Awake At Night by United Nations, Melissa Fleming

01.12.2024

Rebuilding Lives in Ukraine - Karolina Lindholm Billing - UNHCR Representative in Ukraine

Karolina Lindholm Billing was posted to Ukraine less than a year before the full-scale Russian invasion. As the UNHCR Representative in the country, she draws hope from witnessing the power of community volunteer networks in supporting displaced people in their...

01.05.2024

Help and Hope for the Hungry - Cindy H. McCain - WFP Executive Director

Cindy McCain has many pressing reasons to lie awake at night. As Head of the World Food Programme, it is her job to make sure the millions of vulnerable people around the world who are relying on United Nations food...

12.28.2023

Pursuing Justice in ISIL’s Wake - Christian Ritscher - UN Special Adviser

Christian Ritscher’s work brings him into contact with some of humanity’s worst outrages. As head of the United Nations investigative team to promote accountability for the crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq, he seeks justice for victims of the notoriously...

12.21.2023

Unleashing Hidden Talent - Gordon Brown - UN Special Envoy for Global Education

A committed public servant, Gordon Brown has a strong sense of social responsibility. Now United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is working towards a powerful vision: giving every child the chance...

12.15.2023

Haunted by Tales of Torture - Alice Jill Edwards - UN Special Rapporteur on Torture

Dr. Alice Jill Edwards spends many of her days listening to the testimonies of torture victims. Now the UN’s Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, she works towards a...

12.08.2023

A Painstaking Quest for Justice - Catherine Marchi-Uhel - Head of IIIM

A former judge, Catherine Marchi-Uhel has spent a lifetime pursuing justice. Now, leading the quest for accountability for atrocities and war crimes committed in the Syrian civil war, she finds comfort in survivors’ resilience and their determination to move on...

11.28.2023

Saving Seas, One Swim at a Time - Lewis Pugh - Ocean Advocate for the UN Environment Programme

Lewis Pugh was never afraid to take the plunge. Now ocean advocate for the United Nations Environment Programme, the record-breaking cold-water swimmer has completed long distance swims at both of the earth’s Poles, in the Red Sea, and along the...

11.24.2023

Sorrow and relief on the shores of Greece - Erasmia Roumana - Protection associate, UNHCR

Erasmia Roumana’s job requires extraordinary strength. Working in Greece as a protection associate with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, she interviews refugees who have survived devastating shipwrecks at sea after embarking on desperate journeys in search of a better life....

11.17.2023

Invigorated by Africa - Stephen Jackson - UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya

Stephen Jackson fell hard for Africa three decades ago, and never looked back. Now the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, he channels his passion into his work, bringing together UN agencies to support the continent in its drive for sustainable...

11.10.2023

Feeding the Forgotten - Reena Ghelani - UN ASG Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator

Reena Ghelani knows all too well the jarring silence of a crowded malnutrition ward. Now United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator, she spends every day working on the frontlines of the global fight against hunger. “You...

10.06.2023

Season 8 - There to help

What does it take to be a United Nations worker in some of the world’s most complex and dangerous places? How are UN humanitarians, human rights advocates, prosecutors, development experts, climate leaders and peacekeepers improving our world?  Stationed in all...

07.07.2023

My Heart Was Crying - Sara Beysolow Nyanti - Former Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan

Growing up in Liberia, Sara Beysolow Nyanti is no stranger to the lasting pain of a country ravaged by recurring violence. As Former Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, she often encountered the anguish of those bearing the psychological...

06.30.2023

The Last Best Hope Humanity Has - Ramiz Alakbarov - former UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan

“It's not just food and assistance, you need to give these children a life, a life of full opportunities… So, I think we're so far from where we need to go, to make the difference.” When thousands fled the Taliban...

06.16.2023

The Africa the World Needs - Cristina Duarte - UN Under-Secretary-General & Special Adviser on Africa

Cristina Duarte always brings great passion to any task she takes on. Now Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, she works tirelessly to help the continent imagine a better tomorrow, one which not only meets its people’s needs, but also...

06.09.2023

The Light in Their Eyes - Najat Maalla M'jid - UN Special Representative on Violence against Children

A pediatrician by training, Najat Maalla M'jid has always been dedicated to rescuing children from suffering. Now United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, she works tirelessly to protect young people around the world. “What I...

06.02.2023

Bringing Health to the World - Dr. David Nabarro - Special Envoy of the WHO Director-General on COVID-19

Dr. David Nabarro has dedicated his life to global health. After a long career that’s taken him from the horrors of war torn Iraq, to the devastating aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami, he is still spurred to action by...

05.26.2023

The Missiles Don’t Stop Us - Denise Brown - UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine

Denise Brown knows what it takes to work under the shadow of war. As UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, she and her team must brave considerable risks as they strive to meet the colossal humanitarian needs of the...

01.20.2023

Haunted by Syria’s Suffering - Sajjad Malik - Syria UNHCR - bitesize special

Sajjad Malik witnessed terrible suffering during the Syrian crisis. As UNHCR’s former representative in the country, he oversaw one of the UN Refugee Agency’s toughest and most dangerous operations. “There are certain images that will stay with me for a...

01.13.2023

But Where Are You Really From? - Amanda Khozi Mukwashi - UN Resident Coordinator in Lesotho

With her writing, Amanda Khozi Mukwashi wants to change the conversation on race, gender, and identity. Now United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lesotho, she has written a book exploring the struggle for equity and the historical baggage of slavery and...

01.06.2023

Expanding your heart - Ulrika Richardson - UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti

Ulrika Richardson has dedicated her life to the UN. As resident and humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, her belief in the organization’s idealistic values drives her to brave significant dangers in her mission to alleviate the suffering she has witnessed there....

12.16.2022

Giving Voice to Victims in Ukraine - Matilda Bogner - Head of UN Human Rights mission in Ukraine

Matilda Bogner’s job is to bear witness to unspeakable crimes. As head of the United Nations Human Rights mission in Ukraine, she and her team record accounts of horrific abuses and rights violations in a bid to bring the perpetrators...

12.09.2022

Fighting Disinformation to Survive - Irene Khan - UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression

Growing up at a time of war in Bangladesh, Irene Khan learned first-hand how access to trustworthy information can save lives. Now UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, she...

12.02.2022

My Story Gives Other Child Soldiers Hope -Alfred Orono - Chief of Child Protection at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)

Alfred Orono’s childhood came to an abrupt end when he was recruited as a soldier in Uganda, when he was just 11 years old. Now Chief of Child Protection at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), he draws...

11.25.2022

Harnessing constructive outrage - Staffan de Mistura - UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara

Staffan de Mistura has dedicated his life to making a difference. Now the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, he spent a large part of his 48-year career at the UN striving for an end to some of the most...

11.18.2022

The Power of One Small Act - Chris Mburu - UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Congo

Chris Mburu’s life was transformed by a small act of kindness. Now the UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Congo, he grew up in a Kenyan family struggling to afford his education. That was until a stranger in Sweden...

08.26.2022

Leading in Tragic Times - Deborah Lyons - UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan

Deborah Lyons knows how to keep a cool head in a crisis. In August 2021, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, Deborah, in her former role as Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), was responsible...

08.19.2022

Life After Islamic State - Bitesize special - Adiba Qasim - Yazidi refugee and humanitarian

Adiba Qasim has shown extraordinary courage and resilience. She narrowly escaped when her village was stormed by Islamic State militants who killed and enslaved thousands of Yazidis. This is her story. “We were surrounded by the Islamic State. And...

08.05.2022

Knowing the Pain of the Displaced - Ugochi Daniels - IOM

Ugochi Daniels was just six years old when her family fled the civil war in Nigeria. Now the International Organization for Migration’s Deputy Director General for Operations, she is often struck by the pain of uprooted children, most recently those...

07.29.2022

It Wasn't My Day To Die - Bitesize Special - Giles Duley

Giles Duley used to live the rock’n’roll life of a fashion photographer, but now travels the world’s war zones documenting the lives of those caught up in conflict. He stepped on a landmine while working in Afghanistan and lost three...

07.22.2022

A Life-long Quest for Justice - Serge Brammertz

Serge Brammertz is one of the world's leading international prosecutors. As Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, he leads the process of tracking down fugitive criminals from wars in the former Yugoslavia, and the genocide in...

07.01.2022

Believe in the Power of Change - Rebeca Grynspan

Despite monitoring multiple global crises, Rebeca Grynspan has never lost her faith in the power of change. As Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), she is assessing the impact of the war in Ukraine on...

06.24.2022

Not Here to Judge You - Bitesize Special - Monique Sokhan

Monique Sokhan survived the Cambodian genocide, having fled the Khmer Rouge terror when she was just a small child. Now, working as Senior Protection Coordinator, at UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, she is still searching for answers...

06.17.2022

The heartbreaking struggle to help Ukraine - Osnat Lubrani

Osnat Lubrani knows first-hand the horrors of war. As UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, she has witnessed the dramatic changes since the Russian invasion and rapidly mounting needs as the war tears lives apart across the country....

06.10.2022

Climate Action in the Shadow of War - Vladislav Kaim

Vladislav Kaim is dedicated to protecting the environment. A member of the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, he promotes green jobs, the energy transition, and generous climate finance - urgent priorities for our rapidly warming world. Yet the...

06.03.2022

Risking Your Life For Peace - Unaisi Vuniwaqa

What does it take to stay calm in the crossfire? Unaisi Vuniwaqa has witnessed terrible suffering. As the Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security, she has worked as a UN peacekeeper in some of the world’s most dangerous places. “Sometimes...

05.27.2022

Even children of war find hope - Bo Viktor Nylund

What would it take to make that happen? Bo Viktor Nylund has always been drawn to complex, difficult places. As the Representative of UNICEF in Syria, he is a passionate advocate for the rights of children growing up in one...

05.20.2022

Sitting face to face with the Taliban - Mary-Ellen McGroarty

What is it like living and working in Afghanistan as a woman leader of a UN Agency? Mary-Ellen McGroarty witnessed the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August 2021. As Head of the World Food Programme in the country, she has...

05.13.2022

New Season Coming Soon

When war and catastrophe hit, the United Nations is there. Hear from more of the extraordinary people working at the frontlines of the world's most pressing crises in the new season of Awake at Night, coming on 20 May.

12.17.2021

I Refuse to Give Up

How did a boy raised in a small village in Barbados become one of the top United Nations officials tackling climate change? In this episode of Awake at Night, Selwin Hart takes us on his inspiring life journey --...

12.10.2021

Rays of Hope

“How obscene it would be for a country…that still has poverty, that still has all these problems, to spend billions in nuclear weapons. What for?” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has specialized in non-proliferation and disarmament issues for...

11.05.2021

So Much More that We Can Do to Save Lives Right Now

What is a day like in the life of the epidemiologist heading the global response to COVID-19? For the past 21 months, WHO COVID-19 Technical Lead Maria Van Kerkhove has been working around the clock with thousands of scientists to...

10.22.2021

They want me to tell their story

“I've seen horrible things. I've seen massacres. Human suffering. These are not easy sights to see. The best way I found to deal with that is just to be determined to fix it in some fashion.” UN Humanitarian Coordinator...

10.01.2021

Every trafficking story is a story that can shake you to your core

"Every trafficking story is a story that can shake you to your core. We're talking about children sometimes, about babies… We're talking about women at very vulnerable ages. We're also talking about men that desperately seek employment and find their...

09.17.2021

Keep going for the children of Afghanistan

“We took around seven children back to the UNICEF compound here in Kabul… there was a little boy called Mudares who was just three and he came in and he kept saying, ‘Where's my mother? You know, ‘why is my...

09.10.2021

Build Trust and Build a Future

“We know that whenever you have these sort of atrocity crimes that happened here [Bosnia and Herzegovina], they're often preceded by hate. They're often preceded by individuals and responsibility, whether they're political leaders, whether they're religious leaders, whether they're average population,...

09.03.2021

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