Inspired by the hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombings at the end of World War Two who turned their suffering into a powerful appeal for peace, António Guterres renewed his call for a world free of nuclear weapons in a video message to the 11th General Conference of Mayors for Peace in Nagasaki. United against […]

“The real challenge is still ahead of us,” Stephanie Loose, Programme Manager in Afghanistan, told journalists in Geneva on Friday. “We’re speaking about the reintegration of people who’ve lost their homes, who’ve lost their assets and also their hope.”  Millions on the move Afghanistan is currently facing an unprecedented returnee crisis.  Since September 2023, some […]

Four years after Taliban fighters retook the capital Kabul on 15 August 2021, gender equality agency UN Women is warning that the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan is increasingly untenable.   And without urgent action, this untenable reality will become normalised and women and girls will be fully excluded. “The Taliban is closer […]

In its annual report released on Tuesday, the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) said it had made “important progress” documenting crimes and identifying those responsible, including commanders of security forces overseeing detention facilities. Myanmar descended into civil war following the military coup of February 2021 and the detention of civilian leaders, including President Win […]

The 26-year conflict, from 1983 to 2009, pitted Government forces against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) – more commonly referred to as the Tamil Tigers – who sought an independent state for the island’s Tamil minority in the north and east. The civil war claimed an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 lives, and […]

Rubella – which is commonly known as German measles – is a highly contagious viral infection, and particularly serious for pregnant women as it can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth or a range of debilitating birth defects. Safe and cost-effective vaccines have made it highly preventable. “Nepal’s success reflects the unwavering commitment of its leadership, persistent […]

The National Disaster Management Authority has also reported 978 injuries and the destruction or damage of more than 2,400 houses, while over 1,000 livestock have been lost as of Thursday, 21 August. Severe weather is forecast to continue into early September, raising the risk of further flooding, landslides and crop losses, according to the UN […]

It brings together more than 160 countries and organizations – a testament to Japan’s enduring commitment to global dialogue and cooperation, said Secretary-General António Guterres.   “Japan has helped shape some of the most important multilateral achievements of our time,” he added, commending Japan for choosing peace and international cooperation following defeat at the end […]

More than 700,000 of them fled to neighbouring Bangladesh after armed attacks by a militant group against Myanmar security forces sparked a brutal military crackdown that began on 25 August 2017. They joined thousands of others who had escaped earlier waves of violence and discrimination now living in refugee camps just across the border in […]

Some 81,000 forcibly displaced people – largely Karen and Karenni, as well as other ethnic groups – are hosted in temporary shelters along the Thai-Myanmar border where they have been living in the camps for decades. Nearly half the refugee population were born under canvas, where displaced families have largely depended on humanitarian assistance. ‘Turning […]