News
More violence ‘last thing Yemen needs’, peace ‘only way’ to resolve crises
Peace is “the only way” to resolve the crisis in Yemen, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Islamic social financing initiative aims to help economic recovery, pandemic response
As the world continues to grapple with the health and economic crisis sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN and Islamic Development Bank teamed up on Tuesday to help the most vulnerable.
Vaccine inequity posing ‘significant risk’ to global economic recovery: UN report
Although the outlook for global growth has improved, the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as inadequate progress on vaccination in poorer countries, are putting recovery at risk, according to the latest UN economic forecast, publi
Deep concern as violence escalates in Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel
The UN rights office, OHCHR, appealed on Tuesday for “a redoubling of efforts to restore calm” on Tuesday in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, after airstrikes and days of clashes between protesters and Israeli police.
5 things you should know about the state of the global economy
Is this the year we overcome the global economic crisis caused by the pandemic? Are our jobs in danger? Who has lost the most in the crisis and what can be done to recover?
Free up ‘bottlenecks’ stifling Africa’s agri-food sector, urges FAO chief
The UN agriculture chief warned on Monday that severe underfunding of Africa’s agri-food sector has boosted food insecurity and was hampering the future development of countries across the continent.
Climate change threatens winged harbinger of spring
A sure sign of spring in northern Europe is the arrival of the Arctic tern bird, but ahead of the UN’s World Migratory Bird Day experts fear the warming of the oceans in its nesting grounds in the northern Atlantic is threatening its very existen
Cut methane emissions to avert global temperature rise, UN-backed study urges
Methane emissions caused by human activity can be reduced by up to 45 per cent this decade, thus helping to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius in line with the Paris Agreement on climate change, according to a UN-backed report pub
Guterres renews zero-emissions appeal to avoid falling into climate abyss
All countries should commit to zero carbon emissions by 2050 if the world is to avoid a disastrous 2.4 degree Celsius temperature rise by the end of this century, UN Secretary General António Guterres said on Thursday.
WHO chief hails ‘monumental moment’ in COVID fight, as US throws support behind vaccine patent waiver
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said the commitment announced by the United States administration to lift vaccine patent protections to help boost global supply, was a “monumental moment” in the battle to end the deadl
155 million faced acute food insecurity in 2020, conflict the key driver
At least 155 million people faced crisis levels of food insecurity in 2020 because of conflict, extreme weather events and economic shocks linked in part to COVID-19, a UN-partnered flagship report said on Wednesday.
Young people key to transforming world’s food systems
Young people are taking a leading role in shaping fair and equitable food systems around the world, senior UN officials affirmed on Tuesday during a global youth dialogue on the theme of “Good Food for All”.
UN forum examines how to make science and technology work better for all
Harnessing the full potential of science and technology for the benefit of all people, everywhere, is the focus of a two-day virtual meeting convened by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which opened on Tuesday.
Pandemic showcases need for partnerships: ECOSOC President
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how all countries are connected, underscoring that global cooperation and solidarity are the only way out of the crisis, senior UN officials said on Monday during the annual Partnership Forum, organized by the UN Ec
Global e-commerce jumps to $26.7 trillion, fuelled by COVID-19
Parts of the online economy have boomed since COVID-19 began, while some pre-pandemic big-hitters have seen a reversal of their fortunes in the last year, amid widespread movement restrictions, UN economists have found.
Europe: COVID must spark rethink to prioritize ‘human lives’ over economic policies
The devastating impact of COVID-19 serves as a stark reminder that the European Union must “put human lives” above economic policy considerations, that privilege competition between EU Member States, an independent UN human rights expert said on F
Ethiopia: ‘Unpredictable security’ in Tigray, hindering aid delivery
A “complex and unpredictable security situation” in Tigray continues to impede the delivery of life-saving assistance to Ethiopia’s northern region, the Deputy UN Spokesperson told journalists on Thursday.
Madagascar edges toward famine, UN food agency appeals for assistance
An unrelenting drought in southern Madagascar, an island State off the East African coast in the Indian Ocean, is forcing hundreds of thousands to the brink of famine at a scale “beyond belief”, a senior UN food agency official said on Thursday.
Increased cancer risk for petroleum industry workers and people living near plants: New UN study
People working in the petroleum industry or living near petroleum facilities are at increased risk of developing several different cancer types, according to a new report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARCWHO), part of the UN
Revived peace process, lasting calm, and a new constitution needed in Syria
In addition to the challenges that all Syrians have faced during a 10-year conflict, women have experienced sexual and gender-based violence, early and forced marriage and trafficking, the country’s UN envoy told the Security Council on Wednesday.
370,000 children displaced in Central African Republic; highest level since 2014
Child displacement in the Central African Republic (CAR) has now reached its highest level since 2014, according to the latest estimates from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), warning of the mounting risks children face.
Don’t let the digital divide become ‘the new face of inequality’: UN deputy chief
Without decisive action by the international community, the digital divide will become “the new face of inequality”, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned the General Assembly on Tuesday.
SDGs will address ‘three planetary crises’ harming life on Earth
The “three planetary crises” of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are reinforcing each other and driving further damage to the environment and to our health, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said on Tuesday.
DR Congo: ‘Relentless’ violence worsening plight of children in Ituri province
A recent spike in inter-community violence in the eastern province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is worsening the plight of children there, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Monday, urging greater international suppo
‘Make or break moment’ for forests
Forests are at the core of our efforts to restore our relationship with the natural world, the deputy UN chief said on Monday at the UN Forum on Forests.
‘Disasters know no borders’ says Guterres, 35 years on from Chernobyl nuclear accident
In his message for Chernobyl International Remembrance Day on Monday, the UN chief reminded that “disasters know no borders”.
Prioritize people and planet, UN chief urges Asian and Pacific nations
The UN Secretary-General on Monday called on Asian and Pacific countries not to base their pandemic recovery strategies on “outdated and unsustainable economic models”, and to ensure that the world’s most populous region protects its environment a
First Person: Rohingya refugees traumatized again, after devastating camp fire
A Rohingya refugee and volunteer for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), has been telling UN News how his community has been “once again traumatized” as a result of a massive fire which swept through the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp in
ECOSOC chief calls for financial support for small island developing states
Small island developing states (SIDS) must receive financial and international support if they are to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters, the President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Munir Akram, said on Frid
UN-led aid convoy brings 23 tonnes of humanitarian goods across contact line in east Ukraine
Twenty-three tonnes of urgently needed aid items have reached the eastern Ukrainian province around Donetsk, after a humanitarian convoy crossed the contact line into non-Government-controlled territory, the UN said on Friday.