UN News Centre

About 97 per cent of young people believe that bullying is a pervasive problem in their communities, and two-thirds say they have been bullied, a new survey conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and their partners finds.

The United Nations today sounded the alarm over a spike in violence in crisis-torn Yemen, as the world body’s human rights wing reported the number of civilian casualties in the conflict has been “steadily mounting,” with some 815 casualties since April alone.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the bomb attacks in Thailand that took place on Thursday and Friday, expressing hope that the perpetrators will be quickly brought to justice.

The countries hosting refugees from their crisis-gripped neighbour, South Sudan, are straining under the sheer weight of the ongoing exodus as desperate people continue to arrive at their borders daily, joining hundreds of thousands of others that fled for safety before them, the United Nations has warned.

Amid the difficult humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic (CAR), the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners are stepping up efforts to respond to a recent cholera outbreak in villages along the Oubangui River and have stressed the urgent need for more resources and support for the country.

Expressing concern about alleged violations against migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees, the United Nations human rights office today reiterated its call for Australia and Nauru to end the practice of processing and keeping these people offshore.

Bolstering the commitment of the United Nations to work with and for the world&#39s youth, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced several key initiatives towards that end, including the formation of an expert group on &#39youth, peace and security,&#39 and naming a new envoy on youth employment.

The world&#39s young people &#8211 who make up the largest generation of youth in history &#8211 can lead a global drive to break the patterns of the past and set the world on course to a more sustainable future, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said youth, with their creativity and idealism are the key to delivering the goals of the new UN sustainability agenda.

After two children were paralyzed by polio in Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria, the first cases of wild poliovirus in more than two years, the United Nations health agency today stressed the need to prioritize immunization of children in hard-to-reach areas such as the Lake Chad region, spanning several countries and often affected by conflict.

Hostilities in the Gaza Strip dating back to 2014 and earlier still pose serious threats to life and physical integrity in the tine enclave as explosive remnants of war (ERW) and other legacy hazards remained littered throughout the strip, said the United Nations humanitarian wing, spotlighting a sustainable strategy to mitigate those risks.

Encouraging young refugees gathered for an event at resettlement centre in Los Angeles to “study hard [and] be a full part of your new communities,” United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the United States and other countries to keep reaching out to people in need, wherever they are, because “we will all be stronger” by building bridges instead of walls.

The United Nations envoy facilitating peace talks on Yemen announced today that as the discussions wind down for a one-month break, the process will enter a &#8220new phase,&#8221 during which &#8220the focus will be on working with each side separately to crystalize precise technical details.&#8221

With global tensions rising and progress on nuclear disarmament hard to find, &#8220the world needs the Hibakusha spirit more than ever,&#8221 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, citing the determination and perseverance of those survivors of the 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bomb attacks as an example for championing peace and a seeking a better future for all.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today that it is responding to a growing food security emergency causing malnutrition in children in both rural and urban areas of crisis-gripped South Sudan.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon participated in the Olympic Torch Relay in Rio de Janeiro this morning as the historic torch, after having made its journey from Greece, is just hours away from lighting the Olympic Flame.

Syrians stranded at a sealed border with Jordan have received life-saving food and other supplies from the United Nations in a unique operation that saw aid hoisted by crane and monitored by drones across the closed frontier.

For the first time in five months, convoys from the United Nations refugee agency have reached non-Government controlled areas in Luhansk, in the easternmost part of Ukraine, carrying much- needed construction materials, kitchen sets and items for use in winter for thousands of people affected by the conflict.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has commended the European Union (EU) Commission for its 50 million euro contribution to the multinational task force, created by Lake Chad Basin countries – Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria – and Benin to combat Boko Haram insurgents in the sub-region.

The United Nations human rights chief today deplored the execution of 20 people in Iran this week for purported terrorism-related offences.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today paid a visit to the Olympic Village in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he encouraged refugee athletes to show the world their strengths.