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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Preparing for climate chaos in Timor-Leste, one of the world’s most vulnerable nations

Preparing for climate chaos in Timor-Leste, one of the world’s most vulnerable nations

23 Nov 2024

Timor-Leste, a young island nation in Southeast Asia, is particularly vulnerable to the ravages of the climate crisis. A combination of technology, community knowledge and UN support could help to ensure that casualties and damage are kept to a minimum, the next time extreme weather hits.

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COP29 climate talks conclude with $300 billion annual pledge, but developing nations call deal ‘an insult’

COP29 climate talks conclude with $300 billion annual pledge, but developing nations call deal ‘an insult’

23 Nov 2024

UN climate negotiations wrapped up early on Sunday morning in Baku, with wealthy countries pledging to invest at least $300 billion a year to the global fight against climate change. Developing countries who had been seeking more than $1 trillion in support called the deal an “insult” and said that it failed to provide the critical support they needed to effectively tackle the climate crisis.

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Gaza update: Fleeing families just have ‘the clothes on their back’

Gaza update: Fleeing families just have ‘the clothes on their back’

23 Nov 2024

Families fleeing from besieged areas of northern Gaza are leaving homes and shelters with just the shirts on their backs, Louise Wateridge, Senior Emergency Coordinator for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, told UN News on Saturday.

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WFP requires $16.9 billion in 2025 as hunger reaches alarming highs

WFP requires $16.9 billion in 2025 as hunger reaches alarming highs

22 Nov 2024

The World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday called for some $16.9 billion to address the escalating global hunger crisis – or roughly what the world spends on coffee in just two weeks.

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2024 deadliest year ever for aid workers, UN humanitarian office reports

2024 deadliest year ever for aid workers, UN humanitarian office reports

22 Nov 2024

The death toll of humanitarian workers in 2024 has become the “deadliest on record”, with 281 killed globally, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, reported on Friday. 

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COP29 draft deal proposes wealthy nations give $250 billion in climate finance

COP29 draft deal proposes wealthy nations give $250 billion in climate finance

22 Nov 2024

A new draft finance deal delivered to harried negotiators in Baku on Friday – the final scheduled day for the UN climate talks that have been under way for the past two weeks – proposes rich countries commit $250 billion a year to help vulnerable nations cope with our warming planet and to accelerate the global switch to renewable energy.

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WFP scales up operations to reach millions in Sudan

WFP scales up operations to reach millions in Sudan

22 Nov 2024

A World Food Programme (WFP) convoy arrived in the Zamzam camp in North Darfur, Sudan, on Friday – the first since famine was declared there three months ago, the UN agency has reported. 

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Lebanon crisis: Intensifying violence is deadliest in decades, warn aid agencies

Lebanon crisis: Intensifying violence is deadliest in decades, warn aid agencies

22 Nov 2024

The past two months of intensifying Israeli bombardment in Lebanon have been the “deadliest and most devastating” in decades as communities uprooted from the front line flee continue to flee across the border to Syria, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

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As violent gangs extend control in Haiti, UN commits to staying the course

As violent gangs extend control in Haiti, UN commits to staying the course

21 Nov 2024

Gang violence is escalating at alarming rates in Haiti: tens of thousands have been forced from their homes, and critical supply chains have collapsed. Despite the rising peril, the UN has committed to remain in the country, helping the most vulnerable to survive the current crisis.

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‘Myanmar’s children cannot afford to wait,’ warns UNICEF

‘Myanmar’s children cannot afford to wait,’ warns UNICEF

21 Nov 2024

Children in Myanmar are increasingly caught in the crossfire of intensifying conflict, climate disasters and a collapsing humanitarian system, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported.

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Gaza aid delivery ‘grinding to a halt’ alongside rampant insecurity

Gaza aid delivery ‘grinding to a halt’ alongside rampant insecurity

21 Nov 2024

The delivery of life-saving aid across Gaza “is grinding to a halt” amid a surge in armed looting targeting humanitarian convoys, the senior aid official in the region said on Thursday.

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COP29 countdown: Failure on climate finance ‘not an option’, says Guterres

COP29 countdown: Failure on climate finance ‘not an option’, says Guterres

21 Nov 2024

UN Secretary-General António Guterres made a strong call to action as COP29 approaches its crucial conclusion in Baku, imploring world leaders and negotiators on Thursday to overcome their disagreements and reach an historic climate finance deal. “I sense an appetite for agreement,” he said.

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Acute hunger stalks one in four people in DR Congo, warn aid agencies

Acute hunger stalks one in four people in DR Congo, warn aid agencies

21 Nov 2024

UN humanitarians warned on Thursday that one in four people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo suffers from “crisis or worse” levels of hunger that affects a staggering 25.6 million people.

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UNHCR launches $10 billion appeal to address global refugee crisis in 2025

UNHCR launches $10 billion appeal to address global refugee crisis in 2025

21 Nov 2024

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has launched a $10 billion appeal for 2025 to meet critical needs and implement sustainable solutions for millions of refugees, displaced persons and stateless people worldwide.

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Most violent year in Syria since 2020, senior UN official tells Security Council

Most violent year in Syria since 2020, senior UN official tells Security Council

21 Nov 2024

This year of conflict in Syria is “on track to be the most violent since 2020”, with the potential for even greater devastation looming on the horizon, the UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria told the Security Council on Thursday.

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Global plastics treaty: UN experts call for centrality of human rights

Global plastics treaty: UN experts call for centrality of human rights

21 Nov 2024

Independent UN human rights experts said on Thursday that the forthcoming global plastic pollution treaty must ensure accountability at every stage of the plastic lifecycle, warning against shifting responsibilities to developing nations. 

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Baku talks heat up: New climate finance deal, urban challenges in COP29 spotlight

Baku talks heat up: New climate finance deal, urban challenges in COP29 spotlight

20 Nov 2024

As intense round-the-clock COP29 climate talks enter their final stretch in Baku, delegates on Wednesday are eagerly awaiting updates on the progress of negotiations regarding a new climate finance target. Meanwhile, high-level discussions also continued, with a focus on key issues such as urbanization, transport, and tourism.

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Children face unprecedented challenges by 2050, UNICEF report warns

Children face unprecedented challenges by 2050, UNICEF report warns

20 Nov 2024

The future of childhood ‘hangs in the balance’ as three major global forces reshape children’s lives, according to UN Children’s Fund UNICEF’s flagship report released on World Children’s Day. 

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Haiti at a ‘dire crossroads’, Security Council hears

Haiti at a ‘dire crossroads’, Security Council hears

20 Nov 2024

Haiti is at a dire crossroads, with extreme levels of gang violence continuing to degrade State authority with “no improvement in sight”, a senior UN political affairs official told the Security Council on Wednesday. 

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COP29 gets boost from Rio as G20 leaders back scaling up climate finance from ‘billions to trillions’

COP29 gets boost from Rio as G20 leaders back scaling up climate finance from ‘billions to trillions’

19 Nov 2024

The high-level diplomatic push for climate action shifted southward on Tuesday as G20 leaders meeting in Rio sent a clear signal to negotiating teams at stalled UN climate talks in Baku on the need to rapidly and substantially ‘scale up climate finance from billions to trillions from all sources.’

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‘Breaking point’ reached on climate, while ‘outdated’ global system needs urgent reform: Guterres

‘Breaking point’ reached on climate, while ‘outdated’ global system needs urgent reform: Guterres

19 Nov 2024

In a powerful appeal to the world’s largest economies during the G20 Summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday called for urgent climate action and reform of international institutions, warning that current systems are failing to meet global challenges. 

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UN underlines solidarity with Ukraine 1,000 days into Russian invasion

UN underlines solidarity with Ukraine 1,000 days into Russian invasion

19 Nov 2024

The international community must continue to show solidarity with Ukraine, a senior UN aid official said on Tuesday, marking 1,000 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country. 

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Lebanon: Increased violence is the ‘horrific new normal’ for children, warns UNICEF

Lebanon: Increased violence is the ‘horrific new normal’ for children, warns UNICEF

19 Nov 2024

Andrea Tenenti, spokesperson for the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), told reporters in Geneva that ground clashes inside Lebanon – some of them very close to UNIFIL positions – have become “more violent”.

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UN chief alarmed by mounting violence in Haiti

UN chief alarmed by mounting violence in Haiti

19 Nov 2024

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is alarmed by the escalating violence in Haiti, where armed gangs are reportedly gaining ground in the capital Port-au-Prince, his Spokesperson said on Tuesday. 

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New UN initiative aims to counter climate disinformation

New UN initiative aims to counter climate disinformation

19 Nov 2024

As the dangers posed by climate change become increasingly evident worldwide, the need for reliable and accurate information on the impact of the environmental crisis is more crucial than ever. 

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Haiti: Over 20,000 flee as gang violence spurs mass displacement

Haiti: Over 20,000 flee as gang violence spurs mass displacement

18 Nov 2024

Over 20,000 people have fled their homes across Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince in just four days amid escalating gang violence, with more than 17,000 seeking shelter in 15 displacement sites as critical supply chains collapse. 

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New UN relief chief takes office

New UN relief chief takes office

18 Nov 2024

Tom Fletcher, UN’s new chief of humanitarian affairs, took office on Monday, pledging to defend humanitarian values while navigating operations amid growing global crises.

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Lazzarini: Annexation of Gaza won’t create lasting Middle East peace

Lazzarini: Annexation of Gaza won’t create lasting Middle East peace

18 Nov 2024

The head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, confirmed on Monday that a large convoy of humanitarian aid was looted inside Gaza at the weekend, amid a near-total breakdown in law and order and harassment of the agency’s staff by Israeli soldiers.

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‘Cut the theatrics’: UN climate chief tells COP29 negotiators to focus on solutions as talks enter final week

‘Cut the theatrics’: UN climate chief tells COP29 negotiators to focus on solutions as talks enter final week

18 Nov 2024

As COP29 climate talks in Baku enter their final week, the UN climate chief told negotiators on Monday to “cut the theatrics,” get down to business and hammer out a new finance deal to compensate countries for climate-driven damages and pay for a clean-energy transition.

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Ahead of G20 Summit in Brazil, Guterres urges bloc to take the lead in tackling global problems

Ahead of G20 Summit in Brazil, Guterres urges bloc to take the lead in tackling global problems

17 Nov 2024

The G20 group of developed economies must be at the forefront of global efforts to bring about peace, climate action, updated international financial institutions and equitable access to emerging technologies, the UN Secretary-General said on Sunday in Rio de Janeiro.