Conflict, humanitarian disasters, climate change. Our world and its people are facing huge challenges. Wherever and whenever crisis hits, the United Nations staff are both on the ground saving lives and negotiating at the highest levels to alleviate suffering. This work is only possible due to the personal sacrifices made every day by UN staff around the world. So, what motivates someone to lead the global fight for human rights, equality, or justice? Join UN chief communicator Melissa...

Karolina Lindholm Billing was posted to Ukraine less than a year before the full-scale Russian invasion. As the UNHCR Representative in the country, she draws hope from witnessing the power of community volunteer networks in supporting displaced people in their hour of need. “Volunteers from all areas of society have helped people who have been directly impacted by the war. They're cooking meals, giving clothing, giving money, opening their homes.” War has forced around one-third of...

Cindy McCain has many pressing reasons to lie awake at night. As Head of the World Food Programme, it is her job to make sure the millions of vulnerable people around the world who are relying on United Nations food assistance – from Gaza to Sudan to Afghanistan – don’t starve.   “Our job is to give hope and help by giving food to those who really need it most. And that's what we do.” Hunger is still one the biggest – and most solvable – problems globally, causing 783 million people...

Christian Ritscher’s work brings him into contact with some of humanity’s worst outrages. As head of the United Nations investigative team to promote accountability for the crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq, he seeks justice for victims of the notoriously violent terror group. “Justice gives relief not only to the victims, but to a prosecutor as well. That is what keeps you upright and keeps you going on and says it is meaningful what you're doing.” Islamic State, or ISIL, stands accused...

A committed public servant, Gordon Brown has a strong sense of social responsibility. Now United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is working towards a powerful vision: giving every child the chance to go to school. “There is talent, there is potential, there is brilliance in all parts of the world. There's a new Einstein, there's a new Malala, you name the brilliant people around the world. But some of them have been denied the...

Dr. Alice Jill Edwards spends many of her days listening to the testimonies of torture victims. Now the UN’s Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, she works towards a world in which torture is finally a thing of the past. “I do remember the faces of most of the people I've met, and in fact, they keep me going in this work. And at the same time, of course, their stories haunt me.” The United Nations Convention on Torture bans all...

A former judge, Catherine Marchi-Uhel has spent a lifetime pursuing justice. Now, leading the quest for accountability for atrocities and war crimes committed in the Syrian civil war, she finds comfort in survivors’ resilience and their determination to move on with their lives. “In Syria, I was really struck by this lack of revenge. I haven't seen many people wanting revenge. They want justice. And that's really a very powerful attitude.” Since 2016, the UN’s IIIM (International,...

Lewis Pugh was never afraid to take the plunge. Now ocean advocate for the United Nations Environment Programme, the record-breaking cold-water swimmer has completed long distance swims at both of the earth’s Poles, in the Red Sea, and along the length of the Hudson River, to spread a message of habitat renewal and conservation. “The first thing that happens is I can't breathe and I’m gasping for air. And the cold just grips its way around you. And you just got to try and control your mind,...

Erasmia Roumana’s job requires extraordinary strength. Working in Greece as a protection associate with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, she interviews refugees who have survived devastating shipwrecks at sea after embarking on desperate journeys in search of a better life. “I have seen some very horrible situations. And I always wonder at that moment, how can people survive this? How can people move on after this?” One tragic story stood out over the years. In 2014, Syrian refugee Doaa...

Stephen Jackson fell hard for Africa three decades ago, and never looked back. Now the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, he channels his passion into his work, bringing together UN agencies to support the continent in its drive for sustainable development.  “Sometimes in this job, you just end up falling in love with the country where you work. Kenya is a very special place, and I think is a country on an extraordinary upwards curve, a very rapid one. You meet incredibly inspiring people...

Reena Ghelani knows all too well the jarring silence of a crowded malnutrition ward. Now United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator, she spends every day working on the frontlines of the global fight against hunger. “You expect children to cry if they're suffering, but they don't even have the energy to cry. And the other thing is, I found that the mothers or the fathers are also silent. You know, luckily, many children survive when they get...

What does it take to be a United Nations worker in some of the world’s most complex and dangerous places? How are UN humanitarians, human rights advocates, prosecutors, development experts, climate leaders and peacekeepers improving our world?
 Stationed in all reaches of the world and witness to suffering and atrocities, how are they helping people and coping themselves?
 To find out, Melissa Fleming meets them. Coming soon: from the United Nations, season 8 of Awake at Night.

Growing up in Liberia, Sara Beysolow Nyanti is no stranger to the lasting pain of a country ravaged by recurring violence. As Former Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, she often encountered the anguish of those bearing the psychological scars of war. “This woman [told me] we have nightmares … And she talked about losing her four children and she said it without crying. My heart was crying while she was speaking … I couldn't bear it.” Reeling from decades of conflict,...

“It's not just food and assistance, you need to give these children a life, a life of full opportunities… So, I think we're so far from where we need to go, to make the difference.” When thousands fled the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, fearing the loss of millions of lives, stayed on. Every day since, the former UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in the country has fought to ease the acute suffering of its people. “I believe we are the last, best...

Cristina Duarte always brings great passion to any task she takes on. Now Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, she works tirelessly to help the continent imagine a better tomorrow, one which not only meets its people’s needs, but also fulfills their dreams. “The Africa we want is the Africa the world needs … [one that gives Africans] the social space to fully exercise all the entitlements of a human being.” Born to an activist father who was integral to independence...

A pediatrician by training, Najat Maalla M'jid has always been dedicated to rescuing children from suffering. Now United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, she works tirelessly to protect young people around the world. “What I learned in my life, it's the eyes. […] When you are speaking with children, when you have light in their eyes, it's still possible. When the light switches off, it’s too late.” Half of the world’s children are exposed...

Dr. David Nabarro has dedicated his life to global health. After a long career that’s taken him from the horrors of war torn Iraq, to the devastating aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami, he is still spurred to action by the tremendous inequalities in global access to medical care. “The thing that keeps me awake most at night is the rampant inequities in our world…We see an awful lot of needless suffering.” A passionate advocate for sustainable development, David Nabarro has seen in his...

Denise Brown knows what it takes to work under the shadow of war. As UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, she and her team must brave considerable risks as they strive to meet the colossal humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people in the midst of a brutal war. “The missiles slow us down, but they don’t stop us. That's testament to the courage, determination, and experience of the people we have there.” Close to 18 million Ukrainians are now in need of humanitarian aid and...

Sajjad Malik witnessed terrible suffering during the Syrian crisis. As UNHCR’s former representative in the country, he oversaw one of the UN Refugee Agency’s toughest and most dangerous operations.  “There are certain images that will stay with me for a very long time. Because those are the images that cannot be forgotten overnight.” Since the war in Syria started in 2011 more than 5.7 million people have fled the country. Another 6.9 million are internally displaced. In this special...

With her writing, Amanda Khozi Mukwashi wants to change the conversation on race, gender, and identity. Now United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lesotho, she has written a book exploring the struggle for equity and the historical baggage of slavery and colonization. “Let's talk about it a little more freely, not for it to hold our hands and tie them, but for it to liberate us to think differently.” Moving back to the UK after leaving a high-level development post in Zambia, Amanda Khozi...

Ulrika Richardson has dedicated her life to the UN. As resident and humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, her belief in the organization’s idealistic values drives her to brave significant dangers in her mission to alleviate the suffering she has witnessed there. “When you see people suffer, those images stay with you … that keeps you awake, and it should keep you awake.” Life in Haiti remains precarious. Armed gangs, cholera, and fuel and food shortages mean violence, hunger, disease, and...

Matilda Bogner’s job is to bear witness to unspeakable crimes. As head of the United Nations Human Rights mission in Ukraine, she and her team record accounts of horrific abuses and rights violations in a bid to bring the perpetrators to justice and ease the victims’ suffering.  “It's a very complicated job, but it is meeting people and finding out their stories. It's giving voices to victims. That's what motivates me.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has devastated millions of lives....

Growing up at a time of war in Bangladesh, Irene Khan learned first-hand how access to trustworthy information can save lives. Now UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, she advocates for reliable information for all, especially during conflict.   “Access to information from outside the conflict from a source that we felt was verifiable and trustworthy, was so important for us as a family to know whether we flee, whether we...

Alfred Orono’s childhood came to an abrupt end when he was recruited as a soldier in Uganda, when he was just 11 years old. Now Chief of Child Protection at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), he draws on his own experience as a child soldier to help young people find a peaceful way forward. “I work with children who, when I look at them, I know exactly what's going on in their minds. I know how they feel. And I'm part of the solution to their problems.” Every year,...