United Nations

UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Thursday he was appalled by the devastating impact on civilians of increasing drone attacks in Sudan, amid reports that more than 200 civilians have been killed by drones since 4 March alone, in the Kordofan region and White Nile state.

The UN chief on Thursday urged all combatants to cease hostilities in the Middle East, uphold international law, protect civilians and make an immediate return to the negotiating table.

Scores of Ukrainian children are still missing after being deported far and wide across Russia and occupied territories while their families continue to search for them, human rights investigators said on Thursday.

Lebanon is facing a “perfect storm of unpredictable challenges” as conflict, mass displacement and dwindling humanitarian resources converge, the UN’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, has warned.

War continues across the Middle East, with impacts growing far beyond the region. Oil prices are hovering around $100 a barrel as attacks on shipping and energy infrastructure disrupt key supply routes. Strikes and counterstrikes between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran continue, while ships have reportedly been hit in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, sending shocks through the global economy. Meanwhile, UN agencies are expanding humanitarian relief efforts as displacement rises and civilian needs grow. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here.

As war continues in the Middle East, the UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a Bahrain-led resolution condemning Iranian attacks on several regional states, while a separate draft resolution introduced by Russia on the wider crisis failed to pass.

The UN’s emergency relief chief on Wednesday condemned the “$1 billion-a-day” cost of the war in the Middle East, at a time when humanitarian needs are soaring and aid funding is falling dangerously short.

As the conflict in the Middle East continues to ripple across the region, the UN Security Council met today to discuss the escalating situation, with a morning briefing focused on Lebanon and a second session later on the wider crisis – adopting a Bahrain-led resolution, while a Russian-led text failed to secure enough votes. Across the UN system, agencies are warning of mounting humanitarian needs as displacement rises, services come under strain and regional instability disrupts mobility, trade and aid operations. Stay with us as we bring you the latest developments, reactions and updates from UN Headquarters and across the region. UN News app users can follow the coverage here.

Around two-thirds of children worldwide report an increase in cyberbullying, with one in two say they don’t know how to get the right support, according to a recent poll carried out by the UN’s top official who works to end violence against children. 

UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Tuesday condemned accounts of “gruesome killings” of civilians in South Sudan, the destruction and poisoning of key water sources and fresh waves of mass displacement.

The UN chief on Tuesday applauded civil society groups for “shaking the foundations of privilege” in a male-dominated world, addressing a range of questions during a townhall meeting on the margins of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) at UN Headquarters.

Nicaragua’s Government is financing the repression of its opponents through illegal misuse of public funds and targeting exiles through a transnational surveillance and intelligence network, the UN Group of Independent Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua warned in its latest report on Tuesday.

Toxic “black rain” linked to strikes on oil depots, mass displacement and continuing disruption to aid supply chains are upending lives across the Middle East and beyond after 10 days of war in the region, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday. 

The conflict in the Middle East continues, with strikes and counter-strikes across the region and the humanitarian toll mounting. UN agencies warn that rising civilian casualties, mass displacement – particularly in Lebanon – and damage to critical infrastructure are deepening the crisis, while disruptions to shipping and energy routes risk driving up global prices and worsening food insecurity. Stay with us for updates from across the United Nations system. UN News app users can follow the coverage here.

A Nobel laureate who survived an assassination attempt, a Hollywood actor turned UN advocate and a young Afghan musician whose voice defied repression took the stage at the United Nations on International Women’s Day, delivering a powerful message: justice for women and girls cannot wait.

Access to justice for women and girls dominated the agenda on Monday as the Commission on the Status of Women opened its 70th session at UN Headquarters in New York. Government officials, civil society representatives and UN leaders called for renewed efforts to dismantle the discrimination and legal obstacles that continue to limit women’s and girls’ rights worldwide.

Crises in the region on both Afghanistan’s longest borders are undermining the country’s stability, a senior UN official warned the Security Council on Monday as concerns over Middle East crisis grow amid clashes with Pakistan and a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Despite some progress made globally, children around the world still face serious and evolving risks of being sold, sexually exploited and abused, the UN independent human rights expert on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, Mama Fatima Singhateh, warned on Monday.

A Japanese peace activist is hoping to promote global nuclear disarmament by keeping alive the stories of the atomic bomb survivors through the creation of a mobile museum.

Conflict continues to fuel suffering and drive humanitarian needs in Myanmar, the UN relief coordination office, OCHA, said in a bulletin on Monday.