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

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

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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World News in Brief: Türk slams relentless Russian attacks, Gaza update, Cyclone Gezani hits Madagascar

Posted on February 13, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

His reaction followed overnight attacks on energy infrastructure in Kyiv, Dnipro and the key port city of Odesa.

Nearly 8,800 multistorey buildings in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa are without heating.

In Kharkiv, temperatures are forecast to drop to minus 10°C or 14°F on Thursday evening, said Viktoriia Andrievska from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.

“Without heating or electricity, homes will turn freezing, basic services will stop, for example, the lifts will stop working, and people, especially older residents and families with children, will struggle to stay warm and safe,” she said.

Illegal strikes

In his statement, the UN human rights chief emphasised the lasting impact of “large-scale” attacks by Russia on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which he stressed are prohibited under international law.

“Millions of households struggle with only a few hours of electricity each day,” Mr. Türk said, noting that unheated schools have been forced to shut and medical care has been impacted too.

International efforts to end the war in Ukraine continue, meanwhile, with Moscow announcing on Thursday that it expected the “next round” of talks “to take place shortly”, according to a Kremlin spokesperson.

Gaza: Another UN worker is killed, says UNRWA

Another UN worker has been killed in Gaza, despite a ceasefire agreement between Hamas fighters and the Israeli military.

According to the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, a staff member was killed during Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday, reportedly after an attack by Hamas militants in Rafah.

UNRWA said that the Israeli strikes in Gaza City and shelling in Khan Younis killed at least four Palestinians, including their colleague, as he was hit while out walking on Salah Eddin Street in central Gaza.

Nearly 400 staffers killed

Since the war began, 391 UNRWA staff and partners have been killed.

In other Gaza news, Israeli forces have demolished a United Nations school in Jabalia in northern Gaza, it has been confirmed.

According to UNRWA, the school was one of a number of facilities it has behind the so-called “Yellow Line” of concrete blocks that separates the Israel Defense Forces from the people of Gaza.

Between January and February, eight UNRWA schools in the militarised area have been reportedly demolished by Israeli forces, the UN agency said.

Cyclone Gezani displaces thousands in northeastern Madagascar

Tropical Cyclone Gezani has killed at least 31 people and displaced thousands after making landfall in Madagascar on 10 February, bringing winds exceeding 195 km/h, heavy flooding and widespread destruction across eastern and central regions.

According to local authorities, four people remain missing and 35 have been injured. Preliminary reports indicate that more than 250,000 people have been affected, with nearly 7,000 displaced.

Over 65,000 homes have been flooded, damaged or destroyed, and around 600 classrooms have been partially or completely rendered unusable.

UN emergency teams deployed

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) has deployed emergency teams to Toamasina to support authorities as displaced families shelter in 28 evacuation centres across 16 districts. A national state of emergency has been declared.

“The scale of devastation…has left families struggling to cope with urgent needs and heavy losses,” said IOM Chief of Mission Roger Charles Evina.

The Government is leading search-and-rescue operations and delivering emergency shelter and food assistance, including the distribution of 800 metric tonnes of rice, with support from UN agencies and partners.

A $3 million allocation from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund will assist more than 90,000 people as additional donor funding supports early response efforts.

The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, warned that the cyclone could also affect central and southern Mozambique in the coming days.

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World News in Brief: School shooting in Canada, cholera outbreak in DR Congo, evacuations in Gaza

Posted on February 12, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

António Guterres was “saddened to learn of the tragic shooting in Tumble Ridge, British Columbia,” his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at the daily news briefing.

“[Mr. Guterres] extends his deepest condolences to those affected and his sympathies to the Government and people of Canada,” Mr. Dujarric added.

Two crime scenes

According to media reports, the dead included at least three female students, two male students and a teacher. Two additional people were found dead at a nearby home, who local police have reportedly identified as the suspect’s mother and stepbrother.

The suspect – who was born male but was transitioning and identified as female, according to police – was found at the school having died from an apparent self-inflicted wound.

Two of the several dozen injured were airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Tumbler Ridge, located in the Canadian Rockies more than 1,000 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, is a small community near the Alberta border. The secondary school serves around 175 students from Grades seven to 12.

DR Congo: UN urges urgent scale-up as cholera outbreak worsens

The UN relief coordination office, OCHA, has warned that the spiralling cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo demands an immediate scale-up of the response.

It is reportedly the country’s worst outbreak in 25 years. Since the start of 2026, more than 1,300 suspected cases and 35 deaths have been recorded.

Last year, over 71,800 suspected cases were reported, with more than 2,000 deaths.

Humanitarian support

Humanitarian partners, alongside the Government and the UN, continue to provide support, but major gaps remain. Water, sanitation and hygiene services are critically underfunded, health workers are overstretched, supplies are running low and access to treatment facilities remains difficult.

On Monday, $750,000 was allocated from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help health partners rapidly expand life-saving assistance and curb transmission.

OCHA stressed that more flexible funding is urgently needed to bolster health services and contain the outbreak.

Gaza: UN scales up evacuations and education support

In Gaza, UN teams supported the medical evacuation of 18 patients and 26 companions through the Rafah Crossing on Tuesday.

Teams also received 41 additional returnees at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where a reception area is being operated to assist those arriving.

Since Rafah reopened in early February, just over 220 people in each direction have been facilitated through the crossing, according to UN Spokesperson Dujarric.

“I reiterate that we would like to see more people having the opportunity to move voluntarily and safely, in both directions, especially to access services that they need,” he said on Wednesday.

Hoping to expand aid operation

“We also hope to see the movement of cargo enabled through Rafah, to increase the volume of humanitarian supplies entering, and further expand the scale up of the humanitarian response.”

Humanitarian partners working to provide educational support have delivered stationery and toys in recent days to improve learning conditions for thousands of children.

Four new temporary learning spaces were established last week, bringing the total across Gaza to about 450, serving more than 5,500 students.

Between 29 January and 4 February, child protection partners provided winter assistance, psychosocial support and safe spaces to more than 6,500 children and caregivers, including warm clothing for nearly 3,800 children.

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World News in Brief: Floods in Syria, relief operations in Cuba at risk, ending child labour

Posted on February 10, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

According to the relief coordination office, OCHA, rainfall since Saturday caused widespread flooding across parts of Idleb and northern Latakia, damaging around 1,800 tents and destroying at least 150 in camps housing displaced families.

A local hospital was also forced to suspend operations, with patients having been evacuated and mobile medical teams deployed. Authorities have opened shelters and prepared additional housing for families in need.

Humanitarian partners are relocating displaced families, repairing damaged shelters and delivering emergency assistance, including food and non-food items, OCHA said.

In a separate incident linked to the response, a Syrian Arab Red Crescent staff member was killed and five others injured when their vehicle crashed while assisting flood-affected communities.

Displacement still widespread

The flooding comes as displacement persists in other parts of the country.

While fighting has subsided in the governorates of Aleppo, Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa following a 30 January accord, nearly 160,000 people remain displaced as of 3 February.

Humanitarian access has improved in some areas, but major challenges remain. Electricity outages continue to disrupt water systems, telecommunications are intermittent, food supplies are limited, explosive ordnance is still a threat and schools remain suspended.

Hurricane Melissa struck Cuba in late October 2025, causing massive devastation across the island nation.

Cuba: UN urges funding as fuel shortages strain essential services

The United Nations is calling for urgent funding to support humanitarian operations in Cuba, where fuel shortages following the suspension of supplies from Venezuela are disrupting essential services and hampering recovery efforts following last year’s Hurricane Melissa.

“The UN continues to monitor the situation in the country and is working with the Government to provide more support, including food, water and sanitation, and healthcare,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at a regular news briefing in New York.

“We are concerned about the growing fuel shortages and their impact on people,” he added, noting that disruptions to the delivery of clean water, medical care, food and other critical aid.

UN action plan

In November 2025, the UN in Cuba launched a Plan of Action to support the national response to Hurricane Melissa, which affected more than two million people – roughly one in five residents nationwide.

The plan focuses on helping families recover and restoring essential services, while supporting longer-term recovery efforts led by national authorities.

The Plan of Action seeks $74 million but is currently only 23 per cent funded.

Global conference seeks renewed push to end child labour

An international effort to accelerate the elimination of child labour will get underway later this week in Morocco, as governments and partners meet to confront a crisis still affecting 138 million children worldwide.

From 11 to 13 February, Morocco will host the sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, led by the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) and bringing together governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society, the private sector and international partners.

The meeting comes at a critical moment.

According to UN estimates, 138 million children remain in child labour globally, including around 54 million engaged in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety and development. Africa accounts for 87 million of those children.

Agriculture remains the largest driver, accounting for 61 per cent of child labour globally, particularly in smallholder farming.

Child’s place is in school

ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo underscored the link between decent work and child protection, saying: “Children belong in school, not in labour. Parents must themselves be supported and have access to decent work so that they can afford to ensure that their children are in classrooms.”

While progress has been made – child labour has nearly halved since 2000 and declined by more than 20 million since 2020 – the world missed the Sustainable Development Goal target to eliminate child labour in all its forms by 2025.

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

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

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

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

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

From illiterate to multimedia producer

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

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

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

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

Reporting from the margins

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

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

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

Women ‘see their own image in the news’

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

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

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

Game changing digital media

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

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

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

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

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

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

Telling the whole story

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

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

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

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

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

‘Radical rethink’ required

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

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

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

Death toll may rise

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

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

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

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

Civilians deaths and injuries continue due to Gaza attacks

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

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

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

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

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

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

Record spike in West Bank attacks

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

The attacks resulted in casualties, property damage or both.

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

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

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

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

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

Boost to aid delivery

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

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

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

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World News in Brief: Children at risk in South Sudan, Balochistan attacks, summit backs boost for undersea cable security

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Clashes in Jonglei state since the start of 2026 have displaced at least 250,000 people, mainly in the north and centre of the state, cutting families off from lifesaving care in areas already suffering some of the highest malnutrition rates in the country.

Deadly risks

“We are extremely concerned for women and children impacted by these violent clashes,” said UNICEF Country Representative Noala Skinner. “A malnourished child without treatment is 12 times more likely to die.”

Access for aid agencies remains severely constrained, with restrictions on river, road and air travel. Six counties in Jonglei are already at, or close to, running out of therapeutic food, while 17 health facilities nationwide have closed due to conflict.

UNICEF has also recorded 10 incidents of looting of health and nutrition supplies.

Despite the challenges, UNICEF said it is responding, delivering water purification equipment amid cholera concerns and sending malaria treatments, emergency health kits and therapeutic food to reach more than 10,000 people.

UNICEF condemns killing and injury of children in Balochistan attacks

UNICEF has expressed grave concern over reports that children were among those killed and injured during a wave of violent attacks in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan last weekend.

“Children cannot be targets nor collateral damage, and their lives must always be protected,” said UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside, extending condolences to the families and communities affected.

She warned that the escalation of violence is spreading fear, with children and families “bearing the heaviest burden”.

The attacks, which took place on 31 January, were also strongly condemned by the UN Security Council.

In a press statement released on Tuesday, Council members described the incidents as “heinous and cowardly” acts of terrorism that left 48 people dead, including 31 civilians.

Council expresses ‘deepest sympathy’

Civilian casualties reportedly included five women and three children. The so-called Balochistan Liberation Army separatist group has claimed responsibility.

A senior local official told reporters that 145 members of the banned group had subsequently been killed by security forces.

The Council expressed its deepest sympathy to the victims’ families and to the Government and people of Pakistan, wishing the injured a full recovery.

Global summit backs stronger protection for submarine cables

Governments and industry leaders from more than 70 countries have reaffirmed the need to protect submarine cables that carry the vast majority of the world’s digital traffic.

Meeting in Porto, Portugal, at the International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit 2026, participants adopted a declaration and recommendations aimed at strengthening cooperation to safeguard the global network of around 500 cables stretching more than 1.7 million kilometres.

Read our explainer on the summit and what’s at stake, here.

“When it comes to critical digital infrastructure like submarine cables, resilience is both an end-to-end imperative and a shared responsibility,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin, welcoming commitments to improve repair times, readiness and investment.

‘Meaningful impact’

The summit highlighted the importance of protecting connectivity for remote and underserved regions, which are particularly vulnerable to cable disruptions.

“I firmly believe [the advisory body] is already delivering concrete and meaningful impact,” said ANACOM Chairwoman Prof. Sandra Maximiano, noting the risks faced by countries and island communities with limited capacity to respond to outages.

The Porto meeting followed the inaugural summit in Abuja, Nigeria, as momentum builds for global action to protect what many experts see as the backbone of the digital economy.

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World News in Brief: Syria ceasefire welcomed, ‘Olympic truce’, Ukraine’s freezing children

Posted on January 31, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

“We welcome efforts to bring stability to the region and now hope for a complete end to hostilities and a sustainable resolution,” said Chair of the independent UN Human Rights Council-mandated investigative team, Paulo Pinheiro, stressing the need to address acute humanitarian needs, including food, water and electricity.

Recognition of rights

He also welcomed a recent presidential decree recognising the cultural and citizenship rights of Syria’s Kurdish population.

The independent investigators called for strict adherence to international humanitarian law, warning of alarming reports of killings, abuse and desecration of bodies.

“We are investigating alleged violations and abuses and will report on them in due course,” said Commissioner Monia Ammar.

Cold winter conditions, combined with limited access to basic services, risk proving catastrophic for displaced families, particularly children, the Commission warned. It voiced grave concern over the situation of detained children in prisons and camps, including Al-Hol – where thousands of family member of alleged former ISIL fighters are being held.

While noting some resumption of aid deliveries, Commissioner Fionnuala Ní Aoláin said assistance “must be augmented” and urged authorities to enable the safe and dignified return of women and children, while calling on States to urgently repatriate their child nationals.

UN urges ‘true mutual ceasefires’ for 2026 Winter Olympics

The UN General Assembly has called on warring parties in conflicts worldwide to agree to “true mutual ceasefires” during the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, reviving the ancient principle of the Olympic Truce.

Taking note of a Solemn Appeal for the 80th session, read out by Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, who presides over the body, Member States were urged to use the Games as a window for peace.

Humanity’s ‘common ground’

“The Olympic Truce proves that, even in times of division, humanity can still find common ground through sport,” she said.

The appeal recalls the Greek tradition of the ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, which the Assembly has endorsed ahead of each Summer and Winter Games.

The upcoming Milano-Cortina Games will begin shortly, with the truce traditionally observed from seven days before the opening ceremony, until seven days after the Paralympics conclude.

“The Games will bring together athletes from all parts of the world,” Ms. Baerbock said, “as a means to promote peace, mutual understanding and goodwill among nations.”

The International Olympic Committee will fly the UN flag at Olympic venues as a symbol of peace.

UNICEF steps up winter response to protect children and families amid Ukraine’s harsh cold

Ukraine is once again facing a bitterly cold winter, with temperatures regularly dropping to around minus 20 degrees Celsius, or minus 4 Fahrenheit.

The severe weather, combined with the widespread destruction of housing, energy, and heating infrastructure, continues to make the winter months particularly harsh, especially for children.

Among them is three-year-old Dasha, who has spent the past nine days in a flat without heating. Each night, her mother, Iryna, fills two five-litre plastic bottles with hot water and tucks them into Dasha’s cot.

The challenges are compounded by rising poverty: among households with children, the rate has increased from 43 percent in 2021 to 65 percent in 2023.

Well over 3 million displaced

Today, around 3.3 million people, including more than half a million children, remain displaced within Ukraine.

Last year, the UN children agency’s (UNICEF) winter response reached 2.3 million people, including 380,000 children.

In 2026, UNICEF appealed for $65 million to meet the needs of at least one million vulnerable people including 170,000 children.

Drawing on lessons from past winter campaigns, UNICEF’s response this year will focus on providing cost-effective cash support to families and schools, and strengthening district heating systems to ensure long-term, sustainable warmth.

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World News in Brief: IOM warning for Sudan returnees, Nipah virus alert for India, food security in Afghanistan

Posted on January 30, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

They did so despite extensive damage to housing, basic services, vital infrastructure, and an uncertain future.

The highest number of returns were recorded in Khartoum State, where more than 1.3 million people have made the journey home, followed by nearby Aj Jazirah State, according to IOM’s latest data.

Pockets of security

IOM says the number of returnees is rising, signaling pockets of perceived relative security in parts of the country.

Overall, 83 per cent of returnees had been internally displaced, while 17 per cent returned from neighbouring countries, including Egypt, South Sudan, and Libya, as well as from the Gulf States.

However, across areas in Darfur and Kordofan where violence continues to escalate, increased displacement has been recorded.

IOM warns that without adequate resources and renewed efforts toward peace, millions of families will remain trapped in protracted displacement and instability.

WHO: India on alert with two cases of Nipah virus in January

India has confirmed two cases of the sometimes-fatal Nipah virus this month in the eastern state of West Bengal, according to an update by the World Health Organization (WHO).

This is the seventh documented Nipah outbreak in India and the third in West Bengal, following outbreaks in 2001 and 2007.

The infected individuals are a male and a female nurse working at the same private hospital. As of last week, the male patient is recovering, while the female patient remains in critical condition.

Nipah is a virus transmitted mainly from bats to humans, sometimes through contaminated food or close contact. It can also spread from animals such as pigs to humans, and in some cases between people.

Nipah virus infection can range from asymptomatic illness to severe respiratory disease and fatal encephalitis.

Low transmission risk

Historically, Nipah outbreaks in the WHO Southeast Asia Region have been limited to Bangladesh and India, occurring sporadically or in small clusters. There have been no known instances of international spread through travel.

WHO says India has demonstrated its capacity to manage previous outbreaks well and public health measures are currently being implemented.

As of 27 January, no additional cases have been detected. The national government has deployed an outbreak response team to West Bengal to work closely with state authorities.

For Nipah, no licensed vaccine or treatment is currently available, making early detection and prevention essential.

$100 Million initiative launched to strengthen food security in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, the UN food agency (FAO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are implementing a $100 million initiative to bolster food and nutrition security and restore agricultural livelihoods for more than one million vulnerable people over the next two years.

Backbone of the economy

Although agriculture remains the backbone of Afghanistan’s rural economy, it continues to face challenges such as low productivity, restricted market opportunities, and repeated natural disasters.

The project will reach over 151,000 households – that’s just over a million people – including returnees, host communities, and disaster-affected families.

With millions of Afghans already facing mounting pressures and at risk of slipping into deeper acute food insecurity and malnutrition, there is an urgent need for sustained investment that goes beyond emergency response to strengthen long-term resilience.

In 2026, 17.4 million people are projected to face acute food insecurity, including 4.7 million classified as being in the emergency phase – just one away from famine conditions.

FAO has supported about 5.6 million people since 2022.

Through its partnership with ADB, millions more rural households will gain the tools and resources needed to produce food, safeguard livestock, and secure their families’ nutrition.

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World News in Brief: UN Support Office in Haiti, Goodwill Ambassador Theo James in Syria, urgent appeal for millions in DR Congo

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The office established through a resolution in September, will provide support to the new Gang Suppression Force and the UN political mission in the country (BINUH).

The Spokesperson’s updates included that Stephen McOwan has been selected as interim director of the office and he joined some 37 staff members already up and running in Port-au-Prince over the weekend.

Furthermore, a second office was established in Santo Domingo, capital of the neighbouring Dominican Republic last week, to provide resources, finance and travel services.

The country will also serve as a designated medical evacuation destination should the organization need it.

Mr. Dujarric added that the first air asset to be delivered, a helicopter, is now in Port-au-Prince, while more equipment is coming from the UN Logistics Base in Brindisi and from the UN’s now closed mission in Iraq (UNAMI).

Goodwill Ambassador Theo James ‘hopeful’ after visit to Syria

Walking through Damascus, the Syrian capital currently being rebuilt after years of conflict, British actor Theo James contemplated his own grandfather’s journey years ago, who was welcomed in Syria after escaping war in Greece.

“It’s a reminder that we all have the choice to provide safety to those fleeing conflict and persecution,” said the Hollywood star and UN refugee agency (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador.

Renewed clashes over the past weeks in northeast Syria have forced thousands to flee their homes, a year after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Mr. James visited the country this week in his capacity as a top advocate for UNHCR’s work, which is on the ground providing assistance to Syrian families. He visited Damascus, Zabadani and Eastern Ghouta, meeting families who have recently returned home.

Optimism despite crisis

“I am hopeful for the future after meeting with Syrians who chose to return to their homes – though for many people, not much is left,” said Mr. James.

However, almost 90 per cent of the population needs humanitarian assistance, according to UNHCR.

Mr. James added that much of the infrastructure is destroyed and access to basic services remains limited, among other struggles.

“That’s why UNHCR’s work in Syria is critical to ensure that those who return receive support,” he said.

New funding appeal for DR Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the humanitarian community have launched an urgent appeal for $1.4 billion to support millions in the country this year, the UN aid coordination (OCHA) agency announced on Wednesday.

In what OCHA characterised as one of the ‘most neglected humanitarian crises’, nearly 15 million people are in need of aid. Due to limited funding, however emphasis is on reaching the 7.3 million most vulnerable, down from 11 million last year.

Impossible choices

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC, Bruno Lemarquis, said “the combination of immense needs and limited resources, forces us to make extremely difficult, sometimes impossible, choices.”

The funding appeal focuses exclusively on areas affected by three major shocks: conflict, climate hazards, and recurrent epidemics. It covers 228 health zones, compared to 332 in 2025.

This drastic reduction comes in a humanitarian context that is already deeply disrupted, particularly in the east where the situation has continued to deteriorate since January 2025 following an offensive by M23 rebels.

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World News in Brief: Iran in the Human Rights Council, Myanmar election ‘fraud’, migration chief in Cyprus, Mozambique flood update

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Addressing the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mr. Türk said that although the “killing on the streets of Iran may have subsided…the brutality continues”.

He said that violent repression did not solve any of Iran’s problems but instead created conditions for further violations, instability and bloodshed.

“We have indications that the security forces made mass arrests in several cities, even pursuing injured people into hospitals, and detaining lawyers, human rights defenders, activists, and ordinary civilians,” he told diplomats.

Prosecutions ongoing

“The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office has reportedly opened criminal cases against athletes, actors, people involved in the movie industry, and the owners of cafes, on charges of supporting the protests,” Mr. Türk continued.

Protests erupted across Iran on 28 December in response to the collapse of the national currency, soaring inflation and worsening living conditions.

Also speaking at the Council, former international prosecutor Payam Akhavan described how one protester pretended to be dead in a body-bag for three days until his parents found him.

The civil society representative said that parents looking for their relatives usually started at hospitals, where “many of the wounded (protesters) have been abducted and killed”.

Others have been forced to sign confessions which blame imaginary “terrorists” for the murder of their children, Mr. Akhavan maintained.

He cited a medical report circulating among Iranian doctors that 16,500 people had been killed during the demonstrations. “The number increases by the day, because the killings haven’t stopped,” he said.

Rejection of Myanmar military’s ‘fraudulent’ election must be unequivocal: UN independent expert

The international community must unequivocally reject as illegitimate the election results in Myanmar and any power arrangement that follows, said Tom Andrews, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar on Friday.

The UN-appointed independent expert described the elections, which began in late December and are expected to be concluded this weekend, as ‘fraudulent’, urging countries not to accept the results.

“The junta is banking on the world’s fatigue, hoping that the international community will accept military rule dressed up in civilian clothing,” he said. “Governments must not allow that to happen.”

‘Fear and coercion’

The junta’s election scheme was marked by violence, low turnout and widespread coercion, said Mr. Andrews.

Voters reported being monitored and pressured by local authorities, with threats explicit or implied. Junta officials were pushing citizens to polling stations even as military jets bombed villages throughout the country.

Mr. Andrews added that the junta banned credible opposition parties, jailed popular political figures and muzzled the press, “crushing fundamental freedoms, and using fear and coercion to drive a reluctant electorate to the polls.”

UN migration chief backs EU presidency efforts on migration

This week, the UN migration agency (IOM) Chief Amy Pope concluded a visit to Cyprus after a round of high-level talks, which focused on advancing a comprehensive migration and asylum agenda.

“Cyprus knows what it means to be on the frontline – and that experience really matters right now,” said Ms Pope. “As the European Union (EU) moves from agreement to action, this is the moment to make sure policies really work – for migrants, for communities, and countries.

This trip marks the IOM Chief’s first visit to Cyprus in her current role, as Cyprus assumes the EU Council Presidency and the EU begins implementing the landmark Migration and Asylum Pact.

Humane returns

With persistent instability Afghanistan, Syria, Sudan and the Sahel, Ms Pope reaffirmed IOM’s support and engagement with the EU to ensure refugee returns are humane and dignified.

During her visit, she underscored the urgent need to address conditions along key migration routes, with IOM emphasising efforts to curb irregular migration, disrupt smuggling networks, meet humanitarian needs, and save lives.

Ms Pope also called for stronger migration data systems and evidence-based policymaking.

Nearly 600,000 people upended by Mozambique floods

Nearly 600,000 people have been affected by severe flooding across southern and central Mozambique. Weeks of heavy and sustained rainfall have caused homes to collapse and roads to wash away, displacing more than 73,000 people, according to figures from the IOM.

Flooding has been reported in 10 of Mozambique’s 11 provinces, with Gaza Province “hosting significant concentrations of displaced people”. Humanitarian response partners expect reported figures to rise as access to affected communities improves.

IOM teams there have described acute shortages of shelter, constraints on food and basic services, overcrowded centres, and limited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene – increasing the risk of waterborne diseases spreading.

Preliminary reports from the International Red Cross (IFRC) indicated between 50 and 60 deaths, a figure likely to rise as waters levels recede.

Response ahead of cyclone season

Following a Government request for international support on 16 January including air assets for search and rescue efforts, the IOM plans to appeal for up to $20 million to reinforce life-saving assistance and strengthen water, sanitation and hygiene.

With this being only the start of the cyclone season and dams at near capacity, representatives from the IFRC have underscored the need for investment in early warning systems, climate‑resilient infrastructure, and locally led preparedness.

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World News in Brief: Winter attacks in Ukraine, looming food aid cuts in Nigeria, drought in Kenya

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

They include attacks in Odesa region on Wednesday that killed a 17-year-old boy, according to UN child rights agency UNICEF which called for an “end to attacks on civilian areas and the infrastructure children rely on.”

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that attacks on the southeastern city of Kryvyi Rih on Wednesday had recommenced on Thursday.

Aid deliveries

“Teams delivered shelter materials to cover damaged homes and provided protection services to the affected residents,” OCHA said in a tweet, stressing that “the cold weather is worsening the needs, requiring urgent aid.”

Russia continues to target energy infrastructure in Ukraine, knocking out heat, electricity and water supply, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Tuesday.

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

Nigeria: Looming food aid cuts put one million at risk

More than a million people in northeast Nigeria could lose emergency food and nutrition assistance unless funding can be found “within weeks”, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Thursday.

Nigeria is facing one of the worst hunger crises in recent times, with nearly 35 million people projected to face acute and severe food insecurity during the lean season.

They include roughly 15,000 people in Borno state who risk falling into catastrophic hunger, which is one step away from famine. These are the worst levels of hunger recorded in a decade, WFP said. 

The crisis is unfolding amid renewed violence in the north which has devastated rural communities, displaced families and destroyed food reserves.

‘Catastrophic’ consequences

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

He warned of “catastrophic humanitarian, security and economic consequences” for Nigeria’s most vulnerable people, who had been forced to flee their homes in search of food and shelter.  

WFP is urgently seeking $129 million to sustain its operations in the northeast over the next six months, warning that this work could shut down unless funds are received.

People living in Turkana in northern Kenya are dealing with the impact of drought.

Kenya drought impacts over two million people

More than two million people in Kenya are facing worsening food insecurity in the wake of the October to December 2025 rainy season – among the driest on record, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

The prolonged drought has led to rising malnutrition rates, increased risk of disease outbreaks and disrupted access to essential health services.

Regional drought

The impacts are also being felt in neighbouring Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda, where millions more people are at risk due to similar weather patterns and water shortages.

In Kenya, 10 counties are currently experiencing drought conditions, one of which is in the “alarm” phase. Furthermore, another 13 counties in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) regions are showing signs of drought stress.

While severe, the emergency was part of a known seasonal risk, WHO said. The UN agency has supported the Kenyan authorities including by providing cholera kits, pneumonia kits and essential supplies, as well as pre-positioning equipment in high-risk counties before the drought intensified.

WHO stressed the need to mobilize urgently to ensure both people and livestock have access to adequate food supply and safe water, and to prevent the situation from worsening.

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World News in Brief: Food insecurity in Lebanon, Libya migrants freed, UNHCR tackles multiple emergencies – despite cuts

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

According to the latest UN-backed IPC Food Security Phase Classification report, around 874,000 people are facing crisis or emergency levels of acute food insecurity between November 2025 and March 2026.

Certain districts and areas have been more severely affected, particularly parts of Baalbek and El Hermel, Akkar, Baabda, Zahle, Saida, Bint Jbeil, Marjayoun, El Nabatieh, Tyre, and refugee communities.

This is the first assessment to include people who arrived from Syria after December 2024, recognising shifting displacement patterns and new vulnerabilities.

Assistance is essential

Looking ahead, the situation is expected to worsen rapidly due to a combination of factors, including reduced food assistance, economic pressures, and rising living costs.

Between April and July 2026, food insecurity will rise to 961,000 people, nearly 18 per cent of the population, according to the IPC report.

“People’s needs remain high, and predictable assistance will be essential to help people meet basic food needs and prevent further deterioration.” said Anne Valand, WFP representative and country director in Lebanon.

Migrants freed from abusive detention sites in eastern Libya

The UN migration agency (IOM) has deployed emergency teams to eastern Libya to assist hundreds of migrants released from illegal detention sites where they were held in appalling conditions.

Libyan authorities last week closed an unlawful detention facility in Ajdabiya, leading to the release of 195 migrants and the recovery of 21 bodies from a nearby burial site.

Initial investigations indicate the victims had been held captive and subjected to torture to extort ransom payments from their families.

Buried underground

In a separate operation in Kufra, security forces uncovered an underground detention site three metres below ground.

A total of 221 migrants and refugees were freed, including women and children, among them a one-month-old baby. At least ten people were transferred to hospital for urgent treatment after being held for prolonged periods in grossly inhumane conditions.

“These shocking cases highlight the severe risks faced by migrants who fall prey to criminal networks operating along migration routes,” said Nicoletta Giordano, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Libya.

IOM teams are providing medical screenings, referring urgent cases to hospitals and distributing warm clothing to survivors.

The agency welcomed efforts by Libyan authorities to rescue victims and launch investigations, while stressing the need to strengthen protection systems, dismantle trafficking networks and ensure accountability for perpetrators.

UNHCR responds to mounting crises despite funding shortfalls

Despite severe funding shortfalls, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, responded to a surge of complex emergencies and deepening long-running crises last year, according to its newly released 2025 Impact Report: Response to New Emergencies and Protracted Crises.

Throughout 2025, agency teams provided protection and assistance in some of the world’s most volatile settings.

They supported people fleeing renewed violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo into Burundi and Uganda, assisted those escaping fresh fighting in and beyond South Sudan, and helped millions of Afghans returning or being forced back from Iran and Pakistan.

Protracted crises also worsened. Ongoing conflict in Sudan, intensified attacks on Ukraine and escalating violence in Colombia triggered repeated displacement, further eroding already fragile living conditions.

Positive response

“In 2025, displacement occurred amid protracted conflict, recurrent disasters, and new outbreaks of violence,” said Ayaki Ito, UNHCR’s Director of Emergency and Programme Support.

“In this environment, UNHCR teams continued to respond to the needs of people forced to flee, even as severe resource constraints limited our capacity.”

Emergency support included clean water for half a million people in Sudan, cash assistance for Afghan and Syrian returnees, and more than a million services for displaced people inside Ukraine and in neighbouring host countries.

UNHCR warned that humanitarian needs are set to rise further in 2026 as conflicts continue to drive displacement affecting nearly 52 million people.

You can find additional background on UNHCR’s emergency response work, here.

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World News in Brief: Typhoon generation, disability rights in Myanmar, new refugee-led climate fund

Posted on December 28, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

After slamming into the island nation on 9 November with winds of around 185 kilometres per hour (or 115 miles per hour) leaving at least six dead, Super Typhoon Fung-wong hit homes, schools and access to health services across 16 regions, UNICEF reported on Thursday.

The archipelago has already been exhausted by multiple climate-related and geophysical shocks this year. Just days ago, more than 200 people died in the Typhoon Kalmaegi disaster.

From one crisis to another

“Children and their families are barely climbing out of one crisis before another strikes, pushing them back to zero,” said UNICEF Philippines Representative Kyungsun Kim.

The agency is carrying out joint assessments with the authorities and partners to determine the highest needs.

In addition to providing life-saving support, UNICEF prioritises child-centred climate policies, climate-resilient social services and mobilising climate financing to safeguard communities from natural shocks.

UN launches first refugee-led green fund to restore land and cut carbon

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has launched the Refugee Environmental Protection Fund, the first major refugee-led initiative using carbon finance to tackle deforestation, promote clean energy and create green jobs.

The new fund will start projects in Uganda and Rwanda, aiming over the next decade to restore more than 100,000 hectares of land and bring clean energy access to 1 million people.

Seeded in Uganda and Rwanda

In Uganda’s Bidibidi and Kyangwali settlements, activities will include reforestation, seedling production and the rollout of cleaner cooking technologies, expected to cut over 200,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year and create thousands of jobs for refugees and host communities.

In Rwanda’s Kigeme camp, the project will rehabilitate degraded hillsides, promote safer cooking for 15,000 people and support sustainable livelihoods through nursery management and soil conservation.

Revenues from verified carbon credits will be reinvested in local environmental projects, ensuring communities share the benefits.

“Refugees often live on the front lines of extreme weather,” said Siddhartha Sinha, UNHCR’s Head of Innovative Financing. “This fund helps them protect the land they depend on.”

Expansion is already being explored in Brazil and Bangladesh, linking environmental recovery with long-term community resilience.

Daily fight for survival for people with disabilities in Myanmar

Soldiers loyal to Myanmar’s military junta have reportedly executed, tortured and sexually assaulted persons with disabilities, trapping many in a daily fight for survival, according to a new report issued by the independent UN human rights expert for Myanmar.

Since seizing power in 2021, Myanmar’s military has ruled by force, violently targeting opposition, protests, ethnic minorities, and especially persons with disabilities, said Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews on Thursday.

Burned alive

“Dozens of persons with disabilities have been burned alive in their own homes as junta forces carried out campaigns of mass arson throughout the country,” he added.

Deep-rooted religious and cultural beliefs continue to perpetuate the isolation and disenfranchisement of people with disabilities in Myanmar, leaving them trapped in a vicious cycle of repression and discrimination, underscored the report.

“The widespread belief that impairments result from misdeeds in a past life not only fuels discrimination but is also internalised by persons with disabilities, leading many to withdraw from community life out of shame and an erosion of personal dignity”, said Mr. Andrews.

Nevertheless, a remarkable network of organisations, many led by persons with disabilities, continue to work against all odds to provide essential services and defend the rights of persons with disabilities.

“As a distracted world fixes its attention on other crises and conflicts, the situation of persons with disabilities in Myanmar has truly become a hidden crisis within a forgotten humanitarian catastrophe,” said the independent expert.

“It is critical that the world pay attention.”

Independent experts and Special Rapporteurs are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to report on specific human rights issues. They serve in a personal capacity and are not UN staff.

World News in Brief: Pandemic Treaty Update, DR Congo Ebola Response, More Casualties in Ukraine

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Pandemic Treaty

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the world’s first pandemic trety “a generational accomplishment”, while speaking at the start of a meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement, taking place in Geneva through Friday. It comes four months after countries adopted the pact.

Tedros said the next step “is to bring this historic achievement to fruition” by finalizing the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system. He urged countries to use this week to pave the way to developing the platform, with the ultimate goal of adoption next year.

“It is in every country’s interest that this process is not delayed any further. Because, as we are all aware, the next pandemic or major global health emergency is not a question of if, but when,” he said.

DR Congo: UN and partners support Ebola response in Kasai province

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is facing an Ebola outbreak in Kasai province, located in the southwest, with 35 confirmed cases including 27 deaths.

The UN and partners are supporting the Government in the response, the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General said on Monday in New York. Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that partners working in health have facilitated the delivery of over 350 doses of the Ebola vaccine to the Bulape health zone, the epicentre of the outbreak.

“We have also mobilized rapid response teams focusing on case detection and surveillance, clinical case management, infection and prevention control, and risk communication and community engagement,” he added.

Meanwhile, health partners are mobilizing to contain the outbreak. He warned, however, that gaps in medical supplies and logistical capacity are hindering the response, and urgent funding is needed.

Ukraine: Dozens of casualties reported in weekend hostilities

Hostilities continued over the weekend in Ukraine, with the Donetsk region particularly affected, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Monday.

Several civilians have been killed and 40 injured in the region since Friday, while local authorities also documented damage to nearly 190 civilian facilities, including homes, schools, a hospital and a pharmacy.

Other parts of Ukraine also experienced hostilities which damaged homes, farmland and other civilian infrastructure. Nearly 5,000 people remain without electricity in the Zaporizhzhia region.

OCHA said the continuing violence has forced more than 2,700 people, including roughly 340 children, to flee their homes between 12 and 14 September.

World News in Brief: Afghan quake update, diplomacy continues to end Sudan war, UN honours victims of 9/11

Posted on September 12, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Women and children face heightened risks, while operational challenges – including restrictions on female UN staff – threaten life-saving relief efforts.

The twin quakes, measuring 6.0 and 6.2, struck on 31 August and 4 September, flattening entire villages in Kunar, Nangarhar, Laghman and Nuristan provinces. Mountainous terrain and landslides blocked key roads, leaving air transport as the only reliable access.

Assessments indicate over 6,700 homes were destroyed or damaged, forcing most families to shelter in the open without privacy, clean water, or basic services.

Ensuring critical healthcare

UNFPA, the UN reproductive health agency, has deployed health teams to the hardest-hit areas, providing maternal and reproductive healthcare, psychosocial support and counselling. More than 9,500 people have received assistance so far.

“Women and children in particular are extremely traumatized,” said a psychosocial counsellor. “Our goal is to support their emotional and mental health and provide whatever assistance we can, including medicines and dignity kits.”

Among the affected, UNFPA estimates some 11,600 pregnant women face heightened risk due to limited access to health services.

“For pregnant women, a natural disaster can turn an already challenging time into a life-threatening crisis,” said UNFPA Representative Kwabena Asante-Ntiamoah.

World Health Organization (WHO) mobile teams have been deployed to provide trauma care, maternal and child health services, mental health support, immunizations, and emergency nutrition.

The agency has also dispatched 43 tonnes of medical supplies and provided over 4,500 consultations through its clinics.

Sudan: UN envoy heads to region in call for dialogue towards peace

The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, has travelled to East Africa to address the ongoing civil conflict there and push for negotiations towards a peace deal.

 In a post on X earlier this week, Mr. Lamamra called on combatants and political actors in Sudan “to engage in constructive dialogue leading to a sustainable solution.”

The goal of the visit is to make progress on the protection of civilians and to strengthen multilateral mediation efforts in the country.

Push for high level consultations

To achieve that, he is working together with the African Union to organize a ministerial-level consultative group meeting in Addis Ababa.

As the rival militaries continue to attack civilians and vital infrastructure, many displaced people and other communities are receiving reduced food assistance, or none at all.

“We continue to reiterate our calls for an end to this conflict that has left 25 million people acutely hungry,” said the UN Secretary General’s Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric at a press conference on Thursday.

UN honours 9/11 anniversary, stands with New Yorkers 

Marking the 24th anniversary of the 11 September terror attacks, the UN reaffirmed its enduring solidarity on Thursday with the people of New York, the city where it has been headquartered for nearly 80 years. 

“New York has hosted the United Nations for 80 years and has been the home to many of our colleagues, as well as to diplomats, staff, and of course all the Secretaries-General. We continue to stand in solidarity with the people of New York, as we did 24 years ago,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. 

The attacks on the twin towers of the World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan claimed nearly 3,000 lives from over 90 countries and left thousands more injured.

Decades later, survivors and first responders continue to face long-term health challenges, including respiratory illnesses, cancer, and mental health struggles. 

A place to call home

“New York City has hosted our UN Headquarters for decades and is the place many colleagues call home – so do I,” said Secretary-General António Guterres.

“Today, my thoughts are with everyone who lost loved ones on 9/11, and with all the people of New York City,” he added, in a social media post. 

The UN emphasised its ongoing commitment to commemorate the worst terror attack in US history, honouring the victims, and supporting New Yorkers as the city continues its journey of resilience and healing.

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World News in Brief: UN chief condemns Russian attacks on Ukraine, Gaza crisis continues, protecting civilians in DR Congo

Posted on September 9, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Secretary-General António Guterres said it marked a “further escalation” of the conflict.

Authorities reported more than 80 civilian casualties, including a national non-governmental organization (NGO) worker and her two-month-old son in Kyiv.

Other affected cities included Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kremenchuk, Kryvyi Rih and Kherson. Energy infrastructure was also hit, causing temporary power and water outages ahead of winter, with repair crews working to restore services.

“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They are unacceptable and must end immediately,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Monday at the regular news briefing in New York.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace in Ukraine, one that fully upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions,” he added.

Meanwhile, humanitarian support continues. On 5 September, UN agencies and partners delivered medical kits and hygiene supplies to roughly 1,000 people in several Donetsk villages, marking the tenth convoy to the region this year.

People seek food at a community kitchen in western Gaza City.

Gaza: Civilian toll continues to climb

Civilians in Gaza continue to face mounting deaths, displacement and famine as hostilities continue, with UN agencies warning that the window to prevent widespread starvation is closing.

According to local health authorities, some 67 people were killed and 320 injured in the past 24 hours, Mr. Dujarric said, adding that since the end of the ceasefire in mid-March nearly 12,000 people have died amid repeated displacement and attacks.

“We continue to condemn all killings of civilians,” he said.

The humanitarian situation remains dire. The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, noted urgent needs for food, water and shelter.

“Our colleagues remind us that over 80 per cent of Gaza is either under displacement orders or within militarized areas,” Mr. Dujarric added.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that over 100 people, a quarter of them children, have died from malnutrition since famine was confirmed in Gaza governorate.

Humanitarian operations remain heavily constrained.

Only 11 of 24 coordinated missions were facilitated on Sunday, including fuel collection at crossings, while others were denied or cancelled. Humanitarians were able to distribute water in northern Gaza and collect food shipments from Kerem Shalom, Karem Abu Salem and Zikim crossings.

UN peacekeepers in DR Congo continue to protect population against ‘grave danger’

Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to be protected against “grave danger” by United Nations peacekeepers, according to the head of UN Peace Operations.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix was speaking at the end of a mission to the DRC, where he visited the troubled Ituri and North Kivu regions.

Mr. Lacroix emphasised that hundreds of thousands of Congolese people, including displaced people, rely on the UN peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO for daily protection, particularly in the areas of Fataki and Beni, in North Kivu, where joint operations with the Congolese armed forces continue against armed groups.

USG Lacroix on the role of MONUSCO

Dire situation continues

The security situation in the eastern DRC remains dire, despite diplomatic efforts to bring lasting peace to the country.

The DRC is currently facing one of the most acute humanitarian emergencies in the world, with food insecurity on the rise and 5.9 million Congolese currently internally displaced.

“People are protected here by our MONUSCO colleagues, and they are provided with humanitarian support and protection”, said Mr. Lacroix adding that the UN remains committed to supporting government efforts towards peace and stability in the country.

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World News in Brief: Afghanistan quake update, Guterres in Papua New Guinea, Ebola returns to DR Congo, UN condemns attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Since the initial earthquake on Sunday in eastern Nangarhar province, landslides and several strong aftershocks have disrupted the work of rescue teams.

In an update, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said that access routes remain blocked in various locations including the districts of Chawkay and Nurgal, both in Kunar province, although the authorities have deployed earth-moving machinery to restore access.

Latest estimates indicate that approximately half a million people have been affected – including 263,000 children – while at least 5,000 homes have suffered partial or total damage.

Tremors continue

Among the UN agencies operating there, UN Habitat noted that the earthquake had caused massive upheaval in a remote region where recent returnees from Pakistan and Iran were just beginning to settle.

“There are still more earthquakes every day in the region, causing landslides and making access even harder,” said UN Habitat’s Stephanie Loose in the capital, Kabul.

She noted that women and girls were the main victims because of strict rules preventing them from leaving their homes alone.

“Many of them, due to cultural norms or restrictions imposed, didn’t dare to leave their houses; nor are there sufficient female doctors in the country, and I understand they are not able to reach the women who would need it,” Ms. Loose said.

Papua New Guinea’s on the frontline of climate change, warns Guterres

Papua New Guinea and the Pacific islands are climate change’s “Ground Zero” whose precious rain forests and ecosystems deserve the world’s support to ensure they’re protected, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.

Speaking from Papua New Guinea where he visited the world’s third largest rainforest and sat down with civil society representatives, António Guterres highlighted the challenges brought about by climate change in the region.

It’s the first ever visit to the southwest Pacific nation by a sitting Secretary-General.

Earlier, he repeated his warning that the 1.5 degree limit on the rise in global temperatures agreed to under the 2015 Paris Agreement remains in jeopardy.

And although scientists say that it is still possible to limit global warming, the UN chief urged countries to unveil their new national climate plans to reduce emissions and “seize the opportunities” arising from the renewable energy revolution.

New Ebola outbreak declared in DR Congo

Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have declared an outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Kasai province where 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths – including four health workers – have been reported as of Thursday.

The outbreak is concentrated in the Bulape and Mweka health zones in Kasai Province, in the south-central region of DRC. Symptoms of the rare – but severe – and often fatal illness, include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and haemorrhaging.

Samples tested on 3 September at the country’s National Institute of Biomedical Research in the capital Kinshasa confirmed the cause of the outbreak as the Ebola Zaire strain.

Experts deployed

A national Rapid Response Team assisted by UN World Health Organization (WHO) experts in epidemiology, infection prevention and control – as well as case management – has been deployed to Kasai province.

Communication experts have also been deployed to reach communities and help them understand how to protect themselves.

Additionally, WHO is delivering two tonnes of supplies including personal protective equipment, mobile laboratory equipment and medical supplies.

The area is difficult to reach and at least a day’s drive from the provincial capital Tshikapa, with few air links.

“We’re acting with determination to rapidly halt the spread of the virus and protect communities,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.

“Banking on the country’s long-standing expertise in controlling viral disease outbreaks, we’re working closely with the health authorities to quickly scale up key response measures to end the outbreak as soon as possible.”

Cases likely to rise

Case numbers are likely to increase as transmission is ongoing.

The country has a stockpile of treatments, as well as 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine already prepositioned in the capital city Kinshasa that will be quickly moved to Kasai to vaccinate contacts and frontline health workers.

The DRC’s last outbreak affected the northwestern Equateur province in April 2022.

It was brought under control in under three months thanks to the robust efforts of the health authorities. In Kasai province, previous outbreaks of Ebola virus disease were reported in 2007 and 2008. In the country overall, there have been 15 outbreaks since the disease was first identified in 1976.

UN condemns attack on peacekeepers in South Sudan

The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, has condemned an attack by a local armed group which targeted “blue helmets” in Western Equatoria state.

The militants subsequently seized a small cache of weapons and ammunition. The incident occurred while peacekeepers were conducting a patrol between Tambura and Mapuse.

“We emphasise that any attack against peacekeepers may constitute a war crime,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said at the daily press briefing in New York on Thursday.

“These peacekeepers are deployed to protect civilians at a time when access and security remain fragile across Western Equatoria,” he added.

Meanwhile, widespread flooding is also impacting hundreds of thousands of people in several parts of the world’s youngest nation, which became embroiled in civil war soon after gaining independence in 2011.

A fragile 2018 peace accord is in danger of unravelling amid fresh offensives and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

Flooding affects 270,000

Local reports suggest that over 270,000 people are affected by flooding in 12 counties across four states.

These areas were already grappling with floods, displacement, food security and cholera, said Mr. Dujarric, with farmland, homes and humanitarian facilities now submerged, disrupting access to education, health, nutrition and water services.

UN humanitarians say overcrowding at relocation sites has led to tensions among displaced families at the same time, reports of waterborne diseases and snake bites are increasing public health risks.

Peacekeepers serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have increased their presence and intensified vehicle patrols, navigating treacherous, rain-soaked routes both day and night.

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

Posted on September 4, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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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World News in Brief: Executions surge in Iran, nuclear test threat, Burkina Faso declares top official unwelcome

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

At least 841 people have been put to death by the Government of Iran since the beginning of the year, with ethnic minorities and migrants “disproportionately targeted”, said OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

Some executions have been carried out publicly, she added, with seven reported this year based on available information: “The real situation might be different. It might be worse given the lack of transparency in the use of the death penalty.”

Imminent executions

Eleven people now face imminent execution; six have been charged with “armed rebellion” owing to their alleged membership of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq group.

Five others are on death row in connection with their participation in the 2022 protests, following the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, who was detained by Iran’s so-called morality police for not wearing her hijab correctly.

Ms. Shamdasani reiterated calls from UN rights chief Volker Türk for Iran to impose a moratorium on the application of the capital punishment, as a step towards its abolition.

UN chief warns against ‘playing with fire’ as nuclear test threat looms

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a stark warning on the International Day against Nuclear Tests, urging world leaders to halt the threat of renewed detonations.

“Stop playing with fire. Now is the time to silence the bombs before they speak again,” he said in his message, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of the first nuclear test on 16 July 1945 – in the New Mexico desert under the Manhattan Project.

A deadly legacy

Since then, more than 2,000 nuclear tests have been carried out worldwide.

Atmospheric tests in the early decades of the nuclear era spread radioactive fallout across continents, contaminating land and seas, displacing communities and leaving survivors facing health crises passed down through generations.

The international day was declared by the UN General Assembly in 2009, following Kazakhstan’s closure of the Semipalatinsk test site.

It has since become a rallying point for governments, civil society and campaigners pressing for an end to nuclear testing and progress towards full disarmament.

Mr. Guterres stressed that nuclear testing remains a grave danger amid rising geopolitical tensions. He urged States to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), adopted by a large majority in 1996 but still not in force nearly three decades later.

“We must never forget the horrific legacy of over 2,000 nuclear tests,” the Secretary-General said. “The world cannot accept this.”

Burkina Faso declares UN Coordinator persona non grata

The UN chief has expressed regret of the decision by authorities in Burkina Faso to declare the UN’s Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Carol Flore-Smereczniak, persona non grata.

In a statement on Friday, António Guterres said that the transitional authorities had announced the diplomatic sanction declaring her unwelcome, on 18 August.

The UN chief expressed “full confidence” in her “professionalism and dedication and in the broader United Nations system in Burkina Faso.”

During her tenure, Ms. Flore-Smereczniak – who has now left the country – led UN efforts working closely with the Burkinabe authorities to support development initiatives and provide humanitarian assistance.

UN will continue to support Burkinabe

The statement stresses that the UN Charter makes clear the doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to UN officials, as staff members appointed by the Secretary-General are responsible solely to the Organization, and Member States undertake to respect their exclusively international character.

In line with the Charter, the United Nations enjoys privileges and immunities, including the right of its staff to remain and carry out their mandated work.

“Only the Secretary-General, as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Organization, has the authority to decide – after careful investigation – on the withdrawal of any United Nations official.”

Mr. Guterres reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to continue supporting the people of Burkina Faso, and to keep working with the national authorities.

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