Video message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
Today, we pay tribute to the victims and survivors of terrorism.
We honour their courage;
Amplify their voices;
And reaffirm our commitment to their dignity and rights.
This year’s theme, “Healing through Memory,” reminds us that remembrance is a
pathway to recovery and renewal.
But how we remember matters.
Victims’ stories must never be exploited or used to sow more hate, including on digital
platforms.
When we commemorate responsibly, we protect victims from further trauma, and counter
the harmful narratives terrorism seeks to spread.
Instead of letting terror divide us, we can and must stay united.
Today and every day, let us stand in solidarity with victims and survivors.
As earthquake rescue efforts across western @Colombia continued on Tuesday, UN agencies said that they stood ready to help. The United Nations is redirecting resources, moving pre-positioned emergency supplies and deploying additional staff to areas impacted, says Maria José Torres Macho, the UN Resident Coordinator in Colombia.
As a child Ozonnia Ojielo survived a brutal civil war in his native Nigeria in which starvation was used as a weapon. After training as a lawyer, an encounter with fellow survivors gave him new purpose and propelled him to his current role as the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia.
“She started crying. All the other guests started crying. I started crying as well. There I was, a very successful lawyer making a lot of money. But I said to myself, this is much more valuable. Trying to change people’s lives, or at least be there as a voice for them.”
From Rwanda to Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, Ozonnia Ojielo has supported communities around the world as they navigate difficult journeys from violence to peace. In this episode, he reflects on the long shadow of genocide, on the delicate work of reintegrating both perpetrators and victims, and shares why the biggest currency the world can offer young people is hope.
[00:00] Introduction
[00:57] Growing up during the Nigerian civil war
[06:10] Parents’ commitment to education
[08:52] Discovering a life of service
[15:25] Supporting women and children affected by conflict
[18:43] Leaving law behind for humanitarian work
[20:00] Sacrifices and education as a family value
[21:51] The relationship between peacebuilding and development
[24:35] Life and work in Kyrgyzstan
[28:18] Working in post-genocide Rwanda
[31:00] The war in Sudan and the importance of hope
[32:28] Challenges facing Ethiopia today
[35:36] What keeps Ozonnia awake at night
[38:05] Closing remarks
Listen to more Awake at Night episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoDFQJEq_0b6hu1e8oxsch9W0D7vkNqt
#podcast #UnitedNations #AwakeAtNight #DCO #humanitarian #Ethiopia
About Awake at Night
Hosted by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, the podcast ‘Awake at Night’ is an in-depth interview series focusing on remarkable United Nations staff members who dedicate their career to helping people in parts of the world where they have the hardest lives – from war zones and displacement camps to areas hit by disasters and the devastation of climate change.
As a child Ozonnia Ojielo survived a brutal civil war in his native Nigeria in which starvation was used as a weapon. After training as a lawyer, an encounter with fellow survivors gave him new purpose and propelled him to his current role as the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia.
“She started crying. All the other guests started crying. I started crying as well. There I was, a very successful lawyer making a lot of money. But I said to myself, this is much more valuable. Trying to change people’s lives, or at least be there as a voice for them.”
From Rwanda to Sierra Leone to Ethiopia, Ozonnia Ojielo has supported communities around the world as they navigate difficult journeys from violence to peace. In this episode, he reflects on the long shadow of genocide, on the delicate work of reintegrating both perpetrators and victims, and shares why the biggest currency the world can offer young people is hope.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that attacks across Ukraine over the past three days killed and injured several civilians, including children. Attacks and front-line hostilities have also damaged homes and civilian infrastructure, as well as disrupted essential services in the regions of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson and Mykolaiv. This is according to Ukrainian authorities.
OCHA notes that humanitarian operations have also been impacted. An attack in the city of Dnipro destroyed a World Health Organization (WHO) warehouse containing medical supplies for front-line health facilities. No casualties were reported. The same day, a humanitarian evacuation vehicle was damaged, while a truck belonging to a local partner of the World Food Programme (WFP) was struck while transporting food in the region of Kherson.
Humanitarian organizations have been providing emergency assistance, including first aid, psychosocial support and emergency supplies, to people impacted by the latest attacks.
COLOMBIA
The UN is monitoring the developments following the 7.4 -magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia this morning. The epicentre was reportedly in central Colombia, between the states of Chocó and Valle del Cauca, but was felt across the region – from Panama to Ecuador and Venezuela.
Connectivity in rural areas has become limited. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) doesn’t yet have information on casualties and impacts, but has received reports of structural damage, including collapsed houses, across several towns.
The Government has initiated precautionary evacuations and is leading efforts to assess damage and casualties.
The UN’s thoughts go out to all who have suffered as a result of this earthquake, and the UN stands ready to help as needed.
LEBANON
Over the weekend, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continued to observe Israeli land and air activities in their area of operations in south Lebanon. UNIFIL detected 455 projectiles fired by the Israel Defence Force from Friday to Sunday, striking multiple locations in south Lebanon. Peacekeepers also recorded 97 airspace violations – mostly by drones but also helicopters and fighter aircraft. Saturday’s 229 IDF projectiles constituted the highest number since 21 June. An air strike was also observed in Al Mansuri (Sector West) Sunday morning.
On Friday, peacekeepers inside a UNIFIL position in Meiss ej Jebel (Sector East) observed a bullet impact in front of the accommodation area and recovered one 7.62mm round. There was no injury or damage to UN property. Around the same time, peacekeepers observed two IDF Merkava tanks firing three rounds eastward, impacting approximately 200 metres from the position, alongside roughly 30 rounds of small-arms fire directed toward the same area.
Peacekeepers have discovered unguarded weapons, unexploded ordnances (UXOs) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in their area of operations. On Friday, a combined UNIFIL-Lebanese Army patrol found a 107mm rocket launcher loaded with one rocket alongside several additional rockets along a road in Frun in Sector East. They were referred to the Lebanese Army for further action. On the same day, peacekeepers found two unexploded ordnances in Sector East, in Deir Mimess and Meiss ej Jebel, which were neutralized. Separately, yesterday, two IEDs were discovered in Sribbin in Sector West and destroyed on site.
Peacekeepers also continue to observe IDF movements at sea within Lebanese territorial waters. Two IDF boats were observed heading north before returning southward on Friday.
And on the humanitarian front, on Friday, UNIFIL facilitated three humanitarian missions in both sectors through its Liaison Branch in coordination with OCHA.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-08-10
Opening remarks by Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, on Safeguarding Education in Sudan: Investing in Peace, Recovery and Stability.
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights：
– Sudan
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– South Sudan
– Lebanon
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Ukraine
– Fiji/Australia
– Food Price Index
– International Day
– Briefing
– Financial Contribution
SUDAN
Amina Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, spoke to the Security Council members this morning at an Arria formula meeting on education in Sudan.
She said that among everything that the war in Sudan has taken, one of the most significant is the future of Sudan depriving the education of its children.
Today, she said, at least eight million school-aged children remain out of school, with a disproportionate impact on millions of displaced children, especially those seeking refuge outside of Sudan.
Since 2024, the United Nations has verified more than 67 attacks on schools across Sudan, while over 154 instances of military use of schools have been reported.
The Deputy Secretary-General said that this year, the UN and its partners have brought more than a million Sudanese children back into some form of learning, but it is simply not enough. She said it is time to stop this war and to pull Sudan back from the brink of losing another generation of its children.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
From the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that children and women continue to bear a disproportionate share of the Ebola outbreak in the eastern province of Ituri.
The outbreak is unfolding in a province where nearly one million people are displaced, around 80 percent of them women and children.
According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than 300 children have died from Ebola since the outbreak began. Children make up nearly a quarter of confirmed cases, but almost a third of all deaths.
The outbreak is also severely disrupting essential healthcare. In the hardest-hit areas, use of health services has dropped by more than 40 percent in recent months, as fear of infection keeps people away.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warns that this fear, combined with overstretched health services, is preventing many pregnant women from seeking care. Maternal deaths in Ituri have nearly doubled since the outbreak began, with about six women dying each week from childbirth-related complications. Ebola infection during pregnancy remains associated with almost universal fetal loss.
OCHA stresses that restoring community confidence is key. Together with the Ministry of Public Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Center for Disease Control (CDC), UNICEF and partners have deployed 13,000 community workers, reaching more than 2.4 million people with information on Ebola prevention and early detection. They’ve also carried out over 500,000 household visits to counter misinformation and encourage early care-seeking.
Meanwhile, WHO reports that its technical advisory group on vaccine research is recommending a clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the Ervebo vaccine, the only licensed vaccine against Ebola. WHO is working with partners to begin the trial as soon as possible.
This comes as the virus continues to spread rapidly across eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with total cases now surpassing 4,000, and 1,850 deaths recorded.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-08-07
Briefing by Anita Kiki Gbeho, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS, on the situation in Sudan and South Sudan.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan, Anita Kiki Gbeho, told the Security Council that “important questions remain to be addressed regarding the political security and institutional conditions necessary for credible peaceful and inclusive elections” in South Sudan.
Gbeho said “we remain deeply concerned by ongoing armed confrontations” involving the South Sudan Peoples Defence Forces (SSPDF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in- Opposition (SPLA-IO), “particularly in Jonglei, as well as ongoing tensions in other parts of the country,” including Upper Nile, Unity, and to a lesser extent Western Bahr el Ghazal.
She also expressed concerned at “the cycle of communal violence in places such as Warrap and Lakes States” where “civilians continue to pay the highest price.”
Preparations for the December elections have been challenged by concerns about whether necessary conditions can be established in time. Opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar has remained in detention for close to a year.
Gbeho said, “questions persist regarding political trust, civic and political space, security arrangements, financing, constituency boundaries and broader institutional preparedness.”
Turning to humanitarian conditions, the Special Representative said, “despite facing enormous economic and humanitarian pressures, South Sudan has continued to keep its borders open to those fleeing the conflict in Sudan. This policy has provided protection and refuge to large numbers of vulnerable people and merits international support.”
Gbeho, who is the Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), said, “we continue to advocate for dialogue, confidence-building measures and a reduction in violence. At the same time, persistent insecurity, humanitarian pressures and political tensions require constant adaptation. To remain fit for purpose, UNMISS is reviewing its structures, activities, staffing profile and operational posture, while strengthening early warning, mobility and responsiveness to emerging threats.”
