Relief News Updates
UN News - Humanitarian Aid
UN News - Humanitarian Aid
UN reform is ‘the need of the hour’: India premier
Sat, 26 Sep 2020 11:09:36 -0400
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, declared that United Nations reform is “the need of the hour”, as he addressed world leaders in a video address to the General Debate of the General Assembly, on Saturday.
FROM THE FIELD: COVID-19’s ‘deadly layer of complexity’ depicted in photos
Sat, 26 Sep 2020 00:20:05 -0400
The fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic is adding a “deadly layer of complexity” to the global challenge of preventing more people from falling into poverty, a view articulated in a photographic exhibition sponsored by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
INTERVIEW: ‘Famine is preventable, if there is political will’
Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:43:05 -0400
The UN is warning of an impending hunger pandemic across the world, partly a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the World Food Programme (WFP) preparing to launch an unprecedented food aid operation, UN News spoke to WFP Assistant Executive-Director Valerie Guarnieri, on the devastating rise in hunger, and the scale of funding needed to feed those most vulnerable.
Deadly flooding adds new danger to communities fleeing Sahel violence
Thu, 24 Sep 2020 13:14:26 -0400
Humanitarians have stepped up assistance to communities “on the brink”, who have been affected by devastating flooding in Africa’s Sahel region, where several hundred thousand people have been displaced by seasonal rains.
Put ‘people before politics’ in Lebanon, urges Guterres, following Beirut disaster
Wed, 23 Sep 2020 12:55:48 -0400
It’s time that leaders across Lebanon put “people before politics” following last month’s explosions in Beirut port, said the UN chief on Wednesday, which must serve as a wake-up call following a year of upheaval and clamour for reform on all fronts.
Violence leaves more than 300,000 ‘completely reliant’ on assistance in northern Mozambique
Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:04:28 -0400
Worsening conflict, combined with a precarious humanitarian situation, has forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes and villages in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province, leaving them completely reliant on humanitarian assistance, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has said.
New wave of famine could sweep the globe, overwhelming nations already weakened by years of conflict, warn UN officials
Fri, 18 Sep 2020 00:34:36 -0400
The global hunger crisis caused by conflict – and now compounded by COVID-19 – is moving into a dangerous phase, the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday, stressing that without resources, a wave of famine could sweep the globe, overwhelming nations already weakened by years of instability.
Syria COVID spread may be much higher than figures suggest, Lowcock tells Security Council
Wed, 16 Sep 2020 23:19:10 -0400
Reports from inside Syria are pointing to a much broader spread of COVID-19 than the number of confirmed cases – currently 3,618 – suggests, the UN’s top humanitarian official says.
South Sudan: Progress on peace agreement ‘limps along’, UN envoy tells Security Council
Wed, 16 Sep 2020 15:41:49 -0400
Although the transitional government in South Sudan continues to function, with state governors now appointed, among other developments, progress on the 2018 peace agreement “limps along”, the top UN official in the country told a virtual meeting of the Security Council on Wednesday.
Famine threat returns to Yemen, amid upsurge in fighting
Tue, 15 Sep 2020 16:23:11 -0400
The spectre of famine has returned to Yemen as donor countries fail to make good on their 2020 pledges, amidst an upsurge in fighting, fresh hurdles for aid deliveries, and ongoing efforts to nail down a nationwide ceasefire, the Security Council heard on Tuesday.
New fires at Greek island refugee camp destroy last remaining shelters
Fri, 11 Sep 2020 10:41:48 -0400
Fresh fires at a Greek island centre for thousands of refugees and migrants, have destroyed all remaining accommodation for those affected by the initial blaze on Tuesday evening.
Distrust of public institutions, health inequities could push more countries into conflict, UN political affairs chief warns
Wed, 09 Sep 2020 17:41:48 -0400
The erosion of trust in public institutions, unequal access to health care and tensions around delicate peace negotiations, are among the risks amplified by COVID-19, which if not mitigated, could push more countries into violence, the UN political affairs chief told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Greece: Devastating fire compounds overcrowding and COVID-19 challenges in refugee camp
Wed, 09 Sep 2020 15:47:18 -0400
UN agencies have offered support to Greek authorities on Wednesday after a major fire ripped through an overcrowded refugee camp overnight, destroying dwellings and forcing thousands to flee, many reportedly suffering from smoke inhalation.
Burkina Faso: Over 535,000 children under five ‘acutely’ malnourished
Tue, 08 Sep 2020 02:52:21 -0400
New data from UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed worsening nutritional situation for children in Burkina Faso, with more than 535,000 children under the age of five suffering from acute malnutrition – an unprecedented level.
UN agency for Palestinian refugees launches $95 million appeal to keep COVID at bay
Fri, 04 Sep 2020 11:41:22 -0400
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a health and socio-economic emergency across the occupied Palestinian territory, the UN agency for the region warned on Friday, noting a swell of coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
Beirut facing acute environmental crisis, warns UN energy specialist
Tue, 01 Sep 2020 14:20:06 -0400
Contamination from hazardous chemicals, landfill sites at capacity, and water pollution, are among the most urgent challenges faced by the Lebanese authorities and UN teams tackling the huge task of clearing up Beirut, following the massive explosion in the city’s port on 4 August.
UN agencies support flood response in Sudan but warn aid stocks ‘rapidly’ depleting
Tue, 01 Sep 2020 11:11:41 -0400
The UN and its partners are supporting the Sudanese Government as it responds to recent severe flooding, which has killed 90 people and affected 380,000 others, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said on Tuesday.
Urgent solution needed to address fuel woes in war-torn Yemen
Mon, 31 Aug 2020 02:46:59 -0400
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen has called on all parties to urgently work together with his Office, in order to find a solution that ensures people in the country can access basic fuel supplies, amid major shortages in areas controlled by the Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah.
Complex security, environmental crises worsen conditions for over 360,000 in western Chad
Fri, 28 Aug 2020 14:29:00 -0400
More than 360,000 internally displaced persons in Chad’s Lake province are facing a “double” crisis, exposed to security and environmental risks, the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported, highlighting the need to strengthen resilience of affected communities.
UNICEF: Time is of the essence, as water shortages compound desperate situation in Beirut
Fri, 28 Aug 2020 06:47:28 -0400
Risk of water-borne diseases is rising in Beirut, in the aftermath of the devastating explosion in early August, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned, calling for urgent action to ensure families and responders have access to safe water and sanitation.
UNESCO launches Beirut recovery fund for culture, heritage and education
Thu, 27 Aug 2020 17:12:13 -0400
To support the rehabilitation of schools, historic heritage buildings, museums and the creative economy, which suffered extensive damage in the deadly explosions that shook Beirut earlier this month, the head of the UN cultural agency on Thursday launched an international fund-raising appeal.
‘Widespread’ COVID-19 transmission, limited testing, deepen Syria’s humanitarian woes
Thu, 27 Aug 2020 16:43:03 -0400
COVID-19 is having a dramatic impact on health services in Syria, where limited testing is obscuring the real extent of the pandemic, the UN’s Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator said on Thursday.
Refugees at risk of hunger and malnutrition, as relief hit in Eastern Africa
Wed, 26 Aug 2020 08:26:34 -0400
UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been forced to reduce its food and cash assistance for refugees in Eastern Africa by up to 30 per cent, the agency has said, voicing fears that the reductions could worsen in the coming months unless urgent additional funding is received in time.
UNICEF works to ease suffering of children whose lives have been ‘turned upside-down’ after Beirut blast
Tue, 25 Aug 2020 12:22:34 -0400
Following a deadly explosion earlier this month, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has delivered some 67 tons of critical humanitarian supplies to affected children and families in Beirut.
FROM THE FIELD: Ugly veggies in Kenya destined for lunch not landfills
Sun, 23 Aug 2020 06:00:05 -0400
Hundreds of tons of fresh and edible vegetables which are typically dumped because they do not meet the aesthetic requirements for export are ending up on the plates of hungry Kenyan students thanks to the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP).
Protecting people from conflict, cyclones and COVID-19 in Mozambique: a UN Resident Coordinator blog
Sun, 23 Aug 2020 00:30:05 -0400
The COVID-19 disease has added to longstanding challenges in Mozambique which have threatened the southern African country’s most vulnerable people. In this blog, the UN Resident Coordinator Myrta Kaulard, with IOM Chief of Mission, Laura Tomm-Bonde, and Samuel Chakwera, UNHCR Resident Representative, explain how the United Nations is supporting national efforts to protect the people of Mozambique from multiple threats
As Burkina Faso grapples with COVID-19, new UN data reveals ‘alarming deterioration’ in food security
Fri, 21 Aug 2020 15:53:37 -0400
An estimated 3.3 million people in Burkina Faso are facing acute food insecurity, two United Nations agencies warned on Friday.
UN refugee chief underlines continued support to Lebanon
Fri, 21 Aug 2020 11:48:18 -0400
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees on Friday urged the international community to continue to stand by the people of Lebanon as they recover from the blast that devastated the capital, Beirut, earlier this month.
UN salutes real-life heroes doing ‘extraordinary things, in extraordinary times’
Wed, 19 Aug 2020 04:20:41 -0400
Marking World Humanitarian Day, top UN officials are honouring the workers overcoming “huge challenges” to save and improve the lives of millions of women, men and children, hit hard by crises and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting communities and refugees in Lebanon a ‘top priority’: UNHCR chief
Tue, 18 Aug 2020 12:44:37 -0400
The head of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) is in Lebanon to drive home the message of solidarity with all those affected by the devastating blast a fortnight ago, reaching out to both Lebanese and the many refugees and migrants sheltering in the country.
