Partnerships are needed and not moralistic "grand-standing" in order to help island nations develop, according to the Prime Minister of Samoa. Over 100 countries are currently meeting at a United Nations conference in the Samoan capital, Apia to discuss the issues faced by small island developing states or SIDS. It's expected that the discussions will [...]
The international community has an important role to play in ensuring that small island developing states or SIDS are supported in their efforts to promote action against climate change and sustainable development. That's according to the UN Secretary-General, The more than fifty nations and territories which are classified as SIDS are characterised by their small [...]
An honourary title held by high chiefs of Samoan villages has been bestowed on the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. He received the title of "Tupua" or chief of Saleapaga, a village in south-east Samoa which was destroyed by the tsunami of 2009. The title of Tupua is rarely given to dignitaries outside Samoa. Wearing [...]
Trinidad and Tobago faces a unique situation as one of the world's more than 50 small island developing states or SIDS according to a senior economist in the country. Although the island nation faces many of the same development challenges of other SIDS, it does have considerable natural resources, namely oil and gas. It is [...]
Villagers on the Pacific island of Samoa, whose homes were destroyed by the tsunami of 2009, are adapting to a new life away from the sea shore. After Saleapaga village on the south coast of the island was devastated by the tidal wave, the community decided to rebuild the village, but on higher ground and [...]
Poverty and inequality are on the increase in the Pacific according to a report released by the UN Development Programme, UNDP. The "State of Human Development in the Pacific" report reveals that one in four people on twelve Pacific Ocean islands are living below the poverty line. The findings have been released on the margins [...]
An international meeting to chart the future development of small island states is beginning in the Pacific Ocean nation of Samoa. Over one hundred countries are expected to be represented at the conference which officially opens on Monday. The small island developing states or SIDS have unique challenges including climate change, susceptibility to natural disasters [...]
On average, thirty-six people are killed every day in eastern Ukraine in the fighting between armed groups and government forces, according to a new UN report. Released by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday, the report details the human rights situation in the country. The number of casualties has more [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
A memorial service has been held in the capital Juba on Friday for the victims of a helicopter crash , according to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The bodies of the three Russian crew members who were killed in the crash near Bentiu in South Sudan's Unity State were flown home. Speaking at [...]
Three million Syrians have fled into neighbouring countries , in what the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) describes as 'the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era'. UNHCR says inside the country a further 6.5 million have been internally displaced. Majority of the Syrian refugees have fled into Lebanon where over 1.1 million are registered, Jordan 608,000 [...]
The number of civilians killed each day in eastern Ukraine has more than tripled in the past one month, as both government and armed groups intensify the use of heavy weaponry in densely populated areas, according to a report by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). The report says an average of 36 people are [...]
Major businesses from around the world are gathering on the Pacific island of Samoa to discuss how best to support the development of small island developing states. The countries which are collectively know as SIDS have many similar characteristics, their size, remoteness, lack of resources, poor infrastructure and susceptibility to climate change and natural disasters. [...]
The private sector is being encouraged to play a leading role in promoting the development of small island developing states. The so-called SIDS are characterised by their size, remoteness, lack of resources and susceptibility to climate change and natural disasters. Countries from around the world are gathering in Samoa for the third global conference of [...]
Getting every UN department to commit to advancing the protection of human rights is one of the highlights of Navi Pillay's tenure. She made the remarks during her last interview as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Ms Pillay said she was pleased her Offices' "Rights Up Front Policy" was endorsed by the Secretary-General. [...]
The southward spread of fighting along the border between Ukraine and Russia in the Sea of Azov has been described by a senior UN official as "a dangerous escalation" in the conflict. The head of the UN Department of Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman on Thursday briefed the Security Council on the situation in eastern Ukraine. [...]
The United Nations is making every effort to secure the release of 43 peacekeepers who have been detained in the Golan Heights. The peacekeepers are serving with the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), deployed to monitor the 1974 accord between Syria and Israel after the 1973 war. UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric says fighting has intensified [...]
The UN Secretary-General has expressed alarm over reports that fighting in eastern Ukraine has spread southward. Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson issued a statement on Thursday amidst reports that rebels have seized the coastal town of Novoazovsk near Russia. Early this year, pro-Russian groups in eastern Ukraine staged demonstrations which escalated into an armed rebellion and military [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
People displaced by the ongoing conflict in South Sudan and sheltering at a UN base in Bentiu town live in what a senior UN official in the country has described as "very dire" conditions. Toby Lenzer, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator recently led a delegation including western diplomats to a UN base in the oil-rich Unity [...]
Defusing tensions between the Western and Islamic world remains a top priority for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). Speaking at the 2014 global forum of the Alliance, the UNAOC High Representative recalled that the organization was created after the tragic events of September 11, 2001 in New York. UNAOC's mission is to create [...]
The UN Mission in South Sudan and the UN humanitarian service (UNHAS) have grounded all flights to the town of Bentiu, in Unity State of South Sudan. This follows the crash of a helicopter on Tuesday in which three Russian crew members died. The UN humanitarian Coordinator and the deputy head of UNMISS, Toby Lanzer [...]
Women are often more affected than men by climate change, especially if during a natural disaster. That's according to the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women. The global change in climatic conditions is due to be one of the main issues of discussion at a conference of Small Island Developing States or SIDS being held [...]
People continue to suffer as a result of the ongoing conflict in Syria where the social and economic fabric of the country has been ripped to shreds. That's what the UN Deputy humanitarian chief, Kyung-wha Kang said during her briefing to the Security Council on Thursday. More than 190,000 people are reported to have died [...]
The two young American girls behind a widely successful social media campaign promoting education, #GirlWithABook, are helping to build a library in Pakistan. Inspired by Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban in 2012 for wanting to go to school, Lena Shareef and Olivia Curl have partnered with the non-profit, the Citizens Foundation. [...]
The Pacific Ocean nation of Samoa is preparing to welcome the international community for a meeting focussing on the challenges faced by small island developing states. The SIDS conference is being described as a once in a decade opportunity to bring the issues to a worldwide audience. Ali'ioaiga Feturi Elisaia is the Permanent Representative to [...]
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it will require nearly $500 million over the next nine months to bring the Ebola disease outbreak in West Africa under control. WHO says the viral disease outbreak continues to spread at unprecedented levels, and estimates that up to 20,000 people could become infected before the transmission is contained. [...]
An effective outcome is expected from the 6th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) which starts in Bali, Indonesia on Friday. That's what has been said by Nassir Al-Nasser, the High Representative of the UNAOC who is attending the meeting under the theme "Unity in Diversity: Celebrating Diversity for Common and Shared [...]
Women are often more affected than men by climate change, especially if during a natural disaster. That's according to the Deputy Executive Director of UN Women. The global change in climatic conditions is due to be one of the main issues of discussion at a conference of Small Island Developing States or SIDS being held [...]
The Security Council has strongly condemned the downing of a UN helicopter near Bentiu in South Sudan's Unity State on Tuesday. The helicopter was on a routine cargo flight for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) with four Russian crew members when it went down. Three of the crew members were killed and one [...]
Members of the global civil society are being presented an opportunity to help shape the post-2015 Development Agenda. That's what the head of the UN Department of Public Information said ahead of the 65th DPI and NGO Conference which opened on Wednesday. The three day conference will allow the UN to engage directly with its [...]
Representatives of civil society have been urged to help in pushing world leaders along the right path in tackling global problems. The appeal came from the UN Secretary-General in a video message to welcome participants in this year's Annual UN Conference for Non-Governmental Organizations or NGOs. Representatives of more than 4,000 NGOs have gathered in [...]
The UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has pledged its support for the auditing of the votes from the June 14 presidential run-off election in the country. This follows the decision of Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, one of the presidential candidates, to withdraw from the process. The audit is aimed at resolving a dispute which was sparked [...]
Mass atrocities by Government forces and non-State armed groups continue in Syria, causing immeasurable suffering to civilians, according to a UN report released on Wednesday. The report marks the third anniversary of the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry for Syria. War crimes and violations of international human rights law are increasing in terms [...]
A resolution calling for all parties in Libya to agree on an immediate ceasefire and an end to the fighting" has been adopted unanimously by the Security Council. The North African country has been struggling to transition to a democracy since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an armed uprising three years ago. A UN arms [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The conflict in Libya has continued, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes, according to the top UN envoy in the country. Mr. Tarek Mitri, the head of the UN Mission in Libya on Wednesday briefed the Security Council on the situation in the country. He said armed confrontations, which are both the cause [...]
A convoy of 18 trucks carrying food to Gaza crossed the Rafah crossing from Egypt for the first time in seven years on Wednesday, says the World Food Programme (WFP). The UN food agency says the food is enough to feed approximately 150,000 people for five days. The trucks travelled for seven hours from Alexandria [...]
For the first time since 2007 the UN food agency was on Wednesday able to send food into Gaza using the Rafah crossing from Egypt. Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade for seven years, which has prevented food and other supplies from reaching the territory. The World Food Programme (WFP) says its humanitarian convoy [...]
Taking action to reduce climate change and its consequences can improve people's health and save lives, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO has, for the first time, convened a global conference on climate and health in Geneva which has brought together government ministers, experts, scientists and members of civil society. The agency says [...]
Failure by the international community to end the Syrian crisis has fueled the rise of the extremist group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, whose brutality is threatening to engulf the Middle East region. This is according to the latest report by the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria. The Commission says members of [...]
A diversified economy is the key to future of small island developing states, according to Ambassador of Mauritius to the UN. At the time of independence in 1968, the economy of Mauritius was almost wholly dependent on sugar. But that's changed and now Mauritius has a wide range of economic activities. Island nation off the [...]
The United Nations Mission in South (UNMISS) Sudan has confirmed that three crew members of a UN-contracted helicopter have died in a crash near Bentiu in Unity State. One crew member survived. UNMISS says the helicopter lost contact with the UN at 2: 30 in the afternoon on Tuesday as it was flying from Wau [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Claims made by the manufacturers of electronic or e-cigarettes regarding the safety of the product are being disputed by the UN's World Health Organization (WHO). Manufacturers often market e-cigarettes as aids to quit smoking, or as healthier alternatives to tobacco. WHO disagrees with both claims. It's thought the industry is worth around $3 billion a [...]
Electronic-cigarettes known as e-cigarettes pose a threat to people's health and efforts made to discourage adolescents from smoking. That's according to the World Health Organization (WHO). WHO on Tuesday issued a report on regulating e-cigarettes which are marketed by manufacturers as aids to quit smoking, or as healthier alternatives to tobacco. The agency said that [...]
The UN children's agency (UNICEF) is mounting its largest ever emergency supply operation in a single month to help children in multiple crises around the world. The agency says the operation comes in response to the conflict in Iraq and the Ebola fever outbreak in West Africa. In 27 days, UNICEF has dispatched 33 humanitarian [...]
Political leaders in South Sudan have been urged by the UN Secretary-General to implement the latest ceasefire deal they agreed on Monday. President Salvar Kiir and former Vice-President Riek Machar signed the agreement in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa under the auspices of the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). IGAD, a trading bloc of eight [...]
Nearly 1,900 migrants have lost their lives on the Mediterranean Sea this year trying to cross into Europe , according to the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The number of dead or missing migrants this year surpasses by far the 700 recorded in 2013 and about 500 recorded in [...]
The Pacific Ocean nation of Samoa is preparing to welcome the international community for a meeting focussing on the challenges faced by small island developing states. The SIDS conference is being described as a once in a decade opportunity to bring the issues to a worldwide audience. Ali'ioaiga Feturi Elisaia is the Permanent Representative to [...]
Small island developing states are using a conference in the Pacific Ocean nation of Samoa to reach out to the international community for support. Countries from around the world will meet on the island in the first week of September to discuss the challenges faced by the so-called SIDS. Climate change, sustainable development and disaster [...]
A fresh outbreak of Ebola fever has killed 13 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to UN sources in the country. The UN Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) has created an Ebola task force in response to the outbreak. Over 1000 people have died from the disease, which causes internal bleeding, [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
People living with albinism in Tanzania continue to face appalling human rights violations, with many being forced out of their homes for fear of being attacked by criminals in search of body parts for sale, according to the UN Human rights office. Alicia Londono from the UN Human Rights Office says efforts by authorities in [...]
More people around the world die from work-related accidents and diseases than war, according to the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Guy Ryder spoke at the start of the World Congress on Safety and Health at Work which opened in Frankfurt, Germany on Monday. Nearly 4,000 occupational safety experts, politicians and scientists from [...]
A transit camp for Syrian refugees in Erbil, northern Iraq is making room for an influx of Iraqi citizens displaced by recent fighting, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The Darashakran Refugee camp is taking in Iraqis from Sinjar fleeing clashes between Kurdish troops and ISIL also known as the Islamic State. Meanwhile, thousands [...]
The population of Lugansk in eastern Ukraine is in urgent need of aid because of the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the city. That's according to the International Committee of the Red Cross or ICRC. Heavy shelling continues between separatist and government forces for control of the city. A Russian aid convoy arrived in Ukraine on [...]
Providing education to children in conflict-torn Gaza remains a priority for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). That's what the Deputy Director of Operations for UNRWA in Gaza, Scott Anderson said on Sunday which should have been the first day of school in the territory. School bells rang in all 85 UNRWA emergency shelters [...]
Living conditions for displaced people at a United Nations base in Bentiu town in South Sudan's Unity State have been described by a senior UN official as "very dire". Toby Lanzer, the UN humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan led a delegation that included British and Dutch diplomats to assess the situation at a UN Protection [...]
The UN Human Rights Office has condemned the appalling, widespread and systematic human rights violations being committed in Iraq by the militant group Islamic State and its associated forces. The violations include targeted killings, forced conversions, abductions, trafficking, slavery, sexual abuse, destruction of places of religious and cultural significance, and the besieging of entire communities [...]
Many people who commit sexually violent crimes in Bangladesh are not being brought to justice, according to a member of a small community called Chittagong Hill Tract. Bipasha Chakma is an indigenous woman who has been helping to develop the Chittagong Hill Tract, an area that has been isolated and disadvantaged in the past decades. [...]
The "substantial" number of people returning to the city of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine demonstrates what peace means. That's what the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator told the media on Saturday. Basic services have also been restored in the former rebel stronghold over a short period of time, Ms Valerie Amos noted. [...]
Sixty eight metric tonnes of health and hygiene supplies have been flown into Liberia's capital, Monrovia, to ramp up the Ebola response, the UN Children' Fund (UNICEF) has confirmed. According to the agency, the basic emergency items are for front-line health workers to protect themselves and help prevent the spread of the virus. There have [...]
Overcoming slavery has made the world more aware that all human beings are created equal, according to the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Teaching about slavery, Irina Bokova says, helps to continue mobilizing against modern forms of slavery and trafficking in human beings. 23 August is the International Day [...]
The Secretary-General has urged the Israeli Prime Minister to return to calm and to take steps to facilitate the Egyptian efforts to broker a durable truce. The remarks came in a readout of Mr Ban Ki-moon's telephone conversation with Mr Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday. The two discussed the crisis in Gaza, including the need for [...]
Immediate action is necessary to prevent the possible massacre of the people in the northern Iraqi town of Amerli, the UN Special Envoy for the country urged on Saturday. Nickolay Mladenov made the appeal following alarming reports regarding the inhuman conditions Amerli's citizens are living in. The town is surrounded by armed militants of the [...]
One quarter of the world's population today is youth. Like never before, young people are using social media to voice their opinions and influence change. But education is vital to enabling young people to fulfil their potential. Hannah Godefa, a 16-year old UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, is passionate about girls' education. When Canadian born Hannah was [...]
Concern has been raised in the Security Council about Russia's decision to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine without authorization by the country's government. That's what the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Mark Lyall-Grant of the United Kingdom, told reporters on Friday afternoon. This follows reports that Russia had decided to send more than 100 [...]
Political parties in Yemen have been urged to cooperate to overcome challenges they face and move the political process forward. The appeal has come from the UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Yemen, Jamal Benomar, who is in the country holding talks with Yemen's highest authorities and various political leaders. Yemen has faced a political crisis [...]
The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator has held what has been described as "very positive" talks with the authorities of Ukraine on how to provide assistance to displaced people in the country. Valerie Amos is on a four-day visit to the country to see how the conflict in the eastern part of the country has affected [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Discussions with the authorities in Ukraine have been "positive" with regards to meeting the humanitarian needs of the people in the East. That's what the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, told UN Radio on the phone from Kyiv on Friday. Ms Amos is on a 4 day visit to the country, including Donetsk [...]
A massive operation to ship over 2,400 tons of aid by air, land and sea over 10 days for Iraqi civilians displaced by the conflict is underway, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. A second cargo transport aircraft carrying tents into Erbil in Iraq's Kurdistan region has left while more flights are expected to [...]
The outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in Sierra Leone has been described by a senior United Nations official as very serious. The West African country has about 900 confirmed cases of Ebola, more than 400 deaths and over 1,200 people who are currently under quarantine surveillance for the disease. United Nations health experts are [...]
The massive operation to provide humanitarian assistance to displaced people in northern Iraq is in full swing, according to the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). UNHCR flights continue to deliver tens, kitchen sets, blankets and jerrycans from the agency's warehouse in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The recipients are victims of violence perpetrated by [...]
The international community has the moral obligation to unite immediately and help put an end to the Syrian conflict. That's what the UN Secretary-General says in a statement on the first anniversary of the chemical weapons attack in the Syrian town of Ghouta. Ban Ki-moon describes the attack as "horrific" and "shocking", as he once [...]
French actor and singer Maurice Chevalier tells the story of a young woman in a village in Haiti who is saved with the help of penicillin. Language: English Genre: Drama 1959 Duration: 6’43″
American actor Rock Hudson tells the story of a reformed mental health institution in Bethlehem and the work of World Health Organization. Language: English Genre: Drama 1959 Duration: 4’28″
The outbreak of inter communal violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state has forced over 87,000 people to undertake the perilous sea journey across the Bay of Bengal over the past two years, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. Majority of those fleeing the violence are the Rohingya from Myanmar, but also Bangladeshis are among them. [...]
More than 191,000 people have been killed in the Syrian civil war, according to the UN Office for Human Rights. The death toll compiled from several sources including the government is for the period between march 2011 and April 2014. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay however says the death toll is [...]
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is encouraging its Member States to implement projects that promote digital inclusion. The ITU says that successful digital inclusion projects that people implement in one country can serve as practical inspiration for others to carry out similar projects in their own countries. One such project is being implemented in Vanuatu, [...]
Restoring the dignity and integrity of returning Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram militants is instrumental in reintegrating the girls back into society, a senior United Nations official said. Rati Ndhlovu, the representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Nigeria was speaking to the press in New York on Tuesday. Some 200 girls were [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The Security Council has a unique responsibility to maintain international peace and security, the UN Secretary-General reminded its members on Thursday. Ban Ki-moon made the remarks during an open debate in the Council on conflict prevention. The meeting was convened by the United Kingdom which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council in August. [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) has received about $49 million from Saudi Arabia for its operations to help the people of Iraq. Thousands of Iraqis have been displaced by attacks carried out by militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Many of the displaced people have been exposed to harsh conditions [...]
Lives have been saved in Syria and the health care of millions affected by the conflict addressed through a $45 million donation by Kuwait to the World Health Organization. A new WHO report released on Wednesday detailed how the much-needed funds were used. Critical medicines to treat life-threatening chronic conditions, such as renal failure, epilepsy, [...]
Israel and the Palestinians should return to the negotiating table in Cairo to quickly agree on a lasting truce. The United Kingdom's Ambassador to the UN and President of the Security Council, Mark Lyall Grant, made the appeal late on Wednesday. An Egyptian-brokered humanitarian ceasefire was breached before its expiration after rockets were fired from [...]
World leaders have been urged to address emerging crises before they become bigger and costlier for all. The call was made by the UN Secretary-General on Thursday during the Security Council's open debate on conflict prevention. He said with the surge of violent crises around the world, the United Nations needs to re-examine and refine [...]
With no end in sight to the conflict in Syria, life as a refugee goes on for millions of people who were forced to flee to neighbouring countries. In one refugee camp in Lebanon, the art of woodblock printing is being revived. This traditional fabric printing was once at risk of becoming extinct but with [...]
As the auditing of the votes from the June 14 runoff presidential election continues in Afghanistan, more than 5,000 ballot boxes have been opened. The auditing process is part of the effort to resolve a dispute created by the objections to the announcement of the preliminary results by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in July. [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to ramp up its responses to the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease that has claimed more than 1, 000 lives in West Africa. The United Nations has launched a system-wide coordination initiative to assist Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone in their efforts to stop the spread of [...]
The Secretary-General has strongly condemned the horrific murder of an American journalist in Iraq. According to media reports, James Foley was last seen in Syria in 2012. His murder has reportedly been claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) through a graphic video of the journalist's beheading. The UN Chief has [...]
The United Nations has deplored the violence that took place on Tuesday between representatives of the campaign teams over the ongoing audit of the Afghan vote. Clashes between supporters of Dr Abdullah Abdullah's campaign team and workers from the Independent Election Commission (IEC) left several people hurt at the audit centre compound in Kabul. Dr [...]
The breach of the temporary humanitarian ceasefire that was due to expire on Tuesday in Gaza has been strongly condemned by the UN Secretary-General. A statement was issued by his spokesperson amidst reports of Hamas rocket attacks at Israel and Israel's airstrikes against Gaza. Israelis and Palestinians have been negotiating in the Egyptian capital, Cairo [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The first flight of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) carrying relief supplies landed in the Iraqi city of Erbil on Wednesday at the start of a massive humanitarian operation in the region. UNHCR says the operation in northern Iraq is aimed at helping almost half a million people displaced by violence and living rough in [...]
Iraqi authorities in the Basra governorate have been urged to reassure Sunni citizens in southern Iraq of their safety and security. The appeal has come from the top UN envoy in Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov who has expressed his grave concern about the recent acts of violence against Sunnis in Basra. According to the UN Assistance [...]
The outbreak of the Ebola haemorrhagic fever in West Africa is threatening to create a food security crisis for the affected people, according to the UN food agency. The World Food Programme (WFP) says this is because people cannot move freely to go and work in their fields or trade. WFP is providing food [...]
Up to 1.3 million people require food assistance in areas worst affected by the Ebola disease outbreak in West Africa, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). The agency says populations in areas that have been placed under quarantine by governments to stop the spread of the Ebola virus were at risk of severe [...]
With no end in sight to the conflict in Syria, life as a refugee goes on for millions of people who were forced to flee to neighbouring countries. In one refugee camp in Lebanon, the art of woodblock printing is being revived. This traditional fabric printing was once at risk of becoming extinct but with [...]
São Tomé in West Africa was once the world’s biggest exporter of cocoa, but a decade ago the global cocoa price crash destroyed the industry in the country. Since then, desperate farmers have been clearing the forests to find alternative ways to make a living, destroying the island's unique biodiversity. But then a change came [...]
Fiji is an island country in the South Pacific that faces unique economic and environmental challenges. In response to these challenges, an island in Fiji called Cicia has made an unusual decision to secure its future. Last year, the elders declared it an organic island as they believe organics is the key to a healthy [...]
The end goal is to stabilize the Central African Republic and to hold free, fair and democratic elections, the UN Special Envoy to the country said on Tuesday. Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye, who is also the head of the UN Mission in the country, MINUSCA, told reporters in New York that the "road will be [...]
A comprehensive support operation involving all the different assets, tools and capacities in the UN system is necessary to fight the Ebola epidemic. That's what the UN System Coordinator for Ebola, Dr David Nabarro, told the press in New York on Tuesday. The Ebola disease is affecting societies, economies and has humanitarian as well as [...]
The Somali people have a chance to live in peace and prosper if their leaders continue to rule in their interests and set aside their differences. Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant of the United Kingdom made the remarks as President of the Security Council on Tuesday, following a 5 day trip to Europe and Africa last [...]
An appeal for $14 million to scale up health operations in eastern Ukraine has been launched by the World Health Organization (WHO). Thousands of people have been displaced by the ongoing fighting in Donetsk and Luhansk region. According to WHO, 15 hospitals have been damaged, 20 health facilities have closed and 70 per cent of [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
A social media campaign in support of young girls' education is making a difference worldwide. #GirlWithABook was started by two young American girls, inspired by Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl shot by the Taliban in 2012 for wanting to go to school. Lena Shareef and Olivia Curl were chatting online discussing the incident and decided [...]
Last year, more humanitarian workers were kidnapped, seriously injured or killed than ever before, according to the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Mr Jan Eliasson made the remarks to members of the Security Council during a briefing on the protection of humanitarian workers in armed conflict. August 19 is World Humanitarian Day, which honours [...]
The town of Amirli has been under siege by armed groups affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) for some weeks, according to a senior humanitarian official in the country. Amirli, which is about 175 kilometres north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, is home to between 15 and 20,000 people, mainly [...]
Ethiopia has overtaken Kenya to become the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, sheltering nearly 630,000 refugees as of the end of July, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. Kenya currently has over 575,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers. The number of refugees in Ethiopia has mainly been pushed up by the on-going conflict in South [...]
A major humanitarian operation to reach close to half a million people displaced in northern Iraq is being launched by the UN refugee agency UNHCR. The air, road and sea operation will begin on Wednesday starting with a four day airlift of humanitarian supplies from Aqaba in Jordan to Erbil followed by road convoys from [...]
Attacks on humanitarian workers who are helping the people in need around the world are an outrage. That's what UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in his message on World Humanitarian Day observed on 19 August each year. The day also marks the anniversary of the terrorist bombing of Canal Hotel in Baghdad, which served as [...]
The UN is observing World Humanitarian Day on Tuesday to recognize and honour humanitarian workers who are helping millions of people in need in crises around the world. August 19 coincides with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Iraq which claimed the lives of 22 people, including the top UN [...]
Aid workers are scaling up efforts to address the needs of thousands of displaced people in the Dahuk Governorate in Iraq, according to United Nations agencies in the area. Dahuk is in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, which is hosting people fleeing the advances of the jihadist militants, known as ISIS. Hundreds of thousands are [...]
Authorities in countries affected by Ebola should check people departing at international airports, seaports and major border crossings, and stop any with signs of the virus from travelling. The World Health Organization (WHO) made the recommendation on Monday although it also said there is no need for "wider travel or trade restrictions". The agency is [...]
Lack of education provides a breeding ground for extremism and terrorism, which is why education has to be promoted. That's what the Secretary-General told participants at a UN special event to mark the 500 days until the target date for the UN Millennium Development Goals. Mr Ban K-moon deplored that 50 million children around the [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
A drama on the work of the International Red Cross, featuring actors Madeleine Carroll and Franchot Tone, writer Lowell Thomas, and Dag Hammarskjöld, the second Secretary-General of the UN. Language: English Genre: Drama 1954 Duration: 28’58″
The UN has launched a global call to action during a special event to mark the 500 days that remain before the deadline for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The eight goals were set by world leaders in September 2000 to fight poverty, hunger and disease, protect the environment and expand education, basic health [...]
Actor Melvyn Douglas tells the story of UN staff working in the field, lending his voice as an ‘eyewitness’ to poverty around the globe and the cruelties of war. Language: English Genre: Report 1953 Duration: 28’32″
The fighting in Libya poses a serious threat to the security and stability of the country, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has warned. In a statement released on Monday, UNSMIL condemned the "grave escalation in the military confrontations in Tripoli and its suburbs". The Mission also strongly denounced the shelling of residential [...]
The Secretary-General has condemned a suicide attack in the town of Ber, Timbuktu region in Northern Mali. On 16 August, two peacekeepers were killed and seven others wounded in what Mr Ban Ki-moon described as a "criminal act" against United Nations personnel. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said that such attacks [...]
Israeli and Palestinian delegations holding talks in Cairo are being urged to agree on a durable ceasefire before the current truce expires at midnight. The UN Special Envoy for the Middle East, Mr Robert Serry, made the appeal on Monday before the Security Council. On 13 August, a temporary ceasefire that was in place between [...]
Chinese economic growth has been slowing in recent years, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The agency says part of the slow down is natural as China becomes a more developed economy. But economists at the IMF who recently completed the Fund's annual assessment of the country's economy are concerned that China could experience [...]
Traditional music is being used in the Philippines as a creative way to engage indigenous youth in the dialogue about self-identity. Julius Ceasar Daguitan is a member of the Igorot people living in the Cordillera Region of the South-East Asian country. Sophie Outhwaite asked him how he uses music and song to help children explore [...]
The Security Council has imposed sanctions against Islamist terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq. In a resolution adopted unanimously on Friday, the Council expressed concern that territory in parts of Syria and Iraq is under the control of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al Nusrah Front (ANF). The Council condemned [...]
More than 4,000 people have been displaced by conflict in northern Yemen, according to the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA). Yemen is struggling to rebuild following the political turmoil of what is known as the Arab Spring when people rose up against the government in 2011. OCHA says there has been fighting between Al Houthi and [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is scaling up its operations in Iraq where thousands of people have been displaced by conflict. Attacks by militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have forced people to flee their homes for safety. The UN health agency says Iraq is now facing several crises, including [...]
The decision of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to withdraw his candidature has been welcomed by the UN Secretary-General. On Monday Iraqi President Fuad Masum nominated Haide al-Abadi as Iraq’s new Prime Minister and charged him with forming a government. Initially Prime Minister al-Maliki appeared to be resisting stepping down but on Thursday he announced [...]
Clashes between government forces and rebel fighters near Bentiu, the capital of Unity State in South Sudan, have been condemned by the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS). According to UNMISS, heavy, sustained small arms and artillery fire was heard to the south-east of its base in Bentiu on Friday morning. The mission says one [...]
The outbreak of Ebola in West Africa remains a serious health problem in the region but it appears to have been understated, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The UN health agency says that 1, 069 people have died from the diseases out of 1,975 cases reported in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. [...]
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the extent of the West Africa Ebola disease outbreak could be larger than previously thought. The agency says staff at the outbreak sites see evidence that the number of reported cases and deaths vastly underestimate the magnitude of the outbreak. WHO says it operational response plan will extend over [...]
The consumption of small fish in Bangladesh is bringing big health gains to local people, thanks to a project supported by the United Nations. In the past, many Bangladeshis would have rejected small fish in favour of larger varieties, despite the fact that they are high in micronutrients like vitamin A, zinc, iron and calcium. [...]
The economic growth that India has experienced over the last ten years has, many would say, been impressive, but there are concerns that too few new jobs have been created to meet the needs of the country's massive population of 800 million. The growth has lifted millions of people out of poverty, but large inequalities [...]
The extension of the ceasefire in Gaza has been welcomed by UN humanitarian agencies. Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday began to observe the five-day ceasefire, which has been described as the longest since the hostilities broke out in July. UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says the truce will enable humanitarian work to continue in Gaza. "Humanitarian [...]
Iraq's Prime Minister-designate has been urged by the Security Council to swiftly form an inclusive government. Early this week, President Fuad Masum nominated Haide al-Abadi as Iraq's Prime Minister and charged him with forming a new government. In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the Security Council said its members are encouraged by the decision [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The humanitarian crisis in Iraq has been declared by the United Nations as its highest level of emergency. Attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) have forced thousands of people, mainly from minority groups to flee their homes. According to UN estimates, there are now more than 1.2 million internally displaced [...]
Figures released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) confirmed that some 3.1 billion passengers made use of the global air transport network for their business and tourism needs in 2013. The annual passenger total is up approximately 5 per cent compared to 2012 and is expected to reach over 6.4 billion by 2030, based [...]
The risk of contracting Ebola from air travel is low, according to a senior official of the World Health Organization (WHO). The disease, which is also known as the Ebola haemorrhagic fever kills up to 90 per cent of the people who are infected with the virus that causes it. Dr. Isabelle Nuttal, Director of [...]
The killing of six people in Mutarule, South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday, has been strongly condemned by the top United Nations envoy in the country. In a statement issued on Thursday, Martin Kobler, the head of the UN Mission in the DRCongo (MONUSCO) described the attack against [...]
The death of an Italian journalist and his translator in Gaza has been deplored by the head of the UN cultural agency (UNESCO). Associated Press (AP) journalist Simone Camilli and Ali Shehada Abu Afash are reported to have died in an explosion in the town of Beit Lahiya on Wednesday. Three members of the Palestinian [...]
The United Nations has declared its highest level of emergency in Iraq as humanitarian needs for millions of displaced civilians continue to grow. The head of the UN mission in Iraq (UNAMI) Nickolay Mladenov says Iraq faces a catastrophic humanitarian situation and declaring a 'Level 3 Emergency', will facilitate mobilization of additional resources to ensure [...]
An irrigation development programme supported by the UN rural agency IFAD has helped change the lives of small scale farmers in rural Tanzania. Single mother, Cecilia William, struggled for many years to grow enough to feed her family. Like the majority of farmers in her area, she used to rely on unpredictable and irregular rainfall [...]
The establishment of paternity rights for fathers across the world recognizes their central role as care-givers within families. That's according to the International Labour Organization. The ILO says around half of the world's countries have legislated for the statutory right to paternity leave following the birth of a child. It says providing leave to fathers [...]
The economic growth that India has experienced over the last ten years has, many would say, been impressive, but there are concerns that too few new jobs have been created to meet the needs of the country's massive population of 800 million. The growth has lifted millions of people out of poverty, but large inequalities [...]
The conflict in Syria has caused Syrian boys and girls of all ages to suffer immensely, both physically and psychologically, a report by the UN Refugee agency has found. Entitled "The Future of Syria, Refugee Children in Crisis", the report says the psychological effects can be far-reaching, affecting children's well-being, sleep and speech. Four-year-old Shahad [...]
The Security Council has been disappointed by the failure of the leaders in South Sudan to make progress in their talks to end the conflict in the country. That's what the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Mark Lyall-Grant of the United Kingdom said in the capital Juba, before leaving the country on Wednesday. He [...]
Investment in processes and technologies to adapt to climate change can help livelihoods in Africa, according to a new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The report is entitled, "Keeping Track of Adaptation Actions in Africa (KTAA)- Targeted Fiscal Stimulus Actions Making a Difference". It presents practical examples of successful low-cost adaptation solutions in [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Members of the Security Council arrived in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Wednesday on what has been described as a landmark visit to the country. The 15-member delegation is visiting Somalia as the government prepares to launch the next phase of military operations against Al-Shabaab insurgents. The operations are part of the government's efforts to [...]
Two senior United Nations officials have called for an immediate end to sexual violence against minorities in Iraq. Zainab Hawa Bangura, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence and Nickolay Mladenov, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq issued a joint statement on Wednesday. They say they are gravely concerned by continued reports of violence, [...]
South Sudan will see famine this year or early next year if fighting between government and rebel forces doesn't stop. This warning has come from the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the new African country where thousands of people have been displaced by the conflict. Fighting broke out in December 2013 between government troops and fighters [...]
Famine looms in South Sudan where fighting continues between government forces and rebel fighters, according to a senior United Nations official in the country. Toby Lanzer, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan says the situation is serious as the county is in the midst of a rainy season with many areas flooded making it [...]
The impact of the conflict on children in Gaza has been devastating, according to the head of the UN children agency (UNICEF)'s office in Gaza. Pernille Ironside says children in Gaza have suffered as a result of the violence that has engulfed the territory following the launch by the Israeli army of Operation Protective Edge [...]
The international community has been urged to act now to avert what has been described as "a looming humanitarian disaster" in Somalia. The appeal has come from Bahame Tom Nyanduga, the new UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia. He called on donors to respond to the humanitarian appeal launched by [...]
The conflict in Syria has caused Syrian boys and girls of all ages to suffer immensely, both physically and psychologically, a report by the UN Refugee agency has found. Entitled "The Future of Syria, Refugee Children in Crisis", the report says the psychological effects can be far-reaching, affecting children's well-being, sleep and speech. Four-year-old Shahad [...]
The International Labour Organization (ILO) says 72 million young people are looking for work around the world, 36 million in Asia and the Pacific alone. Many point to entrepreneurship as one of the key remedies or key solutions to this global problem. Is entrepreneurship really the solution to youth unemployment? ILO's Matthew Cognac put this [...]
A grave risk of famine looms in South Sudan which continues to be plagued by a conflict between government and rebel forces loyal to former Vice President Riek Machar. That warning has come from Ambassador Samantha Power of the United States who is part of a Security Council delegation visiting the country. Ambassador Power spoke [...]
The United Nations Secretary-General has stressed the importance for the Iraqi forces not to interfere in the political process in the country. Ban Ki-moon spoke to reporters in New York on Tuesday on global issues of concern to the UN. He reiterated his message of welcoming the movement toward forming a new government in Iraq [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Across the African continent, more than 15 million young people are unemployed, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The agency adds that most of those who are working earn less than two US dollars a day. The ILO's Youth to Youth Fund (Y2Y Fund) is a competitive grant scheme, which enables youth-led non-profit organisations [...]
The World Health Organisation says it is ethical to offer untested drugs to patients infected with the Ebola virus. WHO says the large number of people affected by the Ebola outbreak in west Africa and the high death rate have prompted calls to use untested medical interventions to try to save the lives of patients [...]
Authorities in Sri Lanka continue to deport asylum seekers, despite international calls to stop sending people back to a place where their lives could be in danger, according to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). The agency says it's alarmed by the size and scope of deportations with 88 Pakistanis sent back home since 1 August. [...]
Nearly 400,000 Iraqis mainly from minority groups have now been displaced in the north-western parts of the country, escaping violence unleashed by the militant group Islamic State, according to the UN Refugee agency UNHCR. The majority of the displaced are hosted in the Dohuk governorate of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. UNHCR says the displaced [...]
Mental health is particularly important for young people around the world, according to the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth. Ahmad Alhendawi spoke with UN Radio on the occasion of International Youth Day which is observed on 12 August each year. The observance of the Day was decided by the UN General Assembly in 1999 to [...]
Approximately 20 per cent of the world's young people experience a mental health condition each year, according to a new United Nations publication. The UN estimates that there are 1.8 billion adolescents and youth making up a quarter of the world's population. This year's International Youth Day is focusing on mental health to, in the [...]
The situation of Iraqis who remain trapped on Mount Sinjar in the northern part of the country is critical, according to a spokesperson for the UN Mission in Iraq (UNAMI). Thousands of people, mainly from Yezidi and other minority communities have been targeted by rebel fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant [...]
Air drops of relief supplies, including food and water by the United States are helping the people trapped on Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq, but their situation remains dire. That's the assessment of Kieran Dwyer, Chief of Communications at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) who briefed reporters by phone on [...]
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed what he has described as "the forward movement toward government formation in Iraq." This follows reports that Iraqi President Fuad Massoum on Monday asked Deputy Speaker of parliament Haider al-Abadi to form a new government. Iraq has been embroiled in a political crisis as the incumbent Prime Minister insists [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
As the auditing of the votes from the June 14 run-off presidential election continues in Afghanistan, more than 5,000 ballot boxes have been opened. The auditing process is part of the effort to resolve a dispute created by the objections to the announcement of the preliminary results by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in July. [...]
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, many of them from vulnerable Christian and Yezidi communities, have been displaced by attacks by the rebel fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. Officials in Iraq's Kurdistan region have told the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) that tens [...]
More than 5, 000 ballot boxes from the June 14 presidential run-off election in Afghanistan has been opened, according to the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative in the country. Preliminary results were first announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in July but there were widespread objections on the basis of alleged fraud. Nicholas Haysom [...]
A mass polio vaccination campaign has been launched in Iraq to protect more than four million children under the age of five against the crippling disease. The four-day campaign is being undertaken by the Ministry of Health with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN children's agency (UNICEF). It is part [...]
A new three-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza announced by Israelis and Palestinians has been welcomed by the United Nations Secretary-General. Israelis and Palestinians meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, announced on Sunday that they had accepted the unconditional humanitarian ceasefire. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, the Secretary-General expresses his strong hope that this will [...]
Developing countries that want to boost Internet access should adopt technologies that are most appropriate to their particular situation. That's according to Malcolm Turnbull, the Minister for Communications, in Australia. He's advocating focussing on the goal of increasing broadband connectivity using the best available resources and not necessarily choosing the newest technology. Mr Turnbull has [...]
People should be careful about making correlations between being a woman and what you stand for. That's what the United States Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power told Paulina Kubiak for a series on the significance of women serving on the UN Security Council. Women ambassadors in the Council do not vote in unison because [...]
A high level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport was appointed by the UN Secretary-General on Friday. The aim of the 12-member group is to promote accelerated implementation of sustainable transport aligned closely with the objectives of inclusive and equitable growth. The panel will also work on social development, protection of the global environment and ecosystems [...]
Israelis and Palestinians have been urged to renew the humanitarian ceasefire which has been in effect for 72 hours in Gaza. The appeal came from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday as the ceasefire expired and there were reports of Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel and retaliation by the Israeli army. A Palestinian boy was [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Warring parties in Ukraine have been urged to stop fighting at the crash site of the Malaysian Airlines flight that was shot down on 17 July, killing 298 people. The call was made by UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Šimonović during his briefing to the Security Council on Friday. Mr. Šimonović said that [...]
A programme celebrating the 10th anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO), narrated by British actor Michael Redgrave. Language: English Genre: Report 1958 Duration: 29’14″
The situation in Gaza has been described as "extremely fluid" after the 72-hour ceasefire observed by Israelis and Palestinians expired on Friday. The UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) says that during the first 48 hours of the pause in hostilities, rescue teams were able to retrieve additional bodies in Gaza. OCHA spokesperson, Jens Laerke says that [...]
The rights of indigenous peoples have yet to be realized, 20 years after the adoption of a UN declaration on the matter, according to an indigenous person from Canada. Kenneth Deer, a Mohawk from Kahnawake in Canada, is a member of the Haudenosaunee also known as the Six Nations Confederacy. He's in New York to [...]
The systematic persecution of minority populations by rebel fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been strongly condemned by the Security Council. The Council issued a statement late on Thursday amidst reports that ISIL militants were attacking vulnerable minorities in Iraq. It again expressed its deep outrage that hundreds of [...]
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) is warning that the forcible displacement of civilians in northern Iraq may constitute a crime against humanity. Tens of thousands of civilians from the Yezidi community and other minority groups have taken refuge in the Sinjar mountains on the border with Syria escaping violence unleashed on them by the [...]
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa which has claimed over 900 lives has been declared an international public health emergency. The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the Ebola disease outbreak is a public health risk to other states and is calling for international solidary to help the affected countries cope with the outbreak. WHO Director [...]
One third of all marriages in Jordan involve girls under the age of 18, a new UNICEF study has found. These newly released figures show that there has been no or little progress in reducing the number of early marriages. Jordanian law puts the legal minimum age of marriage for boys and girls at 18. [...]
Many civilian lives have been saved in Darfur since the UN peacekeepers were deployed in the area. That's according to the Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). Mohammed Ibn Chambas was speaking to Assumpta Massoi ahead of his briefing to the Security Council on [...]
Everyday, a Brazilian doctor who hails from New Jersey, spent a gruelling seven hours inside an Ebola treatment centre in Sierra Leone caring for at least 40 to 50 patients a day. Dr. Mauricio Ferri is part of a team of four foreign doctors providing clinical care inside a hospital in Kanema town, around 200 [...]
The United Nations flag flew at half-mast on Thursday to honour the eleven staff members and contractors of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) who died in Gaza over the past month. A moment of silence was observed on the grounds of the UN headquarters in New York. In his remarks to the General [...]
Thousands of Iraqis are trapped in a mountain area after fleeing an attack by fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), according to the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA). ISIS attacks on the city of Sinjar in the northern part of the country have forced the people belonging to minority communities to flee [...]
There has been progress in the efforts to stabilize the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo which has been plagued by armed groups. That's what the head of the UN mission in the country (MONUSCO) Martin Kobler told the Security Council during his briefing on Thursday. The Congolese rebel group known as [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Global food prices have dropped to their lowest levels since January 2014, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization FAO. The FAO Food Price Index measures monthly changes for a basket of food commodities like cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar. According to the agency, the sharp decline in grain prices has helped push [...]
Food prices dropped for a fourth consecutive month in July mainly as a result of a sharp decline in international prices of maize, wheat and oil seeds. That's according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s latest Food Price Index which attributes the decline to ample supplies of these commodities. FAO says that in [...]
Recent attacks against civilians and aid workers in South Sudan have been strongly condemned by the UN Security Council. On Wednesday, UN agencies and donors in the new African country said they were horrified by the killings of at least six South Sudanese aid workers in Maban County, Upper Nile State. The country is embroiled [...]
Over 65,000 Palestinians have no homes to go back to after they were destroyed during the recent Israeli military offensive in Gaza. Preliminary estimates by the United Nations indicates that over 10,000 housing units were destroyed or severely damaged. There has also been extensive damage and destruction to basic infrastructure including water and sanitation networks, [...]
Two former Khmer Rouge senior figures have been found guilty of crimes against humanity and given life imprisonment by the UN backed Cambodia tribunal. Those jailed were Khieu Samphan, who was the regime's head of state, and Nuon Chea who was the Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of Kampuchea. In its judgement the trial [...]
Women who were used as sex slaves by the Japanese army during the Second World War need justice and reparations for what they have endured. That's what United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said on Wednesday as she made the appeal once again for an effective resolution of the issue. Instead of [...]
The investigation and recovery effort on the site where the Malaysia Airlines passenger flight was shot down has been hampered because of continued shelling in Eastern Ukraine area. That's according to the Spokesperson for the OSCE Special monitoring mission to Ukraine who told UN Radio that the shelling creates a climate of fear which makes [...]
A donation of $5.1 million dollars from Japan will help save lives in South Sudan by averting a looming hunger catastrophe. That's according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) which will receive the grant intended to help the agency scale up its operations. The food insecurity in the country is severe and the rate [...]
The economic growth that India has experienced over the last ten years has, many would say, been impressive, but there are concerns that too few new jobs have been created to meet the needs of the country's massive population of 800 million. The growth has lifted millions of people out of poverty, but large inequalities [...]
The socio-political situation in Burundi is disconcerting just nine months away from the 2015 elections, according to the top United Nations envoy in the country. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga told the Security Council during his briefing on Wednesday that there have been attempts to improve the situation. They included calls made by President Pierre Nkurunziza to his [...]
Health experts are meeting at the World Health Organization (WHO) to decide whether the Ebola outbreak in West Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. If so, says WHO Spokesperson, Fadela Chaib, recommendations will be made to put in place temporary measures to reduce the spread of the diseases to other countries. The [...]
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday convened the first two-day meeting of its emergency committee to discuss the outbreak of the deadly Ebola haemorrhagic fever in West Africa. According to the agency, the number of Ebola cases in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria stands at 1, 711 including 932 deaths. WHO Spokesperson, Fadela [...]
Countries with nuclear weapons have been urged to make immediate and concrete progress in the elimination of these weapons of mass destruction. The call was made by UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday in his message to mark the anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese City of Hiroshima. The Secretary-General paid his deepest [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
South Sudan, which became the newest independent African country three years ago, is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. This warning was made by the Deputy Chief of UN peacekeeping operations, Edmond Mulet, in his report to the Security Council on Wednesday. The country has been plagued by a conflict between government forces and [...]
A 72-hour humanitarian ceasefire agreed to by both parties to the Gaza conflict is holding, the UN Relief and Development Agency (UNRWA) confirmed on Wednesday. The truce started on Tuesday at 8:00 am local time. Meanwhile, Israeli and Palestinians delegations are in Cairo to hold talks under the auspices of the Egyptian government. On the [...]
Israelis and Palestinians have been urged to return to negotiations in order to end their conflict through a viable two-state solution. The appeal came from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as the General Assembly held an informal meeting on the situation in Gaza on Wednesday. The meeting took place as the Israeli army and Hamas were [...]
A summary of the report by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the effects of atomic radiation. Language: English Genre: Report 1958 Duration: 28’30″
At least six South Sudanese aid workers have been killed in the last two days, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The killings took place in Maban county Upper Nile state, where a major humanitarian operation is underway to provide lifesaving relief to over 127,000 refugees and local communities. [...]
Communities in Iraq have been urged by the Security Council to unite to respond to the threat posed by the rebel fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In a statement issued late on Tuesday, the Council condemned the recent attacks on Sinjar and Tal Afar in Ninewa province by ISIL. [...]
Women who were used as sex slaves by the Japanese army during the Second World War need justice and reparations for what they have endured. That's what United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said on Wednesday as she made the appeal once again for an effective resolution of the issue. Instead of [...]
The human rights of women who were forced into sex slavery, as so-called "comfort women" by the Japanese army during World War II, continue to be violated today. That's what the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, says in a statement issued on Wednesday. Ms Pillay profoundly regrets that Japan has failed to [...]
Over 120,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been successfully returned to their homeland by the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, after five years in exile. Local boats last Wednesday took the final refugees across the Oubangui River from the town of Betou in the Republic of Congo. The refugees fled the [...]
There has been "good progress" on the destruction of Syria's chemicals outside the country, according to Ambassador Mark Lyall-Grant of the United Kingdom the President of the Security Council. Ambassador Lyall Grant spoke to reporters on Tuesday, following a briefing to the Council behind closed doors by Sigrid Kaag, the Special Coordinator for the Joint [...]
Twenty-two thousand subsistence farmers in rural Zanzibar, an island off the cost of Tanzania, are reaping the benefits of higher yields by acquiring new skills and techniques, according to the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development. IFAD has set up farmer field schools managed by smallholder farmers who share new research and technologies and incorporate [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
The methods used to arrest and detain politicians, activists, academics and journalists in Thailand following a military coup in May this year have caused concern at the United Nations human rights office. According to the Office, since 22 May, more than 700 individuals have been summoned and arrested by the National Council for Peace and [...]
The investigation and recovery effort on the site where the Malaysia Airlines passenger flight was shot down has been hampered because of continued shelling in Eastern Ukraine area. That's according to the Spokesperson for the OSCE Special monitoring mission to Ukraine who told UN Radio that the shelling creates a climate of fear which makes [...]
The World Bank Group is mobilizing millions of dollars to assist families and communities affected by the Ebola virus outbreak and to build up public health systems in West Africa. The agency has pledged to give $200 million dollars in emergency aid following an appeal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the three African [...]
As violence escalates in Libya, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has expressed its deep concern about the safety of refugees and asylum-seekers in the country. Libya has been embroiled in factional fighting since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in an armed uprising three years ago. Fighting by armed factions has intensified in recent weeks in the [...]
Nearly 400 Palestinian children have been killed and over 2,500 wounded in Gaza as a result of airstrikes and shelling by Israeli defence forces, according to the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF. The agency points out that almost 70 per cent of the children killed in Gaza were below the age of 12 with the youngest [...]
The World Health Organization is to convene an Emergency Committee meeting to ascertain whether the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern. The meeting takes place on Wednesday and Thursday this week. This is the first time the WHO Emergency Committee is being convened to deliberate on the [...]
The efforts leading to a new ceasefire announced by Israelis and Palestinians have been welcomed by the UN Secretary-General. Late on Monday, the two parties agreed on a 72-hour truce starting on Tuesday morning at 8:00 local time. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commends the parties for committing to [...]
About 730,000 Ukrainians have fled the country into Russia since the start of the on-going conflict in the eastern parts of the country, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. The agency says majority of those who have fled are staying in border areas, although Russian authorities have established some 600 temporary accommodation facilities which [...]
As the situation in Gaza deteriorates, the UN Food Agency, WFP, has been responding to the needs by increasing the delivery of emergency food to civilians. To date, WFP has reached more than 318,000 conflict-affected people in Gaza with emergency food assistance. The breakdown of the cease-fire has forced WFP and its partners to [...]
With support from the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA), India and Nepal are responding to landslides that have hit the two Asian countries. According to OCHA, more than 100 people have reportedly been killed by a landslide in western India and about 60 are still missing and feared dead. Vanina Maestracci is UN Spokesperson in New [...]
An emergency response plan for the three West African countries currently battling the Ebola outbreak has been launched with a $100 million price tag. World Health Organization (WHO) Executive Director, Margaret Chan, was recently in Guinea, where she met with the sitting President as well as the Presidents of Liberia and Sierra Leone to devise [...]
The recent upsurge in anti-Semitic attacks, particularly in Europe, in connection with protests over the escalation of violence in Gaza, has been deplored by the UN Secretary-General. The spokesperson for Ban Ki-moon issued a statement on Sunday amidst reports of increasing anti-Semitic incidents in Europe. They include hate speech, painting of swastikas on synagogues, and [...]
Efforts of the Lebanese Armed Forces to bring stability and security to their country are supported by the United Nations. This commitment was reiterated by the top UN envoy in Lebanon following clashes between Lebanese troops and Syrian rebels in the eastern border town of Arsal. According to reports, at least 13 Lebanese soldiers have [...]
The convening of Libya's newly elected parliament has been welcomed by the UN Mission in the country (UNSMIL). In a statement issued on Monday, UNSMIL says the Council of Representatives, as the parliament is known, is meeting amid difficult circumstances. On Monday the parliament held its first official session in the eastern port city of [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Giving a baby breast milk in the early hours of birth has been scientifically proven to increase a newborn's chances of survival. That's according to Dr. Noel Marie Zagre, the Regional Nutrition Advisor for UNICEF in Equatorial and Southern Africa. The world is currently celebrating Breastfeeding Week which began on 1 August and ends on [...]
Countries around the world are being reminded of the critical importance of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of a baby's life. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) are promoting breastfeeding as the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need. On World Breastfeeding Week, observed from [...]
Aid workers are scrambling to re-supply shelters where Gazans have sought refuge from the fighting during a 7-hour Israeli truce that began on Monday morning. UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees, is using the "period of calm" to get the basic necessities to the displaced like food, water and hygiene items. [...]
Thousands of people displaced by the ongoing conflict in Gaza are deeply traumatized and live in fear, according to the Spokesperson for the UN Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees UNRWA. Chris Gunness told UN Radio on Monday that during what is called "the seven hour window" announced by Israel in Gaza, the urgency is to [...]
A new $100 million response plan has been launched to intensify efforts to bring the Ebola outbreak under control at the international, regional and national level. The Presidents of the West African nations and the Head of the World Health Organization (WHO) made the announcement in Guinea on Friday. Treatment facilities are overstretched, says WHO, [...]
An Islamist militant group operating in northern Nigeria has been creating an "atmosphere of fear" in region, according to the UN children's agency UNICEF. Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden", is preventing children in Northern Nigeria from going to school. Over three months ago the group kidnapped more than 200 girls from [...]
Young people in Cambodia are being encouraged to get involved with the running of their neighbourhoods by engaging with their Commune Council. The Council is at the heart of local government, but many youths do not know how to work with it to further their needs and the needs of the locality in which they [...]
The United Nations stands ready to support China in its relief efforts following an earthquake in the town of Wenping in the southern Yunnan province. That's according to a statement released by the Secretary-General through his Spokesperson on Sunday. According to local media reports, hundreds of people were killed and thousands of homes collapsed when [...]
A humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in two northern Iraqi towns after militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) took control, triggering the flight of as many as 200,000 civilians. The UN special envoy to Iraq, Mr. Nickolay Mladenov, confirmed on Sunday the capture of nearly all Sinjar and Tal Afar districts [...]
A health and humanitarian disaster of widespread proportions is rapidly unfolding in the Gaza Strip, senior UN officials in the region have warned. The Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt), UNRWA and WHO released a joint statement on Sunday. After more than three weeks of intense conflict, the statement reads, Gaza's medical services [...]
The Secretary-General has called for a swift investigation into an attack outside a UN shelter in Rafah on Sunday which killed 10 Palestinian civilians. Mr Ban Ki-moon released a statement calling the attack "a moral outrage, criminal act" and another gross violation of international humanitarian law. He also asked for more investigations regarding other breaches [...]
A Japanese peacekeeper serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has discovered the beauty of sunrise and sunset in the newest African nation. Daisuke Yamane is part of the Japanese contingent of UNMISS that is helping the country stand on its feet since it gained independence from Sudan in 2011. After the recent [...]
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is erecting detention facilities for internally displaced people (IDPs) living on its protection sites who have committed crimes. People are detained for up to 72 hours after which they are either let off with a warning or handed to national authorities. The most common crimes committed are fighting [...]
Men in the Philippines are actively engaged in their communities to tackle gender-based violence, according to the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the UN. Ambassador Libran N. Cabactulan was referring to MOVE, a leading men's group involved in gender advocacy since 2006. At a UN event to encourage people to help end sexual violence [...]
Over 800 families in Somaliland in the Horn of Africa who were displaced by decades of insecurity are making a fresh start in a newly established community. Digaale is on the outskirts of Hargeysa, the capital of Somaliland and provides residents with a whole range of services that they have found difficult to access as [...]
Over 1,700 Iraqi civilians were killed and close to 2,000 injured in acts of terrorism and violence in July. These new casualty figures were released by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) on Friday. However the total death toll during that period, including civilians and security forces, is 3,715. Baghdad is the worst [...]
The ability for relief workers to deal with the Gaza crisis has reached breaking point due to the huge numbers of displaced populations and the lack of basic necessities. Together with local authorities, the UN is appealing for $369 million to deliver aid. Forty-four percent of the Gaza Strip has been considered a "buffer zone" [...]
Turning on a light at the flick of a switch is something many people around the world take for granted. But for one fifth of the world’s population, it’s simply not an option, relegating them to a life of what's been called “energy poverty”. One man in the Philippines is making his dream of spreading [...]
The annulment of the anti-homosexuality legislation in Uganda is a victory for the rule of law. That's according to a statement issued by the Secretary-General through his Spokesperson, welcoming the move. The Constitutional Court of Uganda decided to annul the law over a lack of quorum when the bill was passed. It was challenged by [...]
The Secretary-General has condemned "in the strongest terms" the reported violation by Hamas of a mutually agreed humanitarian ceasefire which started Friday morning. In a statement released by his Spokesperson, Mr Ban Ki-moon expressed shock and profound disappointment by these developments. The Secretary-General noted that the UN has no independent means to verify exactly what [...]
News and features from United Nations Radio.
Aid agencies working in the Gaza Strip are requesting $369 million to meet the urgent needs of people in the volatile area, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). A Gaza Crisis Appeal was launched on Friday by Palestinian authorities and United Nations officials in Ramallah city in central West [...]
Authorities in Israel have reported a "serious incident" to the UN Special Envoy for the Middle East that took place early Friday morning before the start of the humanitarian ceasefire. All parties in the conflict had agreed to observe an unconditional 72-hour lull in the fighting from 8 am local time onwards. In a statement [...]
The Maasai people in the Ngorongoro District of Tanzania are using radio to air their concerns and reach out to fellow Tanzanians so their particular situation can be better understood. The Maasai pastoralists are concerned about being pushed out of grazing areas to make way for tourism. Thanks to the UN cultural agency (UNESCO), a [...]
Breastfeeding is one of the simplest, smartest, and most cost-effective ways to raise healthy children and grow stronger families. Anthony Lake, the Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, shared the message for World Breastfeeding Week which starts on 1 August. The Week highlights the vital role the practice plays in the health and [...]
