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© UNHCR/Caroline Irby

British actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw named latest UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador

24 February 2021
Migrants and Refugees

British actor Gugu Mbatha-Raw was on Wednesday appointed a global Goodwill Ambassador with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. 

IMF/Joaquin Sarmiento

Pandemic recovery presents historic opportunity to ensure human rights for all: Guterres

24 February 2021
Human Rights

Human rights have been battered in the COVID-19 pandemic but recovery represents a chance to improve on the status quo and finally ensure dignity for all, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the General Assembly on Wednesday. 

MINUSCA / Herve Serefio

Central African Republic ‘very volatile’, despite important progress – UN peacekeeping chief 

24 February 2021
Peace and Security

Despite a successful presidential election and other noteworthy progress, the Central African Republic (CAR) continues to be plagued by violence and volatility, the UN peacekeeping chief told the Security Council on Tuesday. 

UNFPA

Supermodel Natalia Vodianova joins UNFPA to tackle stigma and advance women’s health

24 February 2021
Women

The UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, on Wednesday appointed supermodel, philanthropist, and impact investor Natalia Vodianova as its newest Goodwill Ambassador, in an effort to empower women and girls, including fighting stigma surrounding menstruation.

© UNICEF/Francis Kokoroko/COVAX

Ghana receives first historic shipment of COVID-19 vaccinations from international COVAX facility

24 February 2021
Health

Six hundred thousand doses of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine from the UN-partnered COVAX initiative have arrived in Ghana: a historic first for the international partnership to provide equitable innoculations for all.

UNICEF/Francis Emorut

COVID-19 imperils ‘historic advances’ in children’s access to school meals: UN report

24 February 2021
Health

Hard-won gains in efforts to provide millions of the world’s most vulnerable children with nutritious food, through free daily meals at school, are at risk due to the coronavirus pandemic and its fallout, a UN World Food Programme (WFP) report said on Wednesday. 

Unsplash/Alexander Schimmeck

Myanmar: Stop harassment of workers, UN agency urges military

24 February 2021
Peace and Security

The United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) has called on the military in Myanmar to end the harassment and intimidation of workers by security forces, and ensure that they can exercise their rights to freedom of expression, in a climate free of violence and fear.

Unsplash/Behrouz Jafarnez

Experts accuse Iran of rights violations in shooting down Ukraine airlines flight

23 February 2021
Human Rights

Iran committed multiple human rights violations in shooting downing Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Flight PS752 last year and in the aftermath of the deadly attack, two  independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on Tuesday. 

MONUSCO/Abel Kavanagh

UN to review deadly convoy attack in DR Congo which led to Italian Ambassador’s death

23 February 2021
Peace and Security

The World Food Programme (WFP) has provided further information on the deadly convoy attack in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Monday in which Italy’s Ambassador to the country, his bodyguard, and a WFP driver were killed. 

© WFP/David Fernandez

Climate crisis and economic shocks leave millions food insecure across Central America

23 February 2021
Humanitarian Aid

Reporting that hunger has increased almost fourfold in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua in the past two years, the World Food Programme (WFP) on Tuesday warned that 1.7 million people are in the ‘emergency’ category of food insecurity, calling for $47.3 million now, to provide urgent food assistance.