WMO report: Asia hit hardest by climate change and extreme weather
Following close on the heels of the study of climate change in Europe, published by WMO on Monday, the State of the Climate in Asia 2023 report highlighted the accelerating rate of climate change across several indicators such as surface temperature, glacier…
Hungry for data: Tackling food insecurity in rural Indonesia
“I was not aware that vegetables were that important or how to grow them,” said the 25-year-old farmer from Idas in West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo. “Now I do.” She, along with 50 of her neighbours in this…
Myanmar: Rohingyas in firing line as Rakhine conflict intensifies
Rakhine was the site of a brutal crackdown on the Rohingyas by the military in 2017, leading to the killing of some 10,000 men, women and newborns and the exodus of nearly 750,000 community members, many of whom continue to…
Women in Afghanistan: The future ‘depends on them’
Released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Wednesday, Listening to Women Entrepreneurs in Afghanistan, Their Struggle and Resilience, analyzes data collected over the last three years, providing one of the most detailed views into the changing circumstances of women…
General Assembly debates Russia’s veto of DPR Korea sanctions panel
This is the third time this year that the world body has met to examine veto use among the Security Council’s permanent members – China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States – including on the situation in Gaza regarding…
Myanmar: Middle class ‘disappearing’ amid uptick in brutal fighting
In a new report published on Thursday UNDP said that the middle class has shrunk by half, compared with before the 2021 military coup, and that three quarters of the country’s population is either living in poverty or “perilously close”…
UN underscores commitment to stay and deliver in Myanmar
The expansion of fighting throughout the country has deprived communities of basic needs and access to essential services and has had a devastating impact on human rights and fundamental freedoms, said Khalid Khiari, a UN Assistant Secretary-General whose portfolio straddles…
From Desperation to Determination: Indonesian Trafficking Survivors Demand Justice
Rokaya needed time to recover after illness forced her to quit as a live-in maid in Malaysia and return home to Indramayu, West Java. However, under pressure from her agent who claimed two million Rupiah for her initial placement, she…
First Person: Japanese town leads the way to a low waste society
UNIC Tokyo/Ichiro Mae Citizens recycling in Osaki, Japan Ms. Fujita moved to Osaki in 2021 to work with the municipality, business sector and local community to help prepare the town for a more sustainable future. Today, Osaki, with a population…
First Person: ‘Courageous’ 12-year-old reports relative after being raped in Madagascar
UN News spoke to Commissioner Aina Randriambelo, who described what efforts her country is making to promote gender equality and a better understanding of what constitutes sexual exploitation and abuse. UN News/Daniel Dickinson Commissioner Aina Randriambelo, Madagascar’s Chief Inspector of…