UN – United Nations

WHO/T. Jasarevic Amal is a five-year-old Syrian girl who loved having tea parties with her cousins. In 2013, she was diagnosed with cancer – a tumor in the nervous system – and is being treated at the Children Hospital in Damascus. The crisis in Syria, which enters its fifth year this month, has devastated Syria’s health system and led to severe shortages in treatments for ailments from heart disease to cancer. “It is really disturbing […]

This month the crisis in Syria enters its fifth year, and right now, over 100,000 children from Syria have been forced to flee their homes and are living as refugees in Iraq. At the same time, conflict in Iraq has displaced millions of people, leaving even more children in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. I recently spoke with Jeffrey Bates, Chief of Communications and Strategic Partnerships for UNICEF Iraq, to ask him about what the

At an event for Data2X a few months ago, our partner Pali Lehohla, Statistician-General of South Africa, wisely said, “If you think information is expensive, try ignorance.” It’s true: How can we fix a problem if we can’t identify or understand it? Without solid data as a foundation, we can’t create smart policies and guide impactful and cost-effective investments for global development. As the world turns its attention to the post-2015 development goals, it’s critical

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we honor the women in our lives and our world who inspire us most – the women who push us to dream bigger, reach higher, and work harder. There are so many female visionaries, political leaders, CEOs, and changemakers who have helped make progress for girls and women around the world. And today, I’d like to introduce you to a few more who you may not have heard of

(Photo credit: Jiro Ose/UN Foundation) Tens of millions of people around the world have been forced to flee their homes because of conflict, disaster, and other humanitarian emergencies. Food, shelter, water, and medicine are all essential to their lives: So is energy. Quality energy solutions are required for lighting, heating, and safety, particularly for girls and women. Yet often in refugee camps or other emergency settings, reliable, safe, and quality energy is unavailable. Kerosene lamps,

March 20 is the International Day of Happiness, and one thing that has become clear over recent decades: Happy people need a happy planet. Right now, the health of our planet is threatened by climate change. According to the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, scientists are now more certain than ever that climate change is real, it’s caused by human activities, and it’s already affecting us. If we’re going to live in a

Last October, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed a High-Level Panel on UN Peace Operations to evaluate the role of UN Peacekeeping and political missions that work to promote peace and security around the globe. This review comes at a time where peace operations have evolved exponentially and peacekeepers are often deployed into conflict regions where there is no peace to keep. This vital review is working to improve and better support the work of

More than five days after Cyclone Pam caused catastrophic damage across Vanuatu, thousands of families remain in shelters and many of the 60 inhabited islands are cut off from aid. Two teams of government, United Nations, and non-governmental organization experts conducted disaster assessment missions to two islands in the southern province of Tafea, finding severe and widespread damage across the bigger islands of Tanna, Erromango, and Efate. The latest UN Situation Report says shelter, water,

On March 22, the United Nations celebrates World Water Day to highlight the importance of water for humanity. Here are five (of many) reasons from UN Water why having access to clean water and being smart about water usage can help bring happiness and shape a better world for all. Families and communities can stay healthy: Water is vital to our health, but despite impressive gains made over the last decade, 748 million lack access