Category: World

Speaking at a time of mounting humanitarian need and shrinking resources, the Pope warned that conflict continues to drive food insecurity around the world and stressed that food security must be treated as a matter of global security.  “Meeting this need not only alleviates suffering but also addresses underlying causes of geopolitical instability,” he said.  […]

The warning comes amid ongoing reports of a significant build-up of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the North Kordofan state capital, with the UN Security Council expressing concern on Saturday over “the imminent risk of mass atrocities”. The paramilitary RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been at war for more than three years, creating an unprecedented humanitarian and protection crisis, with more than 30 […]

The United Kingdom strongly condemns Russia’s latest mass strikes against Ukrainian cities, including the large-scale attack of 14-15 June, which killed at least 11 civilians. That night, Russia launched 611 drones and 70 missiles against Ukraine, yet another escalation.  This included 40 ballistic and hypersonic missiles, making it the second largest such attack of this […]

“There is now a genuine opportunity to help Syrians move from survival towards recovery,” said Assistant Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs Indrika Ratwatte, on behalf of UN relief chief Tom Fletcher.  “This moment requires ambition anchored in realism: sustained humanitarian action, political will and investment are essential to help Syrians move beyond emergency assistance and rebuild […]

Aid agencies are doing what they can to help, including by identifying dangerously malnourished children in sparsely populated “ghost villages” where those who can leave do so, said Olga Cherevko from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.  But with nearly 22 million people in need across Afghanistan and the UN’s $1.7 billion appeal only 14 per cent funded, life is “becoming impossible” in remote areas, the agency warns.   Survival strategy  Water scarcity is the main cause of strife for villagers in Bamyan province who struggle, far from Afghanistan’s major cities.   “This particular village that I went to, […]

I will make three points. First, the United Kingdom welcomes the announcement of the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran and congratulates all involved in this diplomatic breakthrough.  It is vital negotiations are concluded rapidly.  Regional de-escalation is a chance to build stability and peace for the benefit of all those in the neighbourhood, including […]

Keir Starmer has resigned as leader of the Labour party, and so in time as the UK’s prime minister. In the end, despite his numerous assurances that he would fight on, after Andy Burnham’s resounding win in the Makerfield byelection, the pressure on Starmer became too great to withstand. It makes him the sixth British […]

The Foreign Office and Met Office are joining forces to help improve global preparation for climate shocks. New partnership to be launched at London Climate Action Week, supporting AI forecasting to predict weather patterns as climate security becomes increasingly important for governments around the world. This reflects the Foreign Secretary’s key priority of security – […]

  Some 17 million people live on 4,000 islands across the EU, while 95 million people – one fifth of the EU population – live along EU coastlines across 22 EU countries. Both communities are vital assets to our economy but face several challenges: climate change, economic sustainability and growth, and overtourism, to name but a few. The European Commission has presented its first-ever, tailor-made […]

Yet for the past 20 years, the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) has quietly been helping countries to avoid violence, recover from conflict and build more peaceful futures for their citizens. Today, it’s the UN’s main vehicle for investing in peace before crises spiral out of control. As the UN marks its first ever peacebuilding week, […]