Advertise on podcast: UN Interviews

Kenya has recorded its second case of Ebola – a family member of the first person in the country to die from the disease. The good news is that the man was already under quarantine and is receiving treatment, having been identified through contact tracing. That’s according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) representative to Kenya, Dr. Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, who spoke to UN News’s Dianne Penn in Nairobi.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the Kenyan Government to strengthen measures to control any potential outbreak, following the country’s first case and death from the rare but often fatal disease. WHO Representative in Kenya, Dr. Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, says no other infections have been recorded since the case was confirmed on Tuesday. She told UN News’s Alban Mendes de Leon in Nairobi that health authorities are making every effort to prevent the virus spreading in the community.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.

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.