The extent of the damage due to Hurricane Matthew across Haiti is "massive", according to UN staff who are working in the hardest hit areas. Najwa Mekki of the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, said that it would likely take "years and years" for the affected populations of the Caribbean island to recover. She was speaking [...]

  Afghan mosque attack an "atrocity" A deadly attack on a mosque in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, has been labelled an "atrocity" by the UN mission in the country, UNAMA. At least 18 people, including four women and two children, were killed in the incident which took place on Tuesday night. Fifty others were injured. They [...]

Colombia is set to begin formal negotiations on 27 October in Havana, Cuba, with the country's second-largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army or ELN, the UN has confirmed. The announcement comes after two years of exploratory negotiations between the left-wing rebel group and the Government. It also follows the rejection in a vote by [...]

"Extreme concern" has been expressed by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) over increased reports of violence and armed conflict in various parts of the country. The Mission reported heavy artillery and gunfire in Leer town between government and opposition forces which led to numerous deaths and the displacement of the civilian population. There [...]

People are happiest at the beginning and ends of their lives and older people enjoy better mental health than the young and middle-aged. That's what a best-selling American author and blogger on ageism- the discrimination or prejudice against older people- discovered. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that negative or ageist attitudes towards older people [...]

Africa has made a "huge step forward" in developing its infrastructure from building roads to power grids, according to the CEO of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). Ibrahim Mayaki made the remarks on the margins of a high-level event at UN headquarters informally known as "Africa Week". The continent needs more than US$93 [...]

One million cholera vaccines ready to tackle Haiti cholera spike One million doses of cholera vaccine are to be sent to Haiti in the aftermath of the devastation left by Hurricane Matthew, UN health experts said Tuesday. The disease has claimed more than 9,000 lives since 2010. The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned that [...]

Listen to a bulletin of news and features from United Nations Radio, with Matthew Wells and Daniel Dickinson. In today's programme, there's little chance of peaceful elections at present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN's top official there tells us. And, Africa's peace and stability needs closer partnerships to end war and [...]

Improved data collection on issues girls face across the world, can provide a better understanding of their lives and help to solve their problems according to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The data can be used to further gender equality and empower women, a key focus of the sustainable development goals or SDGs. On International [...]

An 18-year old Indian woman who was trafficked as a child says her personal experience motivated her to fight for the rights of other young girls. Anoyara Khatun from a village in West Bengal, India recently spoke about her advocacy work at the UN in New York. According to the UN Office on Drugs and [...]