News
Lace up and join the UN to help win #TheHumanRace against climate change
The United Nations is encouraging everyone across the world to participate in the literal race against the climate emergency.
A year after the Beirut explosions: a UN Resident Coordinator blog
On August 4th, 2020, a devastating blast in a warehouse destroyed much of the centre of the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Many neighbourhoods were destroyed, downtown Beirut looked like a war zone.
Olympic athletes describe the power of sport to change the world
Leading athletes, influencers and innovators have been sharing their thoughts on the role that sport can play in building a better world for all, in UN-led online discussions held to coincide with the Tokyo Olympics.
Sink or swim: Can island states survive the climate crisis?
Small island nations across the world are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, and their problems have been accentuated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has severely affected their economies, and their capacity to protect themselves from possib
Six months after coup, Myanmar’s political, rights and aid crisis is worsening
It’s been six months since the military coup in Myanmar where there’s grave concern over the widening impact of the deepening political, human rights and humanitarian crisis affecting the country’s people.
Conflict, COVID, climate crisis, likely to fuel acute food insecurity in 23 ‘hunger hotspots’
Life-saving aid to families on the brink of famine is being cut off in several countries by fighting and blockades, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) said in a new report issued on Friday.
100,000 children in Tigray at risk of death from malnutrition: UNICEF
More than 100,000 children in Tigray, Ethiopia, could suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition in the next 12 months, a tenfold jump over average annual levels, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
From electric dreams to supercharged reality: the road race to a clean energy future
The global Formula E electric race series, a partner with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), has grown in popularity since it launched some seven years ago, attracting the attention of major car manufacturers, changing people’s perceptions of e
Yemen: New World Bank funds offer lifeline to most vulnerable
Three UN agencies on Thursday welcomed $127 million in new funding from the World Bank to provide lifesaving support to some of the country’s most hard hit rural families, struggling under the impact of multiple crises.
Food systems transformation a ‘silver lining’ in COVID crisis: UN deputy chief
A sustainable and prosperous planet can only be achieved through working together and in solidarity, the UN Deputy Secretary-General said on Wednesday at the end of a major global food security meeting.
Bangladesh: Deadly flooding, landslides devastate Rohingya refugees
Three days of strong winds and heavy monsoon rain on sprawling refugee sites in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar have taken Rohingya refugee lives and wreaked havoc and destruction, the UN refugee agency said on Wednesday.
Gaza: Humanitarian response underway, but political solutions still needed
Although the international community is providing urgent assistance to Gaza in the wake of the most recent round of hostilities, a political solution is still needed to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, a senior UN official in th
Child malnutrition expected to quadruple in Southern Madagascar
At least half a million children under five in drought-afflicted southern Madagascar are on the verge of acute malnourishment, two UN agencies warned on Monday.
Outstanding sites added to UNESCO World Heritage List
An ancient temple in India and a “cultural landscape” in Spain have become two of the latest sites to be registered on the UN’s prestigious World Heritage List.
UN climate science talks open amid heatwaves, floods and drought
Negotiations began on Monday to approve a UN science report which will anchor high level summits later this year, charged with boosting climate action worldwide.
Support mangrove conservation, UNESCO chief says
The world is waking up to the importance of mangroves, a senior UN official said on Monday, underscoring the need for everyone to support restoration and protection of these crucial habitats.
Together, we must tackle growing hunger, urges Guterres
Inefficient global food production is at the root of a huge rise in hunger as well as one-third of all emissions and 80 per cent of biodiversity loss, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned, in a call to all countries to transform food s
Together, we must tackle growing hunger, urges Guterres
Inefficient global food production is at the root of a huge rise in hunger as well as one-third of all emissions and 80 per cent of biodiversity loss, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned, in a call to all countries to transform food s
No pathway to reach the Paris Agreement’s 1.5˚C goal without the G20: UN chief
“The world urgently needs a clear and unambiguous commitment to the 1.5 degree goal of the Paris Agreement from all G20 nations”, António Guterres said on Sunday after the Group failed to agree on the wording of key climate change commitments duri
Farmers the ‘lifeblood of our food systems’, deputy UN chief highlights, ahead of key summit
Farmers, especially women and indigenous people, work tirelessly to put food on our tables.
New ECOSOC President aims to maximize ‘reach, relevance and impact’
The role of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in promoting development has become “even more critical” as a way of guiding and informing the COVID-19 pandemic response worldwide, Collen Vixen Kelapile said on Friday, speaking for the first
Lebanon: Public water system on the verge of collapse, UNICEF warns
The public water system in Lebanon is “on life support” and could collapse at any moment, putting 71 per cent of the population, or more than four million people, at immediate risk of losing access to safe supply, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, w
Water-related hazards dominate list of 10 most destructive disasters
Against the backdrop of a rapidly changing global climate, water-related hazards top the list of natural disasters with the highest human losses in the past 50 years, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Tigray: As famine looms, first WFP humanitarian flight arrives
Lifesaving assistance arrived for the beleaguered Tigray region of Ethiopia on Thursday as the first UN World Food Programme (WFP) plane carrying humanitarian workers touched down in the capital Mekelle.
FAO head urges G20 to invest in a healthy planet for healthy food
The head of the UN food relief agency called on the world’s richest nations on Thursday to invest more in sustainable living, to feed the world’s growing population.
Liverpool’s historic waterfront removed from World Heritage List
Historic docklands and buildings in the UK city of Liverpool have been removed from the UN cultural body UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites, it announced on Wednesday.
Chess calms nerves, improves mental health throughout pandemic
Marking World Chess Day on Tuesday, the UN is celebrating the fact that while COVID-19 has forced most sports to scale down, this ancient game of intellect, not brute strength, has demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability throughout mon
Fewer women than men will regain work during COVID-19 recovery: ILO
Fewer women will regain jobs lost to the COVID-19 pandemic during the recovery period, than men, according to a new study released on Monday by the UN’s labour agency.
FROM THE FIELD: Cameroon’s displaced, get hooked on fish
Cameroonians who have been displaced by conflict and climate change in the north of the West African country are turning to aquaculture as an alternative source of income, thanks to support from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Gearing up humanitarian assistance for Palestine refugees
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will received an additional $135.8 million after signing an agreement with the United States on Saturday establishing shared goals in support of humanitarian assistance