UN Interviews
UN News interviews a wide range of people from senior news-making officials at Headquarters in New York, to advocates and beneficiaries from across the world who have a stake in helping the UN go about its often life-saving work in the field.
Episodes
Contact tracing and quarantine critical to prevent Ebola spread in Kenya: WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the Kenyan Government to strengthen measures to control any potential outbreak, following the country’s first case and death from the rare but often fatal disease.
WHO Representative in Kenya, Dr. Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, says no other infections have been recorded since the case was confirmed on Tuesday.
She told UN News’s Alban Mendes de L
Syria’s new institutions take shape, but the economy is the test
Syria is building new State institutions and pushing its political transition forward, but recovery, inclusive representation and transitional justice remain major hurdles, according to the UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria.
Speaking to UN News’ Khaled Haridy during the General Assembly’s High-Level Week, Claudio Cordone said a People’s Assembly is now in place, with an electoral commission and p
Fighting food waste, one meal at a time
Every day, more than a billion meals are thrown away, and this rotting food produces the greenhouse gas methane which is responsible for around a third of global emissions overall.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that food waste and loss threaten food security, forests and sustainable agrifood systems in a world where millions are still going hungry.
UN News’s Dianne Penn in Nairobi sp
Ukraine’s health system presses on despite attacks, rising needs and looming winter
The full-scale Russian invasion is placing immense pressure on healthcare across Ukraine, limiting people’s access to essential services and damaging medical facilities.
That’s according to Halyna Skipalska, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, which receives support from the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA.
Ms. Skipalska was at Headquarters this week and spo
Sudan: UN envoy stresses need for sustained diplomacy
The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, says intensified diplomatic efforts are offering cautious grounds for hope, despite the continued fighting between rival militaries – and complexity of the brutal conflict.
Speaking to UN News on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr. Haavisto said while military leaders in Khartoum and senior RSF militia are
Sudan: El Niño threatens food security as FAO warns of critical funding shortfall
Food insecurity in Sudan could worsen sharply in the coming months as conflict and displacement are compounded by the effects of the El Niño weather pattern, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Friday.
With rainfall forecast to decline by up to 40 per cent in parts of the country, FAO is urging donors to fund proven measures that can protect livelihoods and boost food produc
UN Advocate Joseph Gordon-Levitt calls for human-centred AI rulebook
As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes society, actor and UN Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance Joseph Gordon-Levitt is calling for stronger rules to ensure the technology remains accountable to people.
Mr. Gordon-Levitt’s role is affiliated with the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) / UN DESA, which brings together diverse voices to help shape a more inclusive and human-
UN General Assembly: ‘There’s no alternative’ to the diplomatic stage in New York
For over eight decades, the UN General Assembly has served as the world’s most representative forum, bringing nations together to debate some of the defining challenges of the day.
When it was founded in 1945, the architects of the UN expected the Security Council to be at the centre of global decision-making. But Cold War tensions soon sowed division – shifting much of the political debate to th
UNODC chief warns technology is reshaping global crime
Rapid advances in technology are fundamentally changing the global crime landscape, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
As its newly-appointed Executive Director, Monica Juma is heading to the 15th UN Crime Congress, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 26 September through 1 October, for the first time in charge of the key agency.
In an interview with UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri in Vi
Yemen conflict intensifies, displacing tens of thousands
Yemen's decade-long conflict between Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces has dangerously escalated over the past week, reaching a new peak after months of rising tensions.
An estimated 46,000 people have been displaced since fighting resumed just over a week ago, with numbers expected to rise further as the situation continues to change "by the hour".
Houthi fig
Nepal: With over two million tonnes of debris to clear, rebuilding ‘will take time’
Two weeks after a glacier collapse triggered devastating floods in northern Nepal, entire communities remain cut off, homes lie buried under tonnes of rubble, and families are still waiting for news of loved ones.
According to latest figures from the UN humanitarian affairs office, 1,267 people have died and some 5,132 remain missing, while the UN estimates the disaster created at least 2.2 milli
‘Their school is everything’: Palestinian children face learning crisis
As a new school year begins, classrooms are reopening and children are returning to their studies – but that’s not the case for many young Palestinians.
For many in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, schools run by the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, have provided a pathway to opportunity for generations, with some 2.5 million students graduating.
However, financial constraints and confl
UNRWA: A vital lifeline for Palestine refugees amid shrinking humanitarian space
Despite increasingly difficult conditions, the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, continues to operate on the ground, remaining a vital lifeline and providing education, healthcare, humanitarian aid and social protection in Gaza and the West Bank.
Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank, spoke to UN News’ Reem Abaza and stressed that the issue goes beyond the ag
Inside UNICEF’s race to deliver life-saving supplies within 72 hours of an emergency
When an emergency strikes, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, aims to get life-saving supplies moving within 72 hours.
UNICEF’s emergency response includes health, water and sanitation, education and recreation kits, as well as critical support for vaccine cold chains.
At its major humanitarian supply hub in Copenhagen, Denmark, emergency kits are pre-positioned and ready to be dispatched to coun
AI offers new opportunities to transform agriculture across Africa
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to support agriculture across Africa, helping farmers access weather, crop and market information. But the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says better connectivity, reliable infrastructure, relevant data and digital skills are needed to ensure smallholder farmers can benefit from these technologies.
Meshack Malo, FAO’s Deputy Regional Rep
Preserving victims’ stories helps prevent hatred and division
Acts of terrorism driven by hateful ideologies continue to injure, harm and kill thousands of innocent people each year.
For Hassan Ndugwa – a survivor of the 2010 terrorist attack targeting a screening of the football World Cup Final in Kampala, Uganda – the experience became a call for action.
Angered by the misrepresentation of Islam in the aftermath of the attacks, Mr. Ndugwa and a fellow su
The first 48 hours: how the UN mobilises when disaster strikes
When a major disaster strikes, the first hours are critical. Within 48 hours of receiving a formal request from an affected country, the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system can deploy a team of experts to support national emergency response.
The teams, managed and trained by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), bring together specialists from dif
Repurposing fashion in the name of world peace
Can fashion help bring people together as well as set trends and mould culture worldwide? Fashion designer and environmentalist Runa Ray believes it can.
Her exhibition Repurposing Fashion: Reimagining Peace, now open at UN Headquarters in New York, transforms discarded textiles into works of art carrying messages of peace from 30 countries.
Speaking to UN News' Cristina Silveiro, she exp
Ebola response must be ‘faster, longer and more’: Senior WHO official
Scaling up Ebola response in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo must include measures such as increased surveillance, more transport options to bring patients to treatment centres and greater engagement with the public.
That’s the message from Dr. Anne Ancia, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Representative in the country, speaking from Bunia – the epicentre of the crisis.
She to
UN moves to support Colombia's earthquake response
Colombia's search and rescue operations continue after Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake, which has killed at least 111 people. The United Nations is now assessing where its presence and resources can be most useful.
UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia María José Torres Macho said the Government has already reached out to the UN, and the Organization has teams on the ground in some of t
‘We can’t stop operating,’ says top UN peacekeeper on Ebola frontline
With the worst Ebola outbreak in the history of DR Congo still raging, UN peacekeepers must continue to protect civilians from both the virus and violence at the hands of multiple armed groups operating in the region, the Force Commander there has told UN News.
MONUSCO's General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes said 'blue helmets' had increased their presence to ensure civilians are fully
‘Judicial work affects every element in our societies’
Every day, judges make decisions that change lives forever. They do so while reckoning with some of the worst of human nature, overwhelming workloads and constant public scrutiny - pressures that can ultimately affect the quality of justice they deliver.
The Honorable Rangajeeva Wimalasena, Judge of the National and Supreme Courts of Papua New Guinea, told UN News that judicial well-being is not
UN Humanitarian Air Service delivers aid - and hope - to those who need it most
Operating in some of the world’s worst humanitarian hotspots, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) aviation service is the backbone of emergency relief efforts and a lifeline for isolated communities.
From war-torn Sudan to Ebola-affected eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond, millions of civilians rely on aid to survive. In turn, more than 680 humanitarian organizations worldwide coun
‘De-escalation’ of conflict needed before ships can pass through Strait of Hormuz
Little progress has been made for the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which an estimated 20 per cent of the world’s oils and gas supplies pass and which is now effectively closed as Iran and the United States continue to ratchet up strikes and counterstrikes.
That’s according to the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Domingue
Studying at the UN to fight climate change at home
For Elisha Acheampong Darko, the climate crisis is personal.
Since losing his friend to a flood in Ghana, which he attributes partially to climate change, Mr. Darko has worked to empower young people to fight for climate justice.
As an undergraduate student at the University of Education, Winneba, in Ghana, Mr. Darko founded Join Me Today, a youth-led organization dedicated to protecting the env
‘Critical minerals boom must protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights’
As demand continues to grow for the critical minerals that power our mobile phones, electric cars and more, who’s looking out for the mainly indigenous peoples whose territories contain the vast majority of these natural riches?
Tackling the issue from a human rights angle is UN Human Rights Council-appointed independent rights expert on climate change, Eliza Morgera, who’s been talking to UN New
Helping South Sudan’s child soldiers to rebuild their lives
Too often, children are casualties of war. Sometimes, they’re even forced to fight.
That’s the case in South Sudan, where UNICEF – the UN Children’s Fund, together with the UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) – work with the Government to support the release and reintegration of underage fighters.
Daniel Johnson spoke to the agency’s South Sudan Chief of Child Protection, Brendan Ross, from the
UNDP creates AI platform to support local businesses in Zanzibar
On the Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar, the Government and local businesses faced a challenge: they relied on surveys conducted only once per year, making it difficult to quickly respond to travelers’ needs.
Following conversations with the Tanzanian government on how to advance development and grow the tourism industry, the UN Development Programme, or UNDP, created a platform called Jozani AI
Haiti: Violence surge may signal gangs bracing for tougher security operations
An upsurge in violence in Haiti could be in anticipation of more “assertive operations” by the recently formed UN-backed Gang Suppression Force as rival gangs in the beleaguered Caribbean Island nation fight for control of territory and resources.
Gangs control the vast majority of the capital Port-au-Prince, and terrorize the population with murder, rape and kidnapping for ransom.
Some 1.5 mill
Stronger maternal health systems, key to ending obstetric fistula
Professor Serigne Gueye, a Senegalese urologist and world expert on obstetric fistula, has spent decades helping women recover from one of the most devastating – yet preventable – childbirth injuries.
Honoured with this year’s UN Population Award, he has treated patients across Africa, trained surgeons from more than 45 countries and championed access to quality maternal services.
In an intervi
‘Everybody has a role to play’ in AI governance, UN expert says
As governments, industry leaders and researchers gather in Geneva on Monday for the first Global Dialogue on AI Governance and the AI for Good Summit, a UN expert says managing artificial intelligence responsibly will require action from everyone, not just policymakers.
Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health, told UN News’s Nathalie Min
In Ukraine, ‘the battlespace has become a lot deeper, a lot wider and a lot more lethal’
As drones, artificial intelligence and new weapons transform modern warfare, Ukraine has become one of the world's most mine-contaminated countries, creating new dangers for civilians while threatening global food security and recovery.
In an interview with UN News, Paul Heslop, Senior Mine Action Adviser for the UN Mine Action Service in Ukraine, explains how drones have fundamentally chan
Ukraine: ‘Another night of horror for families’, UNICEF says
A night of heavy strikes across Kyiv has left children and families facing widespread destruction, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine.
At least 20 people are now reported to have been killed in the Kyiv attacks. UNICEF is also deeply saddened by reports of a seven-year-old girl killed in the Dnipro region on Thursday.
Speaking to UN News’s Evgeniya Kleshcheva after visiting
Synthetic street drugs ‘becoming more diverse but also more dangerous’
As synthetic drugs spread into new markets and traffickers develop increasingly potent substances, the global drug landscape is becoming more complex, unpredictable and dangerous, the 2026 World Drug Report reveals.
In an exclusive interview with UN News, Chloé Carpentier, lead researcher on the report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), warned that powerful new synthetic opioids, persis
Venezuela: Humanitarian needs will continue long after rescue efforts, says OCHA
Five days after two deadly earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela, the UN says the emergency is far from over.
With search-and-rescue operations continuing, Vanessa May, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the stricken South American nation, told UN News’s Victoria Fernandez that families who have lost their homes and loved ones will need sustained su
Venezuela: Beneath the rubble, the search continues
Following the earthquakes in Venezuela, teams from 27 countries continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble.
From La Guaira, the most affected region, families describe the agonizing wait, while the United Nations coordinates the response and expands assistance for those who have lost their homes.
Aid cuts leave women and girls increasingly vulnerable in Palestine
Women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank continue to face severe challenges due to conflict and displacement, while funding cuts have undermined access to healthcare and protection services.
The UN agency responsible for maternal and reproductive healthcare, UNFPA, is warning that humanitarian needs remain immense, with services for mothers and babies under growing strain.
Nestor Owomuhangi, th
HIV/AIDS: ‘The worst epidemic the world has ever seen’
A new generation of HIV prevention tools could help reshape the global response to the virus which has led to the deaths of over 44 million worldwide – but without sustained funding, political commitment and community leadership, millions more risk being left behind.
Ahead of next week’s High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of the Prosperity and Well-being Hub at the UN Deve
Eat well, waste less: Practical steps for sustainable eating
Sustainability in the kitchen is increasingly seen not just as a trend, but as a necessity shaped by economic pressures and changing consumer expectations.
Chef Jaume Biarnés, a former member of the world-renowned El Bulli restaurant team in Spain, and now Director of the Yondu Culinary Studio in New York, believes that sustainability is integral to modern cooking
He told Liudmila Blagonravova f
Tackling the ‘manosphere’ and its chilling effect on women and girls
Hate speech is an unavoidable menace today – particularly so for women and girls – on and offline.
The abuse they face is increasingly fuelled by so-called “manosphere” online influencers.
Their posts primarily target young men and boys to promote a warped view of masculinity, usually by promoting rigid gender roles and misogyny.
To mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech on 18 J
Where does the UN80 initiative stand now - and what comes next?
Since its launch in March 2025, the UN80 initiative has moved into a decisive phase. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, joins UN News's Laura Quinones to discuss what has changed, what results are already emerging, and how the United Nations is working to become more effective at a time of growing financial and political pressure.
‘Where is the justice?’, ask Lebanon’s children caught up in war
In Lebanon, UN teams and partners are dealing with a country in flames as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) appealed on Wednesday for a “sustained cessation of hostilities”.
As thousands of families continue to be displaced and uprooted by the violence between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli military since March, UN News’s Daniel Johnson discussed the impact on children with Marcoluigi Corsi, UN
Stronger global cooperation crucial as criminal networks evolve: UN anti-crime chief
Global cooperation is essential as criminal networks become more complex, sophisticated and interconnected, according to the new Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, Monica Juma, who took office last month.
Speaking to UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri, the former Kenyan national security adviser said no single country,
Displaced women and girls in Lebanon face growing risks as conflict drags on
Four months of escalating violence and displacement in Lebanon are having a severe impact on women and girls.
According to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, more than 1.4 million people are now displaced across the country – over 20 per cent of the population – including an estimated 16,000 pregnant women. Meanwhile, damage to health facilities is limiting access to essential maternal and
Yemen: ‘It shouldn’t be controversial to save the life of a woman who could be your mother’
Funding cuts to health programmes are directly affecting women and girls in Yemen, according to the country head of the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA).
Francesco Galtieri has been visiting UN Headquarters in New York this week to plead the case for more funds, in a country where more than 60 per cent of health infrastructure has been destroyed during well over a decade of brutal
Human rights: Global Alliance aims to amplify victims’ voices, drive change
Human rights are "part of our DNA," according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who is championing a new Global Alliance at a time of rising conflicts, growing inequalities and mounting climate pressures.
The initiative aims to bring together governments, civil society, businesses, academics and communities to place human rights at the centre of decision-making ahead
South Ukraine security adviser: ‘We see the tears, emotions and stress’
Security personnel supporting UN operations in South Ukraine are navigating rapidly shifting frontlines and difficult choices to help humanitarians reach communities affected by the war – all while balancing operational risks with urgent needs on the ground.
Olga Scripovscaia, Area Security Adviser with the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) based in Odesa, told UN News in an exclusive
Ebola response in DR Congo: It’s all about trust, and teamwork
Health workers responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are working closely with local communities, recognising that trust is as critical as testing and treatment, to stop the disease in its tracks.
Dr Marie-Roseline Belizaire, Africa’s Emergencies Director for the World Health Organization (WHO) told UN News in an exclusive interview this week that response teams
We must ‘show up’ and take risks: Military gender advocate award winner
Major Abhilasha Barak, an Indian peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), has been named this year’s Military Gender Advocate of the Year.
She was recognised for her outstanding leadership in promoting gender-responsive peacekeeping and advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda during her deployment with the frontline mission since June 2025 – which has
Children caught in the crossfire: UN envoy calls for end to war in Ukraine
Children in Ukraine have spent years living with air raid sirens, disrupted education and the daily uncertainty of war. Many are forced to learn online or in underground classrooms as communities adapt to the realities of a prolonged conflict.
During recent visits to Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the UN’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Vanessa Frazier, met children,
The plastic we can’t see is changing the ocean
Each year, 52 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the ocean, contributing to an estimated 24 trillion microplastic particles, which have a devastating impact on the marine environment.
They do not fully biodegrade, lingering indefinitely while causing deadly wildlife entanglement, toxic ingestion, and habitat destruction. Plastics also release harmful chemicals into the water, introducing dange
What happens when AI learns to lie?
Science Forward, the podcast of the UN Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board, features world-leading scientists, and explores today’s challenges, from AI and biotechnology to climate and health.
In the very first episode of Science Forward, Board member Yoshua Bengio and AI policy expert Charlotte Stix unpack the growing risks of deceptive AI with hosts Julia Bhattacharjee and Adam Day, t
Ebola update: WHO on the ground to help contain outbreak
Over the weekend, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
As of Saturday, 16 May, health authorities had recorded eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri province in eastern DRC.
Uganda a
War photographer Giles Clarke: We mustn’t turn away from Sudan’s suffering
It’s hard to come up with new ways to describe the massive humanitarian emergency that is still unfolding in Sudan because of the war.
A staggering 33 million people need help and later today, UN-backed food insecurity experts are expected to warn once again that hunger is on the rise again and famine is a real risk in 14 areas of the devastated country.
Although it is extremely difficult and da
‘One word – stop’: Artist Sandy Walker on Hiroshima, memory and the role of art
Eighty years after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, artist Sandy Walker believes art still has the power to transform people’s perceptions.
Speaking to UN News at United Nations Headquarters, Mr. Walker reflected on the influence of Hiroshima survivor and writer Tamiki Hara, whose final work, My Deepest Desire, inspired a series of ink drawings that now accompany a new edition of the text.
Mr.
UN victims’ rights advocate urges survivors to ‘come forward’
The United Nations Victims’ Rights Advocate, Najla Nassif Palma, has urged survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel to “come forward”, while calling for stronger action across the UN system and for Member States to put victims’ rights first.
Her office works to ensure victims “have a voice, assistance and justice”. The mandate was established by Secretary-General António Guterre
Press freedom: Journalists face rising risks
World Press Freedom Day, officially observed on Sunday, arrives this year under the theme Shaping a Future at Peace, a message that feels especially urgent as the number of journalists killed in conflict zones continues to rise.
According to the UN education and culture organization, UNESCO, which monitors press freedom, 93 journalists were killed in 2025 alone – 60 of them in conflict zones.
So
NASA engineer inspires girls to reach beyond gravity
NASA aerospace engineer Alinda Mashiku was born in New York then moved to Tanzania as a young girl, where she dreamed of becoming an astronaut – but reaching for the stars seemed almost an impossibility.
Today, as a Program Manager with the US space agency, she helps ensure that satellites avoid collisions in orbit, contributing to the safety and sustainability of pioneering space missions such
80 years on, it’s ‘hard to explain’ why the UN never had a woman at the helm: General Assembly President
As the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock highlights a striking gap in its leadership: the continued absence of a woman Secretary-General.
For an institution founded on principles of equality, human rights, and inclusion, this omission is becoming harder to defend. Ms. Baerbock argues that the issue is not merely symbolic, but central to the UN
Afghanistan faces mounting strain as refugee returns surge, displacement deepens
Afghanistan is seeing a sharp rise in refugees heading home, with more than 2.8 million people coming back from Iran and Pakistan in 2025 alone, according to UN estimates.
That brings the total number of returnees since September 2023 to over three million. The surge has seen the population rise by more than 10 per cent, adding pressure to already limited infrastructure and fragile public service
Battling for survival on the climate frontline, Tuvalu faces up to physical erasure
Tuvalu, a low-lying Pacific island nation, is on the frontline of the climate crisis, with rising sea levels threatening to submerge much of its territory by the end of the century.
Many of its citizens are already planning for an uncertain future. In 2025, more than 90 per cent applied for a visa pathway offering residency in Australia.
Earlier, in 2022, the government launched a “digital nati
Strait of Hormuz: ‘Immediate’ solution needed to restore fertilizer supply, says UN taskforce chief
Unless a solution can be found immediately to allow fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz in time for planting season, there’s going to be a “very significant and severe” food crisis which will hit the poorest countries and their citizens hardest.
That’s according to Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), which provides infrastruct
Middle East war: UNESCO grants ‘enhanced protection’ to 39 heritage sites in danger
Since the outbreak of the Middle East war on 28 February, sites of major cultural importance across Israel, Iran and Lebanon have come under threat.
At the request of the Lebanese Government, the UN education and cultural agency, UNESCO, has placed 39 World Heritage sites under so-called “enhanced protection”- a special status aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage during times of conflict.
To
Pace of transitional justice in Syria brings hope, but strong stigma remains
Syria has made “remarkable progress” on transitional justice in just one year, says one UN legal expert, raising hope, while also warning that powerful social stigma continues to prevent many survivors of conflict-related sexual violence from coming forward.
Sofia Candeias, from the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, told UN News that new institutions and refor
Deadly Lebanon strikes overwhelm entire health system, as casualties surge
A massive wave of Israeli airstrikes struck Lebanon on Wednesday – despite the US-Iran ceasefire declared hours earlier – killing 254 people and injuring 1,165 others, according to local authorities.
Strikes hit densely populated areas, including Beirut, with no warning, leaving many still trapped under rubble.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, facing mass casualties and critical shortages of supplie
Lebanon situation ‘critical’, senior UN official warns
The ceasefire between the US and Iran has brought no respite to civilians in Lebanon, where deadly Israeli strikes intensified across the country on Wednesday, dramatically worsening the humanitarian situation.
Repeated escalations in violence over recent weeks have significantly increased humanitarian needs, raising concerns about whether aid agencies can keep up with demand.
Blerta Aliko, the
Rwanda after the genocide against the Tutsi: ‘We recreated a new country’
For over three decades Rwanda has been recovering from the almost unimaginable horror of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
On Tuesday the UN commemorated the systematic crimes committed there – in which more than one million people were killed – with ceremonies held at several of its offices around the world.
The event was attended by survivors of the massacre, senior UN officials and represe
‘Every day there’s new contamination’: Mine clearing in Ukraine
More than 130,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory are believed to have been contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance since the full-scale Russian invasion of the country in 2022.
As the Government, with the support of the United Nations, attempts to clear the land, fresh mines continue to be laid in the shifting frontline regions.
Ahead of the International Day for Mine Awarene
Landmine danger grows faster than it can be contained
Over 20 per cent of Ukraine is contaminated by landmines, which are becoming more dangerous and more difficult to clear.
Anti-personnel mines are now being deployed remotely by artillery, rockets, helicopters and drones, while some of the most sophisticated devices can launch projectiles at targets after detecting movement.
Paul Heslop, head of the UN Mine Action Service in Ukraine, is warning
UN warns of rising evictions and settler violence in Occupied Palestinian Territory
The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) has warned of a sharp rise in the eviction of Palestinian families, particularly around Jerusalem’s Old City.
According to Ajith Sunghay, OHCHR’s top official in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, evictions have intensified since the 7 October attacks of 2023, shifting from isolated incidents to more coordinated actions – some reportedly organized v
UNIFIL reaffirms commitment after peacekeeper killed in southern Lebanon
A UN peacekeeper has been killed, and another critically injured after a projectile hit the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base near Adchit Al Qusayer in southern Lebanon on Sunday.
The mission’s spokesperson Kandice Ardiel spoke to UN News’ Nancy Sarkis and said an investigation is underway, with no confirmed responsibility so far.
The incident comes amid escalating violence along the Blu
Middle East conflict raises fears of growing water crisis
There is no escaping the fact that the war in the Middle East has triggered a global energy crisis.
But could it also spark a water crisis? After fuel, water is emerging as a strategic and critical target.
The Middle East is one of the driest regions in the world and desalination – turning seawater into drinking water – is vital for people and agriculture across Israel and the Gulf countries. An
Strait of Hormuz tensions threaten global oil and gas supply, lifesaving aid
Ongoing war in the Middle East, along with ongoing attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, has underscored just how vulnerable maritime routes are – and the potentially deadly consequences for those needing lifesaving assistance, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.
Trade and energy markets are already feeling the strain, with potentially severe consequences - particularly for devel
Happiness in the digital age: Why connection matters more than ever
As the world marks the International Day of Happiness on 20 March, researchers warn that in an increasingly digital and uncertain world, young people’s well-being is shaped as much by social connection as by the economic headwinds they face.
Dr Robert Waldinger of Harvard University – who leads one of the longest-running studies in history focused on human well-being – emphasises that while ple
Gulf crisis impact spreads; families in Nepal are feeling the pressure
How is the Middle East crisis affecting countries far beyond the region?
In Nepal, more than 1.7 million migrant workers are employed across Gulf countries, and remittances form a vital part of the economy. Disruptions to travel, rising costs and growing insecurity are already having a major impact.
UN News’s Vibhu Mishra spoke with Numan Özcan, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Countr
Afghans pushed ‘from one crisis into another’ as regional instability worsens humanitarian crisis
Afghans are being pushed from crisis to crisis as instability across the region deepens an already severe humanitarian emergency, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has warned.
In an interview with UN News, spokesperson Babar Baloch said many returning from neighbouring countries are not finding safety, but instead facing bombardment from Pakistan, displacement and growing hunger.
Women and girls are
Lebanon’s children want their childhood back: UNICEF
After three weeks of escalating violence in Lebanon, children are paying the highest price. More than 830,000 people have been displaced – including around 290,000 children – with many forced to flee their homes in panic as Israeli airstrikes continue.
According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), many families fled with nothing - no clothes, toys or schoolbooks - spending hours trapped in traffi
Collective effort to eradicate Islamophobia, key for creating peace: UN Special Envoy
Rising Islamophobia is a serious global concern that requires a collective international response focused on education and combating misinformation about Islam, says the UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia.
Speaking to UN News ahead of the International Day to counter the scourge marked on 15 March, Miguel Moratinos warned that incidents are increasing in several regions, particularly in Eur
Children and families bear the brunt as violence and displacement rise in Lebanon
Lebanon is facing a “perfect storm of unpredictable challenges” as escalating conflict, mass displacement and shrinking humanitarian resources collide, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Imran Riza, told UN News.
Mr. Riza described a rapidly deteriorating situation in which civilians, particularly children, are paying the highest price.
In just over a week,
Gazans still living ‘hand-to-mouth’ in enclave: WFP
The UN World Food Programme – WFP – has spoken of its relief that the closure of a key crossing point for aid and commercial supplies to Gaza has reopened after being shut, when Israeli and US bombs began hitting Iran.
Speaking from Jerusalem, WFP’s Country Director in Palestine, Shaun Hughes, described how chronic constraints on aid delivery have kept humanitarian assistance at a “hand-to-mouth”
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