The clean energy transition needs land. Can it help restore it too?
What if the infrastructure needed to fight climate change could also help repair the land beneath it?
UN News - Global perspective Human stories
UN News - Global perspective Human stories | Global
Live Last read · last published · next check
Latest posts
International Criminal Court: New US sanctions ‘a flagrant attack’ against its independence
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday responded to a new round of US sanctions targeting its president and a senior prosecutor, calling them “a flagrant attack” against the court.
Aid workers under fire as drones reshape warfare
The UN is warning that aid workers face a deadly and evolving threat, with armed drones reshaping battlefields worldwide – putting humanitarian teams increasingly in the line of fire.
What’s journalism worth in disasters and emergencies? A lot, says a new UN report
A single New York Times article on a disaster generated an additional $500,000 in official aid. That’s just one of the findings on the critical role a free press plays in saving lives, according to a new UN report released on Tuesday.
Protecting our ‘most vital infrastructure’: Pushing back on desertification
As heatwaves are turning deadlier, fires and disasters are razing cities — and rising seas are erasing territories — one environmental crisis remains dangerously overlooked: the degradation of the land beneath our feet.
The grass beneath our feet: Why rangelands matter
In northern Kenya, a herder scans the sky for rain that hasn't come. The grass his animals need is thinning by the day.
An attack on healthcare every six hours, and no one held to account
Across the world, healthcare has suffered more than 10,000 attacks in the past eight years, including during the brutal conflict in Ukraine and efforts to contain the current Ebola outbreak spreading rapidly in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
World News in Brief: Afghanistan education, Myanmar flooding, Syria recovery, homecare workers in New York
Five years since the Taliban seized power in Kabul, life for some Afghans has improved while many others suffer growing hardship.
Youth advocates gather in New York to launch new AI standards
As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforms everything from how we learn, to the job market, children are adopting the technology more than three times faster than adults – exposing them to unique opportunities and risks.
Migrant deaths climb sharply in 2026, new UN data shows
Severe weather, war, economic pressure and shifting policies reshaped migration journeys across multiple regions in the first four months of 2026, driving a surge in deaths, according to new data released on Wednesday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
After post-pandemic improvement, youth unemployment is rising again
Frustrated by skyrocketing youth unemployment, among other issues, tens of thousands of Gen Z activists took to the streets of Nepal last year, demanding a stake in the country’s economic growth. The protest worked and the prime minister resigned.
World marks second warmest July on record
As multiple regions contend with unbearable heat, drought, wildfires and other extreme weather, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday underlined the crucial need for stronger forecasts and early warning systems to protect lives and livelihoods.
UN calls for urgent action to protect children from online information risks
More than eight in 10 young people aged 15 to 24 worldwide are now online, and in low-income countries they outpace the rest of the population nearly two to one.
World News in Brief: Cambodia human rights, Hormuz invasive species risk, IOM lauds 2025 progress
Concluding his first official visit to Cambodia, UN independent human rights expert Tom Andrews said he was encouraged by the government’s cooperation but remained concerned about key human rights issues such as the lack of freedom of expression.
Security Council LIVE: Ambassadors briefed on continuing ISIL terror threat
The Security Council met on Wednesday to examine the persistent threat posed by the terrorist group ISIL, also known as Dae’sh, to international peace and security. At a conference in June, the acting head of the UN counter-terrorism office stated that Al Qaeda, Da’esh, and their affiliates “remain adaptive and resilient”. Moreover, they are using artificial intelligence and other emerging…
Strengthening El Niño to push 49 million more people into acute hunger
Nearly 50 million more people in highly vulnerable communities globally are set to be pushed into acute hunger because of the strengthening El Niño weather phenomenon, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday.
Mothers still lack support to breastfeed, UN warns
Breastfeeding rates are rising worldwide, but millions of mothers and families still lack the services and protection they need to feed their babies safely, the UN has warned.
Strong El Niño ahead, UN weather agency warns
As much of the world faces grapples with above normal temperatures and major rainfall changes, the UN Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Friday that El Niño, a powerful climate pattern shaping global weather, will intensify starting next month.
Wildfire smoke poses hidden health threat
Wildfires are often associated with the destruction they leave behind, but the smoke they produce can pose a serious health threat far beyond the fire zone, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
The climate pattern putting millions at risk: El Niño explained
El Niño is putting millions of lives at risk in eastern and southern Africa but the UN is ensuring that communities are better prepared to deal with its impact.
Wildfires: Prevention is the best defence, UN says
The wildfires burning across Europe and North America highlight the urgent need for action now – as climate change, land-use pressures and human activity make severe fires more likely in the future.
World News in Brief: Rohingya refugees, Bahá’ís in Iran, disarmament in the Central African Republic
Independent UN experts on Wednesday called for urgent action to support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh after reports indicated two boats carrying more than 500 passengers may have capsized off the coast of Myanmar in mid-July.
Mount Olympus and D-Day beaches among new World Heritage Sites
From the peaks of Mount Olympus in Greece to the shores of the “D-Day” beaches in France, 25 cultural or natural landmarks from across the globe have been newly inscribed on the World Heritage List, updated annually by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Climate alarm ‘blaring from every direction’
Climate-driven disasters are reaching “nightmare proportions” due to humanity’s “addiction” to fossil fuels, a top UN official warned on Tuesday.
HIV, hepatitis, STI gains at risk as funding falls, WHO warns
Years of progress in tackling HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are at risk of stalling, leaving millions of people without access to life-saving prevention, testing and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
75 years later, the promise to protect refugees faces its greatest test
As the world marks the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has launched a global campaign urging governments, organizations and individuals to renew their commitment to protecting people forced to flee war, violence and persecution.
High prices and funding cuts stall HIV prevention revolution
The AIDS epidemic could stage a comeback amid unequal access to breakthrough prevention medicines and a sharp decline in global funding, according to a UN report released on Monday ahead of the opening of the 26th International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Conflict and crisis put six World Heritage sites at risk
Armed conflict, insecurity and environmental pressures are threatening ancient cities, historic castles and one of the world's greatest wildlife migrations.
Cyberattacks and the digital divide are creating new barriers to HIV services
Cyberattacks, data breaches, online harassment and other forms of technology-facilitated violence are becoming significant obstacles to HIV prevention and treatment, according to a UNAIDS specialist who says digital security has become inseparable from the fight against the epidemic itself.
‘I am somebody’: Street-smart youth take their declaration to the UN
When Samantha Richards and Angela Hifume walked into the Hall of Flags at United Nations Headquarters last week, they carried more than a folder of paper. They carried the voices of hundreds of street-connected children who had never expected anyone to listen.
‘Judges should be superhuman’: The invisible burden behind the bench
When conflict erupts, disasters strike or political crises unfold, courts are among the few institutions expected to keep functioning – ensuring the essential rule of law is maintained.
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan dismissed
Member States of the International Criminal Court dismissed its Prosecutor Karim Khan following disciplinary proceedings related to widely reported sexual misconduct allegations at an emergency session at UN Headquarters in New York on Friday.
Security Council debrief: Race for critical minerals intensifies amidst warnings of conflict
The world needs more critical minerals than ever before for electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels, batteries and smartphones.
World News in Brief: New ECOSOC chief, Secretary-General candidates’ debate, torture in Mali, drowning prevention
Amar Bendjama, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the UN, was elected on Thursday to serve as the next president of the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).