UN Rights Chief Criticises US Immigration Raids, Warns Of Rising Abuse Against Migrants

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has raised serious concerns over the treatment of migrants and refugees in the United States, warning that aggressive immigration enforcement operations are leading to widespread fear, family separations and potential violations of fundamental rights.

In a statement released on Friday, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said individuals suspected of being undocumented migrants are increasingly being targeted in large-scale federal enforcement actions carried out in everyday locations.

Raids Reported In Hospitals, Schools And Homes

According to the UN rights office, surveillance, arrests and detentions have been reported in a wide range of public and private settings, including hospitals, schools, courthouses, markets, places of worship and private homes.

Türk said some of the operations have involved the use of force, leaving many communities feeling intimidated and vulnerable.

“I am astounded by the now-routine abuse and denigration of migrants and refugees,” he said.

The climate of fear created by such enforcement actions is affecting families and children in particular. In some cases, children have reportedly missed school or medical appointments because parents fear they may be detained during routine activities.

Concerns Over Arbitrary Arrests

The UN rights chief warned that several migration policies currently being implemented could result in arbitrary or unlawful arrests and detentions.

He also raised concerns that immigration enforcement decisions may be made without sufficient individual assessments of each person’s situation.

In the United States, immigration enforcement is primarily handled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal agency responsible for identifying, arresting and deporting individuals believed to be in violation of immigration laws.

Türk acknowledged that governments have the right to regulate migration and enforce national laws. However, he stressed that such powers must be exercised in accordance with legal standards and due process.

“Failure to respect due process risks eroding public trust, weakening institutional legitimacy and violating individuals’ rights,” he said.

Deadly Incident Raises Alarm

Türk also criticised the increasing use of large-scale enforcement operations, warning that force used in such actions may sometimes be unnecessary or disproportionate.

He referred to an incident on January 7, 2026, when a woman was fatally shot during a federal enforcement operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Under international law, the UN official noted, lethal force should only be used as a last resort when there is an imminent threat to life.

Families Separated By Detention Practices

The High Commissioner highlighted the human impact of current immigration practices, particularly on families.

He cited cases in which parents were detained or transferred between detention facilities without relatives being informed of their whereabouts. In some instances, families reportedly struggled to maintain contact or obtain legal representation.

“I call on the administration to end practices that are tearing apart families,” Türk said.

He also urged US authorities to conduct independent and transparent investigations into deaths reported in immigration detention facilities.

At least 30 deaths were recorded in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody last year, with six additional deaths reported so far this year.

Warning Over Anti-Migrant Rhetoric

Beyond enforcement actions, Türk expressed concern about what he described as increasingly hostile language directed at migrants and refugees in political discourse.

He warned that such rhetoric risks fueling xenophobia and violence against immigrant communities.

“I call on leaders at all levels in the US to halt the use of scapegoating tactics that seek to distract and divide,” he said.

According to the UN official, portraying migrants collectively as criminals or threats based solely on nationality or immigration status undermines fundamental human rights principles.

Migrants’ Contributions Highlighted

Despite his criticism, Türk also acknowledged the efforts of public officials, civil society organisations and community groups across the United States who are working to protect the rights and dignity of migrants.

He emphasised that the country’s history has been profoundly shaped by migration and the contributions of people from around the world.

“Demonising migrants and refugees collectively as criminals, threats or burdens on society is inhuman and wrong,” he said, adding that such narratives run counter to the values on which the nation was built.

‘Dangerous nostalgia’ is a threat to multilateralism, UN Deputy Chief Warns

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General has warned that the foundations of the international rules-based order are under increasing strain, urging countries to recommit to the principles of the UN Charter and strengthen global cooperation.

Speaking recently, Amina Mohammed described the UN’s founding document as a guiding framework for international relations and called on governments to defend multilateralism grounded in international law, solidarity and human dignity.

“The UN Charter is our moral compass,” she said, stressing that the world must renew its commitment to the values that underpin global cooperation.

Charter Principles Under Pressure

Mohammed pointed to UN resolutions affirming Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as longstanding support for a two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians, as examples of the Charter’s principles being applied in practice.

However, she warned that the norms and legal foundations underlying such decisions are increasingly being challenged.

According to the Deputy Secretary-General, the erosion of these rules risks undermining the global system designed to prevent conflict and protect the sovereignty of nations.

Warning Over Erosion Of International Law

Mohammed cautioned that nostalgia for an era when powerful nations could bend rules to their advantage is threatening international cooperation.

She recalled remarks by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who recently emphasised that the UN Charter cannot be treated as an “à la carte menu,” meaning countries cannot selectively follow international law only when it suits them.

The Deputy Secretary-General noted that smaller nations are often among the strongest defenders of the rules-based order because they understand how crucial international law is to protecting vulnerable states.

“If the rules do not protect the vulnerable, they protect no one,” she said.

Warning about the consequences of ignoring international norms, Mohammed said: “You either stand up for a rules-based order, or you pay the price of ignoring it. Yesterday the price was Venezuela, tomorrow it may be Greenland.”

Sustainable Development At Risk

Beyond geopolitical tensions, Mohammed warned that global progress on sustainable development is also under threat.

Rising geopolitical rivalry and economic disputes are jeopardising achievements made over decades, including reductions in poverty, improvements in maternal and child health and expanded access to education for girls.

Trade conflicts are restricting markets that once helped lift millions out of poverty, she said, while women’s rights in many parts of the world are facing renewed challenges.

She also highlighted a stark imbalance in global spending priorities. Military expenditure reached a record $2.7 trillion last year, while funding for development initiatives faces an estimated annual shortfall of $4.2 trillion.

Growing Inequality Highlighted

Mohammed also criticised the widening gap between the world’s richest and poorest populations.

She noted that while global wealth continues to grow, the benefits remain highly concentrated. The wealth of billionaires increased by roughly $2 trillion last year, while the poorest half of humanity controls only a tiny fraction of global wealth.

The Deputy Secretary-General pointed to recent international discussions on financing development as a pathway to address these inequalities. A UN conference held in Spain last year explored ways to create fiscal space for development, tackle the global debt crisis and reform international financial systems.

Call For UN Reform

Mohammed concluded by emphasising the need to modernise the United Nations itself to better respond to current global challenges.

The UN80 Initiative, a system-wide reform effort, aims to strengthen the organisation’s ability to deliver results despite limited resources and growing demands from member states.

She urged governments to support reforms that would allow the UN to operate more effectively and remain central to international cooperation.

“We need to reset the UN to preserve multilateralism,” Mohammed said, calling on countries to help build a stronger organisation capable of fulfilling the promise of the UN Charter in today’s complex global environment.

US strikes in Caribbean and Pacific breach international law, says UN rights chief

Posted on November 3, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

More than 60 people have reportedly been killed in the continuing series of attacks since early September “in circumstances that find no justification in international law,” Volker Türk said in a statement.

He urged the US to halt its “unacceptable” operations and take measures to prevent the “extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats, whatever the criminal conduct alleged against them.”

Beyond the law

The United States has defended the operations as part of its ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and terrorism, asserting that they fall within the framework of international humanitarian law.

Mr. Türk rejected that argument, stressing that countering illicit drug trafficking is a law-enforcement matter, governed by careful limits on lethal force set out in international human rights law.

He emphasised that the intentional use of lethal force is lawful only as a last resort when individuals pose an imminent threat to life.

Call for investigations

“Based on the very sparse information provided publicly by the US authorities, none of the individuals on the targeted boats appeared to pose an imminent threat to the lives of others or otherwise justified the use of lethal armed force against them under international law,” Mr. Türk said.

The High Commissioner called for prompt, independent and transparent investigations into the reported attacks.

While acknowledging the serious challenges posed by drug trafficking, Mr. Türk urged the US to ensure that all counter-narcotics operations respect international law, including the treaties to which it is party.

“The United States should investigate and, if necessary, prosecute and punish individuals accused of serious crimes in accordance with the fundamental rule-of-law principles of due process and fair trial, for which the US has long stood,” he concluded.

‘Warring world crying out for peace’ says UN chief as leaders gather in New York

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a renewed global push to end wars and divisions, stressing that “peace cannot wait” as the world observes the International Day of Peace.

“Lives are being ripped apart, childhoods extinguished, and basic human dignity discarded, amidst the cruelty and degradations of war,” Mr. Guterres said in his message for the Day. “All they want is peace.”

He noted that modern conflict is no longer confined to battlefields, with its consequences spilling across borders, driving displacement, poverty, and instability. “We must silence the guns. End the suffering. Build bridges. And create stability and prosperity,” he urged.

Theme Calls for Collective Action

The International Day of Peace was first established by the UN General Assembly in 1981 as a day devoted to non-violence and ceasefire. This year’s theme, Act Now for a Peaceful World, emphasizes the need for urgent action to prevent conflicts, counter hate and disinformation, and strengthen peacebuilding efforts, particularly through the involvement of women and young people.

Mr. Guterres underscored the close relationship between peace and sustainable development, pointing out that nine of the ten countries lagging most in development are also plagued by conflict. He warned against racism and dehumanisation, advocating instead for “the language of respect” and dialogue.

The observance comes on the eve of the UN General Assembly’s annual high-level week, where leaders from across the world gather in New York to debate pressing global challenges, from ongoing wars and climate disruption to gender equality and the risks and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence.

“The timing underlines the need for a concerted international push for peace, as divisions widen and instability grows,” the Secretary-General said. Concluding his message, he reminded nations and communities alike: “Where we have peace, we have hope. Peace cannot wait — our work starts now.”

UNDP: Peace and Development Intertwined

In a statement issued the same day, UNDP’s Acting Administrator Haoliang Xu stressed that peace is the foundation of development. Xu highlighted that in 2024, governments spent approximately US$2.7 trillion on military budgets, while only a small fraction—about US$47.2 billion, was allocated to peacebuilding and prevention efforts.

UNDP further argued that development actors are crucial partners in stabilisation: by investing in justice, governance, and inclusive institutions, and by supporting women and youth roles in conflict-affected regions, peace becomes more durable.

Civil Society Voices

Labour unions, non-governmental organisations, and other civil society actors underscored that peace is not simply the absence of war but requires fairness and equality.

For example, Unifor, a large Canadian trade union, released a statement affirming that peace must rest on dignity, justice, and human rights. The union observed that civilians—in particular workers, health care personnel, families, children—bear disproportionate burden during conflicts. Unifor called for ceasefires, de-escalation of violence, and increased support for humanitarian and development agencies.

These actors also spoke out against trends of rising militarisation at the expense of essential services—health, education, housing—and warned that neglect in these areas undermines long-term peace and stability.

Beyond the UN Secretariat and civil society, organisations that represent countries or regions emphasised that peace must go hand in hand with democracy, human rights, and inclusion.

The Community of Democracies (CoD) reaffirmed its commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions). Its Secretary-General Thomas E. Garrett stressed that sustainable peace requires the meaningful participation of women, youth, and marginalized groups, and that democratic governance bolsters efforts toward reconciliation and enduring peace.

Several member states (implicitly through these organisations and joint statements) echoed that investing in peace-building, prevention, and inclusive development is not merely moral but pragmatic: peace is foundational to stability, prosperity, and human wellbeing.

Also Read: London’s Far-Right Rally Sends Shockwaves Through South Asian Communities

Haiti: UN relief chief implores ‘we have to do better’ to support gang-ravaged nation

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“I’m ashamed on behalf of the world that we cannot find it in ourselves to be more compassionate, to be more kind, to recognise what people here are going through,” said Tom Fletcher, who heads the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA, during a visit to the Caribbean nation.

“I listened to people whose lives have been destroyed by brutal violence,” he said. “They are desperate for security, dignity, hope. I refuse to believe we cannot do better for them.”

A country of 11 million, Haiti continues to face a severe humanitarian and protection crisis amid a cholera outbreak and rising malnutrition rates.

Half of all Haitians face food insecurity and unprecedented levels of forced displacement which tripled last year to over one million people, according to an update by OCHA, which noted that large scale displacements have continued into 2025.

A baby is cared for at a health facitlity in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

‘They don’t want to be here’

For more than a year, gangs have taken over large swaths inside and outside the capital, Port-au-Prince, raping, killing, pillaging civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, as well as kidnapping child recruits to fight.

“Right now, up to half of all armed group members are children,” OCHA stated. “Fear permeates daily life” as families are forced to leave their homes and seek shelter, food and safety.

“They’ve been displaced multiple times by violence,” said Mr. Fletcher, who met with authorities, partners and affected families living in makeshift shelters. “They want to live their lives like anyone else.

“They don’t want to be here. They want to rebuild their lives. They want education for their kids. They want healthcare they need. They need clean water.”

Living ‘in misery’

Some displaced families shared their plight, including Roudy Jean, who said “we need to be able to live in a normal way, like in the rest of the world.”

Cashmina Jean-Michel, a woman displaced by gang violence, said she once owned a beauty salon and employed staff, but lost it all.

“At 5am, there was a lot of shooting,” she recalled. “I lost everything, my belongings, my business, but the safety of my children was my absolute priority. I had no choice but to get them and run immediately. Today, I live in a very cramped space in misery, where I can only keep one of my children while the others must stay with friends.”

Many families have been displaced two or three times, the UN relief chief said.

The UN’s relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, meets a family in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Food and shelter shortages

Innocent Fagneau, vice-president of a site for internally displaced people like Mr. Jean and Ms. Jean-Michel, described current challenges.

“Now, with the quantity of people we currently have, this space was not designed for this use,” he said.

“There’s also a food problem at this site. The quantity of food we receive to distribute, for example, we finish the amount by noon, but what about 3 or 4pm? People should still be able to eat something.”

Rebuilding lives, overcoming despair

The OCCED’H youth centre provides rays of hope, specifically targeting adolescents and youth from communities affected by armed violence and those living in sites for internally displaced people in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, where access to education and training opportunities is extremely limited.

The centre offers practical and vocational training to nearly 300 students, among them Phanie Sagesse, who is learning leather crafting.

“I love to develop my creative skills, and if you take leathercraft seriously and put all your heart in what you are doing,” she said, “it can help you achieve economic independence.”

‘We have to be here’

On a visit to the youth centre, Mr. Fletcher said “we can find ways to push back against this crisis, against a sense of despair and deterioration because here…these young people, they are cutting hair, they’re doing manicures, they’re learning to pedicure, they’re making bracelets, they are learning to fix motorbikes. But, ultimately, they’re rebuilding their lives.”

He said the world must lend a hand in that regard.

“We can see that people can build back their communities as well, not just as individuals, but as a society, as Haiti, and ultimately, that’s why we have to be here,” he said. “That’s why the world must be here, helping them to rebuild from always despair from the ruins of their lives.”

‘This is not enough’

While UN agencies scramble to provide support and essential goods and services, Mr. Fletcher said more must be done.

To date, the humanitarian appeal for Haiti remains severely underfunded. Of the $908 million required to address urgent needs, only 11 per cent is funded, leaving a $800 million funding gap.

“This is not enough,” the UN relief chief said. “I can’t believe that we’re struggling so much to raise the funds necessary to support these families as they try to rebuild their lives, but we have to be there for them. We have to do better.”

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Nuclear watchdog chief announces breakthrough on Iran monitoring

Posted on September 10, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“Indispensable” monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ended in June, agency chief Rafael Grossi said, when Israel and US-backed airstrikes targeted Iran’s nuclear power installations.

At the time, the Iranian authorities confirmed that the Natanz enrichment site had been “impacted” without affecting existing radiation levels, the top IAEA diplomat said.

Practical step forward

Now, “practical modalities” have been agreed to allow the resumption of inspection activities in Iran, Mr. Grossi told the agency’s board of governors in the Austrian capital. “This is an important step in the right direction,” he continued, before expressing his gratitude to Egypt for brokering the deal.

The development follows the 28 August announcement by France, Germany and the UK of their intention to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran within 30 days, under the so-called “snapback” mechanism contained in the Iranian nuclear agreement signed in July 2015 by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, in addition to Germany, the EU and Iran.

Working in partnership

The new agreement – which was preceded by weeks of technical discussions in Tehran and Vienna over verification activities of “all facilities and installations in Iran”– came despite the decision by Iranian lawmakers on 25 June to suspend cooperation with IAEA, a move approved by the country’s President one week later.

At the time, Mr. Grossi noted that this domestic decision did not alter Iran’s international nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) obligations.

Agreement remains in force

And earlier this week, he insisted that the NPT agreement remained in force as “the sole legally binding treaty governing the rights and obligations of the [IAEA] and Iran with respect to safeguards implementation in Iran”.

While acknowledging that his Iranian interlocutors had declared their willingness to remain part of the international non-proliferation movement, Mr. Grossi noted Tehran’s “concerns”.

Nonetheless, the deal – sealed by Mr. Grossi and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi in Cairo on Monday – “provides for a clear understanding of the procedures for inspection, notifications and their implementation”, he insisted.

The agreement also “contemplates” reporting on all facilities targeted by Israel and the US in June “including the nuclear material present” in Iran, the IAEA chief continued.

“These practical steps…need to be implemented now,” he insisted. “There may be difficulties and issues to be resolved for sure, but we now know what we have to do and the elements at our disposal for these basic understandings to be implemented.”

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World News in Brief: UN chief condemns Russian attacks on Ukraine, Gaza crisis continues, protecting civilians in DR Congo

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Secretary-General António Guterres said it marked a “further escalation” of the conflict.

Authorities reported more than 80 civilian casualties, including a national non-governmental organization (NGO) worker and her two-month-old son in Kyiv.

Other affected cities included Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kremenchuk, Kryvyi Rih and Kherson. Energy infrastructure was also hit, causing temporary power and water outages ahead of winter, with repair crews working to restore services.

“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They are unacceptable and must end immediately,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Monday at the regular news briefing in New York.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace in Ukraine, one that fully upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions,” he added.

Meanwhile, humanitarian support continues. On 5 September, UN agencies and partners delivered medical kits and hygiene supplies to roughly 1,000 people in several Donetsk villages, marking the tenth convoy to the region this year.

People seek food at a community kitchen in western Gaza City.

Gaza: Civilian toll continues to climb

Civilians in Gaza continue to face mounting deaths, displacement and famine as hostilities continue, with UN agencies warning that the window to prevent widespread starvation is closing.

According to local health authorities, some 67 people were killed and 320 injured in the past 24 hours, Mr. Dujarric said, adding that since the end of the ceasefire in mid-March nearly 12,000 people have died amid repeated displacement and attacks.

“We continue to condemn all killings of civilians,” he said.

The humanitarian situation remains dire. The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, noted urgent needs for food, water and shelter.

“Our colleagues remind us that over 80 per cent of Gaza is either under displacement orders or within militarized areas,” Mr. Dujarric added.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that over 100 people, a quarter of them children, have died from malnutrition since famine was confirmed in Gaza governorate.

Humanitarian operations remain heavily constrained.

Only 11 of 24 coordinated missions were facilitated on Sunday, including fuel collection at crossings, while others were denied or cancelled. Humanitarians were able to distribute water in northern Gaza and collect food shipments from Kerem Shalom, Karem Abu Salem and Zikim crossings.

UN peacekeepers in DR Congo continue to protect population against ‘grave danger’

Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to be protected against “grave danger” by United Nations peacekeepers, according to the head of UN Peace Operations.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix was speaking at the end of a mission to the DRC, where he visited the troubled Ituri and North Kivu regions.

Mr. Lacroix emphasised that hundreds of thousands of Congolese people, including displaced people, rely on the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO for daily protection, particularly in the areas of Fataki and Beni, in North Kivu, where joint operations with the Congolese armed forces continue against armed groups.

USG Lacroix on the role of MONUSCO

Dire situation continues

The security situation in the eastern DRC remains dire, despite diplomatic efforts to bring lasting peace to the country.

The DRC is currently facing one of the most acute humanitarian emergencies in the world, with food insecurity on the rise and 5.9 million Congolese currently internally displaced.

“People are protected here by our MONUSCO colleagues, and they are provided with humanitarian support and protection”, said Mr. Lacroix adding that the UN remains committed to supporting government efforts towards peace and stability in the country.

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UN rights chief denounces ‘glorification of violence’ and attack on rule of law

Posted on September 8, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“No one is safe when human rights are under attack,” Mr. Türk told the Human Rights Council, warning that the rules of war “are being shredded”.

“Some States are becoming an extension of their ruler’s personal power,” he insisted.

In his customary address to the UN’s top rights forum at the beginning of a new session in Geneva, the High Commissioner for Human Rights decried that “pro-war propaganda is everywhere”, from military parades to “ramped-up rhetoric” from leaders.

“Sadly, there are no peace parades or ministries of peace, he stressed, while calling for countries to stand firm against the growing “erosion” of international law.

The High Commissioner also defended the importance of standing behind multilateral accords as “the foundation of peace, our global order and our daily lives, from trade rules to the global internet, to our fundamental rights”.

World order at risk

Today, governments “are disregarding, disrespecting and disengaging” the existing rules-based world order that was established after 1945 to prevent another world war, the UN rights chief insisted, in a call for accountability.

The danger is that when States ignore violations of the law, “they become normalised,” Mr. Türk said. “When States apply the law inconsistently, they undermine the legal order everywhere. It is time for States to wake up and to act.”

Condemning the continued illegal detention of United Nations staff in Yemen as a “direct attack on the UN system”, Mr. Türk also called the United States’ withdrawal “from the Paris Agreement and from global bodies, including this Council…deeply regrettable”, noting that other States were following suit.

The High Commissioner also warned of the negative consequences of the decision by Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to leave the Ottowa Treaty on land mines, while identifying the “new trend of disparaging” the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which all countries had agreed to a decade ago.

An A to Z of rights concerns

As is usual at the start of Council sessions, the High Commissioner highlighted situations of concern around the world, from Afghanistan – where the “erasure” of women and girls from public life “is almost complete” – to Haiti which is “plunging deeper into lawlessness; Nigeria, which is seeing a resurgence of Boko Haram extremism; and Syria – whose transition to peace remains “fragile”.

In Ukraine, following the largest drone assault of the conflict, Russia’s full-scale invasion “has turned even more deadly”.

In Sudan, besieged El Fasher is under constant bombardment and the risk of further atrocities remains, Mr. Türk said, while in Myanmar, four years since the military coup, people remain caught up in “a harrowing human rights calamity”.

Turning to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, “damning evidence” indicates continued “grave violations and abuses” by all parties to the conflict, the High Commissioner continued, while Gaza is now a “graveyard”, amid Israel’s “mass killing” of Palestinian civilians.

Where are steps to stop Gaza genocide?

“We are failing the people of Gaza…Where are the decisive steps to prevent genocide?” he asked. “Why are countries not doing more to avert atrocity crimes? They must stop the flow to Israel of arms that risk violating the laws of war.”

The Human Rights Council meets in three scheduled sessions every year at UN Geneva.

Continuing his tour d’horizon of country situations of concern in addition to thematic issues, Mr. Türk maintained that progress sought by his office, OHCHR, to protect the rights of Uyghur and other Muslim minorities in China has “yet to materialise”.

In West Africa, meanwhile, restrictions on LGBTQ+ people are growing in some countries considering criminalising consensual same-sex relations, the High Commissioner said, just as the rights of migrants and refugees are being increasingly violated.

Asylum alert

“Iran and Pakistan have forcibly returned millions of Afghans to their country and India has also deported groups of Rohingya Muslims by land and sea,” he insisted.

Similarly, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and other European countries “have also sought to limit the right to seek asylum”, Mr. Türk insisted. He took note of concerns about the United States’ reported agreement with El Salvador, South Sudan, Eswatini, Rwanda and others, to deport third country nationals, and underlined Kuwait’s decision to revoke citizenship for thousands of people in recent years, “leaving many stateless”.

Poll appeal

On imminent national elections across Africa, Mr. Türk also cited serious concerns over polling preparations in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.

“In many of these countries, the authorities are resorting to harassment, exclusion or detention of opposition leaders; restrictions on media freedom; bans on peaceful protest; and crackdowns on human rights defenders,” he said.

The UN rights chief also urged the Ethiopian authorities to ensure conditions for free, fair and inclusive elections, amid concerns about arbitrary detentions of journalists.

As part of the UN’s efforts to improve and promote human rights everywhere, Mr. Türk urged all countries to do more so that “every child – whether a future farmer, digital worker, doctor or shopkeeper” understands that human rights “are our birthright”.

He added: “The vast majority of people around the world are crying out for human rights and freedoms…No one is safe when human rights are under attack. Abuses committed against one group are always part of a broader pattern of oppression and lead to the wider erosion of fundamental freedoms”.

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UN chief hails ‘remarkable example’ of Papua New Guinea as he concludes historic trip

Posted on September 7, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Flanked by the country’s Prime Minister, James Marape, Mr. Guterres echoed comments he made during a speech in the national parliament on Wednesday, in which he described Papua New Guineans as “champions of multilateralism and international solutions.”

The Secretary-General noted that, in a world where “we see democratic values being put into question,” the country – where some 800 languages are spoken – retains a preference for solving problems peaceably through dialogue.

Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

Papua New Guinea’s rainforest (file)

Time for climate justice…

The climate crisis has been high on the agenda throughout the visit, with Mr. Guterres leaving the capital to visit a rainforest region and discuss the problems caused by the changing climate with civil society representatives.

Addressing the media in Port Moresby, the UN chief expressed gratitude and solidarity with Papua New Guineans, for how they are addressing an existential challenge not of their own making.

“Papua New Guinea does not contribute to climate change,” he pointed out. “Papua New Guinea has a negative emissions record, due to an enormous carbon sink: the admirable forests of this country and the ocean.”

He said it was time for the international community to recognise that countries like Papua New Guinea deserve climate justice and support to build resilience against the “devastating impact of climate change.”

Papuan conservationist Alfred Masul is replanting mangrove trees to build resilience against climate change (file)

…And economic justice

The country’s ability to adapt to the increasingly volatile climate and develop its economy is also hampered, declared Mr. Guterres, by its designation as a middle-income country – which means that it does not have access to the kinds of concessional funding, such as grants, low interest loans and debt relief, that are available to low-income nations.

This, he said, is “an injustice that must be corrected.”

Part of the issue, according to the Secretary-General, is the outdated nature of the international financial architecture (a recurrent theme during his mandate). The institutions created over 75 years ago, need to be reformed “in order for developing countries like Papua New Guinea to have a much stronger voice and a much stronger influence in the way decisions are taken,” he argued, “and a much higher access to the resources that are essential for the development of the country.”

UN chief hails ‘remarkable example’ of Papua New Guinea as he concludes historic trip

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Ryan Hawk/Woodland Park Zoo

Papua New Guinea’s rare cloud forests are a high elevation rainforest characterised by low-level cloud cover. (14 June 2011)

Time for climate justice…

Addressing the media in Port Moresby, the UN chief expressed gratitude and solidarity with Papua New Guineans, for how they are addressing an existential challenge not of their own making.

Local conservationist Alfred Masul is replanting mangrove trees in Papua New Guinea to build resilience against climate change.

…And economic justice

This, he said, is “an injustice that must be corrected.”

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Amid escalating attacks in Gaza, UN rights chief calls on US to withdraw sanctions against Palestinian rights groups

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

The measures announced on Thursday target Al-Haq group, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, in relation to their support of the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, following other sanctions imposed by the US Government in June on renowned Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO) Addameer.

“For decades now, these NGOs have been performing vital human rights work, particularly on accountability for human rights violations,” that is “all the more important when international humanitarian and human rights laws are being violated systematically in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem”.

Mr. Türk urged the US to immediately withdraw its sanctions “as well as the ones imposed earlier on the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, and on multiple Judges and Prosecutors of the ICC.”

He added that the sanctions will have a “chilling effect” not only on civil society in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, but potentially worldwide.

Attacks, famine spread across Gaza

The ongoing Israeli offensive to take full control of Gaza City further intensified on Friday, increasing civilian casualties and attacking facilities on which they depend to survive, the UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during a press briefing at UN Headquarters.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli forces attacked a high-rise building that they say was used to launch attacks against them, damaging tents sheltering displaced people nearby, according to initial information collected by the UN aid coordination office (OCHA).

“Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that in the north, people are simply exhausted; they can’t afford to move south, not only because displacement sites are overcrowded, but also because transport can cost up to $1,000,” Mr. Dujarric said, announcing that nearly 41,000 people have been displaced from Gaza City since 14 August.

‘Catastrophe Israel could have prevented’: WHO chief

Reminding that the offensive is running alongside the spread of famine, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was “a catastrophe that Israel could have prevented and could stop at any time.”

Starvation ‘will not make Israel safer’

“Starvation of civilians as a method of war is a war crime that can never be tolerated. Doing so in one conflict risks legitimising its use in future conflicts.”

Since the conflict began in October 2023, at least 370 people have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including more than 300 just in the past two months, according to the UN health agency, which said the lack of food and clean water and cramped living conditions are leaving people with weakened immune systems.

It’s also exposing the population to more disease, with more than 100 cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome, including 11 deaths, reported in the last month.

“The most intolerable part of this man-made disaster is that it could be stopped right now,” he said.

“People are starving to death while the food that could save them sits on trucks a short distance away. And for what? The starvation of the people of Gaza will not make Israel safer, nor will it facilitate the release of the hostages.”

While WHO is doing the best it can to alleviate suffering in Gaza, supporting medical evacuations of over 7,640 patients, more than 15,000 others need urgent specialised care, including 3,800 children.

More than 700 people have died while waiting for evacuations, Tedros said, calling for countries to “open their arms to these critically ill patients” and on Israel to allow people to be treated in the nearby West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“Above all, we call on the Government of Israel to end this inhumane war,” he said. “If it will not, I call on its allies to use their influence to stop it.”

UN chief calls for justice and ‘real change’ for people of African descent

Posted on September 1, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 from digital technology, and those who don’t have access).

Mr. Guterres hailed the Global Digital Compact – adopted in 2024 as part of the Pact for the Future, which promotes a multilateral system that reflects today’s realities and delivers for everyone, everywhere – as a step forward, citing commitments to tackle discrimination and hate speech in digital technologies. “White supremacy and dehumanising narratives,” wrote the UN chief, “are amplified by social media, and, too often, racial bias is encoded in algorithms.”

“Eighty years after the United Nations Charter reaffirmed the equal rights and inherent dignity of every human being, and sixty years since the adoption of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,” he concluded, “it is long past time to right historic wrongs.”

The Gateway to Freedom: International Memorial to the Underground Railroad in Detroit, Michigan, dedicated in 2001.

A decade of action

This year’s International Day is the first to take place during the second International Decade for People of African Descent, which runs from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2034. The decade, which embraces the theme “People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice, and Development,” aims to highlight the importance of acknowledging the rights and contributions of people of African descent. Mr. Guterres has called for the next ten years to drive “real change,” including working towards a United Nations Declaration on the full respect of people of African descent’s human rights.

The first Decade saw more than 30 countries change their laws and policies to tackle racial discrimination and address specific issues faced by people of African descent – in some cases for the first time. The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, was created, and new International Days were launched to celebrate the contributions of the diaspora, including those of women and girls.

Building on the progress made between 2015 and 2024, the second Decade seeks to amplify global efforts toward justice and development for individuals of African descent and create a more equitable future, in which the aspirations and rights of people of African descent are fully recognised, honoured, and celebrated.

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Teachers are the ‘guardians of our future’, says UN deputy chief

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 honour their influence with the policies and the respect that teachers need, and future generations deserve,” she urged, laying out a five-point plan to support educators and strengthen education systems worldwide.

A crisis with global consequences

The deputy UN chief warned that the world is facing a “deepening teacher crisis” that threatens progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.

“We are failing our teachers,” she said, pointing to a global shortfall of 44 million educators needed to meet universal education targets by 2030.

She described the crisis as “a slow-burning emergency” that is undermining learning outcomes, widening inequalities, and weakening the social fabric of communities. “We must respond to those truths,” she said.

No single actor can fix this alone

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay also addressed the Summit, emphasizing the complexity of the challenge. “No single actor will be able to bridge the gaps we see, and that is what brings us together here in Santiago,” she said.

Ms. Azoulay highlighted the multiple causes behind the crisis: low and often delayed salaries, an aging teacher workforce, surging school enrolments without matching resources, and persistent gender inequalities – especially in STEM fields. Tackling these issues, she said, requires “level heads and clear thinking.”

The numbers are stark

To meet global education goals by 2030, the world must recruit 44 million teachers – more than double the population of Chile. Yet, instead of progress, gains are being reversed.

“Too many young teachers are leaving within their first years,” Ms. Mohammed said, citing low pay, heavy workloads, and lack of professional development. “Ultimately, we are asking the impossible of teachers: to build the future without the tools, trust and conditions they need.”

Financing the future

The cost of recruiting the teachers needed by 2030 is estimated at $120 billion annually. But education financing is falling short.

“More than 40 per cent of the world’s population lives in countries where governments spend more on debt interest payments than on education or health,” she warned.

Aid to education is projected to drop by 25 per cent between 2023 and 2027, with a 12 per cent fall already recorded last year.

Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed delivers remarks to the World Summit on Teachers in Santiago, Chile.

Five areas for urgent action

Ms. Mohammed laid out a five-point plan to tackle the global teacher crisis:

Elevate the profession: Implement the High-Level Panel’s recommendations — fair pay, stable contracts, safe workplaces, manageable class sizes, investment in upskilling, and clear career pathways.
Finance education: Make education a top budget priority. Expand domestic funding, pursue debt relief, and consider a Global Fund for Teachers in Emergencies.
Advance gender equality: Recognize and elevate women’s leadership in a profession dominated by women but often lacking female decision-makers.
Support digital transformation: Train teachers to lead inclusive digital learning, especially as AI reshapes the job market. Equip classrooms and prioritize human agency.
Protect teachers in crisis zones: From Gaza to Sudan and Ukraine, educators are risking their lives. “We owe them more than admiration – we owe them protection, resources, and unwavering support.”

From Summit to action

Ms. Mohammed urged leaders to turn the summit’s outcomes into concrete commitments ahead of the World Social Summit in Doha this November.

She proposed:

National teacher compacts with time-bound targets on recruitment, retention, and pay.
A financing track that links aid and debt swaps to teacher investments.
A teacher-led digital pact to set standards for AI and ed-tech, with funded training.

“Quality education is the foundation of everything we hope to achieve with the Sustainable Development Goals,” she concluded. “Without teachers, none of it is possible.”

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‘The people of Haiti are in a perfect storm of suffering,’ warns UN chief

Posted on August 29, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 humanitarian appeal. Less than 10 per cent of the $908 million needed has been received.

The UN chief lamented the level of international neglect, describing Haiti as “shamefully overlooked and woefully underfunded,” as armed groups continue to block humanitarian access and attack aid workers.

Due to the lack of resources, around 1.7 million people risk receiving no humanitarian assistance at all. “This is not a funding gap. It is a life-and-death emergency,” he said, urging donors to act before lifesaving operations grind to a halt.

Across the country, basic services have collapsed, and mass displacement has left children without education, healthcare or any sense of safety. As of April, gang violence had interrupted the schooling of some 243.000 children, as attacks on schools continued.

‘Unimaginable suffering’

The head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Catherine Russell, told ambassadors Haiti’s youth are enduring “unimaginable suffering amidst the brutal armed violence.”

She noted that last year the UN in Haiti had verified more than 2,000 grave violations against children – a nearly 500 per cent increase on the previous year.

The Caribbean nation last year was among the five worst offenders worldwide, Ms. Russell added, including cases of summary execution.

Even more concerning, she said, was the 700 per cent increase in cases of recruitment and use of children by armed groups, alongside a 54 per cent increase in killing and maiming, according to Ms. Russell.

Children now account for a staggering 50 per cent of all active gang members in Haiti.

“I ask Members of this Council to use all available leverage to protect children,” she said, and to support “concrete actions” which will prevent violations from spiralling still further.

‘Signals of hope’

Despite the bleak outlook across Haiti and soaring levels of violence and lawlessness, “there are emerging signals of hope,” said the Secretary-General.

Closer coordination between the Prime Minister’s Task Force, the Haitian National Police and Security Council-backed Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) is improving operations on the ground, he said.

But, more decisive international support is required to protect and expand these fragile gains.

The Kenyan-led mission was authorised by the Security Council in October 2023 and aims to help over-stretched Haitian authorities stem the gang violence and restore national security, especially in the capital.

Mr. Guterres welcomed efforts by the Security Council to advance his proposal to strengthen the MSS through UN logistical and operation support, and urged ambassadors “to act without delay and authorise an international force, supported by the UN through logistical and operational backing, and predictable financing.”

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Famine in Gaza: ‘a failure of humanity itself,’ says UN chief

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the results of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis were no mystery: “It is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment – and a failure of humanity itself.

“Famine is not about food; it is the deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival.”

Famine conditions are projected to spread from Gaza Governorate to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the coming weeks, the IPC estimates.

UN agencies have collectively and consistently highlighted the extreme urgency of delivering immediate and full-scale humanitarian aid given the escalating hunger-related deaths, rapidly worsening levels of acute malnutrition and plummeting levels of food consumption in Gaza – with hundreds of thousands going days without anything to eat.

Israel’s obligations

“As the occupying power, Israel has unequivocal obligations under international law – including the duty of ensuring food and medical supplies of the population,” said the UN chief, reacting to the famine declaration from the IPC, which is endorsed by dozens of governments, UN agencies and NGOs as the key evidence-based measure of food insecurity and malnutrition.

See our UN News explainer here.

Mr. Guterres said Israel’s denial of its duties could not be allowed to continue: “No more excuses. The time for action is not tomorrow – it is now.”

Silence the guns, release the hostages

UN agencies operating in Gaza joined the UN chief in calling for an immediate ceasefire to finally allow unimpeded, large-scale humanitarian response and the immediate release of all hostages taken by Hamas and other militants during the 7 October 2023 terror attacks.

Agencies also expressed grave concern over the threat of the intensified military offensive on Gaza City and any further escalation in the conflict, as it would have further devastating consequences for civilians where famine conditions already exist.

“Many people – especially sick and malnourished children, older people and people with disabilities – may be unable to evacuate,” they said in a joint statement.

Famine set to expand

By the end of September, more than 640,000 people will face ‘catastrophic’ levels of food insecurity – classified as IPC Phase 5 – across the Gaza Strip.

An additional 1.14 million people in the enclave will be in phase 4 with a further 396,000 people facing phase 3 ‘crisis’ conditions.

Conditions in North Gaza are estimated to be as severe – or worse – than in Gaza City. However, limited data prevented an IPC classification, highlighting the urgent need for access.

Classifying famine means that the most extreme category is triggered when three critical thresholds – extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition and starvation-related deaths – have been breached. The latest analysis now affirms on the basis of reasonable evidence that these criteria have been met, UN agencies said.

Briefing journalists on Friday at UN headquarters in Geneva, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said it was a famine that could have been prevented “if we had been allowed.”

A young severely malnourished girl is helped into her clothes.

Famine in a fertile land

“Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land.

It is a famine that we repeatedly warned of – but that the international media has not been allowed in to cover, to bear witness,” he added.

“It is a famine in 2025. A 21st century famine watched over by drones and the most advanced military technology in history. It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war.”

On a wider scale, Mr. Fletcher said it was “the world’s famine. It is a famine that asks ‘but what did you do?’ A famine that will and must haunt us all.”

Malnutrition among children in Gaza is accelerating “at a catastrophic pace”, said UN agencies, who note that in July alone, more than 12,000 children were identified as acutely malnourished – the highest monthly figure ever recorded and a six-fold increase since the start of the year.

First Middle East famine

Since the last IPC Analysis in May, the number of children expected to be at severe risk of death from malnutrition by the end of June 2026 has tripled from 14,100 to 43,400.

The new assessment reports the most severe deterioration since the IPC began analysing acute food insecurity and acute malnutrition in Gaza Strip, and it marks the first time a famine has been officially confirmed in the Middle East region.

Since July, food and aid supplies entering Gaza increased slightly but remained vastly insufficient, inconsistent and inaccessible compared to the need.

Meanwhile, approximately 98 percent of cropland in the territory is damaged or inaccessible – decimating the agriculture sector and local food production – and nine of ten people have been serially displaced from homes.

UN rights chief decries ‘relentless intensification’ of US sanctions against International Criminal Court staff

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

His call comes a day after four more Court personnel – two judges and two deputy prosecutors – were slapped with sanctions in connection with efforts to investigate alleged war crimes committed by the US and Israel.

This follows sanctions imposed earlier on four other judges and the ICC Prosecutor. Measures imposed could include blocking financial access to property or assets in the US, as well as travel bans.

‘Assault on the rule of law’

“The relentless intensification of US reprisals against international institutions and their personnel must stop,” said Mr. Türk.

“Sanctioning judges and prosecutors at national, regional or international levels, for fulfilling their mandate in accordance with international law standards, is an assault on the rule of law and corrodes justice.”

The sanctions stem from an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump in February in response to the UN-backed Court issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The ICC is also probing war crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan by all sides during years of conflict, including the US, following the allied invasion of the country in October 2001.

Neither the US nor Israel are party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

It’s time countries step up

Mr. Türk called for the withdrawal of the sanctions against the ICC personnel and those targeting the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The independent expert, Francesca Albanese, receives her mandate from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. For more details, read our story here.

“In the meantime, I call on States to take immediate steps to protect all of them, including by taking measures to encourage corporations operating within their jurisdiction not to implement the sanctions against these individuals,” Mr. Türk said.

“States need to step up to defend the institutions they have created to uphold and defend human rights and the rule of law. Those working to document, investigate and prosecute serious violations of international law should not have to work in fear.”

About the International Criminal Court

The ICC investigates and tries individuals charged with genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. Read our explainer here.

Some of the cases include situations in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Libya.

In March 2023, the Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with alleged war crimes concerning the deportation and “illegal transfer” of children from occupied Ukraine.

The ICC was established in 2002 and is based in The Hague, in the Netherlands.

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Amid massive destruction of Gaza City, UN chief renews ceasefire call

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“It is vital to reach immediately a ceasefire in Gaza,” the Secretary-General told reporters on the sidelines of the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), “and the unconditional release of all hostages and to avoid the massive death and destruction that a military operation against Gaza City would inevitably cause.”

Around one million people still live in the city – Gaza’s largest – in the north of the war-torn enclave. The Israeli army has reportedly described it as a stronghold of Hamas, the terror group whose deadly attacks in Israel and hostage-taking sparked the war on 7 October 2023.

The UN chief also condemned the Israeli Government’s decision to approve a long-shelved settlement expansion project in the occupied West Bank.

“The decision by the Israeli authorities to expand illegal settlement construction, which would divide the West Bank, must be reversed. All settlement construction is a violation of international law,” he insisted.

The settlement is believed to have permission for well over 3,000 houses, schools and a clinic, cutting off East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank, which Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day war after defeating Egypt, Jordan and Syria.

Urban destruction

Meanwhile in Gaza City, whole urban areas are being “totally destroyed”, the UN understands, with further destruction now underway in the south and southeast, as military manoeuvres continue.

Recent attacks have been particularly devastating in the Az Zaytoun neighbourhood of the city, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) reported on Wednesday.

Highlighting more than 50 attacks on residential buildings and entire blocks in Gaza City since 8 August, OHCHR warned that its “systematic destruction” had begun.

Acute malnutrition soaring

Meanwhile, UN aid teams highlighted the catastrophic impact of the accelerating Israeli military operation, with acute malnourishment soaring among children in Gaza City to 28.5 per cent, or more than one in four youngsters.

“Children continue to die from man-made starvation,” UNRWA said in a statement, noting that it has screened more than 95,000 children aged six months to five years for malnutrition across the Gaza Strip since March 2025, after the ceasefire collapsed.

While the ceasefire still held in early March and relief supplies were allowed into Gaza in far greater quantities than today, malnutrition rates were six times lower in Gaza City, at 4.5 per cent, according to the UN agency for Palestinians, UNRWA.

Across Gaza, acute malnutrition rose to nearly 16 per cent in mid-August, more than three times higher than the 5.2 per cent level recorded by the UN agency in March, it said.

Vital services in danger

Today, services provided by UNRWA in Gaza City are at “severe risk”, the agency warned, pointing to the tens of thousands of people who still live in its shelters and the “many more” who remain in surrounding areas.

There is particular concern for UNRWA’s Gaza Field Office compound – its largest logistics hub in northern Gaza – as the UN agency’s operations in the south have been “crippled” by displacement orders and bombardment.

As an indication of UNRWA’s key role in aid and relief provision across Gaza, it noted that last month alone, it provided more than 100,000 medical consultations and screened 3,500 children for malnutrition in Gaza City.

UNRWA also delivered drinking water to 220,000 people, domestic water to 250,000 and cleared hundreds of tons of waste.

Education and protection specialists from the UN agency reached thousands more in temporary learning spaces or by offering counselling, recreational activities and risk awareness training about the dangers of lethal unexploded weapons.

“While our colleagues, like the rest of the UN, are determined to stay and deliver, all of these services are now at risk as the military operations intensify,” UNRWA said.

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Plastic pollution talks adjourn, but countries want to stay engaged: UNEP chief

Posted on August 15, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“This has been a hard-fought 10 days against the backdrop of geopolitical complexities, economic challenges and multilateral strains,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). “However, one thing remains clear: despite these complexities, all countries clearly want to remain at the table.”

Speaking to media at the end of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) talks at the UN in the Swiss city, Ms. Andersen emphasized how Member States had expressed a clear wish to continue engaging in the process, recognising their significant differences regarding plastic pollution.

“While we did not land the treaty text we hoped for, we at UNEP will continue the work against plastic pollution – pollution that is in our groundwater, in our soil, in our rivers, in our oceans and yes, in our bodies,” she said.

World view

“People are demanding a treaty,” the UN agency head continued, before underscoring the hard work that lies ahead to maintain the momentum needed to ink a binding international accord.

Delegates from 183 nations attested to the convening power and importance of the proposed agreement, with some Pacific island representatives – complete with dazzling fresh blooms in their hair – rubbing shoulders with other participants, drained by the final all-night negotiating session.

The resumed fifth session of talks – referred to as INC-5.2, after previous talks in Busan known as INC-5.1 – gathered more than 2,600 participants at the UN Palais des Nations. In addition to the approximately 1,400 country delegates, there were close to 1,000 observers representing at least 400 organizations.

NGO voices heard

The session also involved the active participation of civil society – including Indigenous Peoples, waste pickers, artists, young people and scientists. They raised their voices through protests, art installations, press briefings and events in and around the Palace of Nations.

The goal of the negotiations was to agree on a text for the legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution “and highlight unresolved issues requiring further preparatory work ahead of a diplomatic conference”, UNEP said.

In addition to meetings together in UN Geneva’s vast assembly hall, four contact groups were created to tackle key issues including plastic design, chemicals of concern, production caps, finance and compliance instruments.

Despite “intensive engagement”, Members of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee was unable to reach consensus on the proposed texts, UNEP explained.

Chair’s action call

“Failing to reach the goal we set for ourselves may bring sadness, even frustration. Yet it should not lead to discouragement. On the contrary, it should spur us to regain our energy, renew our commitments, and unite our aspirations,” said INC Chair, Luis Vayas Valdivieso.

“It has not happened yet in Geneva, but I have no doubt that the day will come when the international community will unite its will and join hands to protect our environment and safeguard the health of our people.”

The INC process began in March 2022 when the UN Environment Assembly passed resolution 5.2 to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

“As this session concludes, we leave with an understanding of the challenges ahead and a renewed and shared commitment to address them,” said Jyoti Mathur-Filipp, Executive Secretary of the INC Secretariat. “Progress must now be our obligation.”

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Malnutrition deaths mark ‘latest in the war on children’ in Gaza: UNRWA chief

Posted on August 14, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

These young deaths are “the latest in the war on children and childhood in Gaza,” Philippe Lazzarini, head of UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA, said in a tweet on Wednesday.

The toll also includes some 40,00 boys and girls reported killed or injured due to bombardment and airstrikes, at least 17,000 unaccompanied and separated children, and one million deeply traumatised youngsters who are not getting an education.

“Children are children,” he said.

“No one should stay silent when children die, or are brutally deprived of a future, wherever these children are, including in Gaza.”

A sombre reunion

Thousands of sick children in Gaza need urgent medical evacuation, according to UN aid coordination office OCHA.

Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the agency, recalled the moment she recognized a young girl requiring treatment in a Gaza hospital after a year’s interval, once again suffering from malnourishment.

“I remembered her long eyelashes,” the veteran humanitarian told UN News, describing seven-year-old Janah, who she came across at Gaza City’s Patient Friendly Hospital on Tuesday.

“The first time I met her was in the IMC Field Hospital in southern Gaza in April 2024. Back then, she was severely malnourished and was getting treatment. And she gradually became better and was released eventually and went home.”

Seven-year-old Janah is treated at Gaza City’s Patient Friendly Hospital.

Evacuation saves lives

However, Janah was now back in hospital “because the malnutrition became aggravated and the condition that she has also is not properly diagnosed and cannot be properly diagnosed.”

The girl is on a list of people to be medically evacuated for treatment outside Gaza. The most recent evacuations took place last week when the World Health Organization (WHO) supported the transfer of 15 critically ill children to Jordan, but more than 14,800 people are still waiting.

Ms. Cherevko stressed the importance of ensuring that evacuations continue to save as many lives as possible.

More aid needed

She also pointed out that for children and adults with pre-existing conditions, their situation becomes worse with malnutrition.

“It wouldn’t be this way if they had proper nutrition, because these conditions existed before the starvation crisis and they weren’t getting as sick as they are now,” she said.

“This is why it’s imperative to make sure that we have proper conditions on the ground for adequate volumes of supplies to be entering – everything from food to medicine to nutrition to shelter,” she continued.

“And these lifelines have to be really enabled for us to be able to deliver this aid to the people in need.”

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‘Nuclear weapons have no place in our world,’ UN chief tells mayors in Nagasaki

Posted on August 9, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Inspired by the hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombings at the end of World War Two who turned their suffering into a powerful appeal for peace, António Guterres renewed his call for a world free of nuclear weapons in a video message to the 11th General Conference of Mayors for Peace in Nagasaki.

United against nuclear weapons, the conference is an opportunity for mayors from around the world to discuss and adopt key priorities in support of global denuclearisation.

‘No place in our world’

“Nuclear weapons have no place in our world,” said Mr. Guterres in his video-message, as they only offer the “illusion of safety and the certainty of devastation,” he said.

Calling for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, the Secretary-General urged all participants at the conference to “keep mobilising communities, inspiring young people, and building peace from the ground up.”

“I urge all States to recommit to nuclear disarmament,” he said.

A better world

“I commend Mayors for Peace for your unwavering commitment to a better world,” said Secretary-General, as the organization aims at creating real momentum for the realisation of a peaceful world without nuclear weapons.

In honour of the hibakusha, and in the memory of the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Mr. Guterres made an impassioned call for action to end the nuclear threat once and for all.

Read more about the work of the hibakusha here in previous UN News coverage, and listen to this extraordinary story of survival in our Lid is On podcast:

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