With signs that the conflict that has raged in Libya for more than six months may soon end, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed for a smooth and peaceful transition and pledged the assistance of the United Nations for the people of the North African nation.

The United Nations paid homage to humanitarian workers around the world today with ceremonies of remembrance for the fallen, and praise and songs of tribute for the hundreds of thousands of others who daily brave danger and hardship to bring aid to those less fortunate.

The Syrian Government's “widespread and systematic” attacks against its own people may amount to crimes against humanity and warrant an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the United Nations human rights office said in a report released today.

The United Nations health agency and its partners have launched a guide to help fieldworkers provide vital psychological support to people affected by humanitarian emergencies.

The United Nations humanitarian chief today stressed the need to further scale up efforts to assist the millions of people suffering in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa, warning that more lives will be lost to famine and disease without urgent action.

Funding disbursements from donor governments for the AIDS response in low- and middle-income countries dropped overall in 2010, mainly due to a reduction by the largest donor, the United States, the lead United Nations agency tackling the epidemic said today.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon went back to his roots today, visiting his hometown of Eumseong county in the Republic of Korea's countryside, where he urged local residents to concern themselves with the world at large.