For millions of people around the world, a life without digital connectivity is unthinkable. From receiving wages and welfare checks to making payments, getting medical help, verifying identity, and much more, with a click of a button, people of all ages engage every single day with digital infrastructure.
More than 600 million women and girls lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022, a 50 per cent increase since 2017. Civilians around the world need greater humanitarian aid than ever before—but countries are instead increasing military spending, which topped USD 2.2 trillion in 2022.
The number of people killed in Gaza has reached 5,087 according to latest reports from de facto authorities there, amid intensifying Israeli airstrikes in response to Hamas attacks, even as United Nations entities have repeated urgent calls for a ceasefire and more aid convoys.
UN humanitarians said on Friday that an agreement to unlock aid deliveries across the Gaza border was near, as UN chief António Guterres delivered a powerful call in front of the gates at the Rafah crossing to get lifesaving aid moving.
On the summit of a hill, where access roads often succumbed to heavy rains, Hambini Village in Papua New Guinea stands as a symbol of resilience and community spirit. Its 9,000 residents, spread across 1,500 cocoa farming households, faced formidable challenges. Yet, amidst these challenges, a steady transformation has been taking place, led by the villagers of Hambini.
The UN team in Palestine, led by Resident Coordinator Lynn Hastings, called on the Israeli Government to rescind its announcement for UN agencies and Palestinians to ‘relocate to southern Gaza immediately’ without any guarantee for their safety or their return.
Migration often brings with it many risks for communities, such as sexual harassment, crime, and human smuggling given how porous borders are. With ITC's support, Ndey Fatou stepped away from the dangers of unsafe migration towards a thriving local enterprise.
Wage losses, job insecurity, and a rising cost of living crisis have been a common thread in the past few years, across the world, directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, decent jobs that deliver a fair, secure income for all are critical to tackling inequality and poverty. Social protection systems help vulnerable people find such jobs and improve their ability to cope with crises through increased access to education, health, and other social security nets, helping absorb the impacts of shocks without major social or economic setbacks.
Our UN teams are on the ground in 162 countries and territories, coordinating joint programmes and tackling a range of priorities and initiatives — from climate action and food security to gender equality and safety of civilians.