United Nations | DD News

February 19, 2026 1:24 PM

Future of AI cannot be decided by handful of countries or controlled by a few billionaires: UN chief Antonio Guterres

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said that hosting the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in the Global South carries “special meaning,” stressing that the future of artificial intelligence must not be shaped by a handful of countries or controlled by a few billionaires. Addressing global leaders, technology executives and policymakers at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Guterres thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the invitation and congratulated India for organisin...

February 18, 2026 10:42 PM

UN human rights chief raises alarm after drone strikes kill more than 50 civilians in Sudan

The United Nations human rights chief expressed alarm on Wednesday following reports of more than 50 civilians being killed in drone strikes in Sudan in two days in the last week. At least 57 civilians were killed between Sunday and Monday, including at least 15 children, in separate drone attacks in four states across Sudan, according to the U.N. U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said the killings were a reminder of the devastating consequences of drone warfare in Sudan, with civilians and ...

February 13, 2026 7:18 PM

Afghanistan aid system severely strained by over 5 million returnees, UN warns

Over five million people have returned to Afghanistan from neighbouring states since expulsion policies began in late 2023, prompting the United Nations to warn on Friday that relief efforts are becoming overwhelmed by thousands of daily arrivals. Afghanistan is contending with a worsening hunger crisis driven by the mass deportations of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran, foreign aid cuts and economic crisis. "We are deeply concerned about the sustainability of these returns," Arafat Jamal, the U...

February 11, 2026 6:22 PM

Poland and Italy say they will not join Trump’s Board of Peace

Poland and Italy will not join U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, Warsaw and Rome said on Wednesday, adding to the list of Washington's allies remaining on the sidelines. Initially designed to cement Gaza's ceasefire, Trump sees the Board of Peace taking a wider role in resolving global conflicts which some countries fear means it could become a rival to the United Nations. This along with the fact that Russia and Belarus were invited to join means many Western countries have taken ...

February 6, 2026 2:44 PM

UN rights chief appeals for $400 million as crises mount and funding shrinks

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk appealed for $400 million on Thursday to address mounting human rights needs in countries such as Sudan and Myanmar, after donor funding cuts drastically reduced the work of his office and left it in "survival mode". The U.N. office is appealing for $100 million less than last year, after a significant scale back of its work in some areas due to a fall in contributions from countries including the U.S. and Europe. "We are currently in survival mode, deliveri...

February 5, 2026 3:02 PM

Explainer: Why is UN warning of ‘imminent financial collapse’?

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is sounding the alarm on U.N. finances, warning that the world body is at risk of "imminent financial collapse" due to unpaid fees and a budget rule that forces it to return unspent funds. Guterres has repeatedly spoken about the U.N.'s worsening liquidity crisis but this was his starkest warning yet, and it came as the United States, its main contributor - and debtor - is retreating from multilateralism on numerous fronts. Here are some questions and an...

February 3, 2026 6:41 PM

UN to deploy ceasefire monitoring mission in Congo, Qatar says

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo will send its first team to monitor a ceasefire between Congo’s government and the AFC/M23 rebel group in the coming days, Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Monday after hosting talks in Doha. Qatar said the team would be deployed to Uvira, a strategic city in eastern Congo that AFC/M23 fighters captured in December during a rapid offensive, and which Congolese forces and allied militias re‑entered last month, restoring government control af...

February 2, 2026 12:57 PM

UAE signs agreement with WFP to support humanitarian aid in Sudan

The United Arab Emirates has signed a cooperation agreement with the United Nations World Food Programme to support emergency humanitarian efforts in Sudan, including food assistance for conflict-affected populations. Under the agreement, signed between the UAE Aid Agency and the WFP, the UAE will provide a grant of $ 20 million to accelerate emergency food relief and address urgent food security needs, particularly among displaced people and vulnerable communities. The signing took place in th...

January 23, 2026 4:06 PM

As Haiti faces further political turmoil, the UN signals more troops on the way

A U.N.-backed security force deployed to Haiti to help local police fight off armed gangs that have taken over much of the country should get more troops in April and reach full strength by summer, the U.N.'s special envoy for Haiti said on Thursday. The pledge of more troops comes at a time of growing political uncertainty in the Caribbean nation, with the current transitional government's mandate set to end on February 7 without an official succession plan. U.N. envoy Carlos Ruiz said the fo...

January 23, 2026 3:55 PM

UN says 35 million Nigerians risk hunger after global funding collapse

Nearly 35 million Nigerians are at risk of hunger this year, including 3 million children facing severe malnutrition, the United Nations said on Thursday, following the collapse of global aid budgets. Speaking at the launch of the 2026 humanitarian plan in Abuja, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Mohamed Malick Fall said the long-dominant, foreign-led aid model in Nigeria is no longer sustainable and that Nigeria's needs have grown. Conditions in the conflict-hit northeast are dire, Fal...