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East Africa: UN support continues amid heavy rains, severe floods and cyclone threat

The United Nations and partners continue to support authorities across East Africa as the region braces for more of the heavy rains and severe flooding that have reportedly killed upwards of 350 people since March…

World News in Brief: Attacks on civilians in DR Congo, concern over conviction of trade union leader in Cambodia, gang violence in Haiti

Internally displaced people account for at least 12 of those killed and a further 31 injured when their camps were shelled by M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, on Friday…

Targeting Rafah could lead to slaughter, warns UN aid agency

An Israeli military operation in Rafah “could lead to a slaughter” and cripple lifesaving humanitarian work throughout Gaza, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Friday. “Any ground operation…

Stories from the UN Archive: UN camel caravans deliver

Camels, long known as the ships of the desert, have played an important role helping the UN from as early as the 1940s in driving up global vaccination rates and delivering lifesaving aid…

World News in Brief: Palestinian journalists win top press freedom prize, child migrant detention, Niger meningitis epidemic

The Palestinian journalists who have been covering the devastating war in Gaza were named winners of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on Thursday. The top award for reporters who have…

10,000 people feared buried under the rubble in Gaza

More than 10,000 people are believed buried under the rubble in Gaza after nearly seven months of devastating conflict, UN humanitarians said on Thursday, citing the enclave’s health authorities. “…

Refugee Olympic Team to send message of hope at Paris Games

Afghanistan’s first woman breakdancer, a Cameroon-born British boxing champion and a literal shooting star from Venezuela are among the members of the Refugee Olympic Team competing at the Paris Games, which begin in July.…

UN rights chief urges Georgia to scrap ‘foreign influence’ bill

As protests continue in Georgia over a proposed draft law on curbing foreign influence, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk on Thursday urged the authorities to shelve the controversial bill and engage in dialogue.…

Sudan: Under siege, El Fasher teeters on the brink of famine

The ongoing year-long war in Sudan continues to spread across the country, and now El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, is surrounded by armed fighters amid the systematic burning of entire villages, escalating air strikes and blocked aid deliveries…

Palestine’s economy in ruins as Gaza war sets development back two decades

The relentless Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip has set back Palestine’s overall socioeconomic development by more than 20 years, according to a new UN report released on Thursday. The joint study by…