The Smurfs are back – and this time they are smurfing up a global storm. Teaming up with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Paramount Pictures, the iconic blue characters are leading a campaign that encourages children and grownups everywhere to “Speak Up” for a better world.

The fuel crisis in Gaza has reached a breaking point, threatening to bring all humanitarian operations to a halt and endangering the lives of everyone reliant on aid inside the enclave, UN agencies warned in a powerful joint statement on Saturday.

UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (IPS) - Since early June, Afghan refugees in Iran have endured increasingly harsh humanitarian conditions, with many being forced to repatriate under conditions that violate the principles of international humanitarian law. In 2025 alone, over one million refugees have returned to Afghanistan, further stretching the limited supply of resources amid a severe and multifaceted humanitarian crisis.

SRINAGAR & BONN, July 11 (IPS) - This 62nd meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies (SB62) from June 16 to 26, 2025 revealed the persistent complexities and political tensions that continue to challenge multilateral climate governance. 

UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (IPS) - Global investments in energy exceeded USD 3 trillion in 2024, with at least USD 2 trillion being invested in clean energy technology and infrastructure. Infrastructure. Despite that progress, fossil fuel consumption continues to rise with little sign of slowing.

NEW YORK / GENEVA, July 11 (IPS) - The United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) has expressed concern at the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ announcement that certain activities mandated by the council cannot be delivered due to a lack of funding. The council has sought clarity on why certain activities had been singled out.

Spacious paddocks, green pastures, and a devoted all-female staff: on Long Island, a strip of land surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean near New York City, horses once destined for slaughter are given a second chance – to live, and to help people heal. The farm, founded in 2010 by Marisa Striano, is named after her beloved horse, Spirit. It offers healing – for both horses and humans in need.

Emergency vaccination campaigns have slashed deaths from major infectious disease outbreaks by nearly 60 per cent since 2000, according to a new study published this week.

Humanitarian needs in the Gaza Strip “have never been higher” while the ability to assist the population has “never been more constrained,” a senior official with the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday in New York.

The UN Secretary-General issued a statement on Friday condemning the latest Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen.