Myanmar: UN WFP pushes to reach flood-affected communities
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that initial reports indicated that hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland have been inundated. In the hardest-hit areas, urgent needs include basic food, drinking water, and sanitation. The emergency compounds the dire…
Middle East: ‘No time to lose’ in negotiating ceasefire and Gaza hostage release: Top UN envoy
Posting on X, Tor Wennesland said he had met Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa following “intense exchanges” between the Israeli military – which said it had carried out large-scale pre-emptive strikes – and the militant group Hezbollah based in southern…
‘The world needs your leadership’, Guterres tells Pacific Islands Forum
Secretary-General António Guterres was addressing the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, telling leaders that while much of the world is embroiled in conflict, injustice and socio-economic crisis, the Pacific “is a beacon of solidarity and strength, environmental…
Afghanistan: Meet the midwife who stayed
As foreign troops suddenly withdrew, life for millions of Afghans, especially women and girls descended into chaos. “If I had left, a mother or a baby could have died,” Ms. Ahmadi said. “I was worried, but I couldn’t leave because…
New York students rise to task of being ‘PGA for a Day’
This marks just one of many meetings the two young New Yorkers took, as part of the long to-do list that constitutes the Assembly President’s day. The concept of being PGA for a Day is simple: two students from the…
Tears and embraces as murderous 30-year family feud comes to an end in the Philippines
For many years, the western part of Mindanao has been the focus of an armed separatist struggle between the Philippines government and various Muslim insurgent groups. In 2019, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was established as part…
Gaza: First polio case confirmed in war-shattered enclave
Head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern at the development and said that the infant, from Deir Al Balah, developed paralysis in the lower left leg but is now in a stable condition….
Aid teams cite huge challenges in tackling new Sudan cholera outbreak
“The needs are huge in Sudan; we are talking about people dying of hunger, we have conflict, we have protection issues, we have displacements on a daily basis; the needs are just huge,” compounded by several weeks of heavy rainfall,…
Rights experts urge United Kingdom to curb hate speech
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racism (CERD) voiced concern over persistent hate crimes, hate speech and xenophobic incidents on various platforms, including by politicians and public figures. It was particularly concerned about recurring racist acts and violence by…
Guterres calls for end to Myanmar violence, persecution of Rohingya
Around one million Rohingya are sheltering in Bangladesh and over 130,000 more have sought safe haven across the region without immediate prospects for return, said António Guterres in a statement issued by his Spokesperson on Friday – just ahead of…