In a statement published on Monday by his spokesperson, António Guterres said he was ” deeply saddened by the loss of tragic life, especially of a large number of children,“During what should have been a period of celebration.

Friday, July 4, marked independence day in the United States-an era when families and communities traditionally meet for outdoor celebrations.

The secretary general expressed his “sincere condolences to the families of the victims” and expressed his solidarity with all those affected, including the inhabitants of Texas and the government of the United States.

According to the media, the floods-triggered by strong precipitation during the fourth weekend in July-caused massive damage in certain parts of the center of Texas, in particular along the Guadalupe river. The deluge hit the Mystic camp, killing at least 27 campers and advisers.

Catherine Russell, Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), said in an article on social networks that “we all have Unicef Have a heart broken by the reports that came out of the center of Texas. »»

“” Our hearts and our thoughts go with these relatives of mourning and those who always await the news of the missing, including children“She said.

Research and recovery efforts are continuing while the region is based for more rain, according to media reports.

Haruki Ume spoke to the UN News at Pavilion of some at Expo 2025 Currently detained in the Japanese city of Osaka.

A section of the pavilion includes a rotating presentation focusing on a specific and recently united United Nations Entity, attention turned to the UN volunteers program.

“At the age of 17, I went to the United States on an educational exchange program and my main motivation was to play baseball and discover American culture.

I met many other people from Africa and Asia as well as Europe and I was shocked, then impressed by their passion and motivation to support their villages and their communities at home.

A boy from Azerbaijan told me that he had been selected for the exchange of more than 100 candidates as the only student in his country. Consequently, he said that he was responsible for not wasting his time and representing all these other candidates and his country at best of his capacities.

It was at this moment that I decided that I wanted to contribute more to society and I therefore started studying development problems. I have traveled as much as possible during my vacation, in places like Cambodia, the Philippines, India, Peru, Egypt and Uganda.

As a volunteer, I supported education and other initiatives during the field missions and I was really motivated by helping people less lucky than me. I also learned a lot from these people, so I really appreciated it an exchange of experiences and knowledge.

Understand the outside world

I grew up in a small town in rural Japan where there were no foreigners. People grow, work and die there and many never live foreign cultures or really do not understand the outside world.

I remember having been nervous at the idea of ​​speaking English and eating food to which I was not used to, but I wanted to unravel these personal barriers and widen my world.

Being open to new experiences has facilitated adaptation to other cultures and this understanding promotes peace and friendship and, ultimately, international cooperation.

I worked at the United Nations Pavilion at the 2025 Expo to promote the UN and the work of the UN volunteers. I do this in the mind to build cooperation and create a positive change in the world.

Expo 2025 brings the world to Osaka and offers Japanese people to discuss how we can work together more effectively to create a fairer and more peaceful world. »»