UN Volunteers serving with WFP make a difference every day. They bring their expertise and experience to the table, while helping the organization work towards its goal of zero hunger. 

The survey, carried out with financial resources from Japan, aims to provide a better understanding of needs and expectations in border communities, linked to the threats to security and wellbeing posed by illicit trafficking. People living in border communities, particularly in remote areas, tend to be less involved in the development of public policies, thus also benefit less.

Martin and a team of Online Volunteers working on the project are excited to help Ukrainian pioneers uncover biomimetic solutions to their problems. They are part of the national Biomimicry Challenge* organized by UNDP's Accelerator Lab project, with the assistance of the Biomimicry Institute. This all-Ukrainian competition seeks to find ideas inspired by natural systems.

The event was part of a project funded by Japan and implemented with the Ministry of Youth and Sports aimed at improving life prospects for young Syrian refugees and their Turkish peers.

Originally from Bosso, Ousmane has seen more than 8,000 people from his community flee their homes. However, he chose to stay. "Abandoning was not an option for me. I had to help my community. I had to be there to help young people overcome this situation," he says.

At the end of July 2021, deadly floods and landslides had a devastating effect on those living in Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Initial reports estimated that 2,500 shelters were damaged or destroyed, affecting more than 12,000 refugees within 24 hours alone.

Paolo Marengo (38, Italy) is a UN Volunteer Project Associate supporting the UNEP Regional Office for West Asia, in Manama, Bahrain. Paolo began serving with UNEP in February of this year and is already contributing to the implementation of the Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (GO4SDGs) initiative.

UN Volunteers Frans Elinder (Sweden), Sohee Lee (South Korea), Usitha Rajeevan, Prabuddha Boralugoda, Sanaaree Manoratna, and Sathsara Deyalage (Sri Lanka), are from different countries and regions but have one thing in common: they are all serving with the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sri Lanka.

In Malawi, the Spotlight Initiative (SI) was rolled out in 2019 and is being implemented jointly by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN Women in six districts: Nkhata Bay, Mzimba, Dowa, Ntchisi, Machinga and Nsanje. 

Since 2018 the Astana Civil Service Hub (ACSH), a flagship initiative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Kazakhstan has grown to become an important and valued knowledge exchange platform for 40 participating countries.