On the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, Secretary-General António Guterres reinforced his call for global solidarity. He urged combatants to lay down their arms and join in a global ceasefire. Across the globe, UN country teams covering 162 countries and territories are rallying their efforts, along with governments and partners, to combat COVID-19.
Last week, the world celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child. Progress for adolescent girls has not kept pace with the realities they face today, and COVID-19 has reinforced many of these gaps. Data shows women and girls are especially vulnerable in the face of COVID-19. UN teams across the globe recognize the urgency to protect and support women and girls, especially right now, and are taking every measure to do so.
In Syria, communities are struggling under the weight of the prolonged war, an escalating economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 11 million people across the country are in need of humanitarian support.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP), which provides lifesaving food assistance to millions across the world – often in extremely dangerous and hard-to-access conditions – has been awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize.
One million lives have been lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with local and national authorities, partners and civil society, UN teams continue to fight COVID-19 with the same continued ferocity and commitment. Today, we highlight some of their efforts across the globe.
After six months of lockdown, the Namibian government ended travel restrictions and curfews, in light of a drop in new COVID-19 cases. But Namibia’s economy, which depends heavily on wildlife tourism, has taken a major hit during the period, and the future of the country’s wildlife reserves is far from certain.
75 years on from the founding of the UN, young people are being enlisted to share their visions of a better planet, and help decide the next chapter of the Organization.
