Interviews
635 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago - ★★★★ - 4 ratingsUN News interviews a wide range of people from senior news-making officials at Headquarters in New York, to advocates and beneficiaries from across the world who have a stake in helping the UN go about its often life-saving work in the field.
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Episodes
Afghanistan quake tragedy reflects disempowerment of women: UNDP
October 24, 2023 19:38 - 10 minutes - 5.62 MBThe fact women and children accounted for almost 90 per cent of those killed was reflective of the social norms and cultural restrictions in remote villages where men impose restrictions on women. That’s according to senior UN Development Programme (UNDP) official in the country, Stephen Rodriques, who said many men were outside farming or working across the border while women and children stayed at home. From Kabul, he told UN News’s Vibhu Mishra what he had seen for himself when he visit...
Humanitarian aid ‘nowhere near enough’ in Gaza says WFP
October 23, 2023 18:33 - 7 minutes - 10.6 MBThe World Food Programme (WFP) says the situation in Gaza is “catastrophic,” with virtually no access to essential supplies for over two weeks as the Israeli bombardment continues. Water and food remain in very short supply and unless more fuel is allowed in, the remaining hospitals will be forced to shut down in just a few days. WFP Palestine Head of Communications, Alia Zaki, spoke with UN News’s Khaled Mohamed about the agency’s priorities and the need for a continuous supply of aid ac...
Water aid for Gaza literally ‘a drop in the ocean’: UNICEF
October 21, 2023 20:19 - 5 minutes - 7.09 MBThe 40,000 litres of drinking water trucked into Gaza on Saturday represent ‘a drop in the ocean’, considering the immense needs following two weeks of conflict. That’s the assessment of Jeremy Hopkins, Representative of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Egypt, speaking hours after a humanitarian convoy crossed the border with lifesaving supplies – the first since the crisis erupted on 7 October. UN News’s Khaled Mohamed asked him about the agency's support to Gaza, the prospect for more ...
‘Continuous flow of aid’ into Gaza essential: UNRWA
October 20, 2023 14:48 - 7 minutes - 6.4 MBThe external affairs director for the UN’s Palestine refugee agency (UNRWA) Tamara Alrifai said conditions remain ‘very dire’ across the Gaza Strip and only a continuous flow of aid across the border will be enough to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. Most UNRWA staff themselves have been displaced to shelters following the evacuation order, and 16 of them have now been killed as Israeli airstrikes and shelling continue. She told UN News’ Ezzat El-Ferri that safe humanitarian access to t...
AI a ‘direct threat to what is art’ says UNESCO-endorsed industry expert
October 19, 2023 19:58 - 7 minutes - 9.85 MBRecent strikes by US writers and actors voicing concerns about transparency, intellectual property rights and fair compensation following the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, speak to the tangible effects being felt across the film and other creative industries. In Paris, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hosted an event on Friday called Film Sector on the Frontlines, inviting global experts to discuss the powerful impact of AI. UN Ne...
WFP official describes ‘devastating’ scenes in Afghanistan following multiple quakes
October 19, 2023 19:36 - 6 minutes - 11.3 MBWestern Afghanistan has been hit by a series of “devastating” earthquakes in the last 10 days that have displaced thousands and created a humanitarian crisis in the already-vulnerable region. That’s according to Philip Kropf, Head of Communications for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Afghanistan. “Dozens of villages have been damaged, some of them completely flattened,” said Mr. Kropf. In an interview with UN News’ Cristina Silveiro, he discussed what he’d seen on the ground and outlin...
UN human rights expert warns of rise in ‘gendered disinformation’
October 19, 2023 15:26 - 11 minutes - 11.9 MBIn all regions across the world, women, girls, and gender non-conforming persons are a major target of disinformation and restrictions on expression, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Irene Khan has warned. “We want to live in a world where there is gender equality today. There have been great strides made in bringing forward women, and now is the time to deal with these issues” said the Human Rights Council-appointed independent expert, in an interview with UN News’s Mehboob...
Healthcare must never be a target: WHO insists
October 18, 2023 16:23 - 3 minutes - 4.85 MBIn the wake of the deadly Gaza hospital blast on Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on all warring parties to comply with international humanitarian law by making the protection of civilians a priority. WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr. Ahmed Al Mandhari, spoke with UN News’s Khaled Mohamed about the urgent need to protect all aspects of healthcare, warning that unless fuel supplies are replenished in Gaza, there will soon be no electricity to tr...
‘Dire’ situation after Afghan quakes as aid teams reach affected communities
October 17, 2023 16:12 - 6 minutes - 8.92 MBNearly 1,500 people have been killed and another 66,000 have had their lives upended by a series of powerful earthquakes that have rocked Afghanistan’s Herat Province since 7 October, UN aid coordination office OCHA reported on Tuesday. To help, $93 million needed urgently to assist 114,000 people ahead of the coming winter. With more on the UN’s response and the development challenges that lie ahead, here’s OCHA’s deputy head in Kabul, Katherine Carey, who’s been speaking to UN News’s K...
‘Deep discussions’ ongoing to get aid into Gaza, says UN aid chief
October 16, 2023 12:48 - 7 minutes - 9.84 MBAmid a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where essential supplies and even body bags have reportedly run out, the UN’s top aid official insisted on Monday that reliable, dependable and constant supplies were needed immediately. Martin Griffiths’ strong appeal comes as more than a million people have been uprooted from northern to southern Gaza since the Israeli military warned of an imminent offensive, prompted by Palestinian military group Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel. In an in...
‘Immediate unconditional access’ needed into Gaza for lifesaving aid
October 15, 2023 18:10 - 8 minutes - 11.1 MBJust as the UN is calling for the unconditional release of hostages by Hamas, it’s crucial for Israel to give “immediate unconditional access” to humanitarian aid for desperate civilians forced to move south, the UN’s top official in the Occupied Palestinian Territory told UN News on Sunday. Humanitarian Coordinator Lynn Hastings said the UN is in intensive discussions with Israeli authorities over humanitarian corridors and a vital ceasefire, to avert further castastrophe for civilians, wi...
World Food Day: Innovate and produce more to eat, using less water
October 14, 2023 17:47 - 5 minutes - 7.39 MBWater is essential to produce food so it is no surprise to hear that a current global shortage threatens to push more vulnerable people into hunger. A frightening prospect, when you consider that more than 700 million already have too little to eat today. Ahead of World Food Day, observed on 16 October, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has shared information about the latest technical innovations that countries can implement to produce the food that they need. With more, her...
WFP 'looking at every way' to get food and supplies into Gaza
October 13, 2023 20:46 - 7 minutes - 5.99 MBWith the Gaza Strip completely closed off, civilians there are in "desperate need" of humanitarian aid, the World Food Programme (WFP) Representative and Country Director in Palestine, Samer AbdelJaber, said on Friday. In an interview with UN News's Ezzat El-Ferri, Mr. AbdelJaber discussed the unique complexities of the situation, warning that Israel has threatened to shut off Internet access on Saturday. He underscored the vital need for unimpeded corridors to transport humanitarian aid i...
WHO: Healthcare system in Gaza ‘almost collapsing’
October 13, 2023 20:34 - 3 minutes - 5.37 MBHealth care facilities in Gaza are struggling to cope as attacks on healthcare targets increase in scale and intensity, and supplies dwindle amid overwhelming demand. “My call again and again is to respect the international law when it comes to protecting the safety of healthcare facilities and the people inside these ambulances,” said Dr. Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, in an interview with UN News. Mr. Al Mandhari emphasised to Abdelmonem Makki th...
Israel-Gaza: ‘No safe place to go,’ says UNICEF
October 13, 2023 18:05 - 6 minutes - 9.18 MBAs the Israel-Gaza crisis worsens, the UN Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Salim Oweis says that more than 500 children have already been killed and more than 1600 injured, leaving the two million overall trapped inside the Gaza Strip on the “brink of a humanitarian catastrophe.” Speaking from his headquarters in the Jordanian capital Amman, Mr. Oweis told UN News’s Khaled Mohamed about the huge scale of need and suffering, including the importance of creating a humanitarian corridor – as Israel...
Gaza-Israel: Rules of war not ‘optional’, insists UN rights chief
October 13, 2023 16:27 - 4 minutes - 5.89 MBSix days since violence erupted in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Friday urged combatants to respect the Geneva Conventions – the rules of war. Countries with influence on both sides should take steps to defuse the “powder keg” situation, Mr. Türk has insisted, amid evidence of summary execution of civilians by Palestinian armed groups and of on-going Israeli airstrikes on residential towers in Gaza city. With more, here’s UN rights ...
Rights expert warns of potential abuse linked to ‘voluntourism’
October 12, 2023 20:05 - 6 minutes - 9.15 MBThe UN appointed independent expert on the sale and exploitation of children is calling on governments to make so-called “voluntarism” – tourists who are ostensibly volunteering as charity workers – better regulated to prevent potential abuse and sexual exploitation. Mama Fatima Singhateh was at UN Headquarters recently and spoke to UN News’s Dina Neskorozhana about her report’s recommendations, stressing that the already vulnerable were most at risk, and that this pernicious abuse could d...
Humanitarian situation in Gaza ‘beyond the imagination’
October 11, 2023 21:07 - 9 minutes - 12.5 MBThe humanitarian situation in Gaza is “indescribable” and “unprecedented” as the battle between extremist Palestinian armed groups and Israeli forces escalates. That’s according to a senior UN official with humanitarian office OCHA inside the enclave, speaking to UN News on Wednesday. “Every hour that passes brings more fighting and devastation,” Hamada El Bayari told us. Mr. El Bayari described the latest situation on the ground to Khaled Mohamed, saying that there is currently no “safe ...
Gaza: UNRWA's 'unsung heroes' continue to serve despite immense risks
October 10, 2023 21:48 - 7 minutes - 10.3 MBFamilies escaping the shelling and bombardment in Gaza have sought refuge in premises belonging to UNRWA, the UN agency that supports Palestine refugees across the Middle East. Some of the agency’s 13,000 staff members are among them, said Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communications, who is based in Amman, Jordan. She told UN News's Ezzat El-Ferri that despite displacement and loss – of loved ones, neighbours and even colleagues – these “unsung heroes” continue to deliver, even while ...
Poverty a 'pull factor' for child recruitment, early marriage: UN expert
October 10, 2023 15:25 - 10 minutes - 11.5 MBPoverty and lack of education are pushing boys into joining armed groups and forcing girls to marry way before they should, warns Virginia Gamba, UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. Her latest report documents more than 27,000 instances of grave violations against children caught up in war, including use in conflict, killing and maiming, and rape and sexual violence. It also reveals a worrisome rise in attacks against schools, with nearly half carried out by gover...
UN agency working round the clock to provide shelter for thousands of Gazans
October 09, 2023 17:27 - 5 minutes - 8.99 MBAmid ongoing Israeli reprisals in the Occupied Palestinian Territory following Hamas’s massive attack against Israel at the weekend, more than 73,000 people in Gaza have now sought shelter in UN schools there. That’s the latest from the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which expects the number of new arrivals to increase, while the violence continues to escalate. With more, here’s UNWRA’s chief of communications Tamara Alrifai, whose been speaki...
Afghanistan: WHO and partners responding to immense needs
October 09, 2023 16:27 - 6 minutes - 1.58 MBAftershocks continue to be felt from the deadly earthquake that pummeled parts of western Afghanistan on Saturday, a senior official with the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Monday. Roughly 1,300 people were killed in the disaster, which struck just west of the city of Herat, affecting eight villages. Those injured or otherwise impacted are estimated to be in the tens of thousands. Dr. Alaa Abouzeid, WHO Health Emergency Team Lead in Afghanistan, said some people who were treat...
UNFPA delivers support and dignity for women refugees in Armenia
October 06, 2023 19:16 - 8 minutes - 3.73 MBNeeds are immense among people who fled Karabakh for Armenia, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reports. The UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency has rushed to support women and girls, helping them to maintain their dignity amidst the chaos of displacement. More than 2,000 pregnant women are among the refugees and UNFPA is also making sure that hospitals and health facilities can assist them, especially with some 230 women set to deliver next month. UN News’s Dianne Penn spoke to Emman...
UNICEF in Armenia creates safe spaces for children from Karabakh
October 05, 2023 22:32 - 6 minutes - 2.98 MBIn one week, more than 100,000 people arrived in Armenia from Karabakh, including around 30,000 children. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) is among humanitarian agencies mobilized to help the refugees. UNICEF Representative in Armenia Christine Weigand said children arrive there very tired, hungry and in a state of shock. Their immediate needs are very much linked to health issues. Speaking to UN News’s Anton Uspensky, she explained that in the long run, assistance will be provided to supp...
‘Huge’ challenges facing sustainable development in Lebanon
October 04, 2023 20:27 - 11 minutes - 15.9 MBLebanon’s refugee population is especially vulnerable to misinformation and disinformation campaigns, making navigating the country’s multi-layered humanitarian crises increasingly challenging. That's according to Imran Riza, UN Resident Coordinator in Lebanon, who has overseen the UN humanitarian mission in Lebanon since September last year. He told UN News’ Khaled Mohamed that progress has “regressed incredibly” in the last four years, emphasising the need for increased international su...
DR Congo: Combatting misinformation in the field
October 03, 2023 14:56 - 8 minutes - 12 MBMisinformation poses a significant risk to UN peacekeeping. If left unchecked, it damages how the mission is perceived, creates confusion about its role, and puts lives of ‘blue helmets’ in danger. MONUSCO, the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was recently a target of fake news, according to Bintou Keita, head of the operation. She told UN News’ Jerome Bernard what motivates those spreading malicious information, and how the mission is combatting it. But she began...
Haiti: Multinational mission will reinforce police efforts to end gang violence
October 02, 2023 20:07 - 5 minutes - 12 MBThe UN Security Council took a historic step on Monday by authorizing the deployment of a multinational security mission to help the Haitian police combat rampant gang violence. Kenya has offered to lead the force, which is not a UN operation, and other countries have signalled their participation. Ahead of the Council vote, UN News’s Cristina Silveiro spoke to Ambassador Bob Rae of Canada, Chair of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti. He said the mi...
Karabakh: After the exodus, ‘hidden humanitarian emergency’ unfolds
October 02, 2023 17:13 - 4 minutes - 3.15 MBAfter around 100,000 refugees left the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the past few days, there is now a “hidden humanitarian emergency” unfolding across Armenia. That’s according to Joe Lowry a Spokesperson with the UN migration agency IOM based in Vienna, who has been on the ground in Armenia as part of the UN relief operation. He told UN News's Vibhu Mishra that many have lived through a “nightmare” and UN humanitarians are already focusing on the need to support the Armenian Governmen...
The de-miners helping Ukraine’s farmers make their fields safe again
June 14, 2023 15:40 - 9 seconds - 8.48 MBMine Action Week takes place from 19 to 23 June in Geneva; it’s an opportunity to highlight how the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) works with partners to eliminate the menace posed by these explosive devices in more than 30 countries – including Ukraine. To find out more about the challenge of clearing mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices, UN News’s Nathalie Minard sat down with Hansjörg Eberle, head of the Swiss demining NGO, FSD.
World’s poorest nations hosting over a fifth of world’s refugees: UNHCR
June 14, 2023 03:05 - 28 seconds - 11.7 MBIn its new flagship report published on Wednesday the UN refugee agency UNHCR reveals that the 46 least developed countries are hosting more than 20 per cent of the refugee population – even though they account for only 1.3 per cent of GDP. That’s one of the important data points contained in Global Trends in Forced Displacement 2022, which shows a record level of displacement, for the second year running, now standing at 108.4 million, UNHCR Director in New York, Ruven Menikdiwela told us....
Environmental, economic consequences of Ukraine dam disaster ‘an awful shock’: UN relief chief
June 12, 2023 20:31 - 15 seconds - 11.4 MBThe environmental and economic consequences of the dam disaster that’s inundated parts of southern Ukraine, flooding what is one of the world’s breadbaskets, is going to an awful shock to the people of the country and the entire ‘Global South’, the UN relief chief has told UN News. In an interview on Friday night, Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, said the world stands by Ukraine in the wake of this latest disaster stemming from the Russian invasion, but with agricultural land ...
Youth adviser works to advance Secretary-General’s climate agenda
June 09, 2023 20:46 - 45 seconds - 12.1 MBYoung people must have a voice in global efforts to combat climate change – not because of their youth, but because they are important stakeholders who offer solutions to the crisis. That’s the opinion of Ayisha Siddiqa, a Pakistani-American environmental and human rights defender, who is a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. Ms. Siddiqa spoke to Nadeem Saeed of UN News’s Urdu Unit, about how her background informs her work to accelerate the “SG’s...
Ukraine dam disaster: flooding poses ‘grave risk’ to families impacted: UNICEF
June 08, 2023 19:00 - 9 seconds - 3.34 MBThe flooding stemming from the Ukraine dam disaster near Kherson poses a grave risk to families, and threatens safe water and power supplies, said the UN Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) communications chief in the country. Damian Rance said around 1,700 people have had to evacuate from flooded homes in the major southern city, and one of most direct threats is a doubling or even tripling of the threat posed by landmines, being swept away to new locations. Oleksandra Burynska began by asking ...
The challenge of regulating lethal autonomous weapons
June 08, 2023 18:51 - 27 seconds - 17.1 MBWith new and emerging technologies, we hear a lot about killer drones, driverless tanks and autonomous airplanes on the modern battlefield. One issue of particular concern is the use of what are officially known as lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), which can select and engage targets with force, without human involvement - raising a raft of security, ethical and legal concerns. What are countries doing to regulate LAWS? And how can international law and the UN respond to this chall...
World Oceans Day: The ocean is our ally in fighting hunger
June 08, 2023 14:25 - 34 seconds - 6.28 MBThe ocean is key to food security as the main source of protein for more than a billion people. Some 600 million worldwide depend on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods. As hunger continues to spread around the world, urgent efforts are needed to safeguard the ocean and ensure that it continues to provide food for a growing global population, in a sustainable way. Ahead of Thursday’s World Oceans Day, Manuel Barange, Director of the Food and Aquaculture Division of the Food and...
Kakhovka dam disaster: Humanitarians rush to assist victims
June 07, 2023 13:30 - 25 seconds - 7.47 MBUN humanitarians are ramping up assistance in the aftermath of the Kakhovka dam disaster in Ukraine, as some 17,000 people find themselves in the critical zone at risk of flooding, and clean water has become scarce. Health and security concerns are mounting fast, with flooding and the lack of clean water multiplying the risk of disease, while unexploded ordnance is being displaced by floodwater into new areas. IOM’s spokesperson in Kyiv, Olivia Headon, has been talking to UN News’s Domin...
South-South cooperation offers path out of pandemic
June 02, 2023 21:16 - 22 seconds - 3.38 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic has rolled back progress in development but collaboration between countries of the Global South could help get the world back on track. This exchange of technology and skills is known as South-South cooperation, and triangular cooperation, when supported by developed countries or partner agencies. The UN’s High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation met this week to examine how the process can help accelerate recovery from the pandemic and achieve a more sustain...
Political will key to overcoming ‘enormous’ challenge of transnational crime in Southeast Asia
June 02, 2023 04:02 - 5 seconds - 8.38 MBThe cooperation of governments in Southeast Asia is helping the region to address the “enormous” challenge of tackling transnational organized crime, according to a senior representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, (UNODC). The trafficking of people and illicit goods, especially synthetic drugs like methamphetamine, from the Golden Triangle, an area which includes Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, has enriched criminal networks and flooded the region and beyond with addictive narcotics. ...
Fighting for ‘the dream of equality and justice’ for people of African descent
May 31, 2023 16:37 - 39 seconds - 13.4 MBThis week the UN hosts the 2nd Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent – the human rights platform which brings together institutions at the UN, civil society and others, to advance equality and fight racism. The Forum’s Chair, Epsy Campbell Barr, said it was vital to boost investment to help the poorest of the poor, and meet “elemental demands” for basic services like clean water. She spoke to UN News’s Pauline Batista in our studio at UN Headquarters in New York.
‘Proactive’ messages critical to combat disinformation in Papua New Guinea
May 31, 2023 15:47 - 22 seconds - 8.77 MBTorture, conflict and low COVID-19 vaccination rates have all been the results of increasing levels of disinformation and misinformation in Papua New Guinea, according to the UN Resident Coordinator in the country, Richard Howard. Speaking on the line to UN News’s Julia Dean in Australia, he stressed that these consequences were very worrying, and in some cases “horrifically wrong”, calling for strong and rapid measures to counter the scourge. Mr. Howard began by describing the prevale...
Stop harmful tobacco farming, grow food instead: WHO
May 26, 2023 13:32 - 50 seconds - 4.44 MBWhile more than 300 million people around the world face acute food insecurity, tobacco continues to be grown in 124 countries, diverting land and resources away from food crops – even in places where people are starving. Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Wednesday 31 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released new findings about tobacco’s disastrous health impact on development in low and middle-income countries. WHO’s Director for Health Promotion, Dr. Rüdiger Krech, also busts ...
Arrest of Rwanda genocide fugitive marks end of year-long ‘intense investigation’
May 25, 2023 20:46 - 52 seconds - 2.76 MBThe arrest of one of the last remaining fugitives from the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda has been hailed as a commitment to ensuring that justice is served, no matter how long it takes. Fulgence Kayeshima is alleged to have orchestrated the killing of approximately 2,000 Tutsi refugees at a Catholic Church in April 1994. He had been on the run for more than 20 years, hiding in East African countries, including among refugee populations. Mr. Kayeshima was arrested in South Afr...
After Cyclone Mocha, how UN aid teams are helping rebuild lives
May 19, 2023 14:23 - 29 seconds - 10.4 MBThe bamboo homes of Myanmar’s most vulnerable communities were no match for Cyclone Mocha which has left people with nothing, UN humanitarians warned on Friday. With the latest from the country and neighbouring Bangladesh, here’s the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Anthea Webb, Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, speaking to UN News’s Daniel Johnson.
‘Getting our act together’ on AI, and ensuring nobody’s left behind
May 16, 2023 16:59 - 32 seconds - 13.1 MBSince the launch of Chat GPT in November 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) has been dominating headlines, sparking excitement but also concern over the pace at which the technology is developing and driving misinformation. The UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, Amandeep Gill, is busy working on a Global Digital Compact to be adopted at the UN’s Summit of the Future in 2024 – a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity for leaders to agree on common principles for addressing tech challeng...
Sudan: WFP working round the clock as emergency food aid reaches 50,000 in need
May 12, 2023 19:44 - 50 seconds - 2.03 MBThe UN World Food Programme (WFP) has been able to support around 50,000 Sudanese in need in three states, amid the continuing fighting and food crisis there, which temporarily halted the agency’s aid operation after three staffers were killed. That’s according to Leni Kinzli head of communications for WFP in Sudan, who said a total of 19 million are expected to face food insecurity during the coming lean season, and called on the international community not to take their eyes off the crisi...
UN supporting young Sudanese women, amid mounting threats
May 02, 2023 17:09 - 38 seconds - 1.99 MBUN Women is giving financial and technical support to young Sudanese who are leveraging the power of apps to keep women and girls safe amid the continuing military showdown that’s seen more than 100,000 already flee the country. That’s according to the agency’s Representative in Sudan, Adjaratou Fatou Ndiaye, who told UN News that specially developed apps were also allowing women to map the availability of food and medicine, along with safe routes to escape the fighting. She told Abdelmon...
Social media and AI: Friends or foes of press freedom?
May 02, 2023 17:06 - 52 seconds - 9.47 MBSocial media has long been a boon to press freedom, allowing journalists from all over the world to make their voices heard, grow an audience, and build trust. But rampant disinformation has increasingly eroded the space for trustworthy information online, multiplying risks for the journalists who help separate fact from fiction. Ahead of World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May, Derek Bowler, Head of Social Newsgathering at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), has been talking to UN News’s Dom...
Now is the time ‘to engage the youth’, UN Forum delegate
April 27, 2023 20:48 - 59 seconds - 6.85 MBDuring this week’s UN ECOSOC Youth Forum, young people have been gathering at UN Headquarters in New York, to discuss the importance of energy transition for a sustainable future. They will be the ones left to deal with the consequences, if the necessary green energy transition fails to materialize, so they’ve been arguing for the right to be fully represented during this crucial climate change debate. Forum delegate, Aashna Aggarwal spoke with UN News’s Shivani Kala, after taking part i...
9 children dead, dozens injured during Sudan fighting, as toll rises: UNICEF
April 26, 2023 20:59 - 41 seconds - 1.31 MBConditions for children caught up in Sudan’s military showdown are critical, with at least nine dead and over 50 injured, though the UN Children’s Fund fears that total is probably much higher. Ammar Ammar, UNICEF’s Jordan-based regional chief of advocacy and communications covering Sudan, said only a lasting humanitarian truce can help restore shattered services, and for now it’s too dangerous for their lifesaving work to continue. Ezzat El-Ferri of UN News Arabic, began by asking him to ...
Sudan: UNHCR working to aid displaced and refugees amid ‘dire situation’
April 25, 2023 18:52 - 32 seconds - 1.96 MBMore resources are urgently needed for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) to meet the needs of thousands of refugees and internally displaced, who are fleeing the bloody showdown between rival military factions in Sudan. That’s according to Faith Kasina, Regional Spokesperson for UNHCR who is based in Nairobi. Ezzat El-Ferri of UN News’s Arabic service began by asking her for the latest on the extent of internal displacement across the country so far.