Category: Development

“I am not completely recovered, and my body is still weak. I have swollen feet and, if I walk for more than 10 minutes, I will find myself sweating, and out of breath. Despite this, I went back to work”. The words of Hasna Gul, a UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) worker in Pakistan, who caught a severe case of COVID-19… Read More

Praising the kindness shown by people around the world, the tireless efforts of frontline workers, the scientists who have developed vaccines in record time, and the countries making new advances to save the planet from climate catastrophe, Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his wish for a year of healing.   2020 has been a year of trials, tragedies and tears. But a New Year lies ahead. And with it, we see rays of hope. Working together in unity and solidarity, we… Read More

“The next pandemic may be more severe”, said Dr. Mike Ryan, head of the WHO Emergencies Program, adding that we need “get our act together”, because we live on a fragile planet, and in an increasingly complex society. “Let’s honour those we’ve lost by getting better at what we do”. Let’s honour those we’ve lost by getting better at what… Read More

Global impact of unparalleled disruption UNICEF India Children in Odisha, India take lessons in the open air as a precaution against COVID-19. School closures as a result of health and other crises are not new, at least not in the developing world, and the potentially devastating consequences are well known; loss of learning and higher drop-out rates, increased violence against… Read More

“This first observance of the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness falls at the end of a year in which a scenario many had feared came tragically true … As we strive to control and recover from the current pandemic, we must think about the next,” Secretary-General António Guterres said in a message.  He also highlighted the need for strong health… Read More

WHO Health facilities around the world, like here in Gaza, were stretched to their limits as the number of cases increased. As 2020 comes to an end and people around the world try to make sense of how the world has changed, they are faced with one stark and brutal statistic. The number of people who have died after catching… Read More

Resident Coordinator in the country, Niky Fabiancic, is leading these efforts, said UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, speaking in New York.  More than 7.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Brazil, according to latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO).  As of Tuesday, there were more than 76 million cases globally, with 1.7 million deaths.  WHO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are working with the Brazilian authorities… Read More

Resident Coordinator in the country, Niky Fabiancic, is leading these efforts, said UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, speaking in New York.  More than 7.2 million cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Brazil, according to latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO).  As of Tuesday, there were more than 76 million cases globally, with 1.7 million deaths.  WHO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are working with the Brazilian authorities… Read More

The film industry alone, could lose about 10 million jobs this year, according to UNESCO, while a third of world’s art galleries could cut their staffing by half or more, data collected by the agency shows. Similarly, what has been in effect a six-month closure of concerts and performance, could end up costing the music industry more than $10 billion in lost sponsorships, while… Read More

According to news reports, more than 40 countries have now banned arrivals from the UK, because of mounting concerns over a new, more transmissible mutation of the new coronavirus, although health officials there stress that there is no evidence it is more deadly, or that it would not respond in the same way to the vaccines cleared for emergency use.  … Read More