“Air quality respects no boundaries,” said Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). “The smoke and the pollution that issues from the wildfires in this record-breaking season in the Iberian Peninsula has been detected over Western Europe already [and]…can travel basically throughout the rest of the European continent.” Presenting the latest WMO Air […]
The death toll has not yet been verified as ongoing downpours and rugged terrain are making it extremely difficult to reach the impacted communities, according to the UN migration agency, IOM. To date, an estimated 150 people were displaced from Tarseen and neighbouring villages, with families now sheltering in nearby communities. The UN humanitarian agency, […]
Since the initial earthquake on Sunday in eastern Nangarhar province, landslides and several strong aftershocks have disrupted the work of rescue teams. In an update, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said that access routes remain blocked in various locations including the districts of Chawkay and Nurgal, both in Kunar province, although the authorities have deployed earth-moving […]
Ajith Sunghay, Head of OHCHR’s Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), told UN News that the escalation has caused extensive destruction to residential buildings in southern parts of North Gaza governorate and in northeastern areas of Gaza City. This has led to further civilian casualties and forced displacement. Local health authorities reported that 816 […]
Speaking from the capital Kyiv which was rocked by some of the deadliest attacks of the war last week – and following a visit to the frontline region of Sumy – UN Women’s Representative in Ukraine Sabine Freizer Gunes described to UN News’s Nathalie Minard both the emotional exhaustion and the resilience she had witnessed. The […]
In a statement released by his Spokesperson, the UN chief noted that the disaster driven by severe monsoon conditions had been exacerbated by climate change, impacting around 1.5 million people. Hundreds of thousands of people need humanitarian aid while more than 3,000 homes, over 400 schools and some 40 health facilities have suffered some level […]
Doing so is key to dismantling systemic racism that is rooted in legacies of slavery and colonialism, it said. Actions include formal apologies, truth-seeking, memorialisation and education measures, medical and psychosocial support, as well as compensation. Past and present linked For the most part, the report found that that amid some rollback of commitments to […]
A 14-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who depends on a wheelchair was among crowds fleeing Israeli military aircraft operations east of Rafah in Gaza on 13 October 2023, said committee member Muhannad Salah Al-Azzeh, who presented a report on the occupied Palestinian territories on Wednesday in Geneva. In the melee, she lost her wheelchair. “She […]
António Guterres is the first serving UN Secretary-General to visit the country, which is celebrating 50 years of independence. He praised its tremendous diversity, with over 800 languages spoken and countless traditions. Commitment to peace, dignity and progress “And yet, you have a shared commitment to speak with one voice – to having ‘one talk’ […]
Official Development Assistance (ODA) for education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion – a 24 per cent drop from 2023 – with just three donor governments accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the cuts. Such a decline would push the number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million, UNICEF said […]
“We carry a bag of clothes instead of a school bag,” she told UN News. Diana and other students shared their eagerness to get back in the classroom, speaking from schools that have been converted into shelters for Gaza’s displaced, where most of the 2.3 million Palestinian residents have been forced to move multiple times […]
Latest updates from UN assessment teams who reached affected communities in mountainous Ghazi Abad district on foot on Tuesday underscored the urgent need to press on with the humanitarian response. “The issue of getting people out from under the rubble is urgent,” said Salam Al-Jabani from the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, in Kabul. “People are […]
That’s the message from Kelly Clements, Deputy High Commissioner with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, speaking on Tuesday after concluding a five-day visit to Lebanon and Syria. “The international community cannot afford to be mere observers, assessing and judging the developments in Syria,” she said. “They must take an active role supporting stabilization and recovery […]
“Military activities continue in and around Gaza City, but also in the south, taking a heavy toll on civilians, including deaths, injuries and further displacement,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric at the daily press briefing in New York: “Our colleagues report that people continue to flee, mainly towards the coast.” More than 76,000 people have been […]
Up to 1,000 people are feared dead in the tragedy, which occurred on Sunday in Tarsin village, located in the Jebel Marra range on the border of Central and South Darfur states. The landslide was triggered by days of heavy rain. “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the […]
Disorders such as anxiety and depression are exacting a heavy toll on individuals, families and economies, yet most countries are failing to provide adequate support. Mental health problems are widespread across every society and age group and remain the second leading cause of long-term disability. They drive up healthcare costs for families and governments while […]
The Eurasian bloc, comprising 10 member states, is the world’s largest regional organization by population and geography. Mr. Guterres told leaders that “we are moving towards a multipolar world”, which is both a reality and an opportunity. He said emerging economies are reshaping trade, diplomacy and development, but at the same time, injustices and divisions […]
Latest data shared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) indicates a 55 per cent likelihood that sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific will cool to La Niña levels from September to November. About 90 per cent of the excess heat from global warming is stored in the ocean, making ocean heat content a critical indicator of climate change. “For October […]
The magnitude six quake has already left more than 800 dead and at least 2,000 injured, but the total impact could be in the “hundreds of thousands”, according to the UN’s top aid official in the country, Indrika Ratwatte. Speaking from Kabul, Mr. Ratwatte said that mud and wooden roof structures were predominant in the […]
He said the Houthis entered the premises of the World Food Programme (WFP) in the capital, Sana’a, and seized UN property, in addition to attempting to enter other UN premises in the city. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, have been battling Yemeni Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, for control of the […]