PEACE VIGIL

Millions of people suffering from cancer in developing countries still lack access to effective prevention, screening, early diagnosis and treatment, the head of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Friday, urging continued efforts to ensure greater access to these vital services.

Violaine Martin

Humanitarian diplomacy ‘getting nowhere’ in Syria warns UN special adviser

1 February 2018

Civilians in Syria’s besieged areas have not seen a single convoy of humanitarian aid arrive for a full two months, a senior United Nations adviser said on Thursday, lamenting that diplomatic efforts appear “totally impotent,” and that hundreds of lives are being lost as a result.

MINUSMA/Sylvain Liechti

Mali human rights situation still a concern – UN report

1 February 2018

Despite the signing of a 2015 Peace Agreement, the human rights situation in Mali still remains a concern, according to a United Nations report published on Thursday.

OCHA/Anthony Burke

Security operations by Myanmar show ‘established pattern’ of domination over ethnic groups – UN expert

1 February 2018

What Myanmar’s Government has claimed are military and security operations are “actually an established pattern” of domination and aggression against ethnic groups, the United Nations independent expert on the rights situation there said on Thursday, reporting on her visit to nearby countries, including Bangladesh, which is hosting nearly 900,000 Rohingya refugees.

UNHCR/Georgina Goodwin

Human cost of conflict in South Sudan has reached ‘epic proportions,’ warns UN refugee agency chief

1 February 2018

The human cost of South Sudan’s long-running conflict has reached “epic proportions” with the number of refugees set to rise beyond three million by the end of this year, potentially making it Africa’s largest refugee crisis since the mid-1990s, the head of the UN refugee agency said on Thursday.

OCHA/Philippe Kropf

Giving voice to Yemen’s voiceless: Jamie McGoldrick reflects on two years leading UN’s relief effort

1 February 2018

Jamie McGoldrick, who has stepped down as the UN's top humanitarian official in Yemen, reflects on his tenure in the war-torn country and the challenges for relief workers in an increasingly complex crisis.

Audio - 26'57" Playlist

Alhagie Manka

Female genital mutilation ‘not acceptable’ in the 21st century – UN envoy on youth

5 February 2018

Speaking a day ahead of the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, the United Nations youth envoy people underscored that the ghastly practice is an aversion to the human rights of millions and keeps them from achieving their full potential.

UN Photo/Manuel Elias

Proof of chemical weapons use in Syria should be met with ‘meaningful response,’ urges UN disarmament chief

5 February 2018

Evidence of the use, or likely use, of banned chemical weapons in Syria should be met with a “meaningful response” within the Security Council, the United Nations disarmament affairs chief said on Monday.

UN Photo/Violaine Martin (file)

UN chief congratulates US, Russia on nuclear arsenal cuts, urges further disarmament

5 February 2018

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday congratulated the United States and Russia on successfully reducing their strategic nuclear forces to the level required by a new bilateral treaty signed in 2010, calling on both sides to engage in the necessary dialogue that will lead to further arsenal reductions.

UNICEF/Ourfali

World ‘failing to stop the war on children,’ says UNICEF Middle East, North Africa director

5 February 2018

Describing January as “a dark month” in crisis-torn Middle East and North Africa, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) director for the region said Monday that the violence has had a devastating toll on children, who were being killed in ongoing conflicts or suicide attacks, or freezing to death as they fled active warzones.

Stephan Gladieu/World Bank

Development indicators trending downward for world's poorest countries, UN warns

5 February 2018

The least developed countries (LDCs) – nations categorized as requiring special attention from the international community – will fall short of goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development unless urgent action is taken, new United Nations analysis has revealed.

UN Photo/Manuel Elias

UN, African Union voice concern over protracted political crisis in Guinea-Bissau

3 February 2018

The top leaders of the African Union and the United Nations on Saturday expressed concern over the prolonged political crisis in Guinea-Bissau, condemning the recent actions taken by the national authorities to prevent a political party from holding its conference.

UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

UN calls on Maldives to respect Supreme Court decision, says ‘ready’ to help ease political impasse

3 February 2018

Following the Maldives’ Supreme Court decision ordering the release of convicted opposition leaders and the reinstatement of 12 parliamentarians, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed the world body’s continued readiness to facilitate all-party talks in finding a solution to the Indian Ocean nation’s political stalemate.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

UN will ‘not tolerate’ sexual harassment in its ranks – Guterres

2 February 2018

Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday made clear that the United Nations will not tolerate sexual harassment “anytime, anywhere,” within its ranks and laid out a five-point plan to ensure equality across the Organization, which he said was critical to tackle on the challenge of such behavior.

UNHCR/A. D’Amato

UN News in Brief: 2 February 2018

2 February 2018

Topics:

• Migrant’s bodies wash ashore in Libya

• Kenyan TV stations remain off air despite State directive

• Maldives urged to respect decision to overturn conviction against former leader

Audio - 3'5" Playlist

A farmer harvests his wheat crop in Bamyan, Afghanistan.

FAO/Giulio Napolitano

Cereal prices remain stable, dairy and sugar values dip – UN

2 February 2018

Global food prices have remained largely unchanged since December 2017, with January prices stable for cereals and vegetable oils; weaker for dairy and sugar values; and steady for meat, the United Nations agricultural agency said Thursday.

UNICEF/Lindsay Mackenzie

UNICEF helping to restore health services for children and families returning to war-torn Mosul

7 February 2018

Warning about the “alarming” state of Iraq’s healthcare system, especially in war-ravaged areas in and around Mosul, the United Nations children’s agency has stepped up its support to help the Government provide critical medical services so that children and families affected by violence and displacement can resume their lives.

OCHA/Giles Clarke

UN releases $9.1 million to fill ‘critical healthcare gaps’ in Yemen

7 February 2018

With only 50 per cent of medical facilities fully functional in Yemen, the United Nations health agency is striving to fill a “critical” healthcare shortage and will use a $9.1 million emergency response grant to assist 630,000 vulnerable people in districts around Sana’a and al-Hudayda.

Albert Gonzalez Farran/UNMIL

Liberia: UN mission farewell ceremony honours last departing police and military personnel

6 February 2018

After 14 years of serving in the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), an official farewell ceremony was held on Tuesday in the capital, Monrovia, to honour the last departing Police and Military personnel serving there.

IFAD/Anwar Hossain

Over 14,000 farmers in rural Nepal to benefit from new UN project

6 February 2018

Thousands of family farmers are expected to benefit from a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative in Nepal that uses an innovative approach to build both the farmers’ capacities as well as add value to their products.

IOM/Keith Dannemiller

Migrant deaths along US-Mexico border remain high despite drop in crossings – UN agency

6 February 2018

The number of migrants losing their lives attempting to cross the United States-Mexico border in 2017 remained high in spite of substantial decrease in the number of arrests along the frontier, the United Nations migration agency reported on Tuesday.

UNHCR/Colin Delfosse

Without urgent funding, Burundi risks becoming a ‘forgotten crisis’ – UN refugee agency

6 February 2018

Warning that Burundi could become a “forgotten crisis,” with the number of people struggling for survival increasing by the day, United Nations agencies together with aid partners on Wednesday launched a funding appeal to keep the humanitarian situation from deteriorating further.

A student at St. Francis of Assisi School and other girls, check their smart phones after classes in the Central Visayas city of Cebu, Philippines.

UNICEF/Joshua Estey

‘Protect children and their digital footprint,’ urges UNICEF on Safer Internet Day

6 February 2018

Every half a second, every day, a child goes online for the first time – tapping into all the great opportunities the Internet has to offer, but facing grave risks, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday, calling for urgent action to protect them from sexual exploitation, cyberbullying and the misuse of their private information.

UNICEF/Amer Al Shami

Syria: UN urges an end to hostilities, warns of grave and deepening humanitarian crisis

6 February 2018

Senior United Nations officials in Syria warned on Tuesday of the dire humanitarian crisis in several parts of the country, calling on warring parties to immediately stop fighting so aid and basic services can reach those in need, and the sick and critically wounded can evacuate.

Nattu

UN chief urges Maldives to uphold rule of law amid rapidly unfolding political crisis

6 February 2018

Following the declaration of a ‘state of emergency’ in the Maldives, after which soldiers forced their way into the Supreme Court, United Nations Secretary-GeneralAntónio Guterres on Tuesday urged the Government to uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety of the people of the island nation.

With rising number of girls at risk, world in 'race against time' to end female genital mutilation – UN

6 February 2018

Female genital mutilation is a violent act that, among other things, causes infection, disease, childbirth complications and death, said the Executive Directors of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in a joint statement for the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

International community must stay ‘one step ahead’ of ISIL, stresses UN official

8 February 2018

Despite military successes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), the terrorist group and its affiliates continue to pose a significant threat around the world, the top United Nations counter-terrorism official told the Security Council today, urging strengthened international cooperation to address violent extremism and bring those behind it to justice.

Giles Clarke for Getty/OCHA

UN seeks $1.06 billion to help fragile countries create ‘firewall against famine’

8 February 2018

Ongoing conflicts and climate-related shocks have left millions of people on the brink of starvation, the United Nations agriculture agency warned on Thursday as it launched a $1.06 billion appeal to save lives and livelihoods, and tackle acute hunger in 26 countries.

Courtesy of Pad Man

New Bollywood film about rural innovator spotlights menstrual health, women’s rights

8 February 2018

Bollywood is highlighting the issue of menstrual hygiene in a new comedy-drama that aims to break taboos around sanitary pads.

UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

ICC to open separate initial examinations of Philippines ‘war on drugs;’ Venezuela protests

8 February 2018

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Thursday that she will open preliminary examinations into the so-called “war on drugs” campaign launched by the Government of the Philippines and, separately analyze alleged crimes committed by Venezuela related to the demonstrations and ongoing political unrest there.

UNICEF/2018/Amer Almohibany

Syrian civilians ‘desperate’ for immediate ceasefire: UN aid coordinator

8 February 2018

Lives are being lost “every hour” that conflict continues to rage in Syria, and civilians are desperate for the warring parties to respond to the UN’s appeal for a cessation of hostilities.

Audio - 6'28" Playlist

IOM/Jessica Mamo

UN launches appeal to fund relief work in Nigeria's restive north-east

8 February 2018

With the crisis in north-east Nigeria – a region devastated by the Boko Haram insurgency – into its ninth year, United Nations agencies together with humanitarian partners today launched a $1 billion appeal to fund life-saving and emergency assistance programmes in the region.

UNFICYP

Bangladesh ‘fully committed’ to UN peacekeeping as vital element of global peace and security – UN Force Commander

7 February 2018

UN peacekeeping is a “very important component” of keeping the world safe and secure, and Bangladesh remains “fully committed” to contributing men – and increasingly women – to serve.

The United Nations and the Olympic flags.

UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Let Olympic Flame ‘shine as a beacon to human solidarity,’ UN says ahead of Pyeongchang Games

7 February 2018

This week the world will gather in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea, for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, unified in what United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called “the Olympic Spirit: in solidarity; mutual respect; and friendly competition.”

UNICEF/Ohanesian

More than 300 child soldiers released by armed groups in South Sudan – UN mission

7 February 2018

Some 300 child soldiers, including 87 girls, were formally released by armed groups in South Sudan, the United Nations mission in the country reported on Wednesday, calling on all stakeholders to support the young people on the journey back to their communities and help them build a future for themselves.

World Bank/Yang Aijun

Well-planned and managed cities can drive sustainable development – UN agency chief

7 February 2018

The head of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) said on Wednesday that a week-long conference on sustainable urban development that kicked off Wednesday in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, will open a “global conversation about our cities and human settlements.”

UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre

World loses a 'human rights giant,' says UN chief on death of rights expert Asma Jahangir

11 February 2018

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday expressed his sorrow at the demise of prominent human rights defender and UN Special Rapporteur Asma Jahangir, who passed away at the age of 66.

UN Photo/Violaine Martin (file)

UN chief deeply saddened by tragic plane accident in Russia

11 February 2018

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Sunday expressed deep sadness at the plane accident in the Moscow region, Russia, in which all passengers and crew are reported to have died.

UNOCHA

Urgent action needed as violence soars in war-torn Syria – UN

10 February 2018

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate and unconditional de-escalation of violence in Syria as civilians in the war-torn country suffer through one of the most violent periods in nearly seven years of conflict.

UNMISS

British commander at UN Mission in South Sudan serves as role model for young women

9 February 2018

Lieutenant Colonel Katie Hislop of the United Kingdom said she was happy to serve as a role model for young women considering a career with the armed forces. The mother of two was the only woman to head a military contingent at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

UNHCR/Mohammed Hamoud

Yemen: Raging violence displaces more than 85,000 civilians, says UN refugee agency

9 February 2018

Surging violence across Yemen has resulted in the displacement of more than 85,000 people in just the last 10 weeks, the United Nations refugee agency reported Friday.

UNHCR/Yorgos Kyvernitis

Women and children threatened by sexual violence at refugee reception centres in Greek islands – UN

9 February 2018

Asylum seekers are reporting sexual harassment and violence at some sub-standard reception centres on Greek islands – where even bathing during the daytime can be dangerous – despite Government measures to address the dire living conditions, the United Nations refugee agency warned on Friday.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

Olympic message of peace is universal, UN chief says in Pyeongchang

9 February 2018

As the world comes together for the Winter Olympics, which kicked off Friday in Pyeongchang, Republic of Korea, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called on everyone to recognize and promote the Games’ universal message of peace and tolerance.

Graham Crouch/World Bank

Ahead of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, UN calls for smashing stereotypes

9 February 2018

It is time to support and invest in women and girls who want to pursue careers in scientific research, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message to mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, observed annually on 11 February.

UNICEF/Bassam Khabieh

Syria: Life 'living nightmare' for children in East Ghouta, UNICEF chief warns

9 February 2018

Following reports that dozens of children have been killed in violence this week alone in Syria, a senior United Nations official on Friday stressed the need for unconditional evacuations of sick and wounded children from East Ghouta and other sieged areas.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

In Seoul, UN chief says Global Goals must be a blueprint for fair globalization

8 February 2018

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday highlighted the importance of engagement and empowerment to transform the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into benefits for all people worldwide and called on all sectors of the society to actively involve themselves in this endeavour.

IFAD/Sanjit Das/Panos

UN agency sets ambitious target to reduce hunger and poverty for millions worldwide

13 February 2018

Amid a global rise in hunger and poverty on back of the impacts of climate change and conflict, the United Nations rural development agency today announced an ambitious target to generate resources to fund loans and grants to enable millions in developing countries strengthen their food security and livelihoods.

UNICEF/LeMoyne

Causes of Rohingya refugee crisis originate in Myanmar; solutions must be found there, Security Council told

13 February 2018

Nearly six months after an outbreak of violence drove almost 700,000 minority Rohingyas from Myanmar to seek safety in Bangladesh, senior United Nations officials on Tuesday said it is time to address the root causes – including decades of repression inside Myanmar – so those who fled feel safe enough to return to their homeland.

UNHCR/Michele Sibiloni

Fleeing DR Congo violence, thousands take perilous lake journey to Uganda – UN

13 February 2018

Over 22,000 desperate Congolese refugees crossed Lake Albert to Uganda last week, with four drowning when their boat capsized on the perilous journey from the conflict-hit eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

UN Photo/Tim McKulka

Both radio and sports can help people achieve their potential, says UN on World Radio Day

13 February 2018

In an era of dramatic advances in communications, radio retains its power to entertain, educate, inform and inspire, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, marking World Radio Day with a call to celebrate both radio and sports as ways of helping people achieve their potential.

Audio - 13'50" Playlist

UN Photo

Focus on future, prioritize reconciliation for the region, UN envoy urges Western Balkans

12 February 2018

Concluding a twelve-day visit to Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide called for concerted and sustained efforts to prioritize reconciliation and prevention.

UN Photo/Martine Perret

For Valentine’s Day, UN environment wing is urging everyone to ‘break up’ with single-use plastic

12 February 2018

Climate Change

As many countries prepare to mark Valentine’s Day, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is calling on people to end their “toxic relationship” with single-use plastic and find “new love,” with more environmentally sustainable options.

A gavel in a courtroom.

Maldives: UN rights experts denounce detention of judges as ‘direct attack’ on Supreme Court

12 February 2018

Denouncing the detention of two Supreme Court judges in the Maldives, United Nations human rights experts warned that the independence of the judiciary is under “serious threat” in the country, as is the principle of separation of powers between the State and the courts.

UNICEF/Souliman

Some four million Iraqi children in need says UNICEF, ahead of investment conference in Kuwait

12 February 2018

About a quarter of all Iraqi children are living in poverty, and in the wake of more than four years of violence, families are being pushed to “extreme measures” in order to survive, said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday, as a major conference on rebuilding the country was set to open tomorrow in neighbouring Kuwait.

UN Photo/Tobin Jones

More than 5,000 child soldiers released in 2017, but tens of thousands still being used in conflict – UN

12 February 2018

The global commitment to end the use of children in armed conflict led to the release and reintegration of more than 5,000 children in 2017, but tens of thousands of boys and girls are still being recruited, kidnapped, and forced to fight or work for military groups or armed forces at “alarming rates,” according to the United Nations.

UNICEF/UN026944/Basha

Civilians in war-torn Yemen ‘under fire on all sides’ – UN rights chief

12 February 2018

Raising alarm over continuing civilian casualties in the midst of increased hostilities in war-ravaged Yemen, the United Nations human rights chief underscored that all parties to the conflict are obliged under international humanitarian law to ensure that civilians are not harmed.

UNHCR/Alessandro Penso

UN agency evacuates more than 1,000 refugees from Libya over past three months

15 February 2018

More than 1,000 highly vulnerable refugees have been evacuated out of Libya since November by the UN refugee agency, which is searching for “durable solutions” for these people in third countries.

Refugee children on the border of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia.

UNICEF/Tomislav Georgiev

Alarming gaps in reliable data leave 28 million uprooted children unprotected – UN

15 February 2018

There are “alarming holes” in the availability, reliability, timeliness and accessibility of the data and evidence essential for understanding how children and their families are impacted by migration and forced displacement, United Nations agencies and their partners warned on Thursday.

Audio - 5'18" Playlist

Rafi Alkozai/UNAMA

UN says more than 10,000 civilians killed or injured in Afghanistan conflict last year

15 February 2018

More than 10,000 civilians were killed or wounded in the Afghanistan conflict during 2017, a nine per cent drop over 2016, according to a United Nations report out Thursday which also revealed rising casualties caused by suicide bombings and attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

UN Photo/Kibae Park

New guidelines on global care standards during childbirth issued by UN health agency

15 February 2018

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidelines on global care standards throughout labour and immediately after childbirth aimed at reducing the use of needless and potentially harmful routine clinical and medical interventions.

UN Photo/Kim Haughton

Guinea-Bissau: Political crisis requires continued UN presence, Security Council told

14 February 2018

The United Nations will need to focus its efforts on supporting Guinea-Bissau’s national leaders in their efforts to appoint an acceptable Prime Minister, establish an inclusive Government, organize and conduct timely elections, and implement the priority reforms, a UN envoy for the West African country said Wednesday.

Lindsay Barnes/UNFPA

In Johannesburg, UN youth envoy spotlights need to boost support for reproductive health

14 February 2018

In this century, child marriage cannot be allowed to happen, and similarly, children should not give birth to children, the United Nations youth envoy told an African forum on reproductive health and rights on Wednesday.

Simone D. McCourtie/World Bank

Without firm action on gender equality, women’s empowerment, world may miss development targets

14 February 2018

Without speedy progress on gender equality and real action to end pervasive discrimination against women and girls, the global community will not be able to keep the promise to ‘leave no one behind’ on the road to ending poverty, protecting the planet and advancing prosperity by 2030, according to a new United Nations report launched on Wednesday.

Audio - 8'54" Playlist

UNICEF/Amer Al Shami

Syria: Civilians killed on ‘horrific scale’ as conflict begins spilling across borders

14 February 2018

The conflict in Syria is now spilling over the country’s borders amid increased military intervention from multiple sources, a senior United Nations mediator said on Wednesday, warning that civilians are being killed on a horrific scale and the crisis is at one of the most “dangerous and worrying moments” in over four years.

UNICEF/Romenzi

At donor conference, UN chief launches two-year plan to fast-track Iraq reconstruction

14 February 2018

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday launched a reconstruction programme for Iraq, urging the global community to support Iraqis as they embark on the journey to rebuild their country and make sure that it is committed to unity and inclusivity.

OCHA/Ahmed ben Lassoued

Yemen: UN aid chief welcomes $1 billion funding pledge as humanitarian crisis deepens

13 February 2018

Amidst ongoing conflict, the collapse of basic services and economic decline in Yemen, the United Nations aid chief welcomed a substantial humanitarian pledge from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Source:

Efficient national tax systems critical for sustainable development and inclusive growth, urge UN, partners

16 February 2018

Countries need to strengthen the effectiveness of their tax regimes to unleash much-needed domestic resources to ensure the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the promotion of inclusive economic growth, United Nations and as key international economic and financial organizations have urged.

MINUJUSTH/Leonora Baumann

Haiti: UN determined to support authorities in strengthening rule of law

16 February 2018

Strengthening the rule of law and improving the national police and the judicial system in Haiti will require political will on the part of the authorities, and the United Nations is determined to support this goal, said Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita.

UNICEF/UN0158355/Halldorsson

UN development agency remains committed to support Lebanon, says agency head

16 February 2018

Reverberations of the Syrian conflict – which has now lasted longer than World War II – are being felt throughout the region, including in Lebanon, which shares most of its land border with the war-torn country, and hosts hundreds of thousands of its refugees, the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warned on Friday.

OCHA/Ivo Brandau

In crisis-torn eastern DR Congo, UN food relief agency expands operations to stem hunger

16 February 2018

Escalating violence, daunting logistical challenges and insufficient funding have prompted the United Nations food relief agency to broaden its emergency operation in the war-ravaged Kasai region in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

WHO/PAHO/Sebastián Oliel

New UN high-profile panel set to take on noncommunicable diseases, cause of seven in 10 deaths globally

16 February 2018

Bold, innovative solutions are now on the table to accelerate the prevention and control of deadly noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – such as heart and lung disease, cancers and diabetes – as a new United Nations health agency high-level commission gets set to begin its work.

OCHA/Ghalia Seifo

UN, partners complete first aid delivery in months to Syria’s war-battered east Ghouta

16 February 2018

Thousands of civilians in east Ghouta now have life-saving food and medical supplies after the first aid convoy in nearly three months reached the besieged enclave just outside the Syrian capital of Damascus, the top United Nations humanitarian official in the country said on Friday.

UN Photo/Albert González Farran

Service and Sacrifice: Honouring Nigeria’s contribution to UN peacekeeping

16 February 2018

Since the 1960s, Nigeria has been a major contributor of troops and police to United Nations peace operations, having served in dozens of missions. Most recently, Nigerian troops were the military backbone of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), from 2003-2018, helping to restore security throughout a country that had undergone a brutal civil war.

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.

UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré

UN rights chief urges Iran to halt executions of juveniles on death row

16 February 2018

Expressing concern over a “surge” in the number of juvenile offenders being executed in Iran, the United Nations top human rights official called on the country to abide by its obligations under international law and immediately halt all executions of people sentenced to death for crimes committed when they were under the age of eighteen.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

UN chief expresses ‘profound sadness’ at Florida gun massacre

15 February 2018

Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed his profound sadness at the horrific gun massacre in Florida in a message he wrote to the Governor and to the United States’ Ambassador to the United Nations, UN spokesman said Thursday.

OCHA/Eve Sabbagh

Mali: $263 million sought to assist most vulnerable with humanitarian support, says UN relief official

15 February 2018

Aid agencies in Mali have launched the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP ), asking for $263 million to provide humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable people, a senior United Nations aid official in the country said

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

‘There is no plan B,’ says Guterres, reiterating UN’s commitment to two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

20 February 2018

After over a century of hostilities including 50 years of continued military occupation, Israelis and Palestinians are still no closer to peace, a United Nations special envoy said on Tuesday, warning that even as many in the region have lost hope for positive change, the enemies of peace are growing more confident by the day.

UNICEF/Roger Lemoyne

Rohingya refugees face immense health needs; UN scales up support ahead of monsoon season

20 February 2018

Critical health services must be scaled up for nearly 1.3 million people – Rohingyas and their surrounding host communities – in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar, where vulnerable populations in crowded settlements and ‘mega camps’ are at risk of a host of waterborne diseases, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) warned Tuesday.

UNICEF/UN0155835/Zammit

World is failing newborns; UNICEF says global mortality rates remain ‘alarmingly high’

20 February 2018

Newborns are dying at “alarmingly high” rates in countries that are poor, conflict-ridden or have weak institutions, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Tuesday in a new report, which reveals that babies born in these places are 50 times more likely to die in the first month of life than those born in some wealthier nations.

Audio - 5'37" Playlist

OCHA/Ghalia Seifo (file)

Civilian situation in Syria’s east Ghouta ‘spiraling out of control,’ warns UN aid official

20 February 2018

The humanitarian situation of civilians in Syria’s east Ghouta is spiraling out of control, a senior United Nation aid official has warned in the wake of escalating conflict which resulted in more than 40 civilian deaths on Monday alone.

UNHCR/Sebastian Rich

Hailing regional efforts, senior UN official urges Latin America and the Caribbean to continue to protect people on the move

19 February 2018

Recognizing Latin American and Caribbean countries as “pioneers” in the protection of refugees and asylum seekers, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees urged the region to bolster its standards even further given the global increase in number of people being driven from their homes.

Remittances, the money migrant workers send home to their families, provide crucial financial support for millions of people in developing countries. File

IFAD

Ahead of Social Justice Day, UN agency calls for fair labour migration governance

19 February 2018

Many migrant workers end up trapped in low-pay, unsafe and unhealthy jobs, the head of the United Nations labour agency warned Monday, calling for the adoption of fair labour migration governance frameworks at the global, regional and national levels.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

United States: Planned execution of seriously ill man may amount to torture, warn UN experts

19 February 2018

Two United Nations human rights experts have urged the Government of the United States to halt the execution a seriously ill person stressing that given his health condition, the use of lethal injection could possibly amount to torture.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

UN chief extends condolences to people, Government of Iran in wake of tragic plane crash

18 February 2018

Deeply saddened to learn of the tragic airplane accident today near Yasuj, Iran, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has extended his heartfelt condolences to the country’s people and Government.

UN Photo/Ilyas Ahmed

‘We are not out of the woods yet’ on drought relief efforts, warns top UN aid official in Somalia

18 February 2018

The top United Nations humanitarian official in Somalia has commended the drought relief and recovery efforts of the authorities in the northern state of Puntland, while cautioning that the current humanitarian crisis is far from over.

UN Photo/Mark Garten (file)

Korean nuclear crisis, Middle East quagmire eroding global security, UN chief tells Munich summit

16 February 2018

A nuclear threat on the Korean Peninsula and a quagmire in the Middle East are “two qualitative changes” that further eroded global security over the past year, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told an annual conference on international security policy in Munich, Germany.

UN Migration Agency (IOM) 2017

Evidence-based approach crucial to migrants and migration – top UN officials

21 February 2018

As Governments begin to negotiate a global compact on migration, an accurate portrayal of migrants, and of migration, is needed more than ever before to help shape public discourse and policy, senior United Nations officials said Wednesday, underscoring the importance of an evidence-based approach to the issue.

UNAMID/Hamid Abdulsalam

Sudan: After years of conflict, millions require aid; But is the world paying attention?

21 February 2018

If it were a new crisis, it would be one of the biggest in the world, but despite the fact that more than five million people need aid, Sudan is at risk of falling off international donors’ radar, a senior United Nations official has said.

UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre

Protect the rights of ‘Dreamers,’ UN human rights experts urge US Government

21 February 2018

With hundreds of thousands of migrants who arrived in the United States as children facing possible expulsion, a group of United Nations human rights experts has urged the country to take urgent steps to address their situation and ensure that their rights are protected.

United Nations/Egor Dubrovsky

At leaders forum in Belarus, deputy UN chief urges concrete action on Global Goals

21 February 2018

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the most ambitious, universal, people-centred and planet-sensitive set of goals and targets ever conceived by the United Nations, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a regional leaders forum in Belarus on Wednesday.

UN Photo/Mark Garten

As relevant as ever, UN Charter is ‘our living template’ for tackling global challenges – Guterres

21 February 2018

The Principles outlined in the United Nations Charter remain the foundations of international relations and global harmony at a time when conflicts have come more complex, new threats and challenges have emerged and impacts of instability are felt far beyond their source, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday.

World has knowledge and tools to stop deforestation, senior UN agriculture official tells global conference

21 February 2018

A future with zero net global deforestation is possible with the right mix of policies, social action and political will, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said as a major international conference on sustainable forest management kicked off this week in Rome.

Sarah Farhat/World Bank

‘Our values, beliefs and identity’ are embedded within language, UNESCO says on Mother Language Day

21 February 2018

Every two weeks, one of the world’s languages disappears, along with the human history and cultural heritage that accompanies it, the chief of the United Nations cultural agency warned on Wednesday, calling for greater efforts to preserve and promote mother languages and indigenous languages, to bolster inclusion, diversity and ultimately, sustainable development.

UNICEF/Amer Al Shami

East Ghouta: Action needed now to save hundreds of thousands ‘living in hell on earth,’ stresses UN

21 February 2018

Deeply alarmed by the escalating violence in Syria’s east Ghouta, the United Nations has reiterated a call for an end to hostilities so that the sick and wounded can be immediately evacuated and humanitarian aid deliveries can reach those in need.

Raber Aziz/ IOM 2018

Targeted support, reconstruction needed as displaced Iraqis return and rebuild their lives, urges UN agency

20 February 2018

Iraqi civilians, driven from their homes in fear by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, Da’esh), are now starting to make their way back home after the terrorist group has been uprooted from its bastions in the country, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported.

UNHCR/Colin Delfosse

South-eastern DR Congo at risk of humanitarian disaster of ‘extraordinary proportions,’ warns UN refugee agency

20 February 2018

Cautioning that the Tanganyika region in south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo could be engulfed by a humanitarian disaster of “extraordinary proportions,” the United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday urged the Government to ensure protection of civilians.

UNICEF/Nybo

Fresh threats loom over 720,000 Rohingya children ‘cast adrift, trapped in limbo’ – UNICEF

23 February 2018

Rohingya children are facing threats either from severe weather approaching Bangladesh where hundreds of thousands are sheltered in squalid, overcrowded refugee camps, or by ongoing violence in their Myanmar homeland, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday, calling urgently for scaled-up assistance ahead of the region’s storm season and to address the root causes of the crisis.

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UNICEF/UN0158355/Halldorsson

Top UN officials urge stronger support for Syrians and host communities amid escalating violence

23 February 2018

Senior United Nations officials on Friday called for greater support for Syrian refugees as well as the communities hosting them amid escalating violence in the war-torn country.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Decolonization ‘close to my heart,’ Guterres says at opening of UN committee

22 February 2018

Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday opened the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly organ aiming to end colonialism, noting that decolonization was a central aspect of his previous political life in Portugal.

MINUSCA Photo

Road to peace in Central African Republic remains ‘long and difficult,’ says UN envoy

22 February 2018

The violence plaguing communities across the Central African Republic (CAR) is a reminder that despite the efforts of all stakeholders, the path to peace, stability and reconciliation in the country remains long and difficult, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Thursday.

UNICEF/2018/Amer Almohibany

‘You can still save lives’; UN aid chief urges Security Council action to halt violence in Syria’s war-battered east Ghouta

22 February 2018

The United Nations humanitarian chief on Thursday called for action by the Security Council to halt the appalling destruction of Syria’s eastern Ghouta, where nearly 300 people have reportedly been killed in just the past few days, as “bombs and mortars have rained down on bakeries and medical facilities.”

UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre

UN receives 40 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in last quarter of 2017

22 February 2018

The United Nations has received 40 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse across its entities and implementing partners for the last three months of 2017, including 15 reported from peacekeeping operations, UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric announced on Thursday.

OCHA/Charlotte Cans

New UN report cites violations of rights to freedom of opinion and expression in South Sudan

22 February 2018

Undue restrictions on freedom of expression are having a “chilling effect” and “further shrinking the space for debate and dissent” in war-torn South Sudan, a new United Nations human rights report has revealed.

Photo: OCHA

Lack of funding for aid operations means ‘people will die’ in Central African Republic – UN official

22 February 2018

A senior United Nations relief official is urging the international community to boost support for humanitarian efforts in crisis-gripped Central African Republic (CAR), where nearly half the population requires assistance.

UNAMA/Zachary Golestani

Afghanistan: UN mission welcomes new penal code, urges measures to protect women from violence

22 February 2018

Law and Crime Prevention

While welcoming the entry to force of a new Penal Code in Afghanistan as a having the “potential to trigger real change,” the United Nations mission in the country said on Thursday that it is concerned by the removal of the chapter penalizing violence against women.

FAO/Giulio Napolitano

Job creation around agriculture can spur youth employment in Africa – UN agency

22 February 2018

Agriculture will continue to generate employment in Africa over the coming decades, but businesses around farming, including processing, packaging, transportation, distribution, marketing and financial services, could also create jobs for young people, especially those in rural areas, a senior United Nations official said Thursday.

A family struggles through a dusty environment in Afghanistan. Photo

UNAMA / Fraidoon Poya

Impact of Afghanistan’s fourth consecutive year of war on civilians 'far too high' – UN report

25 February 2018

More than 10,000 civilians have lost their lives or suffered injuries during 2017, according to the latest report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) documenting the impact of the armed conflict on civilians in Afghanistan.

UN Photo/Violaine Martin (file)

UN chief condemns Mogadishu attacks, reiterates support in fight against terrorism

24 February 2018

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the 23 February attacks in Mogadishu, Somalia, which claimed the lives of many civilians and injured numerous others.

UN Photo/Manuel Elias

UN Security Council agrees 30-day ceasefire in Syria

24 February 2018

The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday in favor of a 30-day cease-fire in Syria, and demanded immediate lifting of sieges on war-ravaged enclaves like eastern Ghouta, where, Secretary-General António Guterreswarned earlier this week, some 400,000 people are living “in hell on earth.”

Asia-Pacific countries pledge women, girl’s empowerment at high-level UN forum

24 February 2018

At a high-level United Nations regional consultation in Bangkok, senior government representatives from Asia and the Pacific committed to empower rural women and girls, to lift their standard of living and combat structural barriers impacting their human rights.

UN Photo/Mark Garten (file)

UN chief inks pact to better coordinate counter-terrorism support to Governments

23 February 2018

Secretary-General António Guterres has signed a United Nations systemwide agreement to improve the coordination and coherence of the Organization’s activities to help Member States implement the UN’s counter-terrorism strategy.

UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

Ethiopia: UN welcomes steps towards governance reforms and increased political participation

23 February 2018

The United Nations on Friday took note of the recent decision by the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn, to resign, to ‘allow further political reforms to take place in the country aimed at widening democratic space,’ and welcomed the Government’s expressed intention to follow through with governance reforms.

Naomi Frerotte

‘We can achieve peace, stability, prosperity in the Sahel,’ UN chief tells Brussels conference

23 February 2018

The United Nations and its partners met in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday to strengthen support for a group of five nations in Africa’s troubled Sahel region which are facing pressing challenges including extreme poverty, food and nutrition crises and violent extremism.

MONUSCO/Force

Uruguay: Helping the UN to keep the peace around the globe for nearly 70 years

23 February 2018

Uruguay is one of over 120 countries working with the United Nations to help keep the peace around the globe. Whether military, police or civilian personnel, they share a common purpose: the protection of vulnerable communities and the provision of support to countries struggling to move from conflict to peace.

OCHA/Jacob Zocherman

Rights violations in South Sudan may amount to crimes against humanity and war crimes, concludes UN panel

23 February 2018

United Nations panel on human rights violations in South Sudan documents unspeakable cruelty against civilians, not just limited to widescale brutal massacres and sexual violence but extending to individuals trying to defend themselves or their families and had their eyes gouged out, their throats slit or were castrated.

UNHCR/Helen Caux

UN migration agency reports rise in displacement in northern Mali

23 February 2018

A resurgence of communal violence and armed conflict in recent weeks has led to an increase in the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in northern Mali, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Friday.

Photo: Pasqual Gorriz/UN

UN peacekeeping chief wraps up three-day visit to Lebanon

27 February 2018

The head of United Nations Peacekeeping Operations has wrapped up a visit to Lebanon with a call on leaders from Lebanon as well as Israel to take advantage of the role UN peacekeeping can play in finding political solutions to conflict.

FAO/Amos Gumulira

Dry, hot weather likely to reduce harvests in southern Africa, UN warns

27 February 2018

Southern Africa’s water sources and crops are under serious pressure as a long dry spell and high temperatures have taken hold in the region, the United Nations agriculture agency said Tuesday, warning that after record maize production in 2017, food shortages are set to worsen this year.

UNHCR/Roger Arnold

UN agencies helping Rohingya refugee camps brace for potentially devastating rains in southern Bangladesh

27 February 2018

Against the backdrop of the fast approaching wet season in Bangladesh, United Nations relief agencies are working flat out to strengthen vital infrastructure and boost resilience among hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees living in rudimentary shelters as well as for local communities hosting them.

UN Photo/Elma Okic

In Geneva, UN chief urges new push to free world from nuclear weapons

26 February 2018

Warning that nuclear weapons pose catastrophic risks to human life and the environment, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called on the international community to make a reinvigorated push to rid the world of such weapons.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Amid ongoing political tensions, situation in Burundi ‘not suitable’ for credible elections – UN official

26 February 2018

Urgent efforts are needed to keep the “hard-won” gains in Burundi from eroding, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Monday, noting that while the security situation is calm, there is still the potential for volatility as political tensions persist.

UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

UN launches 24-hour hotline for staff to report sexual harassment

26 February 2018

The United Nations is launching a 24-hour helpline to enable staff to call out sexual harassment in the workplace, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday.

OCHA/Eve Sabbagh

In Cameroon, UN deputy aid chief urges assistance as insecurity deepens in Lake Chad basin

26 February 2018

Amid growing insecurity in Lake Chad, a senior United Nations relief official on Monday said the international community and the Government of Cameroon must step up support for humanitarian action in the country, which is most affected by regionwide violence sparked by Boko Haram.

UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferre

‘Hell on earth’ in Syria’s eastern Ghouta must end – UN chief Guterres

26 February 2018

Syria’s war-battered east Ghouta, the troubled Kasais region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Northern Rakhine state in Myanmar, where violence has sparked a major exodus of Muslim Rohingyas, were all in the spotlight as the Geneva-based Human Rights Council opened its session today, with UN officials warning that these situations spiraled into crisis “because not enough was done, early and collectively, to prevent the rising horrors.”

FAO/Stefanie Glinski

South Sudan: A year after averting famine, ‘food insecurity outlook has never been so dire,’ UN warns

26 February 2018

One year after famine was declared in parts of South Sudan, three United Nations agencies warned on Monday that without sustained humanitarian assistance and access, more than seven million people in the crisis-torn country– almost two-thirds of the population – could become severely food insecure in the coming months.

Two Syrian refugees, a brother and sister, in Jordan. (file)

UNICEF/Lucy Lyon

Syrian refugee children in Jordan deprived of the most basic needs – UNICEF

26 February 2018

Eighty five per cent of Syrian refugee children in Jordan are living below the poverty line and a staggering 94 per cent of those under five in “multidimensional” poverty, meaning that they are deprived of some of the most basic needs such as education, health or protection, an assessment by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed.

Emma Reverter

UN Committee against Torture issues new guidelines on asylum seekers’ rights

28 February 2018

New guidelines developed by the United Nations Committee against Torture aim to help Governments avoid violating international human rights law, and to help asylum seekers avoid torture or other ill-treatment.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

Airstrikes, shelling continue in Syria despite Security Council’s ceasefire call – top UN officials

28 February 2018

Despite the Security Council’s demand for a ceasefire throughout Syria, violence continues to plague the war-ravaged country, worsening the humanitarian situation and the suffering of its people, top United Nations political and relief officials said Wednesday, calling on all parties to the conflict to “fulfil their obligations to end the fighting.”

OCHA/Naomi Frerotte

Top UN aid official calls for urgent support for Chad

28 February 2018

A senior United Nations aid official has called for urgent funding to support 4.4 million people in Chad, including refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons, as well as the communities hosting them.

UN mission welcomes Afghan Government’s proposal for peace talks with Taliban

28 February 2018

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan on Wednesday welcomed the Government’s renewed call for unconditional peace talks with the Taliban and expressed strong support for its vision for peace.

UNHCR/L. Dobbs

Libya: Tawerghans must not be held hostage to political crisis, UN says, urging safe return

28 February 2018

The United Nations and its partners in Libya have called for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of the population displaced from the northern town of Tawergha without a delay, expressing deep concern about the situation faced by these people living in makeshift-tented settlements in nearby areas.

UNICEF/Abubakar

UN chief condemns abduction of school girls in north-east Nigeria, calls for their immediate release

28 February 2018

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has denounced the abduction of more than one hundred school girls by suspected Boko Haram insurgents during an attack on an educational institution in north-eastern Nigeria and called for their safe return to their families.

UNMISS

South Sudan: UN peacekeeping review urges emphasis on supporting political process

27 February 2018

A latest review of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in South Sudan has found that reaching a political solution to the ongoing conflict is the most effective way to protect civilians, a senior UN official said Tuesday, urging a renewed focus on supporting the political process.

UNICEF/Amer Al Shami

Syria: ‘Actions, not words’ needed to save lives in East Ghouta – UN humanitarian wing

27 February 2018

Following Sunday’s military operations in Syria’s east Ghouta, which claimed 30 lives, including women and children, reliable reports indicate that fighting continued and that shelling between East Ghouta and Damascus was ongoing in both directions, the United Nations humanitarian wing reported Tuesday.

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

With proposed reforms, UN closer than ever to a development system that is ‘fit for purpose’

27 February 2018

There are serious threats to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations, especially its development system, must be effectively reformed in order to be able to limit the impact of those threats Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.

UN Photo/Loey Felipe

UN can help, but Yemen’s warring parties must make concessions, commit to peace – outgoing UN envoy

27 February 2018