U.N. Buzzes Over Vector Borne Diseases

In many countries across the world, the bite of a small insect can mean death. These vector borne diseases, the theme for the annual World Health Day (WHD) 2014, are deeply intertwined with many other developmental issues.

Getting into CAR, When so Many Want to Get Out

In a country suffering from what the U.N. has called “ethno-religious cleansing”, a “disappeared” state structure and “unacceptable sectarian brutality,” gaining access to the population of the Central African Republic has proven a difficult and sometimes deadly task for humanitarian workers.

Sudan & South Sudan Aid Efforts Dramatically Underfunded, Says U.N.

Sudan and South Sudan represent two of the most serious and worsening humanitarian crises on the planet, yet U.N aid efforts in both countries are receiving dramatically less funding and attention than is necessary, according to a senior U.N official.

Japanese Global Health Fund Targets Diseases of Developing World

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) has allocated 12 million dollars to three recent projects targeting tuberculosis and some of the developing world’s most neglected diseases, which affect over one billion people.

WFP Airdrops Food in South Sudan

A lack of access and a desperate need to deliver food to starving people in remote areas of South Sudan has forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to initiate food airdrops.

U.N. Envoy to Afghanistan on Election Hopes & Challenges

With the Afghan election date set for April 5, 2014, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Ján Kubiš, outlined his expectations as well as his concerns for a successful democratic process in the country.

What We Can Learn from Child Soldiers

In 2003, Moses Otiti, a 15-year-old from Uganda, was walking in a group with his father when members of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) ambushed them.

As Crimea Referendum Nears, Tensions Rise

With the referendum on Crimea only days away, the sense of emergency at the United Nations, over the impact a vote could have on the already volatile crisis in Ukraine, has continued to rise.

As Tensions Flare, OPCW Indicates Positive Developments

Tensions over the Ukraine crisis dampened the positive brief on the removal of Syria’s chemical weapons, made to the UN Security Council by Sigrid Kaag, the Special Coordinator of the Joint Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

UNRWA Aid to Yarmouk Repeatedly Thwarted

Despite the absence of access in recent days, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) continues to press for a security agreement in Yarmouk, which would support more comprehensive aid distribution to the starving population.

Security Council Holds Second Emergency Meeting on Ukraine

The United States and Russia openly clashed at a Security Council meeting Monday focusing on the ongoing crisis in politically-troubled Ukraine.

UNSC Warns Sanctions to Support Yemen’s Political Transition

The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) Wednesday adopted a resolution that expresses its support for Yemen’s movement toward a political transition and threatens sanctions against any actor which seeks to obstruct or undermine the process.

UN Chief Appeals for Dialogue in Thailand

“The Secretary General believes strongly that there should be no place for violence by any side in resolving political differences and disputes,” UN  Spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters Wednesday, referring to the escalating political crisis in Thailand.

Press Freedom Goes on Trial in Egypt

On Dec. 29, 2013, just over a month before the third anniversary of the start of the Egyptian revolution that ended the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak, three high-profile journalists for Al Jazeera English were arrested in their hotel suite in Cairo.

Violence Continues to Escalate in the Central African Republic

As violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to escalate, U.N. Secretary -General Ban Ki-moon, following consultations with the U.N Security Council (UNSC), has proposed a six-point initiative to address the dominant issues facing the country.

Growing Inequality Mars 20 Years of Women’s Progress

As the world moves closer to the 2015 end mark of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a new U.N. report illuminates how far global society has come, but also how far it still must travel to achieve its objectives.

Committee to Protect Journalists Releases 2014 Report

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Wednesday released its 2014 report titled, “Attacks on the Press: Journalism on the World’s Front Lines”, an annual survey of the conditions of global press freedom.

Homs Deal Marred by Continued Hostilities and Sieges in Syria

On Feb 6, 2014, an agreement was reached between the two sides to the Syrian conflict to allow humanitarian supplies to enter the Old City of Homs and permit approximately 2,500 besieged civilians to leave. While the deal has successfully permitted a reported 600 civilians to exit the besieged area, aid operations have also been complicated by direct attacks from hostile combatants on February 8 and 9. The tense situation in Homs serves as a reminder that within Syria there are an estimated 9.3 million people in need of urgent humanitarian aid, roughly 250,000 of them under siege, according to the United Nations.

UN Outraged by Looting of Humanitarian Supplies in South Sudan

The United Nations has responded with outrage and disappointment at the recent looting of humanitarian supplies in South Sudan. The issue has drawn serious attention after South Sudanese SPLA government forces were photographed wearing UNICEF backpacks slung over the same shoulders as their firearms, and U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) warehouses, along with many other humanitarian locations, have been raided.

UN Launches Appeal for Sahel Region Aid Plan Funds

The United Nations Monday appealed to the international community for two billion dollars as part of a three year Regional Strategic Response Plan to provide aid and support to the African Sahel region.

Starving for Access in Syria’s Yarmouk Camp

The refugee camp of Yarmouk represents one of the most severe examples of the humanitarian crisis in Syria, with foreign aid agencies unable to enter the opposition-controlled area that been effectively besieged since December 2012.