UN Interviews

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  Syria’s new institutions take shape, but the economy is the test 02.10.2026 11Min.

  Syria is building new State institutions and pushing its political transition forward, but recovery, inclusive representation and transitional justice remain major hurdles, according to the UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria.Speaking to UN News’ Khaled Haridy during the General Assembly’s High-Level Week, Claudio Cordone said a People’s Assembly is now in place, with an electoral commission and permanent constitution in preparation.In a call for greater international support, he said around four million Syrians have returned home – but the economy and infrastructure must be rebuilt, with most still living below the poverty line.
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  Fighting food waste, one meal at a time 29.09.2026 6Min.

  Every day, more than a billion meals are thrown away, and this rotting food produces the greenhouse gas methane which is responsible for around a third of global emissions overall.The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that food waste and loss threaten food security, forests and sustainable agrifood systems in a world where millions are still going hungry.UN News’s Dianne Penn in Nairobi spoke to Michael Muratha, a Project Manager at UNEP – which is headquartered in the Kenyan capital – who makes the case for preventing and reducing food loss to benefit farmers, families, vulnerable communities and the planet.
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  Ukraine’s health system presses on despite attacks, rising needs and looming winter 29.09.2026 9Min.

  The full-scale Russian invasion is placing immense pressure on healthcare across Ukraine, limiting people’s access to essential services and damaging medical facilities.  That’s according to Halyna Skipalska, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Foundation for Public Health, which receives support from the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA. Ms. Skipalska was at Headquarters this week and spoke to UN News’s Liudmila Blagonravova about the most urgent health needs, support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and concerns around continued attacks on energy infrastructure as winter approaches. 
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  Sudan: UN envoy stresses need for sustained diplomacy 28.09.2026 10Min.

  The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, says intensified diplomatic efforts are offering cautious grounds for hope, despite the continued fighting between rival militaries – and complexity of the brutal conflict.Speaking to UN News on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr. Haavisto said while military leaders in Khartoum and senior RSF militia are not yet ready to sit together, even small “baby steps” through UN shuttle diplomacy are significant at this stage.Speaking to Abdelmonem Makki, Mr. Haavisto insisted that the Sudanese people “are not alone” while warning that fighting and attacks on humanitarian convoys and workers continue to obstruct the delivery of crucial aid. 
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  Sudan: El Niño threatens food security as FAO warns of critical funding shortfall 25.09.2026 12Min.

  Food insecurity in Sudan could worsen sharply in the coming months as conflict and displacement are compounded by the effects of the El Niño weather pattern, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Friday. With rainfall forecast to decline by up to 40 per cent in parts of the country, FAO is urging donors to fund proven measures that can protect livelihoods and boost food production – despite the ongoing war between rival militaries.Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience, spoke to UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri following his visit to Khartoum, White Nile and Sennar states, where he met farmers, pastoralists and fishing communities.
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  UN Advocate Joseph Gordon-Levitt calls for human-centred AI rulebook 23.09.2026 10Min.

  As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes society, actor and UN Global Advocate for Human-centric Digital Governance Joseph Gordon-Levitt is calling for stronger rules to ensure the technology remains accountable to people. Mr. Gordon-Levitt’s role is affiliated with the UN Internet Governance Forum (IGF) / UN DESA, which brings together diverse voices to help shape a more inclusive and human-centred digital future. In an interview with UN News, Mr. Gordon-Levitt argued that AI should be “governed by people and for people.”His comments come as the global debate on AI guardrails moved to UN Headquarters this week, with many world leaders citing concerns from the podium. Speaking to UN News’s Charlotte Dawson, he said one of his biggest concerns is the growing influence of AI on children, particularly its potential effects on attention and human relationships.
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  UN General Assembly: ‘There’s no alternative’ to the diplomatic stage in New York 19.09.2026 12Min.

  For over eight decades, the UN General Assembly has served as the world’s most representative forum, bringing nations together to debate some of the defining challenges of the day.When it was founded in 1945, the architects of the UN expected the Security Council to be at the centre of global decision-making. But Cold War tensions soon sowed division – shifting much of the political debate to the assembly.Richard Gowan, Director of UN and Multilateral Diplomacy at the International Crisis Group in New York, tells UN News’s Ana Carmo that, despite repeated predictions of its demise, the assembly remains indispensable. 
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  UNODC chief warns technology is reshaping global crime 18.09.2026 14Min.

  Rapid advances in technology are fundamentally changing the global crime landscape, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).As its newly-appointed Executive Director, Monica Juma is heading to the 15th UN Crime Congress, taking place in Abu Dhabi from 26 September through 1 October, for the first time in charge of the key agency.In an interview with UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri in Vienna, Ms. Juma highlighted how criminal groups are making increasing use of digital tools to reach victims across borders almost instantly. She tells us it’s time for governments and institutions to respond more effectively. 
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  Yemen conflict intensifies, displacing tens of thousands 11.09.2026 8Min.

  Yemen's decade-long conflict between Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces has dangerously escalated over the past week, reaching a new peak after months of rising tensions.An estimated 46,000 people have been displaced since fighting resumed just over a week ago, with numbers expected to rise further as the situation continues to change "by the hour".Houthi fighters have seized the strategic port of Mokha and reportedly an island in the Red Sea — a major threat to the shipping routes they have been targeting.Speaking to UN News' Khaled Haridy, Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Yemen, explains how the humanitarian crisis is worsening, the UN response to growing needs, and the challenges hampering its work.
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  Nepal: With over two million tonnes of debris to clear, rebuilding ‘will take time’ 11.09.2026 6Min.

  Two weeks after a glacier collapse triggered devastating floods in northern Nepal, entire communities remain cut off, homes lie buried under tonnes of rubble, and families are still waiting for news of loved ones.According to latest figures from the UN humanitarian affairs office, 1,267 people have died and some 5,132 remain missing, while the UN estimates the disaster created at least 2.2 million tonnes of debris.The regional director for UN field operations arm UNOPS, Sara Netzer, was on the ground following the floods that affected around 84,000 people.In an interview with UN News’s Nancy Sarkis, she says the scale of destruction is unlike anything she saw after Nepal’s 2015 earthquake, and that rebuilding will take time.
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  ‘Their school is everything’: Palestinian children face learning crisis 02.09.2026 14Min.

  As a new school year begins, classrooms are reopening and children are returning to their studies – but that’s not the case for many young Palestinians.For many in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, schools run by the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, have provided a pathway to opportunity for generations, with some 2.5 million students graduating. However, financial constraints and conflict have disrupted or shattered their progress, threatening to further derail their prospects for the future.In an interview with UN News’s Reem Abaza, UNRWA Director of Education Julia Dicon discusses what education means to Palestine refugee children and why sustained support is critical.
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  UNRWA: A vital lifeline for Palestine refugees amid shrinking humanitarian space 27.08.2026 14Min.

  Despite increasingly difficult conditions, the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, continues to operate on the ground, remaining a vital lifeline and providing education, healthcare, humanitarian aid and social protection in Gaza and the West Bank. Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank, spoke to UN News’ Reem Abaza and stressed that the issue goes beyond the agency itself, saying the “restoration of respect for the United Nations at large and for UNRWA as an agency mandated by the General Assembly” is essential. He warned that shrinking humanitarian space and displacement are dangerous trends and underlined that urgency of returning to a credible pathway towards the two-State solution and eventually a situation where UNRWA as an agency “does not have to do its work anymore because the conflict is moving towards a solution”.
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  Inside UNICEF’s race to deliver life-saving supplies within 72 hours of an emergency 23.08.2026 9Min.

  When an emergency strikes, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, aims to get life-saving supplies moving within 72 hours. UNICEF’s emergency response includes health, water and sanitation, education and recreation kits, as well as critical support for vaccine cold chains. At its major humanitarian supply hub in Copenhagen, Denmark, emergency kits are pre-positioned and ready to be dispatched to countries affected by conflict or natural disasters. Erika Abs, UNICEF Emergency Supply and Logistics Coordinator, spoke to UN News’s Felipe de Carvalho and explained why much of the most important work happens before emergencies even begin.
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  AI offers new opportunities to transform agriculture across Africa 21.08.2026 8Min.

  Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to support agriculture across Africa, helping farmers access weather, crop and market information. But the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says better connectivity, reliable infrastructure, relevant data and digital skills are needed to ensure smallholder farmers can benefit from these technologies.Meshack Malo, FAO’s Deputy Regional Representative for Africa, told UN News’s Feissal Kirwa that fewer than 10 per cent of farmers are currently benefiting from digital agriculture services, with rural communities particularly affected by limited connectivity.
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  Preserving victims’ stories helps prevent hatred and division 20.08.2026 10Min.

  Acts of terrorism driven by hateful ideologies continue to injure, harm and kill thousands of innocent people each year.For Hassan Ndugwa – a survivor of the 2010 terrorist attack targeting a screening of the football World Cup Final in Kampala, Uganda – the experience became a call for action.Angered by the misrepresentation of Islam in the aftermath of the attacks, Mr. Ndugwa and a fellow survivor founded the Uganda Muslim Youth Development Forum to prevent violent extremism and promote peace through religious and community engagement.In an interview with UN News’s Assumpta Massoi, he emphasised the importance of survivor voices and the role of remembrance in healing.
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  The first 48 hours: how the UN mobilises when disaster strikes 19.08.2026 7Min.

  When a major disaster strikes, the first hours are critical. Within 48 hours of receiving a formal request from an affected country, the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) system can deploy a team of experts to support national emergency response.  The teams, managed and trained by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), bring together specialists from different countries and organisations, based on the specific needs identified on the ground. Sérgio da Silva, leader of the UNDAC team, explained to UN News’s Felipe de Carvalho how this global network is mobilised in the immediate aftermath of earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and other environmental or man-made disasters.
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  Repurposing fashion in the name of world peace 14.08.2026 4Min.

  Can fashion help bring people together as well as set trends and mould culture worldwide? Fashion designer and environmentalist Runa Ray believes it can. Her exhibition Repurposing Fashion: Reimagining Peace, now open at UN Headquarters in New York, transforms discarded textiles into works of art carrying messages of peace from 30 countries. Speaking to UN News' Cristina Silveiro, she explains why she believes "fashion has a greater purpose" than glamour alone
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  Ebola response must be ‘faster, longer and more’: Senior WHO official 13.08.2026 6Min.

  Scaling up Ebola response in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo must include measures such as increased surveillance, more transport options to bring patients to treatment centres and greater engagement with the public. That’s the message from Dr. Anne Ancia, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Representative in the country, speaking from Bunia – the epicentre of the crisis. She told UN News’s Eleuterio Guevane that communities are also asking for the international community to address other health pressing concerns in a region where women still die in childbirth and people are facing famine-like conditions. She began by outlining the immense needs, and the vast amount of work that still needs to be done. 
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  UN moves to support Colombia's earthquake response 10.08.2026 4Min.

  Colombia's search and rescue operations continue after Monday's magnitude 7.4 earthquake, which has killed at least 111 people. The United Nations is now assessing where its presence and resources can be most useful.UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia María José Torres Macho said the Government has already reached out to the UN, and the Organization has teams on the ground in some of the hardest-hit areas – with potential support ahead in food security, health, water and sanitation, and protection.She said UN teams are also beginning to look past the emergency, toward recovery and reconstruction.Laura Quiñones spoke with her about the situation and what comes next.
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  ‘We can’t stop operating,’ says top UN peacekeeper on Ebola frontline 04.08.2026 4Min.

  With the worst Ebola outbreak in the history of DR Congo still raging, UN peacekeepers must continue to protect civilians from both the virus and violence at the hands of multiple armed groups operating in the region, the Force Commander there has told UN News.MONUSCO's General Ulisses de Mesquita Gomes said 'blue helmets' had increased their presence to ensure civilians are fully protected, while troops were working with local authorities and the World Health Organization to ensure there is enough security amid the outbreak.He told Eleuterio Guevane troops were playing other key roles including conducting vital community awareness campaigns and establishing rapid mobile operating bases to protect treatment centres.