That’s according to the head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, speaking exclusively to UN News ahead of briefing members of the UN Security Council in New York on Thursday. Mediation efforts The meeting between Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame last week in Qatar – where they called for a...
Briefing journalists in New York from Damascus, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, explained that the country remains at a critical juncture as the situation continues to worsen despite the hope sparked by the fall of Assad. The presence of landmines and explosive remnants of war continues to...
UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen called for an immediate end to hostilities and urged all parties to protect civilians in accordance with international law. “What began as a plea for reform was met with staggering brutality, leading to one of the most harrowing conflicts of our time,” he...
During a discussion on early childhood development, the High Commissioner for Human Rights underscored that 80 per cent of the human brain is formed in the first three years of life, as he appealed for a reset in youth-centred policy. “Investments in early childhood are one of the smartest ways...
The “current trajectory is deeply concerning,” he told ambassadors, updating them on the latest political developments in the country, where Houthi rebels – formally known as Ansar Allah – have been battling Government forces backed by a Saudi-led coalition, for more than a decade. He spoke alongside UN Emergency Relief...
Data from gender-based violence service providers in Sudan reveals the scale of the horror: more than 220 reported cases of child rape since the start of 2024. “Children as young as one being raped by armed men should shock anyone to their core and compel immediate action,” said UNICEF Executive...
New food security assessments indicate that 4.4 million people – nearly a quarter of the population – could face “crisis” levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or higher) between April and June 2025, marking a sharp increase from 3.4 million people currently experiencing acute hunger. “Worsening drought, erratic rainfall...
Timor-Leste’s road to peace has not been easy. In 1976, not long after Indonesia became independent it invaded the eastern part of the island of Timor, formerly a Portuguese colony. An unhappy period of occupation, punctuated by violent repression, followed until 1999 when, with the support of the UN, the...
Developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Agriculture, the report reveals that the impact of hostilities on agriculture and the economy will likely slow recovery. Some 1.65 million people are now facing crisis or emergency levels of hunger, with 400,000 additional...
For many workers, defending human rights is not just a job, but a calling. As he noted, many “work out of a deep sense of service to others, and a desire to make a meaningful impact.” From conflict zones to post-war societies, they provide crucial support to detainees and victims...
The study, released on Friday, finds that the rights of a record number of children are being violated, including by being killed and injured, missing out of school and life-saving vaccines, and being critically malnourished; the number is only expected to grow. From Palestine to Myanmar, Haiti to Sudan, the...
Ramtane Lamamra, the UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy For Sudan recently travelled to Sudan, where he met senior figures of the Government, including General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan Chairman of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan and the Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces. The Envoy also went to Ethiopia, where he talked...