We had more than 200 volunteers spread across the country—many right where the fighting began. We had plans to scale up to 1,000 volunteers to support health services. In a matter of days, those plans collapsed. Suddenly, it wasn’t about growth. It was about survival.Care that goes both ways

UN Volunteers in BeijingAt China’s International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), Jialin is a young Chinese UN Volunteer Project Analyst with UNOSSC. She organizes trainings, reviews grant proposals, and drafts policy briefs that drive sustainable development in agriculture, clean energy, and poverty reduction. 

“The levels of death and destruction in Gaza are without parallel in recent times. Day after day, our efforts are being blocked, delayed, and denied. This is unacceptable.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres says, while highlighting the clear obligations for the occupying power, Israel. He calls Gaza a man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself. “People are starving.

Dayoung served as a UN Volunteer Education Associate in Timor-Leste from August 2023 to August 2024. She was driven by her dedication to UNESCO’s mission and the strength she admired in the Timorese people. Dayoung reflects on how preserving the past can breathe new life into a place once defined by trauma. 

Yeran Kejijian knows what it means to be displaced. Her grandparents were refugees in Lebanon, and their stories shaped her path. Now, as the United Nations Volunteers Country Coordinator for Lebanon and Syria, Yeran helps Syrians return home after years of exile. For her, rebuilding communities isn’t just about logistics—it’s about restoring dignity. 

Humanity in action