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WHO chief convenes expert meeting on mpox spread

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) called for an emergency meeting on mpox following its spread outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In light of the situation, and the…

Nurturing hope and leadership among Gaza’s young people

“My message to the world is how important it is to strengthen the role of youth in societies and to invest in their potential,” said 23-year-old Sarah Al Shamali from Gaza City, ahead of International Youth Day, marked annually on 12 August…

WHO regional chief voices grave concern over Middle East escalation

Recent developments in Gaza, the wider Middle East, and Sudan, have highlighted the complexities of emergencies in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) vast Eastern Mediterranean region, officials from the UN agency said during a virtual media briefing on Wednesday. …

Sudan: Over a dozen more areas at risk of famine as fighting impedes aid

With famine confirmed in the Zamzam displacement camp in Sudan’s North Darfur, there are growing concerns that similar crises may be unfolding in other nearby camps, an official with the UN emergency food relief agency (WFP) said on Wednesday, in an interview with UN News…

UN rights office reports escalation in strikes on schools in Gaza

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, has expressed horror at the escalating pattern of Israeli Defence Force (IDF) strikes on schools in Gaza, which have killed at least 163 internally displaced Palestinians, including children and women, in the past month…

Bangladesh at a crossroad, says senior UN official

The resignation and departure of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister after weeks of bloody protests has been met with “euphoria” alongside some concern over the government’s transition, the UN’s top official in Bangladesh said in an interview with UN News on Tuesday…

UN chief warns of nuclear 'danger' as world remembers Hiroshima; urges elimination of weapons

The UN Secretary-General called for nuclear disarmament on Tuesday as the world marked 79 years since the bombing of Hiroshima, promising that the UN will “spare no effort to ensure the horrors of that day are never repeated…

COVID-19 making worrying comeback WHO warns, amid summertime surge

COVID-19 infections are surging worldwide - including at the Olympics - and are unlikely to decline anytime soon, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday. The UN health agency is also…

Humanitarians urge Security Council to stop ‘freight train of suffering’ in Sudan

Two senior UN officials appealed to the Security Council on Tuesday for more resources and greater humanitarian access in Sudan, where people are literally dying of hunger as the war between rival militaries rages on.…

Israel: Amid reports of torture inside jails, rights experts call for end to impunity

Reports of alleged torture and sexual violence in Israel’s Sde Teiman prison represent “the tip of the iceberg”, UN independent human rights experts warned on Monday, calling for swift action to end impunity surrounding reports of violations against Palestinian detainees…