If we are to meet the promises of the SDGs, bold changes and actions at the local level are needed—and they are needed now. Cities are a good place to start investing.
For millions of people around the world, a life without digital connectivity is unthinkable. From receiving wages and welfare checks to making payments, getting medical help, verifying identity, and much more, with a click of a button, people of all ages engage every single day with digital infrastructure.
More than 600 million women and girls lived in conflict-affected countries in 2022, a 50 per cent increase since 2017. Civilians around the world need greater humanitarian aid than ever before—but countries are instead increasing military spending, which topped USD 2.2 trillion in 2022.
The number of people killed in Gaza has reached 5,087 according to latest reports from de facto authorities there, amid intensifying Israeli airstrikes in response to Hamas attacks, even as United Nations entities have repeated urgent calls for a ceasefire and more aid convoys.
UN humanitarians said on Friday that an agreement to unlock aid deliveries across the Gaza border was near, as UN chief António Guterres delivered a powerful call in front of the gates at the Rafah crossing to get lifesaving aid moving.
On the summit of a hill, where access roads often succumbed to heavy rains, Hambini Village in Papua New Guinea stands as a symbol of resilience and community spirit. Its 9,000 residents, spread across 1,500 cocoa farming households, faced formidable challenges. Yet, amidst these challenges, a steady transformation has been taking place, led by the villagers of Hambini.
The UN team in Palestine, led by Resident Coordinator Lynn Hastings, called on the Israeli Government to rescind its announcement for UN agencies and Palestinians to ‘relocate to southern Gaza immediately’ without any guarantee for their safety or their return.
Migration often brings with it many risks for communities, such as sexual harassment, crime, and human smuggling given how porous borders are. With ITC's support, Ndey Fatou stepped away from the dangers of unsafe migration towards a thriving local enterprise.
