‘Our work is largely invisible’: Journey from outer space to frontline aid worker

Ahead of donning a beige WFP vest and boots to face hurricanes, wars and refugee camps, the Portuguese scientist worked with satellite imagery and cartography, creating maps to support humanitarian missions, until he realised he didn’t want to stay behind a computer screen. On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, marked annually on 19 August, … Read more

World News in Brief: Sudan hospitals under fire, world remembers victims of terrorism, DR Congo

A grenade attack inside Zalingei Hospital in Darfur State, led Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to suspend all of its activities there yesterday.   MSF had previously led a cholera emergency response at the medical facility, providing life-saving treatment for 160 patients in the past two weeks alone. “The rules of war are clear that the wounded … Read more

Terror threat posed by ISIL ‘remains volatile and complex,’ Security Council hears

While multiple Da’esh leaders have perished in the past few years, “the group has managed to retain its operational capacity”, Vladimir Voronkov, head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) told the Security Council Wednesday.   Da’esh makes use of regional and domestic affiliates and continues to receive substantial global donations, operating through regional hubs … Read more

It’s time to end physical punishment of kids once and for all, WHO says

Corporal punishment refers most frequently to hitting children but can refer to any punishments inflicted by parents, caregivers or teachers which are intended to cause some degree of discomfort. It can happen in the home or in more public settings like the school classroom.   But wherever it happens, this sort of punishment has wide-ranging effects, … Read more

UN agencies warn of rising heat stress risks for workers worldwide

The new joint report, Climate change and workplace heat stress, underscores the mounting risks as climate change fuels longer, more extreme, and more frequent heatwaves. Stressing that workers in agriculture, construction, and fisheries are already suffering the impacts of dangerous temperatures, the report points out that vulnerable groups in developing countries – including children, older adults, … Read more

World News in Brief: Gaza humanitarian update, more killings in Sudan, ending impunity in Myanmar

Multiple strikes overnight into Friday were reported in the Jabalya Al Balad and An Nazla neighbourhoods, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update. As a result, around 900 people reportedly fled towards the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood and western Gaza City. Safe passage, more aid The UN and … Read more

Momentum builds towards marine biodiversity treaty, as experts convene in New York

Formally titled the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction, it was adopted in June 2023 after years of negotiation, and is open for signature until 20 September. With only eight ratifications left before it can enter into … Read more

International Day for Remembrance of Slave Trade: ‘Time to abolish exploitation once and for all’

“It is time to abolish human exploitation once and for all and to recognise the equal and unconditional dignity of each and every individual,” Ms. Azoulay said. The Day is intended to inscribe the tragedy of the slave trade in the memory of all peoples. Details from Ark of Return, the permanent memorial at UN Headquarters … Read more

Health and aid workers targeted in conflicts around the world, UN agency says

Attacks against health facilities doubled between 2023 and 2024, and more than 900 health workers were killed last year, the agency reported. Humanitarian aid workers were also killed in record numbers in 2024. Yet, 2025 is outpacing even these dark statistics at a time when funding for humanitarian work is shrinking and support services established … Read more

Putting water management at the centre of the climate change fight

Currently underway in Stockholm from 24 to 28 August, the 35th World Water Week meeting highlights the crucial link between water and global warming, under the theme, Water For Climate Action. At the core of sustainable development and basic human survival, safe drinking water is critical for socio-economic development, energy and food production – and … Read more