Tag Archives: Deadly

World News in Brief: Deadly strikes in Sudan, health systems in South Sudan near the brink, Guterres calls for unity ahead of Ramadan.

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Over the past week, North Kordofan state recorded more than a dozen attacks in and around the towns of El Obeid, Bara, Rahad and Um Rawaba.  

In South Kordofan, suspected drone strikes hit health facilities in the state capital, Kadugli, and in Kuweik town, reportedly killing four medical workers, injuring more than 20 people. 

Concerns over the conflict continue to deepen after a report today from the UN Human Rights Office revealed the “sustained” and “systematic attacks” to civilians in the neighbouring Darfur region in late 2025 that may “amount to crimes against humanity”. 

Growing humanitarian concerns 

“The violence is triggering a new wave of displacement, with reports of many fleeing homes, in need food, health care and protection,” warned the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric on Friday. 

While the humanitarian situation in Dilling and Kadugli continues to deteriorate, he emphasised that “rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access is essential for us to scale up our response.” 

Commercial vehicles, telecommunications infrastructure and key transport routes have been affected the drone strikes, disrupting humanitarian movements and supply chains. 

Mr. Dujarric called for “the protection of humanitarian infrastructure, in line with international humanitarian law” and urged for more funding through UN aid coordination office OCHA to support displaced families across Sudan. 

Violence pushes South Sudan’s health system to the brink 

Since late December 2025, a devasting escalation of violence has swept across northern and central parts of South Sudan, the UN children’s agency (UNICEF) said on Friday. 

In Jonglei state alone, at least 280,000 people have been displaced – the majority being women and children.

“They fled with nothing. They are sleeping in displacement camps left over from the not-so-distant civil war – camps where there are barely any services. Others are out in the open, in remote locations, with nothing at all,” said UNICEF’s representative in South Sudan, Obia Acheng. 

Children were believed to make up 53 percent of those displaced.

“These children face killing and maiming. Recruitment into armed groups. Separation from their families. Gender-based violence. And profound psychological distress that will mark them for years,” Mr. Acheng emphasised.

Delivering for children

South Sudan’s health system is on the verge of collapse, with 11 health facilities attacked or looted since fighting intensified and many nutrition centres forced to close, UNICEF said.

Cholera cases have surged to 479 nationwide, with treatment centres overwhelmed and resources running low.

Around 825,000 children across Jonglei, Unity, and Eastern Equatoria states are now at risk of acute malnutrition — conditions that make children 12 times more likely to die without treatment.

Pregnant and nursing mothers are increasingly cut off from care, and humanitarian infrastructure is under assault.

Despite these grim numbers, UNICEF continues to run primary healthcare, nutrition, water and sanitation, and child protection programmes across the country. 

The UN Security Council also issued a statement expressing grave concern about the escalating violence in Jonglei, Eastern Equatoria, and throughout South Sudan. 

Members strongly called on all parties to de-escalate and immediately cease renewed hostilities and to resolve issues through peaceful dialogue.  

Children in Gaza hold lanterns to celebrate the advent of Ramadan. (file)

UN chief calls for unity and compassion ahead of Ramadan 

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged people worldwide to embrace the spirit of peace, compassion and solidarity as Muslims prepare to observe the holy month of Ramadan.  

“For Muslims around the world, the holy month of Ramadan is a sacred period of reflection and prayer. Ramadan also represents a noble vision of hope and peace.” Mr. Guterres said in a message ahead of the start on Tuesday.  

He noted, however, that for many — from Afghanistan to Yemen, Gaza, and Sudan — this vision of hope and unity remained distant amid conflict, hunger, and displacement. 

The UN chief called on the global community to bridge divides, deliver aid to those in need, and uphold human rights and dignity for all. 

“May this Holy Month inspire us to work as one to build a more peaceful, generous and just world for all people,” he said. 

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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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Gaza ceasefire improves aid access, but children still face deadly conditions

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That’s the assessment of two senior officials from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), speaking on Monday to journalists in New York following a week-long visit to the enclave and the occupied West Bank.

The two agencies have brought more than 10,000 trucks of aid into Gaza since the 10 October truce between Israel and Hamas, representing some 80 per cent of all humanitarian cargo.

Three months later, “the food security situation has improved and famine has been reversed,” said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations.

Carl Skau, WFP Deputy Executive Director, added that most families he met “were eating at least once a day” – sometimes twice.

Commercial goods have reappeared in Gaza’s markets, including vegetables, fruits, chicken and eggs. Recreational kits to help children heal from the stress and trauma of two years of war are now in their hands.

‘These gains matter’

UNICEF and partners have provided more than 1.6 million people with clean drinking water and distributed blankets and winter clothes to 700,000.  They have also restored essential life-saving paediatric intensive care services at embattled Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

The second round of a Gaza-wide “catch-up campaign” for routine childhood vaccinations is currently underway, while another 72 UNICEF-supported nutrition facilities have been established, bringing the total to 196.

“These gains matter,” said Mr. Chaiban. “They show what is possible when the fighting pauses, political commitments are sustained and humanitarian access opens.”

Hot meals and school snacks

WFP has also scaled up massively over the past 100 days, said Mr. Skau, speaking from Rome. Teams have reached more than a million people every month with full rations for the first time since the war began.

They are “serving 400,000 hot meals every day and delivering school snacks to some 230,000 children in 250 temporary learning centres,” in addition to operating hundreds of distribution points and some 20 warehouses.

Other humanitarian organizations are bringing in tents, blankets, mattresses and other essentials thanks to WFP’s shared logistics services.

The agency is also helping to facilitate more regular aid convoys and is expanding common storage facilities so that more aid can be positioned closer to the population. It has also ramped up cash support to roughly 60,000 households.

Although more aid is entering Gaza, quantities are not yet sufficient to meet the immense needs. Furthermore, “the situation also remains extremely precarious and deadly for many children,” said Mr. Chaiban.

“More than 100 children have been reported killed in Gaza since the ceasefire of early October.    Despite the progress with food security,100,000 children remain acutely malnourished and require long term care.  1.3 million people, many of them children, are in urgent need of proper shelter.”

Families are shivering in fabric tents and bombed-out buildings amid freezing temperatures that have killed at least 10 children this winter season.

Mr. Sklau met a young woman with a 10-day-old baby who “was sitting on a wet mattress in this cold tent on the beach,” describing their plight as “just absolutely brutal.”

Hopes for a brighter future

Yet hope blossoms in the Gaza Strip. UNICEF and partners are supporting over 250,000 children to resume learning – a critical element to mental health and psychosocial support for more than 700,000 students who have been out of school for two years.

Mr. Skau recalled a conversation with young girls at a temporary learning space who “were happy to be back learning and eating more regularly,” he said.  “They could see a future again as nurses or engineers or restaurant owners, and they seemed impressively confident and determined to build a future for themselves.”

Humanitarians need essential items – such as water and sanitation provision, as well as educational supplies – to be allowed to enter Gaza which can help jump start recovery and reconstruction.

Mr. Chaiban said WFP and UNICEF are ready to scale up operations.

“The children of Gaza and the State of Palestine including the West Bank, which is also experiencing a wave of violence do not need sympathy. They need decisions now that give them warmth, safety, food, education, and a future,” he said.   “We have an opportunity, a window, to change the trajectory for these children. We can’t waste it.”

Deadly storms sweep South and Southeast Asia, leaving over 1,600 dead

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Since mid-November, overlapping tropical storms and intensified monsoon systems have triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Viet Nam.

UN teams across the region are supporting government-led emergency operations with food, health, water and sanitation aid, medical deployments and early recovery assessments, as heavy rains continue and fears grow that the crisis could deepen.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation and remain in close contact with national authorities,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Thursday.

“The UN stands ready to support any ongoing efforts.”

Storms and cyclones across south and southeast Asia from 17 November to 3 December.

Overlapping storms

Experts say the disasters were driven by an unusual convergence of powerful weather systems, including Cyclones Ditwah and Senyar, alongside a strengthened northeast monsoon.

Warm ocean temperatures and shifting storm tracks have produced extreme rainfall in areas that historically faced lower cyclone risk.

Across the region, nearly 11 million people have been affected, including about 1.2 million forced from their homes into shelters, while roads, utilities and farmlands have been washed away.

Heavy toll on children

Children are bearing a devastating share of the storms, with millions cut off from schools, clean water and basic services. More than 4.1 million children across the region have had their education disrupted since late November alone, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Some three million students in Viet Nam have been unable to attend class, while nearly one million were affected in the Philippines, and hundreds of thousands more in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Many children are now living in overcrowded evacuation shelters, exposed to disease, malnutrition and heightened protection risks.

“Children are sitting at the frontline of the climate crisis, experiencing firsthand what it means when extreme weather becomes more frequent, more intense, and less predictable,” UNICEF Deputy Spokesperson Ricardo Pires said, calling for urgent action to protect them and their futures.

A man stands in over three feet of floodwaters in Gampaha, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka: Nationwide devastation

Sri Lanka bore some of the worst impacts after Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on 28 November, triggering floods and landslides across nearly the entire island.

The highest death tolls were reported in the hill districts of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla, where landslides swept through plantation communities. Severe flooding also inundated western and north-western districts – including Colombo’s outer suburbs – disrupting markets, transport and water supplies.

Early assessments point to heightened gender-specific risks in the aftermath of the disaster.

With livelihoods disrupted and thousands sheltering in overcrowded centres, women and girls face increased exposure to gender-based violence, economic insecurity and interruptions to sexual and reproductive health services, particularly in rural and plantation communities already grappling with poverty and limited access to care.

Bridges and access roads swept away by a landslide in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

Indonesia: Flash floods and landslides

In Indonesia, relentless downpours between 22 and 25 November triggered deadly floods and landslides across Aceh, West Sumatra and North Sumatra, devastating dozens of districts.

Official figures indicate more than 830 deaths, with at least 500 people still missing, and more than 880,000 displaced. In total, over three million people have been affected by floodwaters, collapsed hillsides and destroyed infrastructure.

Entire villages have been submerged, bridges washed away and roads cut off, isolating communities and slowing rescue efforts. Emergency teams are relying on helicopters and boats to deliver aid to areas unreachable by land.

“We are working closely with the government on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), logistics, and coordination with local partners,” UN Spokesperson Dujarric said.

A teacher inspects the damage in a kindergarten classroom at a school in Thailand.

Thailand and Malaysia: Mass evacuations

Moving east, intensified monsoon rains have battered southern Thailand, where 12 provinces have been affected.

At least 185 people have died, with 367 missing and over four million people impacted. More than 219,000 residents have been displaced as rivers burst their banks and low-lying coastal areas flooded.

In neighbouring Malaysia, flooding across eight northern and central states has displaced around 37,000 people. Authorities continue to issue evacuation orders and weather warnings as rain persists.

A UNICEF staff member hands ready to eat food to a family in Tuyên Quang, Viet Nam.

Viet Nam: A relentless typhoon season

Viet Nam is confronting the cumulative toll of one of its harshest typhoon seasons in years. Since October, a succession of storms has flooded and damaged large swathes of the country, particularly in northern and central provinces.

Persistent downpours since mid-November, compounded by Tropical Cyclone Koto, have triggered new landslides and prolonged displacement. A national joint response plan is under way to address food insecurity, health risks and damaged infrastructure.

To support the response, $2.6 million has been allocated from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

Gampaha (pictured), a district on Colombo’s outskirts, has been among the areas hardest hit by flooding after Cyclone Ditwah.

Disasters supercharged by climate change

UN agencies say the storms reflect a broader shift toward more intense and unpredictable weather across the Asia-Pacific. Cyclone Ditwah tracked unusually far south along Sri Lanka’s coast, while Cyclone Senyar formed near the equator in the Strait of Malacca – a rare occurrence.

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in its latest report issued last week, warned that rising temperatures are fundamentally reshaping the region’s risk landscape.

Warmer ocean waters are increasing the potential for extreme rainfall, while rapid urban growth, deforestation and wetland loss are magnifying flood impacts. Even where early warnings were issued, fast-rising waters overwhelmed evacuation routes in some locations.

Deadly Attacks, Trembling Services Push Sudan Closer to Catastrophe

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According to local reports, heavy shelling and assaults late last week in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, killed at least six civilians and injured scores more, triggering fresh displacement from the already besieged city.

Sudan has been roiled in a brutal civil war between rival militaries – the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and affiliated militias. Thousands of civilians have been killed, villages and farmlands destroyed, and nearly 12 million people driven from their homes – over four million as refugees into neighbouring countries.

The country also risks becoming the world’s largest hunger crisis in recent history as infrastructure, trade routes and supply chains lie in ruins. Famine has already been confirmed in the Zamzam camp, which once sheltered hundreds of thousands of civilians – and many more areas are at risk.

Humanitarians warn that essential services are breaking down. Water trucking to the only functioning hospital was suspended over the weekend and community kitchens shut down after running out of food.

Without urgent support, they warn that the most vulnerable people could face severe hunger within days. Across Darfur, hospitals remain under immense strain.

Nearly 100 wounded people, including women and children, were admitted to medical facilities in a single day last week, with several pronounced dead on arrival, according to reports from the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF – Doctors Without Borders).

Survivors who managed to escape El Fasher described “unbearable” conditions in the city, which has endured more than a year of siege by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allied groups.

Children sit beside makeshift tents in El Fasher, North Darfur, where intensified fighting has left thousands trapped.

Drone strikes on 10 September hit multiple locations across Darfur, injuring scores. A strike landed just four kilometres (about 2.5 miles) from an MSF-supported hospital in Central Darfur, forcing staff to activate a mass casualty plan. The following day, two more strikes struck Nyala in South Darfur, reportedly killing at least four people, including a child.

The fighting is not confined to Darfur. In Khartoum, RSF airstrikes on 9 September damaged a power station, causing a blackout in parts of the capital and disrupting critical hospital equipment and services.

Disasters add to misery

Meanwhile, Sudan is grappling with natural disasters on top of conflict. A landslide triggered by heavy rains on 31 August in Sharg Aj Jabal, near the Central and South Darfur border, killed an estimated 400 people, half of them children, according to local reports.

Furthermore, over 4,000 people were displaced and 550 homes destroyed in Aj Jazirah state in flash floods last week.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan are affected by heavy rains, flash floods and landslides.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stressed that civilians remain at the epicentre of the violence. “[We] once again call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and increased international support to sustain life-saving operations across Sudan,” the Office said.

In Khartoum, OCHA reported some improvements in restoring basic services and security. Yet more than 800,000 people who have returned to the capital in recent months still urgently need assistance to rebuild their lives.

On the political front, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, is currently in Port Sudan after concluding consultations in Nairobi.

According to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, Mr. Lamamra has held “very constructive engagements” with Sudanese stakeholders across the spectrum as well as key international interlocutors.

“These discussions will help lay the groundwork necessary to support an inclusive process that can deliver a sustainable solution that preserves Sudan’s sovereignty, its unity and its territorial integrity,” Mr. Dujarric said.

He added that the UN also looks forward to working closely with regional partners, including the African Union, the east African regional bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the League of Arab States, to restart efforts toward an intra-Sudanese dialogue.

UN Condemns ‘Deadly Escalation’ of Fight in Gaza City

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The situation “is having an appalling impact on civilians enduring suffering and starvation,” he told journalists in New York.

“The United Nations condemns the deadly escalation of the Israeli military offensive which took place over the weekend across Gaza City, with scores of people reportedly killed or injured,” he said.

“We reiterate our call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel and full respect for international law.” 

70,000 more uprooted

In a post on X on Sunday, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said that 10 of its buildings in Gaza City had been hit in the past four days alone, including seven schools and two clinics which were being used as shelters.

Almost 70,000 displaced people have headed south in the past few days, while UN partners counted 150,000 movements from north to south this past month.

Partners further reported that one third of malnutrition treatment facilities in Gaza City have shut down due to forced displacement orders, while the Ministry of Health today reported 425 deaths overall due to malnutrition and starvation in Gaza, about a third of which were children.

A call for ‘unimpeded humanitarian access’

Over the past few days, UN partners have managed to distribute 40,000 additional meals each day. As of Saturday, 558,000 daily meals were prepared and distributed by 20 UN partners to 116 kitchens.

“However, health services continue to be heavily constrained, since clinics have suspended their services due to insecurity and displacement orders,” warned Mr. Dujarric, adding that in Deir Al-Balah, only a few ambulances remain in order and are able to serve the thousands of people in need.

Additionally, 77 per cent of the road networks in Gaza have been damaged and according to UN aid coordination office OCHA, humanitarian aid continues to be obstructed.

On Sunday, only four of the 17 missions that the UN coordinated with the Israeli authorities were facilitated. Seven missions were denied, one of which was meant to deliver water tanks to the north, while another four were impeded in the field, and two were cancelled by the organisers.

Nevertheless, three humanitarian missions were accomplished, including the collection of fuel and food cargo from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing.

“Our humanitarian colleagues continue to call for unimpeded humanitarian access,” stressed Mr. Dujarric. “Aid should flow at scale through multiple crossings into and within Gaza, including the north.”

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‘Deadly floods’ displace over 100,000 in South Sudan

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In recent weeks, widespread flooding has engulfed large parts of Jonglei, Upper Nile and Unity states in the north of the country.

The agency’s representative in South Sudan, Marie-Helene Verney, said that “if the flooding continues, up to 400,000 people are likely to be displaced by the end of the year, exceeding flood displacement levels seen in 2024.”

The situation is expected to be at its worst between September and October and threatens to “cut off entire communities, exacerbate hunger and heighten protection risks, particularly for women and girls,” Ms. Verney added.

For several years, South Sudan has faced an ongoing humanitarian crisis due to underdevelopment, disasters and conflict that has displaced many communities. Recurrent floods have exacerbated this displacement, destroyed homes, and threatened livelihoods across the nation.

“Homes, schools, health facilities, farmlands, and pastures have been flooded,” said the UNHCR representative, “devastating livestock and inundating safe water sources and latrines, which have worsened sanitation and heightened health risks.”

Stagnant water, combined with limited access to safe drinking water, is raising the threat of further disease outbreaks on top of the ongoing cholera crisis, which had already affected over 12,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and 3,100 refugees by the end of August.

UN continues providing aid

In 2025, UNHCR, in collaboration with the South Sudanese authorities and UN partners, has continued to provide life-saving aid, including cash, emergency shelters, and plastic sheeting to 150,000 of the most vulnerable flood-affected individuals.

Over the past five years work has been carried out to mitigate flood impacts by reinforcing dykes, prepositioning supplies, supporting livelihoods, and assisting displaced communities, including IDPs.

UNHCR has appealed for more funds to carry out its life-saving work. As of 31 July, it had only received a third of the nearly $300 million required to protect and assist displaced people and local host communities in the country.

In Unity state, which is 70 per cent underwater, UNHCR has significantly scaled down operations due to the funding shortfall, leaving thousands of people in a more precarious situation.

Supporting climate resilience

To mitigate the ongoing crisis in South Sudan, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) recently signed a $9.9 million Climate Resilience Project in South Sudan with the Ministry of Water Resources.

UNOPS continues to support efforts to strengthen climate resilience and assist flood-affected and refugee-hosting communities in South Sudan.

 

Nepal PM resigns after deadly crackdown on youth protests; UN urges calm

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The unrest, which began Monday as a self-styled “Gen Z protest” against rampant corruption, nepotism and curbs on social media, quickly escalated after security forces responded with force.

Most of the dead and wounded were young demonstrators shot by police. Many remain hospitalised in a critical condition.

By Tuesday, demonstrations had spread across the country, with Government buildings, political party offices, and even the Parliament in Kathmandu set ablaze.

Some political leaders’ homes were attacked, police stations overrun, and the international airport has been closed.

The Prime Minister was reportedly evacuated by helicopter from his official residence and his resignation was announced shortly afterward.

Several ministers at both the federal and provincial level – as well as members of parliament – have also stepped down in protest at the handling of the demonstrations, deepening the political fallout.

Violence is not the answer

Expressing deep concern over the deaths and rapid deterioration, UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that “violence is not the answer” and called on authorities and demonstrators alike to de-escalate the spiralling crisis.

In a statement from Geneva, Mr. Türk said he was “appalled by the escalating violence” and the “unnecessary and disproportionate use of force” against largely young demonstrators.

“Dialogue is the best and only way to address the concerns of the Nepalese people. It is important that the voices of young people are heard,” he stressed, urging both security forces to show restraint and protesters to refrain from destructive acts.

While condemning the crackdown, he also voiced concern about violence by some demonstrators.

“I am disturbed by reports of public buildings, businesses and private residences being attacked and, in some instances, set ablaze. Equally, I am concerned by reports of physical attacks on senior government officials.”

UN chief echoes call for restraint

The Secretary-General’s Spokesperson said at Tuesday’s daily briefing for journalists in New York that the UN chief is “closely following the situation.”

Stéphane Dujarric said António Guterres was “very saddened by the loss of life” and reiterated his call for restraint to prevent further escalation.

“The authorities must comply with international human rights law, and protests must take place in a peaceful manner that respects life and property,” Mr. Dujarric said, noting the dramatic images emerging from Nepal.

Call for prompt investigations

The UN Country Team in Nepal echoed those calls, extending condolences to the families of the dead and urging authorities to ensure that law enforcement responses remain “proportionate and in line with international human rights standards.”

“Freedom of expression, access to information and peaceful assembly are fundamental rights protected under Nepali and international law,” the UN team said.

“All allegations of excessive use of force should be investigated promptly in an independent, transparent and impartial manner,” it added.

Some protesters climb atop the gates of Nepal’s Parliament in Kathmandu on Monday, in youth-led demonstrations against corruption.

Youth-led mobilisation

The protests mark the latest and most intense in a series of youth-led mobilizations in Nepal in recent years. Students and young professionals have repeatedly taken to the streets to demand accountability from the political class.

Monday’s demonstrations saw thousands marching in the capital, Kathmandu, and other cities carrying placards calling for an end to graft and nepotism.

But protests turned violent as security forces moved to disperse crowds, leaving at least 19 dead and hundreds injured, according to media reports.

The deaths fuelled widespread anger and communities of the diaspora staged solidarity rallies abroad.

By Tuesday afternoon, demonstrators had stormed Parliament, the Supreme Court and Singh Durbar, the central administrative complex in Kathmandu, setting fire to parts of it.

Reports indicate that protesters also targeted the residences of the president, former prime ministers and ministers, and that some prison inmates escaped after police abandoned their posts.

UN ready with support

High Commissioner Türk appealed to all sides to avoid further escalation, recalling Nepal’s history of emerging from conflict to forge peaceful democratic institutions.

“The world has admired Nepal’s emergence from conflict to become a peaceful democracy,” he said.

“Together with the United Nations system, my Office stands ready to support dialogue and trust-building measures that can help de-escalate tensions and restore confidence.”

The UN Country Team in Nepal reinforced that message, emphasising that “the voices of young Nepalis have been heard loud and clear” and warning that lasting stability will depend on concrete steps to address the root causes of their grievances.

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UN ready to assist Nepal following deadly protests over social media ban

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Police used tear gas and opened fire on protesters attempting to storm the parliament complex in the capital, Kathmandu, according to media reports. 

Curfews have been imposed in parts of the city and in Rupandehi, with restrictions on movement effective in Pokhara.

‘So unlike Nepal’

UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Fikry Ahmed Singer described the situation as “so unlike Nepal” and feared that casualty numbers will rise. 

“Lots of my staff here are crying,” she told UN News in an interview.  “They haven’t seen violence in their lifetime.”

The protests came just days after the Nepalese Government blocked more than 20 social media platforms such as WhatsApp, X and Facebook, as well as websites such as YouTube, for failing to register with the authorities.

“The Government wanted them to align to the internal laws as well because they have been concerned about misinformation, hate speech and social harmony, and to ensure oversight and monitoring,” she said.

“However, the decision was widely criticised as being too broad and has been perceived by many, particularly young people who are very global, like all parts of the world now, they consider this as a restriction on freedom of expression and access to digital spaces.”

Concern for civilians

Ms. Ahmed Singer voiced deep concern for the safety of civilians and underscored the urgent need to ensure unrestricted medical access to the injured. 

“The immediate priority now is the protection of civilians, particularly young people who are at the forefront of the protests,” she said.

Social media came back online shortly before the interview.  The senior humanitarian official said she posted a message on X calling upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint, adhere to basic principles on use of force and firearms, and ensure that people can safely and peacefully exercise their democratic rights.

“The most important now is unrestricted access to medical care as well for those that are injured, if needed,” she said.

Supportive role

Meanwhile, UN agencies in the country – such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the UN human rights office, OHCHR – are monitoring developments closely.

They are preparing health and other forms support if needed and stand ready to facilitate dialogue. 

“Our role really is to remind everybody to ensure the protection of civilians, safeguard fundamental freedoms, and support Nepal in its commitment to international human rights norms and standards,” she said. 

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Downpours stymy aid teams following deadly landslide in war-torn Sudan

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The death toll has not yet been verified as ongoing downpours and rugged terrain are making it extremely difficult to reach the impacted communities, according to the UN migration agency, IOM.

To date, an estimated 150 people were displaced from Tarseen and neighbouring villages, with families now sheltering in nearby communities.

The UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, and partners have put a rapid response plan into operation. On Thursday, teams comprising nearly a dozen local and international non-governmental organizations and UN agencies went to the site, travelling part of the way by donkey because of the rugged terrain.

Their mission focused on confirming the number of people affected and assessing and responding to urgent needs, OCHA said.

Transporting critical supplies

Teams also transported critical supplies for up to 750 people, including medical kits, nutrition support, food rations, non-food items and other essential materials.

Mobile health clinics and emergency medical teams were also deployed to provide immediate care on the ground.

The response aims to support the survivors in Tarseen and neighbouring villages affected by the disaster.

“The assessment’s findings will guide the scale-up of assistance, with UN agencies preparing to send more supplies to meet additional needs,” Mr. Dujarric said.

Flooding, escalating violence in North Darfur

Meanwhile, OCHA warned that the situation in El Fasher in North Darfur is worsening, amid escalating violence and now flooding. Local sources report that heavy artillery fire has killed dozens of civilians in recent days.

At the same time, humanitarian access continues to be impeded, and women and girls face grave protection risks, including from sexual violence.

Compounding the crisis in the area, heavy rains and flooding displaced 350 people in Korma Town on Monday, with latrines destroyed at the displacement site. Families have sought shelter with host communities.

Famine and cholera

In recent days, flooding in the Zamzam and Abu Shouk camps for displaced people close to El Fasher impacted 4,300 residents, destroyed 900 tents and damaged 2,300 houses, according to UN partners on the ground.

“These incidents further deepen the horrific situation in a place that knows famine, and it has been fired upon and been abused,” the UN Spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, cholera continues to surge, with aid partners reporting nearly 8,000 cases in North Darfur and more than 3,800 cases in South Darfur since May, he said.

The outbreak has been heightened by the severe malnutrition, which has doubled in North Darfur over the past year, leaving children particularly vulnerable.

Sudan has been embroiled in war between rival militaries since April 2023.

“We and our partners are supporting the response to the outbreak by providing clean water, health services and conducting cholera vaccination campaigns, despite the serious logistical challenges,” Mr. Dujarric said.

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Gaza: UN calls for probe following deadly strikes on Nasser Hospital

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At least 20 people were killed, including four health workers and five journalists, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus said in a tweet.

Fifty other people were injured, including critically ill patients who were already receiving care.

Healthcare under attack

“While people in Gaza are being starved, their already limited access to healthcare is being further crippled by repeated attacks,” Tedros remarked.

“We cannot say it loudly enough: STOP attacks on healthcare. Ceasefire now.”

He said the hospital’s main building, which houses the emergency department, inpatient ward, and surgical unit, was hit. 

The strikes also damaged the emergency staircase.

Global indifference and inaction

The head of UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA also took to social media in the wake of the news.

“Silencing the last remaining voices reporting about children dying silently and famine with the world’s indifference and inaction is shocking,” said Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.

He called for compassion to prevail, saying “let us undo this manmade famine by opening the gates without restrictions, ⁠protecting journalists and humanitarian and health workers,” stressing the need for political will now.

The UN recently noted that more than 240 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began nearly two years ago following deadly Hamas-led attacks on Israel. 

Roughly 1,200 people were killed and 250 hostages were taken to the enclave, some of whom remain in captivity.

Guterres calls for investigation

UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the deadly airstrikes and called for a prompt and impartial investigation.

“These latest horrific killings highlight the extreme risks that medical personnel and journalists face as they carry out their vital work amid this brutal conflict,” UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement. 

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that among the reporters killed was female journalist Mariam Abu Dagga who partnered with the agency last year on a photo essay depicting the dire situation in Gaza.

The Secretary-General reiterated that medical personnel and journalists must be able to perform their essential duties without interference, intimidation, or harm, in full accordance with international humanitarian law. 

He also renewed his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, unfettered humanitarian access across the enclave, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office issued a statement later in the day saying the Government “deeply regrets the tragic mishap” which occurred at the Nasser Hospital. 

Famine spreading

The number of deaths in Gaza has surpassed 61,000, according to the local health authorities.

Last week, food security experts confirmed that famine has taken root in Gaza Governorate, projecting that it will spread. 

The Gaza Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that 11 people have died from malnutrition and starvation in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall total to 300.

Displacement deepens

Meanwhile, people across the enclave continue to be displaced while seeking safety and shelter.  

Humanitarians said that between 20 and 24 August, some 5,000 people are estimated to have been displaced from northern Gaza to Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis. Roughly 8,000 more have been displaced to the west of Gaza City. 

Overall, new displacements have surpassed 800,000 since the end of the ceasefire in mid-March. 

Obstructions to aid delivery

At the same time, aid convoys in Gaza continue to face delays, movement obstructions and other challenges. 

On Sunday, only seven out of 15 humanitarian missions that required coordination with Israel were facilitated, including the collection of fuel from the Kerem Shalom border crossing for distribution to areas where it is needed most. 

“Four missions had to be either cancelled by the organisers or were denied outright by Israeli authorities,” OCHA said.

“The remaining ones were initially approved but then impeded on the ground and only partially accomplished, including the collection of food and vaccines from the crossings.”

Education on hold

As children around the world start heading back to school, their counterparts in Gaza continue to miss out on education.

Several education facilities that are being used as shelters for displaced people were attacked last week, according to aid partners.

“With local authorities announcing that final exams for over 35,000 high school students are due to be held in two weeks, the UN and its partners reiterate their call for the protection of education facilities in accordance with international law,” OCHA said. 

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DR Congo: UN deplores deadly attacks in the east of the country

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The attacks, which took place between 9 and 16 August in the localities of Beni and Lubero territories, claimed the lives of at least 52 civilians, including eight women and two children, but peacekeepers on the ground say the death toll may very well rise.  

“These attacks targeting civilians, which add to the atrocities committed during the night of 26 to 27 July in Komanda (Ituri territory, Ituri), are intolerable and constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights,” said Binto Keita, Head of the UN Mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO.  

Appeal to armed groups

The violent attacks were accompanied by abductions, looting, and the burning of homes, vehicles, and motorcycles, as well as the destruction of property belonging to the population already facing dire humanitarian conditions.  

MONUSCO issued a statement calling for foreign armed groups, such as the ADF, to lay down their arms unconditionally and return to their countries of origin.  

The Mission also urged “the Congolese authorities to conduct thorough investigations to identify those responsible for the massacre of civilians and bring them to justice.”  

Stronger military presence

In response to this new wave of violence, the peacekeeping mission reinforced its military presence and support to Congolese authorities.

For instance, on 13 and 14 August during incidents in Mayi-Moya in North Kivu, MONUSCO provided physical protection to 206 civilians, including 93 children and 70 women, who had sought refuge at the mission’s military base.  

“MONUSCO remains fully committed to supporting Congolese authorities and local communities in preventing further violence, protecting civilians, reducing tensions and contributing to the stabilisation of areas affected by armed conflict,” it said.   

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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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Security Council voices deep concern over deadly escalation in Syria’s Sweida region

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Unrest began on 12 July when mutual kidnappings escalated into armed conflict between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes, drawing in Syrian security forces.

The violence spiralled, with reports of extrajudicial executions, desecration of corpses and looting. Footage circulated widely on social media fanned sectarian tensions and disinformation.

Nearly 200,000 displaced

In a presidential statement adopted on Sunday, ambassadors said they were “deeply concerned” by the recent fighting, which has included “mass killings” and led to the internal displacement of some 192,000 people.

The Council “strongly condemns the violence perpetrated against civilians…and calls on all parties to adhere to the ceasefire arrangement and to ensure the protection of the civilian population.”

The 15-member body reminded all sides of their obligations under human rights and international humanitarian law, stressing in particular the duty to “respect and protect” all medical and humanitarian personnel.

Council members urged all parties to allow “full, safe, rapid and unhindered humanitarian access” to affected communities in the heavily-Druze Sweida area and across Syria, in line with the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence.

They also underscored the need to ensure the humane treatment of all combatants, including those who have surrendered, are wounded, detained, or have laid down their arms.

Protection for all

The statement called on the Syrian interim authorities to protect all Syrians “regardless of ethnicity or religion” and warned that “there can be no meaningful recovery in Syria without genuine safety and protection for all Syrians.”

The Council welcomed the interim authorities’ condemnation of the violence and their commitment to investigate those responsible, but urged them to ensure “credible, swift, transparent, impartial, and comprehensive investigations… in line with international standards.”

Reaffirming resolutions including 2254 (2015), the Council reiterated its “strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic” and called on all States to avoid “negative or destructive interference” that could further destabilise the country.

The statement also recalled the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) tmonitoring and patrolling the contested Golan on the Syria-Israel border, urging all parties to abide by its terms to maintain calm.

On the threat of terrorism, the Council cited the latest report of its Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, voicing “grave concern over the acute threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters” in Syria. It urged the country to take decisive measures against ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida, in line with relevant resolutions.

Looking ahead, the Council repeated its call for “an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process” based on resolution 2254, to safeguard the rights of all Syrians and enable them to “peacefully, independently and democratically determine their futures.”

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UN official decries deadly Ukraine strikes, urges return to diplomacy

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Briefing ambassadors in the Security Council, Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), renewed the call for an immediate ceasefire and a return to diplomacy to end the devastation.

“Ukrainian people have endured nearly three-and-a-half years of unimaginable horrors, death, devastation and destruction. They urgently need relief from this nightmare,” he said.

He stressed that diplomacy, not fighting, needs to escalate in the coming days and weeks.

“Diplomacy that leads to real, tangible, verifiable and lasting results that would be felt by the long-suffering people on the ground,” he added, reiterating that the UN remains ready to support all efforts toward a just, lasting peace in line with the UN Charter and international law.

ASG Jenča briefs the Security Council.

Brutal attacks continue

Mr. Jenča described the “brutal” scale of the latest attacks.

Overnight between 30 and 31 July, a large-scale Russian aerial assault on Kyiv killed at least 31 people – including five children – and injured 159 others, 16 of them children. It marked the highest number of child injuries in a single night in the capital since the invasion began in February 2022.

The strikes damaged 27 locations across four districts of Kyiv, including a school, a preschool, a paediatric hospital wing, and a university building.

“An entire section of an apartment block was also reportedly destroyed, leaving many trapped beneath the burning rubble,” said Mr. Jenča.

Humanitarian workers, including UN agencies and local partners, responded swiftly, delivering shelter kits, emergency psychosocial support and legal counselling to affected families.

Strikes beyond Kyiv

Beyond Kyiv, attacks were reported across at least seven regions – Vinnytsia, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr, Zaporizhzhia, Cherkasy and Chernihiv – with a total of at least 120 civilian casualties in a single night.

In Donetsk, two people were reportedly killed and 10 injured; in Kharkiv, one person was killed and seven injured. Additional casualties were confirmed in Sumy, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

In Kamianske, a hospital attack left three dead – including a pregnant woman – and 22 injured, many of them medical staff. In Novoplatonivka, Kharkiv region, six were killed while waiting for humanitarian aid.

“These continuing horrendous attacks are simply unacceptable,” said Mr. Jenča.

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, reports that since the start of the full-scale invasion thorugh June this year, more than 13,580 civilians – including 716 children – have been killed, and over 34,000 injured.

Casualties inside Russia

Mr. Jenča also noted civilian casualties inside Russia.

Between 25 and 29 July, Russian authorities reported attacks in Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Leningrad and Rostov regions, resulting in at least six deaths and multiple injuries.

While the UN cannot verify these reports, Mr. Jenča expressed concern and reiterated that “attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law and must stop immediately – wherever they occur.”

Abuses against POWs

He also detailed new allegations of abuse against Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs).

According to OHCHR interviews with nearly 140 recently released male POWs, “nearly all…reported having been subjected to torture or ill-treatment,” including beatings, electric shocks, and suffocation.

OHCHR also documented credible reports of 106 executions of Ukrainian soldiers in Russian custody.

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Sudan gripped by deadly crisis as hunger, disease and heat intensify

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In El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur that has been under siege for 15 months, the catastrophic humanitarian situation is worsening. Food shortages and soaring prices have forced community-run kitchens to shut down. Widespread hunger and malnutrition have reportedly caused several deaths and driven some residents to eat animal feed.

In the Tawila locality of North Darfur, humanitarian organizations have had to strengthen their responses to rising cholera cases. They have expanded the capacities of treatment centres, but needs remain dire. With medical supplies running low, clean water supplies and the construction of latrines are urgent necessities.

In East Darfur state, the Lagawa displacement site, hosting over 7,000 people, is facing severe food shortages and repeated armed attacks. Doctors are warning that the ongoing conflict continues to block the delivery of aid, so vulnerable families are left without access to food or healthcare.

Extreme heat and torrential rains

Meanwhile, floods and storms are displacing families and destroying homes across the country.  

In the Rahad locality of North Kordofan state, heavy rains on Monday displaced around 550 people and damaged or destroyed more than 170 homes.

Torrential rains in the eastern state of Kasssala have devastated the Gharb Almatar displacement site, affecting more than 6,000 people. Many tents were flooded, exposing children to cold, hunger and unsanitary conditions. Displaced families urgently need cash assistance, shelter and protection.

In the coastal city of Port Sudan, extreme heat continues to endanger lives, with three reported deaths and 50 cases of sunstroke this week amid soaring temperatures and widespread power outages.  

As temperatures reach 47 degrees Celsius (116.6 degrees Fahrenheit), overwhelmed hospitals are prompting health workers to call for urgent support, including cooling equipment, medical supplies and personnel.

Call for increased funding

With these crises compounding, international support is desperately needed. The 2025 response plan, which seeks $4.2 billion to assist 21 million of the most vulnerable people across Sudan, is only 23 per cent funded to date.

OCHA once again calls on international donors to scale up funding for the response. 

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World News in Brief: Remembering Dr. David Nabarro, deadly shipwreck off Libya, verdict in peacekeeper’s killing

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The British physician and champion for global public health died this past weekend at the age of 75. 

He was the World Health Organization’s (WHO) special envoy dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

Legacy of service

“The Secretary-General pays tribute to Dr. Nabarro’s extraordinary legacy of service and reaffirms his commitment to advancing the principles he championed: solidarity, science and health for all,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Tuesday in New York.

Dr. Nabarro was remembered as “a tireless advocate for global health, a leader who brought clarity, compassion and conviction to some of the world’s most complex health emergencies, from AIDS and malaria to avian influenza and the COVID-19 pandemic.”

He also served as the Special Representative of former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on food security and nutrition and headed the UN High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis. 

Also paying tribute was WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He called Dr. Nabarro a “great champion of global health” whose work impacted so many lives across the world.

Libya: Migration agency offers support in the wake of deadly shipwreck

At least 18 migrants died following a shipwreck off the coast of Tobruk, Libya, this past weekend, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported on Tuesday.

Fifty people are still missing, and 10 survivors are accounted for so far.

“This latest tragedy is a stark reminder of the deadly risks people are forced to take in search of safety and opportunity,” IOM said in a statement.

The UN agency noted that “Libya remains a major transit point for migrants and refugees, many of whom face exploitation, abuse and life-threatening journeys.”

Meanwhile, IOM teams on the ground are coordinating with local partners to provide support where possible.

“We reiterate our call for enhanced regional cooperation to expand access to safe, regular and dignified migration pathways,” the statement concluded.

Blue helmets and bulletproof vests belonging to peacekeepers serving with United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Lebanon: Verdict handed down in trial into 2022 killing of Irish peacekeeper 

The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has welcomed the conclusion of the trial into the killing of Irish peacekeeper Private Seán Rooney nearly three years ago.

Lebanon’s Permanent Military Court on Monday found six of the individuals charged with the killing guilty while another was acquitted, according to a statement from the mission.

“UNIFIL welcomes the conclusion of the trial process and the Government of Lebanon’s commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice,” it said.

Private Rooney, 24, was shot and killed on 14 December 2022 in an incident in Al-Aqbieh, just outside UNIFIL’s area of operations in south Lebanon. Three other “Blue Helmets” were injured.

Since the attack, UNIFIL has extended its full support to both Lebanese and Irish authorities with their respective judicial proceedings, the statement said.

The mission once again offered deepest condolences to Private Rooney’s family, friends and colleagues as well as the Government of Ireland. 

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UN condemns deadly attack on worshippers in DR Congo

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Elements of the ADF, an Islamic State-affiliated insurgent group that originated in neighbouring Uganda, carried out the attack in Komanda town, Irumu territory, Ituri province.

At least 49 civilians were killed, including nine children. Several other people were injured and abducted, and shops and homes were set on fire. 

Most of the victims were reportedly worshippers killed with bladed weapons during a night vigil at a church.

The incident comes after ADF attacks earlier in the month killed 82 civilians in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, which MONUSCO condemned on 23 July. 

The group has committed grave human rights violations against civilians since its founding in 1995 and has been under UN sanctions since June 2014.

‘Deep outrage’ over attacks

MONUSCO expressed “deep outrage at these heinous acts of violence, which constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and infringements on human rights.” 

The peacekeeping mission also extended condolences to the bereaved families, urged Congolese authorities to investigate these killings, and reiterated the UN Secretary-General’s call for all foreign armed groups to lay down their weapons unconditionally and return to their countries of origin.

“These targeted attacks against defenceless civilians, particularly in places of worship, are not only appalling but also in violation of all human rights standards and international humanitarian law,” said Vivian van de Perre, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Protection and Operations and Acting Head of MONUSCO. 

She added that the Mission “will continue to work tirelessly alongside the Congolese authorities to protect the population in line with its mandate.”

Response on the ground

MONUSCO is supporting local authorities in their response by organising burials and providing medical care to the wounded. 

The peacekeeping mission is also intensifying security efforts in and around the city of Komanda. 

The Mission is committed to working with Congolese authorities and communities “to help prevent future attacks, protect civilians, reduce tensions, and contribute to the stabilization of areas affected by armed violence.” 

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Syria: Deadly sectarian violence displaces thousands in Sweida; healthcare attacked

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Since 13 July, around 176,000 people have been displaced from Sweida,  according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Mostly migrating to neighbouring Dar’a and Rural Damascus governorates, civilians are fleeing violent clashes between Bedouin tribal fighters, Syrian caretaker government forces and Druze militias.

Meanwhile in the north of the country, local authorities reported that a large explosion struck an ammunition depot in Ma’arrat Tasmarin, in Idleb Governorate, on Thursday, reportedly killing six people and injuring at least 140 others.

Although Syrian Civil Defense teams attempted to evacuate people and transfer the injured for medical care, secondary explosions in the vicinity significantly hindered emergency response efforts.

Attacks on healthcare

In Sweida, health facilities are under immense strain, with staff operating in extremely difficult conditions, while access to healthcare remains a challenge.

As WHO confirmed five attacks on healthcare, including the killing of at least two doctors, the organization also reported on the obstructions to and targeting of ambulances as well as the temporary occupation of hospitals.

“We know healthcare must never be a target. In fact, health facilities, patients and health workers must be actively protected,” said Dr. Christina Bethke, WHO acting representative in Syria, speaking from Damascus to journalists at the UN in Geneva on Friday.

Dr. Bethke said that Sweida’s hospitals are facing shortages of staff, electricity, water, and basic supplies, with the morgue at the city’s main hospital reaching capacity earlier this week.

“Ensuring that doctors, nurses and supplies can reach people safely is not just vital for saving lives, it is a responsibility under international law that all sides must uphold,” Dr. Bethke said.

Limited access

As different groups control different pathways, poor security conditions are restricting access to Sweida, limiting the ability of the UN and partners to deliver aid to those affected by the violence.

While access to the city remains limited, WHO has been able to deliver vital supplies to health facilities in Dar’a and Damascus governorates, including trauma supplies, essential medicine and hospital support.

In response to rising violence both in Sweida and in the north, UN humanitarian coordinator in Syria Adam Abdelmoula  launched an extension of the 2025 humanitarian appeal, which is currently less than 12 per cent funded. 

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Deadly floods show need for faster, wider warnings, UN agency says

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The UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Monday that more intense downpours and glacier outburst floods are becoming increasingly frequent, with deadly consequences for communities caught off guard.

“Flash floods are not new, but their frequency and intensity are increasing in many regions due to rapid urbanization, land-use change and a changing climate,” said Stefan Uhlenbrook, WMO Director of Hydrology, Water and Cryosphere.

Each additional degree Celsius of warming enables the air to hold about 7 per cent more water vapour.

“This is increasing the risk of more extreme rainfall events. At the same time, glacier-related flood hazards are increasing due to enhanced ice melting in a warmer climate,” he added.

Thousands of lives lost every year

Floods and flash floods claim thousands of lives each year and cause billions of dollars in damage. In 2020, severe flooding across South Asia killed more than 6,500 people and caused $105 billion in economic losses.

Two years later, catastrophic floods in Pakistan left over 1,700 people dead, 33 million affected and losses exceeding $40 billion, reversing years of development gains.

This year, the onslaught has continued. In July alone, South Asia, East Asia and the United States have seen a string of deadly events, from monsoon rains to glacial lake bursts and sudden flash floods.

Each year, extreme weather and climate events take a massive toll on lives and economies worldwide.

Asia reels from monsoon onslaught

In India and Pakistan, heavy monsoon rains have severed transport links, washed away homes and triggered landslides. Pakistan declared a state of emergency in its worst-hit areas, deploying military helicopters for rescue missions after forecasters warned of exceptional flood risk along the upper Jhelum River.

The Republic of Korea suffered record-breaking downpours between 16-20 July, with rainfall exceeding 115 mm per hour in some locations. At least 18 people were killed and more than 13,000 were evacuated.

In southern China, authorities issued flash flood and landslide alerts on 21 July, just a day after Typhoon Wipha battered Hong Kong, underscoring the compound risks of sequential storms.

Texas flash flood strikes overnight

Overnight 3 into 4 July, a sudden deluge turned Texas Hill Country into a disaster zone, killing more than 100 people and leaving dozens missing. In a few hours, 10-18 inches (25–46 cm) of rain swamped the Guadalupe River basin, sending the river surging 26 feet (8 metres) in just 45 minutes.

1-day precipitation totals from NASA’s IMERG multi-satellite precipitation product show heavy rainfall over central Texas on July 4, 2025.

Many of the victims were young girls at a summer camp, caught unaware as floodwaters tore through sleeping quarters around 4 AM. Although the US National Weather Service issued warnings ahead of time, local sirens were lacking and the final alerts came when most were asleep.

Glacier outburst floods surge

Not all floods this month were caused by rain.

In Nepal’s Rasuwa district, a sudden outburst from a supraglacial lake – formed on a glacier’s surface – swept away hydropower plants, a major bridge and trade routes on 7 July. At least 11 people were killed and more than a dozen are reported missing.

Scientists at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a WMO partner, say glacial-origin floods in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region are occurring far more often than two decades ago, when one might strike every five to 10 years.

In May and June 2025 alone, three glacial outburst floods hit Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan, with two more in Nepal on 7 July. If warming continues, the risk of such floods could triple by the century’s end.

Aftermath of a flood that swept through a high-altitude village in Nepal.

Closing the warning gap

The WMO is stepping up efforts to improve flood forecasting through its global initiative and real-time guidance platform, now used in over 70 countries.

The system integrates satellite data, radar and high-resolution weather models to flag threats hours in advance and is being expanded into a country-led, globally interoperable framework.

A 2022 World Bank study estimated that 1.81 billion people – nearly a quarter of the world’s population – are directly exposed to 1-in-100-year flood events, with 89 per cent living in low- and middle-income countries.

The UN’s Early Warnings for All initiative aims to ensure that everyone, everywhere, is protected by early warning systems by 2027.

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