Speaking to journalists from Yangon on Tuesday, Julia Rees, Deputy Representative of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the country described seeing massive needs rising by the hour, after a 7.7 magnitude quake.

“Entire communities have been flattened,” she said, with children and families sleeping out in the open with no homes to return to.

“I met children who were in shock after witnessing their homes collapsed or the death of a family member… some have been separated from their parents and others are unaccounted for,” she explained.

Some 72 hours after the quake rocked Mandalay and Sagaing regions as well as Nay Pyi Taw and southern Shan state, the death toll has risen to around 2,000, according to the country’s military junta, with hundreds unaccounted for and thousands injured.

“The window for lifesaving response is closing,” Ms. Rees said, while across the affected areas, families face acute shortages of clean water, food and medical supplies. But conditions remain extremely challenging as aid teams are working “without electricity or sanitation, sleeping outside, like the communities we serve”.

International response

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that local search and rescue teams, supported by international rescue units from a number of countries including China, India, Russia, Thailand and Bangladesh, have been “intensifying their efforts” particularly in central Myanmar, which has continued to experience aftershocks.

Relief chief Tom Fletcher, who leads OCHA, reiterated in a post on X that apart from heavy damage to infrastructure the response “has been hampered by lack of funding.” He said the UN is in contact with Myanmar authorities on how the international community can do more, with overseas aid budgets cut in Washington and many European capitals.  

The UN’s top humanitarian official on the ground, Marcoluigi Corsi, freshly back from a visit to the country’s capital Nay Pyi Taw said that as the critical window for finding survivors under the rubble was narrowing, conditions in the affected areas continued to deteriorate.

“You have no electricity, you have no running water,” he said, while people were battling the summer heat. “Often there are aftershocks and people are scared to go inside their homes,” he added.

Hospitals overwhelmed

Dr. Fernando Thushara, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Myanmar, said that in Nay Pyi Taw, he saw hospitals “overwhelmed with patients”.

“The medical supplies were running dry. There were electricity disruptions in some hospitals… and shortages of running water,” he said, adding that in some cases power generators were not working and hospitals were short on fuel.

Dr. Thushara warned that a lack of fresh water and sanitation could fuel outbreaks of infectious diseases “unless we control them very quickly”.

He recalled that a few months back, several townships in Mandalay had been affected by cholera. About 800 cases of the water-borne disease had been reported until February across nine states and regions in Myanmar, while other infectious diseases such as dengue, hepatitis, malaria may spread further.

The dire health situation is not the only crisis confronting the people of  Myanmar. UN refugee agency (UNHCR) spokesperson Babar Baloch stressed that the country is “reeling” from four years of conflict sparked by a military coup in 2021, while the UN’s Mr. Corsi said that in the past few years it has suffered a cyclone and massive flooding.

Mr. Baloch spoke of a “double tragedy” for the people of Myanmar, highlighting the fact that even before the devastating earthquake hit, all the affected areas already hosted 1.6 million displaced people.

Mr. Corsi stressed that the disaster-affected communities’ resilience is now highly compromised. Close to 20 million people across the country were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquake hit and over 15 million were going hungry. 

Over three months into the year, the UN’s $1.1 billion humanitarian appeal for Myanmar remains only five per cent funded. “This is time…for the world to step up and support the people of Myanmar,” he concluded.

Click here to donate to the UN emergency appeal for Myanmar

“Palestinian journalists continue to do heroic work, paying a heavy price; 170 have been killed to date,” said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. “The free flow of information and independent reporting are key to facts and accountability during conflicts.”

In his appeal, Mr. Lazzarini noted that in the more than 18 months since war in Gaza began, sparked by unprecedented Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, reliable reporting has been overtaken by propaganda and “dehumanizing” messages about the war.

Spike in attacks, censorship

Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN human rights office, OHCHR, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, also expressed deep concerns about the dangers facing journalists there – although the situation “has always been very difficult”, he maintained.

“They have been subject to oppression in many instances we’ve recorded – killings and censorship and detention,” he told UN News. “But we have also recorded a massive spike in such operations – attacks, killings, detention and censorship – since 7 October 2023.”

Mr. Sunghay noted that OHCHR data indicates that 209 journalists have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023, the higher number reflecting all journalists killed on duty or at home.

The situation for journalists in the West Bank is also critical, with reports of arrested reporters receiving simulated beatings and threats of sexual violence against women journalists by Israeli authorities, the OHCHR office noted.

“Journalists are civilians and are protected from attacks under international humanitarian law unless they’re directly participating in hostilities,” Mr. Sunghay said, adding that Palestinian authorities were also reportedly responsible for “oppression” of media professionals. “The intentional killings of journalists is a war crime, and this is something that we have highlighted on several occasions.”

All aid still cut

In a related development, other UN agencies issued fresh alerts about the mounting impact of Israel’s six-week-old decision to cut off all food and other supplies from entering the shattered territory. Fuel is also included in the embargo and supplies are dwindling, with “bakeries shutting, hospitals running out of medicine” and gasoline for generators to keep their machinery working, said UNRWA.

Since Israeli bombing of Gaza resumed on 18 March, about 500,000 people have been newly displaced “or uprooted once more”, said spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stephanie Tremblay. Her comments came as Israel’s defence minister reportedly said that troops will remain in Gaza’s so-called security zones indefinitely, along with Lebanon and Syria.

Aid deliveries also continue to be impacted by Israeli refusals, with only two out of six missions that had been coordinated with the Israeli authorities allowed to go ahead on Wednesday. “The remaining four were denied” including one mission to retrieve urgently needed fuel from Rafah, noted Ms. Tremblay, citing the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

Some 30 per cent of the Gaza Strip is now a security buffer where Palestinian civilians cannot live, the Israeli military reportedly announced.

Positive developments

Amid ongoing Israeli bombardment, military manoeuvres and evacuation orders, UN aid teams highlighted their continuing efforts to help the people of war-torn Gaza, despite encountering immense difficulties.

In its latest update, OCHA said that at least 51,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the war on 7 October 2023 and 116,343 Palestinians injured. This includes 1,630 people killed and 4,302 injured since the escalation of hostilities on 18 March, it said, citing Gaza health authorities

Doctors recount never-ending incidents of patients they could have saved, if medical supplies were available
– OCHA

“The lack of heavy machinery and equipment hinder rescue efforts of the wounded and missing while casualties continue to fall due to continued bombardment by Israeli forces, including on tents for displaced people,” OCHA said.

Meanwhile, the aid community’s Nutrition Cluster has warned that the rapid deterioration of children’s nutrition status in Gaza “is already visible”. 

In March alone, 3,696 children were newly admitted for acute malnutrition out of 91,769 children screened. This marks a sharp increase compared with February, when 2,027 children were admitted out of a total of 83,823 screened. 

The framework – agreed during the just-concluded meeting of the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee – aims for net-zero emissions from the sector by 2050 and will be formally adopted in October before coming into force in 2027.

They will apply to large ocean-going vessels over 5,000 gross tonnage, which collectively account for 85 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions from the marine shipping fleet.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez hailed the breakthrough, emphasising the collaborative spirit that led to the deal.

“The approval of draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI mandating the IMO net-zero framework represents another significant step in our collective efforts to combat climate change, to modernize shipping and demonstrates that IMO delivers on its commitments.”

MARPOL Annex VI refers to provisions in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, specifically addressing air pollution.

It already includes mandatory energy efficiency requirements for ships and has 108 Parties covering roughly 97 per cent of the world’s merchant shipping fleet by tonnage.

Intense negotiations

Negotiations – which culminated on Friday in London – were particularly challenging.

According to media reports, around a dozen countries – including the United States – were opposed to the framework. The proposal was ultimately put to a vote and passed.

A turning point for the shipping industry

The framework introduces a dual approach: a global fuel standard that will progressively lower the annual greenhouse gas fuel intensity of marine fuels, and a greenhouse gas pricing mechanism requiring high-emitting ships to pay for their excess pollution.

Under the new system, ships that exceed emissions limits will need to acquire remedial units to offset their excess pollution. Meanwhile, vessels operating with zero or near-zero emissions will be eligible for financial rewards, creating a market-driven push toward cleaner maritime transport.

A cargo ship moored at a port in Europe.

Supporting vulnerable countries

A key element of the new framework is the IMO Net-Zero Fund, which will collect revenues from the carbon pricing mechanism.

These funds will support innovation, research, infrastructure and transition initiatives in developing countries.

It will also be used to mitigate negative impacts on vulnerable nations, such as small island developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs), which bear the brunt of both climate change and economic pressures in the shipping sector.

Next steps: Adoption and implementation

The draft regulations will undergo formal adoption in October 2025.

If ratified during the IMO session, as expected, the measures will enter into force in 2027, giving the industry time to adapt to new requirements and invest in alternative fuels and technologies.

The International Maritime Organization

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the UN specialized agency responsible for the safety and security of global shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships.

Established in 1948 and headquartered in London, it develops international treaties, such as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) or the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

At least five humanitarian workers were said to be among those injured, and significant damage was reported to port infrastructure. There are also fears of oil leaks into the Red Sea, raising environmental concerns.

In a statement issued on Saturday by his spokesperson, António Guterres emphasised that international law, including international humanitarian law, “must be respected at all times.”

He urged all parties to respect and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

The Secretary General also voiced deep concern over ongoing missile and drone attacks by Houthi forces against Israel and vessels in the Red Sea, calling on the group to cease such attacks immediately.

“The Security Council resolution 2768 (2025) related to Houthi attacks against merchant and commercial vessels must be fully respected,” he stressed.

Mr. Guterres also warned of the growing risk of a broader regional escalation and urged all parties to exercise “utmost restraint.”

He also reiterated his demand for the “immediate and unconditional” release of all UN and other personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthis.

Marking the tenth anniversary of both the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the landmark Paris Agreement, Ms. Mohammed highlighted the significant progress made over the past decade, while also acknowledging the substantial challenges that remain.

A decade of progress and challenges

In her remarks to the Partnership for growth Summit, known by the shorthand ‘P4G’, which runs through Thursday in the Viet Nam capital, Ms. Mohammed reflected on the progress achieved since the adoption of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement.

However, she stressed the stark reality that the world is still far from where it needs to be.

“As I speak, there are 750 million people who do not have access to electricity, and two billion people have no clean cooking solutions,” she stated. She also pointed out the increasing air pollution affecting children worldwide due to fossil fuel emissions.

Hope amid adversity

Despite the daunting statistics, the UN deputy chief expressed hope, drawing inspiration from the words of Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh: “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” 

She identified three sources of hope:

• Global Commitment: The presence of representatives from governments, businesses, investors, and civil society at the summit demonstrated a collective commitment to building more sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and prosperous societies;
• Collaboration: Initiatives like the Just Energy Transition Partnerships and P4G’s public-private partnerships, which exemplify the power of collaboration in transforming energy, water, and food systems and;
• Economic Imperatives: The economic benefits of climate action; every dollar invested in climate adaptation can generate a return of up to 10 times.

She also pointed out the significant cost reductions in wind, solar, and battery storage technologies, making them the cheapest sources of new electricity in many markets.

An economic case for climate action

Ms. Mohammed underscored the financial impact of climate disasters, which caused $320 billion in damages worldwide last year.

She emphasized that the climate crisis is draining resources needed for development but also presented a compelling economic case for climate action.

“Renewables accounted for 92.5 per cent of all new power capacity added globally last year, and clean power surpassed 40 per cent of global electricity generation for the first time,” she noted.

Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed delivers remarks at the P4G Summit in Hanoi, Viet Nam.

Viet Nam as a leading example

Highlighting Viet Nam’s leadership in clean energy, Ms. Mohammed praised the country’s bold shift from coal, which is not only combating climate change but also promoting a fairer and more equal future. She called this moment a “rare opportunity” to usher in a new economic era that ensures energy access, affordability, and security while creating zero-carbon, disaster-resilient, and sustainable societies.

Call to action

The UN deputy chief urged government leaders to accelerate the implementation of cost-effective solutions and drive change through smart policies and reforms at all levels.

She emphasized the importance of the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – national climate action plans – in aligning energy and development plans with climate goals.

“Investment is key,” she stressed, citing the need for $2.4 trillion per year to flow emerging and developing economies outside China by 2030 to keep the 1.5-degree target within reach and deliver on the SDGs.

Addressing corporate, financial, and civil society leaders, Ms. Mohammed called for continued innovation, collaboration, and the creation of new models and partnerships to mobilize finance at scale. She encouraged leaders to turn obstacles into business opportunities and drive real investments in climate and sustainable development.

In closing, Ms. Mohammed reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to supporting global efforts towards a more prosperous future for all. “The United Nations stands ready to support your efforts every step of the way and keep the hope of a more prosperous future for all alive,” she concluded.