Latest stories
Creating in the time of coronavirus
Singers like Lady Gaga are not alone in having found inspiration during the Covid-19 pandemic. Contemporary artists like Spain’s Cristobal Gabarrón have also used this period to release some creative juices.
Zimbabwean journalists get the story straight on Covid-19
“The COVID-19 is a serious health crisis,” says Dr. Alex Gasasira, WHO Representative in Zimbabwe “And in a crisis, people get scared, they seek out information to stay safe. At the same time, a lot of rumours and half-truths get spread around. That is why we see false messages and videos circulating on social media, and unfounded theories about how the virus is transmitted. All of this misinformation can be deadly. We’re facing not only a health crisis, but potentially an information crisis.”
Elite chefs cook for special clientele during Covid-19: frontline workers and the elderly
What makes France so uniquely French? Its cuisine would be at the top of any list and, with apologies to the many gifted home cooks across the land, its world-class chefs are the epitome of French cuisine.
"We have a unique opportunity to design and implement more inclusive and accessible societies"
The COVID-19 crisis is affecting every aspect of our societies, revealing the extent of exclusion that the most marginalized members of society experience. Today, I would like to highlight how the pandemic is affecting the world’s 1 billion people with disabilities.
UN peacekeeping radio wears multiple hats in fight against COVID-19
From sharing vital health information about COVID-19 to providing educational programmes during school closures, radio stations operated by United Nations peacekeeping missions are now offering vital services amid the coronavirus crisis.
Malawi braces for Covid-19
How do you prepare for a pandemic? That’s the big question facing Malawi, a country of 18 million people that is known as “the warm heart of Africa,” for its friendly spirit.
COVID-19 in Fragile Settings: Ensuring a Conflict-Sensitive Response
The global health emergency created by the coronavirus (COVID-19) is particularly concerning: it could become even more dire as it spreads to countries affected by fragility, conflict and violence (FCV).
Returning home during Covid-19 and Ramadan
Mahmoud Hossam, a UN information officer in Egypt, spoke to UNIS Geneva’s Solange Behoteguy Cortes about observing Ramadan and other changes during Covid-19.
Education and COVID-19: UN helps children continue their learning
While schools are reopening in some corners of the world after pandemic-induced closures, the United Nations and its partners are helping children continue their learning through all possible means, including the Internet, radio and television.
Preventing a pandemic-induced food emergency
Despite successful harvests this past season, two billion people did not have regular access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food prior to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Indeed, hunger has been on the rise globally for the past four years. The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating pre-existing inequalities, putting immense strain on tenuous systems; and plunging those in the most precarious contexts deeper into poverty and hunger.
"Our response to COVID-19 must respect the rights and dignity of older people"
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing untold fear and suffering for older people across the world. The fatality rate for older people is higher overall, and for those over 80, it is five times the global average. Beyond its immediate health impact, the pandemic is putting older people at greater risk of poverty, discrimination and isolation.
UN combats disinformation during pandemic
Hélène Papper, head of UNIC Colombia, spoke to UN Geneva’s Solange Behoteguy Cortes about the many challenges and successes that she’s encountered during the pandemic.
5 ways the UN is fighting ‘infodemic’ of misinformation
By dispelling rumours, fake news, and messages of hate and division during the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations is working to spread accurate information and messages of hope and solidarity. To rally forces behind this effort, the United Nations is launching a new COVID-19 Communications Response Initiative based on science, solutions and solidarity to fight misinformation.
"The pandemic is exposing and exploiting inequalities of all kinds, including gender inequality"
Early signs are that the COVID-19 virus poses a greater direct health risk to men, and particularly older men. But the pandemic is exposing and exploiting inequalities of all kinds, including gender inequality. In the long term, its impact on women’s health, rights and freedoms could harm us all.
UN Peacekeepers Must Stay the Course
United Nations peace operations promote stability and security in some of the world’s most dangerous and fragile places. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, overstretched UN peacekeepers—civilian, military, and police—were a thin blue line helping to protect civilians, support peace agreements and contain conflicts in hot spots and war zones across the globe. If—or more likely when—the COVID-19 virus further spreads in countries already weakened by war and poverty, it will not only threaten the lives of the thousands, but could also tip the balance from tenuous peace back to conflict and despair.