UN-Habitat Iraq housing rehabilitation project provides employment and protection for workers during COVID-19

May 15th, 2020

Nineveh Governorate, Iraq, 19 May 2020 – Construction work has resumed work on a UN-Habitat project with UNDP to rehabilitate war damaged houses in two cities in northern Iraq with precautions to…

UN-Habitat policy statement on the prevention of evictions and relocations during the COVID-19 crisis

May 14th, 2020

Nairobi, 14 May 2020 - As COVID-19 spreads around the world, billions of people have been told to stay at home, practice physical distancing, wash their hands regularly and wear masks. However, these…

Housing is Both a Prevention & Cure for COVID-19

May 13th, 2020

By UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif and Leilani Farha, the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, and Global Director of The Shift   NAIROBI, Kenya, May 13…

Making the Invisible Visible – working with communities to ensure the most vulnerable are supported during Brazil’s COVID-19 outbreak

May 13th, 2020

Rio de Janeiro and Alagoa States, Brazil, May 2020 – Thousands of the poorest and most vulnerable people in three of Brazil’s cities are receiving critical assistance during the COVID-19 outbreak…

Cities are on the front lines of COVID-19

May 12th, 2020

Across the globe, COVID-19 is threatening cities and communities, endangering not only public health, but also the economy and the fabric of society.  COVID-19 is already having a deep,…

Urban Thinkers Campuses look at safety in cities and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic

May 12th, 2020

Nairobi, 12 May 2020  - As part of the COVID-19 Urban Thinkers Campus Series organized by the World Urban Campaign, two online events, which attracted over 125 participants, discussed safety in…

Youth lead the way in preventing COVID-19 spread in Kenya’s informal settlements

May 12th, 2020

Nairobi, 12 May 2020 – Young people in Kenya’s informal settlements, cities and towns are the driving force behind preventative measures in the community. Over 175,000 handwashes have taken place at…

Can COVID-19 fill the void of City Governance for Urban Transformation?

May 12th, 2020

COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of our urban systems like never before. In India and across the globe, the pandemic has taken its roots in cities and proven to be the single most potent…

Participants at COVID-19 Urban Thinkers Campus discuss critical need for housing

May 11th, 2020

Nairobi, 7 May 2020  - The third online COVID-19 Urban Thinkers Campuses, focusing on housing, was organized by the World Urban Campaign with Habitat for Humanity and Compass Housing Services, the…

Women’s leadership will be critical in the post-COVID-19 era #BeyondTheOutbreak

May 11th, 2020

6 May 2020 - The twelfth thematic live learning experience  organized by UCLG and UN-Habitat provided an opportunity for local and regional women leaders from across the world to outline their key…

COVID-19 in Vulnerable Contexts: Spatial Profiling for Adaptive Responses in Kakuma-Kalobeyei

May 8th, 2020

Despite the inevitable nature of pandemics such as COVID-19, the health and socio-economic impacts have sent shockwaves through cities and towns globally revealing structural weaknesses in our urban…

Press Release - Innovation, Proximity and Solidarity: Local Economic Development as Immediate Response

May 8th, 2020

#BeyondTheOutbreak The 10th Live Learning session on 30 April, hosted by UCLG, Metropolis and UN-Habitat, with the UCLG Committee on Local Economic and Social Development looked at how local and…

Second COVID-19 Urban Thinkers Campus addresses water and sanitation challenges

May 7th, 2020

Nairobi, 6 May 2020  - Some 120 participants joined the second COVID-19 Urban Thinkers Campus session to discuss the challenges faced by the most vulnerable communities in accessing basic services…

First COVID-19 Urban Thinkers Campus discusses putting communities at the centre of the crisis response

May 7th, 2020

Nairobi, 4 May 2020  - Over 100 participants joined the first COVID-19 Urban Thinkers Campus session to discuss the importance of local communities in addressing the current crisis in informal…

Youth in Nairobi slum use murals to educate the community about COVID-19

May 6th, 2020

Nairobi, May 2020 – Young artists in Nairobi’s informal settlement Mathare are using their talent to educate residents about how to prevent COVID-19 through brightly coloured murals. A youth group,…