Attacks against civilians in Ukraine ‘unconscionable’, Security Council hears
That’s the highest number of civilian casualties in a single month since June 2023, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs told the Security Council. Over half of the casualties occurred in Kharkiv during a new Russian offensive,…
Systematic terror, brutal atrocities rife in Myanmar: UN human rights chief
Addressing the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights emphasized that the crisis there is “emblematic of a decades-long legacy of military domination, the stifling of dissent, and division.” He added that the same dynamics…
Systemic gender oppression in Afghanistan may amount to crimes against humanity
The de facto authorities in Afghanistan, the Taliban, swept back into power in August 2021 and swiftly began curtailing women’s rights, including imposing stricter dress codes, banning higher education for girls, excluding women from the job market, and restricting freedom…
INTERVIEW: Sustainable energy offers ‘hope’ in fight against desertification and land loss
Mr. Thiaw spoke to UN News ahead of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, marked annually on 17 June Ibrahim Thiaw: Desertification is happening at the local level as much as it is global. Unless we address this…
‘Better late than never’: Gazans react to Security Council ceasefire resolution
The US-led resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of some hostages together with Palestinian prisoners, followed by the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas and the return of Palestinians to their homes throughout Gaza while humanitarian aid…
Conflict and lawlessness hamper food aid delivery in Gaza: WFP
“Driving through Gaza City to Jabalia, the destruction is unbelievable. In the North of Gaza, I didn’t see one single building intact and there was constant shelling with drones buzzing overhead,” he said. “The people here are traumatised and exhausted….
War in Ukraine should not be ‘new normal’, warns top humanitarian there
“There has been a very clear intensification of the war over the past couple of months,” said Denise Brown, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine. “On my last trip to Ukraine two weeks ago, there were 12 sirens during…
Climate change fuels tensions in Nigeria
Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria Mohamed Malick Fall highlighted the worrying impact of climate change. The country is witnessing climate-related shocks which are triggering displacement and driving conflict, he…
UN envoy warns Yemenis not to return to the battlefield
Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned ambassadors in the Security Council that recent months have seen a “gradual increase” in fighting in several locations, as well as consistent threats by all sides to return to…
Gaza: 8,000 children diagnosed with malnutrition amid ongoing shelling
In a stark assessment of the dire situation after more than eight months of war, the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Tuesday that “a significant proportion of Gaza’s population is now facing…