humanitarian aid

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (centre) speaks to hospital staff at the Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan National Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.
WHO/Lindsay Mackenzie

Afghanistan’s healthcare system on brink of collapse, as hunger hits 95 per cent of families

22 September 2021
Humanitarian Aid

Afghanistan’s health system is on the brink of collapse, the head of the World Health Organisation, WHO, warned on Wednesday, while on the streets of Kabul, the hunger families are suffering is as acute in urban areas as the drought-stricken rural parts of the country. 

Food is distributed by WFP in Herat in western Afghanistan in August 2021.
© WFP

First humanitarian flight to Kabul marks 'turning point' in crisis: WFP 

14 September 2021
Humanitarian Aid

The return of humanitarian flights to Kabul since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is a turning point in the crisis, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday. 

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths speaks to UN News ahead of a crucial international conference on the needs of the Afghan people.
UN Geneva/Srdan Slavkovic

INTERVIEW: UN aid chief on humanitarian relief for Afghanistan, women’s rights and the Taliban

11 September 2021
Humanitarian Aid

A major funding appeal for Afghanistan is due to take place on Monday, 13 September. Ahead of the launch, Martin Griffiths, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, took part in an interview with UN News, in which he reiterated his belief that the country’s new Taliban leaders understand the significance placed by the international community on upholding women’s rights, and on providing guarantees so that aid agencies can function. 

A Cambodian woman shows her government-issued IDPoor card.
UNDP Cambodia/Kimheang Toun

Lifeline for vulnerable Cambodians as poverty doubles during COVID-19 pandemic

21 February 2021
Economic Development

In Cambodia, the shrinking economy, hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, has affected all population groups, but particularly the most vulnerable. A first-of-its-kind government scheme, managed with digital tools supplied by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), is ensuring that the poorest receive a level of social protection.

Kabul, the centre of Afghanistan's political and social life (file photo).
Photo: UNAMA/Fardin Waezi

Afghanistan: Detainee torture allegations remain ‘alarming’, UN report reveals

3 February 2021
Human Rights

Torture claims among people detained for security or terrorism-related offences in Afghanistan remain high, according to a new UN human rights report published on Wednesday. 

UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix, in centre with sunglasses, visited Ménaka, Mali, where he met with the Governor, President of the Interim Authority, armed groups signatories to the peace agreement, civil society and the local commander, among otthers.
MINUSMA

Mali in transition: UN peacekeeping chief takes stock of political and security developments

22 January 2021
Peace and Security

Against the backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating security situation in Mali and the wider Sahel region, the UN peacekeeping chief concluded a visit to the restive northwest African nation on Thursday. 

A school in Kaya, Burkina Faso, welcomes numerous children who have fled their homes due to violence.
UNOCHA/Olympia de Maismont

2020: ‘Biggest international challenge’ ever taken on by UN humanitarians

27 December 2020
Humanitarian Aid

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the “biggest international challenge” since the Second World War, according to the United Nations and has been the focus of the work of the UN’s humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, throughout 2020.

Retired WFP staff member Tun Myat (right) meets the Somali warlord Mohamed Farah Aideed at an airstrip in Bardera, Somalia in September 1992.
Tun Myat

FROM THE FIELD: Warlords and warehouses; reflections of retired Myanmar WFP staffer

26 December 2020
Humanitarian Aid

Negotiating with warlords in Somalia and rebels in the South Sudanese bush, and salvaging food from the chaos of the port of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, was once routine for a retired staff member of the World Food Programme (WFP) from Myanmar.

Mohammad Haneef Atmar (left), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan confers with Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Afghanistan at the UN in Geneva.
UN Photo/Violaine Martin

Afghanistan conference draws donor pledges and calls for lasting ceasefire 

24 November 2020
Peace and Security

International donors pledged financial and political support for Afghanistan’s peace process at the 2020 Afghanistan Conference in Geneva on Tuesday, anticipating a sustainable ceasefire that will help the country rebuild and heal after decades of conflict. 

A flood-affected village in Khartoum State, Sudan.
UNOCHA

Sudan alert: Flooding and surging inflation threaten humanitarian assistance 

2 October 2020
Humanitarian Aid

Catastrophic flooding and rising food and health costs in Sudan, have driven up the number of people in need, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday.