New horror in Gaza as double strike on school shelter kills 30

The UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, maintained that Israeli forces hit the school in Al Bureij, Middle Gaza, at around 6pm on Tuesday and again at 10.20pm.

The school sustained severe damage and a fire broke out in the shelter, making it difficult to evacuate the casualties. Residents had to open a hole in the wall to evacuate the dead and wounded,” UNRWA told UN News.

Since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel on 7 October 2023, more than 400 schools have received a direct hit, according to satellite imagery analyzed by the UN.

Deadly aftermath

Footage from the scene provided by the UN agency showed walls and floors blown out in the main school building.

In the courtyard, hundreds of people can be seen standing amid crumpled metal sheeting on the morning after the attack, with rubble and wooden planks strewn around where their shelters had been standing just hours earlier.

“Our colleagues are reporting that surviving parents and children are trying to salvage their belongings among the blood and body parts of their relatives and neighbours,” UNRWA said.

The agency noted that fatalities included women and children, while search and rescue operations are ongoing for several people still missing.

Many of those living at the school when it was hit have been displaced “countless times” by the war, which began on 7 October 2023, following Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UNRWA stressed.

The attack also sparked a fire in an adjacent school where more tents and temporary shelters were burned and damaged.

Education destroyed

According to the UN Satellite Service, UNOSAT, 95.4 per cent of schools in Gaza have sustained damage since the start of the war.

Of the enclave’s 564 schools, 501 will either need full reconstruction or major rehabilitation work to be functional again.

“There is no humanity left in Gaza, and no humanity left as the world continues to watch day after day as families are bombed, burned alive and starved,” UNRWA said after the latest attack.

Failed strategy won’t work: Türk

In a related development, the UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Wednesday condemned Israel’s reported plans to forcibly transfer Gaza’s population to a small area in the south of the Strip.

The move fuels concern that Israel’s intention is to make life for Palestinians “increasingly incompatible with their continued existence in Gaza”, he said in a statement.

Surviving parents and children are trying to salvage their belongings among the blood and body parts of their relatives and neighbours – UNRWA

“There is no reason to believe that doubling down on military strategies, which, for a year and eight months, have not led to a durable resolution, including the release of all hostages, will now succeed,” insisted the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Expanding the offensive on Gaza “will almost certainly cause further mass displacement, more deaths and injuries of innocent civilians, and the destruction of Gaza’s little remaining infrastructure”, he continued.

Rights experts warn of irreversible consequences

Escalating atrocities in Gaza mark a critical moral turning point and demand urgent international action, UN-appointed independent human rights experts said in a statement.

While States debate terminology – is it or is it not genocide? – Israel continues its relentless destruction of life in Gaza,” they warned, citing attacks by land, air and sea, and a soaring civilian death toll.

“No one is spared – not children, persons with disabilities, nursing mothers, journalists, health professionals, aid workers, or hostages,” they said, noting that on 18 March alone, 600 Palestinians were reportedly killed, 400 of them children. The independent experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council, are not UN staff members and receive no salary for their work.

Occupied West Bank update

In the occupied West Bank, meanwhile, UN aid teams warned of worsening conditions for Palestinian communities because of “violence by Israeli forces and settlers”.

The alert comes after Israeli forces on Monday demolished more than 30 structures in Khallet Athaba, a hamlet in Hebron governorate, displacing nearly a dozen families – or around 50 people.

“This constitutes most of the structures in the community and marks the third and largest demolition there since February,” said UN aid coordination office, OCHA. It noted that the area is designated by Israel as a military training zone.

In addition, Israeli forces also began demolishing six homes in Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm on Monday, impacting 17 families. They are among more than 100 buildings slated for demolition, following an Israeli notice issued at the start of the month.

Forcible transfer fears

OCHA described how dozens of families in the camp were given little time on Monday to collect their belongings before their homes were demolished.

The agency highlighted the “strong push” to uproot Palestinians living in the area “once again raising concerns about the risks of forcible transfer of the population”.

Under international law, Israel as the occupying power, has the responsibility to protect Palestinians in the West Bank and ensure their safety and dignity, OCHA insisted.

Humanitarian partners are mobilizing assistance, but urgent international engagement is needed to stop these coercive measures and protect vulnerable communities, the UN aid office said.

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DR Congo aid operation reaches Beni with food supplies for thousands

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that trucks packed with cereals, beans and cooking oil reached the city of Beni in North Kivu province from neighbouring Uganda, amid clashes between Rwanda-backed M23 rebel fighters and Congolese forces.

Aid for 140,000

WFP said that it intends to use the thousands of tonnes of relief supplies transported to warehouses in Beni to help around 140,000 people living in Lubero territory, south of the city of Butembo.

Violence escalated on 2 May across Lubero territory, uprooting some 30,000 people, according to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

The development comes amid ongoing peace talks in Qatar between the DRC Government and the M23 rebels. At previous talks in April, both sides pledged to work towards peace.

Amid rampant insecurity caused by proliferating armed groups, the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels have been at war for years with the Congolese army and allied forces in the mineral-rich region. In 2021, negotiations between the group and Kinshasa collapsed.

January offensive

Hostilities ramped up in January this year when M23 fighters captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province. A month later they seized Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu and threatened to take Kinshasa, on the other side of the huge country.

Since then, ongoing fighting has caused mass displacement, killed more than 7,000 people and fuelled fears of regional conflict.

A total of 21 million people need humanitarian assistance in DRC today. UN aid teams and partners remain on the ground to help and have condemned the looting of aid warehouses by armed groups which have destroyed food and medicine.

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UN Secretary-General urges military restraint from India, Pakistan

In a note to correspondents issued by his spokesperson on Tuesday, Secretary-General António Guterres called for military restraint from both countries.

The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan,” the note said.

On Monday, the Secretary-General had warned that the tensions between the two South Asian neighbours had reached “their highest in years.”

He offered his good offices to both governments to help defuse tensions and promote diplomacy, stressing that “a military solution is no solution.”

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Security Council urged to stand firm as Bosnia and Herzegovina faces deepening crisis

High Representative Christian Schmidt briefed on latest developments surrounding implementation of the 1995 General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which ended more than three years of bloodshed and genocide following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

The accord, also known as the Dayton Peace Agreement, established a new constitution and created two entities within the country: the mainly Bosniak and Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the ethnically Serb Republika Srpska.

Constitutional order under attack

Mr. Schmidt – who’s key role is overseeing implementation of the 1995 agreement – said conditions for the full implementation of the civilian aspects of the deal have vastly deteriorated.

“The first quarter of this year was marked by a significant rise of tensions, which without question amounts to an extraordinary crisis in the country since the signing of the Dayton Agreement,” he said.

I may underline that I see a political crisis. I do not yet have indications for a security crisis.”

The sudden deterioration stems from reactions following the 26 February conviction of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik for failing to enforce the decisions of the High Representative. 

He was sentenced to one year in prison and banned from political office for six years but has appealed the decision.

After the verdict, Mr. Dodik intensified his attacks on the constitutional order of the country by directing the authorities of the Republika Srpska to adopt legislation that effectively bans State-level judiciary and State-level law enforcement in the Republika Srpska and by even putting on the table a draft Entity constitution, hinting at de facto secession,” said Mr. Schmidt.

He told the Council that given the speed with which the draft laws and constitution were made public strongly suggests that they had been prepared well in advance.

Christian Schmidt, High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, briefs members of UN the Security Council on the situation in the country.

Fears of disintegration

He said these acts and legislation fundamentally contradict the implementation of the Dayton Accords and “endanger the territorial and societal integrity of the country and of its peoples by performing secessionist acts.”

Furthermore, “they also create legal and executive insecurity by establishing Entity laws and institutions that contradict and compete with State law and competence.” 

He stressed that “it will require institutions created in Dayton, such as the Constitutional Court, to prevent this country from falling apart, and when it comes to safeguarding the functionality of the State, my legal competencies as High Representative as well.”

As a result, the State-level coalition has been seriously affected, momentum towards European Union (EU) accession has stalled and the functionality of the State is being undermined, while reforms have been sidelined. 

This development is not irreversible, but it is severe,” he warned.  “It needs to be addressed without delay, it requires active engagement by the international community.”

Communities shun extremism

The High Representative noted that the Serb community “did not pay heed to Mr. Dodik’s unlawful directives.” For example, although ethnic Serbs working in State-level institutions have been pressured to abandon their posts, “these calls and threats have been left overwhelmingly unanswered.”

Meanwhile, the Bosniak community “has been able to remain calm despite the tensions and to continue on the path of patient dialogue also in order to keep the country’s European integration on the table.”

He also noticed “a continuing pro-European commitment” on the part of the Croat community, “as well as an increased willingness to engage in inter-ethnic dialogue, including in local disputes.” 

Mr. Schmidt was adamant that the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina can and do live together.

For the most part, the communities in the country do not support extremism or secessionism,” he said. “There is ample evidence for that in daily life, but ethnocentric politics spends too much time on dividing the communities rather than uniting them.”

Peace accord remains crucial

While the country is facing complex and varied challenges, he said the current extraordinary crisis is the result of severe attacks against the Dayton Agreement “encompassing the constitutional and legal order” and has nothing to do with the peace deal itself.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing difficult times. Nobody would have expected 30 years ago that the international community is needed as much today as it is,” he said.

“But the Peace Agreement that this UN Security Council endorsed 30 years ago remains the very foundation on which the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina with its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence can be built.”

Although reopening or redefining Dayton challenges the basis for peace and prosperity in the country, “this does not mean we should not talk about necessary amendments and adoptions of this constitution,” he said.

Attacks threaten ‘very foundation’

“The way forward includes countering threats and attacks to its very foundation, but also implementing meaningful reforms, including in the context of the country’s European integration,” he continued.

“It is about strengthening institutional stability and functionality of the State and continuing to reinforce election integrity in view of the country’s general elections in 2026.”  

Mr. Schmidt concluded his remarks by urging the international community to continue to support and assist the country and the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina to shape their future and to reassure the population that they have not been forgotten.   

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Gaza: UN aid teams reject Israel’s ‘deliberate attempt to weaponize aid’

It appears to be a deliberate attempt to weaponize the aid and we have warned against that for a very long time. Aid should be provided based on humanitarian need to whomever needs it,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

Speaking in Geneva, Mr. Laerke referred to a verbal brief delivered by Israeli authorities on Monday, in which they offered to deliver supplies through Israeli hubs under conditions set by the military, once the Government reopens crossings into Gaza.

The proposal came as part of Israel’s plans to expand its military offensive against Hamas, including the “capture” of the Gaza Strip and a reported comment by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that Palestinian territory will be “entirely destroyed”.

Attempted ‘shut down’ of UN aid system

Israeli officials have sought to shut down the existing aid system run by 15 UN agencies and 200 NGOs and partners,” Mr. Laerke maintained.

The Israeli cabinet’s vow to escalate the war will force Gaza’s more than two million people to move to the south of the Strip once again.

After 19 months of conflict, the entire enclave has suffered the impact of the months-long border blockade.

The Israeli decision to cut off the entry of humanitarian supplies to the enclave is reportedly to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages taken in Hamas-led terror attacks on 7 October 2023 that sparked the war.

Humanitarians have condemned the border closures stating the policy violates international law and risks fuelling famine.

Today in Gaza, UN partners working in the food sectors have distributed all they had and have no more to give. Mr. Laerke reported testimonies of colleagues on the ground who observed “people rummaging through garbage, trying to find something edible. That is the harsh, brutal, inhuman reality of the situation.”

Grave health impact

Since the beginning of 2025, nearly 10,000 children with global acute malnutrition have been admitted for outpatient and inpatient treatment, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO). That number includes 1,397 with severe acute malnutrition.

Once you get to that stage, without treatment, you will die,” warned Dr. Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the UN health agency.

The WHO official noted that fewer children are being treated in partially functioning hospitals than expected, most probably because they cannot access care.

According to WHO data, one in five children does not complete their treatment because of the displacement and chaotic situation they face.

The lack of water and sewage infrastructure is also causing a worrying spike in acute watery diarrhoea. Skin diseases are also on the rise because people simply do not have enough water to wash themselves.

Meanwhile, Mr. Laerke continued to call on all combatants and those involved in mediation to continue pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages.

“It is a horrible crime of war to take hostages and use them as some kind of bargaining chip,” he said. “On the other hand, you [cannot also] withhold aid to civilians as a bargaining chip on the other side of the board game.”

Hospital bombing deepens bleak situation for war-weary South Sudanese

“Every time this happens, people lose access to health services – and sometimes, to hope,” said Dr Humphrey Karamagi, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s Representative in South Sudan. “Health is the last safety net. If it fails, everything else will also fall.”

The apparent airstrike on the hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Old Fangak in eastern Jonglei state, killed seven civilians and injured another 20, according to the UN humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA).

Healthcare not a target

The attack is the eighth time healthcare has been targeted since January “with health workers killed, facilities and essential supplies looted or destroyed”, the WHO official told journalists in Geneva.

“More attacks may lead to closing half the health facilities along the Nile,” he added.

Dr. Karamagi explained that humanitarian convoys and essential cold chain infrastructure had come under fire, at a time of escalating violence that has impacted civilians since South Sudan gained independence in 2011, descending shortly afterwards into civil war.  

Since March, tensions have escalated in Upper Nile state, with deadly clashes between Government forces and armed groups. This has uprooted an estimated 80,000 people in three of the most affected counties, the WHO official said.

He added that clashes have also been reported in parts of Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria and Unity states, forcing communities – “mostly women and children” – to flee into neighbouring countries, including 23,000 arrivals in Ethiopia.

Diseases spreading

Back in South Sudan, outbreaks of cholera, malaria, measles and mpox are spreading rapidly, prompting the UN health agency to deploy rapid response teams and coordinate with local partners where possible, amid access restrictions linked to the escalating violence.

“The alternative, if we do nothing, would be bleak,” the WHO official warned, pointing to cholera cases that may double in just six weeks and measles deaths that could increase by up by 40 per cent.

Cholera alone has infected more than 55,000 people since September, killing over 1,000, the UN health agency said.

‘War crime’ condemnation

In a related development, the UN Commission on Human Rights (OHCHR) in South Sudan condemned the bombing as a potential war crime.

“This was not a tragic accident,” said Yasmin Sooka, Chair of the Commission. “It was a calculated, unlawful attack on a protected medical facility.”

MSF confirmed the hospital’s complete destruction, including its pharmacy and emergency care units. Further aerial bombardments were also reported in New Fangak, raising fears that such attacks are part of a broader military campaign.

The airstrike followed public threats by South Sudanese military forces who demanded the return of seized boats and labelled multiple Nuer-majority counties, including Fangak, as “hostile”.

“Designating entire communities as hostile is deeply irresponsible and may amount to collective punishment,” said Commissioner Barney Afako.

Plea for action

The UN Commission has urged immediate investigations into the bombing and warned that repeated violations threaten to derail South Sudan’s fragile peace.

With high-level delegations from the African Union and IGAD now in the capital Juba, calls for renewed dialogue are growing louder. “The path South Sudan is currently on is perilous,” Ms. Sooka warned. “If attacks like these continue with impunity, the Peace Agreement risks becoming meaningless.”

In his final appeal, Dr Karamagi emphasised the cost of inaction: “Help us make sure this doesn’t become the moment health – and hope – finally give way.”

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Exhausted Sudanese flee into Chad as fighting escalates

Nearly 20,000 people – mainly traumatized women and children – have reached Chad in the past two weeks, according to the UN refugee agency, UNCHR.

Most arrived in Chad with nothing – no food, money or identification,” said Magatte Guisse, UNHCR Representative in Chad. “Several wounded individuals, including children and elderly women, reportedly fell from vehicles during the chaotic escape.”

Chad is one of the poorest countries in the world and already hosts 1.3 million refugees.

This includes nearly 800,000 people from Sudan since war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in April 2023, after a breakdown in transition to civilian rule.  

Heavy fighting in Sudan has devastated much of the country, likely killed tens of thousands and displaced almost nine million people, UN agencies say.

No food, no money

In Chad, the Tine border crossing in Wadi Fira Province has seen the sharpest spike in new arrivals, with more than 6,000 people in just two days,

Sudanese refugees are exposed to robbery and extortion at checkpoints – and many have also witnessed men being killed, women and girls sexually abused, and homes burned to the ground.

The refugee agency reported that armed groups have extorted, robbed or sexually assaulted around 76 per cent of the newly arrived refugees.

A nation of 19 million people where resources are already strained, Chad is overstretched and needs “increased solidarity and immediate funding, to ensure these vulnerable populations receive the protection and assistance they need, now”.

Renewed attacks on Port Sudan 

In a related development, a third day of drone strikes hit the international airport and a power station in Port Sudan, the UN’s humanitarian hub for coordinating aid operations across Sudan.

The city is the current seat of government and until this weekend had been largely spared from the violence that is ongoing in Khartoum, Darfur and elsewhere. Thousands of people fleeing the war have also sought shelter in Port Sudan.

Port Sudan airport is a lifeline for humanitarian operations, serving as the primary entry point for aid personnel, medical supplies and other lifesaving relief that is coming into Sudan,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN aid coordination office, OCHA. The airport is “immensely important”, he told journalists in Geneva.

According to reports, the Red Sea city suffered a complete power outage after drone strikes hit a large power station on Tuesday. Other strikes reportedly hit an army base in the city centre, a fuel depot and a hotel close to the airport, which is located near to the presidential palace.

These attacks have increased the “already severe” lack of aid access and delivery challenges facing humanitarian teams across the country, explained Mr. Laerke, adding that such violence is prohibited under international humanitarian law. 

It is widely believed that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are responsible for the attacks. No UN facilities or operations have been impacted but UN Humanitarian Air Service flights in and out of the city have been paused.

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‘Alarming’ slowdown in human development – could AI provide answers?

For several decades, human development indicators showed a steady, upward curve and UN researchers predicted that by 2030, a high level of development would be enjoyed by the global population.

Those hopes have been dashed in recent years following a period of exceptional crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic – and progress has stalled across all regions of the world.

‘Very real threat’ to progress

The Human Development Report, an annual publication from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), shows that inequalities between rich and poor countries have widened for the fourth year in a row.  

Global pressures, such as increasing trade tensions and a worsening debt crisis which limits the ability of governments to invest in public services, are narrowing traditional paths to development.

“This deceleration signals a very real threat to global progress,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. “If 2024’s sluggish progress becomes ‘the new normal’, that 2030 milestone could slip by decades – making our world less secure, more divided, and more vulnerable to economic and ecological shocks.”

A robot which could carry out tasks assigned to humans stands in a shopping mall in Kyoto, Japan.

Maybe the robots aren’t coming for our jobs after all

Despite the gloomy indicators, the report is strikingly upbeat about the potential of artificial intelligence, noting the breakneck pace at which free or low-cost tools have been embraced by businesses and individuals alike.

UNDP researchers carried out a survey to gauge opinions on AI and discovered that around 60 per cent of respondents expect the technology to positively impact their work and create new opportunities.  

Those living in low and medium levels of development were particularly keen: 70 per cent expect AI to increase their productivity, and two thirds anticipate using AI in education, health, or work within the next year. 

Action stations

The report’s authors include recommendations for action to make sure that AI is as beneficial as possible, including the modernisation of education and health systems to adequately meet today’s needs – building an economy focused on human collaboration with AI (rather than competition) – putting humans at the heart of AI development, from design to deployment.

“The choices we make in the coming years will define the legacy of this technological transition for human development,” said Pedro Conceição, Director of UNDP’s Human Development Report Office.  

“With the right policies and focus on people, AI can be a crucial bridge to new knowledge, skills, and ideas that can empower everyone from farmers to small business owners.”

Ultimately, the report’s message is that the impact of AI is hard to predict. Rather than being an autonomous force, it is a reflection and amplifier of the values and inequalities of the societies that shape it.  

To avoid what it calls “development disappointment”, UNDP urges stronger global cooperation on AI governance, alignment between private innovation and public goals, and a renewed commitment to human dignity, equity, and sustainability.

“The 2025 HDR is not a report about technology,” writes Mr.  Steiner in the foreword. “It is a report about people – and our ability to reinvent ourselves in the face of profound change.”

© IMF/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds

Workers sew fabric at an apparel factory in Ghana.

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World News in Brief: Deadly attacks in South Sudan and Ukraine, World Court rejects Sudan case, lifesaving aid in Yemen

According to the UN relief coordination office (OCHA), the hospital in Old Fangak was struck early Saturday, killing seven civilians and injuring at least 20 more. The attack also destroyed vital supplies and forced the withdrawal of aid workers, leaving the town’s population without access to critical care.

“People in these areas are already battling flooding, food shortages and disease,” said Marie-Helene Verney, the UN’s acting Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan.

Too many lives at risk

“The destruction of critical health infrastructure and continued fighting puts innocent South Sudanese lives at risk.”

The bombing follows a wave of similar attacks in Upper Nile state, where health facilities in Ulang and Nasir have been targeted in recent months. The latest strike has heightened fears of renewed conflict as political and ethnic tensions rise nationwide.

The UN is now airlifting essential supplies to the area, but access remains limited. The violence has displaced over 130,000 people in the past two months, and aid agencies warn that South Sudan’s broader $1.7 billion humanitarian plan remains only 16 per cent funded.

Large scale attacks on densely populated cities across Ukraine

The UN’s top humanitarian official in Ukraine on Monday condemned a series of Russian strikes this weekend on densely populated towns and cities.

Between Friday and Monday, at least 12 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in attacks thar targeted Kharkiv, Kyiv and Cherkasy, and other regions in Ukraine.

These attacks also damaged homes, schools, a hospital and other civilian infrastructure, according to local authorities and partners, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists in New York.

In the aftermath of the strikes, “humanitarian organizations provided first aid, psychosocial support, emergency shelter kits, repair materials, meals and drinks,” Mr. Haq said.

In the Kharkiv region, a fire triggered by a strike near the city of Izium on Sunday, burned 85 hectares of land and damaged over a dozen buildings. There were no casualties reported, Mr. Haq added.

Meanwhile, UN agencies alongside partners reached 600,000 people so far this year with first aid, medical transport, primary care and mental health support, including at transit centres for displaced people.

An IOM-supported health worker in Yemen accesses medical supplies.

Yemen: UN delivers lifesaving medical supplies

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday delivered critical medical supplies to seven health facilities in Yemen, where a collapsing health system and chronic shortages continue to endanger millions.

With support from the Government of the United Kingdom, IOM shipments are reaching hospitals and clinics in Aden, Lahj, Shabwah, Al Bayda and Sana’a – facilities serving both migrants and local communities.

“Every day, our teams see the impact of empty medicine shelves and overwhelmed clinics, on families and entire communities,” said Abdusattor Esoev, head of IOM in Yemen.

“By delivering essential supplies and supporting frontline staff, we are not just responding to urgent needs – we are keeping health services running for those who have nowhere else to turn.”

Crisis on crisis

The intervention comes amid an alarming health crisis.

Nearly 20 million people in Yemen require medical assistance in 2025, but over half of the country’s health facilities are only partially functioning or have shut down altogether. Funding gaps have left 382 facilities unsupported, forcing many to close or drastically cut services.

IOM’s assistance includes essential medicines, surgical equipment and infection prevention tools, as well as infrastructure repairs and support for health workers.

For many in the strife-torn country, IOM-supported clinics remain the only source of free medical care.

ICJ rejects Sudan’s genocide case against UAE

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rejected Sudan’s case accusing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of complicity in genocide in Darfur, citing a lack of jurisdiction.

In the decision, the UN’s top judicial body ruled on Monday by a vote of 14 to two that it could not proceed with the case brought by Sudan under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) and declined to impose any provisional measures, as Sudan had requested.

The Court also removed the case from its general list by a vote of nine to seven.

“Having come to the conclusion that it manifestly lacks jurisdiction, the Court is precluded from taking any position on the merits of the claims made by Sudan,” the ruling stated.

Complicity charge

Sudan had accused the UAE of backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), alleging its support amounted to complicity in genocidal acts against the non-Arab Masalit population in West Darfur.

The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army has claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 12.7 million people since April 2023.

The Court noted that while it could not hear the case, all States remain bound by their obligations under the Genocide Convention.

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Sudan drone attacks raise fears for civilian safety and aid efforts

These attacks appear to be the latest in a series of retaliatory military operations, conducted by the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, targeting airports in each other’s areas of control,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York on Monday.

The fighting between troops of the military Government and former allies-turned-rivals for power, the RSF, began in April 2023. The war has devastated much of the country, killing thousands and displacing over 8.6 million people, according to UN agencies.

As conflict rages in Khartoum, Darfur, and other areas, Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast has remained a relative safe haven and a key hub for UN and international relief efforts.

Multiple drone strikes

The RSF carried out drone attacks on a military base and other targets on Sunday near the airport – and on Monday, there was a second series of attacks targeting fuel depots in the eastern part of Port Sudan, according to latest news reports.

© UNICEF/Ahmed Mohamdeen Elfatih

Mothers tend to their children suffering from severe acute malnutrition at a hospital in Port Sudan.

The RSF has not so far claimed responsibility for Monday’s strikes which left fuel storage facilities ablaze in what the army characterised as an attack on civilian infrastructure.

The Secretary-General is “concerned with the recent reports of drone attacks on military and civilian infrastructure” in the area, which until now had largely been spared from the devastation of the year-long war.

Call for urgent dialogue

Mr. Haq stressed that the attack on Port Sudan was a “worrying development threatening the protection of civilians and humanitarian operations” in the city, which has become a lifeline for humanitarian aid across the country.

The Secretary-General “renews his call for urgent dialogue between the warring parties towards an immediate cessation of hostilities and an inclusive political process,” Mr. Haq said. “This is essential to prevent further escalation, protect civilians, and put Sudan back on a path towards peace and stability.”

On the humanitarian front, the UN’s aid coordination office OCHA said the drone strikes have not directly affected its operations in Port Sudan.

UN aid operations continuing

“None of our offices, premises or warehouses have been impacted, and we continue to carry out our regular operations,” Mr. Haq confirmed.

However, he added that the situation is being closely monitored, and that UN Humanitarian Air Service flights in and out of the city have been temporarily paused.

Beyond Port Sudan, recent strikes on power stations across Sudan have disrupted electricity and clean water supplies – worsening conditions for displaced families and returnees.

We call on all parties to this conflict to ensure that civilians and civilian infrastructure are not targeted,” the Deputy Spokesperson said. “Wars have rules, and international humanitarian law must be respected.”

© UNICEF/Ahmed Mohamdeen Elfatih

Children participate in an e-learning session at the Al Seniyaa internally displaced people’s gathering site in Port Sudan.

Guterres alarmed by Israeli plans to expand Gaza ground offensive

 “This will inevitably lead to countless more civilians killed and the further destruction of Gaza,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, responding to a journalist’s question during the regular media briefing in New York.

“What’s imperative now is an end to the violence, not more civilian deaths and destruction. Gaza is, and must remain, an integral part of a future Palestinian State.” 

The alert comes as the UN humanitarian team and other NGOs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on Sunday condemned Israeli efforts to replace the aid delivery system with one where supplies would reportedly be funnelled through military hubs in the south.

This proposal would leave “large parts of Gaza…less mobile and (the) most vulnerable” without lifesaving supplies, aid chiefs insisted.

The Secretary-General continues to call for an immediate permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages in Gaza, said Mr. Haq.

Deadly attacks and looting

Meanwhile, airstrikes and other attacks continue across the Strip, where Israel has blocked the entry of aid and commercial supplies for more than two months.

Reports indicate that scores of people were killed and hundreds injured over the weekend, including children, the UN aid coordination office OCHA said on Monday.

OCHA noted that robbery and looting have become a daily reality in the Strip, especially in and around Gaza City, which is occurring in parallel with the depletion of supplies.

Businesses are being targeted, and there have also been attempts against UN warehouses.  In most cases the looters were stopped by guards, or the warehouses were already empty.

Water woes

Last week, OCHA reported that water pumping and sanitation systems in Beit Lahiya had gone down because fuel had run out. Services are still not back due to continuing shortages.

Furthermore, a major water line from Israel was damaged on Friday, cutting water supply to northern Gaza – including Gaza City – by half. Teams were only able to fix the problem on Sunday as the repair work required coordination with the Israeli authorities.

Also on Sunday, a UN team managed to retrieve some fuel from a station in Gaza City after the Israeli authorities facilitated their efforts to reach it. However, many reserves remain out of reach due to denial of access.

OCHA noted that in Rafah in southern Gaza, not a single attempt to retrieve fuel has been facilitated since 18 April.

The agency also reported that since Saturday, 19 out of 27 planned humanitarian movements within Gaza were denied outright.  Other attempts were initially given the go-ahead – but then impeded by forces on the ground. 

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‘Step back from the brink’, Guterres urges India and Pakistan

Addressing journalists outside the Security Council at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Guterres expressed deep concern over deteriorating relations between the two South Asian neighbours, saying they had reached “their highest in years.”

He reiterated his condemnation of the 22 April terror attack in the Pahalgam area of Jammu and Kashmir, which killed at least 26 civilians and injured many more.

Targeting civilians is unacceptable – and those responsible must be brought to justice through credible and lawful means,” Mr. Guterres said.

It is also essential – especially at this critical hour – to avoid a military confrontation that could easily spin out of control.

The Security Council is due to meet behind closed doors later on Monday to discuss the rising tensions between the two nations.

UN ready to help de-escalate

He offered his good offices to both governments to help defuse tensions and promote diplomacy, stressing that “a military solution is no solution.

“Now is the time for maximum restraint and stepping back from the brink,” he said.

Mr. Guterres also praised both countries for their long-standing contributions to UN peacekeeping operations and expressed hope that their shared history of cooperation could form the basis for renewed dialogue.

“The United Nations stands ready to support any initiative that promotes de-escalation, diplomacy, and a renewed commitment to peace,” he said.

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UN warns of growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza

In a statement released by the UN Humanitarian Country Team – which leads coordinated relief efforts across the Occupied Palestinian Territory – officials condemned Israeli efforts to dismantle the current aid system.

The team led by the UN’s top aid official in the region representing UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) both international and Palestinian, said Israeli plans would “contravene fundamental humanitarian principles” and deepen the suffering of civilians already enduring severe shortages of food, water, and medical care.

“Bakeries have shut. Community kitchens have closed. Warehouses stand empty. Children have gone hungry,” the statement said, describing the dire conditions facing the population.

The UN said Israeli authorities were attempting to impose a new aid distribution system that would funnel humanitarian supplies through military-controlled hubs, rather than allowing UN agencies and NGOs to operate independently.

‘Dangerous’ Israeli proposal

The proposal, the UN said, would leave “large parts of Gaza, including the less mobile and most vulnerable people,” without aid and would force civilians to enter militarised areas to access basic necessities.

This is dangerous, driving civilians into militarised zones to collect rations, threatening lives, including those of humanitarian workers,” the UN said, warning it would also exacerbate forced displacement across the strip.

According to news reports, the Israeli government has defended the policy as a security measure. At the same time, Israeli forces are planning to ramp up operations in central and southern Gaza.

On Saturday, call up notices were reportedly issued to thousands of Israeli military reservists, indicating a likely escalation of the offensive inside the Strip.

Guiding principles

The UN statement reaffirmed that aid operations must remain guided by the principles of “humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality” and said all 16 UN entities and major humanitarian partners working in Gaza had endorsed this unified position.

“Humanitarian action responds to people’s needs, wherever they are,” the team said.

UN teams remain on the ground, “ready to again scale up the delivery of critical supplies and services” once the blockade is lifted. They urged global leaders to intervene and pressure Israel to reopen border crossings immediately.

“The time is now,” the UN said.

In a social media post on Sunday, the UN aid agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, pointed out that nearly a third of essential supplies for civilians in the Gaza Strip are out of stock while another third are projected to run out in under two months.

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Guterres condemns violence against civilians in Syria, urges Israel to stop attacks

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday that the Secretary-General “has been monitoring with alarm the reports of violence in the suburbs of Damascus and in the south of Syria, including reports of civilian casualties and assassination of local administration figures.”

More than 100 people have reportedly been killed in recent days during clashes with sectarian overtones, including in Suweyda governorate.

Call for restraint

Mr. Dujarric said the Secretary-General condemns all violence against civilians, including acts which could risk inflaming sectarian tensions.

In this context, the UN chief also condemned Israel’s violation of Syria’s sovereignty, including the latest airstrike near the presidential palace in Damascus.

“It is essential that these attacks stop and that Israel respect Syria’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and independence,” the Spokesperson added.

The Secretary-General unequivocally called on all concerned to cease all hostilities, exercise utmost restraint and avoid further escalation. 

He was encouraged by intra-Syrian efforts to de-escalate the violence and maintain security and stability. 

Mr. Guterres took note of the statement by Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which prioritizes “dialogue and cooperation within the framework of national unity.” He also appealed to the interim authorities to transparently and openly investigate all violations. 

Rights experts’ warning

Experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council also warned that the recent surge in violence “is deeply troubling” for peace efforts in Syria

The Commission of Inquiry on Syria said the fighting, combined with ongoing Israeli airstrikes, raises the risk of further fragmentation and harm to civilians.

Members noted that hate speech and incitement on social media are fuelling tensions, urging all sides to stop hostilities and commit to dialogue.

While a local agreement has reportedly been reached between Damascus authorities and community leaders, the interim government remains responsible for protecting civilians.

The Commission also called for credible investigations into alleged abuses.

“Impunity for grave violations has in the past been a consistent driver of Syria’s conflict and must not be allowed to persist,” it said. 

“Only by upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice, accountability and reparations for victims and their families can Syria begin to rebuild trust across its fractured communities.”

Independent voices

The Commission of Inquiry was initially established in August 2011 and its mandate has been consistently renewed, most recently in April.

The three Commissioners serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including the UN.

They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.  

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Myanmar crisis deepens as military attacks persist and needs grow

The 28 March quakes killed over 3,800 people and damaged or destroyed more than 55,000 homes across multiple regions, including Bago, Kayin, Magway, Mandalay, Southern Shan, Naypyitaw and Sagaing.

Families already displaced by years of conflict now face early torrential rains, extreme heat and rising risk of disease. Nearly 20 million people – more than a third of the population – needed assistance even before the earthquakes.

Unremitting violence

Despite the scale of the disaster, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Friday that the Myanmar military has launched at least 243 attacks – including 171 airstrikes – since the massive tremors.

Most of the attacks occurred after 2 April, despite both the military and the opposition National Unity Government (NUG) announcing unilateral ceasefires which were largely unobserved.

It is imperative that the military immediately stop all attacks on civilians and civilian objects,” he said in his statement, calling for a genuine and permanent nationwide halt to hostilities and a return to civilian rule.

He underscored the need to put the people of Myanmar first, prioritise their rights, and achieve a peaceful resolution.

Instead of further futile investment in military force, the focus must be on the restoration of democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar,” Mr. Türk said.

Delays putting lives at risk

UN humanitarians in the country also warn that the situation remains dire.

Speaking to journalists in New York via video link from Yangon, Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim Marcoluigi Corsi said that one month on, people are still living in the open and facing increasingly difficult conditions.

The suffering is immense and the stakes are very high,” he said on Thursday, urging the international community to translate funding pledges into rapid, large-scale support.

“Every delay means more lives at risk and more communities in Myanmar struggling to rebuild.”

Lack of funding imperils response

Agencies have reached 600,000 people with water, sanitation and hygiene services. They have also provided nearly 500,000 people with food assistance and over 100,000 with emergency shelter.

But the response remains constrained by severe underfunding.

Mr. Corsi called on donors to urgently disburse their pledged amounts. Without timely action, the crisis would get worse, he warned.

Lives depend on our collective commitment to delivering the support that is desperately needed…the time to act is now,” he said.

The $275 million addendum to the 2025 humanitarian response plan has received just $34 million – or about 12 per cent – leaving affected communities without assistance.

Disease outbreak risk

According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO) over 450,000 people require critical health services, but only about 33,600 have been reached so far.  

Disease outbreaks are also a growing concern as nine of the 20 townships most at risk for cholera fall within earthquake-affected areas. Stagnant water from delayed rubble removal is creating mosquito breeding grounds, driving up the risk of malaria and dengue.  

Limited access to medicines and medical supplies are further straining already overstretched health facilities.

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Funding crisis increases danger and risks for refugees

With humanitarian resources running dry, critical support for millions of forcibly displaced people is under threat.

UNHCR said that two-thirds of countries hosting refugees are already severely overstretched and urgently need support to continue providing education, healthcare and shelter.

Global solidarity with those fleeing conflict and violence is weakening, the agency added.

‘No one wants to be a refugee for life’

“The safety that refugees seek in neighbouring countries is at risk,” said Elizabeth Tan, Director of International Protection at UNHCR.

Without international solidarity and burden-sharing, the institution of asylum is under threat.”

Ms Tan noted that some 12,000 Central African refugees in Chad and Cameroon have expressed a desire to return home but cannot do so safely without transport and reintegration assistance.

“No one wants to be a refugee for life,” she said.

Lifesaving services

Marking the agency’s 75th anniversary, Ms Tan reminded journalists that refugees – unlike migrants – have lost the protection of their home countries.

They arrive across borders traumatised, often after experiencing torture or persecution, and they need specialised support – including mental health care,” she said.

Children separated from their families face especially grave risks, including recruitment by armed groups, exploitation and trafficking.

Protecting them, Ms Tan stressed, “is not a luxury – it is lifesaving.”

© UNHCR/Andrew McConnell

Refugees from Sudan arrive in Adre on the border with Chad.

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Reporters in Gaza bear witness and suffer tragic consequences

Mr. Shahada lost his leg due to a severe injury he suffered in Nuseirat in central Gaza in April 2024, but he picked up his camera and returned to document the tragic events that have been unfolding in Gaza.

He will not let his disability stop him from working. “It is impossible for me to leave photojournalism, even if I face all these obstacles,” he said.

Ahead of World Press Freedom Day marked annually on 3 May which focuses on the role of media to highlight accountability, justice, equality, and human rights, our UN News correspondent in Gaza spoke with Palestinian journalists, documenting the risks and personal traumas they face reporting from the war-torn enclave.

© UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel

War has devastated Gaza.

Since the war began following the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel an increasing number of journalists have been killed or injured in Gaza as a humanitarian crisis has engulfed the enclave.

Bearing witness

On one leg, leaning on crutches, Sami Shahada stands behind his camera, wearing his blue press jacket, working amongst the rubble of destruction with colleagues.

“I witnessed all the crimes that happened, and then the moment came when I was a witness to a crime that was perpetrated against me,” he told UN News.

Sami Shehadeh looks at a video of the moment he was injured in Gaza in April 2024.

“I was a field journalist, carrying a camera in an open area and wearing a helmet and a jacket which identified me as a journalist, yet I was directly targeted.”

That incident marked a turning point in his life. “I did not need help from anyone before, now I need help,” adding that “I have the determination and persistence to overcome this new reality. This is how we journalists must work in Gaza.”

Working the streets

Journalist Mohammed Abu Namous is another of these journalists.

Filming with one of his colleagues in the rubble of a destroyed building in Gaza City he said: “While the world celebrates World Press Freedom Day, Palestinian journalists remember their workplaces which were destroyed in the war.”

“The minimum we need to carry out our journalistic work is electricity and the internet, but many do not have this, so we resort to commercial shops that provide the internet. The streets are now our offices.”

Palestinian journalist Mohammed Abu Namous and his colleague cover the impact of the war in Gaza.

He believes that Palestinian journalists have been targeted during the Israeli occupation of Gaza and said that media workers must be protected “whether they work in Palestine or elsewhere in the world.”

Voices not silenced by death of loved ones

Journalist Moamen Sharafi said he lost members of his family in an Israeli bombing in northern Gaza, but despite “the many negative impacts on a personal, social, and humanitarian level, professionally nothing has changed.”

He was determined to carry on working, he explained, as he was due to live broadcast from the streets of Gaza City.

Palestinian journalist, Moamen Sharafi (right,) lost several family members during the current war that started in October 2023.

“We have become more determined to continue our work and uphold our professional values and perform our mission with humanity to the world,” he continued, “in order to convey the reality of what is happening on the ground inside Gaza, specifically the humanitarian situation, and the impact on children, women and the elderly who suffer greatly.”

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Journalism facing new threats from AI and censorship

Amidst spiraling conflict, climate chaos, growing divisions, and a rapidly changing digital landscape, a free press is more vital than ever,” said Volker Türk.

Furthermore, “the media help us understand the world around us and encourage critical thinking and dialogue.”

Threats and deaths

Free and independent media are the best antidote to disinformation but press freedom is under threat in every region of the world, he warned.

States harass, detain, torture and even kill media workers, simply for doing their jobs” while “in some conflict zones, warring parties restrict or deny access to journalists.”

He noted that since January, at least 20 people who work in media have been killed and impunity for crimes against journalists remains widespread, with more than 80 per cent of killings going unpunished.

AI rewards…and risks

Mr. Türk said this year’s observance of press freedom is a reminder that media repression is increasing while artificial intelligence (AI) is entirely overhauling how information is produced, distributed, and consumed.

Although AI can be a useful tool for journalists, it also carries significant risks for press freedom, he warned.

AI-based algorithms often dictate what we see, shaping our opinions and perceptions of reality. Politicians use AI to weaponize disinformation and advance their own agendas,” he said.

“States are also using AI tools to monitor journalists and their sources online, violating their right to privacy. This has a chilling effect on media workers everywhere. And women journalists are disproportionately targeted.”

Concentration of power

Furthermore, “a small group of corporations and individuals have almost total control over AI technology and influence on the global media landscape.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres also highlighted the opportunities and risks posed by AI in his message on press freedom.

Biased algorithms, outright lies, and hate speech are landmines on the information superhighway.  Accurate, verifiable, fact-based information is the best tool to defuse them,” he said.

He pointed to the Global Digital Compact adopted last year by UN Member States, which includes “concrete steps to strengthen international cooperation to promote information integrity, tolerance and respect in the digital space.”

Change course now

Mr. Türk said World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity for everyone to urgently commit to changing course now, starting with States.

They must ensure that journalists are safe from attacks, hate campaigns and surveillance, as well as physical and legal harassment.

It is crucial to have more transparency in how data is used, how content is curated, and how algorithms are designed.”

Media concentration laws – that is, legislation around ownership of mass media outlets – also must be updated to reflect the power of AI and tech platforms and promote a diverse media landscape that secures space for independent journalism.

Meanwhile, tech companies have a crucial role. In this regard, Mr. Turk announced that his Office and UN educational and cultural agency UNESCO are offering guidance to help tech companies assess the risks their tools pose to journalists and civil society.

 “A free, independent, and diverse media can help to heal the divisions in our societies. We must do everything in our power to protect it and allow it to flourish,” he said. 

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Gaza: ‘Worst-case scenario’ unfolds as brutal aid blockade threatens mass starvation

Speaking from Gaza City OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherevko told journalists in Geneva that a friend of hers “saw people burning a few days ago from the explosions – and there was no water to save them.”

Since all entry points into the war-torn enclave were “sealed by the Israeli authorities for the entry of cargo” in March, the “worst-case scenario” was triggered, Ms. Cherevko said: supplies are depleting while the conflict rages on.

Food stocks have now mainly run out, water access has become impossible,” she told journalists in Geneva.

As the veteran aid worker spoke, she noted that a “very violent fight” for access to water was taking place downstairs from her, with people throwing rocks and firing shots at a water truck which was pulling away.

No childhood

The OCHA spokesperson said that every day she was seeing children “who have been deprived of their childhood for many months,” and elderly people “rummaging through piles of trash” in search of food and combustible material for cooking, in the absence of fuel.

During a visit on Thursday to Patient Friends Hospital, a paediatric hospital in Gaza City which had been attacked several times during the war, she heard reports of rising malnutrition rates.

Hospitals report running out of blood units, as mass casualties continue to arrive,” Ms. Cherevko stressed, while precious fuel is being rationed.

Malnutrition cases among children in Gaza are increasing due to a lack of food.

Running on empty

“Gaza is inching closer to running on empty,” she added.

Ms. Cherevko said that UN humanitarians are “in constant contact” with the Israeli authorities and are advocating for border crossings to reopen. “We have mechanisms that mitigate diversion [and] ensure that aid reaches the people it’s intended to reach,” she said.

“We are ready to resume delivery at scale as soon as the crossings reopen, Ms. Cherevko insisted. “We stand by our pledge to remain principled and continue relieving people’s suffering, wherever they may be.”

In an appeal to the Israeli authorities on Thursday, the UN’s top humanitarian official and OCHA chief Tom Fletcher said, “Lift this brutal blockade. Let humanitarians save lives”.

Mr. Fletcher reaffirmed the urgent need for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023, who “should never have been taken from their families” and stressed that “aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip”.

Gazans queue for food in January 2025 when it was more widely available in the enclave.

Generational horror

Ms. Cherevko said that over the past one and a half months, 420,000 people have been “once again forced to flee, many of them with only the clothes on their backs, shot at along the way, arriving in overcrowded shelters, as tents and other facilities where people seek safety, are being bombed”.

“I worry that five, 10, 20 years from now, we will look at our children and grandchildren in shame and we will not be able to explain to them why we could not stop this horror,” she concluded.

How much more blood must be spilled before enough becomes enough?”

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Afghanistan’s socioeconomic crisis deepens amid crackdown on women’s rights

As the Afghan economy faces stalled local production and weak job creation, Afghanistan continues to heavily rely on imports and international assistance.

UNDP’s current analysis and new data indicate the continuation of a deeply troubling trajectory for the Afghan people, who have been grappling with extreme vulnerability over the past decade,” said Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General and head of UNDP for the Asia-Pacific region.

Systemic challenges

In the past year, political uncertainty, an ongoing economic crisis, shrinking international aid and climate disruptions have compounded existing vulnerabilities, limiting the economy’s ability to regain momentum.

As Afghanistan heavily relies on foreign assistance, the current reduction in international aid is likely to have a significant impact on humanitarian operations and the delivery of basic services.

“UNDP stresses the need for targeted interventions to address these challenges, recognising that humanitarian assistance alone is not enough, and sustainable longer-term economic and social solutions are needed,” said Stephane Rodriques, UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan.

Restriction on women’s rights

As repressive laws continue to erode women’s rights, safety and access to basic services such as education and employment, Afghanistan’s socioeconomic crisis has seen the gender gap widen further, pushing women deeper into social exclusion and poverty.

With only seven per cent of Afghan women working outside of the household in 2024, restrictions on women and girls are projected to cost the Afghan economy nearly $920 million between 2024 and 2026, according to UNDP.

UNDP called for Afghanistan to lift restrictions on women and girls and for comprehensive support to women-led businesses to be provided.

Returnees

In 2024, Afghanistan also faced a major influx of returnees from Pakistan and Iran, as these neighbouring countries hardened their stance on Afghan refugees and migrants.

The UN expects the rate of returnees to increase in 2025, with an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million people expected to return to Afghanistan.

“With the anticipated arrival of hundreds of thousands of returnees this year and a marked reduction in international support, Afghan communities will have to navigate substantial challenges that will increase pressure on an already highly tenuous daily subsistence,” said Ms. Wignaraja.

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