Governments urged to strengthen child social protection
Between 2016 and 2020, an additional 50 million boys and girls aged 15 and under missed out on child benefits, driving up the total to 1.46 billion globally. Increased risk…
Right to development can save world from ‘destructive spiral’: Türk
Adding her voice to the High Commissioner’s call for action, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed warned in a video message that the right to development has “yet to be realized…
WHO chief underscores need for ‘peace for health’ in landmark visit to northwest Syria
“I have rarely been so disturbed and heartbroken,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking later at a media briefing. “The earthquake that struck more than three weeks ago adds…
UN officials call for Security Council’s support for post-quake Syria
The UN Emergency Coordinator and the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria called for robust support for ongoing emergency efforts and a “bold” plan for paving a political path towards lasting…
Refugee agency appeals for $137 million to help displaced in Horn of Africa
Today in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, more than eight million people require food assistance and around 332,000 “urgently need food, otherwise their lives are at risk”, said UNHCR spokesperson Olga…
Solidarity, leadership and commitment needed to reach 2030 development goals: Mohammed
As the continent weathers the full impact of fallouts from the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the war in Ukraine, she underscored the need for greater action to achieve UN…
UN human rights chief calls on all nations to abolish death penalty
The biennial panel’s theme is human rights violations relating to the use of the death penalty, in particular with respect to limiting the practice to only the most serious crimes.…
Patent filings hit a record high in 2022, UN agency reveals
According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Chinese telecoms giant Huawei remained by far the most prolific patent filer in 2022, with well over 7,600 to its name. South…
Afghanistan still a grave humanitarian crisis, senior aid official says
Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Deputy Special Representative and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, updated journalists in New York on developments in a country where 28 million people now depend on aid to…
Repealing laws targeting people living with HIV/AIDS saves lives
“The only reason people are still dying of AIDS is the inequalities in society, and all these come together to make them more at risk,” Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of…