UNITY STATE – As the inky black night blankets the large camp for displaced families in Bentiu, the only respite from the deep darkness is a string of lights shimmering in the distance and raucous chorus of frogs, bearing in from all sides of the floodwaters that surround the site. More than 100,000 people are huddled in their tiny homes, in absolute darkness, broken only by the random blob of light from a mobile phone or an enterprising solar…

Seven women in Mekenis Village have begun a transformative journey toward economic independence through a newly launched tailoring project supported by UN Police (UNPOL). Equipped with sewing machines and all necessary materials, the beneficiaries are gaining practical, income-generating skills designed to create sustainable livelihoods. The initiative was officially launched on 23 February, bringing together women and community leaders. UNISFA…

UNIFIL handed over the last two of five minefields cleared by its deminers over the past six months to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), during a ceremony held yesterday in Blida, southeastern Lebanon. While clearing the final two minefields, with a combined area of 5,188 square metres, UNIFIL deminers found 946 mines which were destroyed on site. In total, UNIFIL has cleared and handed over five minefields – covering 12,030 square metres – to the…

On 24 February, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, took part in a meeting held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to prepare for the international conference to support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and Internal Security Forces (ISF) scheduled to take place on 5 March in Paris. The meeting, which was hosted by Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty and attended by the heads of Lebanon’s…

JONGLEI - John Akuoch knows that South Sudan’s elections, currently scheduled for December this year, will be both historic and challenging. As the Assistant Coordinator for the South Sudan National Police Service in Jonglei, he believes that inclusivity is the key to success. “I am looking forward to a voting process where women are not left behind, though I understand that elections will be a complex undertaking. We need support and training so…

UNMHA and OSESGY discuss transition arrangements in Hudaydah and Sana’a

JUBA – At a farewell parade that was both poignant and celebratory, the outgoing Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Lieutenant General Mohan Subramanian, lauded the bravery of troops serving under him while reaffirming the value and effectiveness of UN Peacekeeping. “UN Peacekeeping is as relevant today as it will be in the future to prevent conflict in the first place, and to protect civilians. From my…

As part of UNIFIL’s continued support to Lebanon’s security institutions in extending state authority in south Lebanon, the UN mission handed over this week a number of vehicles and information technology (IT) equipment to the country’s two security entities. While the mission handed over two buses to the Internal Security Forces (ISF) on 24 February, today’s donations to the Directorate of General Security included 32 vehicles, 114 information…

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday told the Human Rights Council in Geneva today: “ Afghanistan is a graveyard for human rights. The cascade of edicts and laws announced by the de facto authorities since coming to power in 2021 is having a crushing impact on the Afghan people, particularly women and girls.” These edicts are being codified into an ever wider de facto legal framework. “ A new decree, signed by the…

YAMBIO - Ethiopian peacekeeper, Tigist Ferede, is serving her country and the United Nations with pride. The 46-year-old is not on the frontline of patrols but is helping to keep peacekeepers safe and ready for every challenge they might encounter. In the busy, traditionally male-dominated, workshop of the Ethiopian battalion in Yambio, Western Equatoria, the steady hum of engines and clang of tools form the rhythm of her day. As a skilled…