Women-led and women’s rights organizations are on the frontlines of today’s humanitarian crises—but many are at risk of disappearing. As global needs rise due to conflict, climate change, and displacement, deep cuts to foreign aid are threatening organizations that provide life-saving services for women and girls.

Climate change is fuelling a global surge in violence against women and girls, with one in 10 cases of intimate partner violence projected to be linked to climate impacts by the end of the century, a new United Nations report has warned.

Europe is the fastest-warming continent, and the impacts of climate change are clear. 2024 was the warmest year on record for Europe. Storms were often severe and flooding widespread, claiming at least 335 lives and affecting an estimated 413 000 people.

The 2025 Interconnected Disaster Risks report shifts focus from diagnosing problems to mapping out solutions. It establishes that many of today’s solutions are surface-level fixes, and that to create lasting change, we need to question the societal structures and mindsets that perpetuate these challenges.

At least 242 million students in 85 countries had their schooling disrupted by extreme climate events in 2024, including heatwaves, tropical cyclones, storms, floods, and droughts, exacerbating an existing learning crisis, according to a new UNICEF analysis released today.

In 2024, global employment expanded in line with a growing labour force, keeping the global unemployment rate steady at 5 per cent, similar to that of 2023. Slowing productivity growth remains a major bottleneck with respect to expanding the opportunities for decent work.