Civilians and aid operations under fire as Sudan airstrikes intensify

Posted on February 12, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Two children were reportedly killed and 13 others injured in a drone strike on a mosque in Al-Rahad, North Kordofan, where all the victims were students at the adjoining school. The attack came just hours after a primary school in Dilling, South Kordofan, was hit, with further injuries reported.

WFP warehouse hit

The warehouse of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in the South Kordofan capital, Kadugli, also was struck by suspected rockets, significantly damaging buildings and mobile storage units.

Recent days have also seen drone strikes reported in other parts of South Kordofan, North Kordofan and West Kordofan states, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.

Strikes have occurred close to key supply routes linking the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan to Dilling and Kadugli in South Kordofan, and this is endangering civilians, including humanitarian workers.

Not a target

“The fact that we have to reiterate almost every day that civilians and civilian infrastructure, places of worship, schools and hospitals cannot and should not be targeted is a tragedy into itself,” he said.

“Yet, we have to remind the parties of this almost every day and that they need to respect international humanitarian law.”

Meanwhile, the UN and partners continue their efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people.

The war between the national army and former allies-turned-rivals the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) – which erupted in April 2023 – has sparked the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with some 30 million people in need of assistance.

Aid convoy breakthrough

Mr. Dujarric said a multi-agency UN convoy made up of 41 trucks carrying nearly 800 metric tonnes of food and other essential supplies departed El Obeid for Kadugli on Tuesday, marking a significant breakthrough along a previously closed route.

In South Kordofan, humanitarians have distributed nearly 600 metric tonnes of food to nearly 70,000 people, but the continued arrival of families fleeing their homes is depleting what limited stocks are available.

More than 115,000 people have been displaced across the Kordofan region since late October, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Diplomatic concern

The UN and four other organizations working to promote political dialogue in Sudan voiced grave concern at the continued escalation of the conflict in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The Quintet – which comprises the African Union (AU), East African bloc IGAD, the League of Arab States (LAS), the European Union (EU) and the UN – expressed particular alarm over the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Kordofan region and Blue Nile state.

The statement highlighted the urgent need for action, citing:
• Deadly drone strikes and tightening sieges around population centres
• Attacks on hospitals, schools and humanitarian assets
• Widespread displacement and severe constraints on humanitarian access
• Direct attacks on humanitarian aid convoys

Protect civilians, allow aid access

The Quintet recalled the horrors that occurred in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur state, “and the repeated warnings issued ahead of those atrocities that went unheeded with devastating consequences for civilians”.

The city was under siege by the RSF for more than a year during which crimes such as rapes, executions, mass killings, attacks on displacement were committed.

“The Quintet insists that civilians must no longer bear the cost of ongoing hostilities,” the statement said.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, international humanitarian law must be respected, and safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access to all areas in need must be ensured.”

Ramadan plea

The partners also emphasised the need for coordinated international efforts to de-escalate the conflict and halt the flow of weapons and fighters sustaining the violence.

Ahead of Islam’s holy month of Ramadan, they urged all concerned “to seize the opportunity presented by ongoing efforts to broker a humanitarian truce and to immediately deescalate hostilities, to prevent further loss of life and enable life-saving assistance.”

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Ukraine: UN aid convoy reaches frontlines in Dnipro

Posted on February 12, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that access to the town had been “extremely difficult due to the continued fighting.” Of the 10,000 people who lived there before the full-scale invasion in February 2022, only about 500 remain, “most of them older people and people with disabilities.”

According to Ukrainian authorities, hostilities between Tuesday and Wednesday morning caused several civilian deaths and injuries, including children. The regions of Donetsk, Dnipro, Sumy and Kherson were reported to be the hardest hit.

In Zaporizhzhia region, a hospital and a pre-school were damaged, and thousands of people were left without heating following an attack, underscoring the strain on essential services as winter conditions persist.

Drone strike devastates family

Meanwhile, a Russian drone strike killed a father and three young children and left a pregnant woman critically injured in the town of Bohodukhiv in the Kharkiv region, humanitarian workers said on Wednesday.

The attack occurred around midnight Tuesday into Wednesday, completely destroying the family home, according to Olena Labzeva of the Humanitarian Mission Proliska.

The father, who had a disability, and the couple’s three children – including toddlers aged one and two – were killed.

A neighbour who heard the explosion pulled the injured woman from the burning rubble. She remains in an extremely serious physical and psychological condition in hospital.

Damage costs exceed $176 billion

Amid the ongoing violence, UN agencies are also supporting longer-term recovery efforts.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) said it has now helped clear one million tonnes of debris since the start of the full-scale invasion, restoring safe access to more than 200 public locations and enabling reconstruction at over 1,600 heavily damaged sites – including homes, schools and hospitals.

Direct damage to Ukraine’s buildings and infrastructure was estimated at $176 billion by the end of 2024, with debris posing a major obstacle to rebuilding and the return of residents.

Health system under severe strain

At the same time, the war’s devastation is placing additional pressure on the health system.

Repeated strikes on energy facilities have disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies, complicating care for pregnant women and newborns, particularly during freezing winter temperatures.

According to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, doctors and nurses have reported power outages during complex surgical procedures.

They are also seeing more potentially life-threatening obstetric emergencies, including hypertension and uterine rupture, signalling a maternal health system under severe strain.

Just under 12 per cent of babies are born preterm in frontline areas – nearly double the national rate.

UNFPA is supplying maternity hospitals with back-up energy systems and life-saving reproductive health supplies, while calling for sustained international support.

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World News in Brief: School shooting in Canada, cholera outbreak in DR Congo, evacuations in Gaza

Posted on February 12, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

António Guterres was “saddened to learn of the tragic shooting in Tumble Ridge, British Columbia,” his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at the daily news briefing.

“[Mr. Guterres] extends his deepest condolences to those affected and his sympathies to the Government and people of Canada,” Mr. Dujarric added.

Two crime scenes

According to media reports, the dead included at least three female students, two male students and a teacher. Two additional people were found dead at a nearby home, who local police have reportedly identified as the suspect’s mother and stepbrother.

The suspect – who was born male but was transitioning and identified as female, according to police – was found at the school having died from an apparent self-inflicted wound.

Two of the several dozen injured were airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Tumbler Ridge, located in the Canadian Rockies more than 1,000 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, is a small community near the Alberta border. The secondary school serves around 175 students from Grades seven to 12.

DR Congo: UN urges urgent scale-up as cholera outbreak worsens

The UN relief coordination office, OCHA, has warned that the spiralling cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo demands an immediate scale-up of the response.

It is reportedly the country’s worst outbreak in 25 years. Since the start of 2026, more than 1,300 suspected cases and 35 deaths have been recorded.

Last year, over 71,800 suspected cases were reported, with more than 2,000 deaths.

Humanitarian support

Humanitarian partners, alongside the Government and the UN, continue to provide support, but major gaps remain. Water, sanitation and hygiene services are critically underfunded, health workers are overstretched, supplies are running low and access to treatment facilities remains difficult.

On Monday, $750,000 was allocated from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help health partners rapidly expand life-saving assistance and curb transmission.

OCHA stressed that more flexible funding is urgently needed to bolster health services and contain the outbreak.

Gaza: UN scales up evacuations and education support

In Gaza, UN teams supported the medical evacuation of 18 patients and 26 companions through the Rafah Crossing on Tuesday.

Teams also received 41 additional returnees at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where a reception area is being operated to assist those arriving.

Since Rafah reopened in early February, just over 220 people in each direction have been facilitated through the crossing, according to UN Spokesperson Dujarric.

“I reiterate that we would like to see more people having the opportunity to move voluntarily and safely, in both directions, especially to access services that they need,” he said on Wednesday.

Hoping to expand aid operation

“We also hope to see the movement of cargo enabled through Rafah, to increase the volume of humanitarian supplies entering, and further expand the scale up of the humanitarian response.”

Humanitarian partners working to provide educational support have delivered stationery and toys in recent days to improve learning conditions for thousands of children.

Four new temporary learning spaces were established last week, bringing the total across Gaza to about 450, serving more than 5,500 students.

Between 29 January and 4 February, child protection partners provided winter assistance, psychosocial support and safe spaces to more than 6,500 children and caregivers, including warm clothing for nearly 3,800 children.

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Measles cases drop in 2025 across Europe and Central Asia, but outbreak risks remain

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

“While cases have reduced, the conditions that led to the resurgence of this deadly disease in recent years remain and must be addressed,” said Regina De Dominicis, the UN Children Fund (UNICEF) regional director for Europe and Central Asia.

Fifty-three countries in Europe and Central Asia reported 33,998 measles cases in 2025, down from 127,412 in 2024.

The overall decreasing trend in cases reflects both outbreak response measures and the gradual decline in the number of people susceptible to measles infection as the virus made its way through under-vaccinated communities, according to UN agencies.

Tackling deadly misinformation

However, many cases could have been prevented with higher routine vaccination coverage at community level and more timely response to outbreaks, UN agencies said.

“Until all children are reached with vaccination, and hesitancy fuelled by the spread of misinformation is addressed, children will remain at risk of death or serious illness from measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases,” she warned.

Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said eliminating measles is essential for national and regional health security, stressing that “in today’s environment of rampant fake news, it’s also crucial that people rely on verified health information from reliable sources such as WHO, UNICEF and national health agencies.”

Measles still present

The number of cases in 2025 still exceeded what has been reported for most years since 2000, and some countries reported more cases in 2025 than in 2024. Measles cases continue to be detected in 2026 in the region, according to WHO.

“Over 200,000 people in our region fell ill with measles in the past three years,” Dr. Kluge said.

“Unless every community reaches 95 per cent vaccination coverage, closes immunity gaps across all ages, strengthens disease surveillance and ensures timely outbreak response, this highly contagious virus will keep spreading.”

Highly contagious

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses affecting people. For every one person who has measles, up to 18 other unvaccinated people will be infected.

This makes measles around 12 times more contagious than influenza. As well as hospitalisation and death, the virus can cause long-term, debilitating health complications.

It can also damage the immune system by “erasing” its memory of how to fight infections for months to even years, leaving measles survivors vulnerable to other diseases and death.

Two doses of measles-containing vaccine provide up to 97 per cent life-long protection against measles.

A vaccination rate of 95 per cent with two doses of the measles vaccine in every community each year is needed to prevent measles outbreaks and achieve herd immunity, which protects infants too young for measles vaccination and other people for whom it is not recommended due to medical conditions, like those who are immunocompromised.

Public health priorities

Outbreak preparedness and response alongside the target of measles elimination, remain public health priorities.

UNICEF and WHO work together with governments and with the support of partners, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the European Union, to prevent and respond to measles outbreaks by, among other things:

engaging with communities
training health care workers
strengthening immunisation programmes and disease surveillance systems
initiating measles vaccination catch-up campaigns

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UN social policy commission closes with calls to turn pledges into action

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Meeting at UN Headquarters, in New York, from 2 to 10 February, the Commission for Social Development marked its first session since the Second World Summit for Social Development, held in Doha last year.

The gathering brought together ministers, senior UN officials, civil society groups and youth representatives to examine how global pledges can be translated into coordinated, inclusive and equitable policies at the national level.

Opening the session, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) President Lok Bahadur Thapa stressed that social development policies are where “resilience, social cohesion, and trust are ultimately tested.”

He warned that widening inequalities, demographic change, and rapid digital and green transitions are placing growing strain on societies worldwide. Responding in an integrated, people-centred way, he said, is “not merely a policy choice; it is a moral imperative.”

Delegates at the 64th session of the Commission for Social Development.

What is the Commission for Social Development?

The Commission for Social Development is an ECOSOC functional commission and the United Nations’ primary intergovernmental body for social development.

Established in 1946, it has helped shape global policy frameworks on poverty eradication, employment, social protection and inclusion, including by steering follow-up to landmark agreements such as the 1995 Copenhagen Declaration and, more recently, the 2025 Doha Political Declaration.

Click here for UN News special coverage of the Doha Summit

Over the years, the Commission has driven progress on universal social protection, decent work for all, and international focus on groups at risk of exclusion, including persons with disabilities, older persons, youth and families.

Its conclusions have informed national policies, helped develop social protection floors, and reinforced links between social development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Commission meets annually at UN Headquarters, in New York, generally in February.

Click here for more information on the Commission

A post-Doha moment for social policy

This year’s priority theme – advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable and inclusive policies – framed discussions throughout the session, reflecting concerns that fragmented policymaking is slowing progress on poverty eradication, decent work and social inclusion.

Addressing delegates, General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock underscored that social development is not a secondary concern reserved for calmer times, but “the foundation that peace is built upon” and a critical investment in stability.

Ending hunger and poverty, she said, is both a moral obligation and a matter of security, noting how deprivation fuels conflict, migration and instability.

From commitments to delivery

In a message to the Commission, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed highlighted the shift signalled by the Doha Political Declaration away from incremental progress towards more ambitious, coordinated action.

She pointed to strong civil society engagement – with more than 700 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) registered for the session – and urged governments to match that readiness with concrete delivery.

“If Copenhagen, Doha and the 2030 Agenda are where we drew the map, then the Commission for Social Development sets us on the road,” she said.

Click here to watch the Deputy Secretary-General’s message

Coordinating policies in a changing world

Throughout the session, speakers repeatedly stressed the need for greater policy coherence – aligning employment strategies with universal social protection floors, inclusive education and health systems, and just-transition measures.

The Commission also examined emerging social challenges, including demographic change, labour-market disruption, and the social impacts of digital transformation and artificial intelligence.

Delegates heard that while new technologies carry risks, they can also accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if governed inclusively and equitably.

A young boy relaxes in a wicker basket as his family threshes harvested wheat.

Youth mental health in focus

Youth voices featured prominently, reflecting the Commission’s emphasis on inclusion. The launch of the World Youth Report on Youth Mental Health and Well-being highlighted the growing pressures facing young people – from poverty and inequality to climate stress, conflict and digital harms.

Youth delegates and advocates shared lived experiences, describing how uncertainty about the future is eroding trust and well-being among younger generations, while calling for preventive, community-based and youth-responsive approaches.

Resolutions endorsed

At the close of the session, Member States endorsed two draft resolutions – one on advancing social development and social justice through coordinated, equitable and inclusive social policies, and another on the social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development.

The resolutions reaffirm commitments made at the 1995 Copenhagen Summit and the 2025 Doha Summit, while emphasizing the need to translate global pledges into concrete national action.

Outcomes from the session will feed into upcoming UN processes, including the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July, ECOSOC’s broader work, and the General Assembly’s five-year follow-up towards a high-level review of social development commitments in 2031.

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Women and girls in science: Dismantling barriers, closing gender gaps

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Across the world, a significant gender gap persists at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines due to lack of research funding, gender stereotypes, and discriminatory workplace practices.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the gap is particularly pronounced in technology, where women represent just 26 per cent of the workforce in data and artificial intelligence, and 12 per cent in cloud computing.

“Excluding women from science weakens our collective capacity to address urgent global challenges, from climate change to public health to space security,” he warned.

Greater inclusion

As societies continue to grapple with widening inequalities, the UN believes that the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), social science, STEM and finance provides a way to accelerate inclusive and sustainable development.

The approach is being highlighted on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, observed on Wednesday.

Synergizing these four domains can help dismantle persistent barriers by closing gender gaps in digital skills, catalysing women-driven start-ups, advancing gender-responsive AI governance, and mobilising finance that embeds social inclusion as a performance metric.

“From advancing renewable energy to preventing the next pandemic, our future hinges on unlocking as much human talent as possible,” the Secretary-General said.

“Today and every day, let us ensure that women and girls can realise their scientific ambitions – for their rights, and for the benefit of all.”

Scientist, entrepreneur, ambassador

Chemist and entrepreneur Asel Sartbaeva from Kyrgyzstan is a role model in this regard.

She is an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom and co-founder and CEO of the biotech company EnsiliTech.

Her work tackles one of global health’s most persistent challenges: how to make vaccines stable at high temperatures so they can be transported to the most remote communities without complex refrigeration.

Supporting girls in STEM

Alongside her research, Ms. Sartbaeva works with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as an ambassador for the Girls in Science programme in Kyrgyzstan, encouraging girls to pursue higher education and careers in STEM.

She told UN News that in many communities, decisions about a girl’s future are shaped by her family – particularly her father.

“Most of the time, the biggest worry I’ve heard, especially from fathers, was that they thought that if their girls would go into science, they will not have a family,” she said.

“For me, really, the first thing was to show that actually that is not true. They can have both and it’s not mutually exclusive.”

‘We need you’

The UNICEF programme combines science masterclasses with mentoring, communication training and confidence-building. Thousands of girls have taken part, and many have gone on to pursue university degrees in STEM.

Ms. Sartbaeva believes opportunities for women in science are improving. Women professors were rare when she was at university, but today she sees far more balance and stronger policies supporting inclusion.

Still, more talent is still needed and she had a clear, simple message for girls considering STEM: “We need you.”

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UN warns civilians remain at risk as airstrikes continue across Gaza

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the regular news briefing in New York that the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, had received additional reports of airstrikes, bombing, shelling – including from at sea – and shootings in residential areas.

The violence, he said, “puts civilians in danger and adds to the immense hardship they have endured over the past 28 months.”

He added that civilians are protected under international humanitarian law wherever they are, “even if they cross military demarcation lines or are near them…civilians must always be protected and during military operations and constant care must be taken to spare them.”

Health centre reopens

Amid the ongoing hostilities, UN agencies reported limited but important progress in restoring essential services.

The UN ‘s Palestine refugee relief agency (UNRWA) said it has reopened the Bureij Health Centre in Deir al Balah after months of closure. The facility is now providing primary healthcare, maternal health services, laboratory testing and dental care.

However, thousands of patients remain without access to treatment and recovery, as critical services are still unavailable in Gaza.

“Their top priority is to scale up local services, including by rehabilitating damaged facilities and expanding critical care. This requires more medical supplies, including items that are not easily approved for entry by Israeli authorities, such as X-ray machines and laboratory equipment,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Shelter, protection needs remain acute

UN shelter partners said that by last week they had provided more than 5,600 families with emergency shelter assistance in just over one week, including nearly 5,000 tarpaulins and more than 12,000 bedding items.

Last month alone, similar assistance – including nearly 8,000 tents – reached more than 85,000 families. However, durable solutions are urgently needed, which requires permission from Israeli authorities to bring in machinery and construction materials to repair damaged structures, partner organizations said.

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In Bahrain; work, dignity and the quiet rise of home-grown enterprise

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Their experiences underline a broader message: inclusive economic growth depends on opening space for those too often excluded, including people with disabilities, youth and home-based innovators.

Entrepreneur by necessity

For Shaymaa Saeed, a young Egyptian crochet designer and handicrafts artist with a disability, entrepreneurship was not a lifestyle choice but a necessity. Health challenges prevented her from securing formal work, pushing her to rethink how she could earn a living.

“I started my project from home in 2018 due to health challenges, after I was unable to secure a job,” she told UN News.

Instead of giving up, I turned my hobby into a source of income

What began as a personal coping strategy gradually became a viable business. Ms. Saeed went on to take part in some of Egypt’s largest handicrafts exhibitions, building confidence and visibility along the way.

Recently, she presented her work outside her home country for the first time, marking a significant milestone in her journey.

Stepping on stage

“My participation marks my first step onto the international stage,” she said, pointing to the role of entrepreneurship training and institutional backing. “The support I received helped me grow personally and professionally, with greater confidence.”

UN News/Abdul Monem Makki

Shaymaa Saeed, a young Egyptian entrepreneur who’s attending WEIF in Bahrain.

All the issues raised by Ms. Saeed’s experiences are up for discussion during this week’s Sixth World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum (WEIF), in the Bahraini capital, Manama, where a parallel exhibition on home-based entrepreneurship is showcasing how targeted support can turn personal challenges into economic opportunity.

Organised by the UN Industrial Development Organization’s (UNIDO) International Technology and Innovation Promotion Office in Bahrain, the gathering is bringing together entrepreneurs, policymakers and investors from dozens of countries.

Big dreams

Ms. Saeed’s enterprise remains entirely home-based and online, but her ambitions extend well beyond that. “I do not yet have a physical store, but I dream of having my own space to showcase and sell my work, and of reaching markets across the world as a successful small business.”

Ms. Saeed is candid about the realities of building a business from scratch. “Success does not come overnight,” she said. “It is a continuous journey of effort, learning and development.”

I dream of having my own space to showcase and sell my work, and of reaching markets across the world

Similar themes are emerging from other women using art and entrepreneurship as vehicles for agency and expression.

Bahraini visual artist and art teacher Mariam Sayed Anwar, who also lives with a disability, described creativity as both discipline and emotional release.

“My work moves between still life, portraits, charcoal, pencil and acrylic,” she explained, stressing the importance of experimentation. “I never limit myself to just one medium.”

For her, art communicates what language sometimes cannot. “Through paint and brushes, I can express what is in my heart and soul more than writing ever could. Art is my language; when words fall silent, my work speaks for me.”

UN News/Abdul Monem Makki

A woman speaker takes the stage at the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum 2026 in Manama, Bahrain.

International exposure

Beyond individual stories, entrepreneurs from Africa gathering in Bahrain are highlighting the structural conditions that shape success or failure.

Zimbabwean entrepreneur Dr. Roselyn Musaruru-Wacharewa said exposure to international networks had reshaped her understanding of what is possible – not just for individual women, but for entire regions.

UN News/Abdul Monem Makki

From Zimbabwe, entrepreneur Dr. Roselyn Musaruru-Wacharewa describes how exposure to international platforms in Bahrain has reshaped her outlook.

“In many African countries, governments tax entrepreneurs so heavily that it feels like they want you out of business,” she said, contrasting this with environments where policy actively encourages enterprise.

Her appeal was blunt: African women entrepreneurs are ready, but governments must “change the narrative and give them real access and recognition”.

Guterres underlines private sector role

The importance of creating such enabling conditions was echoed by UN leaders and national officials, though the emphasis remained on outcomes rather than rhetoric.

In his message delivered in Bahrain on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres underlined the private sector’s role as an engine of jobs, innovation and investment, particularly through micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for roughly two-thirds of global employment.

He stressed that growth must go hand in hand with respect for human rights and labour standards, and with expanding opportunities for those left behind.

UNIDO officials highlighted youth and women as central drivers of innovation, while Bahraini authorities pointed to national initiatives supporting young and women entrepreneurs, alongside strategies embracing artificial intelligence and new technologies.

Lived experience

Yet the strongest arguments for inclusive growth came not from policy statements, but from lived experience.

From home-based businesses run entirely online, to art that speaks where words fail, entrepreneurs like Shaymaa Saeed illustrate what becomes possible when talent meets opportunity – and what is lost when barriers remain.

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Violence surges in South Sudan leaving civilians at risk and peacekeepers stretched thin

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council on Tuesday, UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said instability had risen sharply in recent weeks, driven by political deadlock among signatories to the 2018 Revitalised Peace Agreement and a dangerous escalation in armed confrontations.

Fighting has intensified most dramatically in Jonglei state, where clashes between Government forces and opposition elements displaced more than 280,000 people, according to government sources.

Reports of aerial bombardments, inflammatory rhetoric and severe restrictions on humanitarian access have raised fears of a return to the widespread violence seen in 2013 and 2016.

Communities, Mr. Lacroix said, are once again “on the move,” fleeing areas where fighting has erupted and basic services have collapsed.

Click here to read a summary of threats to South Sudan’s peace process and the converging political, security and humanitarian crises, and their impact on civilians.

Humanitarian statistics for South Sudan as of December 2025.

Crisis unravelling

In late January, Government forces instructed civilians, UN personnel and humanitarian workers to temporarily relocate from several counties in Jonglei, including from the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base in Akobo, citing an anticipated military operation.

Although the Government later denied issuing such a directive and reiterated its cooperation with humanitarian partners, the episode underscored the volatility of the situation.

Regional bodies, including the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have voiced alarm at the escalation, stressing that there is no military solution and that the peace agreement remains the only viable framework for stability.

Political deadlock deepens

Mr. Lacroix warned that unilateral initiatives to amend the peace agreement risk undermining its primacy, particularly proposals to defer key transitional tasks such as constitution-making until after elections scheduled for December 2026.

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO) has said it cannot engage in political dialogue while its leader, First Vice-President Riek Machar, remains subject to ongoing legal proceedings, further complicating efforts to break the stalemate.

Mr. Machar, once an ally of President Salva Kiir, has been under house arrest since March 2025 and reportedly faces charges of murder and treason – which he denies.

The UN Security Council meets on the situation in South Sudan.

Humanitarian crisis worsens

The deteriorating security situation is compounding what Mr. Lacroix described as one of the world’s most dangerous environments for aid workers.

In 2025 alone, 350 attacks on humanitarian personnel and facilities were recorded, a sharp increase from the previous year, as the country grapples with its worst cholera outbreak on record.

Since September 2024, more than 98,000 cholera cases have been reported nationwide, with a resurgence now underway in Jonglei. Flight restrictions and blocked movements are delaying medical evacuations and the delivery of lifesaving supplies.

Recent incidents include an airstrike on a hospital in Lankien on 3 February, which destroyed critical medical stocks and injured staff, and the looting of a health facility in Pieri the same day. Violence has also forced the closure of 24 nutrition sites in Jonglei, cutting off care for nearly 8,000 children, including more than 2,600 suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Peacekeepers stretched thin

Against this backdrop, UNMISS is grappling with significant funding-driven capacity reductions.

Mr. Lacroix said cost-cutting measures have already reduced protection patrols by up to 40 per cent in some areas and by as much as 70 per cent where bases have closed. Human rights monitoring missions have been cancelled, and tensions have increased in areas left without a UN presence.

At the same time, the Mission has been forced to redeploy forces to hotspots such as Akobo and establish temporary operating bases to deter violence and protect civilians.

“The trends we are currently observing are clear,” Mr. Lacroix said, urging the Security Council and international partners to ensure sustained political and financial support.

“The presence of UNMISS continues to matter a lot. It matters to the people that we protect, it matters to our humanitarian partners that we assist, and it matters to the peace process that we actively support and engage in.”

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Fresh report warns fish fraud extends to one fifth of global catch

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

While there is no official estimate of how prevalent fraud is in the $195 billion global fisheries and aquaculture sector, empirical studies suggest that 20 per cent of the trade may be subject to some type of fraud, according to FAO.

Menu of misinformation

Some studies suggest that up to 30 per cent of seafood products may be mislabelled in restaurants, with the report citing cases from around the world, from ceviche stands in Latin America and seafood eateries in China to canned tuna products in the European Union.

While as much as one third of aquatic products sold in the United States may not conform to package descriptions, less than one per cent of imports are tested, the report warned.

What drives fish fraud?

Economic incentives are the most widespread driver of fish fraud.

Selling Atlantic salmon, almost all of which is farmed, as Pacific salmon, most of which is wild caught, delivers a nearly $10 benefit per kilogramme.

Some fraud occurs to mask the geographic provenance of a product or to suppress evidence of above-quota landings, which may pose risks to the sustainability of fishery stocks.

Finding fraud

Fish fraud is defined in the report as “a deliberate practice intended to deceive others” and can pose risks to biodiversity, human health or economic systems, according to Food fraud in the fisheries and aquaculture sector, produced by FAO through cooperation between its Fisheries and Aquaculture Division and the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.

The main categories of fish fraud are:

adding water to unprocessed fishery products to bolster weight and price
adulteration (adding colouring to make tuna look fresher)
counterfeiting (imitation shrimp made from starch-based compounds)
simulation (packaging surimi to seem like crab meat)
diversion (distributing legitimate products outside of their intended markets)
misbranding (such as incorrect claims about sustainability)
overrun (involving overfishing)
species substitution (selling tilapia as red snapper)
tampering and mislabelling (involving origins and even expiry dates)
plain theft

Meanwhile, the human welfare risks of some seafood fraud are evident as some fish pose risks when eaten raw, while re-freezing seafood increases the risk of bacterial growth.

Catching fishy business

The global scale of fish consumption – targeting over 12,000 seafood species – the diversity of fraud type and the lack of standardised regulatory or legal definitions, make global estimates difficult to assess, but there are novel ways to tackle the scourge.

Advanced laboratory tests can be effective in identifying substances, but access to these methods is limited.

Meanwhile, the report shows that portable X-ray fluorescence and machine-learning models are innovations that could help cut fraud and make regulations more enforceable.

To quash fish fraud, the new report advocates for:

harmonised labelling requirements
mandatory inclusion of scientific names where possible
better traceability systems

Adding science to the tacklebox

Given its complexity, identifying the crime is not straightforward, but the report goes into considerable detail about how advances in science can contribute to tackling fraud, including:

A standard method to determine whether and how many times a seafood product has been frozen has so far proven elusive, but differences in the fatty-acid composition of wild and farmed fish may be used to detect fraud
Carbon and nitrogen ratios to determine the geographical origin of major commercial fish species

Netting offenders

Prevention and enforcement are critical to reduce and eventually eliminate fish and all food fraud, according to the report, which reviewed concerted efforts to tackle cases in Argentina, Italy and the United States.

An investigation using DNA-barcoding to assess the scale of mislabelling in Los Angeles, California, found that while it is quite low in processing plants, it is moderate among grocers and particularly prevalent in sushi restaurants.

A local initiative by local academia, industry, government stakeholders – together with an education campaign coupled with ongoing blind tests, reduced seafood mislabelling in the focus area by two thirds over 10 years.

What the UN’s doing

Part of UN ongoing efforts include:

FAO and the Codex Alimentarius Commission – the international food standards body – are working on toughening international standards to combat food fraud
through the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre, FAO offers technical support to members that need to bolster their testing capacities.

Find out more about what FAO is doing here.

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General Assembly President urges Europeans to ‘stand up’ for the UN

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

In a key address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Annalena Baerbock repeated her call to uphold multilateralism amid “trying times” globally.

She noted that just 40 days into 2026, the world has already seen crises around Venezuela, Iran and Greenland, on top of continuing devastation in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere.

International order ‘under attack’

“The international order is not only under pressure, it is under attack,” she told lawmakers.

“And we face a new and more troubling kind of crisis: conflicts waged not even under the pretence of self-defence or respect for international law but often carried out in open defiance of it.”

She warned that at precisely the moment the world most needs cooperation and the UN, “powers – even those who have a special responsibility to protect peace and security – are pulling away from it or even outright attacking it.”

Protect the UN Charter

Ms. Baerbock recalled that four years ago, when she was Germany’s Foreign Minister, she addressed the General Assembly and called for the UN to stand up for Europe’s peace as Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“Today, I’m coming as President of the General Assembly to Europe, calling for Europe to stand up for the United Nations because the world needs the UN. But right now, the UN and its principles as enshrined in the Charter, needs the world too,” she said, referring to all continents.

“It needs you to form a cross-regional alliance to protect, defend and champion the Charter and the international rules-based system that benefits us all individually and collectively.”

Defend the truth

First and foremost, the EU must defend the truth in a world where “fake news, falsities, mis- and disinformation” are everywhere.

“Defending the truth means we cannot negotiate the facts; we cannot ‘go along to get along’ in the hope that it will avoid a tariff,” she said.

Ms. Baerbock acknowledged that defending the truth “is easier said than done, especially when you’re faced with blackmail or coercion, or threats and intimidation.”

European unity over Ukraine

She stressed, however, that “no one can do it alone”, highlighting European Union (EU) collective action in this regard.

“Four years ago, Europe watched as 100,000 troops amassed on Ukraine’s borders, shocked into paralysis. Nobody could have imagined the EU, which has been described as ‘too slow and too bureaucratic, too divided’ would unite over a weekend,” she said.

The invasion began on a Thursday and by that Monday morning “the EU collectively passed one of the largest sanctions packages ever recorded because it responded as one, with conviction and purpose.”

‘The world is calling’

But Europe did not act alone as she pointed to late-night calls and pleas made to other countries around the world.

“Today dear colleagues, the world is calling. It’s not only about Greenland, it’s also about Latin America, about Africa. Once again, it’s about the international peace order, once again it’s about the UN Charter,” she said.

“The UN needs Europe and I count on your answer to be a clear and resounding: yes, we will be there for our peace, for the international peace order, for the United Nations.”

Support UN reform

The Assembly President said the UN also needs Europe “to reform it, to make it better, to make it more effective and efficient.” While the 80-year-old Organization is not perfect, she insisted that the world would not be better off without it.

“Imperfection is an opportunity to strengthen and refine, not to cut down and demolish,” said Ms. Baerbock.

“We cannot allow those who would weaponize failings or setbacks to use existing inefficiencies or duplications as justification to unravel all that we have built, nor allow exclusive clubs to hold responsibilities for world peace.”

Lead by example

The UN is also “dealing with an existential liquidity crisis,” with some Member States not paying their assessed contributions – whether late, or not at all, for years.

She noted that UN financial rules further require any “unspent” budgeted money to be returned to Member States, even if it was never received in the first place.

“If the EU wants to preserve and strengthen the UN, then the EU should lead by example,” she said. This includes paying dues on time and in full and proposing ways “to overhaul this Kafkaesque financial rule of reimbursing funds never received”.

Similarly, the EU should step up when it comes to the selection of the next Secretary-General “as one might wonder how in 80 years the UN has never selected a woman to serve its highest office, despite there being four billion potential candidates on Earth.”

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In Sudan, sick and starving children ‘wasting away’

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

As heavy fighting continues between former allies the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and their allies, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that in parts of North Darfur more than half of all children are acutely malnourished.

The warning follows the release of new data from the IPC, a UN-backed global food security monitoring system, from three localities there – Um Baru and Kernoi and At Tine – indicating “catastrophic” malnutrition rates.

“Extreme hunger and malnutrition come for children first, the youngest, the smallest, the most vulnerable,” said UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires. “In Sudan, it’s spreading… These are children between six months and five years old, and they are running out of time.”

Starvation spreading

The UN agency stressed that famine thresholds have been surpassed in locations not previously considered at risk, such as Um Baru and Kernoi.

Conflict, mass displacement, the collapse of services and blocked access which have sparked starvation alerts for these localities exist “across vast swathes of Sudan”, Mr. Pires insisted.

“If famine is looming there, it can take hold anywhere,” he warned.

Mr. Pires also warned of the prevalence of disease as a further threat to children’s survival:

“These children are not just hungry; nearly half of all children in At Tine had been sick in the previous two weeks. Fever, diarrhoea, respiratory infections, low vaccination coverage, unsafe water and a collapsing health system are turning treatable illnesses into death sentences for already malnourished children.”

He called on the world to “stop looking away” from Sudan’s children, warning that more than half of the youngsters in North Darfur’s Um Baru are “wasting away while we watch”.

“That is not a statistic. Those are children with names and a future that are being stolen,” the UNICEF spokesperson said.

Nearly three years since war erupted between the once-allied Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), 13.6 million people have fled their homes, including 9.1 million displaced within the country.

Healthcare under attack

Dr Shible Sahbani, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s representative in Sudan, told reporters that while the displaced require “urgent” care, the health system has been “ravaged by attacks, loss and damage of equipment and supplies, a shortage of health workforce and operational funds”.

Since the start of the war in April 2023, WHO has verified 205 attacks on health care that have led to 1,924 deaths and 529 injuries, Dr Sahbani said.

“Such attacks deprive communities of care for years to come, instilling terror in patients and health workers and creating unsurmountable barriers to life-saving treatment,” he added. Meanwhile, the country faces multiple disease outbreaks, including cholera, malaria, dengue and measles.

While WHO and partners are supporting the response to these outbreaks, Dr. Sahbani insisted on the need for greater access and protection of health workers and facilities, in line with international humanitarian law.

“Patients and healthcare workers should not risk death while seeking and providing care,” he said. “Above all, we call for peace…Peace is long due for Sudan.”

His call echoed that of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who on Monday once again sounded the alarm over the deadly conflict in Sudan, briefing the Human Rights Council in Geneva on the “preventable human rights catastrophe” that took place in North Darfur’s capital El Fasher in October last year.

Thousands of people were killed there in a matter of days after an 18-month-long siege of the city, multiple testimonies gathered by Mr. Türk’s office have indicated.

Kordofans could be next

The new danger is a possible repeat of these abuses in the Kordofan region, he said.

Responding to journalists’ questions in Geneva about the involvement of other countries in the conflict, the High Commissioner’s spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani underscored his concerns – “whether they’re directly involved, whether there are mercenaries on the ground from different countries, whether they’re providing arms, intelligence, funding or other support, whether they’re involved in the political economy of the conflict in Sudan”.

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Ethiopia: Türk fears new crisis in Tigray amid renewed fighting

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

“The situation remains highly volatile and we fear it will further deteriorate, worsening the region’s already precarious human rights and humanitarian situation,” Mr. Türk said, following clashes in recent days between the Ethiopian army and regional forces.

The development comes against a backdrop of deadly conflict in Tigray from 2020 to 2022 between Government troops and separatist Tigray forces, following rising tensions between national and regional authorities.

That conflict – in which Eritrean soldiers reportedly participated – is believed to have killed tens of thousands and uprooted more than two million civilians, of whom one million remain internally displaced today.

Intensifying fighting

According to the UN human rights office (OHCHR), the latest escalation saw clashes between the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) and the regional Tigray Security Forces (TSF) intensify on 26 January, close to the Amhara border. The TSF withdrew from the Tselemti area on 1 February, OHCHR said.

“Drones, artillery and other powerful weapons were used by both sides,” Mr. Türk said in a statement. “Civilians are once again caught between escalating tensions, with both TSF and ENDF reportedly carrying out arrests for perceived affiliation with the opposing side. This must stop,” he insisted.

Meanwhile, in Tigray’s south and southeast near the Afar border, clashes between the TSF and the “Tigray Peace Forces”, a rival faction, continue unabated, the High Commissioner noted.

“Both sides must step back from the brink and work to resolve their differences through political means,” he said. “Alleged serious violations or abuses must be promptly and independently investigated, irrespective of the perpetrators.”

Dire consequences

Briefing journalists in Geneva, the High Commissioner’s spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani warned that new clashes could erupt “at any point” with dire consequences for civilians. She highlighted his call to all parties to recommit to the Pretoria Agreement calling for an end to hostilities, signed in 2022.

The hostile parties should also ensure the return of internally displaced people to their homes, among other confidence-building measures, Ms. Shamdasani continued.

“This is something that was part of the agreement, but it hasn’t proceeded as smoothly as it should,” she noted.

The High Commissioner also warned that recent tensions between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea risked worsening the already serious human rights and humanitarian challenges in both countries and across the wider Horn of Africa.

“There have been reports regarding the presence of Eritrean troops and heightened tensions between those two countries,” Ms. Shamdasani said, pointing to “disagreements…particularly regarding the situation in Tigray”.

She added: “We’re calling for these disagreements to be resolved through political dialogue and not resort to violence. We all saw what happened in 2020, 2021, when there was a full-blown conflict in the Tigray region, which led to we still don’t know how many deaths…We cannot afford a return to that.”

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Proposed amnesty law offers political prisoners in Venezuela an ‘opportunity’

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The amnesty is aimed at promoting peace, democratic coexistence and national reconciliation as the South American country enters a new era following the seizure of former President Nicolas Maduro by the United States.

It passed unanimously on 5 February by Venezuelan legislators in the first of two readings.

The amnesty “offers an opportunity to provide justice and alleviate the suffering of the many people who have been unlawfully detained for political reasons in Venezuela,” said Alex Neve, a member of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Venezuela.

“This law has the potential to contribute to restoring rights and repairing Venezuela’s social fabric, but the voices of the countless Venezuelans whose rights have been violated in the country’s prisons, as well as the civil society organizations who have assisted and defended them, must be at the centre of this process,” Mr. Neve said.

The broader picture

Following years of political violence in Venezuela, many politicians, activists and journalists have been charged with crimes such as terrorism or treason – according to human rights groups.

According to media reports over 300 political prisoners have been released since 8 January but many political prisoners remain in detention.

Transparency essential

The UN human rights experts have raised concerns about how the amnesty will be enacted, stating that its “legitimacy and impact depend on a transparent and inclusive process that is fully grounded in international human rights law.”

In a statement released by the United Nations Human Rights Council, the investigators warned of the “absence of informed, inclusive, and safe public consultations” and emphasised the need for ‘a transparent process, with meaningful participation from victims, their families and civil society.”

Calls for participation

Fact-Finding Mission expert Maria Quintero, stated that it was “advisable for the judicial verification procedure to include the participation of victims and their families, their representatives, and human rights organizations, in order to prevent the law from being instrumentalized or applied in a manner incompatible with international standards.”

She added, “we must not forget accountability.”

Whilst the draft legislation is debated within Venezuela’s government, UN experts have reiterated their call for the “unconditional” release of all political prisoners, stating that “it is critical that the process of releasing prisoners, already underway, continues without interruption.”

The Human Rights Council-appointed Independent International Fact-Finding Mission was established to assess alleged human rights violations committed since 2014.

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World News in Brief: Floods in Syria, relief operations in Cuba at risk, ending child labour

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

According to the relief coordination office, OCHA, rainfall since Saturday caused widespread flooding across parts of Idleb and northern Latakia, damaging around 1,800 tents and destroying at least 150 in camps housing displaced families.

A local hospital was also forced to suspend operations, with patients having been evacuated and mobile medical teams deployed. Authorities have opened shelters and prepared additional housing for families in need.

Humanitarian partners are relocating displaced families, repairing damaged shelters and delivering emergency assistance, including food and non-food items, OCHA said.

In a separate incident linked to the response, a Syrian Arab Red Crescent staff member was killed and five others injured when their vehicle crashed while assisting flood-affected communities.

Displacement still widespread

The flooding comes as displacement persists in other parts of the country.

While fighting has subsided in the governorates of Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa following a 30 January accord, nearly 160,000 people remain displaced as of 3 February.

Humanitarian access has improved in some areas, but major challenges remain. Electricity outages continue to disrupt water systems, telecommunications are intermittent, food supplies are limited, explosive ordnance is still a threat and schools remain suspended.

Hurricane Melissa struck Cuba in late October 2025, causing massive devastation across the island nation.

Cuba: UN urges funding as fuel shortages strain essential services

The United Nations is calling for urgent funding to support humanitarian operations in Cuba, where fuel shortages following the suspension of supplies from Venezuela are disrupting essential services and hampering recovery efforts following last year’s Hurricane Melissa.

“The UN continues to monitor the situation in the country and is working with the Government to provide more support, including food, water and sanitation, and healthcare,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at a regular news briefing in New York.

“We are concerned about the growing fuel shortages and their impact on people,” he added, noting that disruptions to the delivery of clean water, medical care, food and other critical aid.

UN action plan

In November 2025, the UN in Cuba launched a Plan of Action to support the national response to Hurricane Melissa, which affected more than two million people – roughly one in five residents nationwide.

The plan focuses on helping families recover and restoring essential services, while supporting longer-term recovery efforts led by national authorities.

The Plan of Action seeks $74 million but is currently only 23 per cent funded.

Global conference seeks renewed push to end child labour

An international effort to accelerate the elimination of child labour will get underway later this week in Morocco, as governments and partners meet to confront a crisis still affecting 138 million children worldwide.

From 11 to 13 February, Morocco will host the sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, led by the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) and bringing together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society, the private sector and international partners.

The meeting comes at a critical moment.

According to UN estimates, 138 million children remain in child labour globally, including around 54 million engaged in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety and development. Africa accounts for 87 million of those children.

Agriculture remains the largest driver, accounting for 61 per cent of child labour globally, particularly in smallholder farming.

Child’s place is in school

ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo underscored the link between decent work and child protection, saying: “Children belong in school, not in labour. Parents must themselves be supported and have access to decent work so that they can afford to ensure that their children are in classrooms.”

While progress has been made – child labour has nearly halved since 2000 and declined by more than 20 million since 2020 – the world missed the Sustainable Development Goal target to eliminate child labour in all its forms by 2025.

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West Bank: New Israeli measures further erode prospects for two-State solution

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The measures would make it easier for Jewish settlers to take over Palestinian land, thus expanding Israel’s power in the territory, according to media reports.

The UN chief warned that the current trajectory on the ground – including this decision – is eroding the prospect for the two-State solution, according to a statement issued by his Spokesperson.

Settlements are illegal

He reiterated that all Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and their associated regime and infrastructure, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law, including relevant UN resolutions.

“Such actions, including Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are not only destabilizing but – as recalled by the International Court of Justice – unlawful,” the statement said.

 The Secretary-General called on Israel to reverse the measures.

He also urged all parties “to preserve the only path to lasting peace, a negotiated two-State solution, in line with relevant Security Council resolutions and international law.”

Heading off course

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric was asked about the statement during his regular briefing to journalists in New York.

“These decisions are not moving us in the right direction,” he said.

“They are driving us further and further away from a two-State solution and from the ability of the Palestinian authority and the Palestinian people to control their own destiny.”

Ongoing aid efforts in Gaza

Meanwhile, humanitarians in the Gaza Strip continue to respond to the immense needs of the population despite impediments and a challenging operating environment.

The UN and partners are serving hundreds of thousands of meals each day, in addition to providing digital cash and monthly rations, Mr. Dujarric said.

Colleagues report that Gaza City continues to face a severe shortage of drinking and domestic water despite the recent re-opening of the valve on the Mekorot supply line there that connects Israel to Gaza for fresh water. 

Water and hygiene support

Currently, only 6,000 cubic metres of water are reaching people in Gaza City every day, with significant losses in hard-to-reach areas. 

“To mitigate this shortfall, we and our partners have increased water production and trucked deliveries from groundwater wells and private sector desalination plants,” he said.

Aid partners have distributed over 100,000 water jerry cans across the Gaza Strip since late January, he added.

They have also provided over 700,000 bars of soap, over 25,000 hygiene kits, over 400 household latrines, and 250 anti-lice kits

Explosive ordnance threat

Since Wednesday, humanitarians working in mine action have conducted over 200 assessments of potential explosive hazards in support of the removal of debris.

They reached over 10,000 children and adults last week with education warning them of the risks of explosive ordnance which remains a major threat.

Thirty-three explosive ordnance incidents have been reported since the ceasefire came into effect last October, resulting in nine deaths and 65 injuries. 

Restrictions and limitations

UN aid coordination office, OCHA, noted that humanitarians continue to be hampered by restrictions, including limitations on the entry of so-called “dual use” items and those listed as non-humanitarian in nature.

This includes spare parts and certain shelter materials. 

Humanitarian operations are also being undermined by Israel’s de-registration of some international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and restrictions imposed on the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees – UNRWA – and sister agencies.

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DR Congo: UN vows orderly peacekeeping transition as South Africa withdraws troops

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

In a statement issued on Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said he informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 12 January about the decision, which “is influenced by the need to consolidate and realign the resources of the South African National Defence Force, following 27 years of South Africa’s support to UN peacekeeping efforts in the DRC.”

He noted that South Africa is among the top 10 countries contributing troops to MONUSCO, with over 700 soldiers.

‘Steadfast commitment’ praised

In response, MONUSCO, expressed deep gratitude to the Government and people of South Africa “for their steadfast commitment over several decades to United Nations peacekeeping, as well as for the dedication demonstrated by South African peacekeepers in support of the Mission’s mandate.”

The Mission “looks forward to continuing to engage with the Republic of South Africa on broader peacekeeping issues, including lessons learned and continued support to efforts aimed at advancing peace and stability.”

It also will work closely with the UN Secretariat and relevant stakeholders to ensure that any transition related to the withdrawal “is managed in a safe, orderly, and responsible manner, in line with United Nations standards and operational requirements.”

The UN Secretary-General also expressed thanks to South Africa for its longtime commitment and sacrifice, his Spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, told journalists in New York on Monday.

Service and sacrifice

MONUSCO has been in the DRC since July 2010, taking over from an earlier UN peacekeeping operation that supervised implementation of a ceasefire agreement following conflict in the east stemming from the 1994 genocide in neighbouring Rwanda.

Several regional countries and armed groups were involved in the fighting, also known as the Great War of Africa.

MONUSCO’s mandate includes protecting civilians and helping the DRC to stabilize and consolidate peace.

More than 12,400 personnel were serving at the Mission as of October 2025, including some 9,177 troops and 926 police officers from over 50 countries. Since inception, 304 fatalities have been recorded.

MONUSCO paid tribute “to South African peacekeepers who lost their lives under the United Nations flag in the service of peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and honours their sacrifice.”

Peacekeeping chief’s visit

The head of UN Peace Operations, Jean‑Pierre Lacroix, is currently in the DRC where on Monday he met with President Félix Tshisekedi, Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka, key members of the Government, and relevant stakeholders.

Discussions centred around implementation of the MONUSCO mandate, including support to a permanent ceasefire.

Mr. Lacroix will then go to Beni in North Kivu province, eastern DRC, where he will assess recent developments and meet with provincial authorities as well as peacekeepers deployed in the area.

Later this week, he will head to Ethiopia for the annual African Union summit, taking place in the capital, Addis Ababa.

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Sudan: UN rights chief says worse is to come without international action

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

“We can only expect worse to come” unless action is taken to halt the bloodshed, Mr. Türk told Member States at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as he reiterated his call for the extension of an arms embargo from Darfur to include all of Sudan.

Rival militaries from the national army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia have been battling for control of the country for nearly three years.

Something must be done to address the “continuous inflow of weapons”, the High Commissioner for Human Rights insisted, after recounting testimonies of survivors of atrocity crimes in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, by paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who overran the city last October.

Mass killings

“In one horrific example, people who fled to separate locations, thousands of kilometres apart, gave consistent accounts of the mass killing of hundreds of people sheltering at El Fasher University,” he said, describing convincing testimony that some victims were targeted based on their non-Arab ethnicity – in particular, members of the Zaghawa ethnic group.

“Survivors also spoke of seeing piles of dead bodies along roads leading away from El Fasher, in an apocalyptic scene that one person likened to the Day of Judgment,” the High Commissioner continued, his comments echoing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) conclusion last month that war crimes and crimes against humanity had taken place in El-Fasher, linked to the RSF’s siege.

“Our own findings are fully consistent” with that ICC assessment, Mr. Türk told the Human Rights Council, at a meeting held specifically on the Sudan emergency.

Dire warnings

Previously, the UN rights chief noted that his office has warned about previous atrocity crimes such as the RSF offensive to capture Zamzam camp for displaced people in April 2025.

“Responsibility for these atrocity crimes lies squarely with the RSF and their allies and supporters,” he said.

The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023, after a power-sharing agreement broke down in the resource-rich central African nation between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF.

The resulting humanitarian emergency has affected more than 30 million people in Sudan; many have faced repeated displacement and others have been impacted by famine and systematic sexual violence, including gang rape.

As the fighting continues away from the Darfurs in the west to the central Kordofans regions, observers fear that further grave abuses are bound to happen, including by “advanced drone weaponry systems used by both sides”, Mr. Türk warned.

Deadly drone war

“In the last two weeks, the SAF and allied Joint Forces broke the sieges on Kadugli and Dilling,” the High Commissioner said. “But drone strikes by both sides continue, resulting in dozens of civilian deaths and injuries.

Civilians are at risk of summary executions, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, and family separation.”

Mediation measures

In a bid to prevent further bloodshed, the High Commissioner announced a series of measures “to support mediation efforts” and de-escalate violence.

These include commitments not to target civilians or residential areas with explosive weapons, to enable the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid, to end arbitrary detention and cease attacks on civilian infrastructure.

“I witnessed the damage done by RSF attacks on Merowe dam and hydroelectric power station, which once supplied 70 per cent of Sudan’s electricity. Repeated drone strikes have disrupted power and water supplies to huge numbers of people, with a serious impact on healthcare,” he said.

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UN calls for release of Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai following 20-year sentence

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk deplored the sentence imposed on Mr. Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, following his conviction on charges brought under security-related laws in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.

On 15 December 2025, the High Court found Mr. Lai guilty of conspiracy to publish seditious material under the Crimes Ordinance, as well as two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the National Security Law (NSL).

Mr. Lai has denied all charges. The court’s decisions are subject to appeal.

Criminalising fundamental freedoms

Mr. Türk’s office, OHCHR, said it had reviewed the verdict and was concerned that it criminalised the exercise of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, media freedom and association.

It noted that the ruling relied extensively on conduct that occurred before the NSL came into force, reiterating concerns it had previously raised about the broad scope of the offence of “collusion with external forces” under the NSL.

“Jimmy Lai is a publisher sentenced to 20 years in prison for exercising rights protected under international law,” Mr. Türk said.

“This outcome highlights how the vague and overly broad provisions of Hong Kong’s national security legislation can lead to being interpreted and enforced in violation of Hong Kong’s international human rights obligations. This verdict needs to be promptly quashed as incompatible with international law.”

Release on humanitarian grounds

High Commissioner Türk also appealed for Mr. Lai’s immediate release on humanitarian grounds, citing his age, health and the impact of the more than four years he has already spent in detention.

OHCHR expressed further concern that the judgment treated engagement by others with the United Nations and UN human rights mechanisms as relevant context in reaching its conclusion of guilt.

Worsening press freedom

Since the introduction of the NSL in 2020 and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in 2024, press freedom in Hong Kong has sharply deteriorated, with numerous independent media outlets closed down by the State, dozens of journalists arrested, and foreign reporters facing tighter visa policies and accreditation requirements.

“This is part of a broader repressive trend in Hong Kong, where hundreds have been arrested and prosecuted under these laws,” Mr. Türk said.

Alongside Mr. Lai, six former Apple Daily staff members, an activist and a paralegal were also sentenced on Monday to prison terms ranging from six to 10 years.

From 2020 to 2026, at least 385 individuals have been arrested and 175 convicted under national security-related offences, according to media reports citing official sources.

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53 migrants die in latest shipwreck tragedy off Libya coast

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the boat overturned in the perishingly cold waters of the central Mediterranean Sea, north of the coastal town of Zuwara last Friday.

It is just the latest deadly incident involving vulnerable people on the move who are frequently mistreated and trafficked by smuggling gangs that have flourished in Libya since the overthrow of President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

IOM said that the Libyan authorities rescued two Nigerian women from last Friday’s shipwreck; one said that her husband had drowned while the other reported that both her babies had died.

The survivors explained that the vessel had been carrying migrants and refugees from several African countries. It had set off from Zawiya at about 11pm on Thursday and began taking on water six hours later, before capsizing.

It is not yet known where the travellers were heading for, but many migrant and refugee boats leaving Libya set sail for the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is around 350 kilometres (220 miles) away from Zawiya. The open rubber dinghies they often sail in are totally unsuitable for such a journey, UN aid teams have often warned.

At least 375 people have been reported dead or missing in January alone in the central Mediterranean, according to IOM, missing migrants database. The UN agency warned that this is just the latest shipwreck to have happened amid severe winter weather, with many more tragedies feared unrecorded.

Smuggling and trafficking networks continue to profit from desperate people by sending them to sea in unseaworthy boats, IOM noted, as it renewed calls for greater international cooperation and safer, legal routes for migration.

So far this year, 781 migrants have been “intercepted and returned” to Libya, the UN agency said, with 244 taken back just last week. This compares with 27,116 last year including 1,314 reported deaths or missing persons.

Held in detention underground

“IOM does not consider Libya to be a safe port for migrants,” IOM insisted, after highlighting the dangers migrants continue to face following the discovery of more mass graves and detention sites in the east of the country.

“Investigations indicate that the victims had been held in captivity and subjected to torture to coerce ransom payments from their families,” IOM said in a statement, following a raid by the authorities on an illegal detention site in Ajdabiya.

In Kufra, authorities discovered an underground detention site three metres underground. A total of 221 migrants and refugees were released, including women, children and a one-month-old baby. “Initial information suggests that the migrants had been held for a prolonged period in grossly inhumane conditions,” IOM said.

To help vulnerable people on the move, IOM supports voluntary flights home for foreign nationals. This includes one last week for Pakistani nationals who had reached Tripoli. In late January the agency helped 177 Nigerian migrants return home on another voluntary humanitarian flight

And in a bid to dismantle trafficking networks and support survivors, the UN agency works with national and regional authorities to strengthen cross-border cooperation.

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