In Brief
Thousands flee as Iraqi forces advance on ISIL-held Tal Afar – UN
21 August 2017 – The top United Nations humanitarian official in Iraq has warned against the consequences of displacement as thousands of civilians are expected to flee from Tal Afar and surrounding communities during the Iraqi mili...Read More
Following El Salvador visit, UN right expert urges authorities to protect people from gangs
21 August 2017 – El Salvador is suffering a 'hidden tragedy' due to gang-related violence, an independent United Nations human rights expert today said, urging national authorities to intensify efforts to help and prot...Read More
'UN stands in solidarity with Finland in its fight against terrorism,' says Guterres
19 August 2017 – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today condemned the terrorist attack in south-western Finland which killed at least two people. “The United Nations stands in solidarity with the Government...Read More
'Civilians are Not a Target,' says UN chief on World Humanitarian Day
19 August 2017 – On World Humanitarian Day, the United Nations and its partners are calling on all global leaders to do everything in their power to protect people caught up in conflict, and to stand with the health and aid workers ...Read More
More than 350,000 children vaccinated against polio in hard to reach areas of Syria – UN
18 August 2017 – A United Nations polio vaccination campaign in Syria has provided protection to more than 355,000 children under age five in two governorates, where violence has made access especially difficult. In response to a re...Read More
Marking World Humanitarian Day, UN urges protection for civilians in armed conflict
18 August 2017 – Civilians in conflict are not a target, top United Nations officials today stressed at a special event marking World Humanitarian Day, which honours aid workers and pays homage to those killed in service, while also...Read More
Yemen's 'man-made catastrophe' is ravaging country, senior UN officials tell Security Council
18 August 2017 – Warning about escalating suffering in Yemen’s man-made catastrophe, senior United Nations officials today addressed the Security Council, calling on the international community to push for a political solution to th...Read More
UN chief Guterres condemns deadly terrorist attack in Barcelona
17 August 2017 – Condemning today’s terrorist attack on Barcelona, Spain, Secretary-General António Guterres said the United Nations stands in solidarity with the Government and people of Spain in the fight against terrorism and vio...Read More
UN agencies rushing aid to more than 3,000 displaced in flood-hit Sierra Leone
17 August 2017 – United Nations agencies are stepping up efforts to aid displaced families affected by the deadly flooding and landslides in Sierra Leon’s capital, Freetown, and surrounding areas. “The scale of the damage i...Read More
ICC orders former Mali Islamist to pay more than $3 million for damage to Timbuktu cultural sites
17 August 2017 – For deliberately attacking religious and historic buildings in Timbuktu, Mali, the International Criminal Court (ICC) today issued to Malian Islamist a nearly three million euros Reparations Order, due on 16 Februar...Read More
Protecting aid workers ‘paramount,’ UN official stresses ahead of International Day
17 August 2017 – As conflicts around the world continue to take a massive toll on people’s lives, the top United Nations relief official stressed the importance of ensuring that the brave men and women who risk their lives to help t...Read More
Pregnant, breastfeeding women among most at risk in Yemen's cholera outbreak
17 August 2017 – In the midst of the cholera outbreak in Yemen, where an average 5,000 people fall sick every day, the United Nations population agency is warning about the dangers to pregnant and breastfeeding women. “Preg...Read More