Humanitarians care calling for unimpeded access to thousands of displaced people affected by deadly clashes between armed groups in two provinces in the Central African Republic (CAR). The renewed violence in Ouaka and Haute Kotto provinces has also generated gross violations of international humanitarian law, and the warring parties are being urged to protect civilians [...]

Women peacekeepers have the power to do "much more” in peacekeeping operations and also in encouraging post-conflict resolution. That's according to Lieutenant Colonel Ratih Pusparini, an Indonesian "blue helmet" who has served with UN peacekeeping missions in Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lebanon. The Lieutenant Colonel participated in a recent panel discussion [...]

The first full day of talks aimed at ending the conflict in Syria ended in Geneva on Friday where the office of UN negotiator Staffan de Mistura repeated his assessment that the way ahead will be "long and difficult". The UN Special Envoy for Syria's comments follow meetings with the government of the war-torn country [...]

US $1.5 billion is  urgently needed to deliver humanitarian aid to people living in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region, the UN relief chief has said. Under-Secretary General (USG) and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien made the appeal ahead of the Oslo Humanitarian Conference which opens on Friday. Extremists, including those belonging to the Boko [...]

  Tighter rules needed to combat air pollution, UN experts urge Countries have a duty to strengthen legislation that prevents and controls exposure to toxic air pollution, UN human rights experts have urged. The appeal for better regulation comes from the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances and wastes, Baskut Tuncak, together [...]

Humanitarians are meeting in Oslo this Friday to address a crisis which they say has reached grave proportions: the suffering of millions in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region at the hands of Boko Haram militants. The group's violent operations, including suicide bombings and raids, have caused death, destruction and displacement in four countries, with [...]

The Ocean Conference is being convened by the UN in June, as a call to action for Member States to conserve the world's seas, and advance Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focusses on safeguarding all marine life and ecosystems. More than 3.5 billion people rely on the ocean for their primary source of food, and [...]

Women are often employed in unpaid work, but public employment programmes can help address this inequality. That's according to Terje Tessem, chief of the Development and Investment Branch in the Employment Policy Department of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). Speaking with Lucy Dean following a panel discussion at UN Headquarters about preventing conflict through decent [...]

The lack of safe, unimpeded and sustained access remains the greatest obstacle to reaching Syrian people in besieged and hard-to-reach-areas. That's what the top UN humanitarian chief, Stephen O'Brien, said during his briefing to the Security Council on Wednesday. Some 13.5 million people in Syria are in dire need of protection and humanitarian assistance, the UN [...]

Security essential to reinvigorating South Sudan "bread basket" Improved security is essential to reinvigorating what has been called the bread basket of South Sudan, the  head of the UN Mission in the country, UNMISS, David Shearer, has said. Mr Shearer was making his first field trip to the town of Yambio in the Western Equatoria [...]