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
Image

In Yemen’s man-made catastrophe, women and girls pay the price

26 Feb 2021

Midwife Lena Al-Shurmani, remembers meeting Abia at Al Mawa Camp in Yemen’s Ibb Governorate. Abia was 15 years old and eight months pregnant. “I was very worried,” Ms. Al-Shurmani recalled. “She had a prolapsed uterus, and she was severely malnourished.” 

Image

Relief programmes hit by ongoing crisis in Myanmar, UN humanitarian office says

26 Feb 2021

The political unrest in Myanmar has impacted the ability of humanitarians to respond to the needs of vulnerable communities, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country’s conflict-affected areas, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday. 

Image

‘Transparency, sound governance and accountability’ essential to reach Global Goals

25 Feb 2021

Financial integrity is “paramount to the success of the 2030 Agenda”, the President of the UN General Assembly said on Thursday, launching a new report that offers a blueprint to address a range of obstacles, particularly surrounding illicit finance flows. 

Image

Syria: Economic decline, rising hunger and surging humanitarian needs

25 Feb 2021

Syria’s fragile economy has “suffered multiple shocks” over the past 18 months, with its currency plummeting and joblessness swelling as people struggle to cover their basic needs, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council on Thursday. 

Image

‘Industry 4.0’ tech for post-COVID world, is driving inequality: UNCTAD

25 Feb 2021

Developing countries must embrace ground-breaking technologies that have been a critical tool in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, or else face even greater inequalities than before, UN economic development  experts at UNCTAD said on Thursday.

Image

FROM THE FIELD: Millions of Yemenis facing ‘death sentence’

25 Feb 2021

Yemen remains the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, and the situation for the millions of affected people is deteriorating, says the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Image

UN to review deadly convoy attack in DR Congo which led to Italian Ambassador’s death

23 Feb 2021

The World Food Programme (WFP) has provided further information on the deadly convoy attack in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Monday in which Italy’s Ambassador to the country, his bodyguard, and a WFP driver were killed. 

Image

Climate crisis and economic shocks leave millions food insecure across Central America

23 Feb 2021

Reporting that hunger has increased almost fourfold in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua in the past two years, the World Food Programme (WFP) on Tuesday warned that 1.7 million people are in the ‘emergency’ category of food insecurity, calling for $47.3 million now, to provide urgent food assistance.

Image

World risks ‘collapse of everything’ without strong climate action, Attenborough warns Security Council

23 Feb 2021

More collective action is needed to address the risks climate change poses to global peace and security, the UN Secretary-General told a high-level Security Council debate on Tuesday, as renowned natural historian David Attenborough warned ambassadors that the planet faces total ‘collapse’. 

Image

ILO urges better policies to protect workers, businesses, as digital platforms proliferate

23 Feb 2021

The UN International Labour Organization (ILO) on Tuesday highlighted the need for enhanced international policy cooperation to provide decent work opportunities and foster sustainable business growth in the digital economy.

Image

FROM THE FIELD: Poor and vulnerable bear brunt of climate change

23 Feb 2021

People living in low-income countries are at least four times more likely to be displaced by extreme weather compared to people in rich countries, despite being the least responsible for climate change, that’s according to the UN’s humanitarian office, OCHA.

Image

2021: Critical year to ‘reset our relationship with nature’ – UN chief 

22 Feb 2021

During this time of “crisis and fragility”, the UN chief told the United Nations Environment Assembly on Monday that human well-being and prosperity can be vastly improved by prioritizing nature-based solutions. 

Image

‘No place’ for coups in today’s world, UN chief tells Myanmar military 

22 Feb 2021

On the opening day of a new UN Human Rights Council session on Monday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated his “full support to the people of Myanmar”, three weeks after the military takeover that has brought thousands out onto the streets in protest. 

Image

FROM THE FIELD: The Indian women weaving a digital web

21 Feb 2021

Hundreds of thousands of Indian women are learning to market themselves and sell products online, with the support of a digital literacy project managed by the World Bank.

Image

Lifeline for vulnerable Cambodians as poverty doubles during COVID-19 pandemic

21 Feb 2021

In Cambodia, the shrinking economy, hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, has affected all population groups, but particularly the most vulnerable. A first-of-its-kind government scheme, managed with digital tools supplied by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), is ensuring that the poorest receive a level of social protection.

Image

First Person: The Colombian youth fighting for digital education for all

20 Feb 2021

Tania Rosas, a Colombian education advocate from an afro-indigenous background, is hoping to improve learning outcomes for disadvantaged communities in her country, with a digital application tailored to their specific needs.

Image

FROM THE FIELD: The goats helping Zambians to reach economic independence

20 Feb 2021

In Zambia, where the climate crisis is making it increasingly difficult to earn a living, goat-rearing is being seen as a possible route to a better livelihood, and economic resilience.

Image

UN chief lauds ‘day of hope’ as US officially rejoins Paris Agreement on Climate Change

19 Feb 2021

The official return of the United States to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change represents good news for the country and the world, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Friday during a virtual event to mark the occasion. 

Image

UN chief to security meeting: ‘2021 must be the year to get back on track’

19 Feb 2021

By exposing deep fissures and fragilities, “COVID-19 has x-rayed the world”, the UN chief told the Munich Security Conference on Friday, while acknowledging that today’s vulnerabilities go “well beyond” pandemics and public health. 

Image

DR Congo: Lives and futures of 3 million children at risk, UNICEF warns

19 Feb 2021

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), on Friday, highlighted the dire situation of some 3 million displaced children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), facing brutal militia violence and extreme hunger. 

Image

Five million Yemenis ‘one step away from famine’– UN relief coordinator tells Security Council

18 Feb 2021

Malnutrition rates in Yemen are at “record highs” as the country is “speeding towards the worst famine the world has seen in decades”, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council on Thursday, citing newly released data. 

Image

UN chief calls for ‘new social contract’ as part of post-pandemic recovery

18 Feb 2021

With the COVID-19 pandemic exposing social and economic inequalities rooted in racism, discrimination and xenophobia, recovery must lead to more inclusive societies, the UN Secretary-General told Member States on Thursday. 

Image

First Person: ‘The world is in your hands and begins at your door’.

18 Feb 2021

British celebrity gardener Monty Don, a UN advocate for plant health, is raising awareness of the links between human health, plant health and the well-being of the planet.

Image

Food insecurity in Syria reaches record levels: WFP

17 Feb 2021

The number of Syrians who lack access to sufficient food has reached a record 12.4 million, or nearly 60 per cent of the population, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported on Wednesday, citing “alarming” new national data. 

Image

‘Triple threat’ adds to long-standing crises menacing food security in Somalia – FAO

17 Feb 2021

Poor rainfall, flooding and desert locusts are contributing to extreme food insecurity in Somalia, threating 2.6 million people, the UN agriculture agency said in a new analysis released on Wednesday.  

Image

New guidelines put youth at the forefront of humanitarian response

16 Feb 2021

New guidelines published on Tuesday by the UN and partners aim to put young people at the forefront of humanitarian action. 

Image

Burundi: UN refugee agency appeals for over $220 million in ‘crucial’ support

16 Feb 2021

An urgent appeal for $222.6 million was made on Tuesday by the UN refugee agency and partners to assist more than 315K Burundian refugees this year. 

Image

We had to run for our lives’, the pregnant women fleeing Tigray

16 Feb 2021

Pregnant women are amongst the tens of thousands of people in need of assistance in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where fighting between the Government and regional forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) have been ongoing since November 2020. Hiwot* is one of them.

Image

Yemen: ‘Toxic mix’ imperils lives of under-fives with acute malnutrition 

12 Feb 2021

Since the escalation of conflict in 2015, severe acute malnutrition is among its highest levels in Yemen, threating the lives of half of the country’s children under the age of five, four UN agencies warned on Friday.

Image

Ethiopia: ‘Incomplete but troubling picture’ reveals impact of Tigray crisis on children

12 Feb 2021

Humanitarians are learning more about the dire situation of children in Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where fighting continues between Government troops and regional forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).