In Sudan, sick and starving children ‘wasting away’

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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

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“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’

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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

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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

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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

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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

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“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

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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

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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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Guterres condemns escalating violence in South Sudan as aid operations come under fire

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In a statement issued by his Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq on Saturday, the UN chief said nearly 10 million people – “more than two thirds of the population” – now require life-saving humanitarian assistance and “continue to bear the brunt of the conflict”.

He expressed grave concern over fighting, attacks and looting affecting humanitarian and health facilities, as well as movement restrictions and insecurity along key supply routes. 

These conditions, the statement said, are “crippling humanitarian operations and shutting down essential services, placing civilians, including aid workers, at serious risk”.

Healthcare services attacked

Since late December, at least 11 healthcare facilities have been attacked in Jonglei State alone, disrupting critical services for communities already under severe strain. The assaults have also involved the seizure of 12 vehicles, including an ambulance.

“In the past week alone,” the statement noted, incidents have included “repeated attacks on a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy, an airstrike on a hospital run by the leading NGO Médecins Sans Frontières, and the burning of a Save the Children field office and destruction of its health centre”.

The Secretary-General said that “this clear disregard for medical and humanitarian operations is unacceptable and must stop”, stressing that such work “must be facilitated and respected”.

The violence has driven mass displacement, with more than 370,000 people reportedly forced from their homes so far this year, including over 280,000 in Jonglei State, amid a rapidly worsening cholera outbreak.

South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, gained independence from Khartoum in 2011 but soon descended into a brutal civil conflict marked by political rivalry, ethnic violence and repeated peace deal breakdowns. 

‘Immediate and decisive’ end to fighting needed

Despite a 2018 agreement, insecurity and localised fighting have continued to undermine stability and recovery.

The UN chief called on all parties to “immediately and decisively halt all military operations”, de-escalate tensions through dialogue, uphold international law, protect civilians and ensure safe, sustained humanitarian access, including the security of aid workers and UN peacekeepers.

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From rural margins to media trailblazers: India’s women journalists are rewriting the news

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Khabar Lahariya, literally “news waves”, is an all-women media organisation run since 2002 by rural reporters, many of them Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim, dispatching fresh stories from some of the most marginalised regions.

“We faced challenges at every level,” founder Kavita Devi told UN News. “People would say women can’t be journalists, but we went to villages, persisted and proved that women can not only report but tell stories that others cannot.”

Long before global conversations about diversity entered newsrooms, these women were building their own.

From illiterate to multimedia producer

Villagers initially doubted women could be journalists and educational barriers made recruiting reporters a daunting challenge, Ms. Devi said, recalling the scepticism they encountered.

At the time, female reporters were virtually absent from newsrooms in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Many of the women who joined Khabar Lahariya had little formal education.

One such journalist, Shyamkali, transformed from being illiterate to becoming a senior reporter.

Khabar Lahariya reports in local languages, including Bundeli, Awadhi and Bhojpuri, rejecting the idea that legitimacy requires elite, urban Hindi or English.

Reporting from the margins

“I didn’t know how to write a resume or handle a camera, but with training and guidance, I was able to learn everything, from interviewing to mobile journalism, and now I report stories that mainstream media ignore,” Shyamkali told UN News.

Khabar Lahariya’s reporting also goes beyond mere representation. Shyamkali recounted a story about a woman who, driven to desperation, acted violently against her abusive husband. 

Mainstream media reported the incident without context, focusing only on the shocking act, she said. But, Shyamkali’s reporting brought the woman’s perspective and underlying social realities to light, demonstrating how women journalists can add nuance, empathy and depth to stories often ignored or misrepresented.

Women ‘see their own image in the news’

Language plays a critical role in Khabar Lahariya’s mission. Publishing in local dialects like Bundeli, Awadhi and Bhojpuri, ensures that news is accessible, relatable and empowering for rural communities. 

“When we explain issues in their language, people understand better,” Ms. Devi said.

“They see their own image in the news, especially women.”

Game changing digital media

Transitioning from print to digital platforms has been a game changer for Khabar Lahariya, with its staff embracing mobile journalism, learning to anchor, produce and share news on social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Technology has empowered us to amplify voices from communities that were always ignored.

“Technology has empowered us to amplify voices from communities that were always ignored,” Shyamkali said, recalling the initial fear and excitement of tackling digital media.

“I never imagined handling a camera or sending live reports from a phone, but now I can.”

This digital expansion not only increases visibility, but enhances women’s agency, confidence and economic independence, proving that technology and training can transform social realities at the grassroots level.

Founded in 2002, Khabar Lahariya is an all-women media organisation run by rural reporters, many of them Dalit, Adivasi and Muslim.

Telling the whole story

Women remain just one in four people seen, heard or read about in the media, according to the 2025 Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) report.

When women’s voices are missing, the public is denied half the story.

Kalliopi Mingeirou, chief of UN Women’s section to end violence against women and girls, told UN News “this is not because women lack expertise or leadership” but because media continues to rely on the same narrow set of voices, too often defaulting to men as experts and decision makers.

Indeed, democracy depends on informed debate and inclusive decision making, she said.

“When women’s voices are missing, the public is denied half the story,” she said. “This distorts reality, weakens accountability and narrows the democratic space. In today’s context of backlash against gender equality, the exclusion of women in news is not only a gender issue, it is a democratic deficit.”

‘Radical rethink’ required

Progress on gender representation in media has not only stalled, it is under threat, according to the new report.

“These findings are both a wake-up call and a call to action,” said Kirsi Madi, Deputy Executive Director of UN Women. “When women are missing, democracy is incomplete.”

Despite making up half of the world’s population, women today account for just 26 per cent of news subjects and sources globally, a figure that has barely shifted in the last 15 years, the report found.

“A radical rethink is needed so that media can play its role in advancing equality,” Ms. Madi said. “Without women’s voices, there is no full story, no fair democracy, no lasting security and no shared future.”

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How AI, gaming and virtual worlds are reshaping Holocaust remembrance

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“At the moment, we have an incredibly dispersed and diverse landscape of memory-making, and the more digital we get, the most diverse it gets,” Professor Victoria Grace Richardson-Walden, Director of the Landecker Digital Memory Lab at the University of Sussex, told UN News.

As Holocaust survivors age and first-hand testimony becomes rarer, educators, researchers and designers are increasingly turning to emerging technologies to preserve memory, foster empathy and engage younger generations far beyond museums and classrooms with narrative-driven games and immersive virtual spaces allowing users to not only observe history but interact with it.

© World Jewish Congress/Ohad Kab

Landecker Digital Memory Lab, University of Sussex, participates at a panel discussion: “Technology, Memory, and the Future of Holocaust Remembrance”, at UN Headquarters in New York.

The challenge is no longer whether new technologies should be used, but whether they will be used thoughtfully enough to ensure that memory endures for generations to come as these modern tools open new – and sometimes uncomfortable – questions about interactivity, responsibility and historical truth.

From taboo to tool: ‘Video games and the Holocaust are mainstream’

Long considered the last taboo of Holocaust representation, video games are now increasingly part of the conversation as research-led approaches have seen studios starting to work closely with historians, educators and archives, opening space for designers like Luc Bernard, whose The Light in the Darkness video game follows a Jewish family in Nazi-occupied France.

It doesn’t have a Hollywood ending; I decided to show the real story, which was that most Jews during the Holocaust were murdered.

“It doesn’t have a Hollywood ending; I decided to show the real story, which was that most Jews during the Holocaust were murdered,” said Mr. Bernard, who is currently working on the director’s cut, funded by the Claims Conference and META, which will include the original vision he intended with extra scenes going deeper into the story.

“It’s no longer a taboo subject,” Mr. Bernard said. “Video games and the Holocaust are mainstream.” 

The Light in the Darkness has reached audiences well beyond traditional educational settings, with the average gamer age of 35 among players from countries such as Saudi Arabia that have engaged strongly with the story, he said.

“People relate to the characters, and it’s resonated more with them than even movies around the Holocaust,” he said. “That’s just the power of videogames or any form of art. It depends on how you direct it.”

© World Jewish Congress/Ohad Kab

Luc Bernard, game designer, participates at panel discussion “Technology, Memory, and the Future of Holocaust Remembrance” at UN Headquarters in New York.

Building resilient digital memory

The current landscape requires a fundamental rethink of how Holocaust memory is produced and sustained in the digital age, from interactivity to what it means when users engage with the past in these spaces, said Ms. Richardson-Walden, whose work brings together educators, researchers, policymakers, technology companies and memory institutions worldwide.

Indeed, collaboration is essential, including to ensure Holocaust memory remains resilient as digital formats multiply, she added.

“Without all coming together, we are wasting resources, we are spreading our human resources, our financial resources, our technologies and our time really thinly,” she cautioned, adding that one of the greatest risks lies not in technology itself but in how digital projects are funded.

In addition, short-term initiatives, from apps to virtual exhibitions, are often expensive and quickly become obsolete as software changes causing projects to “break and disappear” alongside the digitised materials, metadata and knowledge behind it, she said. “It’s just all gone.”

Rethinking interactivity and risk: ‘You can’t change the narrative’

Instead, Ms. Richardson-Walden called for investment in shared digital infrastructure. Aligned databases, common standards and permanent digital expertise within institutions would allow memory organizations to adapt quickly as new technologies emerge, whether in gaming, virtual reality or artificial intelligence (AI).

Interactivity is often misunderstood, particularly in discussions about video games, with fears that users might be able to make changes to what happened in the Holocaust, she said.

“But, anyone in the gaming industry understands that is an illusion of agency,” she said. “You can’t change the narrative.”

The Light in the Darkness: Director’s Cut.

AI risks: Catching up with the tech world

At the same time, Ms. Richardson-Walden warned of genuine risks in the current digital environment, especially with the rapid spread of generative AI. Holocaust-related content circulates widely online, making it vulnerable to monetisation without historical understanding or ethical oversight.

“People know the Holocaust performs well online,” she explains. “Holocaust is a well-talked-about subject. People know about it. People want to talk about it, which is great, but also a problem in this sphere because that means it can be monetised.”

Listen to an interview with Professor Victoria Grace Richardson-Wald: 

Pointing to the mass production of AI images on social media, she said “we need to find a way to catch up with the tech world’s speed slightly because otherwise the policy, the discussions we’re having will be so far behind the reality that they’ll become kind of meaningless.”

Catching up with the tech world

Both Mr. Bernard and Ms. Richardson-Walden emphasised that responsibility for digital Holocaust memory extends beyond individual creators, with technology companies, funders and governments working with educators and creatives to develop ethical, sustainable approaches. 

“These conversations used to happen in fringe spaces,” Mrs. Richardson-Walden says, following a panel debate around technology, memory and the future of Holocaust Remembrance at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Connective Holocaust Commemoration Expo 2025 at the University of Sussex, UK.

Now, international forums, including the United Nations, have an important role in turning discussion into coordinated action, 

Watch the Technology, Memory and the Future of Holocaust Remembrance panel discussion at the UN here.

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From shelter to strength: How disaster refuges protect lives in Palau

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Palau’s biodiversity is threatened by rising sea levels.

Climate change, a personal issue

For Techitong, these climate related hazards are deeply personal.

“I fear the places I grew up in might be underwater in the next decades,” he said. “I don’t want future generations to only hear stories about what Palau used to be. That’s what drives me.”

Today, he works with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Palau alongside the National Emergency Management Office (NEMO), overseeing the strengthening of climate-resilient disaster shelters across the country.

Techitong visits one of the IOM-supported disaster shelters.

Strengthening national resilience

Techitong’s work is part of a broader effort by the United Nations to support Palau’s resilience to the adverse effects of extreme weather events through an integrated, long-term approach.

The UN works alongside the Government of Palau and civil society across four interconnected pillars: People, planet, prosperity, and peace.

Building community resilience to extreme weather events and strengthening disaster risk reduction cuts across all four of these pillars, as resilience is not only environmental, but also social, economic and institutional.

The shelters Techitong oversees put this vision into practice.

Techitong speaks to one of the construction workers building shelters.

The shelters are designed to function as a connected national network of safe spaces accessible to all people during emergencies.

Built to withstand high winds, heavy rainfall and flooding, they will be equipped with typhoon shutters, rainwater catchment systems, solar lighting, generators, and water filtration systems.

Four out of the eight shelters have already been strengthened and handed over to the community in Palau.

“The strengthened shelters consider the needs of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable people, so no one is left behind during emergencies,” said Alex Iyar, a community member involved in the consultations that led to the development of this project.

Beyond infrastructure, the project is strengthening local capacity. Community-based Red Cross Disaster Action Teams are being trained to manage shelters before, during and after emergencies, reinforcing local leadership and ownership.

It gives me hope that my children still be able to enjoy the best parts of Palau that I grew up with.

Addressing displacement risk and protecting social cohesion

Across the Pacific, climate displacement is increasingly common. According to IOM data on global displacement trends, weather-related disasters have triggered hundreds of millions of internal displacements over the past decade.

Disaster events are fundamentally reshaping patterns of mobility worldwide, disproportionately affecting small island States like Palau.

While disaster shelters cannot stop the sea from rising, they can buy time, protect lives and help communities remain rooted for as long as possible.

For Di Maech, a local Palauan conservation worker, this matters deeply. “In Palau, our communities are learning, growing, and finding ways to be resilient in the face of disasters thanks to UN-supported projects.

“It gives me hope that my children still be able to enjoy the best parts of Palau that I grew up with.”

UN Micronesia/Carlota Nunez

Di Maech is a Palauan conservation worker.

Investing in youth leadership

IOM’s Techitong believes the shelters are central to national resilience. “These shelters are not just emergency refuges, they are community hubs that support preparedness, connection and adaptation,” he said.

Techitong still swims in the ocean when he can. The water remains beautiful, powerful and deeply familiar, even as it carries new uncertainty.

“I grew up learning how to move with the waves,” he says. “Now my work is about making sure our communities can do the same. Adapt, protect each other, and keep Palau standing.”

UN Micronesia/Carlota Nunez

Young Palauans play volleyball in Kuabes park, an area that could be underwater in the next 30 years.

Pakistan: Guterres condemns deadly suicide bombing at Islamabad mosque

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In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres said he condemned the bombing “in the strongest terms.”

Call for accountability

“The Secretary-General reiterates that attacks against civilians and places of worship are unacceptable,” the statement said, stressing that those responsible “must be identified and brought to justice.”

Mr. Guterres extended his condolences to the families of the victims and wished “a full and speedy recovery to those injured.” He also reaffirmed “the solidarity of the United Nations with the Government and people of Pakistan in their efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism.”

Attack during Friday prayers

According to media reports, at least 31 people were killed and more than 160 injured when a suicide bomber detonated the explosive device at a Shia mosque in the Tarlai area of Islamabad.

Police said the attacker opened fire at the gates of the mosque before triggering the explosion after being confronted by security guards.

A state of emergency has been declared in the capital and hospitals have appealed for blood donations. The attack has been described as the deadliest of its kind in Islamabad in over a decade.

‘Deeply shocked and saddened’

The UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan, Mo Yahya, said he was “deeply shocked and saddened by the horrifying attack at an Imambargah in Islamabad, where people were gathered for Friday prayers.”

“I extend my deepest sympathies to the victims and their families,” he said, adding: “We should stand together in opposing such senseless violence.”

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Nuclear disarmament at breaking point as mistrust grows – but hope remains

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Yet even as the architecture weakens, signs of progress – including nuclear-weapon-free zones and rising youth engagement – offer grounds for cautious hope, a UN researcher on nuclear non-proliferation has told UN News.

Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova, a fellow with the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) – an autonomous institute studying disarmament and international security issues – said that decades of arms control built through painstaking negotiations are now at risk of unravelling.

“The situation right now is very difficult,” she added.  

“We are observing the disintegration of the arms control architecture that was built primarily through negotiations between [the then] Soviet Union – and subsequently Russia – and the United States.”

Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova, briefs the Security Council on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. (November 2025)

Arms control architecture under strain

That erosion has left the global non-proliferation regime increasingly fragile, with most Cold War-era agreements either abandoned or expired. The 2010 US-Russia New START accord – which capped deployed strategic nuclear warheads – expired this week without a successor in place.

While both American and Russian presidents acknowledged the dangers of a renewed nuclear arms race, no replacement for the New START is currently under negotiation.

This is a troubling backdrop for the next review conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), scheduled for April-May in New York, Ms. Mukhatzhanova said.

Opened for signature in 1968 and extended indefinitely in 1995, the NPT remains the only binding multilateral treaty requiring nuclear-weapon States to pursue disarmament.  

However, the political conditions that once made cooperation possible have deteriorated sharply, added Ms. Mukhatzhanova.

“We are back to a period of severe mistrust between the major actors – arguably worse than during the Cold War,” she said.

We are back to a period of severe mistrust between the major actors – arguably worse than during the Cold War

Challenges and emerging risks

Statements by the US suggesting a possible resumption of certain forms of nuclear testing have raised alarm, even if limited to so-called “subcritical experiments” – highly explosive tests where no chain reaction is involved.

Such moves, Ms. Mukhatzhanova said, risk undermining the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and reopening questions many hoped were settled.

“If full-scale explosive testing were to return,” she warned, “we are talking about a really drastic and very negative change – one that would open the door for others to resume nuclear testing.”

New technology, new risks

Hypersonic weapons, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence are accelerating arms competition and increasing the risk of miscalculation.

“The concern is that too much is left to the decision of a machine,” Ms. Mukhatzhanova said, warning that AI-driven early-warning systems could misinterpret data and trigger inadvertent escalation.

She noted recent UN resolutions calling for “meaningful human control” over nuclear-related technologies.

Hiroshima, shortly after a nuclear bomb was dropped on this city in August 1945.

Room for progress remains

Despite the grim outlook, she highlighted areas where progress continues.

Nuclear-weapon-free zones – covering Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and Central Asia – demonstrate how states can pursue security without nuclear weapons.

“They are a feel-good story,” she said, describing them as practical examples of cooperation even amid global tensions. The Central Asian zone stands out for its strong verification standards and links to broader non-proliferation commitments.

Young people engaging

Ms. Mukhatzhanova also pointed to growing engagement by younger generations, who increasingly question the long-standing narrative that nuclear weapons guarantee security.

“They are ready to challenge that framing,” she said. “That gives me hope.”

While the arms control system may be fraying, she argued that history shows it can be rebuilt.

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Ukraine war keeps nuclear safety on a knife-edge, UN watchdog warns

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Russian forces have been carrying out strikes on critical infrastructure amid freezing winter temperatures as their full-scale invasion approaches the four-year mark next month. 

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said the electrical grid was again the target of military activity this past weekend, leading to significant impacts to several regions and nuclear power plant operations. 

Power lines down 

The fighting caused power lines linking Ukraine with neighbouring countries to be disconnected, which in turn knocked out supplies inside Ukraine.  

As a result, a unit at one nuclear power plant disconnected from the grid due to fluctuations and automatically shut down, while other units at other plants were forced to reduce power. 

The Chornobyl site – where the world’s worst nuclear disaster occurred in 1986 – experienced a complete loss of offsite power and relied on its emergency diesel generators for roughly an hour. 

‘Ever-present risks’ 

“This latest grid event in Ukraine is a stark reminder of the ever-present risks to nuclear safety and security arising from deteriorating grid conditions,” said Mr. Grossi. 

He stressed that extensive repairs are needed to improve the reliability of power supply to nuclear power plants and strengthen their resilience. 

“Once again, I call for maximum military restraint, as well as full observance of the Seven Indispensable Pillars to enable these essential repairs to take place.” 

Seven safety principles 

The IAEA developed the seven pillars for nuclear safety in Ukraine in March 2022, just weeks after the war began – the first time ever that armed conflict has occurred amid the facilities of a major nuclear power programme. 

Measures include maintaining the physical integrity of facilities, ensuring offsite power supply from the energy grid, and implementing effective radiation monitoring systems. 

Operating staff must also be able to fulfill their safety and security duties and to make decisions without any undue pressure. 

Vital inspections 

As military activity increases impacting the electricity grid in Ukraine, three IAEA teams are conducting a two-week mission visiting 10 substations critical to nuclear safety and security.  

The objective is to assess the continuing damage to the grid, review repair efforts and identify practical steps to strengthen the resilience of off-site power supplies to nuclear power plants.  

This marks the second IAEA mission in as many months.  A mission this past December confirmed the effects of cumulative impacts on nuclear power plant operations and staff conditions. 

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Keeping ‘hope alive for younger generations’ in Haiti as funding falters

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Armed groups control large swaths of Port-au-Prince, forcing more than 1.4 million people from their homes and cutting access to food, health, water and education services.

Half the population is not getting enough to eat, and malnutrition among children is rising sharply. Humanitarian efforts are hampered by insecurity and blocked access routes.

According to the UN, six million people of Haiti’s population of around 11.4 million need some form of humanitarian assistance in 2026.

Why funding Haiti matters

Funding for humanitarian aid in Haiti is a lifeline for millions. The UN’s 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan seeks $880 million to assist 4.2 million of those six million vulnerable people, covering emergency food, shelter, protection, health and education services.

Without these resources, basic lifesaving operations, such as nutrition support for children and protection services for women and girls, cannot reach all of those in need.

UN agencies stress that sufficient donor funds are essential not only to save lives but to stabilise communities torn apart by violence and displacement.

Thousands of people have died as a result of gang violence in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.

Violence by armed groups has forced 1.4 million people, or 12 per cent of the population, to flee their homes.

Mass displacement has left children without education, healthcare, or safety.

What is the UN saying?

The UN’s most senior humanitarian official in the Caribbean country, Nicole Boni Kouassi, said that said the high level of funding was needed “to preserve the life and dignity of every Haitian, and to keep hope alive for younger generations.” 

Speaking to donors in August 2025, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres said “Haiti remains shamefully overlooked and woefully underfunded.”

What services have been reduced?

  • Significant cuts to food security services, leaving many people without regular food assistance as food insecurity rises nationwide.
  • Access to drinking water curtailed, with reductions in water distribution and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) services.
  • Primary healthcare services scaled back, including community‑level health support and clinical services.
  • Education-related humanitarian support reduced, affecting children already impacted by school closures and displacement.
  • Protection services restricted, including programs addressing gender‑based violence, child protection, and support for survivors.

Trucks carrying aid to Haitians are loaded onto boats to bypass areas controlled by gangs.

Why funding has been so difficult to raise

Despite the scale of need, Haiti’s humanitarian appeal is among the least funded crises in the world. For 2025, the UN sought $908 million but received only 24 per cent of that target.

Competing global crises and donor fatigue, together with attention on other emergencies, including in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza, have left Haiti’s requirements under-resourced.

Funding shortfalls also jeopardize essential operations, such as humanitarian air services that are often the only means of reaching isolated communities.

The result: agencies are forced to prioritize the most urgent cases while many go without assistance.

Regional or international consequences of not funding humanitarian aid in Haiti

Failing to fully fund Haiti’s humanitarian response risks broader instability beyond its borders.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned that unchecked violence, mass displacement and lack of basic services could fuel:

  • Irregular migration
  • Heighten pressures on neighbouring countries
  • Undermine regional economic and security cooperation

A child who was rescued at sea off a boat of migrants is handed back to the Haitian authorities by the US Coast Guard.

Prolonged instability also increases the likelihood of secondary crises, such as public health emergencies and cross-border crime, with ripple effects across the Caribbean and the Americas.

In this context, donor engagement is framed as investment in regional resilience.

What happens next?

In late 2025, the UN officially launched Haiti’s 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan, calling on governments and partners to step up commitments to preserve life and dignity amidst violence and deprivation.

If funding and access improve, aid agencies aim to expand food support, restore basic services, enhance protection for vulnerable groups, and create more resilient pathways to longer-term recovery.

But without stronger financial backing and security improvements, millions of Haitians face increasingly desperate conditions — and humanitarian needs are likely to deepen.

At the beginning of February, the 2026 appeal was less than four per cent funded.

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Fatwas, faith and fallacies: Myth-busting female genital mutilation in Africa

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“Deep down, I knew what I had experienced was not something any girl should go through,” she emphasised. 

FGM was once considered an unavoidable rite of passage for young girls in the Mara region of the United Republic of Tanzania, but communities are making inroads.

Busting the myth

More than 230 million girls and women have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) and are living with the deep, lasting and often life-threatening physical and mental consequences of it despite efforts to eradicate the horrific practice. 

In 2026, nearly 4.5 million girls are at risk of undergoing the procedure. 

One of the reasons FGM remains so entrenched is the false notion that foreign influence is driving efforts to abandon it. 

Ahead of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, observed on 6 February, we’re busting this myth. 

‘Survivor leadership is changing my community’

When Ms. Albert joined a community dialogue supported by the UN agency, she heard other survivors openly sharing their experiences.

Olivia Albert leads a youth advocacy group in the Mara region of the United Republic of Tanzania

“When girls hear from someone who has lived through this, they listen differently,” she said.

“They find courage. Survivor leadership is changing my community. We cannot erase the past, but we can make sure the next girl grows up without fear and together, we will make that happen.”

Calling out misinterpretation

Religious leaders are also calling out misinterpretation, including Imam Ousmane Yabara Camara, a known and respected figure in Guinea’s Kindia prefecture. 

“Female genital mutilation is not a prescription of Islam,” he said. “Too many girls suffer from the severe health consequences of this practice. We must put an end to it.”

He suggested that the subject be brought into education to better help future generations live without FGM.

Today, thousands of children hear about it in schools that increasingly teach comprehensive sexuality education.

In Guinea’s Kindia prefecture, Imam Ousmane Yabara Camara is a known and respected figure, and one who has chosen to use his platform at the service of his community’s women and girls. .

New laws are turning the tide

In many countries where female genital mutilation is deeply entrenched, new legislation is slowly turning the tide.

In Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia, Islamic scholars issued a national fatwa in 2025 stating that there are no religious grounds to justify FGM. 

“In our neighbourhoods, we now have two powerful shields: the Constitution and the fatwa,” said activist Nafissa Mahamoud Mouhoumed from Djibouti. 

“While the law reminds people of the legal consequences, the fatwa removes the religious excuse that was used for generations to justify FGM. This dual victory gives us, the activists on the ground, the ultimate confidence to talk to families and say ‘your faith and your country both protect your daughter.’”

Engaging men and boys 

In Ethiopia, three quarters of women and girls aged 15 to 49 have undergone some form of FGM. 

“We sat helplessly for years, watching women suffer through childbirth complications, sometimes losing both mother and baby,” recalled local district chief Mitiku Gunte. “We knew something was wrong, but we didn’t understand what or how to stop it.”

Mr. Mitiku is now an advocate with a joint programme led by UNFPA and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which together with the local administration engages hundreds of men and boys in the fight against the practice.

Through dialogues tailored for different segments of society – elder men, young unmarried men, women and youth – members of the community go door-to-door to speak to each group about their specific concerns and influences.

No medical justification for FGM

When carried out by a healthcare provider, FGM is often described as “medicalised”, but even with a professional present and sanitised equipment available, it is neither safe nor necessary, and there is never any medical justification for it.

In Ethiopia’s Hadiya Zone, a local elder leads a weekly information and discussion session on harmful practices.

“I often receive cases after the damage has already been done, with serious complications,” Dr. Maram Mahmoud, a family doctor in upper Egypt.

“I honestly didn’t expect this to have such an impact on my perspective, but now I better understand the different mindsets of those considering it, and I feel more confident in guiding them and explaining the serious harms, risks and consequences.”

Find out more about how UNFPA is helping to eradicate FGM here.

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UN Police ‘indispensable’ to fulfilling peacekeeping mandates, Security Council hears

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Jean-Pierre Lacroix was speaking in the UN Security Council during the annual briefing by heads of police components of UN peace operations. 

“Despite severe constraints, our police personnel continue to serve with dedication, professionalism and courage,” he said. 

“They operate in environments of persistent insecurity, political volatility and growing operational risks.” 

Key to peacekeeping  

Peace operations depend on UN Police (UNPOL) for community engagement, institutional reform and prevention of criminal and intercommunal violence.  

Officers also address challenges that require a policing response, including in environments with high density populations such as displacement camps, among other duties. 

“United Nations Police remain a key component of UN peacekeeping and play an indispensable role in fulfilling our mandates,” Mr. Lacroix said.  

He stressed that Member States, host countries, uniformed and civilian personnel all share responsibility for ensuring the success of peacekeeping.  

This is particularly the case at a time when multilateralism faces unprecedented pressures and peace operations are being asked to do more with less. 

Reform and reductions 

He noted that the Council meeting was taking place as a comprehensive review of UN peace operations enters its final phase. 

It was also held against the backdrop of the UN80 reform initiative and mission contingency planning due to the severe liquidity crisis affecting the entire UN system.   

This has led to cost saving measures, including reductions in civilian staff and repatriation of military and police personnel. 

Sustainable financing critical 

The peacekeeping chief visited some of the UN’s biggest field missions in recent months and saw how these measures have affected mandate delivery, including protection of civilians. 

“Efficiency is necessary. We are committed to finding ways to save. However, this efficiency drive cannot substitute for predictable and sustainable financing,” he said. 

“As the Secretary-General has emphasized repeatedly, peacekeeping’s ability to fulfill its mandates will be severely compromised without the full and timely payment of assessed contributions from Member States.” 

Action for Peacekeeping 

Mr. Lacroix also highlighted the renewed Action for Peacekeeping (A4P+) initiative which remains the framework for strengthening the effectiveness, safety, and impact of peace operations. 

The seven priority areas include upholding political solutions as the core of sustainable peace, strengthening strategic and operational integration, investing in capabilities and mindsets, and deepening cooperation with host-State police and other law enforcement agencies.  

“Across all these priorities, the Women, Peace and Security agenda remains central,” he said. 

Although progress has been made in increasing women’s participation and leadership in UNPOL, it “remains fragile, particularly in the context of budget cuts.”   

Pledges of support 

He recalled that the 2025 Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting in Berlin demonstrated renewed political commitment to peacekeeping.   

The event saw record participation and meaningful pledges, including for specialised roles, rapid deployment and training.  

“The pledges are essential to ensuring that UN Police are prepared to respond to emerging threats in areas like transnational organized crime, cyber-enabled crime, climate-related insecurity, and the misuse of new technologies,” he said. 

Renewed commitment 

Mr. Lacroix concluded by saying his briefing was an opportunity not only to take stock of progress, but to renew collective commitment. 

“We must ensure that mandates are matched with adequate resources. We must sustain political unity around peacekeeping,” he said. 

“We must protect the institutional gains achieved under A4P+.And we must equip United Nations Police to meet the demands of tomorrow.” 

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World News in Brief: UN condemns attack on civilians in Nigeria, updates from Gaza and West Bank, relief flights to resume in Yemen

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In a statement issued by his spokesperson, António Guterres conveyed his “heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Nigeria,” and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

“The Secretary-General reiterates the solidarity of the United Nations with the Government and people of Nigeria in their efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremism and stresses the importance of bringing the perpetrators to justice,” the statement said.

Death toll may rise

According to media reports, armed groups attacked two rural villages in Kwara state on 3 February, with the death toll expected to rise as bodies continue to be discovered.

Many victims were reportedly shot at close range, while homes and shops were set ablaze, forcing residents to flee into nearby bushland.

The attack was the deadliest recorded in the area in recent months, amid a sharp rise in violence across Nigeria’s northwest and north-central regions, where armed groups have increasingly targeted civilians.

The worsening security situation has also contributed to a deepening humanitarian crisis, with large-scale displacement and growing hunger and malnutrition across affected areas.

Civilians deaths and injuries continue due to Gaza attacks

Despite the shaky ceasefire, dozens of civilian deaths and injuries continued to be reported in Gaza over the past 24 hours, as well as ongoing displacement in the West Bank, according to UN agencies.

Many people remained inaccessible to emergency teams, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists, citing reports from the UN aid coordination office OCHA.

He reiterated that all parties must comply with international humanitarian law, including the obligation to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Mr. Dujarric said UN teams overnight received 25 additional returnees crossing through Rafah, who were transported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

There, UN partners continue operating a reception area providing medical, psychological and protection support.

He added that the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners supported the medical evacuation of 15 patients and 31 companions from Gaza to Egypt over the past two days.

Record spike in West Bank attacks

Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have seen a massive spike since 2021, with more than 50 Israeli settler attacks recorded between 20 January and 2 February.

The attacks resulted in casualties, property damage or both.

According to OCHA, since the beginning of 2026, more than 900 Palestinians have been forced out of their homes or communities, mostly due to settler violence and access restrictions, followed by demolitions.

OCHA said it is carrying out preliminary assessments of damage and needs following these incidents, to inform the humanitarian response.

Yemen: Aid flights set to resume to Houthi-controlled capital

The UN has confirmed that its aid flights to Yemen’s opposition-held capital will resume, after being blocked for more than a month.

UN Humanitarian Air Service flights are a vital provider of relief amid overwhelming needs across Houthi-held areas, including the capital city, Sana’a, and other locations across Yemen, which has been at war since 2014.

Boost to aid delivery

Julien Harneis, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said in a statement that the agreement reached earlier this week will allow NGOs to enter and exit Sana’a, which is a prerequisite to providing assistance for millions of people in need in Houthi-controlled areas.

Years of conflict between separatists and the internationally recognised government have left more than 19.5 million people needing humanitarian assistance and more than 4.8 ‎million internally displaced.

Funding is only available to meet around 25 per cent of needs, meaning that millions ‎are not getting lifesaving assistance, including health care, shelter, water, sanitation ‎and hygiene.

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