Features

Every recipe has a story, from Pakistan’s signature chicken korma to kaldu kokot cooked on Indonesia’s Madura Island. The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has set the table for an innovative campaign that brings seven recipes to life, tackling a wave of hate speech against migrants and refugees by serving up the rich diversity of food and culture they bring with them to Malaysia.

Fatoumatta Fatty’s commute on an old, malfunctioning wheelchair takes up to two hours during rainy season in The Gambia, but she is happy joining her co-workers at a sanitary pad production centre, where she takes pride in making products that help women overcome “period poverty” across the country.

In the summer of 2022, 70 Gambian babies and young children died from kidney failure after ingesting cough syrup spooned out by their caregivers. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global alert that four tainted paediatric products had originated in India, as local health authorities continue to investigate how this tragedy unfolded.

Civilians continue to bear the brunt of conflict-related violence and destruction, and during the Protection of Civilians (PoC) Week 2023, observed from 22 to 25 May, the UN and partners are working towards finding the best ways to protect them.

The water challenges confronting the western United States as a result of climate change and declining water supply, are similar to those of other countries, and if the international community takes urgent action on the outcomes of the recent UN Water Conference, there could be a big payoff. 

Chili peppers, fake medicine, fuel, gold, guns, humans, and more are being trafficked via millennia-old trade routes crisscrossing the Sahel, and the UN and partners are trying out new, collaborative ways to thwart those attempting the illegal practice, a growing problem in this fragile African region.

Beekeepers around the world earn their livelihoods from the golden honey their bees produce, but they also play a critical role in pollinating 87 of 115 leading food crops worldwide. World Bee Day, observed on Saturday, is abuzz with promoting their sustainable agricultural practices and respecting the role these pollinators play in nature.

Disasters can reverse hard-won development gains by decades and leave the most vulnerable populations more exposed to deadly risks. As nations gathered this week to take stock of how the world is better preparing for disasters in line with the Sendai Framework, Raul Salazar shared a view for UN News, from the Americas, a region that accounts for 53 per cent of global hazard-related economic losses, alongside high mortality rates.

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among African youth, so governments across the continent have resolved to drive in a new unified direction, ahead of Road Safety Week, observed 15 to 21 May.

For many mothers around the world, the month of May is an annual moment for them to receive thanks and recognition for all they do.