When Tahani Al-Numeiri heard the first explosions in Khartoum, her hometown, war seemed so remote that she assumed they were celebrations from a nearby wedding. It was the morning of 15 April 2023, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces had just turned their guns on the army.

The United Nations celebrates its 81st anniversary on Saturday, highlighting more than eight decades of work to advance peace, human rights and development around the world.