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Philippines typhoon recovery, complicated by coronavirus concerns
As Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines on Thursday, tens of thousands of people fled to cramped shelters, raising fears that without proper safety precautions in place, evacuation centres could become a hotbed of coronavirus infection, the UN
Support stepped up for Rohingya camps as first COVID-19 infections are confirmed
After confirmation that the first cases of COVID-19 infection have been identified in a vast and overcrowded refugee camp in Bangladesh, UN humanitarians on Friday announced additional measures and appealed for funds to prevent the disease from sp
Workers and COVID-19: Access to healthcare, now ‘a matter of life and death’
The spread of COVID-19 in developing countries has exposed gaps in social protection coverage which could compromise recovery plans, expose millions of people to poverty and affect global readiness to cope with similar crises, according to two pol
Deadly gas leak in India, grim wake-up call for global chemical industry: UN rights expert
Last week’s deadly toxic gas leak at a Korean-owned polymer plant in south-eastern India, is a grim wake up call for the chemical industry to acknowledge and fulfil its responsibility to respect human rights, the UN independent expert who monitors
UN leads call to protect most vulnerable from mental health crisis during and after COVID-19
Decades of neglect and underinvestment in addressing people’s mental health needs have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN said on Thursday, in a call for ambitious commitments from countries in the way they treat psychological illness,
Coronavirus ‘grim reality’: World economy to shrink by 3.2 per cent, new UN report projects
Against the backdrop of the raging COVID-19 pandemic, the world economy in 2020 is projected to shrink by 3.2 per cent, racking up some $8.5 trillion in overall losses – wiping out nearly four years of output gains, according to a mid-year economi
COVID-19 could help turn the tide on ocean health in Asia-Pacific
The COVID-19 pandemic could help turn the tide on the well-being of oceans in the Asia-Pacific region, according to a UN report published on Wednesday.
UN sustainable energy project in Ukraine finds a new role: fighting COVID-19
A United Nations project to promote energy efficiency among Ukrainian homeowners has found a second life – informing 1.8 million of the nation’s citizens on how to combat the COVID-19 virus.
Universal basic income the right prescription for Latin America & Caribbean – UN report
A new report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) unveiled on Tuesday, proposes that governments ensure immediate temporary cash transfers to help millions of people struggling to meet basic needs, as the massive
‘Urgency to act’ for sustainable development, great than ever as coronavirus pandemic continues
As COVID-19 upends lives and livelihoods across the planet, the UN on Monday held a wide-ranging policy discussion stressing a range of multilateral solutions to ease the pandemic, while also getting back on track towards achieving the 17 Sustaina
UN issues ‘wake-up call’: Don’t sideline AIDS response during COVID-19 crisis
As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus, decades of advances made in the battle against HIV are under threat, noted two UN agencies on Monday, point out that disruptions to treatment could cause hundreds of thousands of HIV-related
Battle ‘not yet over’ against locust invasions in East Africa and Yemen
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges, significant gains have been made against Desert Locust encroachment in East Africa and Yemen, with an estimated 720,000 tonnes of cereal saved from the swarms of migratory pests across 10 countri
Moving towards 100% renewable power (with a little help from sheep)
The US island state of Hawaii has committed to generating 100 per cent of its power using renewable energy by 2045, demonstrating to other US states and island communities across the world, that sustainable energy can be a reality.
Ensure city poor and vulnerable are fed, amidst lockdown hunger risk, urges UN
The UN food agency, FAO, warns that hunger and fatalities could rise significantly in urban areas, without measures to ensure that poor and vulnerable residents have access to food.
First Person: Fashionable face masks, creativity and dressing to shop in the COVID era
A fashion designer and stylist in New Orleans, one of the early epicentres of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, has said that she was left “stifled and confused” by the disruption caused by the pandemic, but recognizes there are opportun
‘Humanitarian catastrophe’ looms in Haiti, threatening years of progress as COVID-19 takes hold, ECOSOC group says
The COVID-19 outbreak could trigger a humanitarian catastrophe in Haiti, endangering many years of hard-won progress in the Caribbean nation, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) said on Friday.
COVID-19: UN and partners launch $6.7 billion appeal for vulnerable countries
Humanitarians are seeking nearly $7 billion to protect millions of lives and halt the spread of COVID-19 in more than 60 of the world’s most fragile countries.
Top UN official calls for universal basic income to tackle growing inequality
The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a health crisis, but it is also proving to be an economic disaster for huge numbers of people worldwide.
COVID-19 makes universal digital access and cooperation essential: UN tech agency
As the COVID-19 pandemic reshapes the way in which we work, keep in touch, go to school and shop for essentials – across the world – it has never been more important to bridge the digital divide for the 3.6 billion people who remain off-line.
Food insecurity in West Africa could leave 43 million at risk as coronavirus hits
Well over 40 million people across West Africa face desperate food shortages in coming months, with COVID-19 restrictions a new factor adding to people’s vulnerability, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.
None of us is safe until we all are, says UN chief at EU push to end COVID-19 pandemic
The “most massive public health effort in history” is needed to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN chief said on Monday, addressing a European Union pledging conference in Brussels.
COVID-19 pandemic exposes global ‘frailties and inequalities’: UN deputy chief
The COVID-19 pandemic which has swept across the developed and developing world is “exposing the frailties and inequalities of our societies,” according to the UN Deputy Secretary-General.
Millions of missing airmiles: How the UN civil aviation agency is helping airlines take off again
In normal times, the world’s airlines would be carrying nearly 2 billion international passengers this year. That’s 5.7 million a day. But with the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the planet, these are not normal times.
Vaccine bottlenecks from COVID lockdown put children’s lives at stake: UNICEF
Help is needed urgently to distribute vaccines worldwide amid dramatic shortages because of COVID-19 restrictions, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
UN chief calls for ‘solidarity, unity and hope’ in battling COVID-19 pandemic
Amidst the destruction of the of COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations chief expressed concern over a lack of “sufficient solidarity” with the world’s developing countries, that need support in responding to the worst economic and social crisis in
Coronavirus lockdown casts harsh light on our data and privacy online
A third of all nations lack laws to protect their citizen’s online data and privacy, despite an 11 per cent uptick in the global adoption of data protection and privacy legislation since 2015, the United Nations’ trade, investment and development
FROM THE FIELD: Women act as ‘agents of change’ in climate emergency
Women around the world can act as “agents of change” and find solutions to the challenges provoked by the global climate crisis, according to the UN’s specialized gender agency, UN Women.
Nearly half of global workforce at risk as job losses increase due to COVID-19: UN labour agency
Some 1.6 billion people employed in the informal economy – or nearly half the global workforce - could see their livelihoods destroyed due to the continued decline in working hours brought on by lockdowns to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Intern
As pandemic encroaches on Abyei, tensions rise over disputed territory straddling Sudan, South Sudan
Sudan’s efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, are delaying the deployment of fresh United Nations police units in Abyei and the border regions between Sudan and South Sudan, the UN’s peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on T
Parallel threats of COVID-19, climate change, require ‘brave, visionary and collaborative leadership’: UN chief
To combat the COVID-19 pandemic and the “looming existential threat of climate disruption”, the only credible response is “brave, visionary and collaborative leadership” anchored in mutilateralism, the UN Secretary General António Guterres, said o