News
COVID-19: impact could see 195 million job losses, says ILO chief
The rapidly intensifying economic effects of COVID-19 on the world of work are proving to be far worse than the 2008-9 financial crisis, with cutbacks equivalent to nearly 200 million full-time workers expected in the next three months alone, the
Syria: Warring parties failed to abide by international law over hospital attacks
Parties to Syria’s brutal civil war, now in its tenth year, failed to abide by their obligations under international law to avoid attacks on hospitals and other civilian facilities that featured on the UN’s so-called deconfliction list, Secretary-
Prison shelling in Yemen kills five women and a child: UN rights chief condemns possible war crime
The UN has condemned the shelling of the women’s section of the Central Prison in a district of Yemen’s war-torn Taizz Governerate, in the south of the country, which has left at least five women and one child dead, and wounding more than 11, with
First person: COVID-19 is not a silver lining for the climate, says UN Environment chief
Greenhouse gas emissions are down and air quality has gone up, as governments react to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus restrictions hamper aid access for Sudanese in need
The United Nations and its partners are putting in place alternative plans to ensure the continuity of humanitarian assistance in Sudan, as measures taken by the Government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are having an impact on aid access, deli
COVID-19: The global food supply chain is holding up, for now
The unfolding COVID-19 pandemic is so far having little impact on the global food supply chain, but that could change for the worse – and soon – if anxiety-driven panic by major food importers takes hold, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on F
COVID-19 crisis ‘unlike any we have dealt with’, as new tragedy looms for Syria
The risk of the COVID-19 pandemic having a devastating impact on war-torn Syria is intensifying, where six million are displaced, living in conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to the deadly virus, the Senior Humanitarian Advisor to t
Burkina Faso crisis and COVID-19 concerns highlight pressure on Sahel food security
Food insecurity levels in the Sahel region are “spiralling out of control”, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday, as it expressed concerns about the potential impact on humanitarian supply chains because of restrictions imposed in respo
Key COP26 climate summit postponed to ‘safeguard lives’
With no end in sight to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the UN climate change talks which were due to take place in Scotland later in the year, have been postponed until October 2021.
FROM THE FIELD: Sunny days power a better life for displaced Nigerians
Water boreholes powered by solar energy are helping to improve life for Nigerians displaced by conflict, according to the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Low-skilled workers, developing countries at risk of steep economic decline as coronavirus advances
The global economy could shrink by up to one per cent in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and may contract even further if restrictions on economic activities are extended without adequate fiscal responses, according to analysis released today b
Coronavirus pandemic threatens to plunge millions in Arab region into poverty and food insecurity
COVID-19 will be responsible for pushing a further 8.3 million people in the Arab region into poverty, according to a new policy brief issued on Wednesday by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).
COVID-19 effect casts cloud over weather alert accuracy: UN sky watchers
UN weather experts warned on Wednesday that the coronavirus pandemic risks disrupting key forecasting services, including early warning alerts around the world.
UN launches COVID-19 plan that could ‘defeat the virus and build a better world’
The UN chief launched on Tuesday a new plan to counter the potentially devasting socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling on everyone to “act together to lessen the blow to people”.
First Person: Humankind’s ‘modern mentality to tame’ the environment: A volcanologist’s view
The 17 goals agreed by the global community to reduce poverty and create a sustainable planet are the responsibility of all people, wherever they are in the world, according to the United Nations.
UN helps Pacific prepare for COVID-19 pandemic, warns that children are ‘hidden victims’
United Nations agencies are working together to provide vital support to Pacific Island countries as they rally to combat COVID-19 outbreaks across the region.
$2.5 trillion COVID-19 rescue package needed for world’s emerging economies
The economic fallout from COVID-19 is likely to get “much worse” before it gets better for some six billion people living in developing economies, the UN said on Monday, in an appeal for a $2.5 trillion rescue package to boost their resilience to
First Person: Hawaii’s ‘silver tsunami’: the challenge of caring for kupuna elders
The International Labour Organization (ILO) marked its centenary in 2019 and as part of the commemoration launched a photography project called “Dignity at Work: The American Experience” to document the working life of people across the United Sta
First Person: False promises in Mauritania
Women and girls face particular challenges as migrants, whatever their reason for leaving their country of origin. UN agencies are learning more about these difficulties, and how to address them.
UNFPA advocates for women, girls suffering unseen impacts of COVID-19 pandemic
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is pledging support for those suffering from invisible impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, including women and girls whose access to life-saving sexual and reproductive health care may be disrupted.
‘Rapid deterioration’ in global investment flows as Coronavirus spreads: UN trade body
Foreign direct investment flows are liable to drop by 30 to 40 per cent during 2020, into next year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting a far more severe economic blow that initially projected, the United Nations Conference on Trade
Debt relief milestone in Somalia, as World Bank, IMF, call for global payment suspension in light of COVID-19
The top United Nations official in Somalia congratulated the Horn of Africa nation on Wednesday for achieving the benchmark set by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), confirming its eligibility for debt relief.
UN launches major humanitarian appeal to keep COVID-19 from ‘circling back around the globe’
To confront the unprecedented worldwide challenge posed by the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, top UN officials on Wednesday, launched a massive humanitarian appeal to mitigate its impact, particularly on fragile countries with weak health systems.
‘Concerted efforts’ needed to meet 2030 Global Goals in Asia-Pacific region
Action to reverse the depletion and degradation of the environment across Asia and the Pacific is a top priority if the region is to stay on course to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a new United Nations report launched
UNICEF sounds alarm over water cuts in Syria as efforts ramp up to prevent COVID-19 spread
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its relief partners in Syria are warning that water disruptions in the country’s war-battered north-east could exacerbate risks posed by the global coronavirus pandemic.
‘Count every drop, every drop counts’: UN weather agency calls for better water data on World Meteorological Day
Floods, extreme rainfall, droughts and melting glaciers…many of the major signs of climate change involve water.
Reaching ‘beyond the possible’ in Hawaii to meet sustainability goals
The people and government of the US state of Hawaii will reach “beyond the possible” to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a reality; The SDGs are a set of targets agreed by countries around the world to reduce poverty, protect the plan
World Water Day: Often overlooked, water resources are essential part of solution to climate change
On World Water Day, the United Nations launched a flagship report that says reducing both the impacts and drivers of climate change will require major shifts in the way we use and reuse the Earth’s limited water resources.
Turn around deforestation in 2020, the ‘Nature Super Year’, says Guterres
On the International Day of Forests, which falls on Saturday, UN chief António Guterres is calling for 2020, which has been referred to as a “nature super year”, to be the year that the world turns the tide on deforestation and forestry loss.
FIRST PERSON: The ‘inseparable bond’ between Hawaiian culture and native plants
The 17 goals agreed by the global community to reduce poverty and create a sustainable planet are the responsibility of all people, wherever they are in the world, according to the United Nations.