Global Issues

NAIROBI & BERLIN, Apr 03 (IPS) - Of the nearly 234 million children and adolescents of school age affected by crises, 85 million are already out of school. At least 20 percent of them—or 17 million—are children living with disabilities.Read the full story, “Global Disability Summit Galvanizes Education Support for Crisis-Impacted Children with Disabilities”, on globalissues.org →

UNITED NATIONS, Apr 03 (IPS) - In 2007, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly designated April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), in an effort to promote inclusion and human rights for autistic individuals. Much work has been done and pushed forward by autistic advocates to bring lived experiences to global discussions.Read the full story, “World Autism Awareness Day 2025: Sustainable Development Must Include Neurodivergent Perspectives”, on globalissues.org →

WARMAWASAW, Meghalaya, India, Apr 03 (IPS) - In India’s Meghalaya, silkworm rearing and weaving are common in rural areas. Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya is among the regions where eri culture is deeply rooted in tradition; several women there are using solar-powered spinning machines to make yarn.As light enters through the small window of a modestly constructed tin-roofed house, Philim Makri sits on a chair deftly spinning cocoons of eri silk with the help of a solar-powered spinning machine in Warmawsaw village in Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya in northeast India.Read the full story, “Solar-Powered Spinning Machines Help Indian Women Save Time and Earn More”, on globalissues.org →

OSLO, Norway, Apr 03 (IPS) - Jan Egeland is Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) warns that 100,000s of people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been pushed into desperate conditions by the escalation of violent conflict in 2025.Read the full story, “DR Congo: Millions Facing Destitution as Violence Forces People to Flee Multiple Times”, on globalissues.org →

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on course to become a $4.8 trillion global market by 2033 – roughly the size of Germany’s economy – but unless urgent action is taken, its benefits may remain in the hands of a privileged few, a new UN report warns. Read the full story, “AI’s $4.8 trillion future: UN warns of widening digital divide without urgent action”, on globalissues.org →

The UN chief on Thursday called for immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to Myanmar, where last week’s devastating earthquakes claimed over 3,000 lives and left millions in urgent need of aid.Read the full story, “Myanmar: UN chief calls for urgent access as quake toll mounts”, on globalissues.org →

In a briefing to the Security Council on Thursday, the UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel painted a mixed picture of the region, which is facing a growing terrorist threat but also political progress and encouraging initiatives. Read the full story, “UN envoy urges international support for West Africa and the Sahel”, on globalissues.org →

The recent killings of 15 medical personnel and humanitarian aid workers in Gaza raise further concerns over the commission of war crimes by the Israeli military, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights told the Security Council on Thursday. Read the full story, “Gaza: UN rights chief calls for probe into killings of medical workers”, on globalissues.org →

The UN Special Envoy for Syria has condemned the repeated and intensifying military escalations by Israel in the country, including airstrikes that have caused civilian casualties.Read the full story, “World News in Brief: Israeli military escalation in Syria, Nicaragua rights probe, South Sudan talks”, on globalissues.org →

Ongoing violence in North and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to kill, injure and displace civilians, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned. Read the full story, “DR Congo: Armed violence displaces thousands as cholera outbreak worsens”, on globalissues.org →