Monday marks three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in clear violation of the UN Charter and international law, and the UN Secretary-General has renewed his call for de-escalation and an end to the conflict.
24 February 2025 marks the third year of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the civilian population continues to face near daily-attacks. The UN staff living alongside them, enduring the same difficult conditions, have been a lifeline throughout the war.
Every day, almost one in five young women are married off while still children, according to the UN reproductive and sexual health agency, UNFPA, which is urging countries to say “I don’t” to child marriage, an illegal practice that is almost universally condemned and yet remains widespread globally.
As the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine reaches its third year, a flurry of diplomatic activity has led to a growing expectation of a ceasefire, although the situation remains extremely fluid. Despite the uncertainty, the UN is planning how to best support the country when the fighting finally stops.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has launched a $40.4 million appeal to address the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its impact on neighbouring countries, particularly Burundi, where thousands are arriving daily in desperate conditions.
Aid operations in the Gaza Strip continue to reach people from north to south with critical assistance, including cash, the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, said on Friday.
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday that strongly condemned the ongoing offensive by M23 rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Around 80,000 people in northeastern Colombia are suffering the devastating consequences of an armed conflict that escalated on 15 January of this year. Caught in the crossfire between armed groups, thousands have been forced to flee with nothing but the clothes on their backs while others remain trapped in their homes.
In the nearly three years since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the country’s people have endured continuous attacks, “psychological terror…displacement and hardship”, top UN aid coordinator Matthias Schmale said on Friday.