UN News - Global perspective Human stories

• ‘Lebanon is on the cusp of a more hopeful future’, says UN chief Guterres
  UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday expressed optimism for Lebanon's future as he wrapped up a two-day solidarity visit with a call on the new government, the Lebanese people, and international community to “make the most of this atmosphere of opportunity”. 
• Dignity for migrants should be our guiding light, insists ‘Cabrini’ film star
  'Cabrini' film lead and Gomorrah star Cristiana Dell’Anna travelled to Geneva on Friday to highlight the age-old dangers confronting migrants – and the astonishing Italian missionary who travelled to New York City's slums at the turn of the last century, determined to protect them.
• Will those responsible for atrocities in Syria finally face justice?
  Hopes are rising that, with the support of the United Nations, the architects of the brutal former regime of Bashar al Assad in Syria will eventually be held accountable for their crimes.
• Security Council briefed on challenges to peacekeeping in Lebanon, Syria
  Two senior UN peacekeeping officials briefed the Security Council on Friday on recent developments in Lebanon and the occupied Syrian Golan, and the challenges facing “blue helmets” serving there. 
• UNRWA chief: Ceasefire is the start, not the solution
  Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) on Friday welcomed the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, pledging to scale up aid delivery across the stricken enclave once it comes into effect.
• World News in Brief: Antisemitism action plan, DR Congo violence escalates, new migration movie, year of ‘peace and trust’
  The UN launched a new Action Plan on Friday that will enhance monitoring and response to antisemitism.
• In Lebanon, Guterres highlights challenges and support for peacekeepers
  Continuing his high profile visit to Lebanon, UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday underscored the challenges faced by UN peacekeepers and reiterated the organization’s commitment to supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces.
• Relentless crisis in Haiti: One in eight children internally displaced
  The humanitarian crisis in Haiti has reached a critical point, with one in eight children now internally displaced due to escalating violence fuelled by armed groups who continue to control most of the capital, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  
• Sudan war becomes more deadly as ethnically motivated attacks rise
  The conflict in Sudan is taking an “even more dangerous turn for civilians”, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said on Friday. 
• Gaza ceasefire could boost aid deliveries to 600 trucks per day: WHO
  Amid reports that Israel’s security cabinet has given the green light to a ceasefire deal with Hamas, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) expressed cautious optimism on Friday over the potentially major boost to aid relief in the devastated enclave.
• New year sees uptick and expansion of fighting on Ukraine’s frontlines
  The recent holiday and New Year season brought no respite in Ukraine, but rather an escalation and even expansion of the fighting, consistent with developments in 2024, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs said in a briefing to the Security Council on Thursday. 
• ‘Enough death and destruction’: Gazans hope for ceasefire and a better future
  In the wake of Wednesday’s announcement of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas due to come into effect on Sunday, displaced Gazans – ground down by 15 months of devastating conflict – have told UN News they hope an end to their suffering is in sight. 
• World News in Brief: Security Council Libya resolution, cyclone recovery in Mozambique, Marburg virus in Tanzania, counter-terrorism laws in Türkiye
  The UN Security Council on Thursday passed a resolution to renew the mandate of the Panel of Experts (PoE) of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee which also extends measures related to the illicit export of petroleum from oil-rich Libya, initially authorised in 2014.
• WHO launches $1.5 billion appeal to tackle global health crises
  The world is facing an extraordinary convergence of crises that has left 305 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. 
• UN human rights chief hails ‘signs of new beginnings’ in Lebanon and Syria
  The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed solidarity with the people of Lebanon and Syria on Thursday, acknowledging the traumas both nations have endured over decades. 
• UN stands with Ukrainians for the long-term, insists UN aid chief
  The embattled people of Ukraine and those forced abroad need $3.32 billion in lifesaving and sustained humanitarian assistance to help them cope as a fourth year of war looms after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, UN aid chiefs said on Thursday. 
• Economic recovery is losing steam, warns UN labour agency
  Geopolitical tensions, the rising costs of climate change and unresolved debt issues are putting labour markets under pressure, according to a new report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) published on Thursday. 
• A decade of conflict: ‘Almost 40 million Yemenis have waited far too long’
  The UN’s Special Envoy for Yemen and a top aid official briefed the Security Council on Wednesday warning of the grave consequences that could follow if hostilities stemming from its long running civil conflict – which have now spilled across the entire region – continue into a second decade.
• Guterres hails Gaza ceasefire deal as ‘critical first step’
  The UN Secretary-General has welcomed Wednesday’s announcement of a deal to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza following 15 months of war. 
• UN rights chief in historic meeting in Syria’s with caretaker authority in Damascus
  The UN human rights chief Volker Türk has described the unbearable suffering of former detainees under the deposed Assad regime and insisted that he stands with the people of the war-torn nation as they “rebuild a country that works for all Syrians”. 
• Guterres highlights ‘hope through action’ for 2025, amid continuing turmoil
  The world continues to grapple with unprecedented challenges but there are reasons for cautious optimism in 2025 - on a long-awaited Gaza ceasefire, climate action, tackling inequaity and harnessing AI for the public good - Secretary-General António Guterres insisted on Wednesday.
• US: UN rights expert welcomes court ruling reaffirming sex-based protections in education
  The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls has welcomed a ruling by a federal district court in the United States that reaffirms sex-based protections in education. 
• World News in Brief: North Gaza under siege, aid to millions in Syria, tensions in Mozambique
  The UN aid coordination office (OCHA) on Tuesday reported further attacks on displacement shelters in Gaza which have been ongoing since 9 January.
• 2025 agenda: ‘We must not let opportunities pass,’ says UN Assembly President
  The President of the UN General Assembly Philémon Yang presented a detailed vision of his 2025 priorities for the world body on Tuesday, calling it an opportunity for “a new start.”
• UN pledges continued humanitarian support to Ukraine, as war enters fourth year
  The UN’s humanitarian coordinator and refugee chief are in Ukraine this week where they will unveil the latest plans to assist millions impacted by the full-scale Russian invasion.