UN - Top Stories

1. World News in Brief: Yemen appeal, Middle East war roils Somalia, needs grow in Colombia

   UN aid teams in Yemen on Wednesday warned that the situation in the war-torn nation remains dire in a call for $2 billion in aid to deliver lifesaving assistance for 12 million people.

2. Middle East war risks undermining Syria’s fragile recovery, Security Council hears

   The international community must step up efforts to support Syria amid the current conflict raging in the Middle East, two senior UN officials told the Security Council on Wednesday. 

3. MIDDLE EAST LIVE 18 March: Lebanon displacement tops one million as nuclear safety concerns raised

   The crisis in the Middle East continues, with ongoing strikes and rising humanitarian needs. The UN nuclear watchdog reported Wednesday that a projectile struck the site of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, although no casualties have been reported. In Lebanon, the humanitarian situation is worsening, with hundreds reported killed and more than one million people displaced. UN agencies are scaling up emergency assistance despite mounting challenges. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here.

4. Nearly 5 million children are still dying annually before their fifth birthday: Here’s why

   An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new United Nations estimates released on Tuesday – highlighting a worrying slowdown in global progress on child survival.

5. ‘No matter what’, UN Women vows to stay in Afghanistan, amid deepening rights crisis

   UN Women will continue delivering for Afghan women and girls despite sweeping restrictions and ongoing instability, a senior official said on Tuesday.