When the coronavirus pandemic brought New York City to a halt, United Nations interpreters ran into big trouble: their booths and equipment were no longer accessible. However, they are rising to the challenge, exploring new ways to service multilateral meetings, including from their homes. This story, with portraits produced remotely by UN Photo, documents how these professionals have been responding to new challenges COVID-19 added to their already daunting job of providing simultaneous interpretation in six UN official languages â Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
Older persons are among the more visible victims of the current health crisis. Although all age groups are at risk of COVID-19, older persons face higher risk of mortality and severe disease following infection, with an estimated 66% of people over 70 having underlying conditions. âNo person, young or old, is expendableâ, spelled out UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres in a video message launching a policy brief on older persons. The impact on health and long-term care services for older persons must confront the challenges they face, including access to medical treatment and care.
Working with Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The presents Nabil Attard, a refugee chef from Syria, lived through a crisis in his home country. Now living in France, he delivers for those on the frontlines during a crisis in his new country.
teams up with the Marley family to reimagine the iconic song One Love â bringing people together to help children and their families recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
As profits plummet and operations shutter due to the pandemic, the United Nationsâ corporate partners build a safer, greener fairer and more resilient global economy. The , the worldâs largest corporate sustainability initiative, recently made a for private sector leaders to work together to control the coronavirus outbreak. Joint action is critical to spur recovery. Collective efforts are also vital to reduce entrenched inequalities and advance the Sustainable Development Goals, the UNâs shared blueprint for achieving peace and prosperity across the planet.
Today there is a new nutrition reality.
The pandemic presents both challenges and opportunities for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. highlights that the challenges we face cannot be dealt with in isolation.
COVID-19 has changed our world in ways we could not have imagined. Everyone has been affected and has a story to tell. The shares the stories from people in the world of work.
11 ways the UN makes the world a better place
2020 began as a normal year for the Dr Fridtjof Nansen, the only marine research vessel to fly the UN flag. The Nansen was meant to sail along West Africa, collecting data off the coast and in the deep-seas for its research into the state of marine resources and the health of our oceans. As the COVID-19 outbreak turned into a pandemic and more and more borders closed to stop the spread of the virus, reports on the plan for the vessel and its crew to get back home to Norway.
Ebola, SARS, Zika, HIV/AIDS, West Nile fever and now COVID-19 â some of the highest-profile diseases to emerge in the last several decades. And while they emerged in different parts of the world, their common thread is that they jumped between animals and humans. They are what scientists call âzoonotic diseasesâ. Now, a led by finds that unless countries take dramatic steps to curb zoonotic contagions, global outbreaks like COVID-19 will become more common.
As COVID-19 takes a staggering toll on people, communities and economies everywhere, not everyone is affected equally. Women, who account for the largest share of front-line health workers, are disproportionately exposed to the coronavirus. As countries are on lockdown and health systems struggle to cope, sexual and reproductive health services are being side-lined and gender-based violence is on the rise. On 11 July, World Population Day, the United Nations aims to raise awareness about the sexual and reproductive health needs and vulnerabilities of women and girls during the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the interconnected nature of our world â and that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Only by acting in solidarity can communities save lives and overcome the devastating socio-economic impacts of the virus. In partnership with the United Nations, people around the world are showing acts of humanity, inspiring hope for a better future. This photo essay portrays the many examples of global solidarity, inclusive solutions, continued education for future leaders, working during lockdowns, and how everyone can make a difference.
The United Nations fights misinformation on all fronts. In the field, in places such as refugee camps with limited digital tools, the (IOM) supports a refugee-initiative to fight misinformation using and loudspeakers to deliver accurate information door to door. At Headquarters, the UN launched ââ, an initiative to increase the volume and reach of trusted, accurate information by asking people to sign up to become information volunteers. The Verified initiative produces a daily feed of compelling, shareable content.