U.N. Head Surveys Burma Damage

Staff / Truthdig May 23, 2008 After putting pressure on Burma's ruling military junta, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has traveled to Burma, where he is taking stock of the devastation left by Cyclone Nargis on May 2. Ban also met with Prime Minister Thein Sein, who told him that the storm-ravaged country is out of the relief phase and into reconstruction. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.N. Envoy Heads to Burma With Urgent Relief Message

Staff / Truthdig May 18, 2008 More than two weeks have passed since Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, killing 78,000 people and leaving tens of thousands more unaccounted for. Now the U.N. is pushing Burma's ruling junta to cooperate with international aid efforts, sending an envoy with a message from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in hopes that a more personal approach will produce lifesaving results. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Cyclone Death Toll ‘Tops 10,000’ in Burma

Staff / Truthdig May 6, 2008 The Burmese government prepared for an influx of international aid Monday as the death toll from Saturday's cyclone passed 10,000, according to Foreign Minister Nyan Win. That number suggested a far greater disaster than the 351 deaths reported earlier that same day. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Secretary-General ‘Humbled’ by Darfur

Staff / Truthdig Sep 6, 2007 U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has braved pro-government protests to visit a refugee camp in Darfur, where he said he was "shocked and humbled" by the "hardship all these tens of thousands of people were undergoing." Residents at the camp gave the world's top diplomat a warm greeting, chanting "Welcome, welcome Ban Ki-moon." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. Gives Sudan Ultimatum

Staff / Truthdig Apr 24, 2007 Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte has told the Sudanese government it must either cooperate with a UN peacekeeping plan or face sanctions However, the US has agreed to give U Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon time to work with Khartoum before pressing the issue. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Blast Rocks U.N. Leader’s Baghdad Trip

Staff / Truthdig Mar 22, 2007 A visit to Baghdad by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took a turn for the dramatic today when an explosion went off near the building where he was holding a discussion with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki. The blast, apparently caused by a mortar, shook things up in the middle of the televised event Thursday afternoon. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.N. Beefs Up Iraq Effort

Staff / Truthdig Mar 17, 2007 Ban Ki-Moon said the United Nations is boosting its efforts to address a growing humanitarian crisis in Iraq. Speaking at a U.N. conference on Iraq's economy, the secretary-general urged the 90 nations in attendance not to abandon the war-ravaged country. Update: Iraq unveils a five-year reconstruction plan. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.N. Leader: Climate Crisis as Dangerous as War

Staff / Truthdig Mar 2, 2007 U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon warned Thursday that the danger posed by war "is at least matched by the climate crisis," and urged the U.S., which produces roughly 25 percent of all greenhouse emissions, to take a leading role in addressing global warming. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.N. Pledges Revitalized Darfur Effort

Staff / Truthdig Jan 6, 2007 The United Nations has begun a renewed effort to address the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has promised to give the crisis his full attention, though many world leaders have made similar commitments to no avail. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )