"The Global Housing Crisis is Fundamentally a Crisis of Inequality"- Presser | United Nations

Press Conference by Anacláudia Rossbach, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director, UN-Habitat; Ambassador Erastus Ekitela Lokaale, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations; and Shirley Pryce, Jamaica Household Workers Union, GROOTS Jamaica, Huairou Commission and Member of the UN-Habitat Advisory Group on Gender Issues. They briefed on Renewing Commitments on Sustainable Cities and Communities and the launch of the SDG 11 Global Synthesis Report 2026. UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach said, “adequate housing is the foundation of sustainable cities and communities. Housing is not only about shelter, it determines access to transport, employment, education, healthcare, public space and economic opportunities.” The world is off track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) on sustainable cities and communities, ten years after its adoption, according to the SDG 11 Global Report 2026, launched by UN-Habitat during the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). Prepared with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), UNDRR, WHO, UNODC, UNESCO, UNEP and other partners, the report presents the United Nations system's joint assessment of progress towards achieving SDG 11. The report identifies the global housing crisis as one of the greatest barriers to sustainable urban development. Today, more than three billion people lack access to adequate housing, including over 1.1 billion living in informal settlements and slums. The UN-Habitat Executive Director said, “this report reminds us that housing crisis is fundamentally a crisis of inequality. The people most affected are often those facing multiple forms of exclusion, including women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants, displaced populations, indigenous people, and residents of informal settlements.” She continued, “addressing these inequalities requires more than building houses. The report calls for in-situ upgrading of slums and informal settlements in partnership with communities. Residents must be recognized as co-producers of solutions with investments that improve housing, security, infrastructure, public transport, public spaces and resilience without displacement.” Rossbach highlighted that the report “demonstrates that climate related disasters are becoming an increasingly central urban challenge. Encouragingly, countries are strengthening resilience planning more national urban policies meet international standards, and an increasing number of countries have aligned national and local disaster risk reduction strategies.” She added, “141 countries have national disaster risk reduction strategies, and 116 countries report aligned local strategies. However, planning must now translate into implementation through safer housing, resilient infrastructure, risk informed land use and stronger local preparedness.” The Executive Director said, “the report concludes with a call for renewed commitment during the remaining years of the 2030 agenda,” reiterating the need for “greater investment, especially in adequate housing, stronger political leadership, improved urban governance and a renewed commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind as cities continue to grow.” Ambassador of Kenya Erastus Ekitela Lokaale also spoke to reporters. He said, “for Kenya, these findings resonate deeply, guided by our Constitution and the bottom-up economic transformation agenda.” He continued, “we have placed affordable housing, integrated urban planning and resilient infrastructure at the centre of our national development priorities through the Affordable housing program, informal settlement upgrading initiatives, expanded urban infrastructure and investments in sustainable mobility. We are working to ensure that urbanization becomes a driver of economic opportunity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability.” For her part, Shirley Pryce of Jamaica Household Workers Union and a member of the UN-Habitat Advisory Group on Gender Issues said, “housing is much more than a roof over our heads or four walls. Housing is dignity. It's safety. Housing is health. Housing is opportunity. It is where children learn, where families recover, where a person finding security and where resilience begins.”


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Haiti: More than 1/2 of Population Needs Humanitarian Assistance - Press Conference | United Nations

“Haiti's crisis has become deeper, more complex and more urgent,” said Youri Saadallah, Global Emergency Director of the Norwegian Refugee Council, following a mission to Haiti. Briefing reporters in New York from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he said 6.4 million people, more than half the country's population, require humanitarian assistance, and only one in ten public health facilities with inpatient capacity are fully operational nationwide. “Speaking not only as a humanitarian, but also as a father and, quite frankly, as a human being, the situation we witnessed is unacceptable,” Saadallah said. “The strongest message we heard was that people no longer feel safe. They are being stripped of [their] dignity. Women and children are bearing the brunt of this crisis. Sexual violence, including collective rape, is rampant. There is a disturbing sense that such abuses are becoming normal.” Saadallah said armed groups have expanded in Port-au-Prince and infiltrated displacement sites. “One mother told us that she has to sleep on top of her daughter every night to keep her safe,” he said. “And sadly, this story is only one among the many we heard throughout our visit.” He added that the recruitment and use of children by armed groups increased by 200 per cent, and grave violations against children rose by 21 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year. “One community center we visited removed all glass from its windows because staff fear that severely traumatized children may use the shards from these glass windows to harm themselves,” he said. “That's the reality within the country.” Maria Moita, Director of the Department of Humanitarian Response and Recovery at the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said nearly 1.5 million people are internally displaced, the highest number ever recorded due to violence in Haiti. “Port-au-Prince remains the epicenter of Haiti's displacement crisis,” Moita said. “Schools have become shelters. Communities have been uprooted. Safe space is almost non-existent in Haiti. Displacement sites are extremely congested. There is no space to sleep or live with dignity. There's no space to install the most basic services, such as latrines or cooking areas. People are living on top of each other. Privacy is non-existent and therefore protection needs are immense.” Moita said the displacement crisis extends beyond Haiti's borders. “In Ouanaminthe and Belladère we witnessed a human impact of large-scale deportations from Dominican Republic. Humanitarian partners reported 600 to 700 forced returns every day through Ouanaminthe alone, many people are arriving with nothing. Many have already fled violence inside Haiti before they were deported.” Saadallah and Moita are part of a group of Emergency Directors, including UN agency representatives and representatives of large NGOs, who undertook a mission to Haiti.


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From Risk to Resilience: Cities on the Frontline | SDG Media Zone | United Nations

As hazards become more frequent, complex and interconnected, cities face growing risks driven by climate change, rapid urbanization, population growth and development patterns that place people and assets in harm’s way. Extreme heat, flooding, earthquakes, technological disruptions and other hazards threaten lives, infrastructure and development gains. Ahead of the 2026 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction under the theme “Resilience Starts at Home”, this session poses an urgent question: are our cities built to protect people where they live? With SDGs 6, 9 and 11 under review, this discussion highlights why investing in resilient cities is essential to safeguard communities and sustain progress. Speakers: - Mr. Kamal Kishore, SRSG for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR - Dr. Esam Halawani, Decision Support Center Director, Al Madina Region Development Authority Moderator: Ms. Elaine Reyes, News Anchor, UN Insider & Americas Now (CGTN America)


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Lindsey Graham has died after a brief and unexpected illness, his office says in a statement.

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Trump Official CORNED BY SENATE over BRIBERY SCHEME?!

Episode Title: Trump Official CORNED BY SENATE over BRIBERY SCHEME?!
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Norway eliminated: What do supporters think of their team's overall performance? • FRANCE 24

Norway lost to England 2-1 in the additional time, after a tight game in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. We met with Norwegian fans to ask them what their thought of their team's performance during the competition. 🔔 Subscribe to France 24 now: https://f24.my/YTen 🔴 LIVE - Watch FRANCE 24 English 24/7 here: https://f24.my/YTliveEN 🌍 Read the latest International News and Top Stories: https://www.france24.com/en/ Like us on Facebook: https://f24.my/FBen Follow us on X: https://f24.my/Xen Bluesky: https://f24.my/BSen and Threads: https://f24.my/THen Browse the news in pictures on Instagram: https://f24.my/IGen Discover our TikTok videos: https://f24.my/TKen Get the latest top stories on Telegram: https://f24.my/TGen


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Trump PANICS as MAGA CAUGHT HIDING LEADERS HEALTH!

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Trump gets MASSACRED IN COURT and Loses 15,000 CASES!!!

Episode Title: Trump gets MASSACRED IN COURT and Loses 15,000 CASES!!!
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Building Impact-Driven Partnerships for Water and Sustainable Development | SDG Media Zone | UN

This discussion focuses on information exchange, finance readiness, and inclusive governance, and highlights how private sector engagement can strengthen the 2026 UN Water Conference through impact-driven partnerships to accelerate SDG 6. True progress requires collaboration: the UN provides convening power and accountability, governments offer policy and investment priorities, and the private sector brings innovation, technology, and financing. Together, these actors combine their strengths to turn global water commitments into scalable, practical solutions for global prosperity. Speakers: - H.E. Retno Marsudi, UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Water - Abdallah Dardari, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of Regional Bureau for Arab States - Dolly Mirchandani, Partner, White and Case LLC, focusing on energy and infrastructure sectors Moderator: Joakim Harlin, Chief Manager of the UNEP-DHI Centre on Water and Environment


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We the Peoples, Shaping the Future of the UN - UN Chief's remarks | United Nations

Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the Special event of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum "We the Peoples, Shaping the Future of the UN".


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We the Peoples, Shaping the Future of the UN - UN Chief's remarks | United Nations

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Remarks by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, at the Special event of the 2026 High-Level Political Forum "We the Peoples, Shaping the Future of the UN".


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