Amid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine caused by the ongoing Russian invasion, the head of the UN atomic energy agency (IAEA) said that safety at the country’s largest nuclear power plant “remains a deep source of concern”.
The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday commended voters across the United States for their “active participation in the democratic process”, which will see Donald Trump return to the White House when he takes the oath of office in January.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has called for “urgent international support” as the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide reaches 123 million, with ongoing conflicts in Lebanon, Sudan and other areas driving further displacement.
One of the main messages conveyed by women leaders, activists, young people and others gathered for a discussion on Wednesday in Cairo at the World Urban Forum was that: “a city safe for women is a city safe for all.”
As well as bringing emergency aid to those living in Occupied Palestinian Territory, UNRWA, the agency for Palestine refugees, also provides a range of crucial services. In Gaza, the year-long war has severely threatened the delivery of these crucial services.
Nearly one in three students worldwide says they have been physically attacked at least once during the year, the UN educational and cultural organization UNESCO said on Wednesday.
The UN General Assembly is holding an informal meeting on UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees that faces new Israeli laws banning it from operating in Occupied Palestinian Territory, as bombings escalated in Gaza and Lebanon. Stay tuned for updates from UN Headquarters in New York and across the region. UN News app users can follow here.
Amid new Israeli airstrikes reported in Gaza and Lebanon on Wednesday morning, UN humanitarians delivered vital trauma treatment supplies to Lebanon’s sole specialist burns hospital, where the caseload has spiked because of the massive escalation in violence.
Opium cultivation in Afghanistan spiked by 19 per cent in 2024, covering an estimated 12,800 hectares despite a ban imposed by the Taliban, a report released on Wednesday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed.
Young people gathered in Cairo for the World Urban Forum led calls on Tuesday for action to ease the housing crisis impacting billions globally, and to boost local action – especially youth-led urban development movements – to secure resilient and environmentally just cities.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory appealed on Tuesday for an end to the war and suffering in Gaza during his first since Israel launched its latest military operation in the north a month ago.
As the world marked World Tsunami Awareness Day on Wednesday, UN Secretary General António Guterres emphasised the critical importance of early warning systems, particularly as recent disasters like the devasting floods in Spain demonstrate the increasing impact of extreme weather.