The attacks on some of Ukraine’s most important population centres, which reportedly involved almost 400 drones, also left thousands without electricity, heating and water. Temperatures in the country have dropped to -20° Celsius, and the attacks on energy infrastructure have left families in freezing conditions. Many older persons and people with disabilities are often stuck in their […]
Yet stark inequalities remain — in the poorest countries, 36 per cent of children and youth are out of school compared to just 3 per cent in the richest — underscoring the urgent need for inclusive, youth-driven approaches to education policy and transformation. Marco Pasqualini (2nd left) works for UNESCO in Paris. Ahead of the […]
Briefing reporters in New York, Farhan Haq said the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, was able to access the camp on Friday together with Syrian Government officials and establish contact with some residents. Essential supplies have also resumed. Al Hol is one of the region’s largest displacement sites, housing tens of thousands of people, mostly women […]
Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. Türk said that although the “killing on the streets of Iran may have subsided…the brutality continues”. He said that violent repression did not solve any of Iran’s problems but instead created conditions for further violations, instability and bloodshed. “We have indications that the security forces made mass […]
“At a time of tensions both globally and regionally, it is in everyone’s interest to secure lasting peace and security in Colombia,” said Miroslav Jenča, delivering his quarterly briefing. He said the coming year “undoubtedly provides a window to advance peace as a strategic national objective, and for Colombia and its partners to engage constructively through […]
In a news release on Friday, High Commissioner Volker Türk said individuals suspected of being undocumented migrants are being surveilled, arrested and detained – sometimes violently – in locations ranging from hospitals and places of worship to courthouses, schools, markets and private homes. The UN rights chief said he was “astounded by the now-routine abuse […]
Russian forces continue to attack Ukraine’s energy grid, leaving families without electricity and heating as temperatures plummet to -20° Celsius. Since 2022, the Government has established so-called “Invincibility Points” – located in tents or public buildings such as schools and libraries – where people can go to escape the cold, charge electronic devices and receive basic support. Additional initiatives have also been launched, including mobile heating points operated by the State Emergency Services and Ukraine Red Cross Society. Humanitarian partners have supported these […]
Established in 1945 under the UN Charter, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was designed to ensure that peace and security would be backed by economic stability, social progress and international cooperation. Eight decades after its first meeting in London in early 1946, ECOSOC remains a central – if often working out of the spotlight […]
In a statement issued this week, UNESCO said governments are increasingly cutting internet access during protests, elections and times of crisis, despite the central role online connectivity plays in democratic participation and the exercise of basic rights. The agency noted that 2024 was the worst year on record for internet shutdowns since 2016, citing data […]
The UN’s founding document “is our moral compass,” she said, calling for renewed commitment to multilateralism rooted in solidarity, international law, and human dignity. She stressed the need to invest in peace – which the Security Council and General Assembly have both affirmed through resolutions on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in support of the two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians. These are examples […]
They urged swift implementation of recent agreements to prevent renewed fighting, protect civilians and preserve fragile gains made during the country’s transition. A country still on edge One year into Syria’s post-Assad transition, nearly three million refugees and internally displaced people have returned home, a sign of cautious progress. But UN officials cautioned that the […]
They include attacks in Odesa region on Wednesday that killed a 17-year-old boy, according to UN child rights agency UNICEF which called for an “end to attacks on civilian areas and the infrastructure children rely on.” The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that attacks on the southeastern city of Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday had recommenced on Thursday. Aid deliveries “Teams delivered shelter […]
The UN on Thursday issued a call for widespread financial reform as the most powerful way to shift global markets towards realising a better world, for people and the planet. For every dollar invested in protecting nature, 30 dollars are spent on destroying it – that’s the central finding of the State of Finance for Nature 2026 […]
Speaking at the session Who Brokers Trust Now? at the World Economic Forum, Annalena Baerbock warned that multilateral institutions – long seen as the brokers of global trust – are under unprecedented strain as conflicts multiply and respect for international law erodes. “Who brokers trust?” she asked. “In ordinary times, there would be a simple […]
With the political transition set to expire on 7 February, officials cautioned that escalating violence, entrenched criminal networks and mounting humanitarian needs risk pushing Haiti further into instability unless security and political efforts are urgently sustained. Carlos Ruiz-Massieu, the head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), said the country had entered a “critical […]
Since the beginning of the civil war in Sudan, tens of thousands of refugees have fled south to the area, carrying with them not only what they could salvage from their homes, but the woes of the world’s largest humanitarian crisis. On a sweltering November day, at the start of the dry season, a tall woman […]
Armed gangs control large swathes of territory and violence has spread well beyond the capital Port-au-Prince, weakening the State’s ability to govern and deliver basic services. Presidential elections have not been held for a decade and humanitarian needs have reached unprecedented levels with millions struggling to meet their daily needs. “Violence has intensified and expanded […]
For decades, scientists, policymakers and the media warned of a “global water crisis,” implying temporary shock – followed by recovery. What is now emerging in many regions, however, is a persistent shortage whereby water systems can no longer realistically return to their historical baselines. “For much of the world, ‘normal’ is gone,” said Kaveh Madani, […]
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that an estimated 318 million people worldwide now face crisis levels of hunger or worse, with hundreds of thousands already experiencing famine-like conditions. It cautioned that deep funding shortfalls are forcing it to cut rations and scale back assistance at a time of surging needs. Current forecasts […]
The UN advocates for the universal abolition of the death penalty. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by 175 countries, protects the right to life and stipulates that, for countries that have not abolished capital punishment, it be imposed only for the ‘most serious crimes’ in exceptional cases. OHCHR said the sharp increase in capital […]