigrid Kaag updated ambassadors on the implementation of resolution 2720, adopted last December, which established her mandate following the brutal 7 October Hamas-led attacks on Israel and the start of hostilities in Gaza. She was also tasked with establishing a UN mechanism for accelerating the provision of humanitarian relief consignments to the enclave, operationalized and… Continue reading More action on the ground needed to save civilian lives in Gaza, top UN official tells Security Council

In a new alert, UNRWA highlighted how Gazans’ shelters have become a target for insects and rodents after more than 11 months of war – echoing deep concerns among humanitarians about the lack of basic hygiene items that have left families unprotected from communicable diseases. Echoing those warnings, top independent rights experts meeting at UN… Continue reading Sanitary disaster in Gaza ‘worsening by the day’, warns UNRWA

The UN has described the current global situation as “uniquely dangerous”, with the risk of major powers engaging in conflict at its highest levels since the Cold War, the possibility of nuclear war breaking out higher that it has been for several decades, and the climate crisis driving migration and exacerbating tensions. “We face a breakdown… Continue reading A new global peace plan for ‘uniquely dangerous’ times

A catastrophic climate crisis, a surfeit of nuclear weapons, or unregulated AI: when it comes to potentially existential threats to humanity, there are plenty to choose from. When the United Nations was created nearly 80 years ago, a shell-shocked world was emerging from a conflict so devastating that world leaders were prepared to erect institutions… Continue reading Improving the way we run the world…and beyond

By Vibhu Mishra 15 September 2024 Peace and Security Left unchecked, artificial intelligence (AI) could destabilize democratic systems by spreading disinformation, fueling hate speech and distorting public opinion through deepfakes, the UN Secretary-General has warned. These risks are particularly critical this year, as over 50 countries – representing half the world’s population – hold elections.… Continue reading Unchecked AI threatens democracy, warns UN chief

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted that it had been “a massive success amidst a tragic daily reality of life” for more than two million Gazans who have been caught up in the intense fighting since last October’s terror attacks by Hamas unleashed the war in Gaza. In three phases over twelve days, from 1… Continue reading Gaza: WHO chief hails ‘massive success’ of polio campaign amid tragic reality

13 September 2024 Humanitarian Aid UN humanitarians are rushing to assist scores of newly displaced people in northeast Nigeria, after torrential rains caused a dam to collapse and flood the area, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday. Alau Dam, located just over 10 miles to the south of Maiduguri, the capital of… Continue reading Nigeria: Hundreds of thousands in need of aid as flooding wipes out homes – WFP

Warning the Security Council, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu said that since the last briefing on weapons transfers only two weeks ago, the provision of military assistance and transfer of arms and ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces have continued in the context of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in violation of the… Continue reading UN warns of continued prohibited weapons transfers to Ukraine, Russia

By Vibhu Mishra 13 September 2024 Peace and Security Amid escalating global conflicts, deepening divisions and mounting crisis, the UN Secretary-General on Friday urged everyone around the world to “cultivate a culture of peace”. Speaking at the annual Peace Bell Ceremony, António Guterres warned that war is spreading, inequalities are growing, and new technologies are… Continue reading Guterres calls for ‘culture of peace’ and global unity, as crises mount

The crisis in Yemen, which worsened in 2014 after Houthi rebels (known officially as Ansar Allah) seized the capital, has been marked by complex political and military tensions. More than 18 million people – half the country’s population – remain dependent on humanitarian assistance and protection. Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, told… Continue reading UN warns of escalating conflict in Yemen amid humanitarian crisis, regional tensions

Around 50 per cent of us do have access to at least one social protection benefit – but 3.8 billion people lack any kind of safety net, including 1.8 billion children worldwide, according to the World Social Protection Report 2024-26: Universal social protection for climate action and a just transition. “Climate change does not recognise borders,… Continue reading Half the world lacks social protection amid climate crisis, ILO warns

In a statement released via his Spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the latest Israeli attack on a school serving as a shelter in Nuseirat on Wednesday, which killed six staffers from the UN Palestine refugee agency, UNRWA, along with at least 12 others, including women and children. “This incident raises the number of UNRWA staff… Continue reading Guterres condemns death of 6 UNRWA staff and 12 others in Israeli strike, calls for independent probe

These include severe limb injuries, amputations, spinal cord trauma, traumatic brain injuries and major burns. Israeli forces pushed into Gaza in response to the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in southern Israel. Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, highlighted that the surge in rehabilitation… Continue reading Over 22,500 have suffered ‘life-changing injuries’ in Gaza: WHO

Stéphane Dujarric said the UN is working to confirm reports that UNRWA staff were killed in the attack on the New Nuseirat school, a site that had previously been deconflicted with the Israeli authorities. “This is the fifth strike on the same location in the past 11 months,” he said. Polio campaign rolls on Meanwhile,… Continue reading Gaza: Israeli airstrike hits UNRWA school sheltering displaced people

“Today’s report from the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals is a how-to guide to help generate prosperity and equality alongside clean power,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy technologies, from wind turbines and solar panels to electric vehicles and battery storage, depend on such critical energy transition minerals as copper,… Continue reading New how-to guide speeds global race for renewable energy

The United Nations joined its host city, New York, in commemorating the 2,977 lives lost on 11 September 2001, when Al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four aircrafts and flew them into buildings in the United States.

Mr. Yang underscored the need for equitable economic growth driven by innovation and green economies, ensuring that “the benefits of economic development are accessible to all nations, large and small.” Peace and security, he added, will also be key priorities, as he urged nations to resolve ongoing conflicts, including in the Gaza Strip, Haiti, Ukraine,… Continue reading Call for ‘solutions across the board’ as 79th General Assembly opens

Corinne Fleischer, WFP Director for the three regions, briefed reporters on her recent visits to the Gaza Strip and Ukraine. An increase in evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military along with a “massive deterioration” in security caused the UN agency to reach fewer people in Gaza in August, though she did not provide figures.… Continue reading WFP continues to support millions amid ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine

UNOCHA/Viktoriia Andriievska Consequences of a missile attack on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, when a children’s hospital and other buildings were severely damaged.

Secretary-General António Guterres said the past year had been marked by ongoing poverty, inequality and conflict, emphasizing that it was also the hottest year on record. Addressing the session’s final plenary meeting, he highlighted the “hope and inspiration” in what can be achieved if the global community worked as one. He also applauded the leadership… Continue reading General Assembly wraps up with calls for unity and resolve

10 September 2024 Peace and Security Increased violence along the frontlines in Syria, with continued war crimes on all sides, is leaving civilians in the region fearful of a “large-scale war”, a new report from the UN Syria Commission of Inquiry released on Tuesday warns.  After over a decade of brutal fighting, the Commission Chair,… Continue reading Escalating violence in Syria raises fear of ‘large-scale war’

Addressing the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, Nicholas Koumjian, the head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), said that in many instances, civilians were “not just collateral damage but rather the target of attacks”. “Just last week, airstrikes near a night market in northern Shan state reportedly killed about a dozen people, including a… Continue reading UN investigators warn of widespread abuses in Myanmar conflict

Civilians accounted for 93 per cent of the global casualties from cluster munitions in 2023, according to the 100-page Cluster Munition Monitor 2024, produced by the Cluster Munition Coalition, an international civil society group working in over 100 countries. Children made up nearly half of all people killed and injured by cluster munition remnants in… Continue reading New use of cluster bombs threatens global ban, report warns

Addressing the Security Council, Jean-Pierre Lacroix told ambassadors that UN operations “can only ever be as strong” as the collective support of nations. “As geopolitical tensions have mounted, including here in this Council, and amid shifting global and regional dynamics, peacekeeping operations are increasingly unable to rely on Member States to act in a strong,… Continue reading UN peacekeepers saving lives but need stronger political support and resources, top official urges

This year’s International Day for Clean air and Blue Skies, celebrated annually on 7 September, is focused on the theme ‘Invest in #CleanAirNow’ and highlights the economic, environmental and health benefits of investing in clean air. The Day was established in 2019 after the UN General Assembly noted how detrimental air pollutants are and recognised… Continue reading Investing in clean air can saves lives and combat climate change

Coinciding with the powerful and symbolic monument to the ravages of unchecked climate change, the ceremony on 17 August also saw the publication of The Global Glacier Casualty list of 15 extinct and endangered glaciers by Rice University in Texas – a driving force behind the whole project. According to scientists, global warming has led to the… Continue reading Climate change: ‘Graveyard of glaciers’ lays bare existential threat of melting ice

The Fifth Global Conference on Climate and SDG Synergy, held from 5-6 September in Rio de Janeiro, was convened as commitments on both fronts remain far off track. Moment of truth In opening remarks on Thursday, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed stressed the need for countries to act now.  “We face a moment of truth… Continue reading UN leads search for synergy on climate and development

6 September 2024 Climate and Environment Recent “catastrophic and massive floods” in Bangladesh have affected millions of people across the country, including those in Cox’s Bazar where nearly one million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar live alongside host communities, spokesperson William Spindler told journalists in Geneva on Friday.  The destruction has prompted the UN refugee agency… Continue reading Millions impacted by ‘catastrophic and massive floods’ in Bangladesh

UN agencies and partners in the Strip will continue to vaccinate “as many Gazan children as possible” during the agreed humanitarian pauses, before moving to the north of the war-shattered enclave, UNRWA added. Thousands of families visited health centers to get their doses from UN medical teams, UNRWA reported. In southern Gaza, more than 152,000… Continue reading Gaza: 160,000 more children vaccinated against polio in southern Gaza

There are still nearly 2,000 people living in the town of Beryslav, including more than 70 children and 90 people who have only limited mobility. “Despite constant shelling, they have not evacuated the area, which has no electricity, which has no gas and which has no water, all due to damaged infrastructure”, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane… Continue reading World News in Brief: Aid trucks on Ukraine frontline, Africa schools close due to insecurity, Georgia rights defenders

“Almost everybody on Earth, basically nine out of 10 people breathe air that is essentially unfit for purpose,” said Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer at WMO. “This means that it is air that exceeds the [UN World Health Organization] WHO guideline limits and contains a high level of pollutants with low and middle-income countries basically being… Continue reading We must do more to keep the air we breathe clean: UN weather agency

Israel’s large-scale operation in the north is continuing, OCHA said in a daily news update, which accounts for 27 of the deaths “where lethal war-like tactics” have been deployed, according to humanitarians, including 10 killed by airstrikes. “Four members of the Israeli forces have been killed in the same period by Palestinians in Hebron and… Continue reading World News in Brief: West Bank deaths, Venezuela rights violations, soaring debt worldwide

“Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen intensifying attacks affecting civilians and public infrastructure”, WHO Ukraine said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The “cruel attack” in Lviv “claimed the lives of at least 7 people, including children, and injured 47 others”, while a health facility was also affected, the… Continue reading Ukraine: Top official underscores need to protect civilians amid ‘massive’ attacks

It’s been nearly 11 months since war erupted in the enclave following Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel. Today more than nine in 10 people have been forcibly displaced by the fighting, leaving them vulnerable to hunger, malnutrition and sickness. “So far, we’ve been able to vaccinate 187,000 children and as we’ve been tent to tent… Continue reading Gaza: Disease and war stalk children, despite vaccine success

3 September 2024 Peace and Security Israeli forces continue to employ “lethal war-like tactics” in the West Bank, including airstrikes, with people being killed, injured and displaced, the UN Spokesperson said on Tuesday. Stéphane Dujarric informed journalists at the regular press briefing in New York that operations have resumed in Tulkarm and continue in Jenin.… Continue reading UN reports ‘lethal tactics’ by Israeli forces in West Bank

“Our colleagues in Ukraine just told us that new attacks today struck Poltava in the centre of the country. Initial reports indicate a number of civilian casualties,” he told journalists attending his daily briefing at UN Headquarters, in New York. At least 50 people were killed, and more than 200 injured, when two Russian missiles… Continue reading Humanitarians support civilians affected by recent attacks in Ukraine

“There were 87,000 vaccinated on the first day out of 156,000 that we are hoping to reach in the Middle Area,” said Louise Wateridge, Senior Communications Officer for UNWRA, the largest UN agency in the Gaza Strip. “It’s very promising that already, we have heard interest from parents who have come from Khan Younis, who… Continue reading Thousands more children protected on day 2 of Gaza polio campaign

Chad hosts more than 1.1 million refugees, many escaping violence in Sudan, where rival militaries have been fighting since April 2023. At the same time, the war has also triggered colossal suffering within Sudan’s borders. “The humanitarian task that we have in Sudan has been very big,” UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said. “It has… Continue reading UN deputy chief appeals for global solidarity as crises roil East Africa

In a surprise move, legislators made the UN chief an honorary citizen of their southeast Asian island nation during the celebrations in the capital Dili, prompting the UN chief to declare he was proud to now be part of such a “heroic people”. What was then East Timor’s struggle to free itself from colonial rule… Continue reading In battle for development ‘you can count on us’, Guterres tells Timor-Leste, marking 25 years of self-determination

The UN Security Council is due to meet at 3pm local time in New York on the continuing crisis in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Just ahead of the meeting, the World Health Organization (WHO) said agreement had been reached with Israel to allow a mass polio vaccination campaign to get underway through a… Continue reading UPDATING LIVE: Security Council due to meet on Gaza as WHO announces polio pauses for lifesaving vaccination campaign

Global perspective Human stories Aid workers assess the damage following a military raid on a refugee camp in Jenin. (file, July 2023) By Daniel Johnson 29 August 2024 Peace and Security As the crisis in the West Bank continues to escalate alongside the ongoing war in Gaza, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an… Continue reading West Bank crisis: UN chief calls for immediate halt to Israeli strikes

28 August 2024 Peace and Security More than 2,000 nuclear tests have been conducted at over 60 sites around the world since testing began on 16 July 1945, resulting in uninhabitable lands and long-term health problems, Secretary General António Guterres said in his message marking Friday’s International Day to end testing once and for all.  … Continue reading ‘Lessons of the past forgotten’ as nuclear proliferation continues

“This is totally unacceptable and the latest in a series of unnecessary security incidents that have endangered the lives of WFP’s team in Gaza,” said the UN agency’s Executive Director Cindy McCain, calling on the Israeli authorities and all parties to the conflict to act immediately to ensure the safety and security of all aid… Continue reading UN food agency halts operations in Gaza after team attacked

Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that last month was particularly deadly for Ukrainian civilians, with at least 219 killed and more than 1,000 injured. Since 24 February 2022 – the date of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, has documented 11,662 civilian killings… Continue reading UN official highlights growing toll of Ukraine war, rising threat of ‘nuclear incident’

“The risk of an oil spill, posing an extremely serious environmental hazard, remains high,” said IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, emphasising that the tanker is carrying some 150,000 tonnes of oil on board. “There is widespread concern about the damage such a spill would cause within the region,” he added. ‘Unacceptable attack’ Referring to the situation… Continue reading World News in Brief: IMO tanker attack alert, UN Women on new Afghan law, counter-terrorism in Viet Nam, Paralympics tech

Displacement remains staggeringly high, with over six million Syrians languishing as refugees or asylum-seekers outside the country’s borders and more than seven million displaced internally. Across the country, nearly 17 million people – more than 70 percent of the population – now require humanitarian assistance and protection, with women and children particularly affected. Adding to… Continue reading Security Council: A sustainable future for Syria depends on ending the war

The UN chief was met at the airport by Timorese President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão with a musical celebration and full military honors. Public welcome Thousands lined the streets of the capital Dili as children greeted Mr. Guterres holding UN and Timor-Leste flags. At the presidential palace, he said his visit was… Continue reading In Timor Leste, Guterres celebrates past unity and looks to the future

The development follows “at least four” airstrikes by the Israeli Security Forces (ISF) in the Nur Shams Refugee Camp in Tulkarem on Monday night that left five dead – three Palestinian men and two boys aged 13 and 15. “Three of the fatalities, including the two boys, were killed while they were passing by the… Continue reading West Bank strikes: UN rights office condemns Israeli military escalation

By Vibhu Mishra 27 August 2024 Peace and Security Around 20 villages in eastern Sudan have reportedly been “destroyed”, with 70 impacted overall, after floodwaters burst through a major dam, according to UN humanitarians – adding to the suffering of communities already devastated by the ongoing war between rival militaries. The Arba’at Dam, located around… Continue reading Flooding from Sudan dam collapse worsens humanitarian crisis

Dire conditions brought on by the war have caused the disease to resurface after more than two decades.  Last week, a case was confirmed in a 10-month-old. Countering vaccine misinformation  During his daily media briefing from New York on Tuesday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted that there had been misinformation surrounding the vaccine.  “I want… Continue reading UN upholds safety and efficacy of Gaza polio vaccine

Global perspective Human stories There has been a sharp rise in attacks against civilians in Burkina Faso. Pictured here, slippers outside a communal space at a camp for displaced persons. 27 August 2024 Peace and Security UN Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the killing of around 200 people in the Burkinabe town of Barsalogho… Continue reading Guterres strongly condemns Burkina Faso terror attack ; hundreds killed and injured

In an update, OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke rejected any suggestion of stopping the lifesaving aid operation, despite the multiple challenges linked to the war and ongoing fighting, sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel on 7 October. “There’s been no decision to halt, there never has been, we’ve been there for 10 months, so [it… Continue reading In Gaza, evacuation orders threaten to uproot UN’s aid hub once again

Speaking during a press conference in the capital, Nuku’alofa, Mr. Guterres called for world leaders to drastically slash global emissions, quickly phase out fossil fuels, and massively boost climate adaptation investments to protect people from current and future risks.  “This is a crazy situation: rising seas are a crisis entirely of humanity’s making. A crisis… Continue reading From Tonga, Guterres appeals for ‘a surge in funds to deal with surging seas’

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has been visiting the Pacific Ocean nations, Tonga and Samoa, where sea level rise has been one of the key issues he has been discussing with the communities he has met. On 25 September, global leaders and experts will gather at the UN to discuss how best to address the… Continue reading What is sea level rise and why does it matter to our future?

“I stand here today as a former child soldier, forcefully recruited during the civil conflict that decimated over 50,000 of my compatriots… I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the critical support of the ICRC and the international community,” Musa Timothy Kabba told Members of the Security Council gathered in Geneva on Monday,… Continue reading The Geneva Conventions: ‘Rules of war’ saved me, says former child soldier

More than 640,000 children are targeted to receive the polio type two (nOPV) vaccines, UNICEF said in a post on X. The World Health Organization (WHO), the UN’s main agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) and other partners aim to coordinate to reach the unvaccinated as the war grinds on against the backdrop of multiple civilian… Continue reading Polio vaccines arrive in Gaza in boost to vaccination campaign: UNICEF

The update highlights information from the first half of 2024 and reveals that 4.5 million people are displaced and 18.2 million overall require humanitarian aid. The refugee agency based its update on 47,000 families who have already “endured years of conflict.” Critical challenges Of the families surveyed, 84 per cent were documented as displaced, mainly from… Continue reading Internally displaced families in Yemen need increased aid: UNHCR

Global perspective Human stories The destruction of buildings and infrastructure in Ukraine has caused widespread environmental damage (file). 26 August 2024 Peace and Security The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine has condemned deadly Russian missile and drone strikes that began overnight and reportedly targeted 15 regions of the country.  “Like millions of people in Ukraine… Continue reading Top UN aid official deplores latest wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine

Secretary-General António Guterres was addressing the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, telling leaders that while much of the world is embroiled in conflict, injustice and socio-economic crisis, the Pacific “is a beacon of solidarity and strength, environmental stewardship and peace.” The Forum consists of 18 Member States, from Australia to Vanuatu, guided… Continue reading ‘The world needs your leadership’, Guterres tells Pacific Islands Forum

25 August 2024 Peace and Security Against the backdrop of another major escalation across the Blue Line dividing southern Lebanon and Israel on Sunday, the UN’s top Middle East envoy said on Sunday “there is no time to lose” for a ceasefire in Gaza and release of all hostages. Posting on X, Tor Wennesland said… Continue reading Middle East: ‘No time to lose’ in negotiating ceasefire and Gaza hostage release: Top UN envoy

For many years, the western part of Mindanao has been the focus of an armed separatist struggle between the Philippines government and various Muslim insurgent groups. In 2019, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was established as part of a peace deal between the government and the main insurgent movement, the Moro Islamic… Continue reading Tears and embraces as murderous 30-year family feud comes to an end in the Philippines

Around one million Rohingya are sheltering in Bangladesh and over 130,000 more have sought safe haven across the region without immediate prospects for return, said António Guterres in a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Friday – just ahead of Sunday’s grim anniversary.  “The dire security and humanitarian situation with ongoing access challenges has exacerbated… Continue reading Guterres calls for end to Myanmar violence, persecution of Rohingya

23 August 2024 Peace and Security A 10-month-old girl paralyzed by polio in Gaza has become the first confirmed case of the deadly disease to be detected in the war-ravaged enclave in 25 years. Head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern at the development and said that the… Continue reading Gaza: First polio case confirmed in war-shattered enclave

The UN General Assembly designated the international day on 22 August, highlighting the need to support those affected by acts of violence due to their religion or beliefs.  The Assembly’s resolution condemned violence against individuals due to their faith, including attacks on homes, businesses, places of worship, and cultural sites, reinforcing the importance of upholding… Continue reading World News in Brief: UN chief condemns religious hate, threats to freedom in Sri Lanka, four young people executed in Somalia, human rights office for Caribbean

At a ministerial-level ceremony in the capital, Maputo, President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi launched an ambitious national roadmap to achieve Early Warnings for All by the end of 2027. The initiative, also known as EW4All, was first announced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in March 2022, with the goal of achieving universal coverage within a five-year… Continue reading Mozambique makes great strides towards Early Warnings for All

At the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, known as LLDC3, innovative solutions and strategic partnerships will be outlined and leveraged to “unlock the full potential of these nations.” LLDC3 is set to take place from 10-13 December. Here’s what you need to know about LLDCs and plans for this year’s conference: What are LLDCs?… Continue reading Driving Progress: Botswana prepares for historic UN conference on landlocked countries

By Daniel Johnson 22 August 2024 Humanitarian Aid UN aid teams have warned that vital chorine supplies that are essential for purifying water are running out and deteriorating in Gaza, while humanitarians condemned new strikes on schools sheltering people displaced by the war.  There are enough chlorine reserves to last just one month, said the… Continue reading Gaza: Vital aid supplies running low as schools hit in further strikes

“We need a ceasefire now,” says the top UN official for Middle East peace, briefing the Security Council.

Speaking in Samoa, where he met residents uprooted from their homes by sea level rise and coastal erosion, Mr. Guterres said that Pacific islanders had refused to be victims of climate change. But their ambitious plans to resist this “existential threat for millions” had been put on hold, amid a lack of promised funding, he… Continue reading UN chief urges climate justice for Pacific nations beset by rising oceans

Elizabeth Spehar, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support, addressed the Council’s high-level debate on the UN Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace. Launched in July 2023, the policy brief shows how conflict prevention and peacebuilding can help to reverse the trend towards violence while reducing the human and economic costs of war. Break the cycle “Prevention and… Continue reading ‘Break the cycle of violence’ through prevention and peacebuilding, Security Council told

21 August 2024 Peace and Security “Continuous” Israeli military evacuation orders in Gaza threaten already extremely vulnerable people in the enclave with further forced displacement, raising concerns that vital services could soon be cut off, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday. More than 10 months into the war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks in… Continue reading Gaza: Latest evacuation orders leave civilians dangerously close to frontline

UN Resident Coordinator Matthias Schmale said that the attack damaged a transit centre in Pokrovsk town “where people already fleeing for safety had sought shelter”. In a statement, he insisted that civilians and civilian infrastructure – including humanitarian facilities – were protected under international humanitarian law, “which must be adhered to”. Humanitarian partners on the… Continue reading World News in Brief: Ukraine alert over new attacks, more Nicaragua NGO closures, disinformation in DRC

20 August 2024 Peace and Security The urgency of deescalating tensions along the frontier that separates Lebanese and Israeli armed forces, “cannot be overstated”, a senior UN humanitarian official said on Tuesday. Since the start of the military operation by Israel in Gaza in October 2023, in response to the terror attacks by Hamas and… Continue reading Lebanon: Crisis deepens amid escalating conflict and funding shortfalls

The UN chief’s Spokesperson told journalists at the regular press briefing in New York on Monday that Mr. Guterres had spoken to the Prime Minister of Qatar yesterday. “He was briefed on the state of the situation, and he will be staying in close touch and informed,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said. The talks, backed… Continue reading Gaza: UN warns of worsening humanitarian disaster as ceasefire talks continue

Global perspective Human stories WFP prepares food for distribution in Forbaranga, West Darfur. 19 August 2024 Humanitarian Aid On Monday, UN authorities in Sudan confirmed that truckloads of food and supplies have been approved to cross the border from Chad through the Adre crossing. The opening of the vital aid route on Friday was welcomed… Continue reading Humanitarian aid to Sudan civilians stalled by floods and violence

19 August 2024 UN Affairs UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Monday for Houthi rebels in Yemen to immediately and unconditionally release UN staff, humanitarians, diplomatic personnel and others who have been detained for more than two months.  The more than 60 men and women being held are all Yemeni nationals.  They include 13 UN… Continue reading Guterres demands immediate release of UN staff and others detained in Yemen

Overflowing rivers have submerged towns and villages, impacting nearly 400,000 people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported. Critical infrastructure has been damaged – including roads and railways – along with wide swaths of cropland, threatening both livelihoods and food security. “Across Myanmar, people are facing the painful consequences of widespread… Continue reading Widespread floods and uptick in fighting deepen humanitarian crisis in Myanmar

The sharp increase is being driven by diseases, including cholera and malaria, high food insecurity, and limited access to safe drinking water and other essential services, according to the analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Technical Working Group. Yemen has been mired in conflict and economic collapse for nearly a decade.  As… Continue reading UN and partners report acute malnutrition surge in Government-controlled areas of Yemen

Situated in southern Ukraine, Zaporizhzhya is Europe’s largest nuclear plant and has been under Russian control since shortly after the launch of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. An IAEA team located there was informed that an explosive carried by a drone detonated just outside the plant’s protected area. Appeal for restraint The impact site… Continue reading Ukraine: Deteriorating safety at Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant following nearby drone blast

Around 110,000 people have been displaced inside Lebanon since October, 35 percent of them children, the agency has reported. It is estimated that almost 150,000 people remain within the 10-kilometre Blue Line. Since the Hamas-led terror attacks of 7 October there have been 16 recorded attacks on healthcare, with 21 paramedics killed during hostilities, according… Continue reading World News in Brief: Lebanon latest, Ukraine war update, anti-LGBT law change in Bulgaria

“I am appealing to all parties to provide concrete assurances right away guaranteeing humanitarian pauses for the campaign,” he said, speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.  “Let’s be clear: The ultimate vaccine for polio is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. But in any case, a Polio Pause is a must.” ‘Polio… Continue reading Guterres appeals for ‘Polio Pause’ in Gaza

15 August 2024 Peace and Security Bombing which devastated a school and market in the Sudanese city of El Obeid on Wednesday has left five girls dead and 20 children injured according to the UN Children’s Fund’s Sudan Representative. The bomb hit the Al-Khansa Secondary School for Girls and a crowded marketplace in El Obeid… Continue reading Attack on a city in Sudan kills at least five and injures more: UNICEF

Hans Grundberg, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, and Lisa Doughten from the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, made the appeal in separate briefings to ambassadors. Civic space shrinking “In four days, on the 19th  of August, we will commemorate World Humanitarian Day,” Mr. Grundberg said.  “Yet, in Yemen, we are facing a clampdown by… Continue reading UN reiterates call to release staffers detained in Yemen

15 August 2024 Peace and Security As the number of Palestinians killed in Gaza passes the dark milestone of 40,000, UN rights chief Volker Türk called on Thursday for an end to the killing “once and for all” and the release of all hostages, while negotiators prepared to meet in Qatar to renew efforts to… Continue reading Most of Gaza 40,000 dead are women and children, says UN rights chief

14 August 2024 Peace and Security The killing, injury and displacement of Palestinians continues in the West Back against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, now in its 10th month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in an update issued on Wednesday.  The number of Palestinian children killed… Continue reading Humanitarians report rise in children killed and injured in the West Bank

Nicholas Haysom, who also heads the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), briefed ambassadors on political, security and humanitarian developments in the world’s youngest nation, which was scheduled to hold its first post-independence elections in December. Election date proposal expected The latest UNMISS report covers the period from mid-February to mid-July, as political parties continued… Continue reading No date yet for long-awaited South Sudan elections

“Extreme heat is increasing, disrupting children’s health, well-being and daily routines,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. The study compared averages in the 1960s with the period 2020-2024, measuring the days which exceeded 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). It presents a stark warning over the speed and scale at which such days are increasing for almost half a… Continue reading Extreme heat increasingly disrupting child health, UNICEF warns

14 August 2024 Peace and Security The risk of polio spreading in Gaza remains high unless there is an urgent and comprehensive response to the serious health threat, UN humanitarians said on Wednesday. “At least two rounds of [orally delivered polio vaccine] will be necessary to shut down transmission,” the World Health Organization (WHO) and… Continue reading Gaza remains at ‘high risk’ of polio virus spread, warn UN aid teams

More than 100 people were reportedly killed in the attack on the al-Taba’een school in Gaza City, which took place during morning prayer hours. It was one of at least 21 strikes on school shelters recorded since 4 July. “It pointed once again to the desperate need to reach a ceasefire, free the hostages and… Continue reading Security Council: Political affairs chief underlines ‘desperate need’ for Gaza ceasefire

Many were trying to flee the fighting in towns of Maungdaw in Rakhine state and Lashio in Shan state, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists at the daily briefing in New York. “These incidents are part of a deeply concerning trend in the intensifying conflict, with civilians bearing the brunt of a conflict that… Continue reading World News in Brief: Myanmar’s child victims, disenfranchisement in Thailand, aid breakthrough in Syria

12 August 2024 Peace and Security An attack on a UN facility for displaced people in Sudan has left two dead and at least eight others injured, humanitarians have reported. Condemning the incident at the weekend, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said that the youngsters had been playing football when a shell struck its “child-friendly… Continue reading Sudan: UNICEF condemns deadly strike as war grinds on

Addressing the Council, he emphasized that its composition reflected the balance of power at the end of World War Two and has failed to keep pace with a changing world. “In 1945, most of today’s African countries were still under colonial rule and had no voice in international affairs,” he said. “We cannot accept that… Continue reading Security Council: Africa deserves permanent seat at the table, says Guterres

“The Secretary-General condemns the continued loss of life in Gaza, including women and children, as we witness yet another devastating strike by Israel on the Al-Taba’een school in Gaza City, sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians families, with scores of fatalities, amidst continued horror, displacement, and suffering in Gaza,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq. The incident occurred on Saturday and at least 100 people… Continue reading UN chief condemns ‘devastating strike’ on Gaza school

11 August 2024 Peace and Security Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep alarm at the evolving situation in El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan, where fierce fighting in the famine-stricken area has been reported, his deputy spokesperson said late Sunday. Clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces, Rapid Support Forces and elements of the Armed Struggle Movements… Continue reading ‘Protect civilians’ amid clashes in famine-stricken El Fasher, Sudan: UN chief

At around 4:30am during dawn prayer on Saturday, a mosque inside Al Tabaeen School was struck by the IDF “at least three times”, the UN rights office, OHCHR, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a statement, adding that the attacks were “conducted with apparent disregard for the high rate of civilian fatalities”. An initial… Continue reading ‘Another day of horror’: UN rights office condemns Israeli strikes at Gazan school

“Civilians pay the highest price in this war,” Denise Brown said in statement.  “We must not allow this to be normalized. International humanitarian law must be respected, and civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times.” According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), increasing attacks in the Donetsk… Continue reading World News in Brief: Ukraine attacks condemned, new cybercrime treaty, ‘alarmingly high’ executions in Iran

The conflict, which erupted last April between rival militaries – the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has left over 12 million people displaced, both within Sudan and across its borders. “Heavy rains and flooding have already impacted tens of thousands of people across Sudan, causing further displacement, injuries and deaths,”… Continue reading Sudan’s displaced millions face escalating hardship amid war and floods

Vladimir Voronkov, head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), also highlighted the danger posed by ISIL-Khorasan, the Da’esh affiliate in Afghanistan, resulting in heightened threat levels in Europe. These included the attack by the group on the Crocus City Hall near Moscow that killed over 140 concert goers and wounded more than 500. ISIL-K… Continue reading UN counter-terrorism chief highlights Da’esh surge, calling for global action

Global perspective Human stories Khan Younis in Gaza has been heavily bombed. 8 August 2024 Peace and Security The recent surge in violence and attacks in the Middle East is taking a shocking toll on young lives in the region, a senior official with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday in an appeal… Continue reading UNICEF warns against escalating violence in the Middle East

The Zamzam camp houses about 500,000 displaced persons and is located near North Dufur’s besieged capital, El Fasher, which has witnessed some of the fiercest fighting since the start of the war between rival militaries Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) last April. An estimated 10.7 million people have been displaced within… Continue reading Sudan: Over a dozen more areas at risk of famine as fighting impedes aid

7 August 2024 Humanitarian Aid A new report from the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) reveals that food insecurity levels in Zimbabwe are rapidly deteriorating after it was hit with historic droughts due to the El Niño weather pattern. This comes just two months after UN humanitarians declared Zimbabwe as one of the hunger hotspots… Continue reading Zimbabwe faces worsening food crisis due to El Niño droughts

Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, which champions gender equality worldwide, told ambassadors in the Security Council that cuts are being made by some governments despite an uptick in conflict and insecurity.  “It is counter-intuitive that, in the face of unprecedented levels of conflict and violence, the number of deployed peacekeeping personnel has dropped… Continue reading Gender equality at risk: UN officials highlight danger of pulling peacekeepers out

Last month saw another extreme weather milestone with the world’s hottest day on recent record registered on 22 July – yet another indication of the extent to which greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are changing our climate, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported on Wednesday. 

The resignation and departure of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister after weeks of bloody protests has been met with “euphoria” alongside some concern over the government’s transition, the UN’s top official in Bangladesh said in an interview with UN News on Tuesday.  

6 August 2024 Peace and Security The UN Secretary-General called for nuclear disarmament on Tuesday as the world marked 79 years since the bombing of Hiroshima, promising that the UN will “spare no effort to ensure the horrors of that day are never repeated.” On 6 August 1945, the United States dropped a bomb dubbed… Continue reading UN chief warns of nuclear ‘danger’ as world remembers Hiroshima; urges elimination of weapons

According to the office at least 17 schools have been hit, raising serious concerns about compliance with principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including distinction, proportionality and precaution. OHCHR also pointed to an escalation in such attacks. Since last Monday, at least seven schools have been targeted – all reportedly serving as shelters for internally… Continue reading UN rights office reports escalation in strikes on schools in Gaza

The development follows the conclusion of an investigation by the UN Office of Oversight Services (OIOS), launched earlier this year after Israel alleged that several UNRWA personnel took part in the brutal assault on its territory in which some 1,200 people were killed and another 250 were taken to Gaza as hostages. However, OIOS was… Continue reading Nine UNRWA staff to be fired for potential role in 7 October attacks on Israel

5 August 2024 Human Rights The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Monday for an urgent de-escalation in the Middle East as tensions mount in the wake of recent deadly attacks linked to the war in Gaza, which is about to enter its 10th month.  “I am deeply worried about the rising risk… Continue reading Middle East: UN rights chief warns against wider war, appeals for urgent de-escalation

3 August 2024 Peace and Security The UN envoy for Somalia has strongly condemned a suicide attack on a popular beachfront in the capital, Mogadishu, that claimed dozens of civilian lives. The Al-Shabaab terrorist group reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place late on Friday night (local time) and involved a suicide bombing… Continue reading UN envoy condemns deadly suicide attack on Somalia beach

The top UN envoy in the Middle East called on Friday for urgent action to address the “growing risk” of regional escalation following recent deadly attacks in Lebanon, the Syrian Golan Heights and Iran linked to the war in Gaza.

Across Europe, more than 50 countries “are paying the ultimate price”, said WHO Regional Director Dr Hans Kluge, only days since Earth recorded its warmest average temperature yet, at 17.16 degrees Celsius (62.89 Fahrenheit), and as exhausting summer heatwaves hit across the northern hemisphere. Dr Kluge said that the three warmest years on record in… Continue reading Heat claims more than 175,000 lives annually in Europe, latest data shows

Mr. Guterres spoke that morning with the country’s acting Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri. Concern for the region “During the conversation, the Secretary-General expressed his deep concern regarding the ongoing situation in the region,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during his daily briefing in New York “He reiterated his public message urging all parties to work… Continue reading Middle East: Guterres underlines need for de-escalation in call to Iranian Foreign Minister

“This first step in a much longer road focuses on activities that will give children a refuge from the horrors they continue to live through,” Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. He added that the children in Gaza “are going through unspeakable atrocities. They are living in… Continue reading Gaza: UNRWA programme aims to get children ‘back to learning’

“The international community must work together to prevent any actions that could make the conflict much bigger and wider very quickly,” Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for political affairs said, warning of skyrocketing tensions in the wake of the killing of a top Hamas leader in Tehran earlier in the day. The killing came against the… Continue reading Security Council debates ‘serious and dangerous escalation’ in the Middle East

31 July 2024 Peace and Security The conflict in Sudan has led to a horrifying surge in violence against children, a new UN report has revealed, underscoring the need for urgent and tangible protection measures. The report on Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan, released on Tuesday, documented a staggering 2,168 grave violations against 1,913… Continue reading Skyrocketing violence against children in Sudan demands urgent protection measures: UN report

31 July 2024 Peace and Security UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged the international community to prevent escalation in the Middle East, following an Israeli strike on Lebanon’s capital and the reported killing of a top Hamas leader in Iran. “The Secretary-General believes that the attacks we have seen in South Beirut and Teheran represent… Continue reading Middle East: Beirut and Tehran attacks ‘represent a dangerous escalation’, Guterres warns

31 July 2024 Peace and Security The United Nations has voiced grave concern over Israeli strikes in the densely populated southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, on Tuesday, which resulted in scores of civilian casualties. “As we await further clarity on the circumstances, we again urge the parties to exercise maximum restraint and call on… Continue reading UN calls for ‘maximum restraint’ following Israeli strikes on Beirut suburbs

By Daniel Johnson 31 July 2024 Peace and Security A new UN report published Wednesday into alleged abuses carried out against thousands of Palestinians detained by the Israeli authorities since war erupted in Gaza last October has documented a range of serious violations that may amount to torture. “The staggering number of men, women, children, doctors,… Continue reading Israeli military in spotlight over ‘incommunicado’ detention of Palestinians

30 July 2024 Human Rights UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has joined the Secretary-General in voicing concern over the situation in Venezuela following the recent presidential election.  In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mr. Türk said he was “extremely concerned” about increasing tensions in the South American country.  Voting took place on… Continue reading Venezuela: UN rights chief concerned about post-election tension and violence

29 July 2024 Peace and Security The top UN humanitarian official for Gaza said on Monday that the situation in the war-ravaged enclave remains “absolutely catastrophic”, with Palestinian civilians enduring a “horrendous maelstrom of human misery.” Recently returned from the Gaza Strip, Sigrid Kaag, the UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza was speaking… Continue reading UN official describes Gaza situation as ‘absolutely catastrophic’ amid severe shortages

Evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military have impacted Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps, forcing families to relocate “again and again, knowing that safety is non-existent in the Gaza Strip”, said the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees, UNRWA, in a post on X. More than nine months into the war in Gaza, only 14 per cent of the enclave has not… Continue reading Gaza: Fresh evacuation orders compound misery for enclave’s displaced

29 July 2024 Peace and Security UN Secretary-General António Guterres has commended the people of Venezuela “for their determination to express their will peacefully through the ballot box,” his Spokesperson said on Monday.  Following hours of delays, incumbent Nicolas Maduro was formally declared winner of the disputed presidential election held on Sunday, securing a third… Continue reading Venezuela: Guterres ‘calls for complete transparency’ following disputed presidential election

Fierce fighting broke out in early July in eastern Myanmar, collapsing a ceasefire between the military and a coalition of three ethnic armed groups that had banded together in October last year against the junta. Reports indicate that the ethnic armed groups have captured key regional towns, while the tatmadaw – as the Myanmar armed… Continue reading UN officials alarmed by civilian targeting amid renewed fighting in Myanmar

Muhannad Hadi, Deputy UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and Antonia De Meo, Deputy Commissioner-General of the UN agency assisting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, briefed the Security Council on the dire situation. “For nearly 10 months now, Palestinians and Israelis have lived through untold suffering, grief, sorrow, and loss. More than two million… Continue reading ‘Endless nightmare’ of death and destruction in Gaza, UN officials tell Security Council

Deputy UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Adedeji Ebo, briefed ambassadors and also provided an update on casualty figures. Mr. Ebo said that since the last briefing on 14 June, the armed forces of Ukraine have continued to receive military assistance, as well as transfers of arms and ammunition, “in the context of the full-scale… Continue reading Security Council debates weapon transfers to Ukraine

The appeal comes against the backdrop of record temperatures and deadly heatwaves – from the United States to Africa’s Sahel and Europe to the Middle East – that have killed several hundred people this summer. During the Hajj, for instance, scorching heat claimed over 1,300 pilgrim lives. “Billions of people are facing an extreme heat… Continue reading The heat is on: We must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures, urges UN chief

The development comes as media reports indicated that truce and hostage swap talks in Doha scheduled on Thursday in Qatar had been postponed until early next week. Some 116 hostages are still missing, with 44 believed to have died, reports say, nearly 10 months since Hamas-led terror attacks on multiple targets in southern Israel left… Continue reading Gaza: Hunger fears persist as Israeli operations further harm enclave’s farmers

The attacks, which took place on 16 and 18 July reportedly occurred because of a land, lake ownership and user rights dispute. These attacks reportedly stem from conflicts resulting from tribal violence in the southwest Pacific nation in February where about 26 people were also killed. The UN human rights office (OHCHR) had urged the… Continue reading World News in Brief: Rights chief ‘horrified’ at deadly PNG violence, Lebanon-Israel ‘knife edge’, Sudan refugees suffer sexual violence

“Simply put – we do not have the necessary conditions in the Gaza Strip for a robust humanitarian response,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement issued in the wake of an attack on one of the agency’s vehicles and the latest Israeli evacuation order in Khan Younis. Children suffer ‘permanent scars’  Ms. Russell began by acknowledging the dire… Continue reading UNICEF chief calls for urgent security reset in Gaza amid ‘new horrors’

24 July 2024 Climate and Environment Soaring summer temperatures in Europe and Central Asia are killing nearly 400 children a year according to new analysis of the latest available data by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released on Wednesday. UNICEF revealed that 377 children died in 2021 based on data from 23 countries across the… Continue reading Rising heat in Europe and Central Asia killing almost 400 children a year: UNICEF

According to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, some 1.9 million people – nine in 10 in Gaza – have been forcibly uprooted since 7 October, including people who have been repeatedly displaced. For UN aid agencies and partners, “fuel shortages continue to undermine humanitarian operations and jeopardize the functioning of health, water and food production… Continue reading Gaza: Exodus from Khan Younis compounds pressure on meagre resources

23 July 2024 Peace and Security The UN Secretary-General has welcomed a new agreement signed on Tuesday in Beijing by Hamas and Fatah, together with smaller Palestinian factions, aimed at ending years of political rivalry as the war in Gaza grinds on. In response to questions at the regular daily briefing in New York, UN… Continue reading UN chief welcomes agreement between Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas

“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 –… Continue reading Yemen: UN envoy warns of threat of return to ‘full-fledged war’ as regional tensions escalate

In Khan Younis, the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) reported witnessing “thousands of people fleeing” westwards as part of the exodus from the enclave’s southern city amid ongoing hostilities, leaving children traumatized and crying uncontrollably. “Elderly people on the back of donkey carts…disabled people being pushed in wheelchairs through the sand with the belongings… Continue reading Where do I go now, ask Gazans uprooted by new Israeli evacuation orders

23 July 2024 Peace and Security Renewed attacks on civilians in eastern Burkina Faso by non-State armed groups have forced thousands to flee to neighbouring Niger in search of safety, amid a deepening emergency, UN humanitarians have warned. In an alert, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said that previous attacks in recent weeks along Burkina… Continue reading Attacks on civilians in Burkina Faso force thousands into neighbouring Niger

“One rash move, one miscalculation could trigger a catastrophe that goes far beyond the borders and, frankly, beyond imagination,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, in a briefing via videoconference. The meeting, called by France, United Kingdom and the United States, came on the heels of a Houthi drone attack against Tel… Continue reading Middle East: ‘One rash move could trigger a catastrophe’

22 July 2024 Climate and Environment The world’s forests are becoming increasingly susceptible to wildfires and pests due to climate change, according to a new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), released Monday.  “Forests and trees are essential components of agrifood systems. The removal of forest cover, especially in the tropics, increases… Continue reading Forests face increasing risk of wildfires and pests due to climate change

He reminded ambassadors that “Syria remains in a state of profound conflict, complexity and division” – one of four key messages he had for ambassadors. His also focused on the plight of Syrian refugees, the need for a political solution, and engagement towards implementation of Council resolution 2254 (2015), which endorses a road map for… Continue reading UN Special Envoy warns of escalation risk in Syria

“Heavy shooting from the Israeli Forces at a UN convoy heading to Gaza city. While there are no casualties, our teams had to duck and take cover” in the incident on Sunday, according to the head of UNRWA, Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, in a post on X, which called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.… Continue reading Gaza city-bound UN aid convoy comes under Israeli fire, says UNRWA

21 July 2024 Peace and Security UN Secretary-General António Guterres has responded to Israel’s airstrikes on the Yemeni port city of Hudaydah, which reportedly killed at least six people and injured more than 80, by calling for all parties involved in the conflict to “exercise utmost restraint”. In statement, Mr. Guterres noted that Israel had… Continue reading UN chief expresses deep concern over Israel strikes on Yemen, and risk of regional escalation

19 July 2024 Humanitarian Aid The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees UNRWA welcomed the decision by the United Kingdom on Friday to resume funding of the agency “at a critical time, as the agency continues to come under harsh and unprecedented attacks”. Sixteen countries pulled funding from the UN agency in January… Continue reading Boost for UNRWA as UK decides to restore funding

19 July 2024 Humanitarian Aid Heavy fighting in Sudan has severely curtailed humanitarian aid deliveries across vast areas of the southeast, the UN World Food Programme, WFP, said on Friday. In an alert, WFP expressed deep concern about “the escalation of fighting” in Sudan’s Sennar State. More than 136,000 people have already fled their homes,… Continue reading Sudan aid obstacles impact lifesaving relief effort

In a statement, Christian Lindmeier, spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (VDPV2) had been identified at six locations in sewage samples collected on 23 June from Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. To date, no one has been treated in Gaza for paralysis or other symptoms caused by… Continue reading Polio stalks Gazans as ‘anarchy’ spreads, humanitarians warn

“They are losing their lives, they are sick, hungry, exhausted, holding families together despite their constant fear and loss,” said Maryse Guimond, speaking from Jerusalem to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York. Ms. Guimond recently concluded a weeklong mission to Gaza – a place she has visited more than 50 times in her six years in the job, including after previous escalations.  This time, she was not prepared… Continue reading No end in sight to the ‘war on women’ in Gaza

In addition to all those forcibly uprooted from their shelters and homes, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the delivery of lifesaving rations has become even more difficult than it was already. “Many distribution points have had to shut down. Only a few bakeries remain operational,” the UN agency said in a post on… Continue reading ‘Largest’ displacements so far in Gaza’s war of attrition: UN aid agencies

The demonstrations erupted two weeks ago, and students have been clashing with their pro-government counterparts and the police in the capital, Dhaka, and other cities.  The Bangladeshi Government closed all public and private universities after the protests turned deadly on Tuesday, with six people killed and scores injured, according to media reports. Writing on social… Continue reading World News in Brief: Bangladesh student protests, South Sudan attacks continue, opportunity knocks for climate action in Africa

17 July 2024 Peace and Security The World Health Organization (WHO) has registered more than 1,000 attacks on healthcare facilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since the October 7 terror attacks in Israel sparked the on-going war in Gaza, the agency’s top official in the region said on Wednesday. In a press briefing, Dr. Rik… Continue reading Over 1,000 attacks on healthcare in Occupied Palestinian Territory since October

17 July 2024 Peace and Security The UN Security Council on Wednesday convened an open debate on the ongoing crisis in Gaza, which continues to be marked by immense suffering – compounded now by a complete breakdown of law and order – and a humanitarian system on the brink of collapse. Addressing ambassadors on behalf… Continue reading Security Council debates Gaza crisis, as civilian suffering continues unabated

Global perspective Human stories UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the media at UN Headquarters in New York (file photo). 16 July 2024 Peace and Security UN Secretary-General António Guterres is remembering the 298 people killed in “the tragic downing” of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over conflict-affected eastern Ukraine 10 years ago this Wednesday, his Spokesperson… Continue reading Guterres renews call for accountability 10 years after ‘tragic downing’ of flight MH17

The “grim milestone” means that 20 per cent of the population has been forced to flee in the span of just 15 months, he added. “The majority of those displaced are inside the country – that is almost eight million human beings – and over half of those are children,” said Mr. Dujarric, speaking during… Continue reading World News in Brief: Sudan displacement ‘grim milestone’, UN deputy chief in West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire joins UN water treaty

Reports of strikes landing near an aid centre in Deir Al-Balah came from the UN humanitarian office, OCHA, said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, who provided updates on the situation in the besieged enclave. “The [aid] operations are continuing,” he told journalists at UN Headquarters. “But, if there’s a strike 100 metres away from the place where… Continue reading Gaza: Multiple strikes kill dozens near UN aid hub as thousands flee fighting

16 July 2024 Peace and Security The current polarized international political landscape was on raw display at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, as it convened for the Russian presidency’s signature event for the month, entitled “multilateral cooperation in the interest of a more just, democratic and sustainable world order”. Russian Foreign Minister and… Continue reading Polarized Security Council debates meaning of multilateralism

“What Haitians want the most is peace, that will allow them to return to school, to farm their fields, to access basic services such as going to a hospital,” Edem Wosornu, Operations and Advocacy Director with the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said in a joint statement issued on Monday. Ms. Wosornu visited Haiti alongside Lucia Elmi, Director for Emergency Operations… Continue reading UN and EU humanitarians appeal for more support for Haiti

In an alert, Dr Shible Sahbani, WHO Representative to Sudan, said that heavy fighting between Sudan’s rival militaries had made access to El Fasher “completely impossible”, as the country’s warring parties continue to hold talks in Geneva. The latest warning about the emergency comes 15 months since heavy conflict erupted between rival militaries in Sudan… Continue reading Sudan: 800,000 still trapped in El Fasher where supplies running out, warns WHO

15 July 2024 Climate and Environment Eight critical global shifts are accelerating a triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss, pollution and waste, according to the new Global Foresight Report produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Science Council (ISC) released on Monday.  “The rapid rate of change, uncertainty and technological developments we’re… Continue reading The triple planetary crisis: Global Foresight Report reveals global shifts

15 July 2024 Humanitarian Aid Twelve years on from independence the people of South Sudan continue to face huge challenges, exacerbated now by the war in neighbouring Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday. The UN health agency insisted that the humanitarian, economic, social and political crises that began with brutal civil conflict… Continue reading South Sudan faces a growing humanitarian crisis, warns WHO

In an update from Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis where victims have been admitted, veteran UN aid official Scott Anderson reported witnessing “some of the most horrific” scenes he had experienced in his nine months in Gaza. “With not enough beds, hygiene equipment, sheeting or scrubs, many patients were treated on the ground without… Continue reading Gaza: fresh airstrikes reported in centre, south, as conflict intensifies

13 July 2024 Peace and Security The UN health agency and partners are responding to help the hundreds hurt during Saturday’s airstrikes by Israeli forces on Gaza’s Al Mawasi area which have reportedly left at least 90 dead and around 300 injured, according to figures from the war-torn enclave’s health ministry. Israeli officials said the… Continue reading Gaza: WHO and partners provide lifesaving treatment following deadly Israeli strikes in Al Mawasi

Leonardo Santos Simão, who heads the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), told the Security Council that by “renouncing ECOWAS”, the three military-led governments would be “relinquishing key benefits” including regional integration, freedom of movement, security cooperation and an integrated regional economy, hurting both themselves and remaining ECOWAS members. The three transitional… Continue reading Top official warns of weakened regional security following withdrawal from West African economic bloc by Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger

Launching its annual sand and dust storm report the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said poor environmental management had made their occurrence worse. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo called for increased vigilance due to climate change. “Scientific evidence shows that human activities are having an impact on sand and dust storms,” she said. She cited higher temperatures, drought… Continue reading World News in Brief: Sand and dust storm scourge, Mali humanitarian update, moving education online

Speaking at a pledging conference for the agency, the UN chief outlined the countless challenges facing Palestinian civilians in Gaza who are “forced to move like human pinballs across a landscape of destruction and death”. “Hopelessness is the greatest ally of instability,” he warned, stressing that through its work, “UNRWA is one of the greatest… Continue reading Gaza: There is no alternative to UNRWA, Guterres declares

For decades, conflict in the mineral-rich eastern DRC has triggered alarming levels of violence, mass displacement, widespread disease, gender-based violence and severe mental trauma, explained Dr Adelheid Marschang, Senior Emergency Officer at the World Health Organization (WHO). ‘Chronic and acute shock’ Today, the vast central African nation now has the “highest number of people in… Continue reading DR Congo: Conflict escalation linked to deadly Mpox threat

Heavy conflict erupted last April between rival militaries over a proposed transition to civilian rule, following a military coup in 2021 and the 2019 ousting of long-time President Omar Al-Bashir. UN Geneva spokesperson Alessandra Vellucci confirmed that only one of the delegations attended the initial discussions after senior representatives from the Sudanese Armed Forces and… Continue reading Sudan: UN-hosted talks on local ceasefires to continue in Geneva

The Assembly also called for an immediate end to attacks against Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure, following weeks of escalation.  The resolution entitled Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was adopted with 99 countries in favour and nine against (Belarus, Burundi, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Eritrea,… Continue reading General Assembly demands immediate end to Russian aggression in Ukraine

The 2016 deal between the national authorities and the FARC-EP armed group in effect ended more than five decades of conflict, but violence persists.  Hundreds of signatories killed UN Special Representative Carlos Ruiz Massieu told ambassadors that “insecurity is clearly the main obstacle to reintegration and the success of the Peace Agreement”.  He said 421 signatories have been killed since it was signed. “In the face of this,… Continue reading Insecurity main obstacle to realizing Colombia Peace Agreement, Security Council hears

Residential areas, markets, hospitals and sites holding displaced people are all being impacted, he told reporters at the daily briefing in New York. As many as 329,000 people were displaced during the past three months from the last remaining city under Government control in Darfur, according to the UN migration agency (IOM). Civilians must be… Continue reading World News in Brief: Concern mounts over fate of El Fasher, call for consensus over South Sudan elections, indigenous rights in Brazil

In a resolution adopted without a vote, the Council strongly condemned all violations and abuses of human rights in Myanmar, particularly following the military coup in February 2021.   It called upon Myanmar “to end immediately all violence and violations of international law in the country, to ensure full protection of the human rights and… Continue reading UN rights council condemns Myanmar abuses, urges immediate action

Ukrainian authorities have said that the attacks claimed the lives of about 34 civilians, including five children, and injured over 120 others.    The attacks also damaged 130 buildings – rescue services are still working on clearing the wreckage.  Rescue operations The airstrikes on Monday hit and damaged the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, where rescue operations have… Continue reading World News in Brief: Ukraine rescue efforts, Libyan activist abducted, climate impacts on fish stocks, SDG ‘wake-up call’

These are just a few of the concerning findings of a new report into the digital economy by UN trade agency UNCTAD, which insists that the thriving sector’s negative environmental impact must be taken more seriously – and slowed by investment in renewables. “The rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency mining,… Continue reading Digital boom could well be a bust for the environment, warns UN trade agency

“Four schools hit in the last four days. Since the war began, two thirds of UNRWA schools in Gaza have been hit, some were bombed out, many severely damaged,” said Philippe Lazzarini, in a post on X. In a statement posted on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it had been targeting “terrorist infrastructure and terrorist… Continue reading Schools ‘bombed-out’ in latest Gaza escalation, says UNRWA chief

Global perspective Human stories The old City of Sana’a in Yemen. 9 July 2024 Peace and Security The UN human rights office (OHCHR) remains “extremely worried” for the well-being of 13 UN staff and a number of NGO employees arbitrarily detained in Yemen, spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said on Tuesday, demanding their unconditional release. The staffers… Continue reading UN pressing for release of staff detained in Yemen

Two of the country’s main specialist hospitals for children and women were heavily damaged along with key energy infrastructure, reportedly killing dozens of civilians, including children, and injuring over 110. Joyce Msuya, acting UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, told ambassadors in the Security Council on Tuesday, that the UN human rights office (OHCHR) was verifying the… Continue reading Casualties rise in Ukraine amid escalating Russian attacks, Security Council hears

Briefing journalists in Geneva, UN World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said that according to the enclave’s health authorities, 34 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration amid ongoing Israeli bombardment, sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks on 7 October. “In [northern Gaza’s] Kamal Adwan hospital alone, 60 cases of severe acute malnutrition were detected… Continue reading Gazans reeling from closed hospitals, malnutrition and heat risks, warns UN health agency

“These latest figures from the Copernicus Climate Change Service unfortunately highlight that we will be exceeding the 1.5 degrees Celsius level on a temporary basis with increasing frequency, on a monthly basis,” said the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Celeste Saulo. The crucial 1.5°C threshold refers to the temperature rise above pre-industrial levels beginning in… Continue reading Earth’s hottest June on record

8 July 2024 Peace and Security Ukrainian cities faced another barrage of missiles fired by Russian forces on Monday with dozens killed and a children’s hospital among the targets, UN humanitarians have said. Condemning the daytime attacks, the UN’s top aid coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, said that several cities were targeted, including the capital,… Continue reading Several Ukrainian cities hit in new wave of Russia missile attacks

5 July 2024 Peace and Security Fresh fighting in southeast Sudan is exacerbating civilian suffering, with reports that over 136,000 people have fled their homes in search of safety, UN humanitarians have said. “People are facing multiple protection risks and have reported widespread looting of homes and personal possessions,” the UN Office for the Coordination… Continue reading Tens of thousands displaced as fighting intensifies in southeast Sudan

The latest escalation, which occurred on Thursday, “heightens the risk of a full-scale war”, the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General said in a note to correspondents. “Escalation can and must be avoided. We reiterate that the danger of miscalculation leading to a sudden and wider conflagration is real,” it added, stressing that a… Continue reading UN warns of escalating tensions on Lebanon-Israel ‘Blue Line’ frontier

5 July 2024 Climate and Environment The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Friday designated 11 new biosphere reserves, recognizing their importance for conserving biodiversity and cultural heritage. The new designations are in Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Gambia, Italy, Mongolia, Philippines, the Republic of Korea and Spain.   Additionally, and for the first… Continue reading UNESCO designates 11 new biosphere reserves

“The central goal of our multilateral system must be peace – a pre-condition for sustainable development and the enjoyment of human rights,” he told Heads of States attending the world’s largest regional organisation meeting in Kazakhstan’s capital. António Guterres listed multiple conflicts where ceasefire and lasting peace are needed, from the Middle East to Ukraine and from… Continue reading UN chief to leaders of regional bloc: end wars, deal with existential crises

“Thousands are sheltering in UNRWA schools…and government buildings,” the UN agency for Palestine refugees told UN News, adding that others “are already beginning to turn back, telling us of lack of spaces in other areas”. UNRWA also reiterated warnings that living conditions are “beyond unbearable”, because of the mountains of waste and rubbish piled high… Continue reading Gaza war grinds on as forcibly displaced run out of space to shelter

Maria Isabel Salvador, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Haiti, briefed ambassadors at the Security Council, highlighting the installation of the Transitional Presidential Council in April and the swearing-in of an interim Prime Minister and new government in June as “clear indications of progress.” Haiti has been embroiled in a complex crisis, marked by… Continue reading Haiti: UN envoy welcomes democratic progress amidst alarming violence

Speaking via video link from Jerusalem, Andrea De Domenico, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT), said people have been forced to “completely reset their lives over and over again.” “People, in the last nine months, have been moved around like ‘pawns in a… Continue reading Gaza ‘split in two’ as civilians, humanitarians reset lives, aid efforts

“This morning, we heard views from members of Afghan civil society, women and men, who provided us – the special envoys and the UN – with valuable insights on the rights of women and minorities in the country, girls’ education, the media, business and many other issues,” Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for political affairs, told… Continue reading World News in Brief: Doha talks on Afghanistan, human rights in Belarus, Rohingya refugees in India, global trade rises

A Category 5 storm, Hurricane Beryl has claimed at least six lives as it barrels through the Caribbean Sea. Initial reports indicate severe damage to homes, infrastructure and power and communications. UN Spokesperson Stephané Dujarric told journalists at the regular press briefing in New York that seven agencies based in Grenada and nine in Saint… Continue reading UN urges international solidarity as Hurricane Beryl devastates Caribbean islands

Public services have collapsed and over 1.9 million have now been displaced, she told ambassadors at the Security Council, underscoring the critical need for a full, immediate and complete ceasefire, release of all hostages and unhindered aid across the enclave. “The war has not merely created a humanitarian crisis, it has unleashed a maelstrom of… Continue reading Gaza is a ‘maelstrom of human misery’

In an alert detailing another night of heavy bombardment across the enclave, the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said that Gazans fleeing the southern city have had to erect shelters at the water’s edge because displacement camps are already packed at the coast. Only a few weeks ago, Khan Younis was deserted after intense Israeli bombardment damaged… Continue reading Gaza: 250,000 set to be displaced by new Khan Younis escalation

1 July 2024 Peace and Security Continued violence and instability in Haiti has resulted in the displacement of over 300,000 children, with an estimated one child being displaced every minute since March, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday. Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, highlighted the horrific impact of violence on children and adolescents.… Continue reading Haiti: Violence displaces one child every minute, reports UNICEF

By Daniel Johnson 1 July 2024 Peace and Security Ongoing heavy fighting in northern Gaza has now forced an estimated 84,000 people to flee eastern Gaza City in a matter of days, while also cutting off access to a key aid distribution hub, UN humanitarians said on Monday. The exodus from Gaza City’s eastern Shujaiya… Continue reading Tens of thousands displaced in new Gaza City escalation

29 June 2024 Peace and Security The UN Secretary-General on Saturday praised the adoption of a “strong outcome document” at the end of a conference dedicated to combatting illicit small arms and light weapons worldwide, saying it was an important sign of progress. “The proliferation, diversion and misuse of small arms and light weapons continue… Continue reading UN chief lauds ‘strong’ new recommendations to limit proliferation of light weapons

Ms. Nakamitsu noted that in recent months there had been allegations of transfers of ballistic missiles and ammunition from the DPRK (more commonly known as North Korea) to Russia, in violation of Council resolutions, allegedly for use in Moscow’s continuing invasion of Ukraine. “UN Security Council sanctions regimes are at the top of such international… Continue reading Top UN official calls for strict compliance with sanctions on DPR Korea

“You can hear bombardments from the north, the middle and the south…Gaza now really is hell on earth, It’s very hot…Trash is piling up everywhere, people living under plastic sheeting where temperatures soar,” said Ms. Wateridge, a Senior Communications Officer with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, hours after returning to the shattered enclave… Continue reading Going back into ‘hell’: An aid worker’s journey through shattered Gaza

27 June 2024 Peace and Security The UN Security Council on Thursday demanded that Houthi rebels in Yemen immediately cease all attacks against merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthi attacks began at the end of last year in what the militant group said was an act of solidarity with Palestinians in… Continue reading Security Council demands Houthis cease attacks in the Red Sea

27 June 2024 Humanitarian Aid Delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza remains a difficult and frustrating task for UN and partner agencies as the conflict there grinds on amid intense civilian suffering. On Thursday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, provided details from aid coordination office OCHA on how difficult providing aid has become for agencies in… Continue reading Gaza: Aid constraints and health issues persist amid ongoing conflict

The artwork by Australian artist Fintan Magee is in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and September’s pivotal Summit of the Future.  “This work examines the human elements in the role of the UN and the fragility of peace. Lasting stability should never be taken for granted and will always require continued diplomacy and… Continue reading ‘Fragility of peace’ depicted in giant new mural on UN tower in Vienna

Briefing ambassadors at the Security Council on the situation in the country, head of the UN mission Valentine Rugwabiza stated that the additional deployment also facilitated the delivery of humanitarian aid in the restive and hard-to-access Haut Mbomou region. Bordering South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the region – which is larger… Continue reading UN mission boosts presence in Central African Republic’s conflict-stricken southeast

27 June 2024 Peace and Security Police chiefs and government leaders convened at UN Headquarters on Thursday for the opening session of UNCOPS 2024.  The summit, themed Advancing our Common Security: UN Policing for a New Era, began with a video highlighting the UN Police’s (UNPOL) mission to promote security, protect human rights, and support Member… Continue reading Global leaders address security and peacekeeping challenges at UN Police summit

Since the February 2021 coup, over 5,000 civilians have been killed, at least three million displaced. More than 20,000 political prisoners remain incarcerated. Military airstrikes against civilian targets have increased five-fold in the last six months, even as the junta loses military outposts, territory, and troops to resistance forces. Potential enablers In a new report,… Continue reading Rights expert urges banks to stop financing Myanmar junta weapons trade

Speaking anonymously and through an interpreter, the 16-year-old called on ambassadors to reinforce protection and security in conflict zones to ensure children like him never have to play an active part in the horrors of war. “When I was born, 16 years ago, there were already armed conflicts in the east of the Democratic Republic… Continue reading UN hears testimony from former child soldier on brutal reality of war

Responding to media reports on Tuesday that the UN had warned the aid effort may have to stop unless the security situation and coordination with the Israeli military improved, Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths denied that any “ultimatum” had been given. “We continue, as we have done for these many, many months to negotiate with… Continue reading We’ll never abandon Gaza, pledges top UN aid official

Mr. Assange had been sought by US lawmakers after massive leaks of classified material via the WikiLeaks platform. Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, told UN News that “people should not and should never be extradited to where they may face a torture or other… Continue reading World News in Brief: UN expert welcomes Assange release, more ICC warrants issued over Ukraine, Human Rights Council updates

Najat Rochdi, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, told council members that Syria’s dire situation needs political solutions in order for its issues to be sustainably addressed. ‘Climate of fear’ Deputy Special Envoy Rochdi said the security situation in Syria remains violent and tense leaving many civilians in a “climate of fear.” She pointed to… Continue reading Syria: Security Council highlights escalating crisis and civilian suffering

According to the latest UN-partnered Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, 96 per cent of the population – some 2.15 million people – face acute food insecurity at “crisis” level or higher – IPC 3 (check out our explainer on the IPC here). Included in this number are almost half a million people enduring… Continue reading New famine alert for Gaza where families go days without food

24 June 2024Peace and Security Restoring the Iran nuclear deal to its full and effective implementation “remains elusive”, the UN’s top political affairs official said on Monday, adding that participating countries remain at odds with each other. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, was updating ambassadors in the Security Council. The United States… Continue reading Effort to restore Iran nuclear deal ‘remains elusive’, Security Council hears

24 June 2024Health A total of 53 countries had best practice policies in place for tackling industrial trans fats in food as of last year, vastly improving the food environment for 3.7 billion people, or 46 per cent of the world’s population, according to a milestone report published by the UN World Health Organization on Monday.… Continue reading Half the world now following doctors’ orders on cutting trans fats: WHO

James Swan, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) briefed ambassadors noting that the Somali government is prioritising security and combating Al-Shabaab fighters on many fronts. “For its part, Al-Shabaab remains determined to continue terrorist attacks with little regard for the loss of civilian life,” he said. “I condemn these terrorist attacks and… Continue reading Officials highlight ongoing terrorist threats and dire humanitarian needs in Somalia

In a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Monday, António Guterres conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families, the people and Government of Russia, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. Gunmen using automatic weapons reportedly opened fire inside a Christian Orthodox church and synagogue in the city of Derbent on Sunday evening, killing an Orthodox… Continue reading World News in Brief: Guterres condemns terror attacks in Dagestan, call to end ‘war on drugs’, women Heads of State

24 June 2024Peace and Security Heavy fighting in Sudan hit a new low over the weekend when a maternity hospital in besieged El Fasher city came under attack, killing a pharmacy worker and prompting new calls on Monday from the head of the UN health agency for the violence to stop. The attack on the… Continue reading Sudan: WHO appalled by horrific attack on El Fasher’s maternity hospital

In a plea for political and financial support from Member States, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini underscored that the agency was “staggering under the weight of relentless attacks in Gaza”, after nearly nine months of intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations. “The pressures on the agency today are greater than ever before,” he insisted. In addition… Continue reading Chief of key UN agency in Gaza warns ‘entire generation’ could be lost

Mr. Piper said that the current global figure of 76 million represented those who have “lost their homes, livelihoods, their communities and in some cases, their legal identities, because of wars, disasters like earthquakes and floods, and other weather-related disasters.” Internally displaced people (IDPs), unlike refugees, have not crossed international borders. While some return home… Continue reading Record levels of displacement amid global conflict and natural disasters

Top officials from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) briefed ambassadors at the 15-member Council, describing the impact on civilians since the Taliban took over in August 2021. Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA highlighted “massive… Continue reading Officials highlight massive poverty, humanitarian despair in Afghanistan

21 June 2024Peace and Security The UN Secretary-General on Friday voiced profound concern over escalating violence and “bellicose rhetoric” between Israel and Hezbollah militants across the frontier with Lebanon, warning that one false move could trigger a catastrophe for the whole region and beyond. The situation along the Blue Line, the demarcation between Israeli and… Continue reading ‘World cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza’: Guterres

“The population has been almost entirely dispossessed of the means and capacities to ensure food security, shelter, health, and livelihood,” said Maryse Guimond, UN Women’s Special Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “Women were asking me, ‘When can we go back to our homes?’ Each displacement has brought more loss and fear.” Dignity, privacy gone… Continue reading Gaza is more than two million stories of loss: UN agencies

“Violence, particularly in the capital Port-au-Prince, has reached alarming levels, with armed groups controlling large areas and complicating humanitarian access,” the experts, including the Special Rapporteur on the rights of internally displaced persons, said. The clashes between gangs and the Haitian National Police have created a “pervasive environment of fear, restricting freedom of movement and… Continue reading Haiti faces record displacement amid escalating gang violence

Peoples’ Climate Vote 2024, the biggest ever standalone public opinion survey on climate change, also showed that 80 per cent of the respondents support more ambitious climate action. “The Peoples’ Climate Vote is loud and clear,” said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner.   “Global citizens want their leaders to transcend their differences, to act now and… Continue reading Global survey reveals ‘truly astonishing’ consensus for stronger climate action

At a Security Council high-level debate on evolving threats in cyberspace, convened by the Republic of Korea, Council President for June, Mr. Guterres underscored the transformative power of digital technologies. “Breakthroughs in digital technologies are happening at warp speed; digital advances are revolutionising economies and societies,” he said. “They are bringing people together, providing citizens… Continue reading UN chief warns of ‘cyber mercenaries’ amid spike in weaponising digital tools

In its latest report on the dire situation in Gaza issued late Wednesday, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, underscored deep concerns expressed by sister UN agency the World Food Programme (WFP) for all those in southern Gaza, traumatized and crammed into a narrow area along the beach “in the burning summer heat”. “Active conflict and… Continue reading Gaza today: Scorching heat, visible signs of wasting and heavy fighting

Briefing journalists in New York, Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that agency assisting Palestine refugee (UNRWA) estimates that only 65,000 people remain in Rafah, compared to six weeks ago when the southern city hosted 1.4 million displaced – before the Israeli evacuation order and military operation there began.  “UNRWA also tells us that for… Continue reading World News in Brief: Women doing ‘inspirational’ work in Gaza, huge increase in Haiti displacement, Uyghur rights in China

That’s a record number on the move – “fuelling profound human suffering”, António Guterres added, while at the same time honouring their strength and courage. Drawing attention to the day each 20 June, is also about stepping up efforts to protect and support those forced from their homes “on every stop of their journey.” Equal… Continue reading Honour the strength and courage of refugees, urges UN chief

The finding follows investigations by the UN human rights office, OHCHR, into six attacks that it has described as “emblematic” of Israeli tactics in the more than eight-month war, involving the suspected use of bombs weighing up to 2,000lbs (920kg) on residential buildings, a school, refugee camps and a market. These weapons measuring approximately 12… Continue reading Laws of war likely ‘consistently violated’ in Israeli strikes on Gaza: UN rights office

The fifth edition of the report, released by the Health Effects Institute (HEI), revealed that air pollution caused 8.1 million deaths worldwide in 2021 and many millions are dealing with debilitating chronic diseases, leaving healthcare systems, economies, and societies. Further, it found that children under five are particularly vulnerable to air pollution, leaving over 700,000… Continue reading Deadly and growing impact of air pollution laid bare in new UNICEF-backed report

Addressing the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized that the crisis there is “emblematic of a decades-long legacy of military domination, the stifling of dissent, and division.” He added that the same dynamics are playing out against the minority Muslim Rohingya and other communities in Rakhine province. “We… Continue reading Systematic terror, brutal atrocities rife in Myanmar: UN human rights chief

Delivering remarks in New York on behalf of the Secretary-General at a meeting aimed at eradicating the illicit trade in small arms, Izumi Nakamitsu, the head of the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs, warned on Tuesday that military expenditures continue to rise across the globe. New conflicts are placing millions of people in the line… Continue reading World News in Brief: Weapons sales threat, More aid for Haiti, global refugee and migrant survey

18 June 2024Peace and Security The UN’s top political affairs official on Tuesday reiterated that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited by international law. More than 170 civilians lost their lives and a further 690 were injured in continued Russian strikes across Ukraine last month. That’s the highest number of civilian casualties in… Continue reading Attacks against civilians in Ukraine ‘unconscionable’, Security Council hears

The war that erupted last April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has triggered political instability, a severe humanitarian emergency and widespread human rights violations. Over 15,500 fatalities have been reported in some 1,400 violent incidents targeting civilians and there are now almost 9.5 million forcibly displaced in… Continue reading ‘Nowhere is safe’ for civilians as Sudan war descends further into chaos

In his traditional opening address to the Human Rights Council now in session in Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also reiterated serious concerns raised by his Office that war crimes have been committed by all sides since conflict erupted on 7 October, sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks on multiple targets in Israel.… Continue reading Gaza: UN rights chief slams ‘unconscionable death and suffering’

Mr. Thiaw spoke to UN News ahead of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, marked annually on 17 June Ibrahim Thiaw: Desertification is happening at the local level as much as it is global. Unless we address this at the local level, we will never be able to actually control it at the… Continue reading INTERVIEW: Sustainable energy offers ‘hope’ in fight against desertification and land loss

16 June 2024Climate and Environment As nearly 40 per cent of land across the planet is degraded with more acres lost every second, governments, businesses and communities must galvanize action to reverse the damage and protect Earth, the UN chief said in a strong message for the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, marked… Continue reading Stop ‘vandalising’ Earth and help the planet thrive, UN chief urges

Global perspective Human stories Climate change impacts continue to fuel tensions and drive displacement in Nigeria. 14 June 2024Humanitarian Aid Despite its huge potential, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, continues to grapple with a host of challenges which are impacting people’s lives and triggering conflict over key resources, a senior UN official in the country… Continue reading Climate change fuels tensions in Nigeria

The head of the UN human rights office (OHCHR) Volker Türk on Friday called for serious measures to be taken to end human rights violations that are jeopardizing reconciliation and peace efforts in Ethiopia. 

14 June 2024Peace and Security A surge of attacks by Russian forces on the Kharkiv area of Ukraine is causing significant civilian casualties, as well as the destruction of homes and crucial infrastructure, the top UN official in Ukraine said today, in a plea not to “normalize” the dire conditions for Ukrainian civilians.   “There has… Continue reading War in Ukraine should not be ‘new normal’, warns top humanitarian there

Alice Nderitu, Special Adviser of the Secretary on the Prevention of Genocide, emphasized that in addition to violence, hate speech also reinforces discrimination, stigma, dehumanization, and marginalization. “Violence does not start when physical attacks are launched. Violence often starts with words. Words of hatred spread intolerance, divide societies, promote and endorse discrimination and incite violence,”… Continue reading Genocide prevention adviser warns of global threat posed by hate speech

“Driving through Gaza City to Jabalia, the destruction is unbelievable.  In the North of Gaza, I didn’t see one single building intact and there was constant shelling with drones buzzing overhead,” he said.  “The people here are traumatised and exhausted. One woman who had lost her husband told me this war has been going on… Continue reading Conflict and lawlessness hamper food aid delivery in Gaza: WFP

The US-led resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of some hostages together with Palestinian prisoners, followed by the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas and the return of Palestinians to their homes throughout Gaza while humanitarian aid flows in at scale. UN News correspondent in Gaza Ziad Taleb spoke to some of… Continue reading ‘Better late than never’: Gazans react to Security Council ceasefire resolution

13 June 2024Peace and Security The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Thursday that calls for the paramilitary Rapid Security Forces (RSF) in Sudan to halt their siege on El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state.  The resolution, put forward by the United Kingdom, received 14 votes in favour, none against, with Russia abstaining.… Continue reading Security Council demands end to siege of El Fasher in Sudan

Many innocent civilians were killed, including children, in a residential area of the densely populated city. It also struck education facilities and several apartment buildings.  “Strikes on Ukrainian cities by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to bring devastating human loss,” said Ms. Brown. Respect international law    “International humanitarian law must be respected,”… Continue reading World News in Brief: Ukraine attacks continue, education in Africa, Albinism update

Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned ambassadors in the Security Council that recent months have seen a “gradual increase” in fighting in several locations, as well as consistent threats by all sides to return to war. If the parties continue the current escalatory trajectory the “question is not if, but… Continue reading UN envoy warns Yemenis not to return to the battlefield

Children were killed and maimed in unprecedented numbers in places such as Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, notably Gaza; Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and Ukraine, his annual report on Children and Armed Conflict revealed.  The alarming increase was due to the evolving nature, complexity, and intensification of armed conflict,… Continue reading UN reports ‘shocking’ rise in violations against children in conflict in 2023

In a stark assessment of the dire situation after more than eight months of war, the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Tuesday that “a significant proportion of Gaza’s population is now facing catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions”. To date, more than 8,000 youngsters have been diagnosed and… Continue reading Gaza: 8,000 children diagnosed with malnutrition amid ongoing shelling

“In Gaza, we are deeply committed to humanitarian aid to the population in Gaza, where UNRWA is the backbone of that support,” Mr. Guterres told journalists in Geneva. “We have faced a number of difficulties and obstacles that are well known, but nothing diminishes our commitment,” he added, amid a long-running misinformation campaign to discredit… Continue reading Guterres highlights ‘unique level of destruction’ in Gaza ahead of G7 summit

Ambassadors held an open meeting on the human rights situation in the country, commonly known as North Korea, convened by Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. China and Russia opposed the meeting and called for a procedural vote by the 15 members, which was defeated.  Alone and claustrophobic  Briefing… Continue reading Life in DPR Korea still ‘daily struggle devoid of hope’ warns human rights chief

In a video posted on social media, Karim Khan urged victim groups, civil society organizations, national authorities, and international partners to engage with his Office and provide any evidence and material relating to the ongoing atrocities being inflicted on civilians. The ICC has an ongoing active investigation into the situation in Darfur, which began in… Continue reading ICC Prosecutor appeals for evidence of Darfur atrocities

11 June 2024Migrants and Refugees At least 49 migrants have been killed, including many women and children, and a further 140 are missing after the boat they were on capsized off the coast of Yemen on Monday, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported. Some 260 people were abroad the vessel that had… Continue reading Over 180 migrants dead or missing in latest tragedy off Yemen, UN agency reports

The President and Prosecutor with the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) briefed ambassadors on progress made over the past two years as it moves closer towards wrapping up for good. The Mechanism was established by the Council to continue essential functions of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which closed in December… Continue reading UN war crimes tribunals move closer to completion

11 June 2024Peace and Security The UN Development Progamme (UNDP) is helping to tackle the mountain of rubble and waste in Ukraine – one of the fallouts from the full-scale Russian invasion of the country, now in its third year.  The war has affected more than a quarter of Ukraine’s territory, according to the authorities,… Continue reading UNDP supports innovative solution to ‘war waste’ in Ukraine

Speaking in Jordan at an international conference prompted by the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, Mr. Guterres insisted that after more than eight months of intense hostilities, “the horror must stop”. “I welcome the peace initiative recently outlined by President Biden and urge all parties to seize this opportunity and come to an agreement,” the… Continue reading Gaza: ‘high time’ for ceasefire and hostage release, says Guterres

Four additional UN staff members have been detained and held incommunicado by the de facto authorities since 2021 and 2023, without access to their families or their respective organizations and agencies.  “This is an alarming development that raises serious concerns about the Houthis’ commitment to a negotiated solution to the conflict. The United Nations condemns… Continue reading Yemen: UN chief demands release of aid workers held by Houthis

But, briefing the Security Council, Abdou Abarry, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the region also warned that insecurity and humanitarian crises continue to plague nations.   Observers had reported Chad’s presidential elections in May took place “under good conditions”, albeit with some isolated incidents which had not compromised the conduct or credibility of the… Continue reading Envoy highlights progress towards a new political landscape in Central Africa

Global perspective Human stories A woman and child carry possessions through the streets of Rafah. 10 June 2024Women The UN agency championing gender equality called on Monday for greater investment in Palestinian women-led organizations who are at the forefront of humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip.  UN Women published its fourth Gender Alert since the… Continue reading Support Palestinian women-led organizations at heart of Gaza aid response

10 June 2024Peace and Security Further deadly violence in Sudan’s besieged Al Fasher city has forced a major hospital to shut over the weekend after soldiers stormed the facility, prompting alarm on Monday from the UN World Health Organization (WHO) about the serious impact on sick and injured patients. “WHO is appalled by the recent… Continue reading Sudan crisis: UN health agency alerts over attack on key hospital

9 June 2024Peace and Security The scenes of devastation witnessed in the aftermath of Israel’s military operation to release hostages from the Nuseirat refugee camp proves that each day the war continues “it only grows more horrific” the UN’s top humanitarian official said on Sunday. According to Gaza’s health ministry, more than 270 people including… Continue reading Gaza: Deaths and devastation during hostage rescue operation show ‘seismic trauma’ of ongoing war

“We are very concerned about these developments, and we are actively seeking clarification from the Houthi de facto authorities regarding the circumstances of these detentions and most importantly to ensure the immediate access to those UN personnel,” Mr. Dujarric said.   Of the detainees, two are women and nine are men. Six work for the… Continue reading World News in Brief: UN staff detained in Yemen, cyclone threat for Haiti, rights chief Lao PDR, climate change

7 June 2024Climate and Environment UN World Oceans Day, celebrated on Friday at UN Headquarters in New York, focused on “opening minds, igniting senses, and inspiring possibilities” to protect marine life worldwide.  A powerful video was shown echoing the theme, awaken new depths, warning of immediate protection needs and cautioning that there is no time… Continue reading World Oceans Day event highlights immediate action to protect oceans

At an event commemorating the 49th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed noted progress made, alongside immediate challenges.   “Over the last decade, the region has seen an exponential rise in terrorism that has reversed its development gains. This has been further exacerbated by the resurgence… Continue reading Terrorism, humanitarian crises threaten stability of West Africa: UN deputy chief

Briefing the Security Council in New York, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya urged the international community to work to end the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year. Ms. Msuya said the civilian toll has continued to mount since her last briefing to the Council three weeks ago. Kharkiv under… Continue reading Ukraine: Security Council hears of escalating toll of Kharkiv attacks

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attack reportedly carried out on 5 June by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Wad Al-Noura village, Jazira state, which is said to have killed over 100 people,” his Spokesperson said in a statement overnight, which also underscored “the immense suffering of the Sudanese population as a result of… Continue reading ‘Unimaginable trauma’ haunts Sudan’s displaced while violence, famine threaten millions

Details of that development and the “unprecedented devastation” to the Palestinian jobs market and the wider economy beyond Gaza and the West Bank are outlined in a new report from the ILO. Ahead of its publication, the UN agency’s Director-General Gilbert Houngbo told the 112th International Labour Conference in Geneva on Thursday that the labour market… Continue reading Amid Gaza war, children now work so families can survive: ILO

6 June 2024Peace and Security The UN General Assembly on Thursday elected by acclamation Philemon Yang, former Prime Minister of Cameroon, President for its seventy-ninth session which gets underway in September. President-elect Yang also served as the Chairperson of the Panel of Eminent Africans of the African Union, demonstrating “unwavering dedication” to the principles of… Continue reading Philemon Yang of Cameroon elected President of upcoming General Assembly session

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Secretary-General “strongly condemns” recent attacks by the Myanmar military in Rakhine State and Sagaing Region that have reportedly claimed the lives of many civilians. “The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the widening regional ramifications of the deteriorating situation in Myanmar and reiterates his appeal for a unified approach,” Mr.… Continue reading UN chief condemns escalating violence and civilian attacks in Myanmar

Yet, as the rival militaries continue fighting, the country’s plight has been overlooked by much of the international community.  “As global leaders focus elsewhere, it is not receiving the necessary attention and support to avert a nightmare scenario for the people of Sudan. The world cannot claim it doesn’t know how bad the situation is… Continue reading WFP expands emergency response to avert famine in war-torn Sudan

6 June 2024Peace and Security The UN General Assembly on Thursday elected Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia to serve as non-permanent members on the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on 1 January next year. They will replace Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland, whose terms end on 31 December. In a secret ballot,… Continue reading Pakistan, Somalia, Panama, Denmark and Greece elected to UN Security Council

6 June 2024Peace and Security Amid early reports that an Israeli strike on a UN-run school in Gaza overnight into Thursday left dozens dead, humanitarians warned that cholera and other potentially deadly diseases stalk people uprooted by the war, forced to live among “mountains of rubbish”. “UNRWA can confirm that one of our schools in… Continue reading Dozens feared dead in Israeli airstrike on UNRWA school in Gaza

“We must feel that we are all citizens of this one planet because unless we do, we won’t solve the problems,” Mr. Attenborough said in an interview with the UN. Over the course of his more than 70-year-long career at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the legendary natural history broadcaster, who turned 98 last month,… Continue reading Stories from the UN Archive: BBC legend and UN Earth Champion

5 June 2024Peace and Security As the UN investigation team charged with investigating crimes committed by the Da’esh terrorist group in Iraq prepares to conclude its mandate in September, significant strides have been made in transferring crucial evidence to the authorities, its acting head said on Wednesday. Thus far, some 28 terabytes (TB) of data… Continue reading UN investigative team hands over key ISIL crime data to Iraq

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Orlando Bloom visited the region  for the first time this week to see the dire conditions there for himself. “The staggering scale of the conflict in eastern DRC, the horrific level of violence, and its devastating impact on the children and women I met is heart-wrenching,” said Mr. Bloom. “No child should… Continue reading Orlando Bloom describes ‘devastating impact’ of DR Congo violence on women and children

“We now have five million people in Haiti that are acutely food insecure, of which 1.6 million are classified as facing emergency food insecurity conditions,” said WFP Country Director Jean-Martin Bauer, speaking via videolink to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York. “These are the highest numbers on record. These are the highest numbers we’ve… Continue reading Keep global spotlight on Haiti as millions go hungry, WFP official says

5 June 2024Climate and Environment At least one of the years between now and 2028 will very likely set a new temperature record breaking through the crucial 1.5°C temperature limit, the UN weather agency, WMO, said on Wednesday.  Latest forecasts from the World Meteorological Organization indicated that there was an 80 per cent likelihood that… Continue reading World heading towards new temperature records, UN weather watchdog warns

Choosing the iconic Family Hall of Ocean Life at the American Museum of Natural History in New York to deliver his impassioned plea to grasp the solutions at hand, António Guterres warned that we stand at “a moment of truth”. “In the case of climate, we are not the dinosaurs. We are the meteor. We… Continue reading There is an exit off ‘the highway to climate hell’, Guterres insists

Welcome to our live coverage of one of the most important speeches on climate change that António Guterres has made since becoming Secretary-General. We’ll be reporting live from the event in Manhattan and providing all the background information and briefing you need on the speech itself, and reaction to it inside the hall and around… Continue reading UPDATING LIVE: Guterres to lay out hard hitting truths on need for climate action

“I leave this job with a sense of work unfulfilled because the world is a worse place now than when I joined up in 2021,” Martin Griffiths said in his final briefing to journalists as UN Humanitarian and Emergency Relief Coordinator.  He said the international community is not resolving conflicts through dialogue, as envisioned nearly… Continue reading Top UN humanitarian laments lack of dialogue to resolve conflict

In a message marking Wednesday’s World Environment Day, António Guterres emphasized that countries “must deliver” on all their commitments to restore degraded ecosystems and land, and on Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework, the global agreement to protect biodiversity. “They must use their new national climate action plans to set out how they will halt and reverse deforestation… Continue reading Break free from pollution, climate chaos and ‘biodiversity decimation’, UN chief urges

Humanitarians said that “security and humanitarian access conditions” have been further reduced since May because of increased violence in northern and southern Gaza, especially in Rafah, where Israeli forces continue their bombardment and military offensive.   “Despite the presence of a system to notify and coordinate humanitarian movements, impediments, delays, and denials of missions continue… Continue reading Continuing restrictions hamper humanitarian access inside Gaza

4 June 2024Peace and Security Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is inflicting immense physical, psychological, and emotional harm on children there, the Head of the UN Office in the country said on Tuesday.  In remarks to commemorate the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, Denise Brown also noted that boys and girls in… Continue reading War must never be normalized for child victims: Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine

4 June 2024Peace and Security Violence in the occupied West Bank linked to the war in Gaza passed a deadly milestone with more than 500 Palestinians killed since 7 October, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights chief Volker Türk said on Tuesday. Two of the latest fatalities were 16-year-old Ahmed Ashraf Hamidat and 17-year-old Mohammed Musa… Continue reading More than 500 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank: UN rights chief

Andrea De Domenico, Head of OCHA‘s Office in the occupied Palestinian territory, recently spent three weeks in the enclave, where over one million people have fled the southern city of Rafah following the step-up in Israeli military operations, according to Palestine refugee agency UNRWA.  Briefing journalists in New York, Mr. De Domenico added that the… Continue reading Ongoing war destroying social fabric in Gaza, UN aid official says

Addressing the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Director General Rafael Grossi indicated no progress had been made in resolving outstanding issues. He mentioned that Iran is still not implementing provisions of the nuclear safeguards agreement, and that withdrawal of designations for several IAEA inspectors are yet to be reversed. “These… Continue reading Iran’s uranium stockpile grows following three years of denied access

3 June 2024Climate and Environment The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has rushed to support tens of thousands of children in Afghanistan who are being affected by ongoing flash floods, mainly in Baghlan, Badakhshan and Ghor. Afghanistan’s most recent floods killed about 350 people, including dozens of children, and damaged more than 7,800 homes leaving over 5,000… Continue reading UNICEF extends aid to children in Afghanistan affected by flash floods

3 June 2024Peace and Security A staggering one million people have now fled Rafah in southern Gaza, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday, amid fresh reports of overnight attacks in southern, central and northern locations by Israeli forces. The city of Rafah on Gaza’s southern border with Egypt had been home… Continue reading Gaza: conditions ‘unspeakable’ as one million people flee Rafah: UNRWA

Only three field hospitals are operating in Rafah in southern Gaza, one of which is only functioning partially, and all of these facilities are overwhelmed and undersupplied, OCHA said, with the seven-month-long war severely impacting civilians and the infrastructure they depend on for healthcare. The UN humanitarian aid agency said the Malnutrition Stabilisation Centre in… Continue reading World News in Brief: Updates on worsening crises in Gaza, South Sudan, DR Congo

31 May 2024Human Rights The UN’s top human rights official on Friday voiced serious concern over the dramatic deterioration of the situation in Burkina Faso, where almost 1,800 people are reported to have been unlawfully killed between November last year and April. Allegations of responsibility point to both armed groups and State actors. “While armed… Continue reading UN human rights chief sounds alarm over rising violence in Burkina Faso

At 10:45 PM local time on 27 May, the DPRK, also known as North Korea, conducted what it described as “the launch of reconnaissance satellite Malligyong-1-1 aboard the new-type satellite carrier rocket” from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. According to the DPRK, the launch failed “due to the air blast of the new-type satellite carrier… Continue reading UN official urges DPR Korea to halt missile activities and return to dialogue

31 May 2024Peace and Security Far too little aid is reaching people in Gaza to the extent that children are now starving, UN humanitarians said on Friday, in a renewed appeal to Israel to respect international law regarding the safe passage of lifesaving relief in the war-shattered enclave. The alert from the World Health Organization… Continue reading Gaza: Children are starving amid persistent aid access obstacles, warn UN agencies

In a bleak assessment of the dire situation in Sudan where conflict is in its second year, the heads of 19 global humanitarian organizations issued an alert that further obstacles to providing aid “rapidly and at scale” will mean that “more people will die”.   UN aid coordination office OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in… Continue reading Sudan: as millions face famine, humanitarians plead for aid access

Filippo Grandi said the number currently stands at 114 million. “Next month we will update this figure. It will be higher,” he added. Mr. Grandi recalled his last briefing to ambassadors seven months ago, when he shared his views on several crises around the globe. Non-compliance with international law He said the situation has not… Continue reading UN refugee chief urges Security Council to ‘step up’ for millions displaced by war

Speaking at the closing of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island States (SIDS4), Amina Mohammed stressed that despite increasingly existential threats to SIDS, “we do have reasons for hope and optimism”. More than 20 world leaders and senior ministers from over 100 nations joined close to 4,000 other participants on the lush campus of… Continue reading SIDS go forward with ‘new sense of hope, solidarity and determination’

Mr. Guterres began the day by laying a wreath at the Peacekeepers Memorial Site on the grounds of UN Headquarters in New York in honour of the more than 4,300 “Blue Helmets” who lost their lives over the Organization’s nearly 80-year history.  Later, at a ceremony in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, he called for a… Continue reading Guterres honours service and sacrifice of UN peacekeepers

Martin Griffiths, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis, noting that 16.7 million people now require humanitarian assistance – the highest number since the conflict began 13 years ago.   He stressed that the situation is deteriorating year by year, with a particular emphasis on the ongoing protection crisis, as children continue… Continue reading Top UN officials urge comprehensive approach to Syria’s protracted crisis

The UN agency facilitates experts from China who share their knowledge and skills with farmers in the West African nation through a collaborative process known as South-South cooperation.*  Cabo Verde consists of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, nine of which are inhabited.  Although the country’s name means “Green Cape” in Portuguese, it… Continue reading Cabo Verde beats back climate change through South-South cooperation

Global perspective Human stories Children walking to their shelter at an IDP camp near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, Sudan (file). 30 May 2024Humanitarian Aid  The top UN aid official in Sudan warned on Thursday that “the noose of war is tightening its stranglehold” on civilians in El Fasher, expressing her profound distress… Continue reading Sudan: ‘Noose of war’ tightens on civilians in El Fasher, UN official warns

“Humanitarian facilities in Rafah are forced to close one after another…The flow of humanitarian aid supplies into Gaza, already insufficient to meet the soaring needs, has dropped by 67 per cent since 7 May,” reported the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. Until Israeli troops seized and closed the Rafah border crossing in the very south… Continue reading Amid ongoing Israeli incursions into Gaza, aid facilities shut ‘one after another’

Some missions were accomplished. Others continue today. Since the Organization’s inception at the end of the Second World War, UN Member States have scrambled to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war” by deploying their collective efforts to prevent the kind of utter devastation that global conflict brought to Europe, Africa, Asia and beyond,… Continue reading Stories from the UN Archive: Keeping the peace over decades

29 May 2024Peace and Security Violence against children in the central Sahel region of Africa surged dramatically in the last quarter of 2023, skyrocketing by 70 per cent over the previous three months, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Wednesday. The agency revealed that in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, cases of recruitment and… Continue reading UNICEF reports surge in violence against children in Africa’s central Sahel

That was the strong message from President of the Western Pacific nation of Palau Surangel Whipps speaking at an Interactive Dialogue on Wednesday during the Fourth International Conference on SIDS (SIDS4), taking place this week on the twin island of Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean. He told delegates there needed to be a “transition… Continue reading More climate funding needed to ‘transition from rhetoric to decisive action’

“We have distributed an enormous amount of essential medical supplies, but it’s not enough. I mean, this is such an overwhelming disaster, it’s not enough,” said Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Palestine. Speaking in Geneva on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly, the senior WHO official echoed widespread… Continue reading Gaza medics struggling in face of ‘overwhelming disaster’ as vital supplies run low: WHO

In a briefing to the Security Council, Tor Wennesland emphasised the urgent need for all sides to change course. “We must reach an agreement to release the hostages and put in place an immediate ceasefire. There is absolutely no time to lose,” he said, stressing that halting the fighting is essential for a comprehensive humanitarian… Continue reading Gaza: UN Middle East envoy reiterates call for ceasefire, hostage release agreement

Their tireless efforts span from monitoring ceasefire agreements to protecting civilians, rebuilding key infrastructure and facilitating elections to help countries and communities transition from war to peace. Peacekeepers can be soldiers, police officers, engineers, doctors, veterinarians, human rights officers, justice and corrections officers, radio producers, environmental scientists and surveillance experts. When we think about keeping… Continue reading Explainer: Five Tools for Keeping Peace

Addressing ambassadors at the Council’s open debate on the role of women and youth, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo highlighted the significant challenges and impacts faced by women. “Women bear the brunt of the global rollback of human rights,” she stated. She referenced her recent visit to Afghanistan, where women are systematically denied basic rights, including… Continue reading Gender equality, youth aspirations keys to sustainable peace, Security Council hears

Major Radhika Sen served in eastern DRC with the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, from March 2023 to April 2024 as the Commander of the Engagement Platoon for the Indian Rapid Deployment Battalion.  She will receive the award from UN Secretary-General António Guterres during a ceremony on Thursday.  A credit to the UN  Mr. Guterres congratulated… Continue reading Indian peacekeeper is UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year

Mr. Guterres repeated his longstanding call for a ceasefire in the embattled enclave and the release of all hostages. “He is heartbroken by the images of the killed and injured, including many small children. As he has said before, the horror and suffering must stop immediately,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement issued… Continue reading Guterres ‘heartbroken’ by images of deadly strikes on Rafah camp

“They do not want to leave their ancestral places, even if they go under,” said Jaap van Hierden. Jaap van Hierden, UN Resident Coordinator in Micronesia. Appointed by the Secretary-General as the first UN Resident Coordinator for the North Pacific, he oversees ongoing development efforts across a remote region with thousands of small islands comprising of… Continue reading UN hub reaches remote Pacific islanders: A UN Resident Coordinator blog

28 May 2024Peace and Security Amid further reported bombardment of Gaza overnight into Tuesday, UN and partner organizations have expressed deep concern over the “inhuman” detention of suspected Palestinian fighters in the enclave by Israeli authorities, alleging treatment so poor that some had to have limbs amputated “due to prolonged shackling”. In a new report on… Continue reading Deep concerns over ‘inhuman’ detention of Gazans by Israeli authorities

27 May 2024Economic Development Good morning from the blue waters and lush green hills of the Caribbean. We’re reporting live from the high level opening of the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) on the beautiful twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda.  08:45 AM – It all gets going in a… Continue reading UPDATING LIVE: Small island States meet in Antigua and Barbuda charting new course to sustainable prosperity

“Information coming out of Rafah about further attacks on families seeking shelter is horrifying,” the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said in a post on X, after reports of an Israeli military strike on a tented camp in Tal as-Sultan in northwest Rafah, along with other shelters to the north in Jabalia, Nuseirat and… Continue reading Gaza: Mass casualties reported in Israeli attack on camp for displaced

The SIDS Global Children and Youth Action Summit taking place this weekend on the University of the West Indies campus of the beautiful island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, which is hosting SIDS4, bonded together 80 or so young people from all three official SIDS regions – the Caribbean, Pacific and AIS (Indian Ocean and South… Continue reading In Antigua, island youth build ‘wall of commitment’ to turn tide against climate crisis

25 May 2024Peace and Security An attack by Russian armed forces on a busy shopping centre in Kharkiv on Saturday reportedly killed at least four people and injured around 40. Denise Brown, the UN Humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, strongly condemned the strike and called for civilians to be protected. “I am appalled and shocked by… Continue reading Russian attack on Kharkiv shopping centre ‘utterly unacceptable’, says senior UN official