The scourge of terrorism was once again under the spotlight in the Security Council on Tuesday.
Under the presidency of Pakistan, the Council held a meeting on "a comprehensive approach to counter- terrorism".
Pakistani Foreign Minister, Hina Rabani Khar presided over the meeting which was attended by other foreign ministers and senior government officials of States that are members of the Security Council.
Derrick Mbatha reports.
Duration: 3' 24"
Half a million people were displaced due to conflict in the northern areas of Mali, where the vulnerable population is still recovering from the recent drought in the Sahel region.
The World Food Programme (WFP) says despite insecurity, it has managed to provide emergency food to over 270,000 people in the north, including 70,000 internally displaced.
In this interview, WFP’s spokesperson Elizabeth Byrs, tells UN Radio’s Mamadou Alpha Diallo from Geneva, that the food agency stands ready to assist the conflict-affected people in Mali.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for an international inquiry into the human rights abuses in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Navi Pillay recently met two survivors of the country’s complex network of political prison camps which are believed to house 200,000 or more people. She says, “Their personal stories were extremely harrowing”.
Poor rains and a drop in agricultural production in Zimbabwe have left 1.6 million people in urgent need of food assistance, according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
The United Nations food agency says that most of the vulnerable people are in rural areas of the Southern African country.
It is particularly concerned as the country is now coming to the so-called “lean” or “hunger” season when traditionally people face food shortages before the harvest in March.
There are hopes that the crisis in the Central African Republic may end with the signing of agreements in Libreville, Gabon, on Friday.
Representatives of the government, the Séléka coalition of rebel groups, the opposition and civil society from the Central African Republic met in the Gabonese capital this week for talks to end the conflict in their country.
The current crisis started in December last year when the Séléka launched an offensive against the government and occupied several towns and cities.
The earthquake which struck Haiti on 12 January 2010 dealt a devastating blow to the country and to the United Nations.
More than 200,000 people were killed in the disaster, including 102 staff members from across the UN system: from senior officials to security officers to secretaries.
On the eve of the third anniversary of the tragedy, staff at UN Headquarters gathered to remember their friends and colleagues who died in Haiti.
The Syrian refugee situation has seen a dramatic turn as severe weather conditions hit the refugee camps around the area.
The UN refugee agency says despite the winter preparations done in recent months, many refugees are facing particularly cold and damp conditions.
The agency also says people fleeing Syria are still arriving in neighbouring States in droves.
Beng Poblete-Enriquez reports:
Duration: 2'30"
This weekend marks three years since the devastating earthquake in Haiti which killed more than 200,000 people and left more than a million homeless.
The international humanitarian response continues in the country as numerous obstacles remain, particularly in finding housing solutions for the 350,000 people who still live in camps.
Dianne Penn spoke on the line to François Desruisseaux, Program Manager for Camp Coordination and Camp Management at the International Organization for Migration, who’s based in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
It’s customary for children in Niger to help out with the chores, whether at home or in the field. As a result, countless youngsters are kept out of school and are at risk of exploitation and abuse.
A pilot programme supported by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is giving children in Niger a chance to have a say in determining what is important to them and their communities.
Dianne Penn reports.
Duration: 4'09"
Za’atari camp in northern Jordan, home to some 55,000 Syrian refugees half of whom are children, is battered by unusually heavy rains, flooding, snow and sub-zero temperatures.
The United Nations children’s fund (UNICEF) is responding to the rising needs of the children in the camp.
Juliette Touma, the Agency’s Communications and Media Specialist in Jordan tells Reem Abaza that UNICEF is working around the clock moving the children to safer ground and making sure that they are warm and dry.
Duration: 2’19”
