When Home Is No Longer Safe: A Family’s Return in Sudan In many parts of Sudan, families returning home after conflict face a hidden danger: explosive hazards. During fighting, explosive items can fall into residential areas without detonating. Long after the violence stops, these items remain a serious threat to civilians. For families trying to rebuild their lives, these hidden hazards can turn homes, parks, and neighborhoods into dangerous…
As we enter April, we commemorate the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (IMAD). Since its inception in 1997, UNMAS has responded to conflicts across the world, working to mitigate the impact of explosive ordnance on communities. Since establishing a programme in the OPT in 2009, UNMAS has worked with partners and local communities to minimize explosive risks and support peace. Throughout this period UNMAS has…
New York, 1 April 2026 – The United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) has published a digital exhibition titled Signs of Safety. The exhibition aims to highlight the universal and indiscriminate risks posed by explosive ordnance, how these threats are perceived by children across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Sudan, and Syriat, and the key role that affected communities play in championing safety messaging. With the International Day for…
Dear Colleagues, As part of UNTSO’s continued commitment to climate action and sustainable development, and in recognition of the importance of leading by example, UNTSO joined the Secretary-General in observing Earth Hour 2026, as in previous years. Accordingly, non-essential lights at UNTSO Headquarters in Jerusalem were switched off in observance of Earth Hour on Saturday, 28 March 2026, from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. This collective effort highlights…
Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari Remarks to the Security Council on the situation in Lebanon New York, 31 March 2026 Mister President, Amid the wider escalation across the Middle East, the situation in Lebanon continues to deteriorate drastically. Since the last emergency meeting of this Council on Lebanon on 11 March, and the closed consultations held on 17 March, Hizbullah and Israel have both expanded the scale and scope of their…
The killing of three UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon in the past two days has highlighted the grave dangers for the 10,000 military personnel who make up the bulk of UNIFIL, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon – and for the communities caught up in intense clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah fighters. “It's extremely volatile, extremely dangerous, and you know, we see the situation for us as peacekeepers, also for the civilians who…
Invest in Peace; Invest in Mine Action The world marks the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action on 4 April, reaffirming the essential role mine action plays in securing peace, enabling recovery, and driving sustainable development. This year’s global theme, “Invest in Peace, Invest in Mine Action,” highlights a fundamental truth: peace cannot be sustained where landmines, cluster munition remnants, and other…
A MINURCAT mission, including officers from Human Rights, Humanitarian, Mine Action, Gender, and Public Information, undertook on Thursday, 21 May, 2009, a mission to Am Dam to assess the humanitarian situation following…
KABUL - Chris Alexander, the United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, has left after six years in the country. Mr Alexander worked in Kabul from 2003, first as Canadian ambassador…
Media agencies are invited to attend the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon's Maritime Task Force (MTF) transfer of command ceremony on the 30th of May, 2009 on board the BNS Leopold I of UNIFIL's MTF. Belgium will be…
KABUL - After six years in Afghanistan the United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Chris Alexander, is leaving the country. Mr Alexander has worked in Kabul since 2003, first as Canadian…
25 May 2009 - Floods and landslides in the five northern provinces of Faryab, Jawzjan, Balkh, Samangan and Sari-i-Pul have caused widespread destruction and casualties. According to the United Nations Office for the…
El Fasher, 25 May 2009 – The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) today condemned heavy fighting in and around a North Darfur town that has injured more than 50 people and forced hundreds of civilians to…
25 May 2009 - The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) extended this week a partnership agreement with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), an international non-governmental organization, to expand efforts to help strengthen protection…
25 May 2009 - Capacity development and community participation are being placed at the centre of the Afghan government’s National Rural Access Programme (NRAP), a programme that continues to enhance year-round access to basic…
24 May 2009 - As the period for filing challenges against candidates closed on 23 May, the Election Complaints Commission today announced that it received a total of 268 challenges between 16 and 23 May. English - Dari -…
24 May 2009 - It has come to the ECC’s attention that a number of Preliminary Candidates have begun to post campaign posters and engage in other campaign activities in advance of the Campaign Period established by the IEC…