“Africa is a continent of boundless energy and possibility. But for too long, the colossal injustices inflicted by enslavement, the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism have been left unacknowledged and unaddressed,” he said. The United Nations has repeatedly said that slavery and the transatlantic slave trade constituted crimes against humanity, and the Secretary-General has repeatedly […]
According to UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, more than 290 schools have been damaged or destroyed in Ituri this year alone, bringing the total number of out-of-school children in the province to over 1.3 million. Protection crisis Between January and April 2025, a surge in violence displaced more than 100,000 people – half of them children. […]
Among them is Ahmed Abu Amsha, a music teacher who has become something of a humanitarian troubadour. Fleeting moments of joy Living in a worn tent with his family, he refuses to let despair drown out hope. Instead, he teaches music to displaced children, helping them find moments of joy through rhythm and song. Originally […]
Member States had paid just $1.8 billion towards the UN’s $3.7 billion regular budget for 2025, as of 9 May. Including unpaid contributions from previous years, total unpaid assessments stand at approximately $2.4 billion as of 30 April. The United States is the largest debtor at about $1.5 billion, as the Trump Administration is withholding […]
Located in north-central Tajikistan, the glacier is a vital water source for many communities in Central Asia, feeding rivers and helping to sustain millions of lives and livelihoods. But due to climate change, it is melting. Quickly. Over the past 80 years, it lost the equivalent of 6.4 million Olympic sized pools of water. The […]
This is especially true among youth users: it’s one of the main reasons young people experiment with tobacco or nicotine products in the first place, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO). Flavoured nicotine and tobacco products are inherently addictive and toxic – often more so than regular tobacco. Flavours increase usage, make […]
“Gaza is the hungriest place on Earth,” OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva, stressing that it is the only defined territory in the world where the entire population is at risk of famine. “The aid operation that we have ready to roll is being put in an operational straitjacket that makes it one […]
“The longer the war continues, the longer its regional and global impacts will be felt, and the more difficult it will be to find a peaceful resolution,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. She recalled the adoption of Security Council resolution 2774 in February – the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion […]
This includes more than 1.12 billion people living in slums or informal settlements. An additional 300 million face absolute homelessness, lacking any form of stable shelter, UN-Habitat estimates. Living without The crisis is particularly acute in rapidly urbanising regions such as Africa and the Asia-Pacific. As cities grow, housing development and infrastructure fail to keep […]
At the end of April, Fariza Dzhobirova attended a Model United Nations Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation in Tajikistan’s capital, Dushanbe, where she represented Switzerland. For Ms. Dzhobirova, it was a rehearsal of sorts for the actual High-level Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation which began on Thursday in Dushanbe. There, she will serve as a panel member representing […]
UN agencies warn that the decimated enclave is teetering on the brink of further chaos after months of war and the collapse of all essential services. The incident took place at WFP’s Al-Ghafari facility in Deir Al-Balah, where limited stocks of wheat flour had been pre-positioned for use by the few bakeries which have been […]
The first UN peacekeeping operation was established in 1948 and today more than 68,000 civilian, military, and police personnel are posted at 11 missions in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The Day pays tribute to their unwavering service and sacrifice while honouring the more than 4,400 blue helmets who have died in the […]
In addition, the Assembly endorsed a wide range of measures to promote health equity, reduce air pollution, and strengthen protections for vulnerable populations. “The words ‘historic’ and ‘landmark’ are overused, but they are perfectly apt to describe this year’s World Health Assembly,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the Assembly’s closing, ending nine days […]
There, alongside civilian gender units, Ms. Syme met a group of local community members – both men and women. Partway through, she realised something was different. “The women were not talking,” she told UN News. “They were very quiet.” Then she remembered that local cultural norms dictated women do not speak in public. “We are […]
In a report released Wednesday, UNICEF highlighted the growing threat of cholera in the war-torn country, with more than 7,700 cases and 185 associated deaths reported in Khartoum State alone since January 2025. Alarmingly, over 1,000 cases have affected children under the age of five. Since the onset of conflict in April 2023, three million people […]
On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes on Yemen’s main airport in the capital, Sana’a, destroying the last operational Yemenia Airways plane, according to media reports. The attack came a day after the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, fired missiles at Israel. Fragile situation worsening In Yemen, the rebels have been fighting with Government troops, backed […]
Secretary-General António Guterres will present the award to Brenda Reynolds and Kennedy Odede on 18 July, Nelson Mandela International Day. Established in 2014, the prize is awarded every five years to two individuals whose work reflects the late South African President’s legacy of leadership, humility, service, and unity across borders. “This year’s Mandela prize winners […]
Sigrid Kaag, interim UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said that the man-made crisis unfolding in Gaza has plunged civilians into “an abyss.” “Since the collapse of the ceasefire in March, civilians have constantly come under fire, confined to ever-shrinking spaces, and deprived of lifesaving relief,” she said. “Israel must halt its […]
“Russian armed forces have committed the crimes against humanity of murder and the war crimes of attacking civilians, through a months-long pattern of drone attacks targeting civilians on the right bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Province,” the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said. Attacks have been carried out since July 2024 […]
Unverified footage from Rafah where the privately-run but Israeli military-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is based showed scenes of panic with crowds of people rushing in different directions, while others carried away boxes of supplies. The UN human rights office, OHCHR, said that it had received information that at least 47 people had been hurt on […]