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World News in Brief: Ukraine Strikes, Nigeria Hunger Crisis And Kenya Drought Deepen Global Humanitarian Concerns

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Escalating conflict in Ukraine, a worsening hunger crisis in Nigeria and severe drought conditions in Kenya are intensifying humanitarian challenges across several regions, according to recent updates from United Nations agencies.

Officials warn that civilians are facing growing threats from armed conflict, climate shocks and food insecurity, with millions in urgent need of assistance.

Civilians Killed In Ukraine Attacks

Recent Russian strikes in Ukraine have continued to cause civilian casualties and damage to homes and infrastructure.

According to the UN children’s agency UNICEF, attacks in the Odesa region on Wednesday killed a 17-year-old boy. The agency condemned the violence and urged an immediate halt to strikes targeting civilian areas and critical infrastructure.

UNICEF said such attacks place children at particular risk and disrupt essential services on which families depend.

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that attacks on the southeastern city of Kryvyi Rih resumed on Thursday after earlier strikes the previous day.

Humanitarian teams have been working to assist residents affected by the bombardment.

“Teams delivered shelter materials to cover damaged homes and provided protection services to the affected residents,” OCHA said, noting that harsh winter conditions are worsening the humanitarian situation.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk earlier condemned ongoing attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which have disrupted electricity, heating and water supplies.

“Civilians are bearing the brunt of these attacks,” Türk said. “They can only be described as cruel. They must stop.”

Food Aid Shortfall Threatens Millions In Nigeria

In West Africa, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that more than one million people in northeast Nigeria could soon lose access to emergency food and nutrition assistance unless additional funding is secured within weeks.

Nigeria is already facing one of its most severe hunger crises in recent years. Aid agencies estimate that nearly 35 million people could face acute or severe food insecurity during the upcoming lean season.

Among those most at risk are approximately 15,000 residents in Borno State who could fall into catastrophic levels of hunger, just one step away from famine.

The crisis has been worsened by renewed violence in northern Nigeria, where armed conflict has destroyed crops, displaced families and disrupted local food systems.

“Now is not the time to stop food assistance,” said David Stevenson, WFP’s country director in Nigeria.

He warned that cutting aid would have “catastrophic humanitarian, security and economic consequences” for communities already struggling to survive.

The WFP is seeking $129 million to maintain its operations in northeastern Nigeria over the next six months.

Severe Drought Worsens Food Crisis In Kenya

Meanwhile, prolonged drought conditions in Kenya are increasing food insecurity for millions of people.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than two million people are currently affected following the October to December 2025 rainy season, which was among the driest on record.

The lack of rainfall has led to rising malnutrition levels, increased risks of disease outbreaks and disruptions to basic health services.

Ten counties in Kenya are currently experiencing drought conditions, including one classified at an “alarm” stage. An additional 13 counties in the country’s arid and semi-arid regions are also showing signs of drought stress.

The crisis is not limited to Kenya. Similar weather patterns are affecting neighbouring Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda, placing millions more people at risk.

To support response efforts, the WHO has supplied emergency medical kits, including cholera treatment supplies and pneumonia kits, while pre-positioning essential equipment in counties considered most vulnerable.

However, the agency warned that urgent action is needed to ensure communities and livestock have access to sufficient food and safe drinking water.

Without rapid intervention, humanitarian officials caution that the situation could deteriorate further, placing additional strain on already fragile health and food systems across the region.

World News in Brief: Pakistan floods, countries lag on climate reporting, concern over attack on peacekeepers in south Lebanon, cuts hit human rights investigations

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In a statement released by his Spokesperson, the UN chief noted that the disaster driven by severe monsoon conditions had been exacerbated by climate change, impacting around 1.5 million people.

Hundreds of thousands of people need humanitarian aid while more than 3,000 homes, over 400 schools and some 40 health facilities have suffered some level of damage.

Solidarity with the people

“The Secretary-General commends Pakistani authorities for relocating more than one million people in Punjab. He expresses his solidarity with the Government and people of Pakistan, extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives, and wishes a swift recovery to those who have been injured.”

The UN and other humanitarian organizations are working closely with the Pakistani authorities to assess the full impact of the floods on communities, identify further needs and also address any gaps in the response.

The UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has released $600,000 from the Regional Humanitarian Pooled Fund for relief and recovery efforts, and discussions are underway with the Government on a specific response plan.

Dozens of countries lag on climate reporting, warns UN climate chief

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell has warned that 37 countries have yet to submit one or more mandatory reports under the Paris Agreement’s transparency framework, stressing that “no country can be left behind.”

Speaking at the Global Transparency Forum in Songdo, Republic of Korea, the UNFCCC chief said the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) is not just technical bookkeeping but “a vital enabling tool” for stronger climate action.

It helps governments attract investment, design more ambitious policies and accelerate progress on clean energy and resilience, he added.

‘Smart investment’

To date, more than 100 nations have submitted their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), which Mr Stiell called a “smart investment” bringing economic and social benefits.

Over 10,000 experts from 140 developing countries have received training on the ETF, with 1,200 certified reviewers and 1,400 officials now using its tools.

The first global synthesis of BTRs will be published ahead of November’s COP30 climate change conference in Brazil, offering an early snapshot of progress on mitigation, adaptation and support. Mr Stiell said the findings would guide the next Global Stocktake.

“What is measured can be acted upon. What is reported helps build trust. And what is shared becomes a force for change,” he stressed.

Lebanon: UN voices serious concern over Israeli attack on peacekeepers

The UN has expressed serious concern over an Israeli attack on peacekeepers clearing roadblocks in southern Lebanon on Tuesday.

Briefing reporters in New York on Wednesday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Israeli military drones had dropped grenades in the vicinity of peacekeepers serving with the UN mission, UNIFIL, “who were carrying out mandated tasks in support of implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.”

That’s the resolution which authorises peacekeepers to monitor the cessation of hostilities agreement between Israel and Hezbollah of 2006 and support the Lebanese armed forces as Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon. UNIFIL patrols the Blue Line of separation.

In a statement on social media, UNIFIL described the drone attack as one of the most serious on its personnel since the cessation of hostilities agreement between the two sides last November. The mission stressed that Israeli forces had been informed in advance of the road clearance work.

Drones crossed into Israel

“One grenade impacted within 20 metres and three within approximately 100 metres of UN personnel and vehicles,” said the UN Spokesperson.

“The drones were then observed returning south of the Blue Line. Thankfully, none of our colleagues were injured.”

The Secretary-General stresses that any acts which endanger peacekeepers’ lives are “completely unacceptable”, Mr. Dujarric continued.

UN chief António Guterres is also demanding that the parties uphold their responsibilities “to ensure the safety and security of the peacekeepers and inviolability of UN premises.”

Funding cuts hampering the work of the Human Rights Council, says President

The Human Rights Council is set to meet on Monday in Geneva – an opportunity for UN Member States to discuss action to address conflicts around the world, as well as other issues of global importance, from climate change to disability rights.

Important as this work is, it’s feared that cost-cutting measures that are already affecting UN agencies and bodies like the Council could limit its reach, President Jürg Lauber told journalists on Wednesday.

This includes independent rights investigators known as Special Rapporteurs, he said: “When the Council decides to have an investigative mechanism or a special rapporteur or an issue, they need resources,” he said.

Research, travel impacted

“They need they get support from the Secretariat to do research, to write reports. They need to travel to a country to see the situation. There’s also less money available, which means they don’t get necessarily all the research and assistance they need to do their work,” he continued.

Mr. Lauber said it was “very clear” that dwindling financial resources were impacting meetings during Council sessions and the basic implementations of investigative mandates.

He added that the funding cuts could also prevent people or groups in countries of concern from sharing their testimonies with investigators.

And he noted that reduced funding could also limit how much technical support and advice the Council is able to give to governments seeking to promote and protect human rights.

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Funding cuts could push 6 million more children out of school, warns UNICEF

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Official Development Assistance (ODA) for education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion – a 24 per cent drop from 2023 – with just three donor governments accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the cuts.

Such a decline would push the number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million, UNICEF said – the equivalent of shutting every primary school in Germany and Italy combined.

“Every dollar cut from education is not just a budgetary decision, it’s a child’s future hanging in the balance,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Children in crisis hit hardest

The heaviest impact is expected in regions that are already vulnerable. West and Central Africa could see 1.9 million children lose access to school, while 1.4 million more could be pushed out across the Middle East and North Africa.

In total, 28 countries stand to lose at least a quarter of the education aid they rely on. Côte d’Ivoire and Mali face some of the steepest risks, with enrolment projected to fall by 340,000 and 180,000 students respectively.

Primary education will be hit hardest, with funding expected to drop by one-third. UNICEF warns this could deepen the global learning crisis and cost those children affected an estimated $164 billion in lost lifetime earnings.

In humanitarian contexts, the cuts could be devastating. In the Rohingya refugee response, 350,000 children risk losing access to basic schooling permanently.

Displaced children in a classroom in Baghdad, Iraq.

Call to protect education

The crisis will also threaten vital services. School feeding programmes – sometimes a child’s only reliable meal – could see funding halved, while support for girls’ education is likely to shrink. At least 290 million children who remain in classrooms could also face a decline in learning quality.

UNICEF is calling on donors to direct at least half of all education aid to least developed countries, safeguard humanitarian funding, and prioritise early years and primary schooling. It also urges reforms to make financing more efficient and sustainable.

“Education, especially in emergency settings, often serves as a lifeline,” Ms Russell said. “Investing in children’s education is one of the best investments in the future – for everyone.”

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World News in Brief: Gaza aid crisis latest, deadly floods in India and Pakistan, funding cuts exacerbate Somalia drought

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In an alert from the World Food Programme (WFP), the agency said that half a million people “are on the brink of famine”, a claim backed up by multiple humanitarian agencies. The latest worrying data is showing widespread acute malnutrition.

A ceasefire is the only way to scale up aid deliveries, the UN agency insisted. It explained that although teams are doing everything they can to deliver food assistance, only 47 per cent of the daily target amount is getting in.

No meals, no bread

Unless the fighting stops, organized aid distributions and WFP-supported hot meals and bakeries can’t restart, the agency stated.

The UN relief agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, reported on Monday that instead of being able to prepare for the start of a new school year, children in Gaza are instead searching for water and queuing for food while their classrooms have “turned into crowded refuges”.

Three years of schooling has now been lost, the agency stressed in a tweet.

UN chief expresses ‘deep sorrow’ over deadly flash floods in India and Pakistan

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday expressed his deep sorrow at the tragic loss of life due to flash floods in India and Pakistan in recent days, with many still missing and forecasts showing the possibility of further flooding and landslides ahead.

Indian rescue services responded to a deadly flood on Friday which reportedly killed at least 60 after it crashed through a village in the Himalayas while in remote villages of northwestern Pakistan, torrents of water killed more than 300, according to news reports.

Hundreds were also injured, Pakistani authorities reported. Buner district was the worst hit, with more than 200 deaths reported there, said the provincial disaster management authorities.

Standing in solidarity

“The Secretary-General offers his sincere condolences to the victims’ families and stands in solidarity with those affected by this disaster,” said the statement issued by his Spokesperson.

UN country teams in India and Pakistan have also been placed are at the disposal of authorities although no request for assistance has been made so far.

Impacts of Somalia drought made worse by funding cuts: OCHA

In Somalia, severe drought and funding cuts are undermining lifesaving assistance there, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Monday.

Because of the reduction in the amount of support for aid work, food assistance has declined, health centres are closing and malnutrition is high, the UN agency warned.

OCHA said that 4.6 million people now face high levels of food insecurity while two million more are at risk from funding cuts.

Funding cuts mean ‘lives lost’

Without scaled-up support, “lives will be lost and progress reversed” across the east African nation, where cash shortfalls have left one million people without food assistance every month.

The global trend seeing less humanitarian assistance has curtailed vital support for healthcare across Somalia. So far this year, it has impacted at least 150 medical facilities and left hundreds of thousands of Somalis without the medical care they need.

OCHA noted that because of the cuts, the number of people being targeted for assistance in Somalia has had to be reduced by a staggering 72 per cent.

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Aid cuts leave refugee agency unable to shelter six in 10 fleeing war in Sudan

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Globally, $1.4 billion of the agency’s programmes are being shuttered or put on hold, UNHCR said in a new report.

“We can’t stop water, you can’t stop sanitation, but we’re having to take decisions when it comes, for example, to shelter,” said UNHCR Director of External Relations, Dominique Hyde.

“We’re have people arriving on a daily basis from Sudan, from the Darfur regions…arriving in Chad, not able to be given any shelter.”

In an urgent appeal for flexible funding from donors, Ms. Hyde noted that up to 11.6 million refugees and others risk losing access this year to direct humanitarian assistance from UNHCR. The figure represents about one-third of those reached by the organization last year.

On the Sudan-Chad border, the UN agency is now unable to provide “even basic shelter” to more than six in 10 refugees fleeing the conflict. Thousands more vulnerable people have been left stranded in remote border locations in South Sudan, too. “If we just had a bit more support, we could get them to settlements,” she insisted.

Because of the funding cuts, basic activities have already been hit hard. These include refugee registration, child protection, legal counselling and prevention of and responses to gender-based violence.

Every aid sector hit

In South Sudan, 75 per cent of safe spaces for women and girls supported by UNHCR have closed, leaving up to 80,000 refugee women and girls without access to medical care, psychosocial support, legal aid, material support or income-generating activities. This includes survivors of sexual violence, UNHCR noted.

“Behind these numbers are real lives hanging in the balance,” Ms. Hyde said.

“Families are seeing the support they relied on vanish, forced to choose between feeding their children, buying medicines or paying rent, while hope for a better future slips out of sight. Every sector and operation has been hit and critical support is being suspended to keep life-saving aid going.”

Libya influx

Many of those impacted by the war in Sudan have taken the decision to move from Chad and Egypt to Libya, into the hands of people smugglers who dangerously overload boats with desperate people seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

“What we’re observing now is that in terms of arrivals in Europe of…Sudanese refugees, [it] has increased since the beginning of the year by about 170 per cent compared to the first six months of 2024,” said UNHCR spokesperson Olga Sarrado.

Support slashed from Niger to Ukraine

In camps hosting Myanmar’s Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, education for some 230,000 children could now be suspended. Meanwhile in Lebanon “UNHCR’s entire health programme is at risk of being shuttered by the end of the year”, Ms. Hyde continued.

In Niger and other emergency settings, cuts in financial aid for shelter have left families in overcrowded structures or at risk of homelessness. In Ukraine, financial aid has also been slashed, “leaving uprooted families unable to afford rent, food or medical treatment”, Ms. Hyde noted.

Assistance to returning Afghans has also become another victim of the global aid cuts. Around 1.9 million Afghan nationals have returned home or been forced back since the start of the year, “but financial aid for returnees is barely enough to afford food, let alone rent, undermining efforts to ensure stable reintegration”, UNHCR said.

Legal aid halted

Overall, several UNHCR operations hit by severe funding gaps have now had to curtail investments in strengthening asylum systems and promoting regularization efforts.

In Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Mexico, any prolonged lack of legal status means prolonged insecurity for people on the move, the UN agency said. This results in deepening poverty “as refugees are excluded from formal employment and greater exposure to exploitation and abuse,” Ms. Hyde explained.

Approximately one in three of the agency’s 550 offices around the world has been impacted by the cuts, Ms. Hyde told journalists in Geneva:

“We’re not in a position to do so much contingency planning; what we’re able to do is make decisions on priorities – and at this point the priorities as I mentioned are dramatic.”

For 2025 UNHCR needs $10.6 billion. Only 23 per cent of this amount has been provided.

“Against this backdrop, our teams are focusing efforts on saving lives and protecting those forced to flee,” Ms. Hyde said. “Should additional funding become available, UNHCR has the systems, partnerships and expertise to rapidly resume and scale up assistance.”

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World News in Brief: Haiti funding cuts bite, civilian suffering intensifies in Myanmar, Belarus deaths in custody alert

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Ongoing violence is compounding the country’s food crisis, disrupting local food production in critical areas such as the commune of Kenscoff and the Artibonite department, often considered the breadbaskets of Haiti.

While the UN and its partners are responding “wherever and whenever possible,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said this Wednesday that humanitarians have only been able to reach 38 per cent of the population they aim to support.

Multiple roadblocks

“This is due to ongoing violence and insecurity, severe underfunding of the response, and the obvious access challenges,” he said.

Over halfway through the year, Haiti is the least-funded of the many humanitarian appeals that the UN coordinates – despite shortfalls for food security in the country being at extreme levels – with just over two per cent of the $425 million needed this year received to date.

Myanmar: Intensifying conflict impedes humanitarian aid

Almost four months after Myanmar’s devastating earthquake, the UN is deeply concerned over the plight of civilians caught up in the country’s devastating and continuing conflict between the military regime and opposition armed groups.

As fighting intensifies, civilians are particularly vulnerable, with increasing attacks on infrastructure.

According to reports, an air strike hit a monastery in Sagan Township in Sagaing Region on 11 July, killing 22 people and injuring at least 50 others. The monastery had been providing shelter to displaced people who had fled nearby villages.

A displacement camp in North Shan State was also reportedly hit by an airstrike over the weekend.

‘Broader pattern’

“These incidents are part of a broader pattern of attacks affecting people across Myanmar,” said Mr. Dujarric, with frequent reports of people being killed, injured or displaced by violence.

Such insecurity also impacts the ability of humanitarian teams to reach people in need: with one in three people now facing acute hunger, and the current monsoon season having caused flooding, “the UN urgently calls on all parties to respect human rights and international humanitarian law,” he said.

Belarus: Rights experts urge probe into deaths in custody of opposition activists

Top independent human rights experts called on Belarus on Wednesday to launch urgent investigations into the deaths of several people jailed for political dissent.

The experts – who are known as Special Rapporteurs – highlighted the case of 61-year-old businessman Valiantsin Shtermer. He died in May 2025 while serving his sentence in a so-called “Correctional Colony” in Šklou.

Mr. Shtermer had been jailed for making critical remarks about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite his serious medical condition, he was allegedly denied adequate care in prison.

Fifty-year-old opposition activist Vitold Ashurak meanwhile, also died shortly after being placed in an isolation in the same prison.

According to the Special Rapporteurs, Mr. Ashurak was a member of the Belarusian National Front who was jailed for violating public order during protests related to the disputed 2020 presidential elections.

We must not ignore these deaths

“These deaths must not be ignored,” said the experts, who added that there were strong grounds to believe that they resulted from abuse or neglect linked to the exercise of fundamental rights.

“It is of the utmost importance to thoroughly investigate the alleged instances of ill-treatment and neglect that resulted in the deaths of Shtermer, Ashurak, Puškin and other persons designated as political prisoners by human rights defenders,” the Human Rights Council appointed experts underscored.

“There are strong reasons to believe that these individuals lost their lives in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

The independent experts voiced concern that some opposition figures had been stigmatised and labelled as “extremists” or even “terrorists”.

Special Rapporteurs report regularly to the Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.

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UNHCR forced to make deep cuts, despite rising needs worldwide

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This will entail cutting just under half of all senior positions at the agency’s Geneva headquarters and regional bureaux. 

Around 3,500 permanent staff posts have been discontinued, hundreds of temporary staff positions have been terminated, and some offices have been downsized or closed worldwide.

According to the report, decisions on where to cut costs were guided by the priority to maintain operations in regions with the most urgent refugee needs.

Financial realities

The announcement follows a warning in March from UNHCR that severe funding cuts were putting millions of refugee lives at risk, with immediate and devastating consequences.

The agency anticipates it will end the year with available funding at roughly the same level as a decade ago – despite the number of refugees forced to flee having nearly doubled in that time to over 122 million.

“In light of difficult financial realities, UNHCR is compelled to reduce the overall scale of its operations,” said Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “We will focus our efforts on activities that have the greatest impact for refugees, supported by streamlined headquarters and regional bureau structures.” 

‘Unshakeable’ commitment to refugees

Despite the prioritisation of refugee needs, key programmes – including financial assistance to vulnerable families, health, education, and water and sanitation – have been significantly impacted. 

In response, UNHCR is coordinating with UN partners, aid groups and host countries to mitigate the impact on those who rely on its support by streamlining operations, exploring new models and utilising technology to enhance efficiency.

“Even as we face painful cuts and lose so many dedicated colleagues, our commitment to refugees remains unshakeable,” said Mr. Grandi. 

“Although resources are scarcer and our capacity to deliver is reduced, we will continue to work hard to respond to emergencies, protect the rights of refugees and pursue solutions.”  

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Brutal cuts mean brutal choices warns UN relief chief, launching ‘survival appeal’

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“We have been forced into a triage of human survival,” said Mr. Fletcher. “The math is cruel, and the consequences are heartbreaking. Too many people will not get the support they need, but we will save as many lives as we can with the resources we are given.”

New priorities

The appeal aims to reprioritise individual country plans in pursuit of two main goals: first, to reach people and places facing the most urgent humanitarian needs, and second, to prioritise life-saving support based on existing planning for the 2025 humanitarian response.  

This is intended to ensure that limited resources are directed where they can do the most good, as quickly as possible.

Rather than limiting lifesaving aid to a predetermined matrix, humanitarian partners are focused on addressing the most urgent needs in ways that respect the dignity of affected people, allowing them to choose what they need most, OCHA said.

The appeal prioritises but does not replace the Global Humanitarian Overview 2025 (GHO), launched last December, which covers 180 million vulnerable people across 70 countries. The GHO calls for $44 billion, but at the halfway point of the year, less than 13 per cent of that amount has been received.

A call for global solidarity

“Brutal funding cuts leave us with brutal choices,” said Fletcher. “All we ask is one per cent of what you chose to spend last year on war. But this isn’t just an appeal for money – it’s a call for global responsibility, for human solidarity, for a commitment to end the suffering.” 

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AIDS still killing one person every minute as funding cuts stall progress

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More than 30 million people are receiving lifesaving treatment worldwide however, making the UN’s AIDS response a “clear example of a multilateral success,” said Amina Mohammed, UN Under Secretary-General on Thursday, as the General Assembly reviewed progress being made to end AIDS and prevent HIV infections.

‘Series of threats’

“Global commitment is fading. Funding is falling. And HIV services and systems to deliver them are being disrupted,” she said, highlighting the “series of threats” that could undo all the progress achieved in the fight against HIV in past decades.

As funding dwindles, clinics are closing and treatment supplies are diminishing, putting already vulnerable populations such as adolescent girls and young women, at greater risk of contracting the disease.

As funding from PEPFAR – the US programme leading global efforts to combat HIV in Africa – faces the risk of permanent cuts, the UN global programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warns of devastating consequences.

Without continued support, an estimated four million additional AIDS-related deaths and more than six million new infections could occur by 2029.

‘Keep up the fight’

“We cannot let short-term cuts destroy long-term progress,” said Ms. Mohammed. “We need to keep fighting.”

The funding crisis must be urgently addressed. With half of sub-Saharan African countries spending more on debt servicing than on healthcare, Ms. Mohammed stressed the need for debt relief, tax reform, and increased international support.

“Low and middle-income countries need sustainable HIV financing and stronger national leadership in the fight against AIDS,” she said.

She also called for an end to attacks on human rights, warning that punitive laws, vigilante violence, and hate speech against marginalised groups worsen stigma and drive people away from lifesaving services. “Protecting health means protecting human rights,” she said.

Many community-led organizations are now being defunded and dismantled, just when their work is needed most. Ms. Mohammed urged the UN and its partners to support these groups and their vital contributions.

“The end of AIDS is not a mystery,” she said, adding that while eliminating the disease by 2030 is still achievable, “success is not guaranteed.”

Funding cuts in Afghanistan mean ‘lives lost and lives less lived’

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Many women came to the clinic who had walked multiple hours to receive maternal care – some of them with their newborns and some heavily pregnant.

And then there were the health workers themselves, committed to serving those in need in hard-to-reach areas of the impoverished Taliban-controlled nation.

‘Off the radar’

These were some of the scenes witnessed up close by Andrew Saberton, Deputy Executive Director with the UN’s reproductive health agency (UNFPA), on a mission to assess the impact of the recent steep funding cuts.

“I saw and understood the devastating impacts that the massive cuts to UNFPA will have in one of the world’s greatest humanitarian crises, a crisis which may be off the radar of the news but remains one of the world’s greatest crises,” Mr. Saberton told journalists in New York on Wednesday.

During his trip, the senior official visited UN-supported services in Kabul, Bamyan and the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He hoped to understand the difference that UNFPA is making in Afghanistan while also getting a better sense of the impact of funding cuts.

Andrew Saberton (second right), UNFPA Deputy Executive Director for Management, visits the obstetric fistula ward in Kabul, Afghanistan, where survivors receive care.

Budget slashed

The United States has recently announced cuts of approximately $330 million to UNFPA worldwide, $102 million of which will directly impact UNFPA’s work in Afghanistan, according to Mr. Saberton.

Most of this funding would have been used towards the provision of family health and mobile care, both of which are essential in Afghanistan which already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.

This funding would also have gone towards the providing much needed psychosocial support.

He estimates that 6.9 million women and children in Afghanistan will be affected by the cuts. Moreover, UNFPA will only be able to support approximately 400 of the current 900 health clinics that it supports in Afghanistan, each of which provides life-saving care.

Providing aid with few resources

Despite these challenges, Saberton emphasized that UNFPA will remain in Afghanistan and will continue providing life-saving care.

“UNFPA will be staying to deliver, but we cannot sustain our response without help. We need urgent support to keep these services running and to protect the dignity, health and lives of Afghan women and newborns,” he said.

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As funding cuts bite, UN chief announces new dawn for peacekeeping

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Addressing the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025 in the German capital, the Secretary-General told dozens of ministers from more than 130 countries that peacekeepers remain key to “help countries move from conflict to peace.”

“In trouble spots around the world, blue helmets can mean the difference between life and death,” he insisted. “They are also a clear demonstration of the power of multilateral action to maintain, achieve and sustain peace.”

Despite the proven value of peacekeeping missions in ensuring a durable peace in countless countries from Cambodia to Liberia and Timor Leste, Mr. Guterres warned that today’s challenges have made this task much harder.

“We are now facing the highest number of conflicts since the founding of the United Nations and record numbers of people fleeing across borders in search of safety and refuge,” he said, before alluding to additional obstacles caused by an absence of political support for peacekeeping mandates.

The UN’s peacekeeping budget runs on a July-June cycle and has unpaid arrears of $2.7 billion.

Practical approach

To counter this and in the face of “dramatic financial constraints” now affecting the UN in its entirety, the Secretary-General announced an urgent review of operations to inspire a new peacekeeping model that is “fit for the future.”

In coming years, “a clear exit strategy” for peacekeepers will be key, Mr. Guterres said, as well as working with Member States and the Security Council “to ensure that any new mandates “are prioritized and achievable with the resources available.”

Other clues about what UN peacekeeping 2.0 could look like post-reform might be gleaned from the missions that the UN chief referred to in his speech in Germany.

Active missions such as UNIFIL in Lebanon have already shown that it is possible to adapt to today’s challenges while still ensuring peace and aid deliveries, Mr. Guterres noted.

And in a nod to MINUSCA in the Central African Republic, the Secretary-General highlighted its work in protecting civilians “and assisting the government to extend its reach beyond the capital where people are in desperate need.”

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, too and despite ongoing fighting there, peacekeepers from MONUSCO also remain in the field and protect vulnerable populations, the UN chief maintained.

As Member States prepared to announce financial pledges for peacekeeping on Wednesday, Mr. Guterres stressed that the overall budget for missions represented only 0.5 per cent of global military spending.

Peacekeeping “is only as strong as Member States’ commitment to it,” stressed Mr. Guterres.

Amid massive cuts to UN funding by Member States, it remains to be seen if the upbeat mood in Berlin translates into desperately needed financial support for the global body’s peacekeeping operations.

“UN peacekeeping today is more vibrant than ever,” insisted Boris Pistorius, Minister of Defence of Germany. “It is and will remain a cornerstone of international stability. Let us commit to making it even more effective for the sake of those who depend on it.”

Cutbacks

The UN chief’s push to streamline the global body comes a day after his call to push ahead with major efficiency improvements and cost-cutting in response to the chronic liquidity crisis caused by Member States falling into arrears.

Important as these sweeping structural reforms are – with potential staff downsizing of up to 20 per cent – they are not the answer to the failure of some countries to pay the Organization to fulfil the mandates they have given it, Mr. Guterres insisted.

According to information provided by the UN Controller to the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), only $1.8 billion has been received against the $3.5 billion regular budget assessments for 2025 – a shortfall of around 50 per cent.

In the budget line for unpaid assessments these amounted to $2.4 billion on 30 April, with the United States owing about $1.5 billion, China $597 million, Russia $72 million, Saudi Arabia $42 million, Mexico $38 million and Venezuela $38 million. An additional $137 million has yet to be paid by other Member States.

For International Tribunals, total contributions outstanding totalled $79 million on 30 April.

© Bundeswehr/Jana Neumann

At the 2025 UN Peacekeeping Ministerial in Berlin, Secretary General António Guterres underscored the vital role of UN peacekeeping and urged Member States to help shape peace operations fit for the future.

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Lives of pregnant women and newborns at risk as funding cuts impact midwifery support

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But despite their critical role, UN support for midwifery is under serious threat due to severe funding cuts.

Each year, three-quarters of all maternal deaths occur in just 25 countries, the majority of them located in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, according to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA. 

Midwives are often the first and only responders delivering life-saving care to pregnant women and their newborns in crisis settings, where the risk of dying during pregnancy or childbirth doubles.

Funding cuts are now forcing UNFPA to scale back its support for midwifery. In eight of the affected countries the agency will only be able to fund 47 per cent of the 3,521 midwives it had intended to support in 2025.

On the frontline

In times of crisis, women often lose critical access to vital maternity services. Coming to the rescue in the direst of circumstances and serving as a lifeline to pregnant women, “midwives save lives,” said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA.

UN support for midwives in humanitarian settings includes training, providing supplies and equipment and in some cases transportation for mobile health clinics. All this is having to be cut back amid the funding cuts. 

“When crises strike and systems break down, midwives step up,” said UNFPA, marking International Day of the Midwife.

Funding cuts

Amid a global shortage of nearly one million midwives, rising death rates among women and newborns in conflict zones and fragile contexts are now being reported following budget cuts.

“We’re lacking everything, from blood bags to medicines. With the support of UNFPA and other partners, we can still provide services – but for how long?” said Fabrice Bishenge, Director of Kyeshero General Hospital in eastern DR Congo.

Deaths during childbirth in fragile and conflict-affected settings now account for 60 per cent of all maternal deaths globally. Worldwide, deep funding cuts only exacerbate this trend. In Yemen, for instance, over 590,000 women of childbearing age are expected to lose access to a midwife.

© UNICEF/Mukhtar Neikrawa

The waiting room of a maternity hospital in Herat Province, Afghanistan.

New initiative

In light of the current funding crisis, UNFPA and partners recently launched the Global Midwifery Accelerator — a coordinated initiative to scale up midwife-led care in countries with the highest maternal mortality rates.

The initiative sets out a cost-effective roadmap focused on saving lives and strengthening national health systems, even in the most fragile contexts.

Making an urgent call for greater funding, training, and advocacy for midwifery, UNFPA stressed that universal midwife-led health coverage could avert two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths, reduce healthcare costs, and lead to more productive workforces. 

WHO chief laments most disruptive cuts to global health funding ‘in living memory’

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“We are living through the greatest disruption to global health financing in memory,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

He cautioned that abrupt withdrawals of funding are jeopardising hard-won medical progress, including efforts to combat tropical diseases, which are now re-emerging in some regions.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” he told journalists at WHO headquarters in Geneva.

Outbreaks intensify

Since January, Angola has been facing its worst cholera outbreaks in 20 years, with over 17,000 cases and more than 550 deaths recorded so far. 

Inadequate access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation is fuelling the outbreak. 

As WHO and partners carry out a large-scale vaccination campaign on the ground, one of their priorities is to bring the death rate down, said Tedros. 

Amid funding cuts, advances in tackling neglected tropical diseases affecting over one billion people, are disproportionately impacting the poorest and most marginalized communities.

Reduced access

In many countries where insecurity is rife and hospitals are being targeted, access to healthcare has been severely reduced, Tedros continued. 

On April 22, one of Haiti’s largest public hospitals, Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais, was forced to shut down due to violence. In the capital Port-au-Prince, more than 40 per cent of health facilities remain closed, he said.  

Needless deaths

Turning to the Gaza blockade, he said the situation there was “catastrophically bad,” with the violence “driving an influx of casualties to a health system that is already on its knees.” 

While essential medicines, and trauma and medical supplies, are running out, “people are dying from preventable diseases while medicines wait at the border,” said Tedros. 

Reiterating the UN’s call for a ceasefire, Tedros added that “peace is the best medicine.” 

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Millions will die from funding cuts, says UN aid chief

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“Cutting funding for those in greatest need is not something to boast about…the impact of aid cuts is that millions die,” warned Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher.

Speaking from an overcrowded hospital in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan where three or four patients have to share a bed, Mr. Fletcher warned that the financial crisis has already forced UN aid teams to close 400 primary health centres across the country so far.

His warning echoes dire announcements of drastic cost-cutting measures in response to chronic – and now acute – funding shortfalls, including an end to selected aid programmes by numerous UN relief agencies. These include the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and UNAIDS.

Life-or-death call

Back in Afghanistan, the reality of funding cuts continues to play out in its hospitals “where you can see doctors making the most horrific decisions about which lives to save and which lives not to save”, Mr. Fletcher said at Mirwais Regional Hospital.

The lack of investment in aid relief has also affected female Afghan health workers whose salaries are being cut by up to two-thirds, Mr. Fletcher continued. The plight of women in the country is well documented and has been condemned by the international community, having deteriorated following numerous prohibitive edicts issued by the de facto authorities who overran Kabul in 2021.

As part of his official visit to Afghanistan, Mr. Fletcher met de facto provincial governor Mullah Shirin Akhund to discuss the need to address Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis. It comes after more than four decades of conflict that have left almost half the population – some 22.9 million people – needing humanitarian assistance to survive.

Women’s key role

In earlier talks during his official visit, Mr. Fletcher stressed that development was not possible without girls’ education and their full participation in the country’s economy.

Amid soaring malnutrition, a lack of basic services and dire economic forecasts, Afghanistan has few resources to cope with the arrival of a growing number of Afghan refugees sent back by neighbouring countries including Pakistan and Iran.

The scale of the pushbacks is enormous, with more than 250,000 Afghans returned in April alone, including 96,000 who were forcibly deported. On Tuesday, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, voiced particular alarm over the fate of women and girls, who face increasing repression under Taliban rule.

While in Kandahar, Mr. Fletcher also visited a reception centre where the UN and humanitarian partners provide support, including health check-ups and cash. He said that the closure of hundreds of health facilities in the region had denied more than three million people access to primary care.

Largely eradicated diseases at risk of returning due to budget cuts

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Cuts to global health funding are leading to a rise in outbreaks of diseases that vaccines had nearly wiped out, the UN health agency, WHO, is warning on Thursday.

In Africa’s “meningitis belt”, which spans parts of sub-Saharan Africa, vaccination campaigns had successfully eliminated meningitis A. Similarly, improved routine immunization and emergency vaccine stockpiles drastically reduced cases of yellow fever and related deaths.

But this progress is now at risk. “Funding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy,” warned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization.

Outbreaks on the rise

In 2023, measles cases were estimated at more than 10.3 million – a 20 per cent increase compared to 2022.

WHO, UN Children’s Fund UNICEF and their partners warned in a statement marking the beginning of World Immunization Week that this upward trend is expected to continue into 2025.

Yellow fever is also making a comeback. After years of declining cases in Africa thanks to improved vaccine access, 2025 has already seen a rise in outbreaks across the continent. Cases have also been confirmed in the Americas.

Misinformation threat

Vaccination efforts are increasingly under pressure due to a combination of misinformation, population growth, humanitarian crises, and funding cuts.

Earlier this month, a WHO review across 108 countries found that nearly half are experiencing moderate to severe disruptions to vaccination campaigns, routine immunisations, and supply chains due to falling donor support.

“The global funding crisis is severely limiting our ability to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children in fragile and conflict-affected countries against measles,” said Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF.

Vaccines offer high returns

Vaccines save around 4.2 million lives each year, protecting against 14 different diseases. Almost half of those lives are saved in Africa.

Despite this, falling investment now risks the re-emergence of diseases once thought to be under control.

Health experts emphasise that immunization is one of the most cost-effective health interventions. Every $1 invested in vaccines brings an estimated return of $54 through better health and economic productivity.

UNICEF, WHO, and their partners are calling on parents, the public, and political leaders to support immunization programmes and ensure long-term investment in vaccines and public health systems.

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