Southeast Asia provides fertile ground for women to benefit from AI
With AI enabled technology becoming commonplace, the UN System is beginning to take advantage of the latest digital tools to bring gender equality closer to reality Southeast Asia, a middle-income region with widespread internet coverage and relatively high digital literacy…
In Gaza, a Christmas without a tree
In the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, Tony Al-Masri, known as Uncle Tony, sits with his wife, Amal Aboud, and neighbour, Hossam Al-Khalili in front of their small tent. They sip coffee and reminisce about the Christmas celebrations they…
Sudan’s worsening famine: Conflict puts millions at risk
More than 24.6 million people – half of Sudan’s population – are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the IPC initiative, which tracks extreme hunger globally. IPC’s Famine Review Committee (FRC) confirmed that famine (IPC phase 5)…
Tchaikovsky and America: A mutual fascination
In November Denis von Meck, a descendant of the great composer, came to UN Headquarters to talk about Tchaikovsky’s relationship with the United States, and his important role in ensuring the success of New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall. Denis von…
UN News Champion: ‘Are you keeping up with the death?’ The grinding toll of war in Gaza
“My team — my friends — are the reason I stand where I am today. This will, inevitably, evolve into a homage to them, but also to the Gaza I was so fortunate to know. Those who have known Gaza…
Syria: UN health agency launches $56.4 million appeal to meet critical needs
In addition, the developments since late November, culminating with the overthrow of the Assad regime added new dimensions to the crisis, including population displacements as well as return of Syrian refugees from neighbouring countries. Since November 2024, over 882,000 Syrians…
Over 207 executed in Port-au-Prince massacre: UN report
The report by the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) covers the period between 6 and 11 December, during which 134 men and 73 women were killed. Most of…
Only 3 per cent of UN emergency food aid getting to desperate Gazans
At the end of December, a joint UN convoy of nine trucks successfully reached people in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, who had been cut off from aid for over 75 days. Images taken by UN staffers showed desperate residents rushing…
Syria: UN investigators call for protecting evidence amid worsening humanitarian crisis
In parallel, the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIIM) concluded a historic visit to Damascus, emphasizing the urgency of preserving evidence related to the most serious international crimes before it is irretrievably lost. Fuel shortages, disrupted roads Essential…
Yemen bears world’s highest cholera burden, deepening humanitarian crisis
November saw a sharp increase in cholera cases and deaths compared to the same period in 2023, with suspected cases rising by 37 per cent and deaths by 27 per cent. Yemen’s cholera crisis comes on top of more than…