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Global perspective Human stories

Darfur: Two decades on, a new generation of children faces 'horrific violence'

Twenty years after the conflict in Darfur first sparked global outrage, children in the region are once again trapped in a catastrophic cycle of violence, hunger, and displacement – but this time, the world is failing to take notice.

28 April 2026

MIDDLE EAST LIVE 27 April: Everyone’s paying the price for Hormuz closure, Guterres warns Security Council

The recently extended ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon remains under strain as violence continues, with civilian deaths and injuries reported in Israeli strikes over the weekend. Meanwhile, the Security Council is debating maritime security with the UN chief calling on nations restricting ship movement through the Strait of Hormuz to “let the global economy breathe.” Follow in-depth meeting coverage here. Stay with us for live updates.

27 April 2026

Central Sahel: Millions of children in humanitarian need, UNICEF official warns

Nearly 7.5 million children across the Central Sahel region in Africa are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance – “an emergency that remains too far from the attention of the international community,” a senior official with the UN child rights agency UNICEF has said. 

27 April 2026

As warheads proliferate, decades old nuclear weapons treaty must evolve, warns UN chief

With top diplomats gathered at UN Headquarters to review the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the UN Secretary-General warned that it must evolve to survive the age of AI and other new technologies.

27 April 2026

World News in Brief: Sudan drone attacks condemned, South Sudan violence, airstrikes in Ukraine, South Africa Freedom Day

The United Nations has condemned two recent drone attacks in Sudan, one of which left seven dead, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Monday during his regular media briefing in New York.

27 April 2026

Afghanistan risks losing 25,000 women teachers and health workers

Restrictions on girls’ education and women’s employment in Afghanistan could leave the country with a deficit of over 25,000 female teachers and health workers by 2030, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday. 

27 April 2026

Renewables rising, Part 2: Seeking stability amid volatile fossil fuel markets

As global energy markets remain volatile and the price of oil high due to instability and conflict in the Middle East, more countries are looking at investing in renewables to shield their economies from the shocks caused by fossil fuel reliance, rein in import bills – and meet key climate action targets. 

26 April 2026

Chokepoints and conflict: How the Hormuz crisis is exposing global shipping vulnerabilities

The blockading of ships in the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the conflict between the United States and Iran has demonstrated how ships and seafarers have become “leverage in geopolitical disputes,” according to the head of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO).

26 April 2026

Mali: Guterres calls for international solutions to curb spread of violent extremism in the Sahel

There are reports of continuing clashes in Mali on Sunday, a day after a series of coordinated attacks across the landlocked African nation against Government forces by extremists and northern separatist rebels.

26 April 2026

A race for rights: How sport is helping protect girls in Uganda

On a red running track in eastern Uganda, coach Zuena Cheptoek is doing more than training runners. For many girls in the Sebei subregion, she is also a confidante, a mentor and first line of protection against female genital mutilation, child marriage and abuse.

25 April 2026