Interviews

In Africa’s central Sahel region, millions of people do not have enough to eat – and between the lean season and the encroaching COVID-19 pandemic, there are real fears that the situation is spiralling out of control. 

In an interview with UN News’s Daniel Johnson, Chris Nikoi, the World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Director for West Africa, says that he can’t sleep at night for worrying about the potential impact COVID-19 restrictions will have on humanitarian operations. 

Keeping fit is an important way to cope with the self-isolation measures imposed by many governments, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But how are elite athletes coping with being stuck indoors? 

On the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, Conor Lennon spoke to Brad Snyder, a multiple medal-winner with the US Paralympic team.

When they  spoke, Conor asked Brad about the importance of sport and exercise for everyone currently stuck inside for most of the day.
 

Echoing the UN Secretary-General, the head of the UN office in Papua New Guinea, Gianluca Rampolla, has appealed to the world's developed countries to support the most vulnerable nations.

Mr. Rampolla warned of the devastating impacts that outbreaks could have on countries such as Papua New Guinea, noting that the landscape could shift rapidly, and dangerously, from a health emergency to a humanitarian disaster.

Imagine you’re an aid official in a massive developing country where COVID-19 is just the latest in a long list of life-threatening challenges to millions of people. The question is: what do you do first?

In an interview with UN News’s Daniel Johnson by Skype, UNICEF’s representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Edouard Beigbeder, explains what his priorities are and what kind of threat the new coronavirus poses so far.

Lockdowns and school closures around the world due to COVID-19, are affecting children’s learning, mental health, and access to basic health services.

In the Pacific Islands, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) are working with governments and partners to stop transmission and keep children and their families safe.

In an interview for UN News, UNICEF Pacific Representative, Sheldon Yett, painted a grim picture of parents and caregivers losing their jobs, compounding the problem of shuttered classrooms.