General News

The highest number of people displaced by conflict ever was recorded last year, according to a report issued by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The Global Trends report says that close to 60 million people around the world were forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict in 2014.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, says that forced displacement is “getting out of control” in what he called a “world at war.”

The number of people displaced in sub-Saharan Africa has been described as “immense” in a new report by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

According to the Global Trends report, Africa had 3.7 million refugees and 11.4 million internally displaced people in 2014.

Around 4.5 million were newly displaced during that year, an increase of 17 per cent over the previous year.

Ethiopia replaced Kenya as the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa and the fifth largest worldwide.

The number of people forced by conflict and instability to flee their homes in Asia went up by 31 per cent in 2014, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The agency has released its new Global Trends report which covers displacements around the world as of the end of 2014.

UNHCR spokesperson Babar Balloch explained to Daniel Johnson why the number of people who were forced to flee has increased so dramatically.

Duration: 3’15”

The Force Commanders of United Nations peacekeeping operations have been briefing the UN Security Council about the challenges they face maintaining peace and security around the world.

More than 125,000 people serve at 16 UN peacekeeping operations stretching from Haiti in the Caribbean to Darfur in South Sudan and the Middle East.

The week-long meeting of Force Commanders is held every June at UN Headquarters in New York.

Dianne Penn reports.

Duration: 2'38"

Children in Yemen are facing what’s been described by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as a “catastrophic situation.”

While consultations on the future of the Gulf state continue in Geneva, an increasing number of children are dying as the fighting there escalates.

Yemen has suffered turmoil and instability after rebels seized the capital Sana'a last September driving the government into exile.

Approximately 12 million hectares of productive land is degraded every year, according to the United Nations.

On World Day to Combat Desertification the UN is highlighting the importance of land to sustain life on Earth.

To find out more about this issue, Joshua Mmali spoke with Louise Baker, a senior adviser at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

She first spoke about this year’s theme of the day.

Duration: 4’57”

Educating girls could help change societies and improve the lives of millions, according to the UN Human Rights chief.

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein is also urging countries to ensure that girls have safe access to quality education that includes information about human rights.

His comments came during a panel discussion held in Geneva on Tuesday.

Dianne Penn reports.

Duration: 2'36"

One of the world’s top football clubs is helping to improve the lives of children in the Central African Republic.

Juventus Football Club is working with the UN cultural organization (UNESCO).

Dianne Penn reports on a recent visit to the country made by the two organizations to see how a project they’ve developed is having an impact on youngsters affected by more than two years of violence between Muslim and Christian militias.

Duration: 3'00"

The Government of Tanzania has taken important steps to tackle the problem of ritualistic violence against people living with albinism, but challenges remain.

That’s according to the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the East African country, Alvaro Rodriguez.

The International Albinism Awareness Day was observed for the first time at a big event in the city of Arusha in northern Tanzania on 13 of June.

Children are not soldiers. That’s the message coming out of South Sudan on the Day of the African Child, celebrated this Tuesday, 16 June.

The day honours the memory of schoolchildren killed during a demonstration for better education in Soweto, South Africa, in 1976. It was designated by the African Union in 1991.

Jacob Ruai has been speaking to Migyikra Erasmus, a Child Protection Officer at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), who explains how conflict has affected children in the country.