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.

News
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Post-pandemic world economy still feeling COVID-19’s sting

16 May 2023

Prospects for a robust global economic recovery remain dim as the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic carry on, according to the UN’s latest World Economic Situation and Prospects report, released on Tuesday.

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Dozens feared dead in Myanmar as Cyclone Mocha creates ‘nightmare scenario’

16 May 2023

Humanitarians expressed deep concern on Tuesday for Myanmar’s most vulnerable communities after the “nightmare scenario” created by the passage of Cyclone Mocha.

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New UN ‘roadmap’ shows how to drastically slash plastic pollution

16 May 2023

Plastic pollution could be slashed by 80 per cent by 2040 if countries and companies use existing technologies to make significant policy shifts and market adjustments, according to a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report released on Tuesday.

Sudan crisis: UN continues to scale up aid, as security allows

16 May 2023

The UN and humanitarian partners continue to scale up the aid response for the millions in need across Sudan on Tuesday, as news reports described heavy fighting in the capital Khartoum and neighbouring areas between the national army and rival RSF militia

Untested AI-based tools could harm patients, WHO warns

16 May 2023

As excitement builds throughout health and information systems worldwide over the rich potential benefits of new tools generated by artificial intelligence (AI), the UN health agency on Tuesday called for action to ensure that patients are properly protected.

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In Jamaica, Guterres pledges solidarity and outlines ‘moral, power and practical’ barriers to development

15 May 2023

The UN chief expressed his “deep solidarity” with Jamaica and all other Small Island Developing States on Monday, outlining what he termed the “moral, power and practical problems” that are preventing the current dysfunctional international financial system from supporting fair and sustainable development.

Cyclone Mocha leaves ‘trail of devastation’ in Myanmar

15 May 2023

Cyclone Mocha was one of the strongest cyclones to ever hit Myanmar, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) in the country reported on Monday, leaving a “trail of devastation” as it moved overland from the Bay of Bengal, particularly in the city of Sittwe, capital of Rakhine State.

Ukraine: Imperative to ‘explore all options’ to reach civilians – UN relief chief

15 May 2023

Civilians who are caught up in the crossfire in Ukraine need and deserve humanitarian relief, “wherever the are”, said the UN Humanitarian Affairs chief on Monday, briefing the Security Council, calling for aid workers to be allowed full access, in line with international law.

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Road Safety Week: African nations steer towards reducing deaths

15 May 2023

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among African youth, so governments across the continent have resolved to drive in a new unified direction, ahead of Road Safety Week, observed 15 to 21 May.

Avoiding disaster in a dangerous world

13 May 2023

More people globally are being affected by disasters than ever before, despite the adoption of a UN-backed international disaster reduction agreement in 2015. Experts from around the world are gathering at UN Headquarters to speed up efforts to fully implement that agreement to bring about a safer world.

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UN agencies brace for disaster as Cyclone Mocha intensifies in Bay of Bengal

12 May 2023

UN agencies spent Friday buckling down with communities across Bangladesh and Myanmar, bracing for Cyclone Mocha, which is expected to hit the region by the weekend.

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Black Sea Initiative exports top 30 million tonnes from Ukraine, as talks continue over renewal

11 May 2023

The UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative, aimed at ensuring the flow of grain, foodstuffs and fertilizer amid global shortages exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, has now allowed the safe export of more than 30 million tonnes, since it first began in July last year.

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Mpox public health emergency declared over

11 May 2023

The head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared that the multi-country outbreak of the mpox virus which began around a year ago was no longer a public health emergency of international concern.

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Severe funding shortfalls could leave 200,000 Palestinians hungry

11 May 2023

Grave funding shortages could cut assistance to more than 200,000 Palestinians, the UN food agency warned on Thursday.Grave funding shortages could cut assistance to more than 200,000 Palestinians, the UN food agency warned on Thursday.

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Locust outbreak in Afghanistan threatens wheat harvest

10 May 2023

A “large-scale” outbreak of the Moroccan Locust, one of the world’s most damaging plant pests, across eight provinces in Afghanistan’s wheat basket, could cause massive crop losses and “dramatically” worsen food insecurity.

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Violence in Sudan likely to spark record levels of hunger

10 May 2023

The grim prospect of record hunger levels in Sudan is becoming more likely by the day, as heavy fighting continues, UN humanitarians warned on Wednesday.

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Countries must forge ‘Global Blue Deal’ to protect the ocean: UNCTAD

08 May 2023

The ocean can provide vast opportunities for developing countries to build more innovative and resilient economies, but climate change, pollution and overfishing threaten the livelihoods of some three billion people who rely on it for food and income.

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UN Forum on Forests: 5 things you need to know

08 May 2023

The sustainable management of the world’s forests takes centre stage at the UN Forum on Forests, which opened on Monday at UN Headquarters in New York. Stakeholders from across the world, from Member States to civil society partners, will gather to discuss this critical planetary resource. Here are 5 key things you need to know:

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Almost $15 billion needed for earthquake recovery in Syria

08 May 2023

Syria needs almost $15 billion to recover following the devastating February earthquakes, according to a new UN assessment report launched on Monday in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

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Sudan crisis: Guterres condemns looting of main WFP compound in Khartoum

08 May 2023

The UN Secretary-General has strongly condemned the looting of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) main offices in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, over the weekend, describing it as “violation” of humanitarian facilities.

First person: Surviving abuse to help Eswatini’s neglected children

07 May 2023

Siphiwe Nxumalo, a World Food Programme (WFP) volunteer in Eswatini returned to her home country after completing her studies in neighbouring South Africa to help orphans and vulnerable children, struggling with poverty and neglect.

Midwives scramble to ensure safe deliveries amid violence in Sudan

06 May 2023

As catastrophe grips Sudan, the UN agency for reproductive health is stepping up support, with midwives playing a key role in helping provide safe deliveries amid growing violence.

First Person: The young leader bringing clean power to Tanzanian villages

06 May 2023

Born in a Tanzanian village with no electricity, Gibson Kawago, decided to start a business producing off-grid clean electricity for communities like his own. His successes led to his appointment as one of the UN Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

DR Congo: Desperate situation facing millions displaced by armed violence

05 May 2023

Recurring attacks by armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to drive forced displacement and extreme hardship for millions of Congolese, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.

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Escaping Sudan: Home alone, with warplanes overhead

04 May 2023

When fighting erupted in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, 25-year-old Arafa was at home alone with her two young children.

UN in Ukraine ‘appalled and saddened’ at deadly airstrikes and attacks

04 May 2023

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine issued a statement on Thursday saying he and colleagues were “appalled and saddened” at the series of airstrikes and attacks, which have killed and injured dozens of civilians there.

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WFP pauses food distribution in Ethiopia following ‘significant diversion’ of aid

04 May 2023

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Ethiopia has said it’s “deeply concerned” over reports that significant amounts of food aid has been diverted away from those in desperate need in the post-conflict region of Tigray.

Around 258 million need emergency food aid: UN-backed report

03 May 2023

The number of people who need urgent food, nutrition and livelihood assistance rose for the fourth consecutive year in 2022, due to conflict, climatic change, and COVID-19 impacts, the UN and partners said in a report published on Wednesday. 

New temperature records, food security threats likely as El Niño looms

03 May 2023

The development of an El Niño climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean this year is more and more likely, with dangerously high temperatures and extreme weather events expected, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday.

Sudan: ‘Secure and immediate access’ needed for lifesaving aid, urges Guterres

03 May 2023

Fighting in Sudan must stop now before the conflict and the spreading humanitarian catastrophe further ravage the country, and the region, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday.