UN rights chief decries US treatment of migrants, as deaths in ICE custody rise

In a news release on Friday, High Commissioner Volker Türk said individuals suspected of being undocumented migrants are being surveilled, arrested and detained – sometimes violently – in locations ranging from hospitals and places of worship to courthouses, schools, markets and private homes. The UN rights chief said he was “astounded by the now-routine abuse […]

Daily malnutrition deaths continue as Israeli forces push further into Gaza City

Daily malnutrition deaths continue as Israeli forces push further into Gaza City

“Military activities continue in and around Gaza City, but also in the south, taking a heavy toll on civilians, including deaths, injuries and further displacement,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric at the daily press briefing in New York: “Our colleagues report that people continue to flee, mainly towards the coast.” More than 76,000 people have been […]

World News in Brief: More deaths in Ukraine, lengthy detentions in Egypt, AI governance, US postal tariffs

World News in Brief: More deaths in Ukraine, lengthy detentions in Egypt, AI governance, US postal tariffs

Since Friday, 11 civilians have been killed and more than 90 wounded, according to the authorities. Schools and energy infrastructure also were damaged. The Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine was the most affected, with the town of Kostiantynivka particularly hard hit.  Six other regions – Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Dnipro and Zaporizhzhia – were also […]

Gaza: Guterres urges probe into killing of journalists, as child malnutrition deaths rise

Gaza: Guterres urges probe into killing of journalists, as child malnutrition deaths rise

The reporters – five of whom worked for the Al Jazeera media network – were killed in a targeted Israeli strike in Gaza City the previous day.  “These latest killings highlight the extreme risks journalists continue to face when covering the ongoing war,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during his regular media briefing from New York. […]

Aid blockade deepens Gaza crisis as malnutrition deaths rise, warns UNRWA

Aid blockade deepens Gaza crisis as malnutrition deaths rise, warns UNRWA

“For over 150 days, not a single truck from UNRWA has been permitted to deliver food, medicine or other essentials into Gaza,” the agency said on Friday. “This denial of access is costing lives every single day.” Nearly 100 children dead from malnutrition According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, cited by the UN, at least […]

Angola protests: UN urges restraint, investigations into deaths

Angola protests: UN urges restraint, investigations into deaths

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Thursday urged Angolan authorities to conduct prompt, thorough and independent investigations into the deaths as well as the reported use of excessive force during the demonstrations. “Unverified footage suggests that security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protesters, which points […]

Gaza: More deaths reported as starvation spreads

Gaza: More deaths reported as starvation spreads

In an update on Friday, OCHA said that the starvation crisis is deepening across the enclave, with the local health authorities announcing that two more people had died from starvation the previous day. Hunger and malnutrition increase the risk of illnesses that weaken the immune system, particularly among women, children, older people and persons with […]

Humanitarians report more deaths, displacement and desperation in Gaza

Humanitarians report more deaths, displacement and desperation in Gaza

“Every day brings more preventable deaths, displacement and desperation,” the agency said in a humanitarian update. On Friday, Israeli authorities issued another displacement order, this time for parts of North Gaza. OCHA said it continues to receive deeply troubling reports of malnourished children and adults being admitted to hospitals with insufficient resources available to treat them. […]

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

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

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 […]

Lifesaver: Study shows vaccine campaigns cut deaths by nearly 60 per cent

Lifesaver: Study shows vaccine campaigns cut deaths by nearly 60 per cent

The study, conducted by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, in collaboration with Australia’s Burnet Institute, and published in the authoritative British Medical Journal (BMJ) Global Health, analyzed 210 outbreaks across 49 low-income countries over a 23-year period. It found that rapid vaccine deployment during outbreaks of cholera, Ebola, measles, meningitis and yellow fever, had led to […]

Civilian deaths in conflict are surging, warns UN human rights office

Civilian deaths in conflict are surging, warns UN human rights office

At least 48,384 individuals – mostly civilians – were killed in 2024, based on casualties recorded by OHCHR. “Behind every statistic is a story. Behind every data point, a person,” said UN rights chief Volker Türk. This alarming rise in civilian deaths exposes major failures to protect some of the most vulnerable in both peacetime and […]

World News in Brief: Sudan aid update, child migrant deaths at sea, nursing shortages, invasive pest scourge

World News in Brief: Sudan aid update, child migrant deaths at sea, nursing shortages, invasive pest scourge

Port Sudan – the main entry point for humanitarian supplies and personnel into the country – came under attack for the ninth consecutive day. As the UN’s main humanitarian hub in Sudan, drone strikes on the coastal city have gravely impacted aid delivery. Nonetheless, UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights were able to resume on 8 […]