In the hands of innovators from the Global South, AI can transform lives

Fodder cutters are fearsome machines with huge circular blades spinning at high speed, powered by small generators. Operated by rural workers in several developing countries, including India, Pakistan and Kenya, they pose a constant risk – many have had hands or arms amputated following accidents. The consequences are devastating. Tasks that shape daily life – […]

World News in Brief: Deadly strikes in Sudan, health systems in South Sudan near the brink, Guterres calls for unity ahead of Ramadan.

Over the past week, North Kordofan state recorded more than a dozen attacks in and around the towns of El Obeid, Bara, Rahad and Um Rawaba.   In South Kordofan, suspected drone strikes hit health facilities in the state capital, Kadugli, and in Kuweik town, reportedly killing four medical workers, injuring more than 20 people.  Concerns over the conflict continue to deepen after a report today […]

Violence surges in South Sudan leaving civilians at risk and peacekeepers stretched thin

Violence surges in South Sudan leaving civilians at risk and peacekeepers stretched thin

Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council on Tuesday, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said instability had risen sharply in recent weeks, driven by political deadlock among signatories to the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement and a dangerous escalation in armed confrontations. Fighting has intensified most dramatically in Jonglei state, where clashes between Government forces and opposition […]

DR Congo: UN vows orderly peacekeeping transition as South Africa withdraws troops

DR Congo: UN vows orderly peacekeeping transition as South Africa withdraws troops

In a statement issued on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 12 January about the decision, which “is influenced by the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force, following 27 years of South Africa’s support to UN peacekeeping efforts in the DRC.”  He noted that South Africa is among the top 10 countries contributing troops to […]

Guterres condemns escalating violence in South Sudan as aid operations come under fire

Guterres condemns escalating violence in South Sudan as aid operations come under fire

In a statement issued by his Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq on Saturday, the UN chief said nearly 10 million people – “more than two thirds of the population” – now require life-saving humanitarian assistance and “continue to bear the brunt of the conflict”. He expressed grave concern over fighting, attacks and looting affecting humanitarian and […]

South Sudan: UN forced to suspend food aid after ‘unacceptable’ attacks on convoy

South Sudan: UN forced to suspend food aid after ‘unacceptable’ attacks on convoy

As fighting intensifies there between opposition forces and national troops, there are reports of airstrikes and daily civilian casualties. UN agencies warn that worsening insecurity is blocking lifesaving aid, while hunger projections deteriorate and cholera treatment centres struggle to cope with an influx of newly displaced people. The renewed violence comes as South Sudan’s 2018 […]

World News in Brief: Children at risk in South Sudan, Balochistan attacks, summit backs boost for undersea cable security

World News in Brief: Children at risk in South Sudan, Balochistan attacks, summit backs boost for undersea cable security

Clashes in Jonglei state since the start of 2026 have displaced at least 250,000 people, mainly in the north and centre of the state, cutting families off from lifesaving care in areas already suffering some of the highest malnutrition rates in the country. Deadly risks “We are extremely concerned for women and children impacted by these […]

UN chief ‘deeply concerned’ by escalation of violence in South Sudan

The tensions are concentrated in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, where many deaths and injuries have been reported in response to renewed fighting between opposition militia and army forces, leading to the displacement of 180,000 people.  According to news reports, the army launched a major offensive in Jonglei against opposition forces, ordering civilian evacuations on Sunday […]

South Sudan: ‘All the conditions for a human catastrophe are present’

Briefing journalists based at UN Headquarters in New York on Friday, Anita Kiki Gbeho, Officer in Charge of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said Jonglei has become a ‘flashpoint’ for fighting, with civilians caught in the crossfire. With over 200,000 people displaced by the conflict this month, the senior official – who also […]

South Sudan: UN and rights experts warn against risk of mass violence in Jonglei

UNMISS expressed grave concern following reports that a senior military leader is urging troops to inflict discriminate violence against civilians, with more than 180,000 people fleeing their homes.   “Inflammatory rhetoric calling for violence against civilians, including the most vulnerable, is utterly abhorrent and must stop now,” Graham Maitland, Officer in Charge, said on Sunday.  Ongoing hostilities  South Sudan – the […]

Deadly storms sweep South and Southeast Asia, leaving over 1,600 dead

Since mid-November, overlapping tropical storms and intensified monsoon systems have triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Viet Nam. UN teams across the region are supporting government-led emergency operations with food, health, water and sanitation aid, medical deployments and early recovery assessments, as heavy rains continue and fears grow that […]

‘Deadly floods’ displace over 100,000 in South Sudan

‘Deadly floods’ displace over 100,000 in South Sudan

In recent weeks, widespread flooding has engulfed large parts of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states in the north of the country. The agency’s representative in South Sudan, Marie-Helene Verney, said that “if the flooding continues, up to 400,000 people are likely to be displaced by the end of the year, exceeding flood displacement levels seen […]

World News in Brief: Afghanistan quake update, Guterres in Papua New Guinea, Ebola returns to DR Congo, UN condemns attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan

World News in Brief: Afghanistan quake update, Guterres in Papua New Guinea, Ebola returns to DR Congo, UN condemns attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan

Since the initial earthquake on Sunday in eastern Nangarhar province, landslides and several strong aftershocks have disrupted the work of rescue teams. In an update, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said that access routes remain blocked in various locations including the districts of Chawkay and Nurgal, both in Kunar province, although the authorities have deployed earth-moving […]

World News in Brief: Pakistan floods, countries lag on climate reporting, concern over attack on peacekeepers in south Lebanon, cuts hit human rights investigations

World News in Brief: Pakistan floods, countries lag on climate reporting, concern over attack on peacekeepers in south Lebanon, cuts hit human rights investigations

In a statement released by his Spokesperson, the UN chief noted that the disaster driven by severe monsoon conditions had been exacerbated by climate change, impacting around 1.5 million people. Hundreds of thousands of people need humanitarian aid while more than 3,000 homes, over 400 schools and some 40 health facilities have suffered some level […]

South Sudanese ‘are counting on us’, top UN official tells Security Council

South Sudanese ‘are counting on us’, top UN official tells Security Council

Referencing the recent quarterly report from the Secretary-General on challenges facing the world’s youngest nation, Ms. Pobee underscored that since March, previous gains in the peace process have been largely eroded. Military offensives, primarily involving South Sudan’s rival militia which answers to the First Vice President and Government troops loyal to the President, have continued, and […]

In South Asia, anaemia threatens women’s health and economic futures

In South Asia, anaemia threatens women’s health and economic futures

The warning, issued jointly by UN agencies and the regional socio-economic bloc SAARC on Wednesday, underscores South Asia’s status as the “global epicentre” of anaemia among adolescent girls and women. An estimated 259 million already suffer from the condition, which impairs the body’s ability to carry oxygen, contributing to chronic fatigue, poor maternal outcomes, and […]

South Sudan’s longest cholera outbreak enters critical stage

South Sudan’s longest cholera outbreak enters critical stage

The outbreak – which started in September 2024 and was confirmed a month later – comes amidst a protracted humanitarian crisis exacerbated by rising intercommunal violence, climate shocks such as flooding and catastrophic hunger.   “Now, more than ever, collective action is needed to reduce tensions, resolve political differences and make tangible progress in implementing […]

‘A spirit of oneness’: Cooperatives cultivating peace in South Sudan

‘A spirit of oneness’: Cooperatives cultivating peace in South Sudan

“Cooperatives are a system that enables the South Sudanese to improve their livelihoods, but at the same time also contributes to the economy… this is the only way for South Sudan to move out of poverty,” said Louis Bagare project manager of cooperatives at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in South Sudan. He was speaking […]