Interviews

Syria has made “remarkable progress” on transitional justice in just one year, says one UN legal expert, raising hope, while also warning that powerful social stigma continues to prevent many survivors of conflict-related sexual violence from coming forward.Sofia Candeias, from the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, told UN News that new institutions and reforms mark a significant step forward following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.But the true scale of abuse may never be known, as stigma at personal, community and societal levels remains “the largest obstacle” to reporting and access to support.Calling on the international community to step up, Ms. Candeias told UN News's Ana Carmo that sustained support is critical to ensure survivors can safely access justice and care.

A massive wave of Israeli airstrikes struck Lebanon on Wednesday – despite the US-Iran ceasefire declared hours earlier – killing 254 people and injuring 1,165 others, according to local authorities. Strikes hit densely populated areas, including Beirut, with no warning, leaving many still trapped under rubble. Hospitals are overwhelmed, facing mass casualties and critical shortages of supplies. The UN World Health Organization is working tirelessly to provide support across the country, while dozens of medical workers have been killed and injured in recent weeks. UN News' Nancy Sarkis spoke on Thursday to the WHO's Representative in Lebanon, Dr. Abdinasir Abubakar, who witnessed 10 different strikes on Beirut during the horrifying bombardment.  

The ceasefire between the US and Iran has brought no respite to civilians in Lebanon, where deadly Israeli strikes intensified across the country on Wednesday, dramatically worsening the humanitarian situation. Repeated escalations in violence over recent weeks have significantly increased humanitarian needs, raising concerns about whether aid agencies can keep up with demand.Blerta Aliko, the senior UN Development Programme official in Lebanon, was in the middle of updating UN News's Ezzat El-Ferri, when heavy bombing began near her location in Beirut.Later, speaking from the safety of the basement at UN House, Ms. Aliko said the situation had now become critical.

For over three decades Rwanda has been recovering from the almost unimaginable horror of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.On Tuesday the UN commemorated the systematic crimes committed there – in which more than one million people were killed – with ceremonies held at several of its offices around the world.The event was attended by survivors of the massacre, senior UN officials and representatives of the Rwandan authorities including Karoli Martin Ngoga, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations.He sat down with UN News's Assumpta Massoi and explained the significance of the ceremony held at UN headquarters in New York.

More than 130,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory are believed to have been contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance since the full-scale Russian invasion of the country in 2022.As the Government, with the support of the United Nations, attempts to clear the land, fresh mines continue to be laid in the shifting frontline regions.Ahead of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, which is marked on 4 April, UN News's Nargiz Shekinskaya spoke to Ben Lark, Ukraine Mine Action Program Manager at the UN Development Programme.He told her that the UN is focusing on training Ukrainian mine clearers, improving Government coordination and taking advantage of the latest AI-based technology to make the task more effective.

Over 20 per cent of Ukraine is contaminated by landmines, which are becoming more dangerous and more difficult to clear.Anti-personnel mines are now being deployed remotely by artillery, rockets, helicopters and drones, while some of the most sophisticated devices can launch projectiles at targets after detecting movement. Paul Heslop, head of the UN Mine Action Service in Ukraine, is warning that the biggest challenge facing mine action today is that contamination is increasing faster than it is being cleared, making it vital to adopt new technology quickly.Edouard de Bray from UN News asked Mr. Heslop how the latest tech is making landmines more deadly.

The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) has warned of a sharp rise in the eviction of Palestinian families, particularly around Jerusalem's Old City.According to Ajith Sunghay, OHCHR's top official in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, evictions have intensified since the 7 October attacks of 2023, shifting from isolated incidents to more coordinated actions – some reportedly organized via WhatsApp and social media – targeting Palestinian communities and property.In an interview with UN News' Reem Abaza, he added that tensions have escalated further in recent months, with nearly 36,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, over the past year.

A UN peacekeeper has been killed, and another critically injured after a projectile hit the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base near Adchit Al Qusayer in southern Lebanon on Sunday.The mission's spokesperson Kandice Ardiel spoke to UN News' Nancy Sarkis and said an investigation is underway, with no confirmed responsibility so far.The incident comes amid escalating violence along the Blue Line of separation, with reported Israeli incursions and continued exchanges of fire. UN Peacekeepers remain in position despite the dangerous conditions, supporting civilians in line with their Security Council mandate.

There is no escaping the fact that the war in the Middle East has triggered a global energy crisis.But could it also spark a water crisis? After fuel, water is emerging as a strategic and critical target.The Middle East is one of the driest regions in the world and desalination – turning seawater into drinking water – is vital for people and agriculture across Israel and the Gulf countries. Any attack on this infrastructure could have serious consequences.To understand what is at stake, UN News's Nathalie Minard spoke to Ziad Khayat, who is a senior official specialising in sustainable development with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. 

Ongoing war in the Middle East, along with ongoing attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, has underscored just how vulnerable maritime routes are – and the potentially deadly consequences for those needing lifesaving assistance, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.Trade and energy markets are already feeling the strain, with potentially severe consequences - particularly for developing countries. There are growing concerns that continued escalation could trigger the largest disruption in the history of the global oil market.UN News' Nancy Sarkis spoke with Frida Youssef, Chief of the Transport Section at the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD), about the crisis in the Gulf.

As the world marks the International Day of Happiness on 20 March, researchers warn that in an increasingly digital and uncertain world, young people's well-being is shaped as much by social connection as by the economic headwinds they face.  Dr Robert Waldinger of Harvard University – who leads one of the longest-running studies in history focused on human well-being – emphasises that while pleasure matters, lasting happiness comes from meaning, relationships and a sense of belonging. In an interview with UN News' Nargiz Shekinskaya, Dr Waldinger urges people to engage more authentically online and offline. Stronger human connections remain key to improving well-being for the generations to come, he says. 

How is the Middle East crisis affecting countries far beyond the region?In Nepal, more than 1.7 million migrant workers are employed across Gulf countries, and remittances form a vital part of the economy. Disruptions to travel, rising costs and growing insecurity are already having a major impact.UN News's Vibhu Mishra spoke with Numan Özcan, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Country Director for Nepal, who explained the dangers facing workers and their families.

Afghans are being pushed from crisis to crisis as instability across the region deepens an already severe humanitarian emergency, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has warned.In an interview with UN News, spokesperson Babar Baloch said many returning from neighbouring countries are not finding safety, but instead facing bombardment from Pakistan, displacement and growing hunger.Women and girls are among the hardest hit, while funding shortages are limiting the humanitarian response.Stressing that “this is not the time to look away”, Mr. Baloch spoke to our producer Anshu Sharma who's based in Delhi, calling for urgent international support to meet rising needs and prevent further suffering.

After three weeks of escalating violence in Lebanon, children are paying the highest price. More than 830,000 people have been displaced – including around 290,000 children – with many forced to flee their homes in panic as Israeli airstrikes continue.According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), many families fled with nothing - no clothes, toys or schoolbooks - spending hours trapped in traffic while explosions echoed around them.Despite the mounting challenges, UN agencies are scaling up emergency assistance.Christophe Boulierac, UNICEF Lebanon's Chief of Advocacy and Communication, told UN News' Nancy Sarkis that many youngsters are showing signs of severe anxiety after years of repeated crises. 

Rising Islamophobia is a serious global concern that requires a collective international response focused on education and combating misinformation about Islam, says the UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia. Speaking to UN News ahead of the International Day to counter the scourge marked on 15 March, Miguel Moratinos warned that incidents are increasing in several regions, particularly in Europe, but also in Asia, Africa and the Sahel. The trend, he said, reflects growing polarisation and the politicisation of Muslim communities in some countries.Mr. Moratinos – who also serves as High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations – told UN News's Khaled Mohamed that respecting religious diversity and combating discrimination are essential to fostering peaceful coexistence.

Lebanon is facing a “perfect storm of unpredictable challenges” as escalating conflict, mass displacement and shrinking humanitarian resources collide, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Imran Riza, told UN News. Mr. Riza described a rapidly deteriorating situation in which civilians, particularly children, are paying the highest price.In just over a week, around 700,000 people have registered as displaced through Lebanon's Ministry of Social Affairs, while schools across the country have been turned into shelters, disrupting education for thousands of children.Speaking to UN News' Reem Abaza, he warned that the humanitarian response is struggling to keep pace as funding declines and regional support weakens. 

The UN World Food Programme – WFP – has spoken of its relief that the closure of a key crossing point for aid and commercial supplies to Gaza has reopened after being shut, when Israeli and US bombs began hitting Iran.Speaking from Jerusalem, WFP's Country Director in Palestine, Shaun Hughes, described how chronic constraints on aid delivery have kept humanitarian assistance at a “hand-to-mouth” level across the war-shattered enclave.To illustrate that point, Mr. Hughes explained that WFP has just two weeks' worth of half rations available for 1.5 million Gazans, after being forced to cut the full ration in January. “We'd like to get [rations] back up to 75 per cent, but with the level of food that we're getting in at the moment, that seems unlikely,” he told UN News's Daniel Johnson.

The crucial Strait of Hormuz global shipping corridor marking the entrance to the Persian Gulf, is essentially closed due to the threat of strikes from Iran and elsewhere After a tugboat assisting another vessel in the strait this morning was struck killing at least four seafarers, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, told UN News on Friday that the situation was “deteriorating” and urged ships to avoid navigating in the region. The international shipping and seafarer security chief told Edouard de Bray that Member States need to “find solutions through dialogue in order to de-escalate” to restore free and safe passage. 

UN agencies are preparing to support Afghans who may return from Iran in the coming months amid rising regional tensions, a senior UN official has told UN News.Georgette Gagnon, Officer-in-Charge of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said agencies including the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the International Organization for Migration, IOM, are preparing assistance at border crossings and in communities across Afghanistan expected to host returnees.The border crisis will be on the agenda next Monday when Ms. Gagnon is due to brief the Security Council in New York. She sat down with UN News's Liudmila Blagonravova who began by asking how UNAMA's preparing to support potential returnees.

Deadly violence has erupted once again across Lebanon and Israel, following the bombing of Iran by Israeli and US forces.Mass displacement in Lebanon has resulted, as thousands of people in Beirut and elsewhere flee airstrikes targeting Hezbollah militants, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country (UNIFIL). Speaking from southern Lebanon, UNIFIL's Tilak Pokharel said families, including women and children, have been leaving the area in large numbers since hostilities intensified last weekend. Videos posted on social media showed heavily congested roads as residents attempted to escape airstrikes and ongoing military activity.UN peacekeepers have been assisting civilians who were unable to leave conflict-affected areas, transporting them to locations they consider safer, and facilitating humanitarian access, including supporting requests from the Lebanese Red Cross to reach injured people and displaced populations. While warning that the situation remains “very fragile”, Mr. Pokharel told UN News's Nancy Sarkis that the escalation risks “spiralling out of control”, unless the parties halt the fighting.

As Ukraine entered its fifth year of full-scale invasion, millions of people are struggling every day to keep the lights on, cook and heat their homes amid extreme winter conditions.This fourth winter has been particularly harsh with 65 per cent of Ukraine's energy generation capacity methodically destroyed.Women and children are bearing the brunt of energy blackouts, which undermine their safety, protection, and economic security, according to gender agency, UN Women.Halyna Skipalska who runs the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health spoke to UN News's Nathalie Minard about the growing impact of war on women and children's mental health.

As global hunger surges to historic highs, with around 300 million people facing acute food insecurity, the World Food Programme is turning to technology, partnerships, and internal reforms to deliver aid faster and more effectively.This involves expanding school meal programmes, strengthening collaboration with countries, and using Artificial Intelligence to predict crises and target assistance, At the 2026 India AI Impact Summit, WFP's Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau told UN News's Anshu Sharma that innovation and cooperation will be critical to meeting rising humanitarian needs despite shrinking funding and growing global instability.

Nearly three billion people around the world do not have adequate housing, and the crisis is no longer limited to developing countries. Cities across Europe and North America are also facing growing affordability challenges, says UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach.Speaking to UN News's Anshu Sharma in New Delhi, she told us poverty and inequality remain the main causes of the crisis. However, climate change and extreme weather are making housing insecurity worse, especially for people living in informal settlements.

At just 16 years of age, Raul John Aju already has a formidable stack of achievements under his belt.The teenager from the Indian state of Kerala runs his own company creating artificial intelligence tools, advises governments on how to use the tech, and teaches students how to engage with it in their professional and personal lives.His prodigious activities have earned him the moniker “AI Kid of India” at home, and an invitation to speak at the recent 2026 India AI Summit, where he met politicians and top officials – including UN chief António Guterres.UN News's Anshu Sharma sat down with Raul at the summit and asked what had got him interested in technology at such a young age.

Set up in May 1948, the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, UNTSO was the first ever peacekeeping operation established by the UN. In an interview with UN News, Major General Patrick Gauchat, Head of Mission and Chief of Staff, explained the mission has evolved since it was first established to monitor ceasefires and support peace agreements in the aftermath of world war. Working closely with UN forces in Lebanon and the Golan, UNTSO complements their security, medical, and engineering operations. And with the mandate extension in Lebanon ending in December 2026, the truce supervision mission could take on a bigger role along ceasefire lines.Mr. Gauchat told UN News's Khaled Mohamed the longest-running mission's presence gives reassurance to civilians living in conflict areas. 

As repatriation efforts for Burundian refugees from Tanzania accelerate, concerns are growing over reports of coercive measures, shelter demolitions and mistreatment during the return process, amid warnings that some refugees may still need international protection.Bahia Egeh, External Relations Officer with the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, stressed that returns under the tripartite agreement with Burundi and Tanzania must be carried out in safety and dignity, and based on free and informed choice rather than pressure.UN News's Edouard de Bray started by asking her to explain why Burundian refugees in Tanzania are being repatriated. 

As artificial intelligence reshapes global agriculture, questions remain about who truly benefits from this technological shift.In this interview with Anshu Sharma from UN News, Brenda Gunde, Global Lead for ICT4D (Information Communication Technology for Development) at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), explains how emerging digital tools can support smallholder farmers, improve decision-making, and reduce inequality – as long as issues of access, affordability, and scalability are addressed.Speaking on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, Ms. Gunde highlights why inclusive innovation, local access to information, and practical delivery systems are essential to ensuring AI strengthens rural livelihoods rather than widening existing gaps.

According to the World Bank, the real AI revolution in developing countries isn't coming from flashy mega‑models, but from small, low‑cost tools that solve local problems.Mahesh Uttamchandani, the organisation's Regional Practice Director for Digital and AI inEast Asia and Pacific and South Asia, sat down with Anshu Sharma from UN News during the India AI Impact Summit, and explained that these systems are cheaper to run, easier to adapt, and already delivering outsized impact.

As the India AI Impact Summit, the first of its kind in the Global South, enters its final days, UN News has been talking to some of the senior UN officials who have made the trip to New Delhi.One of them is Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, who has been meeting with world leaders and the heads of technology companies.When he sat down with our colleague Anshu Sharma, Mr. Türk explained why human rights must be at the core of a powerful technology that many believe is about to transform the world.

In Sudan, the conflict between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has plunged the country into widespread bloodshed and humanitarian catastrophe. The devastating civil war began in April 2023 and is expanding beyond the western Darfur region into central Kordofan, taking its toll on civilians and particularly the most vulnerable, including children.Eva Hinds, Spokesperson for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Sudan, describes how the agency is supporting boys and girls amid the brutal conflict and ongoing cuts to aid budgets.She spoke to UN News's Nathalie Minard in Geneva.

India's AI Impact Summit – the first of its kind in the Global South – is underway in New Delhi, and the United Nations has a significant presence at the event, with over 30 side events planned over the week.The main message from the UN is that access to, and development of, AI tools ne eds to be democratised beyond the handful of major economies that are currently driving the technology.Amandeep Gill, the UN Special Envoy for Digital and Emerging Technologies, is attending the Summit, where he will discuss the UN's central role in AI governance. He told Anshu Sharma from UN News that managing the risks and harnessing the opportunities needs to involve everyone, not just a small elite. 

Since the declaration of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on 10 October 2025, the United Nations' main concern has been — and remains — the urgent scaling up of humanitarian aid.And while the long-awaited reopening of the Rafah crossing at the start of this month raised hopes, it has also been marked by delays and reports of mistreatment of Palestinians, according to aid organizations, with no significant improvement in the overall humanitarian situation.For more details, UN News's Nancy Sarkis spoke to Gaza aid veteran Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

Politics used to be a battle over competing ideas, but now it's become a very real fight “between identities”: that's according to Valentina Grippo, an Italian Member of Parliament and delegate to the UN-affiliated Inter-Parliamentary Union, or IPU, which met at UN Headquarters this week in New York.  A majority of MPs worldwide are facing threats and abuse from voters, according to a new IPU report which found that 71 per cent of surveyed lawmakers experienced violence from the public – whether offline, online or both. Speaking to Edouard de Bray of UN News Ms. Grippo stressed that rising polarisation and online disinformation are fuelling violence against politicians and undermining democratic debate worldwide.

As wars drag on across continents and conflicts grow more complex, children continue to bear the heaviest and most heartbreaking cost.Marking 30 years since the United Nations first established its mandate to protect children caught in war, Vanessa Frazier, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, is sounding the alarm, and calling for renewed global commitment to prevention, protection, and accountability.Ms. Frazier warned that grave violations against children are rising sharply, with more than 7,400 cases of child recruitment verified in 2024 alone.Charlotte Frantz began by asking where child recruitment is happening the most – and what is driving it.

As Holocaust remembrance increasingly moves into digital spaces shaped by artificial intelligence, virtual worlds and interactive media, experts are calling for stronger global coordination to ensure ethical, sustainable and responsible memory work.Speaking at UN Headquarters around International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Professor Victoria Grace Richardson-Walden stressed that no single institution or sector can address these challenges alone. Policymakers, technology companies, museums, educators, researchers and digital creators must work together, she said, to avoid fragmented efforts that waste resources and risk losing vital historical material as technologies rapidly evolve.UN News's Ana Carmo started by asking her why global collaboration is key for shaping the future of Holocaust memory in digital spaces. 

The head of the police component of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Mamouma Ouédraogo – appointed late last year – was at UN Headquarters in the past few days, taking part in the Police Week.The gathering reunites senior police officers from peacekeeping operations and staffers from the UN's special political missions. In an interview with UN News's Jérôme Bernard, she outlined the support provided by MONUSCO's police component to the Congolese national police and explained the measures being taken to address human rights violations, particularly sexual violence.

Ukraine is facing one of its most severe winters since the war began, with attacks on critical infrastructure leaving hundreds of thousands of families without heating or electricity as temperatures fall below minus 20 degrees Celsius.Speaking to UN News, UNICEF's Chief of Field Operations in Ukraine, Kenan Madi, warned that children continue to bear the brunt of the crisis, particularly in major urban centres such as Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa, where central heating systems have been heavily damaged.UNICEF has responded by scaling up emergency winter assistance, including cash support to vulnerable families, expanding child protection services, and helping schools and utilities maintain essential heating and water services.UN News's Evgeniya Kleshcheva began by asking Mr. Madi to detail the situation facing families and humanitarian workers on the ground.

Catherine Mootian was just twelve years old when she underwent female genital mutilation (FGM), a moment that changed her life forever.Growing up in Kenya's Maasai community, she was told the cut marked her transition into womanhood. But years later, that painful experience became the driving force behind her mission to protect other girls from the same fate.Today, Ms. Mootian is the founder and executive director of AfyAfrika – leading the fight to end FGM and to help survivors heal.UN News' Assumpta Massoi began by asking Ms. Mootian about her childhood ordeal, and how it has shaped her over the years

The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, says it is ready to support a ceasefire between the Congolese authorities and the M23 armed group, following an announcement by Qatar that it will deploy a first monitoring team under the Doha peace initiative.M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, is an armed group operating in eastern DRC that has seized key towns, including Goma in January and Bukavu in February, fuelling renewed violence and displacement.MONUSCO says the initial deployment will be limited to Uvira, in South Kivu, and will not mark a permanent return to the province, which the Mission left last year. UN News's Cristina Silveiro asked the mission's spokesperson Ndeye Khady Lo whether the development should be seen as a positive signal for peace.

As the UN system continues to grapple with financial constraints, international police officers serving at peacekeeping missions are responding to the challenge.The UN Police Division is making plans to deploy smaller specialised teams in some field settings, where necessary, who will still “achieve more” despite their reduced numbers. That's according to UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar, who with UN Police Week now underway in New York, outlined other steps including training national authorities to ensure self-sufficiency.Mr. Shahkar spoke to UN News's Dianne Penn about the challenges they face, with safety and security topping the list.  

Kenya's national action plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030 offers renewed hope for girls and women in rural communities, where access to prevention and care has often been limited. Aligned with World Health Organization (WHO)'s targets, the plan focuses on free vaccines to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection – which can lead to various cancers including cervical cancer – providing early screening and timely treatment.Joseph Mogga with WHO's office in Nairobi, spoke to UN News's Assumpta Massoi and explained how by bringing services closer to where women live, Kenya is signalling a strong, positive commitment to ensure that no girl or woman is left behind – especially when it comes to cervical cancer prevention.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that improving the nutritional quality of food served in schools can help children develop healthier eating habits for life.Last week, the UN health agency released its first-ever global, evidence-based guidelines outlining policies and practical interventions to help schools provide healthier food and drink options.Katrin Engelhardt, a scientist at WHO who led the development of the new guidelines, spoke to UN News's Ileana Exaras about what they recommend – and why creating healthier school food environments is an urgent priority today.