The UN’s top humanitarian official in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday called for Goma airport to be urgently reopened, warning its continued closure is paralyzing relief operations.

UN agencies on Tuesday offered a dire assessment of the global impact of deep cuts to grassroots humanitarian funding by the incoming US administration and reiterated calls for Washington to retain its position as a global aid leader.

Some 30,000 residents from Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank have fled their homes after large swathes of it were destroyed in a series of controlled detonations by the Israeli security forces (ISF), the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Feb 03 (IPS) - Venezuela stands at a critical juncture as Nicolás Maduro begins a controversial third term as president. His 10 January inauguration, following a post-election period marked by widespread protests against election fraud and heightened repression, represents a significant setback for democratic aspirations in a country devastated by years of economic collapse and political oppression. Maduro’s confirmation at the helm is the latest chapter in a decades-long process that has transformed Venezuela from a beacon of leftist democratic aspirations into a full-blown authoritarian regime, where the last shred of legitimacy – popular election – has now vanished.

MAPUTO, Mozambique, Feb 03 (IPS) - No illusions: Mozambique remains in crisis, despite the inauguration of Daniel Chapo as president and the establishment of a new parliament. While the widespread allegations of massive electoral fraud during the elections on 9 October 2024 were the immediate trigger for the unrest, the protests revealed deeply entrenched socio-economic and political grievances.

PORTLAND, US, Feb 03 (IPS) - Many Americans, especially the wealthy and successful, have discovered that the US is facing the scourge of an ageing elderly population that is seriously threatening the nation’s prosperity, economic growth and international standing.

IDLIB, Syria, Feb 03 (IPS) - When 42-year-old Amina al-Hassan's family returned home after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, her son stood on a landmine.

Two people who have fought on opposing sides of the decades-old conflict between Palestinians and Israel have come to together through “grieving and crying” to discuss how Israeli Jews and Palestinians can live side by side in peace.

The UN Secretary-General expressed deep alarm on Monday over reports of summary executions of civilians in the Sudanese city of Khartoum North, allegedly carried out by fighters and militias allied with the forces of the military Government.

The UN Special Envoy for Syria said on Monday that Syrians across the political spectrum share a deep conviction that the country’s political transition must succeed.