Lisa Schlein

Feb 1, 2025 | voanews.com | Lisa Schlein

As fighting between M23 rebels and Congolese armed troops escalate in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warns that the warring parties increasingly are using rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. “Conflict-related sexual violence has been an appalling feature of armed conflict in eastern DRC for decades,” said Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk.

Jan 21, 2025 | voanews.com | Lisa Schlein

United Nations agencies say the imminent U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization and Paris climate agreement will have serious consequences for global health and efforts to slow down climate change. “The World Health Organization regrets the announcement that the United States of America intends to withdraw from the organization,” the WHO said Tuesday in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration Monday that he intends to quit the U.N. health agency.

Jan 17, 2025 | voanews.com | Lisa Schlein

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Friday that Sudanese civilians were in greater peril than ever as ethnically motivated attacks and hate speech by the warring parties becomes “increasingly common.” “As the Sudanese Armed Forces [SAF] and Rapid Support Forces [RSF] battle for control at all costs in the senseless war that [has] raged for close to two years now, direct and ethnically motivated attacks on civilians are becoming increasingly common,” he said in a...

Jan 16, 2025 | voanews.com | Lisa Schlein

The United Nations is appealing for $3.2 billion to provide humanitarian assistance for 8.2 million Ukrainians whose lives have been upended by Russia’s invasion of their country nearly three years ago. “This has been a period of huge tragedy and despair, destruction and disruption,” Tom Fletcher, U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, told journalists in Kyiv at the launch of the U.N. appeal with the government of Ukraine.

Jan 15, 2025 | voanews.com | Lisa Schlein

More than 3,000 global leaders from upwards of 130 countries will make their annual pilgrimage next week to the World Economic Forum, meeting in the plush Swiss Alpine resort of Davos. Nearly 5,000 Swiss army personnel will be on hand to ensure security for thousands of the world’s top movers and shakers in government, business, technology, civil society, the humanities and art. They will convene between Jan. 20 and 24 to discuss and seek solutions for some of the most pressing issues of the day.