UN Interviews

Since the beginning of the brutal military showdown in Sudan, 18 aid workers have been killed, while the impact of the war on civilians has been exacerbated by the climate crisis, and major food insecurity.

Humanitarians are having to work under extreme conditions to support refugees and Sudanese civilians, providing often life-saving support. 

Just ahead of World Humanitarian Day, UN News’s Abdelmonem Makki spoke to Mathilde Vu - who’s waiting for a visa to return to Sudan - Advocacy Manager with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), which has lost two of its own workers to the violence.

Young climate advocates are preparing to tell leaders at a UN summit next month that they are out of options: they must deliver now on ambitious climate action that pushes the world faster towards sustainability and empowers younger generations with the ‘green skills’ that will secure our future.

 International Youth Day, marked annually on 12 August, this year spotlights green skills and the major role young people will play in driving the much-needed shift towards  environmentally sustainable and climate-friendly policies. 

To hear about which skills will be crucial in creating our green future, UN News's Anton Uspensky spoke to four members of the Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change who offer their expertise to the UN Secretary-General.

More than one million barrels of oil have been transferred from a decaying supertanker off war-torn Yemen, averting a major spill in the Red Sea.

The emptying of the FSO Safer marked the culmination of nearly two years of political negotiations, technical planning and fund-raising, against a backdrop of ongoing conflict between Yemeni Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and Houthi rebels.

David Gressly, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, has been in the lead on this “very hard process”.

He spoke to UN News’s Abdelmonem Makki about what will happen to the oil, lessons learned and why average Yemenis have welcomed the news.

Mr. Gressly began by providing background on the operation, which was spearheaded by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). 

A law student and activist from the United States is using her personal experience in the foster care system to fuel her advocacy for Indigenous children.

Autumn Adams of the Yakama Nation took part in a UN virtual event on Wednesday to mark the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, which this year focused on youth as agents of change.

“I believe children are our future. We don’t have a future without the next generation,” she said, speaking from the southwestern state of Arizona after the event.

Autumn spoke to UN News’s Elena Fu about her journey to become a strong voice for Indigenous rights.

As conflict escalates in Sudan, the need for humanitarian support keeps growing as people “die and suffer”, a senior UN aid official has said.

Edem Wosornu, Director of the Operations and Advocacy Division at UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, recently visited the country and neighbouring Chad.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than two-thirds of hospitals in Sudan remain out of service amid increasing reports of attacks on health facilities.

Ms. Wosornu spoke to UN News’s Abdelmonem Makki about the humanitarian efforts underway in Sudan and ongoing operations in Niger, in the wake of the attempted coup.

The continuing battle for control of Sudan between rival militaries has had a destabilizing effect on the contested area of Abyei claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, for both the UN mission there, UNIFSA, and the civilians they are mandated to protect.

That’s according to Major General Benjamin Sawyerr, acting head and Force Commander for UNIFSA, who said the months-long clashes have seen close to 6,000 flee into Abyei and forced the mission to switch all its supply routes to South Sudan, increasing costs and logistical challenges.

Climate-related court cases around the world are growing fast, and on Thursday the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) together with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, highlighted the trend in their new Global Climate Litigation Report. 

Andrew Raine, Head of the Frontiers in Environmental Law Unit of UNEP, spoke to UN News’s Anton Uspensky about the report’s findings, which show cases are surging in the Global South with human rights emerging as a powerful driver behind climate litigation. 

As the UN weather agency WMO declared on Thursday that July is likely to be the hottest on record, UN News reporter Katy Dartford had other problems on her mind: filing her news bulletin from Greece, where forest fires have been raging.

Speaking from Corfu - where the wildfires have thankfully calmed down a bit since Monday – Katy puts the WMO’s announcement into context.

Here she is now, talking to Daniel Johnson.

As technology becomes increasingly accessible across the globe, more must be done to ensure its use in education remains equitable, scalable, and sustainable.

That’s according to Manos Antoninis, Director of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, produced by the UN agency specializing in education, science and culture, UNESCO.

In an interview for UN News, he’s been outlining the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in education, how to improve safety online, the future of artificial intelligence (AI), and describing how online education resources can be tailored to a more diverse, global audience.

Jordan Larrabee spoke with Mr. Antoninis just ahead of the launch of this year’s GEM Report in Uruguay on Wednesday.

Climate-induced disasters in Asia and the Pacific have become increasingly frequent and severe, resulting in loss of lives and livelihoods, hampering the post-pandemic recovery and potentially derailing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The effects of devastating floods, severe droughts and rising sea levels are not confined within national borders; they have international implications too, including for trade, communal tensions and forced migration. Climate change is only making things worse.  

Against this backdrop, Vibhu Mishra from UN News spoke to Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), who outlined how countries can reduce disaster risk, and strengthen climate action.