Synthetic street drugs ‘becoming more diverse but also more dangerous’

As synthetic drugs spread into new markets and traffickers develop increasingly potent substances, the global drug landscape is becoming more complex, unpredictable and dangerous, the 2026 World Drug Report reveals.In an exclusive interview with UN News, Chloé Carpentier, lead researcher on the report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), warned that powerful new synthetic opioids, persistent gaps in access to treatment and the growing links between conflict and drug trafficking are reshaping the global drug crisis.Speaking to Jolina Dong, Ms. Carpentier explained why adolescents, women and people living in humanitarian settings face some of the greatest risks, and why stronger international cooperation is essential to keeping pace with a changing global drug market.

Five days after two deadly earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela, the UN says the emergency is far from over. With search-and-rescue operations continuing, Vanessa May, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the stricken South American nation, told UN News’s Victoria Fernandez that families who have lost their homes and loved ones will need sustained support, including psychosocial care alongside food, water and shelter. She stressed that recovery and reconstruction “will take time”, as the UN and its partners prepare for the next phase of the humanitarian response.

Following the earthquakes in Venezuela, teams from 27 countries continue searching for people trapped beneath the rubble. From La Guaira, the most affected region, families describe the agonizing wait, while the United Nations coordinates the response and expands assistance for those who have lost their homes.

Women and girls in Gaza and the West Bank continue to face severe challenges due to conflict and displacement, while funding cuts have undermined access to healthcare and protection services.The UN agency responsible for maternal and reproductive healthcare, UNFPA, is warning that humanitarian needs remain immense, with services for mothers and babies under growing strain.Nestor Owomuhangi, the agency's Representative in Palestine, told Reem Abaza from UN News that the number of women in Gaza reporting suicidal tendencies through UNFPA-supported facilities has more than doubled in the past two years, highlighting the worsening psychological toll of the crisis.

A new generation of HIV prevention tools could help reshape the global response to the virus which has led to the deaths of over 44 million worldwide – but without sustained funding, political commitment and community leadership, millions more risk being left behind.Ahead of next week’s High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Director of the Prosperity and Well-being Hub at the UN Development Programme (UNDP), told UN News the world’s reached a pivotal moment in the fight against HIV as Governments prepare to negotiate a new Political Declaration.Speaking to Jolina Dong, Ms. Dhaliwal outlined the development body’s new Power of Prevention initiative, which supports the community-led rollout of lenacapavir, a highly effective HIV prevention injection administered twice a year, in high-need countries.

Sustainability in the kitchen is increasingly seen not just as a trend, but as a necessity shaped by economic pressures and changing consumer expectations.Chef Jaume Biarnés, a former member of the world-renowned El Bulli restaurant team in Spain, and now Director of the Yondu Culinary Studio in New York, believes that sustainability is integral to modern cookingHe told Liudmila Blagonravova from UN News about the key role fermentation plays in reducing waste and boosting flavour – and how simple, practical steps can help both chefs and home cooks adopt more sustainable habits.

Hate speech is an unavoidable menace today – particularly so for women and girls – on and offline. The abuse they face is increasingly fuelled by so-called “manosphere” online influencers.Their posts primarily target young men and boys to promote a warped view of masculinity, usually by promoting rigid gender roles and misogyny.To mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech on 18 June, UN News’s Nathalie Minard sat down with Kalliopi Mingeirou from gender equality agency UN Women, where she's leading efforts to end gender-based violence.

Since its launch in March 2025, the UN80 initiative has moved into a decisive phase. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy, joins UN News's Laura Quinones to discuss what has changed, what results are already emerging, and how the United Nations is working to become more effective at a time of growing financial and political pressure.

In Lebanon, UN teams and partners are dealing with a country in flames as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) appealed on Wednesday for a “sustained cessation of hostilities”.As thousands of families continue to be displaced and uprooted by the violence between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli military since March, UN News’s Daniel Johnson discussed the impact on children with Marcoluigi Corsi, UNICEF representative in Lebanon.Our first question to him was to describe what families in Lebanon are going through.

Global cooperation is essential as criminal networks become more complex, sophisticated and interconnected, according to the new Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, Monica Juma, who took office last month.Speaking to UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri, the former Kenyan national security adviser said no single country, region or sector can tackle today’s security challenges alone. Ahead of the UN Crime Congress in Abu Dhabi this September, she highlighted the growing links between organized crime, corruption, trafficking, terrorism and emerging technologies, and stressed the need for stronger international cooperation to address these evolving threats.Ms. Juma began by reflecting on her first weeks in office before outlining her priorities.