5.5m people still in hard to reach areas in Syria Unhindered access to deliver aid to around 5.5 million people in Syria is being urged by the United Nations as the conflict there continues. The UN says that since the beginning of the year it has provided relief to more than 940,000 Syrian civilians [...]

El Niño causing a "food and agriculture crisis" The El Niño weather phenomenon is causing a "food and agriculture crisis" around the world that is likely to deepen in the years ahead. That's the view of Jose Graziano da Silva, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), opening an event on Wednesday examining the [...]

Listen to a bulletin of news and features from United Nations Radio, with Matthew Wells. In today’s programme: the Central African Republic needs a stronger and renewed commitment from the UN to overcome continuing challenges, the head of UN field support tells us; and, more "economic and political empowerment" of women in Zimbabwe, is essential [...]

The impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon is continuing to drive up food insecurity, and the arrival of La Niña in a few months' time will likely make it worse. That's the grave assessment of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which hosted a special one day conference on the issue on Wednesday, together [...]

The "economic and political empowerment" of women in Zimbabwe is essential for the development of the southern African country according to the UN's most senior representative there. Zimbabwe has a good record in terms of the political representation of women but more needs to be done the UN Resident Coordinator, Bishow Parajuli, has said. Daniel [...]

The Central African Republic (CAR) needs direct and indirect support from the UN Mission there amidst a continuing "volatile" security situation. Speaking at the end of a visit to CAR, Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, Atul Khare, said it was important for the Security Council to give the UN Mission, MINUSCA, an extended mandate to help [...]

Fears grow for hundreds of missing Fallujah men and boys In Iraq, fears are growing for well over 600 men and boys reportedly taken hostage by armed militia following the fall of Fallujah last month, the UN has said. In an appeal for them to be found and freed, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, [...]

Listen to a bulletin of news and features from United Nations Radio, with Matthew Wells and Daniel Dickinson. In today's programme: Haiti's biggest ever cholera vaccination programme will get underway soon, says the World Health Organization. And, civil society groups in Iraq need more information about victims of violence to help stop on-going rights violations. [...]

The largest vaccination programme "ever done" to fight cholera in Haiti, is due to begin soon, initially targeting 750,000 in the centre of the Caribbean island nation. The World Health Organization representative in Haiti, Jean-Luc Poncelet said that they hoped to complete the first phase of mass vaccination "by the end of the year". Ten [...]

Aviation is a "catalyst or enabler" of sustainable development, according to the head of the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In September last year the international community agreed new development goals known as the SDGs. The ICAO chief, Liu Fang, says aviation can play a key role in the realization of those goals. Maoqi [...]