News

Our news page provides you with a round up of UN news related to economic development, humanitarian aid, climate change, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). You will find the summary of news articles together with a link to the news source.

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Economic woes dash job prospects in low income countries: ILO

31 May 2023

Soaring debt levels compounded by high inflation and rising interest rates have dashed job-seekers’ hopes in developing countries, the International Labour Organization (ILO) warned on Wednesday.

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Oversight’s key to ensure sustainability in outer space: Guterres

31 May 2023

Effective governance of outer space is necessary to propel innovation and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a new policy brief published on Wednesday. 

IAEA chief outlines five principles to avert nuclear ‘catastrophe’ in Ukraine

30 May 2023

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday urged the UN Security Council to unambiguously support five principles aimed at preventing a nuclear accident amid the war in Ukraine, now in its 15th month.

Belarus: ‘Unprecedented level of repression’ must end, say UN rights experts

30 May 2023

A large group of UN-appointed independent human rights experts on Tuesday called on the Belarusian authorities to immediately release all those being held on “spurious charges”, simply for exercising their fundamental rights to peaceful assembly, association and expression, to be released without delay.

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Racism which scars societies, must be stamped out, forum for people of African descent hears

30 May 2023

Racism is a global problem, and every country must take a stance against it, General Assembly President Csaba Kőrösi said on Monday, addressing the latest meeting of a UN platform to improve the safety and quality of life of people of African descent worldwide.   

UN humanitarians complete first food distribution in Khartoum as hunger, threats to children intensify

30 May 2023

For the first time since fighting broke out in Sudan on 15 April, humanitarians have been able to reach desperate families trapped in the conflict’s epicentre, Khartoum, with food assistance, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.

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UN humanitarians complete first food distribution in Khartoum as hunger, threats to children, intensify

30 May 2023

For the first time since fighting broke out in Sudan on 15 April, humanitarians have been able to reach desperate families trapped in the conflict’s epicentre, Khartoum, with food assistance, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.

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Nearly half of Haiti going hungry, new food security report warns

30 May 2023

A total of 4.9 million people in Haiti – nearly half of the country's population – are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to a new UN-supported report.

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Fresh diplomatic gains must match action on the ground in Syria to end war

30 May 2023

Action on the ground must match diplomacy’s steadily advancing gains towards ending the 12-year-old war in Syria, where violence is once again, killing a growing numbers of civilians, the top UN official in the country said on Tuesday.

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WMO makes urgent call to action over melting cryosphere

30 May 2023

Global warming’s devastating effects on the world’s sea ice, icebergs and glaciers – part of what is known as the cryosphere – need to be better understood and mitigated, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).  

International Day of UN Peacekeepers honours 75 years of service and sacrifice

29 May 2023

Since 1948, more than two million uniformed and civilian personnel have served at UN field missions across the world.  Their contributions are being highlighted on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, observed on Monday.

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UN agencies warn of rising hunger risk in 18 'hotspots'

29 May 2023

Hunger is set to worsen in 18 “hotspots” worldwide including Sudan, where fighting is putting people at risk of starvation, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned in a report published on Monday.

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Menstrual Hygiene Day: Putting an end to period poverty

28 May 2023

Fatoumatta Fatty’s commute on an old, malfunctioning wheelchair takes up to two hours during rainy season in The Gambia, but she is happy joining her co-workers at a sanitary pad production centre, where she takes pride in making products that help women overcome “period poverty” across the country.

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Malaysia: ‘Everyone has a migration story’, now let’s eat

28 May 2023

Every recipe has a story, from Pakistan’s signature chicken korma to kaldu kokot cooked on Indonesia’s Madura Island. The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has set the table for an innovative campaign that brings seven recipes to life, tackling a wave of hate speech against migrants and refugees by serving up the rich diversity of food and culture they bring with them to Malaysia.

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Trafficking in the Sahel: Killer cough syrup and fake medicine

27 May 2023

In the summer of 2022, 70 Gambian babies and young children died from kidney failure after ingesting cough syrup spooned out by their caregivers. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert that four tainted paediatric products had originated in India, as local health authorities continue to investigate how this tragedy unfolded.

‘Safe digital public square’ never more important, says Türk

26 May 2023

Allowing space for everyone to speak up, is critical for a free and fully functioning society said the UN human rights chief on Friday, warning that a safe environment online has never been more essential.

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Stop tobacco farming, grow food instead, says WHO

26 May 2023

With hunger spreading worldwide and tobacco responsible for eight million deaths each year, countries should stop subsidizing tobacco crops and help farmers grow food, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

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UNESCO unveils new AI roadmap for classrooms

26 May 2023

The UN convened the first ever global meeting with education ministers from around the world to explore risks and rewards of using chatbots in classrooms, announcing on Friday a new roadmap to chart a safer digital path for all.

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Ukraine: UN delivers aid to millions, as civilian suffering continues

26 May 2023

Humanitarians reached 5.4 million people in Ukraine with desperately needed aid by April this year, including cash assistance, food, health services, and medicines, the UN said on Friday.

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Despite ‘slightly’ improved food security in Yemen, hunger stalks millions

26 May 2023

The food security situation in Yemen’s government-controlled districts “slightly improved” during the first five months of this year, but acute malnutrition is on the rise, UN agencies warned in a new report released on Friday.

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Weather experts predict ‘near normal’ season, with 5 to 9 potential hurricanes

26 May 2023

The United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts “near-normal hurricane activity” in the Atlantic this coming storm season, said the UN weather agency on Friday, forecasting between five and nine major storms that could become hurricanes.

UN representative alarmed by sexual violence against women and girls in DRC

25 May 2023

UN Special Representative, Pramila Patten, expressed her ‘deep concern’ on Thursday over increasing allegations of sexual violence against women and girls being carried out in camps for the internally displaced (IDPs) around Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Security Council urged to step up on financing for AU peace operations

25 May 2023

  The UN political affairs chief on Thursday appealed for the Security Council to ensure reliable funding for African Union (AU) efforts towards greater peace and security on the continent.

Sudan: UN and partners scramble to supply aid as fragile ceasefire holds

25 May 2023

The UN and humanitarian partners are mobilizing to reach as many people as possible while the stuttering ceasefire between warring military factions is being respected, said the UN Spokesperson on Thursday.

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Arrest of top Rwandan genocide fugitive shows ‘justice will be done’

25 May 2023

One of the world’s most wanted genocide fugitives has been arrested after being on the run for more than two decades, the UN tribunal prosecuting war crimes committed in Rwanda announced on Thursday.

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UN peacekeepers ‘a beacon of hope and protection’: Guterres

25 May 2023

The UN’s 87,000-plus peacekeepers worldwide are “a beacon of hope and protection” for vulnerable civilians, in an increasingly dangerous and uncertain world, the UN chief said on Thursday, recognizing that last year, another 102 ‘blue helmets’ fell in the line of duty.

Türk appeals to Sudan’s warring generals; calls out ‘dangerous anti-rights tendencies’ worldwide

24 May 2023

The “senseless” fighting in Sudan must stop now, and the warring generals have to insist on zero tolerance for sexual violence among their troops, the UN rights chief said on Wednesday.

Guterres: ‘We can turn the tide’ towards ending colonialism

24 May 2023

New ideas must open fresh pathways towards finally ending the era of colonialism and to help advance sustainable development in the world’s 17 remaining colonies, the UN chief said in a video message to the Organization’s decolonization seminar in Bali, Indonesia

‘No time to spare’: Israel-Palestine ceasefire holds, but hunger, tensions mount

24 May 2023

Swift action is needed to prevent flare ups of Israeli-Palestinian violence and avert a looming food crisis, the top UN official in the Middle East told the Security Council on Wednesday.

Unprecedented joint call to shield children on the move from violence

24 May 2023

The UN’s top advocate on ending violence against children, joined UN agencies on Wednesday in highlighting the urgent need to protect the rights of young people on the move, amid spiralling crises worldwide.