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The United Nations is stepping up its efforts to provide health, food aid and temporary shelter to those affected by the avalanche that hit the Dispay village in the Badakshan province of northern Afghanistan last week, resulting in the death of 50 people and wounding four others.

The Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria, Kofi Annan, today urged Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to embrace change and reforms that will create the foundation for a democratic society in his country.

The United Nations top envoy in Iraq today called for improved access to basic services for people living in the Al-Manar camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), stressing that children in particular must be able to receive an education while living in the informal settlements.

The Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States for Syria, Kofi Annan, today urged Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to take “concrete steps” to end the current crisis in the Middle Eastern country.

The United Nations relief chief today urged Syrian authorities to allow unrestricted access to humanitarian organizations to deliver aid to people affected by the ongoing violence, saying she was “horrified” by the destruction she had seen in some of the areas she visited during her two-day visit to the country.

A United Nations independent expert warned today that the right to safe drinking water and sanitation could be sidelined at next week’s world water forum in France where delegates from 140 governments, international organizations, civil society and the scientific community are due to meet to discuss global challenges concerning water.

More than 3,000 civilians fleeing violence in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have entered Uganda since the beginning of this year, the United Nations refugee agency reported today.

On the eve of the first anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 20,000 people in eastern Japan, United Nations officials praised the country’s recovery and highlighted the progress made to improve nuclear safety.

The United Nations refugee agency reported today that Yemen is facing a new wave of internal displacement, with tens of thousands of civilians fleeing tribal clashes in the north and fresh fighting between Government troops and militants in the country’s south.

An independent United Nations human rights expert warned today that Switzerland’s proposed law authorizing heavy fines for protesters without official permission to demonstrate would have a “chilling” effect on the rights to freedom of assembly and expression in the country.