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Week in Review

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Week in Review 29 March 2025
Catch up on this week's must-read stories

We ended the week with a grim reminder that whatever the level of geopolitical turmoil, mother nature can plunge whole countries into chaos in seconds, and often those least equipped to deal with it. Myanmar was struck on Friday by a huge quake, killing and injuring hundreds. The UN is despatching teams and resources to help with the aftermath across the region.

Other man-made crisis continued to boil over, with the UN chief making an appeal this week for South Sudan's warring politicians to put down their weapons, and put the people first.

In DR Congo, we landed an exclusive interview with UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO's head, Bintou Keita, on the complex and delicate path ahead to bring about a lasting ceasefire in the restive east.

Each day in Gaza, the total Israeli blockade and return to all-out bombardment in a bid to root out Hamas continues to take a devastating toll on civilians with hundreds more killed this week – including many children. One of our videos from the Strip showed that it's not only bombs that are deadly, even playing in the rubble can see a young life cut brutally short.

On a more hopeful note, major meetings this week saw problems related to climate change under the spotlight – but also solutions. While fast fashion is adding to global warming, just doubling the lifespan of what you wear could reduce emissions by 44 per cent.

In Colombia, 47 million health workers and advocates signed a petition backing conference delegates demanding clean air be made a public health priority.

At UN Headquarters in New York, we marked the legacy of the transatlantic slave trade, and the associated crimes which for too long have gone "unacknowledged, unspoken and unaddressed," said the Secretary-General.

In another week of huge economic uncertainty with Washington at the centre, we took a timely look at tariffs, consulting one UN expert who told us that if used effectively, they can help poorer countries nurture and develop their economies. 

 

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake has caused significant damage to buildings in Mandalay region, in central Myanmar.
UN teams ramp up response to deadly quake in Myanmar and Thailand

Amid reports of hundreds dead or missing following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake with its epicentre in central Myanmar, UN teams in the region are "responding fast", said UN relief chief Tom Fletcher on Friday.

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Humanitarian Aid
Girls wash at a water tap installed by UNICEF in a camp for displaced people in Bentiu, South Sudan.
'Perfect storm' in South Sudan demands urgent action, says Guterres

Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Friday of a rapidly deteriorating crisis in South Sudan, calling for urgent dialogue, the immediate release of detained officials and renewed commitment to the 2018 peace agreement. 

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Peace and Security
Global trade reached a record $33 trillion in 2024
Tariffs: Job protectors or trade killers?

The word "tariff" has been catapulted from the business pages to the headlines over the last few months, as major economies impose or threaten them on other nations. But tariffs are not just a blunt weapon to be used in geopolitical brinkmanship: they can, if used effectively, help poorer countries develop their economies.

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Economic Development
The UN Security Council is considering the impact of AI on peace and security.
Mind your language: The battle for linguistic diversity in AI

For two years, one international organization under the umbrella of the UN has been leading a relentless campaign in the corridors of global digital diplomacy. Its mission? To bring linguistic diversity to English-dominated artificial intelligence.

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Culture and Education
In Europe energy planners are increasingly concerned about
Is climate science the next power source for renewable energy?

As solar, wind, and hydropower expand, scientists say integrating climate data and forecasting is key to making renewable systems stronger. 

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Climate and Environment
A girl walks to school in Bangkok where pollution levels exceed the national safety standard.
47 million health workers and advocates call for cleaner air to curb pollution deaths

Over 50 countries, cities, and organizations pledged new commitments on Thursday to tackle air pollution, protect public health, and help halve its deadly impacts by 2040 – a goal backed by a petition from 47 million health professionals, patients and advocates demanding clean air be made a public health priority. 

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Health
Sarah Lewis, Associate Professor at Harvard University and Founder of Vision & Justice, speaking to UN News.
'Silence and erasure have no place' in a just society

Growing up just a few blocks from the United Nations in New York City, Sarah Lewis was drawn to narratives that shape who belongs and who counts – often reflecting on what schools were neglecting to teach.

An Associate Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University, Ms. Lewis is also the founder of the Vision & Justice programme there, which bridges research, art and culture to foster equity and justice.

Speaking to UN News's Ana Carmo while at UN Headquarters to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Ms. Lewis highlighted the importance of education in the fight against racism, emphasizing that ignorance is a key enabler of racial injustice. 

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UN Interviews
Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in DR Congo and Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DR Congo, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in DR Congo.
DR Congo: 'Everyone has to silence the guns': MONUSCO chief

As violence escalates in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 looking to gain more territory, UN peacekeepers are working flat out to protect civilians amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Speaking to UN News' Jérôme Bernard in New York, the chief of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita, outlined the mission's role in any ceasefire, protecting the displaced and confronting sexual violence and child recruitment.

She also shared why – despite mounting pressure – now would be the wrong time to withdraw from the most volatile regions.

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UN Interviews
Women workers at a textile factory in Viet Nam stitch puffer jackets, destined mostly for Western markets.
Fast fashion fuelling global waste crisis, UN chief warns

Fast fashion is accelerating an environmental catastrophe, with the equivalent of one garbage truck's worth of clothing either incinerated or sent to landfill every second, the UN chief warned on Thursday.

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Climate and Environment
Attacks on civilian populations have been reported in South Sudan.
UN rights body sounds the alarm over South Sudan crisis

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan issued an alert on Thursday over the rapidly escalating crisis in the country, calling for urgent coordinated action to protect civilians and preserve the 2018 peace deal that ended five years of civil war. 

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Human Rights
Maritime traffic through the Black Sea is vital for global supply chains, particularly for agriculture and food security.
UN welcomes Black Sea talks, warns of worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

The United Nations on Wednesday welcomed recent diplomatic talks involving Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia, calling an agreement on freedom of navigation and security in the Black Sea a crucial step for global food security.

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Peace and Security
With the war entering its eleventh year, countless Yemenis are still waiting for a chance to rebuild their lives.
Yemen: Ten Years of War, a Lifetime of Loss 

Marking a decade of war in Yemen, Othman Belbeisi, Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa at the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), highlights the resilience of its people, the deepening humanitarian crisis, and the urgent need for global action.

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Humanitarian Aid
Details from the permanent memorial in acknowledgement of the tragedy and in consideration of the legacy of slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Crimes of the transatlantic slave trade 'unacknowledged, unspoken and unaddressed'

The transatlantic slave trade may have ended centuries ago but its legacy is ever present, the UN Secretary-General said on Tuesday, marking the International Day of Remembrance for its victims.

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Human Rights
A patient in Tanzania receives antiretroviral medication to treat HIV.
UN agency warns of 'surge' in AIDS deaths without US funding

Amid continuing uncertainty about the impact of deep US funding cuts to humanitarian work worldwide, the head of the UN agency coordinating the fight against HIV-AIDS warned that an additional 6.3 million people will die in the next four years, unless support is reinstated.

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Health
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Week in Review

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