Putting people at the heart of cities, key to improving urban life

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Yet, amid this rapid transformation, one question rises above all: how can innovation truly serve the people, as more and more of them migrate to cities?

That question lies at the heart of this year’s World Cities Day, which will be celebrated in Bogotá, Colombia, under the theme People-Centred Smart Cities.

Organized by the UN’s urban agency, UN-Habitat, the event brings together mayors, experts on city life and community leaders from around the world to explore how data, design, and digital tools can build communities that are not only smarter, but also fairer, greener, and more inclusive.

By 2050, nearly 70 per cent of humanity is expected to live in urban areas, intensifying demands for housing, services, and climate resilience.

In his message for the day, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that innovation must close gaps, not widen them.

“A truly smart city puts people first, especially the most vulnerable,” Mr. Guterres said. “When we place people at the centre, digital innovation can help drive fairness and sustainability for all.”

Bogotá’s big experiment

Bogotá, long known for urban experimentation, has earned global recognition for combining technology with citizen engagement.

From TransMilenio, its influential bus rapid transit system, to Ciclovía, which turns streets into car-free community spaces every Sunday, the city has redefined how urban design can foster social connection and sustainability.

For Elkin Velásquez, UN-Habitat’s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Bogotá offers a compelling example of how data and dialogue can shape better futures.

“The global observance here will foster international dialogue on people-centred smart cities — where technology enhances quality of life and strengthens community bonds,” he said.

Bogotá, Colombia’s capital city.

Listening to the city

Among the keynote speakers in Bogotá is Carlo Ratti, architect, engineer, and director of the MIT Senseable City Lab in the United States, as well as curator of the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale.

Mr. Ratti, one of the world’s leading thinkers on urban innovation, believes that cities must evolve beyond the notion of the “smart city” toward what he calls the “senseable city.”

“I’m not fond of the term ‘smart city,’” Mr. Ratti said. “It often implies a top-down system guided by technology alone. Cities must first and foremost be about people — responsive, inclusive, and adaptive. A ‘senseable city’ uses technology not for its own sake, but to better listen to and serve its citizens.”

For Mr. Ratti, Bogotá embodies this spirit. “It has long intrigued me as a leading city for urban experimentation,” he said. “Projects like TransMilenio and Ciclovía have become global case studies.

“They show how local interventions, when scaled and embraced, can shift urban trajectories.”

On principle, Mr. Ratti believes that in an age of climate emergency and demographic transition, “the most radical act may be not to build or build differently”. As an alternative, he suggests prioritizing reuse, retrofitting, and transformation.

“And if you truly need to build on greenfield sites, learn from the logic of nature. In terms of energy and circularity, a tree is still much smarter than any building we can design”, he concluded.

A people-centred vision

According to Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, the city’s approach exemplifies what a people-centred smart city should look like.

“In Bogotá, the smart cities approach is people-centered, aiming to improve well-being and quality of life,” Ms. Rossbach said.

“Programmes like Ecobarrios and Mi Casa focus on resilience and sustainability, while digital initiatives such as Chatico, a virtual agent, use Artificial Intelligence to help citizens access information on public services and participate in consultations.”

These initiatives, she explained, represent a broader effort to advance sustainable mobility, data-driven policymaking, and bridge the digital divide.

Bogotá, Colombia, is recognized as a leader in smart city initiatives, with a focus on digital transformation, mobility, and urban sustainability.

“These are good examples of technology and innovation that serve people and communities,” Ms. Rossbach added. “It’s vital that such experiences are shared globally, allowing other cities to adapt these lessons to their own contexts.”

A global conversation

World Cities Day marks the conclusion of Urban October, UN-Habitat’s month-long campaign for sustainable and inclusive urbanization. This year’s observance in Bogotá aims to leave behind a legacy, one built on collaboration, learning, and shared commitment to a more equitable urban future.

“The legacy we seek is twofold,” Ms. Rossbach concluded. “First, to showcase the creativity of cities in advancing people-centred smart approaches. And second, to strengthen the networks of cooperation that ensure innovation serves people, and not the other way around.”

As digital tools become ever more embedded in urban life, the challenge for cities is clear: to ensure that smart solutions remain human ones.

Gaza: ‘No one should ever be forced to risk their life to find food,’ says UN humanitarian agency

Posted on August 2, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

The months-long deprivation of most life-sustaining basic goods has led to a deepening of the crisis. More than 100 people were killed, and hundreds of others injured, along food convoy routes and near Israeli-militarised distribution hubs in the past two days alone.

As one in three people currently going days without food, OCHA reiterated that no one should ever be forced to risk their life to get something to eat.

Ted Chaiban, Deputy Director of UN children’s agency UNICEF, who is fresh from a visit to Gaza, noted that “the marks of deep suffering and hunger were visible on the face of families and children.”

He was briefing journalists in New York about his five-day visit in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel.

Grave risk of famine

“Gaza now faces a grave risk of famine,” he said, briefing journalists in New York about his five-day mission to the enclave, the West Bank and Israel.

“This is something that has been building up, but we now have two indicators that have exceeded the famine threshold.”

The crisis can only be addressed through unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza, with commercial supplies also allowed to enter to help address people’s needs.

Nearly a week since the Israeli announcement to allow the scale up of aid and tactical pauses to allow safe passage of UN convoys, OCHA reported that the aid that has entered Gaza so far remains insufficient, while UN convoys continue to face impediments and danger along the routes provided by the Israeli authorities.

“Civilians must always be protected and community-level aid delivery at scale must be facilitated, not obstructed,” said OCHA.

Starved, bombed and displaced

“The children I met are not victims of a natural disaster. They are being starved, bombed, and displaced,” Mr. Chaiban said. He noted that more than 18,000 boys and girls have been killed since the beginning of the war, “an average of 28 children a day, the size of a classroom, gone.”

While in Gaza, Mr. Chaiban met with the families of the 10 children killed and 19 injured by an Israeli airstrike as they were queuing for food with their mothers and fathers at a UNICEF-supported nutrition clinic in Deir Al-Balah.

Discussion with Israeli authorities

Engaging with Israeli authorities in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, UNICEF “pressed for a review of [Israel’s] military rules of engagement to protect civilians and children,” Mr. Chaiban said.

Simultaneously, UNICEF also called for more humanitarian aid and commercial traffic to come in to stabilise the situation and reduce the desperation of the population.

“Children should not be getting killed waiting in line at a nutrition centre or collecting water, and people should not be so desperate as to have to rush a convoy,” he said.

“What is happening on the ground is inhumane.” Mr. Chaiban said, hoping for a sustained ceasefire and a political way forward.

Source link

‘You have to be able to rule your life’: The care revolution in Latin America

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

The workers we don’t pay or see are grandmothers, mothers, daughters — the women who take care of children, look after ill family members, and give dignity to the elderly.

To do this vital care work, they give up formal employment with pay cheques.

“Our system is designed as if women didn’t do care work. And that forces us to choose between raising children or working,” said Meredith Cortés Bravo, a founder of a grassroots organization in Chile that supports these women.

But in Latin America, this is slowly changing — a care revolution is underway that is asking governments and employers to consider what it would mean to recognize, protect and fund care work.

“Care is essential for every family and for every community. The revolution is to make it visible, to make it valuable and to invest,” María Noel Vaeza, UN Women’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, told UN News.

The most off-track goal

The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development is convening at UN Headquarters in New York in order to discuss progress – or lack thereof – towards the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While 18 per cent of the Goals are on track for 2030, achieving gender equality remains the Goal that is most off-track. Discriminatory laws and gender-based norms persist worldwide, with women dedicating approximately twice as many hours to unpaid care work as men.

“Gender equality is not a side issue. It is central to peace, it is central to justice, and it is central to sustainable development and the credibility of the multilateral system itself,” Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women said at an HLPF session this week.

The revolution is underway

Before the revolution began, Latin America faced a care crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Ms. Vaeza. There was not enough care available outside of the home for sick people, forcing society to recognize that taking care of others is work.

“Unpaid care work is what keeps the economy running, but it’s unfair because it’s invisible, undervalued and underfunded. We must recognize it,” Ms. Vaeza said.

In Latin America, 17 are countries actively working to redesign their care economies, ensuring more protections and income for the women and men who provide this work.

“The biggest shift has been putting care at the centre of public policy, not just academic debates,” said Virginia Gontijo, UN Women programme lead in Brazil.

This work is already bearing fruit.

In Chile, one of the region’s most ambitious care systems is already delivering in 151 municipalities, with the ultimate goal of reaching 75,000 people in the next few years.

UN Women is working with State governments and civil society groups to ensure that these new systems, policies and laws are shaped by and for caregivers.

A care system in Brazil worked closely with a care activist network to train caregivers in labour rights and promote long-term professional development.

“I never felt my work was valued. But after this project, I feel better prepared to take part in political discussions and make our voices heard,” said Lucileide Mafra Reis, a domestic worker activist in Brazil.

A woman and young girl in Mexico.

Care is a human right

Mexico and Peru have taken a more rights-based approach to care, codifying it as a basic human right.

While the international community has yet to make a similar guarantee, Ms. Vaeza said that the human rights framework is an exceptionally effective one — it restores dignity and recognizes that care is a fundamental part of human life trajectories, from birth to death.

“If you say that care is a human right, it means that the government and the state have to provide support,” she Ms. Vaeza.

For Aideé Zamorano González — a mother who founded Mama Godin, an organization in Mexico which evaluates the impact of care policies on women — it is equally as important that employers protect women’s right to do care work.

This means ensuring that workplaces have policies that are supportive of mothers as workers, such as schedules that allow them to drop their children off at school.

For her, these sorts of policies are crucial for women’s rights and particularly for their freedom and autonomy.

“You have to be able to rule your life,” Ms. Zamorano González told UN News.

Beyond just autonomy, however, it is also about safety. If a woman can make her own money — and therefore, her own decisions — she can leave abusive relationships and avoid economic exploitation.

“Every other type of violence depends on the economic power that you have. If you have the ability to make your own decisions and own money, you are safer,” said Ms. Zamorano González.

An economic investment

Changes to legal classifications and governmental support for care work not only benefit the caregivers but also promote economic growth across societies.

“[Care] is an investment, a strategic investment for social justice, for gender equality and for sustainable development,” Ms. Vaeza said.

She noted that dedicating government funds to paying caregivers will return the investment threefold — both by increasing caregivers’ purchasing power and by generating tax revenue.

In Chile and Colombia, new care systems are estimated to contribute 25.6 per cent and 19.6 percent respectively to their national GDPs, according to UN Women.

“When you invest in a women’s organization, you strengthen a living network, a tree with many branches that reaches places no office or institutional programme ever could,” Ms. Bravo said.

Export the revolution

Latin America’s progress on care is a model for other regions around the world, Ms. Vaeza said, and demonstrates the importance of changing legal frameworks for women and girls.

“It’s extremely important that this revolution be exported. It’s an investment, a strategic investment for social justice, for gender equality and for sustainable development,” she said.

But while the revolution is ongoing, Ms. Zamorano González underlined the importance of economic empowerment for women as a means to protect their own rights even when laws and policies fall short.

“We are under capitalism, so while we change the system, let’s play the game. Let’s get our own means to have freedom,” she said.

Source link

From diamonds to dirt: Sierra Leone youth bring land back to life

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

But now, parts of the land have been restored. Crops are beginning to flourish and bees are buzzing around once again.

The people responsible for this change are a hodgepodge group – former taxi drivers and miners, people who barely finished secondary school and some with higher education degrees. The unifying factor? Most have youth on their side.

“There is life beyond mining [but] we all grew up with the mentality that diamond is the only solution,” said Sahr Fallah, chairman of the Youth Council in Kono.

Over 44 percent of the 1.3 billion people aged 15-24 are employed in agrifood systems. However, this group often does not have the same access to resources as older generations. Moreover, they are sidelined in the conversations which might change this systemic exclusion.

Young men work on a diamond mining site near Koidu, Sierra Leone. (file)

“A lot of the time, what we find is that young people are included in policy processes but it is a little bit tokenistic. They don’t feel like their voice really matters,” said Lauren Phillips, a deputy director at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Decent work = economic growth

The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York has been convened this week and next, to discuss progress – or lack thereof – towards the globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which guarantees decent work for all.

Despite this commitment, over half of the global workforce remains in informal employment, according to the Secretary-General’s report on the SDGs released Monday. This means that they do not have adequate social or legal protections.

“Decent work must be at the heart of macroeconomic planning, climate and diesel transitions and social recovery strategies,” said Sangheon Lee, director of employment policy at the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Don’t ignore youth

Like other vulnerable groups, young people face unique challenges in the agrifood sector. Specifically, they often lack land rights and will struggle to act collectively to protect their interests.

“If you are not looking at data with a lens of age or gender, you are actually missing part of the story,” Ms. Phillips said.

Among these assets are land titles – which the elderly may be reluctant to pass down because of insufficient social protections. Youth also are less able to access credit so they can invest in themselves and their families.

Betty Seray Sam, one of the young farmers in Kono, said that her family never used to come to her when they were going through a crisis – they knew that she had no money and a child to support.

Young farmers load tomatoes onto trucks in Nubaria, Egypt.

But now, through an agricultural job in Kono, she can support her family during times of crisis.

“This project has had a rippling effect for the youth in terms of not only improving their livelihoods but also the livelihoods of their families,” said Abdul Munu, president of Mabunduku, a community-based farmer’s organization in Kono.

Bee a farmer

Providing training to young people in agrifood systems is absolutely essential to ensure that they can practice sustainable agriculture.

In Chegutu, Zimbabwe, FAO has helped establish Bee Farmers Schools where young people are taught how to support apiaries through hands-on training activities.

“The idea is that one of the apiaries can be turned into a classroom where youth from different parts of a district can come just like a school,” said Barnabas Mawire, a natural resource specialist at FAO.

This training has helped support local youth beekeepers to move beyond local and small-scale honey production to a fully-fledged business model that has the potential to not just fight poverty but actually create local wealth.

Evelyn Mutuda, the young entrepreneurs representative in Chegutu, aspires to plant Jacaranda trees which she says will improve the quality of the bees’ honey and enable the beekeepers to export beyond local markets.

“We want to maximize all the profits so we can become better and bigger,” Ms. Mutuda said.

From Facebook to TikTok

Being able to form labour associations is one of the key factors of decent work. This sort of collective action is even more important for youth in agrifood who often lack the social capital to enact real policy change.

“Young people are just starting out, making bonds within their group but also with people outside of their group. Those bonds are important…because there is power in numbers,” Ms. Phillips said.

She also noted that young people are forming these bonds across geographic distances, often by using technology. Agrifood influencers on Instagram and TikTok, for example, are increasingly shaping conversations about the sector.

Ms. Phillips also noted that it is important to think of collective action for youth as intergenerational.

“While the report is focused on young people, it’s not ignorant of the fact that young people live in families…There is a lot which talks about the need for solidarity between generations,” Ms. Phillips said.

Youth optimism

The next generation will be the stewards of the food we eat, so integrating them into that system now is essential for future food security and sustainability.

“Many youth integrate tradition with innovation, creating sustainability and community resilience,” said Venedio Nala Ardisa, a youth representative at the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, at an online side event during the high-level forum.

Angeline Manhanzva, one of the beekeepers in Chegutu, said that the opportunity to become a beekeeper changed her life. One day, she dreams of owning her own bee farm.

“I will be an old person who has so much wealth and is able to buy her own big land to keep my hives and process my own honey.”

Source link

‘Fuel for Gaza is a matter of life and death,’ UN warns

Posted on June 26, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel into and throughout the Gaza Strip, effectively choking off life-saving services for deprived and starving people,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during his regular press briefing in New York.

Conditions in the enclave remain bleak, as Israeli operations continue to have a devastating impact on civilians, with reports of the killing and injury of scores of people, many of whom were just seeking aid.

Pregnant women and babies at risk

Due to the fuel situation, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that 80 per cent of critical care units, including those used for childbirth, risk shutting down – at a time when 130 women are giving birth every day.

“As UNFPA stressed, fuel for Gaza is a matter of life and death,” said Mr. Dujarric.

He added that community kitchens were able to prepare more than 200,000 meals every day this week.

However, this represents an 80 per cent reduction compared with the more than one million meals distributed daily at the end of April, calling it “basically a trickle offered to people on the brink of famine.”

In the absence of fuel, cooking gas and electricity, people have resorted to burning plastic waste.

“When they do so in makeshift tents, you can imagine what happens with the poor ventilation and the tremendous risks that that poses,” he told journalists.

A young boy in Gaza with severe weight loss and malnutrition eats a nutritional supplement.

Allow in more aid

Furthermore, the UN relief coordination office, OCHA, also reminds that to meaningfully address the massive deprivation in Gaza, the Israeli authorities must allow in higher volumes of supplies and more varied types of food, as well as cooking gas, fuel and shelter items.

Mr. Dujarric stressed that to facilitate the orderly distribution of aid, supplies must be channelled daily through multiple crossings and land routes simultaneously. This would ensure people that the flow of essential support is steady, sufficient and reliable.  

He said the UN and partners attempted to coordinate 15 humanitarian movements inside Gaza on Tuesday but only three were fully facilitated by the Israeli authorities, while seven were denied outright.

Four missions were initially approved but then halted on the ground, although one was ultimately accomplished on Wednesday and another was cancelled by the organizers.  

Resettlement changed her life. Now she’s fighting for others to have the same chance

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Currently, she’s a qualified refugee and human rights lawyer in New Zealand – but on Tuesday she recalled becoming displaced aged 14 and described the harrowing limbo that followed.

Invisible and alone

“I grew up invisible to the world,” she said. “Without rights, opportunities, or safety.”

That all changed in 2018, when her family was offered resettlement in New Zealand – a decision she said gave her back dignity, hope, and a future.

Today, she advocates for others as a legal professional and helps shape global resettlement policy as an advisor to the Core Group on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways (CRCP) which is supported by UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

Ms. Changezi’s powerful testimony set the tone for the release of the agency’s Projected Global Resettlement Needs 2026 report.

Syrians on the move

UNHCR estimates that 2.5 million refugees will require resettlement next year, a decrease from the 2.9 million estimated for 2025.

While this marks a shift – mainly due to changed conditions in Syria that are allowing for some voluntary returns – the figure remains historically high.

The largest groups in need include Afghans, Syrians, South Sudanese, Sudanese, Rohingya and Congolese refugees. Major countries of asylum like Iran, Türkiye, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Uganda continue to host large refugee populations, with many individuals facing urgent needs that resettlement can address.

“Resettlement offers not only protection, but also a pathway to dignity and inclusion,” said UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo. “It is a demonstration of meaningful international solidarity,” she added.

Worrisome decline

Yet the message from UNHCR was also one of concern. Resettlement quotas for 2025 are expected to fall to their lowest level in two decades — below even the disruptions seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. This decline threatens to undo progress and places vulnerable refugees at greater risk.

In that context, Ms. Changezi’s story became more than a personal account – it was a rallying call. “Resettlement is more than a humanitarian act,” she told journalists. “It is a strategic investment in our shared future.”

Contributing to host societies

Ms. Changezi emphasized that refugees are not defined by their vulnerability. Across the globe, resettled refugees are rebuilding communities, launching businesses, and strengthening social and economic systems in their new homes. “We offer solutions. We drive innovation,” she insisted.

UNHCR is urging states to not only maintain their existing resettlement programmes but to expand them – swiftly and ambitiously. It is also calling for more flexible and responsive systems that can meet the needs of refugees across different regions and contexts.

Despite the challenges, over 116,000 refugees were resettled through UNHCR-supported programmes last year.

The international target for 2026 is to resettle 120,000 individuals – a goal UNHCR says is well within reach if states act decisively.

Ms. Changezi closed her remarks with a reminder that the promise of resettlement is not abstract. “Multiply my story across millions,” she said. “The long-term impact is extraordinary – not just for refugees, but for the societies that embrace them.”

Source link

Ukraine: Hopes for peace on life support, Security Council hears

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“The longer the war continues, the longer its regional and global impacts will be felt, and the more difficult it will be to find a peaceful resolution,” said Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.

She recalled the adoption of Security Council resolution 2774 in February – the first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – which sparked a sense of optimism for a diplomatic solution.

That has since been replaced by a sense of international frustration – and more suffering in Ukraine following the surge in attacks.

“The hope that the parties will be able to sit down and negotiate is still alive, but just barely,” Ms. DiCarlo warned.

Rising civilian toll

Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo briefing the Security Council.

The weekend’s escalation has been described as the largest wave of attacks, with record numbers of long-range missiles and drones killing and injuring dozens of civilians and damaging homes and infrastructure in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and other cities.

Russian regions bordering Ukraine also reported civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nine civilians were killed and 117 injured by Ukrainian strikes between 19 and 25 May, with a further 17 civilians killed and over 100 injured the week before.

“The United Nations is not able to verify these reports. However, if confirmed, these figures serve as a vivid reminder of the rising civilian toll of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most egregiously in Ukraine, but also increasingly in the Russian Federation itself,” Ms. DiCarlo said.

International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, she stressed.

“They are unacceptable and indefensible – wherever they occur – and must stop immediately.”

‘Every delay costs lives’

OCHA Director Doughten briefing the Security Council.

Lisa Doughten, Director for Financing at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), painted a dire picture on the ground.

Over 5,000 people – mostly from Kherson, Donetsk and Sumy regions – were newly displaced in the past week alone, adding to the 3.7 million already displaced across Ukraine. An estimated 1.5 million civilians in Russian-occupied areas remain largely cut off from humanitarian assistance.

Despite escalating challenges, humanitarian organizations – many of them local NGOs – continue to deliver food, water, hygiene kits and protection services.

However, only a quarter of the $2.6 billion needed for the 2025 humanitarian response plan has been funded, leaving aid workers struggling to meet rising needs.

“Every delay costs lives. Every dollar helps us reach the next family under fire with aid, educate the next child out of school, help evacuate people with disabilities, and sustain water in front-line communities,” Ms. Doughten said.

“The needs do not shrink. And so, our resolve cannot falter.”

A wideview of the Security Council meeting as members discuss the situation in Ukraine

The war is a strategic mistake: US

Sanctions for Russia are “still on the table” if they make the “wrong decision” to continue the catastrophic war against Ukraine, the representative of the United States, John Kelley, told ambassadors.

“President [Donald] Trump has emphasised from the beginning that this war was a strategic mistake and should never have happened; time is not on the side of any who would prolong it,” Mr. Kelley said.

The US also condemned Russia’s decision to launch record numbers of long-range missiles and drones against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine this past weekend.

Mr. Kelley noted that if Russia makes the “wrong decision to continue this catastrophic war,” the United States may be forced to end their negotiation efforts.

“To be clear, in doing so, we would not be ‘abandoning’ our principles or our friends. Rather, we would be recognising Russia’s refusal to work with us toward a desirable outcome,” he said.

Mr. Kelley also referenced President Trump’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 21 May, saying that the US is expecting a “term sheet” which will outline a Russian ceasefire proposal.

“We will judge Russia’s seriousness towards ending the war not only by the contents of that term sheet, but more importantly, by Russia’s actions,” Mr. Kelley said.

Ukraine trying to derail peace: Russia

Russia’s Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya accused the Ukrainian Government of attempting to “deceive and mislead” President Donald Trump in order to push the US away from its central role brokering negotiations.

“As long as the spectre of the ‘Russian threat’ persists, [Volodymyr] Zelensky’s clique can avoid accountability for embezzled budget funds and Western – primarily American – aid, which now totals tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars,” Mr. Nebenzya said.

“Even their partners in Europe and the [Joe] Biden administration, who have also profited greatly from the conflict in Ukraine, are starting to grow weary of this.”

Regarding allegations that Russia is targeting civilians in Ukraine, he claimed the casualties are the result of Ukrainian air defense systems being “positioned near residential buildings and public infrastructure in violation of basic international humanitarian law.”

He stated that the true targets of Russian strikes are military-industrial sites, citing the destruction of ammunition depots and other weapons facilities in various Ukrainian regions.

Ukraine open to talks that ‘yield tangible results’

Khrystyna Hayovyshyn, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN, said that the international community must increase pressure on Russia, including through sanctions, to end the “diplomatic stalemate” for which she squarely blamed Russia.

“Ukraine did not initiate this war, nor do we desire its continuation,” Ms. Hayovyshyn said.

She noted that President Volodymyr Zelensky remains willing to meet President Vladimir Putin at any point for direct talks, but that the Russian President has not made himself available – including failing to attend the negotiations in Türkiye where Mr. Zelensky was present.

“We are not afraid of talks,” she said. “We are for constructive talks.”

Ms. Hayovyshyn said that “only positive result” of the meeting in Türikye was the agreement from both Russia and Ukraine to each release 1,000 prisoners of war.

But she reiterated that Ukraine would not compromise on its territorial integrity or sovereignty when negotiating for peace.

“Achieving peace at any cost will not end the war. A comprehensive, just and lasting peace must rest on a fundamental respect towards non-negotiable principles,” she said.

Source link

Field of Dreams: Football Breathes Life into Yemen’s Camps

Posted on May 11, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

The tournament is more than a sporting event. It’s a lifeline. In Ma’rib Governorate, where over 2.3 million internally displaced people have settled, families live in makeshift shelters, often after being forced to flee multiple times. Water is scarce, the heat is unforgiving, and access to education and health care is limited at best. In these conditions, there is little space for childhood, let alone for play.

Yet when the whistle blows, something shifts. On the field, children and young adults are no longer defined by conflict. For a moment, they become teammates, competitors and determined athletes, focused on the game and nothing else.

This year’s tournament, which is organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) brought together youth from more than a dozen displacement sites, including Salwa, Al-Ramsa and Al-Sowayda. In areas where daily life can feel heavy and isolated, the matches created a sense of connection and community.

Among the players is Basheer, a 26-year-old displaced from his home and now living in the heart of Salwa displacement site. Basheer shoulders far more than just his own future. He is the sixth of seven brothers and the only one with a steady income. Every day, he works on a minibus, shuttling people back and forth across town from early morning to late afternoon. On a good day, he brings home 20,000 Yemeni rials – barely enough to cover food.

The rest of the family depends on him. His brothers are out of work. The eldest managed to reach the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and sends money when he can, but the support is irregular. Most days, they survive on whatever Basheer is able to bring home.

Football, for Basheer, is more than a distraction. It’s a refuge. A rare moment of focus and joy in a life shaped by duty and survival. “Football takes me to another world,” says Basheer. “When I’m playing, I forget everything else.”

Player in football tournament for displaced people in Ma’rib, Yemen

‘Some came barefoot and played all day under the burning sun’

Despite its popularity, this year’s tournament faced a serious challenge: a lack of funding. In previous years, IOM had managed to fully equip the teams. Players received football boots, socks, kits and even proper goalposts. This year, IOM’s Camp Coordination and Camp Management team could only provide basic jerseys.

Jamal Alshami, an IOM field assistant and one of the long-time organisers, feared the turnout would suffer and that players might lose interest or feel discouraged. But the opposite happened.

“Even more players joined than last year,” he recounts. “Some came barefoot and played all day under the burning sun. They were happy just to be there.”

Displacement takes a toll on mental health. Life in the camps is stressful and isolating. But sport, and football in particular, gives young people a way to reconnect with themselves and with each other. “When people are displaced, they leave behind everything. That includes the things they used to enjoy,” says Mr. Alshami. “That’s why these activities matter. They help people relax and reconnect with something they once loved.”

That sense of joy was felt far beyond the players themselves. Spectators gathered along the sidelines, cheering with every goal. Commentators brought the matches to life with their lively calls. Even camp managers paused their work to watch. For a few hours each day, the camps felt different. They felt louder, lighter and full of life.

With Ma’rib continuing to receive new waves of displacement, IOM is working to bring mental health and psychosocial support closer to the ground. This includes sports, youth clubs and cultural events. Football, in this context, is more than a game. It is a reminder of identity. A way to heal. A moment of normal life in a place where very little feels normal.

Players in football tournament for displaced people in Ma’rib, Yemen

More than 30-year difference in life expectancy highlights health inequities

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

The study by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that they can be responsible for a dramatic reduction in life expectancy in both rich and poor countries alike.

For example, people living in the country with the highest life expectancy will on average live 33 years longer than those born in the country with the lowest life expectancy.

An unequal world

“Our world is an unequal one. Where we are born, grow, live, work and age significantly influences our health and well-being,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Inequities in health are closely linked to degrees of social disadvantage and levels of discrimination.

“Health follows a social gradient whereby the more deprived the area in which people live, the lower their incomes are,” WHO said.

Inequities are especially exacerbated in populations that face discrimination and marginalization, such as Indigenous Peoples, who have lower life expectancies than their non-Indigenous counterparts.

This is the case in both high and low-income countries.

Key targets at risk

The study is the first to be published since 2008 when the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health released its final report laying out targets for 2040 for reducing gaps between and within countries in life expectancy, childhood and maternal mortality.

It shows that these targets are likely to be missed, and despite a scarcity of data there is sufficient evidence to show that health inequities are often widening.

For example, children born in poorer countries are 13 times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than in wealthier countries.

Moreover, modelling shows that the lives of nearly two million children annually could be saved by closing the gap and enhancing equity between the poorest and wealthiest sectors of the population within low- and-middle-income countries.

Additionally, although maternal mortality declined by 40 per cent between the years 2000 and 2023, the majority of deaths, 94 per cent, still occur in low and lower-middle-income countries.

Appeal for action

WHO is calling for collective action to address economic inequality and invest in social infrastructure and universal public services.

The agency also recommends other steps, including overcoming structural discrimination and the determinants and impacts of conflicts, emergencies and forced migration.

What’s India’s future once Coronavirus is contained? Collection of Expert Views

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Sridhar P

Now that India is bracing for relaxation of nationwide lockdown imposed in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, economists and world renowned Indian brains had a discussion on almost all the aspects of Indian life from e-commerce to gold-buying spree to frugal mindset to sanitation consciousness.

Here are some takeaway points:

General Outlook

India seems to have suppressed the curve for long but not now with 1.6 million cases and more than 36,000 deaths so far. It looks like it might escalate further.
Possibility of W Curve – There is a good chance of re-occurrence of the virus, which could see a possibility of regular lockdowns. Businesses need to plan accordingly.
Capital inflow will look for countries that are less battered. Western economies are badly battered while countries like India, Indonesia, among others are not so battered.
Emotional and Economic backlash against China is expected. Already, countries and companies are working on strategy to pivot away from China as part of their supply chains. Japan has announced packages for it’s companies bringing back manufacturing home. Businesses need to keep this in mind and work accordingly.

Discretionary Spending

For individuals, health and safety will become No.1 on their agenda from the 3rd of 4th place. There will be more spending on this and reduction in other discretionary spending.
The ticket size of spending will drop for a while. People will spend on cheaper goods than on expensive goods, or delay spending for a while.
Extreme acceleration in digital economy — home education, home entertainment, home fitness, etc
Loyalty shock: People will be less loyal towards brands as other aspects will take over. People will switch brands faster due to various other concerns like safety.
General Trust deficit among stakeholders like vendors, customers, employees, borrowers, banks, etc. visible. Banks will have trust deficit with borrowers, companies will have trust deficit with suppliers, and it goes on.

Liquidity and P&L

Segregate Good Costs and Bad Costs
Good costs (Eg. Digitization, tech costs, digital marketing, best employees, etc) need to be insulated and protected
Bad Costs (Eg. Fancy office, unnecessary spending, bad performers, traditional working methods) need to be ruthlessly eliminated. Companies will not entertain or be emotional about non-core businesses.
Be Frugal – Not necessary to have fancy office, fancy cars, excess employee strength, etc. Companies tend to remove all the flab and be lean.
Maintain Good behaviour – Have frank and open conversation with all stakeholders like suppliers, employees, etc and try to find the middle ground, so that the burden can be shared justly.
Be Future Ready – In this crisis, there will be winners and there will be losers. Those who re-orient their strategy will be winners.

Govt Stimulus

Economy was in poor shape even before Covid. The govt has little leeway to provide large stimulus.
Govt earns about $60-70 billion a week from taxes. Imagine what a hit a 5-week lockdown will have. Size of Indian economy is about $3 Trillion. In some scenarios, it is predicted that Govt could take a hit of nearly $1 Trillion.
Inequality has already sharpened. The gap between rich and poor has further increased. Govt needs to concentrate on mass health and mass welfare. If not, 200 million people could sink into poverty.
Govt must explore printing currency (Quantitative easing), but there are limitations here. It has side effects like inflation. Rich countries have more leeway for such quantitative easing.
Govt will focus on more capital from outside.

Result of backlash against China

Internationally, and domestically there is an emotional and economic backlash against China due to border clashes recently.
Businesses with supply chains passing through China will need to insulate themselves and build alternatives.
India and Indian businesses need to try to become the contract manufacturer of the world, just like China is. India needs to make use of this opportunity.
All big wealth funds and sovereign funds will be awash with liquidity. This liquidity needs to be attracted to India.
In every sector, there are good and bad companies. Management has to invest correctly in manufacturing and modern tech, be honest and fair to all stakeholders, etc., Those companies with good management and displaying good behaviour will come out victorious.

Export Business

Indian exporters need to build trust. They need to live up to promises made. They need to deliver on time and deliver the promised quality. They shouldn’t make incorrect promises just to get more business.
Bangladesh export business has built trust and a good reputation. Despite a chequered past (low quality, human rights issues, etc) they have managed to overcome and are winning.

Wholesale, Retail, etc.

More people will prefer to buy from retail stores where there is perception of safety (Eg. Sanitation, cleanliness, crowds, etc). They will move away from malls and mega markets. Many will move towards online stores. Wholesale suppliers also need to concentrate on such retailers.
Customers also need to be ring-fenced.
A high end restaurant in Delhi is giving 40% of bill value as a gift coupon to be used anytime up to December 2020.
Car companies are giving buy back offers, in case the customer loses his job in the next one year.
Pricing needs to be re-approached. People are looking for cheaper prices or cheaper good.

Brick & Mortar in Discretionary Spends

Cinemas could take a big hit in the near future. Entertainment could move to home.
Because of this, cafes and restaurants might see some increase in business. Many chains are implementing measures like social distancing like lesser furniture, etc, to build confidence to consumers.
Smaller retailers need to send a message of safety. Eg: Have sanitisers, put up notice of no Covid positive employee found in the store, maintain social distancing, etc.
Since travel and tourism will take a big hit, connected purchases will also shift. Purchases that happened abroad will happen at home. (Eg. Electronics, Luxury goods and apparel, etc.,). But travel related purchases will drop.

Real Estate

Indian real estate economy is sitting on a huge inventory with a huge cost-of-carry
The industry is highly leveraged with low margins.
Unsold inventory is considered an appreciating asset, but might turn out to be a flawed view.
Market was already overdue for a huge reset, which will be accelerated by the pandemic.
Also, the sharing and co-working space could be hit as more businesses try to have their own smaller spaces and more WFH employees.

Jewellery

Gold-as-an-asset could see appreciation.
Jewelry, as a discretionary spend, will take a hit.
The Indian wedding industry will take a hit, as social distancing, cost consciousness, travel avoidance, etc., will prevent fat weddings, destination weddings, etc. This will hit all connected industries. (Eg. Silk, partywear, etc)

Financial Markets

There will be value destruction and value creation in different companies in the same sector.
High Debt low margin companies will find it difficult. (indicates risky or unscrupulous management)
High Debt high margin companies could be rewarded, but caution needs to be exercised. (may indicate sharp or dynamic management)
No debt high margin companies are best rewarded now.
Know more about the CEO and management and their actions and activities. (Eg: 3 branches of Starbucks were kept open in India for last few days. The CEO of Starbucks India sat in the Fort (Mumbai) branch throughout the day to give his employees confidence and motivation).
New tech unicorns will be born. Those involved in cyber security, cloud services, online education services, etc.

Forex Markets

No doomsday scenario (i.e. Dollar will become 90 rupees etc). Such scenarios don’t seem realistic
Govt should be buying as much oil as possible, as such prices may never be seen in the future of oil.
As the western economies are more battered and Indian economy too faces same fate, depending on the spread of the disease in India.
Watch out for sharp spikes in the market. Better to avoid the spikes.

Outlook for near future

Large Companies survive.
Huge concern seen for employees. Companies are paying the employees even when closed.
HUL decided not to cut a single rupee for their suppliers, service providers, etc. No haircuts.
Safety of employees and customers is becoming a major point of focus.
This is possible because they have reserves of funds, etc that have been built up over the years.

Medium and Small businesses

They have to work with thin capital reserves. Excess capital is taken out of the business and applied into personal assets.
Small businesses take out the surplus and purchase personal assets instead of re-investing in the business. There are various factors and motivations here.
Because of this, they are unable to meet the cash expenses of even the next month.
A high end restaurant chain in Delhi (with Rs.40 crore annual turnover) is unable to pay the salaries of the current month as it has no liquid reserve. Owner has invested in personal assets like house in London, etc.
Medium and Small business need to have a look at how they can build some business reserves to endure such disruptions.

‘Force Majeure’ in Contracts

Should force majeure clauses be triggerd in various contracts like rent, supply, etc? It will lead to litigation, but there is no point in getting into litigation now.
All parties have been affected by the crisis. The tenants, the landlords, the lenders/financiers, etc.
Parties need to sit across the table and find a common ground and mutually decide upon the costs, rentals, etc. Burden has to be shared.

Work From Home Scenario

It is possible for lot of employees to not visit the office and still be productive.
In one corporate office, it is found that it is enough that only 30% staff stay in the office. Others can be connected from homes. This leads to lesser commute expense, stress of the commute, time wasted, etc.,
Parents can take care of children more effectively while Working From Home. There can be dark hours when no calls will be made.

Optimism

As per a McKinsey survey of entrepreneurs released in May, 53% of Indian entrepreneurs are optimistic, while only 25% of Japanese entrepreneurs are optimistic. Now it’s the equally bad everywhere.