The lead deminer raised his hand—and silence swept across Amadi. A dog stepped forward, nose trained to detect danger buried deep in the soil. Children watched from a distance, eyes wide with fear, hope, and curiosity. We were in Durupi, Central Equatoria State—a community that had long abandoned its fields due to explosive remnants of war. Farming had stopped. Life had paused. But on this morning, the United Nations Mine Action Service, the National Mine Action Authority, and their partners showed what reclaiming safety looks like. With protective gear, precise steps, and canine partners, they turned fear into farmland.

In Guinea-Bissau, communities are navigating daily uncertainty caused by instability and crime. Standing with them are UN Volunteers—one of them, Christian Menin, is from Brazil. He is a Project Manager with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (PBF)—a key UN mechanism for supporting peacebuilding efforts in fragile settings.   

When emergencies strike, having the right information can mean the difference between life and death. For Ahmed Anas Awad, an Egyptian, this belief drives his work every day. Since July 2024, he has been using his skills to support relief efforts in Gaza and Sudan as a UN Volunteer Information Management Officer with the World Health Organization’s Country Office in Egypt.

Ahmad Ullah Qazi, from Pakistan, serves as a UN Volunteer international specialist with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Regional Office in Bangkok. He started his assignment in November 2024 as Regional Evaluation Associate for Asia and the Pacific region, where he supports the evaluation function of UNESCO across 6 regional and 14 field offices. His focus is to improve the quality of evaluations, enhance their use in programming and decision-making, and support the implementation of UNESCO’s evaluation policy and guidelines across field units and relevant programmes.

At the Integrated Health Center of Birnin Gueza in Maradi, a young mother named Amina stood uncertain as health workers approached. Her daughter, Salamatou, had never received a vaccine. Fear and hesitation lingered—until a conversation with Nana Nazifa Hamissou Garba, a UN Volunteer nurse deployed with the World Health Organization (WHO), changed everything. “I feel more confident now to protect my daughter against polio,” Amina said, her voice filled with relief. Amina’s story is just one of many unfolding across Niger, where the fight against polio rages on in the communities most at risk.

Ekaete Judith Umoh’s arrival at the United Nations House in Abuja marked more than just a new job—it signaled a shift. She is the first Inclusion Coordinator in the United Nations Resident Coordinators Offices (UNRCO). As she rolled through the gates, a wheelchair user, Judith, was greeted by a gesture of respect. She is one of many persons with disabilities across West and Central Africa, who are taking on volunteer assignments for key roles within the UN system, turning inclusion from theory into practice. 

“We are not just numbers or headlines. We are people: mothers, fathers, children—trying to survive and protect one another in impossible conditions. The world must see us, hear us, and stand with humanity. Support humanitarian work. Advocate for safe access. And most importantly, don’t let Gaza be forgotten.” Twenty-seven-year-old Tasneem Aboalkomboz, a general physician, shares the realities of serving as a UN Volunteer in the besieged coastal strip. Tasneem is from Gaza and started her assignment with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People as a Project Coordinator Assistant on 5 June 2025.

Meet Liu Shanshan, a postgraduate student from China specializing in Hindi literature at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. In September 2024, Liu traded textbooks for hands-on experience in international development, joining the UN system as a UN Volunteer with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at the Regional Office for South Asia. Her volunteer assignment was funded by the Chinese Young Volunteers Association (CYVA) and aimed to highlight youth voices in peace and justice.
 

Gabon is green—over 88 percent of its land is forest. Thirteen national parks guard an 11 percent chunk of it. But protecting nature isn’t just about drawing lines on a map. It’s about the people who live there, depend on it, and fight to keep it alive. Twenty-two UN Volunteers, including members of the Pygmy community, one of Gabon’s most underrepresented groups, are at the heart of Transformation of Forest Landscape Governance in the Bas Ogooué – Lower Nyanga Corridor, a six-year initiative backed by the Global Environment Facility and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).