Author: News Desk

The big picture The Caribbean nation is in the grip of a deepening security, humanitarian and governance crisis. Armed gangs control large swathes of the capital Port-au-Prince and beyond, displacing families and restricting access to schools, healthcare and basic services. Poverty is worsening for the most vulnerable families, and children are increasingly susceptible to gang […]

António Guterres highlighted the need to build skills, data capacity, affordable computing power and inclusive ecosystems. He expressed concern that without investment many countries will be “logged out” of the AI age.   “Our target is $3 billion,” he said. “That’s less than one per cent of the annual revenue of a single tech company.”  He called this […]

He warned that the world’s addiction to fossil fuels remains “one of the greatest threats to global stability and prosperity,” and criticised efforts by some fossil fuel interests to slow progress and spread disinformation. “Those who lead this transition will lead the global economy of the future,” he added. Fair transition Mr. Guterres called for […]

The Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2026, released by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on Wednesday, finds that at the current pace the region will miss 103 of 117 measurable targets – or 88 per cent – across the 17 global goals. Adopted by world leaders […]

At the top end, in the period from last December to March 2026 around 1.25 million people will be in ‘emergency’ levels of acute food insecurity, characterised by large food gaps and high levels of acute malnutrition –  the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report revealed.  Immediate lifesaving assistance is needed to prevent a “catastrophe” for the over a million people in emergency levels of food insecurity.    Drivers of crisis   […]

The unrest erupted in late December 2025 in cities across Iran over soaring inflation, rising food prices and the collapse of the national currency, resulting in a deadly and widespread security crackdown. In a statement on Thursday, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder said the agency was “deeply concerned […]

From biometric grain dispensers and smart warehouses to crisis-mapping platforms and humanitarian communication avatars, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) showcase at the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit demonstrated how data and machine learning are being applied to strengthen food and nutrition systems at scale.  Among the most visible innovations is Annapurti – a “grain ATM” – that allows beneficiaries of public food programmes to authenticate with biometrics and collect […]

About 60 per cent of the population – some 1.2 million people – is already acutely food insecure, according to WFP. Food assistance is being transported along river routes, but rising insecurity is hampering humanitarian operations and threatening to drive hunger to unprecedented levels. WFP teams are registering newly displaced families in Canal Pigi and other […]

“Just over a month ago, Sudan reached a horrific milestone: 1,000 days of a brutal war that has nearly destroyed the third largest country in Africa,” Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs said.   It has been “1,000 days of staggering violence and unimaginable suffering” and “1,000 days of total impunity for the perpetrators of […]

The UN Security Council meets this morning to discuss Sudan as the war nears its third year, with fighting intensifying across multiple regions and civilians facing deepening humanitarian catastrophe. Senior UN political and humanitarian officials are expected to brief ministers on a conflict marked by shifting front lines, advanced weaponry and widespread displacement. The meeting […]