WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that failing to address the mental, sexual and reproductive health of adolescents will have “serious and life-threatening consequences for young people”. It will also come at a massive cost for society, which justifies a major public investment from governments worldwide. Tedros noted that anaemia...
In actions taken late evening on Friday, the 193-member General Assembly also adopted nearly $50 million in additional funding for decisions taken by the Human Rights Council, UN’s primary forum on human rights matters. It also decided to establish the Peacebuilding Account, a dedicated multi-year special account, as a modality...
Launching the Global Humanitarian Overview, Martin Griffiths, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, praised the heroic efforts of humanitarians but emphasized that international support is falling far short of the escalating needs. “We thank all donors for their contributions, which amount to $20 billion so far this year – but that is just...
“The role of the United Nations has never been more vital – and we are stepping up our efforts,” Mr. Guterres told delegates at the General Assembly’s main budget committee. He highlighted key initiatives such as the SDG Stimulus, Our Common Agenda, Climate Solidarity Pact and Acceleration Agenda, to respond...
Since the crisis began when rival military groups clashed in mid-April, projections of growing numbers of people trying to escape fighting have sharply spiked upwards. “The crisis has triggered an urgent demand for humanitarian assistance, as those arriving in remote border areas find themselves in desperate circumstances due to inadequate...
More than 43 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia continue to suffer through one of the worst droughts in recent history, caused by five consecutive seasons of poor rains. Years of conflict and insecurity have sparked mass displacement, while skyrocketing food prices and most recently, the fighting in Sudan,...
Instead of instituting these measures, policy and law makers must work to empower women to achieve their individual reproductive goals. Speaking to UN News, Marielle Sander, the Fund’s Resident Representative in Papua New Guinea, explained why the current global population of 8 billion marks an opportunity for a broader conversation...
The paper Can countries afford their national SDG4 benchmarks? by the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was written as input for the spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). It focused on Goal 4 of the...
“Somalia teetered on the brink of famine in recent months due to an historic drought characterized by five consecutive poor rainy seasons,” Mr. Abdelmoula said in Geneva. “The crisis is far from over – needs remain high and urgent. Some of the most affected areas continue to face the risk of...
Despite a six-month truce last year, widespread suffering persists mainly due to the deteriorating economy and the collapse of basic services. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the truce “delivered real dividends for people” following years of death, displacement, destruction, starvation and suffering. Funding and commitment However, humanitarian needs continue to...
Three countries, this week alone, have reported outbreaks, WHO cholera team leader Philippe Barboza told reporters at a press conference on Friday. For the first time, WHO is asking donors for help to fight the outbreaks, he said. Right now, 22 countries across the world are fighting outbreaks of the...
The report – Building blocks out of the crisis: The UN’s SDG Stimulus Plan – was issued ahead of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Bangalore, India, which begins on Friday. UNDP has called for action to protect developing nations from the impact of today’s overlapping...