People must be at the heart of post-pandemic recovery, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told a global meeting that opened on Tuesday to examine the economic and social impact of the crisis. 

Blantyre, Malawi, Feb 22 (IPS) - On the night of January 24, 2022, as Cyclone Ana-triggered rains incessantly rattled on the rusty roof of her house, amid intervals of gusty winds, a thud woke up Josephine Kumwanje from her sleep.

The island nation of Madagascar is shoring up for its fourth tropical cyclone in a month, UN aid agencies warned on Tuesday, as they outlined plans to help the authorities assist the most vulnerable. 

Following Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of certain areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Tuesday added her voice to the UN’s growing chorus of alarm.

Weapons exports to the military rulers in Myanmar by UN Member States must stop, the UN independent expert on the human rights situation in the country said on Tuesday.

NEW YORK, Feb 22 (IPS) - No people have ever risen from the ashes of near-extinction to form a country and achieve the height of development in every walk of life like Israel. These magnificent accomplishments are now tragically marred with domestically charged struggles which ominously undermine its very existence.

SYDNEY and KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 (IPS) - COVID-19 has exposed major long-term economic vulnerabilities. This malaise – including declining productivity growth – can be traced to the greater influence of finance in the real economy.

Secretary-General António Guterres is “greatly concerned” by the Russian Federation’s decision on the status of certain areas of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions, his Spokesperson said on Monday

SAN SALVADOR, Feb 21 (IPS) - A struggle for the defense of their territories waged by indigenous Maya Q'eqchi' communities in eastern Guatemala could set a historic precedent for Latin America's native peoples because it would ensure not only their right to control their lands but also their natural resources, denied for centuries.

A new project launched on Monday by two UN agencies aims to improve the diet of school-age children by supporting the development of nutrition standards for school meal programmes.