A new United Nations report has documented widespread atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region, accusing fighters from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied militias of carrying out mass killings, sexual violence and other grave abuses during an assault on the city of El Fasher. The findings, released by the UN human rights office, highlight what […]
The rapid spread of artificial intelligence is creating new dangers for children online, prompting the United Nations and child protection groups to call for stronger safeguards and global action. Experts warn that digital technologies are increasingly being used to target minors through harassment, exploitation and manipulation, with the risks intensifying as AI tools become […]
Governments around the world are increasingly cutting off internet access during protests, elections and political crises, raising serious concerns about freedom of expression and democratic participation, according to the United Nations. In a statement issued this week, UNESCO said internet shutdowns have reached alarming levels in recent years, warning that the trend threatens fundamental rights […]
Briefing journalists by video link from Jeddah following an extensive visit to the region, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said there has been an uptick in dangerous incidents involving peacekeepers and the fragile environment in which missions are operating. He added that UN missions are continuing to deliver on their mandates despite increasingly challenging conditions on the ground. […]
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed on Wednesday that 2025 was one of the three warmest years on record, continuing the streak of extraordinary global temperatures. After analysing eight international datasets, the organization said that global average surface temperatures last year were 1.44°C above the 1850 to 1900 average. Two of these datasets ranked 2025 as […]
They warned that foreign military action, political exclusion and dwindling resources threaten to undo fragile gains. UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen – who announced that he will be stepping down from his role during the meeting – told ambassadors that interim authorities in Damascus have inherited “not just the ruins of shattered buildings, but the […]
She said it was not the first time drones had been spotted beyond Ukraine’s borders “but it is the first time that multiple drones have flown so deep into a neighbouring country’s airspace.” Ms. DiCarlo said the UN had no way of verifying any claims or counter-claims surrounding the incident and could only rely on […]
Rosemary DiCarlo described Tuesday’s strike in a residential area of the Qatari capital – which targeted Hamas’s political leadership killing several affiliates along with a Qatari security officer – as potentially opening a “new and perilous chapter in this devastating conflict, seriously threatening regional peace and stability.” The attack occurred on 9 September in residential […]
One in 10 children aged 5 to 19 – 188 million worldwide – are now living with obesity, placing them at heightened risk of chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes, heart conditions, and certain cancers. “When we talk about malnutrition, we are no longer just talking about underweight children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. […]
Tom Fletcher’s statement amid what he described as “a massive military offensive” by Israeli forces against Palestinians in Gaza City, and the failure of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas militants. By the end of September famine will likely have spread into Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, he said, unless there is a huge influx of […]
Tess Ingram, Communication Manager for UNICEF’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, recently spent nine days there, describing it as “a city of fear, flight and funerals.” “The last refuge for families in the northern Gaza Strip is fast becoming a place where childhood cannot survive,” she said, speaking from the enclave to journalists […]
Official Development Assistance (ODA) for education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion – a 24 per cent drop from 2023 – with just three donor governments accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the cuts. Such a decline would push the number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million, UNICEF said […]
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 […]
Haitians are enduring a “perfect storm of suffering” the UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Thursday as gang violence continues to paralyse daily life across the island. Around 1.3 million people – half of them children – have fled their homes and six million are relying on humanitarian assistance. Follow our live Meetings Coverage as […]
In his regular daily briefing, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric highlighted that ongoing delays, bottlenecks at holding points and interference in the loading process at crossing platforms are undermining efforts to collect and distribute supplies to those in need. “It is imperative that the UN and its humanitarian partners are enabled to deliver aid at scale, […]
Fewer than half of Gaza’s hospitals and under 38 per cent of primary healthcare centres are partially functioning – or are doing so at minimal levels – said Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative for the West Bank and Gaza. Bed occupancy in major facilities is exceeding limits by large margins – Shifa […]
“For over 150 days, not a single truck from UNRWA has been permitted to deliver food, medicine or other essentials into Gaza,” the agency said on Friday. “This denial of access is costing lives every single day.” Nearly 100 children dead from malnutrition According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, cited by the UN, at least […]
“The real challenge is still ahead of us,” Stephanie Loose, Programme Manager in Afghanistan, told journalists in Geneva on Friday. “We’re speaking about the reintegration of people who’ve lost their homes, who’ve lost their assets and also their hope.” Millions on the move Afghanistan is currently facing an unprecedented returnee crisis. Since September 2023, some […]
Over the past decade, a growing body of evidence has highlighted the widespread impact of mistreatment and the necessity of placing respectful care at the centre of all maternal and newborn health strategies. WHO’s Human Reproduction Programme (HRP), and partners released a new compendium on Wednesday aimed at ending mistreatment and promoting respectful maternal […]
UN Women – which champions gender empowerment and equality – alongside the international humanitarian agency CARE International and partners, issued the call in a report published on Thursday that also highlights the key challenges and needs of women aid workers assisting the returnees. The Gender Alert comes amid a surge in returnees to Afghanistan, where […]