Feeling ‘90 per cent stronger’: Families in the Philippines help prevent drug abuse
Rowena Cruz participated in the Strong Families programme run by the local government through the Anti-drug Abuse Council of Pasig (ADCOP) and backed by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Ahead of World Drug Day marked annually on…
Syria: Security Council highlights escalating crisis and civilian suffering
Najat Rochdi, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, told council members that Syria’s dire situation needs political solutions in order for its issues to be sustainably addressed. ‘Climate of fear’ Deputy Special Envoy Rochdi said the security situation in Syria…
Chief of key UN agency in Gaza warns ‘entire generation’ could be lost
In a plea for political and financial support from Member States, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini underscored that the agency was “staggering under the weight of relentless attacks in Gaza”, after nearly nine months of intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations….
Officials highlight ongoing terrorist threats and dire humanitarian needs in Somalia
James Swan, head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) briefed ambassadors noting that the Somali government is prioritising security and combating Al-Shabaab fighters on many fronts. “For its part, Al-Shabaab remains determined to continue terrorist attacks with little…
Sudan: WHO appalled by horrific attack on El Fasher’s maternity hospital
The attack on the only maternity hospital in the town in Sudan’s western state of North Darfur is “shocking and appalling,” the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday, calling on warring parties to “protect mothers and…
Effort to restore Iran nuclear deal ‘remains elusive’, Security Council hears
Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, was updating ambassadors in the Security Council. The United States has not returned to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the deal is formally called. Washington has not lifted or…
First Person: Moving from fear to hope after war on drugs in the Philippines
Thousands of people across the Southeast Asian country were reportedly killed during the so-called war on drugs which was promoted by the last Filipino administration. But now a more compassionate and less punitive approach is being taken from the local…
‘World cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza’: Guterres
The situation along the Blue Line, the demarcation between Israeli and Lebanese armed forces, has been deteriorating since Israel launched its offensive in the Gaza Strip following the brutal 7 October attack by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups against…
Gaza is more than two million stories of loss: UN agencies
“The population has been almost entirely dispossessed of the means and capacities to ensure food security, shelter, health, and livelihood,” said Maryse Guimond, UN Women’s Special Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. “Women were asking me, ‘When can we go…
Officials highlight massive poverty, humanitarian despair in Afghanistan
Top officials from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) briefed ambassadors at the 15-member Council, describing the impact on civilians since the Taliban took over in August 2021….