WHO urges roll-out of first long-acting HIV prevention jab

WHO urges roll-out of first long-acting HIV prevention jab

Injectable lenacapavir – LEN, for short – is a highly effective, long-acting antiretroviral alternative to daily oral pills and other shorter-acting options, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). “While an HIV vaccine remains elusive, lenacapavir is the next best thing: a long-acting antiretroviral shown in trials to prevent almost all HIV infections among those […]

UN-backed labour standards at risk as tariff uncertainty grows

UN-backed labour standards at risk as tariff uncertainty grows

Threatened or actual tariff increases are largely focused on taxing imports into the United States and will make the products made by factories outside the country more expensive – a situation which may drive down demand. The ILO’s Better Work programme, a partnership with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has supported garment factories, many of […]

UN forum to spotlight health, gender equality, oceans, in critical bid to meet development goals

UN forum to spotlight health, gender equality, oceans, in critical bid to meet development goals

The 2025 High-Level Political Forum, or HLPF, follows two recent successful UN conferences focused on vital development issues: one in June in Nice, France, dedicated to ocean protection, and another held in Sevilla, Spain, centred on boosting financing for sustainable initiatives. The Sevilla meeting ended with a strong call to action: to urgently address the […]

No fuel, no aid, no escape: UN agencies warn of looming collapse in Gaza

No fuel, no aid, no escape: UN agencies warn of looming collapse in Gaza

“Fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza,” said the statement. “Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people.” UN humanitarian workers stressed that fuel powers everything from hospitals and water systems to bakeries and ambulances. Without a steady supply, “maternity, neonatal and intensive care units are failing, and ambulances can no longer […]

Lifesaver: Study shows vaccine campaigns cut deaths by nearly 60 per cent

Lifesaver: Study shows vaccine campaigns cut deaths by nearly 60 per cent

The study, conducted by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in collaboration with Australia’s Burnet Institute, and published in the authoritative British Medical Journal (BMJ) Global Health, analyzed 210 outbreaks across 49 low-income countries over a 23-year period. It found that rapid vaccine deployment during outbreaks of cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever, had led to […]

World Horse Day: Honoring humanity’s oldest and most loyal companion

World Horse Day: Honoring humanity’s oldest and most loyal companion

UN News visited the farm to mark the first-ever World Horse Day, established this year by the UN General Assembly. By creating the Day, Member States sent a clear message: animals deserve to be treated with care and respect. A faithful companion From ancient battlefields to modern therapeutic programs, horses have been by humanity’s side […]

UN chief condemns latest Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping

UN chief condemns latest Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping

According to news reports, the Yemen-based rebel group – which has been battling the internationally-recognised Government for control of the country since the early 2010s – attacked the Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated Eternity C on Monday and again on Tuesday, causing it to sink on Wednesday morning. Four crew members are reported to have died. With 15 […]

Desperate Afghan refugees return to an unfamiliar home

Desperate Afghan refugees return to an unfamiliar home

The agency is calling for calm and cooperation to provide a dignified path forward for millions of displaced Afghans. More than 1.6 million Afghans have returned from both neighbouring countries in 2024 alone, according to UNHCR – a figure that has already surpassed earlier forecasts for the entire year. ‘From Afghanistan – not of Afghanistan’ […]

150,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh amid renewed Myanmar violence

150,000 Rohingya flee to Bangladesh amid renewed Myanmar violence

As armed clashes intensify and conditions worsen inside Myanmar, thousands continue to cross the border seeking safety in the overcrowded camps of Cox’s Bazar, where nearly one million Rohingya refugees already live in densely populated camps. “This is the largest movement of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh since 2017,” said Babar Baloch, spokesperson for the UN […]

Malnutrition crisis deepens for Sudan’s children as war rages on

Malnutrition crisis deepens for Sudan’s children as war rages on

Across the five states that make up Darfur, UNICEF data revealed a 46 per cent increase in the number of children treated for SAM in January to May 2025 compared to the same period last year. The rate of acute malnutrition has surpassed emergency levels set by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 9 of […]

Celebrating the potential and promise of the largest youth generation ever

Celebrating the potential and promise of the largest youth generation ever

Secretary-General António Guterres said empowering young people in a fair and hopeful world reaffirms the UN promise that every person has the right to make informed choices about their lives and futures. While many young people face economic uncertainty, gender inequality, health challenges, the climate crisis and a spike in conflicts – they are still leading […]

‘An unending horror story’: Gangs and human rights abuses expand in Haiti

‘An unending horror story’: Gangs and human rights abuses expand in Haiti

Left vulnerable, communities then formed self-defence groups and Haitian security forces reinforced their operations and made small gains only to be rebuffed again by gangs. And at all stages of this cycle, human rights violations are being committed against civilians, according to a report released on Friday by the UN office in Haiti (BINUH) and […]

Gaza: ‘Unacceptable’ choice between getting shot or getting fed

Gaza: ‘Unacceptable’ choice between getting shot or getting fed

UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva on Friday that “we’ve raised concerns about atrocity crimes having been committed and the risk of further atrocity crimes, where people are lining up for essential supplies such as food and medicine and where they are being attacked, where again… they have a choice between being shot […]

UNICEF deplores ‘unconscionable’ killing of families lining up for aid in Gaza

UNICEF deplores ‘unconscionable’ killing of families lining up for aid in Gaza

Catherine Russell said she was appalled by the reported killing of 15 Palestinians, including nine children and four women, who were waiting in line for nutritional supplements provided by Project Hope, a UNICEF partner organization. The incident occurred in Deir Al-Balah. An additional 30 people were injured, including 19 children. News reports indicate that it […]

UN warns of record civilian casualties in Ukraine

UN warns of record civilian casualties in Ukraine

Russian forces launched an attack overnight focused on Kyiv, deploying 397 Shahed unmanned attack and decoy drones, along with 18 high-powered missiles, killing two and injuring at least 16, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted during his daily briefing in New York that four Kyiv […]

Overlooked and underestimated: Sand and dust storms wreak havoc across borders

Overlooked and underestimated: Sand and dust storms wreak havoc across borders

That’s how much sand and dust enters the atmosphere on an annual basis according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)’s annual report on the storms which scatter such particles across borders worldwide. The UN weather agency’s reports warns that while the amount of dust decreased marginally in 2024, the impact on humans and economies is increasing. […]