World Day for Glaciers
Glaciers Are in Threat, May Not Survive the 21st Century

Many glaciers in the world will not survive the 21^st century, according to reports published by the United Nations. Five of the past six years have experienced the most rapid glacier retreat on record; 2022-24 was the largest three-year loss of glacier mass.

The Toll of Mental Health in Conflict Areas

Over the past two decades, conversations surrounding mental wellness have entered the cultural consciousness in the western world. Despite this, these topics receive far less media exposure in the Global South, particularly in areas that have been entrenched in warfare, where the onset of harmful mental health conditions are prevalent.

How Rare Rhino, Tiger Conservation Has Locked Out Indigenous Communities

While a local community prides itself on caring for a sensitive biodiverse region, and despite centuries-long stewardship of the Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the authorities rebuff—sometimes aggressively—their attempts to remain involved.

Award Winning Women Goat Herders in Chile Confront Climate Change

Women goat herders in the municipality of Ovalle, in northern Chile, are confronting climate change by defending their heritage through improvements in the quality and variety of their products, which has led some to win international awards for their cheeses.

Israel Ends Ceasefire in Gaza as Strikes Resume

On March 18, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched an attack on the Gaza Strip, effectively terminating the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. This comes after a pause in ceasefire operations when Israel continued its blockade on humanitarian aid in the enclave and demanded the release of additional hostages.

International Day of Forests
‘Now is the time for decisive, collaborative action’

The Forest Declaration Assessment Partners have called for urgent reforms to the international financial system to halt deforestation and protect biodiversity. It has also pitched for redirecting the public subsidies to mitigate the direct and indirect environmental risks from both public and private finance.

Epilepsy Patients in Africa Fight Stigma and Neglect

When Angela Asemota’s son began having seizures at six years old in 1996, people gossiped that he was possessed by evil spirits, leading her to seek healing from native healers and religious clerics. He underwent several traditional rituals and drank various concoctions, but the seizures persisted. It was not until his fourth year in secondary school in 2004 that she took him to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with epilepsy and began taking medication.

When Ethnic Violence Turns Women Against Women

For Kikim*, it was the ides of May, instead of March, that was, in one sense, her undoing. She was looking forward to welcoming her baby, her first. But life took an unexpected turn, and things changed within a split second.

Papua New Guinea: Years of Environmental Clean Up Ahead Following New Report on Abandoned Bougainville Mine

Local communities are finally witnessing progress in their mission for justice, 36 years after the Panguna copper mine in Papua New Guinea’s Autonomous Region of Bougainville became the centre of landowner grievances about environmental damage.

UN Chief’s Ramadan Solidarity Visit Revives Rohingya Refugees Hope

When United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appeared before the Rohingya refugees wearing a traditional white panjabi, a costume of Muslims, to join an iftar party in Ukhiya refugee camp, thousands who had gathered waved to welcome him.

Is UN in Danger of Losing its Battle for Gender Equality?

The Trump administration’s decision to abandon DEI—diversity, equity and inclusion— which was aimed at promoting fair treatment in the work place, is having its repercussions at the United Nations. The US has been exerting pressure on UN agencies to drop DEI largely protecting minority groups, and women in particular, who have been historically underrepresented or subject to discrimination.

Women and Girls in Afghanistan Bear the Brunt of the Country’s Crisis

Since the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan nearly four years ago, human rights have begun diminishing for over 14 million women. Heightened gender inequality has exacerbated the pre-existing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, which has been marked by conflict, displacement, climate change, food insecurity, and economic instability. In 2025, widespread cuts in humanitarian funding look to further strain the crisis.

Activists Fear Kenya Forests Threatened Due to Government Development

After the controversial lifting of a six-year moratorium or temporary ban on logging activities in public and community forests by the Kenyan government in July 2023, trucks ferrying tree logs are frequently seen on major highways in total disregard of environmental concerns.

Surges in Violence in Haiti Push Basic Services to the Brink of Collapse

In 2025, the humanitarian crisis in Haiti has grown increasingly dire amid the ongoing gang wars. With rates of displacement, child recruitment, food insecurity, physical violence, and sexual violence having skyrocketed in the past year alone, the national police have found it difficult to keep gang activity under control.

United Nations’ New Efficiency Initiative is Aiming for Structural Changes to Operations

The United Nations chief announced on Wednesday (March 12) a new initiative that aims to assess areas of efficiency and improvement for the international organization to expand its efforts and recognize the need “for even greater urgency and ambition.”

Gaza Counts Costs of Catastrophic Impacts of Israeli Bombardment on Healthcare

With enough steel and concrete, the hospitals that have been smashed to bits in Gaza can be rebuilt. But a construction plan paired with an army of bulldozers will not be enough to reconstruct the entirety of Gaza's health care system, which, after many months of war, has been decimated by the Israeli military forces.

Nuclear Testing in Kazakhstan Documentary Showcases Urgent Need for Nuclear Abolition

The documentary I Want to Live On: The Untold Stories of the Polygon exposes the lifelong impacts of nuclear testing in Kazakhstan’s Semey region. As a third-generation survivor born in Semey, international relations legal expert based in New York, Togzhan Yessenbayeva said she was aware of the “profound impact” that nuclear testing has had on her community and environment. She remarked that the tests in Semipalatinsk have left a “legacy of challenges” that people must deal with to this day.

Ukrainians Stress That a Peace Agreement Must Include Justice

After three years of bloodshed, extraordinary courage and immense sacrifices in resisting Russia’s invasion, the people of Ukraine are in limbo as peace negotiations to end the war, instigated by United States President Donald Trump, remain unpredictable.

Tensions Between Israel and Hamas Threaten Second Phase of Gaza Ceasefire

On March 1, the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire was scheduled to end. However, as Israel continues to block humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, and Hamas declining to release more hostages until the second phase goes into effect, the long-term feasibility of the ceasefire agreement is uncertain. Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent inflammatory comments surrounding the conflict between the two parties might put further strain on the already fragile ceasefire agreement.

Siddis of India—a Unique Community Moves Into the Mainstream With Tourist Venture

The Siddi community, descendants of slaves from Africa, is now becoming more involved with mainstream enterprises, including a forest homestay venture—which is changing their fortunes after years of discrimination on the Indian subcontinent where they were originally enslaved.

A Cash Crisis Forces UN to Re-Figure its Budget and Freeze Staff Hiring

Faced with an impending cash crisis primarily due to non-payment of dues by the US and over 100 other member states-- along with threats of a US withdrawal from the world body-- there were widespread rumors the United Nations was re-costing and reducing its approved budget for 2025 while deciding to freeze hiring new staffers.