News

As a fragile ceasefire holds in the Gaza Strip, UN aid teams are intensifying efforts to deliver urgently needed assistance. 

The United Nations called on Thursday for Afghanistan and Pakistan to permanently end recent deadly hostilities and protect civilians. 

Amid the destruction of the Second World War, nations responded to the danger of hunger and malnutrition by creating the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on 16 October 1945. The UN agency celebrates this achievement as World Food Day every year on its birthday, recognizing the work of all those who are committed to ensuring food for everyone. We’ll be bringing you the highlights live from FAO throughout the day. UN News app users can follow coverage here.

Over 212,000 Afghan children are now at risk of acute watery diarrhoea and other deadly waterborne diseases, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Bangladesh has begun legal proceedings against security officials accused of sanctioning enforced disappearances and torture under the previous government – a move UN human rights chief Volker Türk called “an important step towards accountability.”

Recovery in Gaza must also include accountability for violations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Wednesday.

The Secretary-General on Wednesday outlined a set of proposals to strengthen the UN’s effectiveness and improve coordination across its three core pillars: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.

The UN relief chief on Wednesday urged Israel and Hamas to honour their agreement to return deceased hostages and allow aid at scale into Gaza, warning that it should not be used as “a bargaining chip” amid reports of new civilian killings and extrajudicial executions.

Nearly 14 million people could face severe hunger by the end of the year, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Wednesday, as slashed humanitarian funding threatens six of its most critical operations. 

Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rose by a record amount in 2024, reaching new highs and locking in further long-term warming and extreme weather, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The UN maritime agency opened a special session in London on Tuesday, where nations are debating – and may adopt – a landmark framework to curb greenhouse gas emissions for global shipping, amid intense debate and open US opposition.

More than eight per cent of the world population or around 673 million people are not getting enough to eat and going hungry, according to the UN.