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Reject bigotry and discrimination, UN chief says, urging everyone to combat Islamophobia

1 month ago Breadcrumb Home Reject bigotry and discrimination, UN chief says, urging everyone to combat Islamophobia 14 March 2025 UN Photo/Helena Mulkerns Peace doves fly on the grounds of the historic Hazrat-i-Ali mosque, in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan. (file) The UN Secretary-General has urged everyone to speak out against xenophobia and discrimination to combat a “disturbing rise” in anti-Muslim bigotry…

Rights probe alleges sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli forces used as ‘method of war’

1 month ago Breadcrumb Home Rights probe alleges sexual violence against Palestinians by Israeli forces used as ‘method of war’ 13 March 2025 UN News Much of Gaza remains in ruins. Senior human rights investigators reporting to the UN Human Rights Council alleged on Thursday that sexual and gender-based violence by Israeli security forces against Palestinians – including children - have been increasingly used “as a…

Europe grapples with highest number of measles cases in more than 25 years

1 month ago Breadcrumb Home Europe grapples with highest number of measles cases in more than 25 years 13 March 2025 © UNICEF/Anush Babajanyan An 18-month-old girl receives routine childhood vaccinations in Kyrgyzstan. Measles cases in Europe have doubled in just a year, with the highest number reported since 1997, UN agencies announced on Thursday…

Sudan war: Children facing ‘unimaginable suffering’, warns UNICEF chief

1 month ago Breadcrumb Home Sudan war: Children facing ‘unimaginable suffering’, warns UNICEF chief 13 March 2025 © UNICEF/Ahmed Elfatih Mohamdeen Two children displaced by fighting in Al Jazirah state rest at a gathering point in southeastern Sudan. Sudan is now the world’s largest and most devastating humanitarian crisis, the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Thursday. After two years of war, over 30…

‘Brighter future hangs in the balance’ in Syria after 14 years of war

1 month ago Breadcrumb Home ‘Brighter future hangs in the balance’ in Syria after 14 years of war 13 March 2025 © UNICEF/Hanna Asmar Many children have been unable to attend school in Syria due to the conflict. The Constitutional Declaration issued by Syria’s caretaker authorities marks a pivotal moment in the country’s turbulent transition, with UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen expressing cautious optimism about its…

Conflict, hunger, poverty impede children's early development: Türk

1 month ago Breadcrumb Home Conflict, hunger, poverty impede children's early development: Türk 13 March 2025 © ESCAP/Armin Hari A mother and her daughter try to shield themselves from rain as they walk in a market. Governments everywhere are “letting children down instead of lifting them up” as conflict, hunger, poverty and climate change hold back child development, UN rights chief Volker Türk told Member States…

UN chief hails Kyrgyz-Tajik border treaty breakthrough

1 month ago Breadcrumb Home UN chief hails Kyrgyz-Tajik border treaty breakthrough 13 March 2025 © Unsplash/Mike Dudin Presidents of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan met in the former's capital, Bishkek, to sign the historical State Border Treaty. The UN Secretary-General warmly welcomed the presidential signing of the State Border Treaty by Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on Thursday following decades-long negotiations…

Afghanistan: Opium prices approach historic peaks, crime syndicates benefit

1 month 1 week ago Breadcrumb Home Afghanistan: Opium prices approach historic peaks, crime syndicates benefit 12 March 2025 UNAMA/Najeeb Farzad A heroin user in the Russian Cultural Palace in Kabul. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime warns that even more powerful synthetic drugs may see growing demand following the ban on poppy cultivation. Prices for opium in Afghanistan have increased tenfold since the de facto authorities…

Human Rights Council: Significant increase in child victims of trafficking

1 month 1 week ago Breadcrumb Home Human Rights Council: Significant increase in child victims of trafficking 12 March 2025 © UNICEF/Jim Holmes A mother whose daughter was trafficked at the age of sixteen covers her face to protect her identity. Children make up almost four in 10 victims of trafficking worldwide, but the true number of youngsters caught up in the illegal practice is likely much higher, a senior UN…

UN launches gender equality plan: ‘We’re at a turning point’

1 month 1 week ago Breadcrumb Home UN launches gender equality plan: ‘We’re at a turning point’ 12 March 2025 UN Photo Sarah Hendriks, director of UN Women's policy, programme and intergovernmental division, at the launch of the Beijing+30 Action Agenda. The UN launched a bold new action agenda to boost rights and achieve gender equality at a high-level event on the sidelines of the ongoing Commission on the Status of…