News
First person: Surviving a deadly hurricane in New York
As extreme weather events grow in intensity and frequency, nowhere is guaranteed to be safe from danger, as New Yorkers discovered on 1 September 2021, when Hurricane Ida struck, causing floods that led to some 29 deaths, and shutting down much of
WFP scales up support for millions who ‘cannot wait’ for food aid amid Horn of Africa drought
As the threat of famine looms in the Horn of Africa, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that it is scaling up operations to support millions going hungry who “cannot wait” for assistance.
UN releases $5 million for humanitarian needs triggered by gang violence in Haiti
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths allocated on Friday, $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to respond to humanitarian needs triggered by gang violence in Haiti.
Guterres: World Humanitarian Day salutes ‘the best in humanity’
The hundreds of thousands of aid workers globally who dedicate their lives to assist people in need represent “the best in humanity”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his video message to mark World Humanitarian Day on Friday.
First Person: Taking to the sea to deliver aid in Haiti
With Haiti’s highways increasingly in the grip of gangs, aid delivery by ship is becoming increasingly critical.
Aid workers saving lives in the face of danger: World Humanitarian Day
On World Humanitarian Day, marked annually on 19 August, aid workers Ahmad Alragheb, based in Syria, and Veronica Houser, stationed in Afghanistan, talk about the crucial humanitarian effort in these countries, and the challenges they and their co
Israel urged to allow humanitarians to continue working in Palestine
Allow human rights and humanitarian organizations to continue their work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), UN agencies and other partners have urged Israel.
Grain deal ‘victory for diplomacy,’ UN chief tells journalists in Ukraine
Positive momentum on the landmark Black Sea Grain Initiative to help vulnerable people access food reflects “a victory for diplomacy” for those caught in a cost-of-living crisis as well as for Ukraine’s hard-working farmers, UN Secretary-General A
South Sudan: ‘Urgent collective efforts’ needed in most dangerous humanitarian situation
On the eve of World Humanitarian Day, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, called on Thursday for joint action to address the aid crisis in the country and end attacks against civilians and humanitarian workers.
UN chief pays second call on Ukraine, will visit grain-exporting Black Sea Port
Secretary-General António Guterres arrived on Wednesday to Lviv, the largest city in Western Ukraine.
Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria completes mission to northeast
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Imran Riza, on Wednesday concluded a four-day mission to the northeast, where he visited camps hosting thousands of displaced persons.
UN agriculture agency helps protect against threat of locust in Yemen
Following heavy widespread rains in Yemen, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) remains on high alert as the threat of desert locust emergence looms, the UN agency said on Wednesday.
WFP: First Ukrainian humanitarian grain shipment leaves for Horn of Africa
The first vessel transporting Ukrainian wheat grain to support humanitarian operations run by the World Food Programme (WFP) has left the port of Yuzhny, also known as Pivdennyi, the UN agency reported on Tuesday.
Humanitarian funding still needed for ‘pure catastrophe’ situation in Afghanistan
Although $4.4 billion is required to fund humanitarian operations in Afghanistan, $1.8 billion has been received so far, or roughly 40 per cent, a senior UN official told journalists in New York on Monday, warning of the dire consequences as winte
Conference opens to draft first-ever treaty on ocean’s biological diversity
The intergovernmental conference to draft the first-ever treaty on the ocean’s biological diversity opened its fifth and likely final session on Monday.
Yemen: UN envoy underscores need to ‘end the conflict, not merely manage it’
The Security Council has a joint responsibility to help Yemen take the “necessary and decisive steps towards peace,” the country’s UN Special Envoy told the ambassadors on Monday.
‘We can’t turn our backs on Afghanistan’s future’: A Resident Coordinator Blog
A year on from the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the senior UN official in the country, Resident Coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov, describes his fears for girls’ lives, and calls for women to play a full role in reviving the Afghan economy.
Building a more resilient post-earthquake future in Haiti
One year on from a devastating earthquake which struck Haiti, communities are rebuilding their lives, and aiming to be better prepared when future disasters strike.
First Person: One year on from Haiti earthquake, time to return home
On 14 August 2021 a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, destroying, or rendering uninhabitable tens of thousands of houses across three departments in the south of Haiti, including Plaisimond Milaure’s home.
Vessel to collect first humanitarian wheat shipment under Ukraine grain deal
A UN-chartered vessel should soon arrive at the Ukrainian port of Yuzhny, also known as Pivdennyi, to collect wheat that will help feed millions of hungry people in the Horn of Africa, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Friday.
From the Field: Young Fijians work with older generation for a sustainable future
On the island nation of Fiji, young people are working in solidarity with their elders, benefiting from their knowledge and experience to protect the fragile ecosystem.
UN chief’s Youth Day message: People of all ages need to ‘join forces’ for a better world
International Youth Day celebrates “the power of partnerships across generations,” the UN chief said in his message for the day.
140 aid workers killed in 2021 as UN humanitarian funding gap looms larger than ever – OCHA
The United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) warned on Friday that at nearly $34 billion, the funding shortfall for aid operations is the biggest it’s ever been.
After the storm: what an environmental tragedy can teach us about climate resilience and ecosystem restoration
A tiny Caribbean Island known as 'the flower of the ocean' was decimated by Hurricane Iota in 2020. Although the loss of human life was minimal, the impact on precious ecosystems deeply changed the perspective of its inhabitants.
After the storm: what an environmental tragedy can teach us about climate resilience and ecosystem restoration
A tiny Caribbean Island known as 'the flower of the ocean' was decimated by Hurricane Iota in 2020. Although the loss of human life was minimal, the impact on precious ecosystems deeply changed the perspective of its inhabitants.
Afghanistan: Humanitarian assistance has saved lives, but immense needs remain
Despite an unprecedented scale-up in assistance in Afghanistan over the past year, immense needs still exist and the future looks bleak, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said on Thursday.
Barbados: New UN disaster preparedness hub built on ‘frontlines of climate change’
A new UN-backed humanitarian logistics hub and training centre in Barbados aims to strengthen emergency preparedness and response across the Caribbean, the World Food Programme (WFP) said in announcing the news on Thursday.
Barbados: New UN disaster preparedness hub built on ‘frontlines of climate change’
A new UN-backed humanitarian logistics hub and training centre in Barbados aims to strengthen emergency preparedness and response across the Caribbean, the World Food Programme (WFP) said in announcing the news on Thursday.
‘Catastrophic’ drought displaces one million in Somalia, world asked to ‘step up’ support
A devastating drought in Somalia has reached unprecedented levels, leaving one million people within the country currently registered as displaced, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Thursday.
‘Catastrophic’ drought displaces one million in Somalia, world asked to ‘step up’ support
A devastating drought in Somalia has reached unprecedented levels, leaving one million people within the country currently registered as displaced, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Thursday.