News
‘Immediate humanitarian assistance’ mobilized in force, to support Beirut after deadly blast
The response to Tuesday’s explosion in Beirut requires global support in order to “surmount the devastating impact” of the crisis facing the Lebanese people, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the country said on Thursday.
New humanitarian air service boosts COVID-19 response in the Pacific
A flight carrying protective masks, ventilators and other essential medical supplies for COVID-19 response, landed in Papua New Guinea on Thursday, marking the start of a humanitarian air service for the Pacific region, Governments and the UN Worl
Thailand’s COVID-19 response an example of resilience and solidarity: a UN Resident Coordinator’s Blog
In January, Thailand became the second country to confirm a COVID-19 case but, since then, the country has shown remarkable resilience and, as of late July, there had not been any recorded cases of domestic transmission for nearly two months.
Philippines: UN and partners launch major COVID-19 response plan to aid 5.4 million
Prioritizing the safety and well-being of women and girls, the UN and partners launched on Tuesday a COVID-19 humanitarian response plan to assist some 5.4 million of the poorest and most marginalized people in the Philippines.
Across Sudan, heavy rains and flash floods destroy houses, wash away crops – UN relief wing
Hundreds of houses have been destroyed and vital infrastructure damaged due to riverine and flashfloods after heavy rains across large parts of Sudan, the United Nations relief wing has reported.
Storms, coronavirus pose ‘double threat’ for children in Central America and Caribbean – UNICEF
Across Central America and the Caribbean, the more than 70 million children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic could soon face another threat – catastrophic hurricane storms, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Monday.
First Person: Turning ‘apathetic people into climate activists’; a young person’s view
An 18-year-old environmental campaigner from the United States has told UN News how she wants to “turn apathetic people into climate activists”.
Health must come before the economy, insists top UN official for Latin America and the Caribbean
In Latin America, where much of the region has dealt with years of sluggish growth, the economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic is pushing millions more into poverty, says Alicia Bárcena, the head of the UN regional body for Latin A
Ravages of acute hunger will likely hit six in 10 in Zimbabwe: WFP
The World Food Programme (WFP) is urgently seeking more international support to prevent millions of Zimbabweans plunging deeper into hunger.
Ravages of acute hunger will likely hit six in 10 in Zimbabwe: WFP
The World Food Programme (WFP) is urgently seeking more international support to prevent millions of Zimbabweans plunging deeper into hunger.
COVID-19: UN chief outlines path to sustainable, inclusive recovery in Southeast Asia
Tackling inequality, bridging the digital divide, greening the economy, and upholding human rights and good governance will be critical for Southeast Asia to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.
Five things you should know about disposable masks and plastic pollution
The fight against plastic pollution is being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the use of disposable masks, gloves and other protective equipment soars, but UN agencies and partners insist that, if effective measures are put into place, the amount
Security Council: Poverty deepens, along with need, across Syria
Humanitarian operations across war-shattered Syria are reaching 6.8 million people a month, but a worsening economic crisis is deepening poverty and pushing more and more Syrians into humanitarian need, the Security Council heard Wednesday.
Thousands suffer extreme rights abuses journeying to Africa’s Mediterranean coast, say humanitarians
Thousands of refugees and migrants in eastern and western Africa, are dying while others face harrowing abuse in their attempts to reach the continent’s Mediterranean coast in search of a better life, a joint UN/Danish Refugee Council report said
Asia-Pacific: ‘Call to action’ highlights role of family farmers amidst COVID-19 pandemic
Although hundreds of millions of smallholder family farmers in Asia-Pacific produce a majority of the world’s food, the COVID-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate impact on their livelihoods, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization
COVID-19 is not just seasonal, cautions WHO, as ‘first wave’ continues
The COVID-19 virus is likely not impacted by the changing seasons like other respiratory diseases, the UN health agency said on Tuesday, before urging much greater respect for physical distancing measures to stop it spreading.
Trade pact could boost Africa’s income by as much as $450 billion: World Bank
The African Continental Free Trade Area represents a major opportunity for countries to boost growth, reduce poverty, broaden economic inclusion and help “expand opportunities for all Africans”, hailed a World Bank official on Monday, which if ful
Spread of hepatitis B in children under five, lowest in decades: WHO
The global prevalence of potentially-deadly hepatitis B in children under age five, dropped to under one per cent in 2019 – down from 5 per cent in the pre-vaccine decades between the 1980s and early 2000s, the World Health Organization (WHO) repo
COVID-19 means development setbacks for Mongolia: a UN Resident Coordinator’s blog
Mongolia has recorded very few cases of COVID-19, less than 300 as on date, despite its more than 4,000 kilometre porous border with China.
Climate emergency ‘a danger to peace’, UN Security Council hears
The climate emergency generated by global warming, is exacerbating existing risks to international peace and security, while also creating new ones, a senior UN official told the Security Council on Friday, making the case for swift climate action
Dramatic Arctic fires and sea ice melt, show need for urgent climate action
“Exceptional and prolonged” temperatures in Siberia, have left parts of the Arctic warmer than sub-tropical Florida, and fuelled “devastating” wildfires for a second consecutive year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday, whi
'Temporary Basic Income' could slow COVID surge, provide lifeline for world’s poorest
The immediate introduction of a Temporary Basic Income for the world’s poorest people could slow the current surge in COVID-19 and enable close to three billion people to stay at home, according to a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) rep
Amid fears of worst recession in decades, urgent calls for solidarity, a united economic front
With multilateral cooperation under strain, senior UN officials, Nobel laureates and eminent academic experts, gathered virtually on Wednesday for the launch of a new report recommending “an adjusted approach” to economic development, and a policy
‘COVID-19 is making a global childcare crisis even worse’: UNICEF chief
Following the release of a UN study that shows at least 40 million children have missed out on early childhood education due to measures to combat COVID-19, the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Henrietta Fore, warned that “the pandemic is
Deforestation has slowed down but still remains a concern, new UN report reveals
Although some 178 million hectares of forest has been lost worldwide over the past three decades, the rate of loss has declined substantially during this period, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Tuesday.
COVID-19 scapegoating triggers fresh displacement in Yemen, warns migration agency
COVID-19 fears have prompted fresh displacement in war-torn Yemen, and forced many of those on the move to sell what little they have to survive, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
Global cooperation key to eradicating deadly pig virus: UN agency
A disease that may kill every pig it infects and for which there is no effective vaccine, can be eradicated if more countries continue to work together to limit its spread, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday.
First-ever World Chess Day, helps calm nerves during COVID-19 pandemic
With the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a pause for most sport worldwide, the UN has been celebrating a highly-competitive game that you can play safely indoors or online – with the added bonus of helping reduce anxiety, and improving mental health:
Young innovators vying for top UN environmental prize
Thirty-five young people with innovative ideas for tackling challenges such as protecting indigenous Amazonian land through adventure travel, converting harmful emissions into valuable commodities in the United States, and generating electricity f
FROM THE FIELD: Frontline resilience in Somalia
One hundred thousand households in Somaliland in northwest Somalia have better access to water, protecting them not just from the ravages of climate change but also against the spread of COVID-19, thanks to a project supported by the UN Developme