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Warring factions in Sudan must respect international law, protect civilians, and stop targeting relief and aid workers, the United Nations top humanitarian official urged on Saturday, as the conflict reached its three-month mark.

Scorching temperatures are engulfing large parts of the Northern hemisphere, while devastating floods triggered by relentless rainfall have disrupted lives and livelihoods, underscoring the urgent need for more climate action, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Friday.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday launched an emergency seed distribution campaign in Sudan, ensuring farmers and their families have the necessary resources to meet food production needs amid the on-going conflict between rival military forces.

With two thirds of the world’s population likely living in urban areas by 2050, the UN’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Thursday turned the spotlight on the sustainable development of cities.

Half of humanity lives in countries that are forced to spend more on servicing their debt than on health and education, which is nothing less than a development disaster, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday.

As many as 783 million people faced hunger worldwide in 2022 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, repeated weather shocks and conflicts, including in Ukraine, according to a study launched by five United Nations agencies on Wednesday.

More than 120 million girls are out of school and the world must do more to ensure they can get an education, Nobel laureate and UN Messenger of Peace Malala Yousafzai said in Abuja, Nigeria on Wednesday, her 26th birthday. 

The continuing lack of accountability for the violations and abuses committed by Russian forces in Ukraine is deeply concerning, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Wednesday. 

Severe sand and dust storms (SDS) are becoming increasingly common, with UN climate experts attributing the rise to human-driven causes such as climate change and unsustainable farming practices. To combat this, the UN has designated 12 July its first-ever International Day of Combatting Sand and Dust Storms.

Despite some progress, billions worldwide still lack access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene; a situation exacerbated by water scarcity caused by conflicts and climate change. On Tuesday, the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) discussed the key role of water in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Twenty five countries, including some of the world’s biggest economies, have halved their poverty indices, but lack of post-COVID-19 pandemic data obscures the situation facing almost a billion people globally, a new United Nations-University of Oxford study has found. 

Life-saving assistance to millions in northwest Syria is at risk after the UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to adopt either of two competing resolutions to extend cross-border aid delivery from Türkiye. 

The UN’s top human rights official urged respect for religious tolerance on Tuesday as Member States gathered in Geneva in response to the recent burning of the holy Quran in the Swedish capital.

As conflict continues to rage in Sudan, UN humanitarians expressed alarm on Tuesday at a surge in the number of people fleeing across the border to Chad.

At eight billion strong, the “human family is larger than ever”, but leaders are failing in efforts to ensure a peaceful and prosperous world for all, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message to mark World Population Day on Tuesday.

For almost a year, the UN-brokered Black Sea Initiative agreed by Russia, Türkiye, and Ukraine has allowed millions of tonnes of grain and other foodstuffs to leave Ukraine’s ports, playing an “indispensable role” in global food security, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Transfer of crude oil from the dilapidated tanker Safer stranded off the coast of Yemen, is expected to start early next week, a senior United Nations humanitarian official told the Security Council on Monday.

Government, civil society and private sector partners convened in New York on Monday in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to address the urgent need to put the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track.

Global sea surface temperatures reached a record high in May, June and July – and the warming El Niño weather pattern is only just getting started - experts at the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday.

At the halfway point towards realizing the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Member States, innovators, and influencers will gather at UN Headquarters on Monday when the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) will be showcasing post-pandemic gains made in the push towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), unveiling its latest progress report.

Grappling with climate shocks, COVID-19 recovery, and conflict, Mozambique is building resilience and overcoming many challenges, as Myrta Kaulard, outgoing UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in in the country, explains to UN News.

In a wide-ranging briefing on Friday, UN Humanitarian Coordinator Martin Griffiths highlighted the need to keep aid flowing into northwest Syria and to allow Ukrainian and Russian grain exports to reach global markets amid the ongoing war.  

The food and fertilizer export deals brokered by the UN last year with Ukraine and Russia have played an “indispensable role” in supporting global food security and must continue, the UN Secretary-General said on Friday.

The development of artificial intelligence, or AI, “for the good of all” requires guardrails grounded in human rights, transparency and accountability, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday.

Meet Ameca, Grace, and Sophia, some of more than 50 robots attending the UN-driven AI for Good Global Summit, which opened on Thursday in Geneva.

The world must act now to stem the violence and instability in Haiti, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Thursday, appealing for simultaneous action on the humanitarian, security and political fronts. 

A green future will remain out of reach if the world doesn’t help developing countries close a $2 trillion gap in investment towards an energy transition, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warned on Wednesday.

The UN’s top humanitarian officials on Wednesday voiced shock and condemnation over increasing reports of gender-based violence in Sudan as the military power struggle there continues.

Funding constraints mean that the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to limit emergency aid to only 6.2 million of the most vulnerable people in need across West Africa, scaling back from an initial target of assisting 11.6 million, the agency announced on Wednesday.

Against a backdrop of growing misinformation, political polarization, and a breakdown in trust between citizens and those who govern them, the UN is promoting the direct participation of citizens in decisions that affect them and their communities to rebuild trust in democracy.