UN Interviews

Poet and activist Salome Agbaroji was awarded the prestigious role of National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States in 2023.A fighter for social justice, her identity is centred on being “an artist at its core”, aiming to inspire others through words.Earlier this week, Ms. Agbaroji sat down with UN News’s Pooja Yadav at UN Headquarters in New York after taking part in commemorations for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.Art has the power to transform she told us, including the ability to “heal what’s been broken”. 

As violence escalates in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 looking to gain more territory, UN peacekeepers are working flat out to protect civilians amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.Speaking to UN News’ Jérôme Bernard in New York, the chief of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita, outlined the mission’s role in any ceasefire, protecting the displaced and confronting sexual violence and child recruitment.She also shared why – despite mounting pressure – now would be the wrong time to withdraw from the most volatile regions.

Around a third of the 12 million Sudanese displaced following nearly three years of brutal conflict are women and girls of reproductive age, according to data from the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA).Aside from the brutality of rape, coupled with other physical and mental traumas, some of the 300,000 pregnant women who are running for safety “end up giving birth on the roadside”.That’s according to UNFPA’s Representative ad interim in the country, Argentina Matavel Piccin, who told UN News’s Khaled Mohamed that more support is urgently needed to curb the impact of gender-based violence.

Reparations for the crimes of the transatlantic slave trade “can’t be quantified” given the vast historical sweep of human history, according to the first Black African to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka.The longtime Nigerian democracy activist was at UN Headquarters in New York to take part in commemorations for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery, telling the General Assembly that it remains crucial to confront centuries of wrongdoing.Ana Carmo sat down with him in our UN News studio following the event and asked him to outline his main message to the international community.

Chad is seeing an influx of Sudanese refugees whose numbers are expected to pass the one million mark in coming months.Multiple UN agencies including the UN Development Programme, UNDP, have joined forces to help the most vulnerable; one example is the construction of a women’s centre that doubles as a safe haven.Francis James, the UNDP Resident Representative in Chad – said that the centre in Adre in eastern Chad is due to be inaugurated next month.Further initiatives include establishing schools close to the camps housing Sudanese refugees, Mr. Francis explained to UN News’s Daniel Johnson in Geneva.

Sarah Lewis, an Associate Professor at Harvard specializing in African and African American Studies, discusses the pivotal role of education in combating racism. She emphasizes how ignorance fuels racial injustice and the need for historic awareness. The conversation highlights the necessity of inclusive visual representation in education and critiques traditional narratives that exclude diverse voices. Additionally, Sarah inspires listeners to transform personal failures into catalysts for justice, fostering a more equitable society through critical analysis and collaboration.

After 14 years of war, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 marked a new chapter for Syria.However, with 90 percent of the population living in poverty and over a million displaced Syrians now preparing to return home, the country faces immense challenges as it begins the process of rebuilding.Filmmaker Waad Al-Kateab documented life under siege in Aleppo in her award-winning film, For Sama, before being forced to flee Syria in 2016. She has since become a leading advocate for justice and human rights.In this interview with UN News’ Pia Blondel, she reflects on her journey, the realities on the ground, and why – as Syria stands at a crossroads – accountability must be central to the country’s future. 

Child marriage remains a significant challenge in Nepal, impacting the lives of tens of thousands of young girls. While its prevalence has dropped from a staggering 60 per cent in 2006 to about 35 per cent in 2022, one in three girls is still married off before turning 18.Economic hardship, lack of access to education, cultural norms and gender inequality continue to drive the practice, with devastating consequences for young girls. Boys are also affected, with one in 10 forced into early marriage.UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been working alongside the Government and partners in Nepal to combat the scourge. UN News’ Vibhu Mishra spoke to UNICEF Representative in Nepal, Alice Akunga.

Cyclone Jude made landfall in Mozambique on Monday, bringing powerful winds and heavy rainfall that caused widespread destruction.This marks the third cyclone to strike the country in just four months, with significant flooding expected, particularly in the Zambezia and Nampula regions.UNICEF’s Chief of Advocacy, Communications, and Partnerships in Mozambique, Guy Taylor, has been outlining the serious risks to children in affected areas, which are densely populated and face a heightened threat of waterborne diseases.Speaking to UN News’s Felipe de Carvalho, Mr. Taylor outlined the ongoing emergency response efforts and the lifesaving aid being provided on the ground.

By the time a ceasefire began last November ending the devastating war in Lebanon between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli military, more than 4,000 people had been killed and at least 16,600 injured.The violence also uprooted hundreds of thousands and caused widespread damage to key infrastructure, exacerbating Lebanon’s long-running, multi-pronged crisis.Ghada Darwiche is one of those grieving: she lost her daughter, Dina, a UNHCR staffer who worked at the refugee agency’s office in Bekaa. She was killed along with her youngest son, Jad, when their home was hit by an Israeli missile on 23 September last year.To mark International Women’s Day, UN News’s Nancy Sarkis spoke to Ghada, who has a message to all those who have lost someone in war.