Global perspective Human stories

Podcast The Lid is On

UN OCHA Yemen

Giving voice to Yemen’s voiceless: Jamie McGoldrick reflects on two years in charge of the UN’s humanitarian effort

This year’s UN Response Plan for Yemen, describes the war-torn country as “the worst man-made humanitarian crisis” in the world, with more than 22 million people – around three-quarters of the total population – in need of help.

Over the past few years, it’s the voice of Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick, that has been drawing the world’s attention the most loudly, and the most often, to Yemen’s plight.

Audio
26'57"
UN News/Matt Wells

Podcast: UN “will save the world”: still passionate for peace at 90

He was one of the UN’s very first staff members, and 72 years on, Robert Kaminker is still advocating for peace and the power of the organization to ultimately “save the world”.

Although he retired in the early 1980s, his enthusiasm for explaining how the UN works and can help people everywhere lead better lives, never waned.

At 90, he is still hosting a weekly radio show in his native France, called “L’ONU vous concerne”, which translates as “The UN Matters”.

Audio
23'45"
UN News/Runa A.

Podcast: Japanese pioneer reflects on her first “business trip” to space

Astronaut Chiaki Mukai broke all the way through Earth’s stratosphere to become the first Japanese woman in space.

For this latest edition of our podcast series, The Lid Is On, she sat down with Dianne Penn at the recent High Level Forum on Space, held in Dubai and organized by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) together with the United Arab Emirates Space Agency.

Audio
25'12"

Podcast: Peacekeeping and protection in South Sudan

Defending the vulnerable from attack is one of the important duties of a UN peacekeeper, but what do you do when you come across a secret safe that may contain weapons, hidden away in a camp designed to protect civilians?

That’s one of the real-life dilemmas facing a UN police patrol in this latest edition of our podcast series from UN News, The Lid Is On.

Audio
21'11"

Podcast: Surviving sexual slavery - Grizelda’s story

How do you overcome years of sexual slavery, despite scars which will always remain?

Grizelda Grootboom knows the answer, and in September, she joined the Secretary-General at the UN’s main podium, to tell her story.

She came to urge the General Assembly to adopt a Political Declaration to end the scourge of human trafficking, telling delegates that they had to put victims’ needs first.

Audio
39'52"
UN Photo

Podcast: protecting children from online predators – what you need to know

If someone wanted to harm you or your family, what could they learn by looking at your social media profile?

That’s one of the key questions Paulina Greer puts to Neil Walsh, the head of global cybercrime for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in this latest edition of our podcast series, The Lid Is On.

The episode features a frank and in-depth look at what the UN is doing to try and protect children from being sexually abused online.

Audio
28'43"
UN Photo/Mark Garten

Podcast: South Sudan refugee influx threatens Uganda's "open door"

South Sudan has known no respite since fighting broke out last July, following the collapse of a peace deal between the government and opposition forces.

People in Africa’s newest nation have witnessed "barbaric" acts of violence carried out by armed groups, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), such as the sexual assault of women and girls and the kidnapping of boys for forced drafting.

The number of South Sudan refugees in Uganda has now passed the one million mark.

Audio
14'52"