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 […]
“I stand in full solidarity with the people of Afghanistan after the devastating earthquake that hit the country earlier today,” the Secretary-General said in an online message. “I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to those injured. The @UN team in Afghanistan is mobilized and will […]
In a message released ahead of the Day, Mr. Guterres honoured the “extraordinary” contributions of people of African descent across every sphere of human endeavour. The Secretary-General also recognised the “long shadows” of slavery and colonialism, which include systemic racism, unequal economies and societies, and the digital divide (between those who are able to benefit […]
Like thousands of Palestinian farmers, he faces growing restrictions from Israeli forces and settlers, who have made the olive harvest season – running from September to November – a time of uncertainty and struggle. In recent years, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has supported olive farmers and cooperatives to improve access to […]
Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, was speaking a day after the latest wave of Russian airstrikes across the country, with at least 23 people killed in the capital, Kyiv. “The mounting death toll and devastation caused by the intensifying fighting over the summer, run counter to the significant efforts […]
At least 841 people have been put to death by the Government of Iran since the beginning of the year, with ethnic minorities and migrants “disproportionately targeted”, said OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani. Some executions have been carried out publicly, she added, with seven reported this year based on available information: “The real situation might be […]
Their work, said UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, is “the beating heart of education, the cornerstone of sustainable development, and the guardians of our future.” Speaking Thursday at the opening of the UNESCO World Summit on Teachers in Santiago, Chile, Ms. Mohammed called for urgent global action to address the deepening teacher crisis. “Let us […]
The UN Security Council met in emergency session in New York on Friday afternoon following overnight strikes early on Thursday by Russia on Ukrainian cities including the capital, which left at least 23 dead, including four children. Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča told ambassadors that diplomatic momentum towards a possible peace deal was “at risk of […]
Four years after the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the scale and severity of the women’s rights crisis continues to intensify. Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are prohibited to attend secondary school. Yet, in a nationwide door-to-door survey of over 2,000 Afghans, more than nine in 10 supported girls’ right […]
António Guterres said he was “appalled by the relentless attacks” by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia on the North Darfur state capital, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement. The paramilitary group and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been battling for control of devastated country since April 2023 and El Fasher has […]
Although the private aid platform run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation continues to receive its own supplies, “we are on a descent into a massive famine”, insisted Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, on Friday. Referring to the latest catastrophic assessment of food insecurity in Gaza from the […]
“I can tell you that the Secretary-General is aware that today, the Security Council received this joint letter from the three countries,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists. The three European nations were signatories to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement that granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for strict limits […]
Six million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, while 1.3 million people – half of them children – having been forced to flee their homes, he added. ‘Shamefully overlooked’ Haiti now ranks among the five hunger hotspots worldwide that are of “highest concern,” said the UN chief. Yet it remains the world’s least funded […]