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UN envoy urges renewed political push as Yemen tensions rise

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Hans Grundberg also warned that rising regional tensions risk dragging Yemen back into broader confrontation. 

“I ask this Council to remain united in supporting a credible path back to a political process, and I urge regional actors to align around the same purpose and to use their influence in a coordinated way to steer Yemenis toward engagement,” he said. 

A ‘fragile’ situation 

Since 2014, Yemeni government forces, who are backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and Houthi rebels have been fighting for full control of the fractured country.  

The internationally recognised authorities are largely based in the southern city of Aden while the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, control the capital Sana’a and large areas of the north and west.  

In recent months, forces affiliated with a separatist group in the south have advanced on more territory.  

Mr. Grundberg briefed from the Saudi capital Riyadh, where he held talks with Yemen’s newly appointed Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and members of the Presidential Leadership Council. 

He highlighted early positive signs in government areas, including improvements in the provision of electricity and payment of public sector salaries, and commended the appointment of three women cabinet ministers. 

“However, continued tensions, recent security incidents and demonstrations, where in some cases violence and loss of life has been reported, underscore the fragility of the situation,” he said. 

‘Protect recent gains’ 

He told the Council that the new cabinet “can protect recent gains by anchoring them in strengthened institutions and economic reforms”. 

Furthermore, a planned southern dialogue offers an opportunity to begin addressing long-standing grievances and build consensus on issues important to the region’s people and all Yemenis.  

Mr. Grundberg said that stabilisation in any part of the country will not be durable if the broader conflict is not addressed comprehensively. 

“It is high time to take decisive steps in that regard,” he said. “Without a wider negotiated political settlement to the conflict, gains will continue to remain vulnerable to reversal.” 

The way forward 

The UN envoy has been engaging with the warring parties, regional actors and the international community to explore ways to restart an inclusive political process in Yemen.  

His office has also held consultations with a diverse group of Yemenis, leading to three takeaways. 

The first calls for acknowledging what more than a decade of war has done to Yemen. Although the conflict has become more complex, the common objective has remained steady and firm. 

“Yemen needs an inclusive political process under UN auspices to reach a negotiated political settlement that can sustainably end the conflict, but getting there requires that the parties adopt a forward-looking approach,” he said. 

Restarting a political process will require engagement across political, economic and security issues in tandem “without making engagement in one track contingent on progress in another”, he added. 

The third point calls for a credible process that enables near-term agreements that reduce suffering and demonstrate progress. At the same time, space must be created for negotiations on longer-term issues, including the future shape of the State, security arrangements and principles of governance. 

Free detained staff 

The Special Envoy also used the briefing to reiterate his call for the unconditional release of scores of UN personnel who have been arbitrarily detained by the Houthis. 

Currently, 73 staff are locked up, along with representatives from civil society and diplomatic missions. 

“Many have been held incommunicado, with serious concerns about their conditions and wellbeing. Some have been referred to Ansar Allah’s special criminal court, which is proceeding with trials that fall far short of basic due process,” he said. 

He noted that this week marked a year since a staff member with the World Food Progamme (WFP) died while being held and no investigation has taken place. 

Houthis storm UN offices 

A senior official with the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, updated the Council on the humanitarian situation in Yemen. 

“As we have said in this Council before, these detentions of humanitarian workers are having a profound impact on operations,” Lisa Doughten, director of OCHA’s financing and outreach division, told ambassadors. 

She reported that the Houthi de facto authorities entered multiple UN offices in Sana’a on 29 January “without permission, commandeering equipment and vehicles”.  

They also continue to withhold clearances for UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flights to Marib, though flights to Sana’a resumed over the weekend following a month-long suspension.  

Millions in need 

The “interference and impediments” are happening when 22.3 million people – half the population – need humanitarian assistance this year, or nearly three million more than in 2025.  

Around 18 million face food insecurity, making Yemen the region’s most severe hunger crisis. It is also the country with the largest number of people experiencing emergency food security conditions, some 5.5 million. 

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In Bahrain; work, dignity and the quiet rise of home-grown enterprise

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Their experiences underline a broader message: inclusive economic growth depends on opening space for those too often excluded, including people with disabilities, youth and home-based innovators.

Entrepreneur by necessity

For Shaymaa Saeed, a young Egyptian crochet designer and handicrafts artist with a disability, entrepreneurship was not a lifestyle choice but a necessity. Health challenges prevented her from securing formal work, pushing her to rethink how she could earn a living.

“I started my project from home in 2018 due to health challenges, after I was unable to secure a job,” she told UN News. 

Instead of giving up, I turned my hobby into a source of income

What began as a personal coping strategy gradually became a viable business. Ms. Saeed went on to take part in some of Egypt’s largest handicrafts exhibitions, building confidence and visibility along the way. 

Recently, she presented her work outside her home country for the first time, marking a significant milestone in her journey.

Stepping on stage

“My participation marks my first step onto the international stage,” she said, pointing to the role of entrepreneurship training and institutional backing. “The support I received helped me grow personally and professionally, with greater confidence.”

UN News/Abdul Monem Makki

Shaymaa Saeed, a young Egyptian entrepreneur who’s attending WEIF in Bahrain.

All the issues raised by Ms. Saeed’s experiences are up for discussion during this week’s Sixth World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum (WEIF), in the Bahraini capital, Manama, where a parallel exhibition on home-based entrepreneurship is showcasing how targeted support can turn personal challenges into economic opportunity. 

Organised by the UN Industrial Development Organization’s (UNIDO) International Technology and Innovation Promotion Office in Bahrain, the gathering is bringing together entrepreneurs, policymakers and investors from dozens of countries.

Big dreams

Ms. Saeed’s enterprise remains entirely home-based and online, but her ambitions extend well beyond that. “I do not yet have a physical store, but I dream of having my own space to showcase and sell my work, and of reaching markets across the world as a successful small business.”

Ms. Saeed is candid about the realities of building a business from scratch. “Success does not come overnight,” she said. “It is a continuous journey of effort, learning and development.”

I dream of having my own space to showcase and sell my work, and of reaching markets across the world

Similar themes are emerging from other women using art and entrepreneurship as vehicles for agency and expression. 

Bahraini visual artist and art teacher Mariam Sayed Anwar, who also lives with a disability, described creativity as both discipline and emotional release.

“My work moves between still life, portraits, charcoal, pencil and acrylic,” she explained, stressing the importance of experimentation. “I never limit myself to just one medium.”

For her, art communicates what language sometimes cannot. “Through paint and brushes, I can express what is in my heart and soul more than writing ever could. Art is my language; when words fall silent, my work speaks for me.”

UN News/Abdul Monem Makki

A woman speaker takes the stage at the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum 2026 in Manama, Bahrain.

International exposure

Beyond individual stories, entrepreneurs from Africa gathering in Bahrain are highlighting the structural conditions that shape success or failure. 

Zimbabwean entrepreneur Dr. Roselyn Musaruru-Wacharewa said exposure to international networks had reshaped her understanding of what is possible – not  just for individual women, but for entire regions.

UN News/Abdul Monem Makki

From Zimbabwe, entrepreneur Dr. Roselyn Musaruru-Wacharewa describes how exposure to international platforms in Bahrain has reshaped her outlook.

“In many African countries, governments tax entrepreneurs so heavily that it feels like they want you out of business,” she said, contrasting this with environments where policy actively encourages enterprise. 

Her appeal was blunt: African women entrepreneurs are ready, but governments must “change the narrative and give them real access and recognition”.

Guterres underlines private sector role

The importance of creating such enabling conditions was echoed by UN leaders and national officials, though the emphasis remained on outcomes rather than rhetoric. 

In his message delivered in Bahrain on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres underlined the private sector’s role as an engine of jobs, innovation and investment, particularly through micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for roughly two-thirds of global employment. 

He stressed that growth must go hand in hand with respect for human rights and labour standards, and with expanding opportunities for those left behind.

UNIDO officials highlighted youth and women as central drivers of innovation, while Bahraini authorities pointed to national initiatives supporting young and women entrepreneurs, alongside strategies embracing artificial intelligence and new technologies.

Lived experience

Yet the strongest arguments for inclusive growth came not from policy statements, but from lived experience. 

From home-based businesses run entirely online, to art that speaks where words fail, entrepreneurs like Shaymaa Saeed illustrate what becomes possible when talent meets opportunity – and what is lost when barriers remain.

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

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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 and denigration of migrants and refugees.”

He warned that fear generated by such federal operations is rippling through communities, with children missing school and medical appointments, out of concern that their parents may not return.

“Those who dare to speak up or protest peacefully against heavy-handed immigration raids are vilified and threatened by officials, and on occasion subjected to arbitrary violence themselves,” Mr. Türk said.

He said numerous migration policies now being implemented by US authorities are resulting in arbitrary and unlawful arrests and detentions, as well as flawed removal decisions. He expressed concern that enforcement actions often lacked sufficient individualised assessments.

Due process

US immigration enforcement is primarily carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal agency responsible for identifying, arresting, detaining and removing non-citizens deemed to be in violation of immigration law.

Mr. Türk stressed that while national governments have the authority to establish and enforce migration policies, those powers must be exercised in full accordance with the law. Failure to respect due process, he said, risks eroding public trust, weakening institutional legitimacy and violating individuals’ rights.

He also deplored Washington’s use of large-scale enforcement operations, raising concerns that force has at times appeared unnecessary or disproportionate.

On 7 January 2026, a woman was fatally shot in Minnesota’s largest city, Minneapolis, during an operation involving federal officers.

“Under international law, the intentional use of lethal force is only permissible as a measure of last resort against an individual representing an imminent threat to life,” Mr. Türk said.

Families torn apart

The UN rights chief highlighted the human cost of these practices, particularly for families.

Mr. Türk cited cases in which parents were detained or transferred between facilities without adequate information being provided about their whereabouts or access to legal counsel, making it difficult to maintain family contact or pursue legal remedies.

“I call on the administration to end practices that are tearing apart families,” said the High Commissioner. He also called for independent and transparent investigations into a reported rise in the number of deaths in ICE custody.

At least 30 deaths were reported last year, with six more so far this year.

‘Xenophobic hostility’

Mr. Türk also expressed deep concern over what he described as “dehumanising narratives” used by some Government officials to portray migrants and refugees.

“I call on leaders at all levels in the US to halt the use of scapegoating tactics that seek to distract and divide, and which increase the exposure of migrants and refugees to xenophobic hostility and abuse,” he said.

He also recognised the efforts of a wide range of public officials, community groups and civil society representatives across the US, who are working to uphold dignity, fairness and accountability in the treatment of migrants and their communities.

Net benefits of migration

He highlighted that the US’ history has been “shaped profoundly” by the contributions that migrants, from all parts of the world, have made and continue to make.

“Demonising migrants and refugees collectively as criminals, threats, or burdens on society – based on their origin, nationality or migration status – is inhuman, wrong, and it goes against the very fabric and foundations of the nation,” he warned.

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Asia: Lives upended by cyclones, ‘extreme’ rainfall on the rise, warn UN agencies

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World Meteorological Organization (WMO) spokesperson Clare Nullis told reporters in Geneva that Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Viet Nam are among the countries most affected by what she described as “a combination of monsoon-related rainfall and tropical cyclone activity”.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his deep sadness over the tragic loss of life across the region.

In a statement released by his Spokesperson he conveyed condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his solidarity with all those impacted.

UN ready to support all relief efforts

“The United Nations is in close contact with authorities in all four countries and stands ready to support relief and response efforts. UN Country Teams remain at the disposal of Governments to provide necessary assistance.”

“Asia is very, very vulnerable to floods,” WMO’s Ms. Nullis said, explaining that flooding consistently tops the list of climate hazards in the region, according to WMO’s annual State Of The Climate reports.

However, she said that tropical cyclones such as Senyar, which last week brought “torrential rainfall and widespread flooding and landslides” across northern Sumatra in Indonesia, peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand, are rare so close to the Equator.

“It’s not something that we see very often and it means the impacts are magnified because local communities… have got no experience in this,” she stressed.

Hundreds killed

The UN weather agency spokesperson quoted Tuesday’s figures from the Indonesian National Disaster Office indicating 604 fatalities, 464 people missing and 2,600 injured. In total, some 1.5 million people have been affected in Indonesia and more than 570,000 have been displaced.

Turning to Viet Nam, Ms. Nullis said that the south Asian nation has been “battered now for weeks” and is “bracing for yet more heavy rainfall”.

“Exceptional rains in the past few weeks have flooded historic sites, popular tourist resorts and caused massive damages,” she said.

1.79 metres of rain in a day

In late October, one meteorological station in central Viet Nam recorded a national 24-hour rainfall record of 1,739 millimetres, which Ms. Nullis described as “really enormous”.

“It’s the second-highest known total anywhere in the world for 24-hour rainfall,” she said.

This exceptionally high value is currently subject to a formal WMO extremes evaluation committee. According to the agency, a value above 1,700 mm would constitute a record for the Northern Hemisphere and Asia.

Ricardo Pires, spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), described what he called a “fast-moving humanitarian emergency” in Sri Lanka, after Cyclone Ditwah made landfall on the country’s east coast last week, affecting some 1.4 million people including 275,000 children.

“With communications down and roads blocked, the true number of children impacted is likely even higher,” Mr. Pires warned. “Homes have been swept away, entire communities isolated, and the essential services children rely on, such as water, healthcare and schooling have been severely disrupted.”

The UNICEF spokesperson stressed that displacement has forced families into unsafe and overcrowded shelters, while the flooding and damaged water systems are increasing disease outbreak risks.

“The needs far outweigh the available resources right now,” he insisted, in an appeal for additional humanitarian funding and support for the most vulnerable.

Commenting on the intensity of the devastating weather events WMO’s Ms. Nullis explained that rising temperatures “increase the potential risk of more extreme rainfall because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture”.

“That’s the law of physics…we are seeing more extreme rainfall and we will continue to do so in the future,” she concluded.

Record rise in carbon dioxide levels during 2024: UN weather agency

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The surge was driven by continued human emissions, more wildfire activity and weakened absorption by land and ocean “sinks” – a development that threatens to create a vicious climate cycle.

Tripling since the 1960s

The WMO’s latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin shows that CO₂ growth rates have tripled since the 1960s, accelerating from an annual average increase of 0.8 parts per million (ppm) to 2.4 ppm per year, in the decade from 2011 to 2020.

The rate jumped by a record 3.5 ppm between 2023 and 2024 – the largest increase since monitoring began in 1957.

Average concentrations reached 423.9 ppm in 2024, up from 377.1 ppm when the bulletin was first published in 2004.

Roughly half of  CO₂ emitted remains in the atmosphere, while the rest is absorbed by land and oceans; storage that is weakening as warming reduces ocean solubility and worsens drought.

The 2024 spike was likely amplified by an uptick in wildfires and a reduced uptake of CO₂ by land and the ocean in 2024 – the warmest year on record, with a strong El Niño weather pattern effect.

“There is concern that terrestrial and ocean CO₂ sinks are becoming less effective, which will increase the amount of CO₂ that stays in the atmosphere, thereby accelerating global warming. Sustained and strengthened greenhouse gas monitoring is critical to understanding these loops,” said Oksana Tarasova, WMO senior scientific officer who coordinates the bulletin research.

Other record highs

Methane and nitrous oxide – the second and third most significant long-lived greenhouse gases – also set new emission records.

Methane levels rose to 1,942 ppb, 166 per cent above pre-industrial levels, while nitrous oxide hit 338 ppb – a 25 per cent increase.

“The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather. Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security and community well-being,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.

Monitoring and action

The WMO issued the report ahead of the COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, beginning in November, emphasising that sustained global monitoring is vital for guiding climate action.

Shipping faces ‘stormy seas’ as trade slows and costs rise

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After firm expansion last year, seaborne trade volumes are forecast to rise by just 0.5 per cent in 2025, the slowest pace in years, according to the agency’s Review of Maritime Transport 2025, launched in Geneva.

The slowdown comes as geopolitical tensions, new trade barriers and climate pressures reshape shipping routes, push up costs and expose vulnerabilities in the global economy.

“The transitions ahead – to zero carbon, to digital systems, to new trade routes – must be just transitions,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan. “They must empower, not exclude. They must build resilience, not deepen vulnerability.”

Routes in flux, costs rising

Shipping carries over 80 per cent of the world’s merchandise for export and import, making it a critical barometer of global commerce.

UNCTAD reported that rerouting caused by crises in the Red Sea in 2024 and continuing tensions near the Strait of Hormuz have forced ships onto longer journeys, adding delays and costs.

At the Geneva launch, Regina Asariotis, Chief of UNCTAD’s Trade Logistics Branch, warned that vulnerable economies are paying the heaviest price:

“The global environment has become more complex. Geopolitical tensions are forcing costly reroutings, tariffs are disrupting trade flows, and freight rates are high and volatile.

Small island developing States, least developed countries, and net food importing nations are the most vulnerable, because higher freight costs quickly translate into more expensive imports and food insecurity.”

Ports under pressure

Global ports are struggling with congestion, longer waiting times and the pressure to modernise. UNCTAD highlighted the urgent need to invest in digital systems such as maritime single windows and port community platforms to cut costs and delays.

But many developing countries continue to lag behind in digitalisation. With cyber threats on the rise, the report warns that cybersecurity has become a critical priority for maritime logistics.

Climate challenge

The shipping industry’s greenhouse gas emissions rose by five per cent in 2024, the report said. Yet only eight per cent of the world fleet’s tonnage is currently equipped to use alternative fuels.

The International Maritime Organization will consider a Net-Zero Framework in October, including a global fuel standard and carbon pricing mechanism. UNCTAD says clear regulatory signals, fleet renewal and new fuel infrastructure are vital to reduce emissions.

Human cost at sea

Beyond trade flows and emissions, the report stressed the human toll. Seafarer abandonment cases reached a record high in 2024, leaving crews stranded without pay or support.

Amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention entering into force in 2027 will strengthen rights to repatriation and shore leave, but UNCTAD stressed that effective enforcement is essential.

Policy priorities

The review calls for governments and industry to work together on:

  • Stable trade policies to reduce uncertainty and restore confidence in supply chains;
  • Investment in sustainable, green and resilient port and shipping infrastructure;
  • Faster digitalisation and stronger cybersecurity;
  • Fleet renewal and cleaner fuels; and
  • Support for vulnerable economies to mitigate higher costs.

“Persistent high transport costs risk hitting developing countries the hardest,” Ms. Grynspan said. “Maritime transport must be resilient, inclusive and sustainable if we are to weather the turbulent waters ahead.”

Air pollution is on the rise – but not everywhere, says UN weather agency

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“Air quality respects no boundaries,” said Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). “The smoke and the pollution that issues from the wildfires in this record-breaking season in the Iberian Peninsula has been detected over Western Europe already [and]…can travel basically throughout the rest of the European continent.”

Presenting the latest WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin which crunches data from different global datasets, Mr. Labrador announced a continuing pattern of pollution “degradation” worldwide.

He pointed to a map of the world in 2024 showing telltale fine particle markers known as “PM 2.5” from wildfires concentrated in deep red blotches in Chile, Brazil and Ecuador, along with Canada, central Africa and Siberia.

The data confirms a disturbing trend in air quality loss already noted in previous years.

“We know that the wildfire season has the tendency to be stronger and longer every year, as a result of climate change,” Mr. Labrador explained.

China, Europe provide hope

In more positive news, the WMO scientist underscored a reduction in emissions in some parts of the world, “particularly eastern China and Europe, year on year”.

“When we see that countries or regions or cities are taking measures to fight against bad air quality, it works,” said Paolo Laj, Head of WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Programme.

A good example is eastern China, in cities such as Shanghai, where progress has been made to boost air quality by opening more parks and planting more trees.

And although there is still heavy vehicle traffic, many are now electric, WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis noted.

Despite these successes, very few cities worldwide have air quality levels below those recommended by the UN World Health Organization (WHO), stressed WMO’s Mr Laj. “This means that, despite recent improvements, air quality remains a significant public health concern.”

He explained that although main pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) are decreasing as emission controls kick in, ground-level ozone levels – the main ingredient of smog – have not declined.

“This is partly a consequence of global warming, as ozone is a secondary pollutant formed through chemical reactions in the atmosphere that require sunlight,” Mr. Laj continued.

Covering wildfires, winter fog, shipping emissions and pollution in urban spaces, the WMO air quality bulletin highlights the close connection between air quality and climate change.

“Climate change and air quality cannot be addressed in isolation. They go hand-in-hand and must be tackled together in order to protect the health of our planet, our communities and our economies,” said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett.

The UN is leading efforts to tackle household air pollution which is one of the world’s greatest public health threats and particularly harmful for children.

“The good news is that cleaner cooking technology is plentiful, relatively inexpensive, and already helping to save lives,” insisted Martina Otto, Head of Secretariat of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition hosted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

“The challenge now is to get this technology into the hands of more people.”

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Cooling La Niña could be back, but global temperatures set to rise: WMO

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Latest data shared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) indicates a 55 per cent likelihood that sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific will cool to La Niña levels from September to November.

About 90 per cent of the excess heat from global warming is stored in the ocean, making ocean heat content a critical indicator of climate change. 

“For October to December 2025, the probability of La Niña conditions slightly increases to about 60 per cent. There is little chance of El Niño developing during September to December,” WMO said in an update.

According to the UN agency, there is a smaller chance (45 per cent) that Pacific temperatures will stay as they have for the past six months, when neither the cooling La Niña nor its opposite number, the warming El Niño, caused unusual spikes or dips in sea surface temperatures.

Lifesaving insight

The UN agency’s forecast for the El Niño Southern Oscillation phenomenon is an important climate intelligence tool which could “save thousands of lives when used to guide preparedness and response actions”, insisted WMO Secretary-General, Celeste Saulo.

The information could also translate into millions of dollars of savings in agriculture, energy, health and transport, she said.

Important as La Niña and El Niño are in shaping our climate by altering ocean surface temperatures and impacting changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns, human-induced climate change is still “increasing global temperatures, exacerbating extreme weather, and impacting seasonal rainfall and temperature patterns”, WMO noted.

Each year of the past decade has been the top 10 warmest on record, the UN agency warned earlier this year, with 2024 the hottest yet, with “exceptional land and sea surface temperatures and ocean heat”.

Citing six international datasets, WMO said that global average surface temperature was 1.55 °C (34.79F) above the 1850-1900 average.

“Blazing temperatures in 2024 require trail-blazing climate action in 2025,” said UN Secretary-General Antóno Guterres at the time. “There’s still time to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe. But leaders must act – now,” he insisted.

Other key climate phenomena that influence global temperature include the North Atlantic Oscillation, the Arctic Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole. Their impact on surface temperatures and rainfall are monitored by WMO and published in regular Global Seasonal Climate Updates (GSCU).

The latest Update indicates that for September to November, temperatures are expected to be above normal in much of the Northern hemisphere and large parts of the southern hemisphere.

Rainfall predictions are expected to be similar to those typically observed during a moderate La Niña, the WMO assessment noted.

From dough to dough: Bahraini chefs rise with sweet, spicy success

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What started as a simple joy of making cookies for family and friends soon blossomed into Brown Sugar, a brand that embodies both her love for desserts and her journey towards independence.

“I used to love eating sweets,” Eman Fareed, a mother and retired civil servant, told UN News while baking in her kitchen.

“At first, I baked biscuits just for my family. They loved the taste, and soon, my friends started encouraging me to sell them. That’s when I realised I could turn this into something bigger.”

Part of a grassroots model

She is among the beneficiaries of Kaaf Humanitarian, a non-profit organization (NGO) launched in Bahrain in 2021 that has become a grassroots model for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by empowering individuals and communities for self-reliance.

Kaaf displayed the fruit of its efforts, including spices and cookies made by Ms. Fareed and others at an exhibit during the fifth World Entrepreneurship Investment Forum (WEIF), held in Manama, Bahrain, in 2024 and facilitated by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in Bahrain.

As for the forum, members endorsed the Manama Declaration, calling on the international community to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to achieve the SDGs, with a strong emphasis on including productive families.

What’s a ‘productive family’?

Saud Al Mahmood, a public relations specialist with Kaaf Humanitarian, said productive families are those “that rely on the skills of their members to provide for the family and improve their standards of living”.

“Helping productive families is very important because it’s not just about helping individuals; it’s about helping the whole family,” he said, noting that Kaaf provides families with the training and tools they need to improve their products and compete in the market.

“Our work addresses many SDGs, including those related to water, food and shelter, as well as improving the economy. We are always encouraged to collaborate with the United Nations and other organizations.”

After baking her cookies, Eman Fareed packages them in an attractive box branded with her business name.

A passion for spices

Noora Khalid Musaifer, another Kaaf beneficiary, said she was inspired by her mother’s love for cooking and roasting coffee.

After getting married, she began blending Bahraini spices and, over time, expanded to include different spice grades, daqoos pepper and coffee roasting, all made with high-quality ingredients and under the brand name Mallawal.

She processes the spices – washing, drying, roasting and packaging – at home. While she initially sold them under her brand from home, participation in exhibitions and opportunities emerging through the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine helped her business flourish.

From investment to branding

A key factor in Ms. Fareed and Ms. Musaifer’s successful journey was the support of Kaaf Humanitarian, which provided them with financial backing, packaging materials and branding assistance.

Ms. Musaifer is the breadwinner for her family, having been making spices for 20 years and joining Kaaf a decade ago.

“Their financial support has enabled me to procure high-quality spices,” she said, adding that some of the spices she gets from the market or Bahraini companies that import them come from India and are very expensive.

Noora Khalid Musaifer received trainings to become a successful entrepreneur.

Social media as a marketing tool

Ms. Fareed said Kaaf Humanitarian has been a pillar of her success in the baking field.

“Technology is crucial in today’s world, and they helped me adapt.”

She started her business after retiring in 2014, but initially lacked guidance on how to expand it.

“When I joined Kaaf Humanitarian, they trained me in business management, social skills and digital marketing,” she said, underscoring that the NGO gave her both financial and moral support. “They taught me how to take professional photos of my products and maximise online sales.”

Women’s capacity building

One afternoon, 15 women entrepreneurs gathered for a training session at Kaaf Humanitarian House in the suburbs of Manama, each bringing their products to share with others, showcasing their mastery of skills.

“They are housewives. Some used to work, but now they work from home,” said Budoor Buhijji, a university lecturer who led the session.

“They run small entrepreneurial projects: food, sweets, spices, chocolates, pens and handicraft products they can sell in their communities. And they hope to expand beyond their community and go international.”

Challenges and dreams for the future

As a female entrepreneur in a traditionally male-dominated business environment, Ms. Musaifer sees her success as a testament to the strength of Bahraini women, being able to balance work and family responsibilities.

Kaaf Humanitarian empowers women through entrepreneurship training and provides them with opportunities to market and sell their products.

“I dream of opening a shop under my name, where I can continue making handmade spices and traditional foods,” she said,

For Ms. Fareed, being a businesswoman in Bahrain is already an achievement as business has traditionally been male dominated.

“In my family, women were not encouraged to work alongside men or manage businesses, but over time, my father saw my strength and supported me,” she said. “Now, I feel confident and empowered.”

Looking ahead, she dreams of expanding her business into a factory.

“I want to build something big, have my own team, and leave behind a legacy for my children. One day, I will tell them the story of how I became a strong, independent woman.”

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

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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.

“The Secretary-General calls for an independent and impartial investigation into these latest killings.” 

Respect the press

Mr. Dujarric pointed out that at least 242 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the war began nearly three years ago.

“The Secretary-General underscores that journalists and media workers must be respected, they must be protected and they must be allowed to carry out their work freely, free from fear and free from harassment,” he said.

© UNICEF/Mohammed Nateel

A child suffering from malnutrition lies on a bed in the Patient Society Hospital in Gaza City.

Hungry children dying

Meanwhile, the number of children in Gaza who have died from malnutrition since October 2023 has surpassed 100, according to the Gazan health authorities, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said in an update.

More than a third of the population is not eating for days at a time, according to the UN World Food Population (WFP).  Furthermore, acute malnutrition is spiking, with over 300,000 children at severe risk.

This comes amidst a recent warning by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that a mere 1.5 per cent of cropland in the enclave remains both accessible and undamaged, “signaling a near-total collapse of the local production of food.”

Aid taken from trucks

On the aid front, the UN and its partners collected food and hygiene kits from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem border crossing on Wednesday.

“However, supplies were offloaded directly from these trucks before reaching their destination, given the extreme desperation pervasive in Gaza today,” OCHA said.

The agency stressed that people there “need a predictable lifeline – not a trickle of aid – so they do not feel they need to take desperate measures to survive.”

WFP said that just to cover basic humanitarian food assistance needs, more than 62,000 metric tonnes are required to enter Gaza every month, and so far, humanitarians have not been permitted to bring in enough supplies to support the population. 

Fuel shortages continue

Humanitarians also collected fuel from the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday. Israel is allowing, on average, the entry of about 150,000 litres of fuel daily, which is still far below the minimum required. As a result, life-saving operations continue to be at risk.

The Palestine Civil Defence organization has warned that more than half of their ambulances have stopped operating across Gaza due to the shortage of both fuel and spare parts. 

“Israeli authorities must allow aid to enter through all crossings and via all available corridors so that humanitarians can deliver – at scale, in a safe and dignified manner – to reach the most vulnerable, including women, children and older people,” OCHA said. 

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

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“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 61,158 Palestinians have been killed and more than 151,000 injured since October, amid relentless Israeli bombardment and ground operations.

UNRWA said nearly 350 of its own staff are among the dead since Israel’s military operation in Gaza began following the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led terror attacks.

Many civilians have been killed while sheltering in schools or tents, or while queuing for food.

Food insecurity is now acute. UN data show 193 people — including 96 children — have died from malnutrition since the start of August, with July seeing the highest monthly rate of acute malnutrition recorded in children under five.

Soaring prices

Wheat flour prices have soared by up to 15,000 per cent compared to pre-war levels. “Sustained, large-scale deliveries are the only way to stabilise food supplies and prices,” UNRWA stressed.

Health services are close to collapse. More than half of essential medical supplies are already out of stock, and hospitals have been forced to ration fuel for generators. UNRWA teams have nevertheless managed over 1.5 million health consultations since March, but “without resupply, our ability to save lives is dwindling,” the agency warned.

Vast scale of displacement

Displacement is on a vast scale: 1.9 million people — around 90 per cent of Gaza’s population — have been forced from their homes, many repeatedly. Nearly 100,000 are crammed into over 60 UNRWA-run shelters.

In the northern Israeli-occupied West Bank, around 30,000 people from Nur Shams, Tulkarm and Jenin refugee camps remain unable to return home due to Israel’s “Iron Wall” military operation, ongoing since January.

The agency urged immediate, unhindered humanitarian access. “We need the world to act — to open the crossings, to stop the suffering, and to uphold the most basic principles of humanity,” it said.

The UN Security Council is due to meet in New York in emergency session on Sunday morning local time to discuss the Israeli cabinet’s endorsement of a military takeover of Gaza City which is home to around one million Palestinians.

World News in Brief: Houthi-Israel tensions, Sudan cholera cases rise, deadly attacks in Ukraine

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These strikes occurred while the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement – established in 2018 to support the ceasefire between the Government of Yemen and the Houthis – was patrolling at locations to the northern parts of the Port. 

The Secretary-General also expressed deep concern about the continuing missile and drone strikes conducted by the Houthis against Israel. 

Risk of further escalation

Concerned about the risk of further escalation, the UN recalled that international law, together with international humanitarian law, must be respected by all parties at all times, including the obligations to respect and protect civilian infrastructure. 

“The Secretary-General remains profoundly concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region,” said Mr. Dujarric. 

As the UN Chief reiterated his call for “all involved to cease all military actions and exercise maximum restraint,” he also renewed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN and other personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthi authorities. 

Sudan: Crisis worsens as cholera and floods drive needs higher  

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan continues to deepen as cholera spreads, flooding displaces communities, and thousands of people return to areas with little to no support, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

In the locality of Tawiola, in North Darfur State, over 1,300 confirmed cases of cholera in just one week were reported on Sunday by an association of Sudanese doctors. 

While local and international partners have set up cholera treatment centres, the current capacity is far from sufficient to cope with the rising caseload.  

As Tawila hosts several hundred thousand displaced people, partners on the ground have been struggling to keep pace with the growing needs, notably as such needs are set to increase as the upcoming rainy season sets in. 

Vulnerable returnees 

Across Sudan, people returning to their communities face serious challenges, including the lack of essential services and the threat posed by explosive remnants of war. 

In White Nile State, some residents have begun returning after being displaced for a year. Yet, an assessment by OCHA and its partners last week found that health, water, sanitation and hygiene support is urgently needed, even more so ahead of the rainy season.

Similarly, in eastern Sudan, OCHA warns that many families returning to Kassala State are struggling to cope with the impact of heavy rains and flooding, as heavy rains destroyed more than 280 homes in the village of Tirik earlier in July. 

Additionally, as insecurity continues to impede the work of humanitarians, challenges faced by returnee families often lead them to return to displacement sites, undermining the sustainability of return efforts. 

In this context, OCHA called for increased international support to meet soaring needs across Sudan. 

Ukraine: At least 20 civilians reportedly killed in recent attacks  

In Ukraine, attacks over the weekend and into Monday reportedly killed over 20 civilians and injured more than 100 others, including several children, according to authorities.

The strikes affected the capital Kyiv, as well as western and front-line regions, damaging homes, schools, and a health facility.

In Kyiv, a kindergarten, metro stations, shops and residential buildings were hit. 

The Ivano-Frakivsk region in western Ukraine which hosts many displaced people and had previously been less affected by hostilities, suffered the largest attack since the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.  

Frontline regions  

Meanwhile, in areas near the frontlines in the Donetsk, Dnipro and Kherson regions, hostilities caused civilian casualties and further damage to schools, a health facility, and apartment buildings. Odesa, Kharkiv, Sumy and other regions also reported that homes and shops were destroyed.  

With support from UN agencies, and coordinating with local authorities and first respondents, humanitarian organizations on the ground continue to provide shelter materials, non-food items, legal aid, psychosocial support and assistance for children across the country.  

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Global demand for meat and dairy set to rise, but climate and nutrition gaps remain

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However, persistent nutritional gaps and mounting environmental pressures reveal a complex path ahead, according to a new study by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) – an influential international policy forum.

The Agricultural Outlook 2025-2034, released on Tuesday, projects a six per cent increase in global per capita consumption of animal-source foods by 2034 – beef, pork, poultry, fish, dairy and other animal products.  

The trend is most pronounced in lower middle-income countries, where intake is expected to rise by 24 per cent, far outpacing the global average.  

“These projections point to better nutrition for many people in developing countries,” said Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the FAO.

Agricultural Outlook 2025‑2034

Increased incomes, better diets – but not for all

The surge in consumption in middle-income economies is attributed largely to rising disposable incomes, changing dietary preferences and urbanisation. In these countries, daily per capita intake of animal-sourced foods is projected to reach 364 kilocalories, surpassing the 300 kcal benchmark.

At the same time, consumption in low-income countries will remain low – reaching just 143 kcal per day, less than half the amount deemed necessary for a healthy diet – highlighting stark inequalities in access to nutrient-rich diets and the challenges ahead to ensure everyone is food secure.

Mr. Qu urged greater efforts to ensure people in the lowest-income countries also benefit from improved nutrition and food security.

Production expanding but emissions rising

To meet rising demand, global agricultural and fish production is projected to increase by 14 per cent over the next decade, largely driven by productivity gains in middle-income nations.

Output of meat, dairy and eggs is expected to grow by 17 per cent, while total livestock inventories are projected to expand by seven per cent.

However, these gains come at an environmental cost: direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture are set to rise by six per cent by 2034, despite improvements in emissions intensity.

As production becomes more efficient, the emissions generated per unit of output will decline, but the overall footprint will still grow unless additional measures are taken.

Agricultural Outlook 2025‑2034

Other key findings

  • Cereal yields to grow 0.9 per cent annually, with harvested area expanding just 0.14 per cent per year – half the pace of the last decade
  • By 2034, 40 per cent of cereals will go directly to human consumption, 33 per cent to animal feed, and the rest to biofuels and industry
  • Biofuel demand set to rise 0.9 per cent annually, led by Brazil, India and Indonesia
  • Sub-Saharan Africa’s beef herd projected to grow 15 per cent, though productivity remains just one-tenth of North America’s
  • India and Southeast Asia will drive 39 per cent of global consumption growth by 2034; China’s share falling to 13 per cent from 32 per cent
  • High-income countries to see drop in per capita fats and sweeteners intake due to health trends and policy shifts

A win-win: More nourishment, fewer emissions

The report outlines a scenario in which nourishment improves for all, and agricultural emissions are reduced by as much as seven per cent below current levels by 2034.

Achieving this dual outcome would require major investments to improve productivity, alongside widespread adoption of existing low-emission technologies such as precision farming, improved livestock feed and prioritising nutritional production.

Future progress will depend on a blend of policy coordination, technological innovation and targeted investments – especially in countries where the gap between demand and nutritional value is stark.

“We have the tools to end hunger and boost global food security,” said Mathias Cormann, Secretary-General of the OECD.

“Well-coordinated policies are needed to keep global food markets open, while fostering long-term productivity improvements and sustainability in the agriculture sector.”

Pivotal role for global trade

The Outlook also reiterates the importance of trade, given that 22 per cent of all calories eaten will have crossed international borders by 2034.

“International trade will remain indispensable to the global agri-food sector,” the report stressed.

“Multilateral cooperation and a rules-based agricultural trade are essential to facilitating these trade flows, balancing food deficits and surpluses across countries, stabilising prices and enhancing food security, nutrition and environmental sustainability.”

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Report reveals significant rise in civilian casualties and rights violations in Ukraine

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It covers the period from 1 December 2024 to 31 May 2025, during which 986 civilians were killed and 4,807 injured – a 37 per cent increase compared to the same period the previous year.

“The war in Ukraine – now in its fourth year – is becoming increasingly deadly for civilians,” said Danielle Bell, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).

“We continue to document patterns of violence that are inconsistent with obligations under international humanitarian law.”

Concern over use of short-range drones

Most casualties occurred in areas under Ukrainian Government control, primarily due to Russian attacks using long-range explosive weapons in populated areas and short-range drones near frontline locations.

Nearly half of all casualties were caused by missiles, loitering munitions and air-dropped bombs in densely populated areas. At least three attacks involved the use of missiles with fragmentation warheads which detonated above ground and scattered fragments across large open areas, killing and injuring many civilians at once.

The use of short-range drones is driving the rise in civilian casualties, the report said. OHCHR verified that 207 civilians were killed and 1,365 injured in these attacks.

Among the deadliest incidents was a Russian drone strike on a civilian bus transporting employees of a mining company to work in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Eight women and two men were killed, and 57 people were injured.

“The high number of civilian casualties from the use of short-range drones, which allow operators to see their targets in real time, raises grave concerns,” Ms. Bell said.

“Our findings strongly suggest a failure to distinguish between civilian and military targets, and to take all feasible precautions to verify the military nature of those targets – or worse, an intentional decision not to.”

During the same period, Russian forces struck at least five hospitals directly. Some of the attacks used multiple loitering munitions, suggesting potential deliberate targeting of the hospitals in violation of international humanitarian law.

Prisoners of war

Serious violations against prisoners of war (POWs) also remain a major concern, according to the report. OHCHR documented credible allegations that at least 35 Ukrainian POWs and one Russian POW were executed during the reporting period.

Staff interviewed 117 recently released Ukrainian POWs and two detained medical personnel, nearly all of whom described being tortured and ill-treated in captivity. This included severe beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence, dog attacks, and deliberate humiliation, often carried out by personnel wearing balaclavas to conceal their identities.

Ms. Bell said the continued brutalization of Ukrainian prisoners of war is not only inhumane, but a serious violation of international law.

“These are not isolated incidents – they point to well-documented patterns of widespread and systematic torture that demand urgent and unambiguous accountability, and measures toward prevention,” she said.

Meanwhile, more than half of the Russian POWs and third-country nationals held by Ukraine also reported abuse – including torture, ill-treatment, threats, and internment in unofficial facilities – which mostly occurred in transit places before arrival at official places of internment.

Rights concerns in Russian-occupied areas

The report highlights ongoing human rights concerns with Ukrainian civilians unlawfully detained by Russian authorities, predominantly in occupied territory. People who have been released described torture, ill-treatment, and dire conditions of detention.

Ukrainians in occupied territory faced increased coercion to adopt Russian citizenship. OHCHR documented over 16,000 homes listed by Russian occupation authorities as potentially “abandoned” and therefore at risk of being confiscated.

Displaced residents faced severe legal and logistical obstacles, as well as security risks, to reclaim their property.

Ukrainian children recruited

Another issue covered in the report is the recruitment and use of Ukrainian children “for sabotage activities of increasing gravity against Ukrainian military objectives.”

The children reportedly were recruited by unidentified actors, likely affiliated with Russia, according to Ukrainian law enforcement authorities. Some of these youngsters were killed or injured, while others are facing prosecution after being enticed via social media to commit arson or plant explosives.

“Using children to commit acts of sabotage or violence exploits their vulnerability and endangers their lives,” Ms. Bell said. “It compounds their suffering by exposing them to violence, coercion, and harsh legal consequences.”

OHCHR also voiced concern over the situation of older people, mainly women, as well as persons with disabilities, who remain at disproportionate risk, particularly in frontline areas.

Many are unable to evacuate due to poverty and limited housing options, while those who can often face long stays in shelters that lack appropriate facilities, or they are placed in institutional settings due to the absence of suitable alternatives.

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Why is the manosphere on the rise? UN Women sounds the alarm over online misogyny

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With more than 5.5 billion people connected online – nearly all of them active on social media – digital platforms have become central to how people interact, UN Women highlights.

However, they are also being weaponised to spread misogyny and hate. Once confined to fringe internet forums, the manosphere now reaches into schoolyards, workplaces, and is sometimes upending intimate personal relationships.

“We are seeing an increasing trend of young men and boys looking to influencers for guidance on issues like dating, fitness, and fatherhood,” said Kalliopi Mingeirou, Chief of the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Section at UN Women.

Looking for answers to feel more secure about themselves, these boys encounter “strength” in online communities who also promote harmful attitudes that distort masculinity and fuel misogyny.

Boys are looking for ‘validation online’

“These spaces are really taking advantage of those insecurities and a need for validation…very often circulating messages that are very dismissive of women and girls’ positions in society and are often very misogynistic, portraying a very bad picture of women’s rights activists, for example,” Ms. Mingeirou told UN News.

According to the Movember Foundation, a leading men’s health organization and partner of UN Women, two-thirds of young men regularly engage with masculinity influencers online.

While some content offers genuine support, much of it promotes extreme language and sexist ideology, reinforcing the idea that men are victims of feminism and modern social change.

The most recent UN Secretary-General’s report on violence against women and girls notes that groups within the manosphere are united in their rejection of feminism and their portrayal of women as manipulative or dangerous.

These narratives are increasingly being amplified by social media algorithms that reward provocative and polarizing content.

Misogynistic content harms girls and boys

Stressing that anonymity makes amplification of sexist and hate speech on platforms easier, Ms. Mingeirou told us the abuse not only damages their mental and physical wellbeing but also poses “a serious risk for democracy in general”.

“Women and girls are feeling less comfortable to be exposed to the risks and threats when they engage in digital platforms – and we often see women journalists, women politicians who tend to not engage, because they are afraid of the impact it has on them”.

Underlying that stereotypes create anxiety and harm boys and men alike, Ms. Mingeirou added that safe spaces need to be created, so everyone can look for guidance without being subjected to harmful content.

A threat beyond the internet

The manosphere’s toxic narratives are no longer confined to obscure online spaces. Their influence is seeping into broader culture and politics, trivializing gender-based violence and reinforcing discriminatory stereotypes.

In extreme cases, these ideologies intersect with other forms of radicalization, including racism, homophobia, and authoritarianism. Misogyny online quickly becomes misogyny offline.

“We have growing evidence that in some of the community mass shootings or extreme incidents against the community, very often the perpetrators were also heavily engaged in such misogynistic online platforms, conveying messaging connecting with broader ideologies that puts all of us at risk”, Ms. Mingeirou continued.

These communities do not all speak with one voice, but they are united in portraying feminism as dangerous, women as manipulative, and men as victims of social change. Their ideas are gaining ground, particularly among boys and young men, amplified by algorithms that prioritize sensational and extreme content. The manosphere’s narratives are no longer confined to niche corners of the internet. They are shaping how people think, how they vote, and how they treat others.

© Unsplash/John Schnobrich

With more than 5.5 billion people connected online, digital platforms have become central to how people interact.

A rights-based response

As the world marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, UN Women is warning that the rise of online misogyny poses a direct threat to the progress made toward gender equality.

In response, the agency is scaling up efforts to counter toxic digital environments. Their multi-pronged approach includes:

  • Research and data collection on the spread and impact of online hate.
  • Policy advocacy for digital safety and regulation.
  • Support for survivors of online abuse.
  • Public education campaigns challenging toxic masculinity.
  • Youth-focused programming aimed at building digital resilience and promoting gender equality.
  • Calling on the media to take a more active role in addressing this issue.

Education as Prevention

Ultimately, education is one of the most effective tools for dismantling the foundation of misogynistic ideology. Talking to children and adolescents about gender equality, healthy relationships, and digital citizenship is crucial to preventing harmful attitudes from taking root.

“It’s not just about protecting girls,” Ms. Mingeirou said. “It’s about creating a world where boys and girls alike can grow up free from the toxic pressures of harmful gender expectations.”

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Sudan: Rise in people fleeing to Chad as violence surges

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Overall, some 1.2 million Sudanese have found shelter in eastern Chad, mostly after fleeing intensifying violence in their country. 

More than 844,000 crossed the border after war broke out in Sudan in April 2023. Prior to this, Chad was hosting roughly 409,000 Sudanese refugees who had fled earlier conflict in Darfur.

‘A crisis of humanity’

The situation is “a crisis of humanity”, said UNHCR’s Principal Situation Coordinator in Chad, Dossou Patrice Ahouansou.

The latest wave of displacement began in April following attacks by armed groups in North Darfur. Violence has surged since war erupted in Sudan in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Camps for people uprooted by the most recent violence have been attacked including Zamzam and Abu Shouk, along with the town of El Fasher, killing more than 300 civilians. 

Last Thursday, the UN World Food Programme’s facility in El Fasher was repeatedly shelled, according to a report from UN aid coordination office OCHA.

A day later, Eldaman International Hospital in Al Obeid was struck by a drone attack, killing at least six health workers and injuring more than 15 others.

Both attacks were reportedly carried out by the RSF.

Exodus and arrival

In just over a month, 68,556 refugees have crossed into Chad’s Wadi Fira and Ennedi Est provinces, at an average of 1,400 new arrivals per day.

More than seven in 10 “report serious human rights violations — physical and sexual violence, arbitrary detention, forced recruitment”, said Mr. Ahouansou.

Based on interviews with 6,810 newly arrived refugees, he said that six out of 10 reported being separated from their family members.

Horrendous testimonies

Mr. Ahouansou spoke of seven-year-old Hawa, whose family home in Zamzam was bombed. After her mother was killed, she fled to the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people. 

“There again had been bombing” and this time it killed Hawa’s father and two brothers, he said. 

With only her 18-year-old sister remaining, Hawa escaped to Chad. She was severely injured and had to have a leg amputated.

“It’s difficult to hear, but this is the reality,” said Mr. Ahouansou, emphasizing that there were thousands facing similar situations.

The UNHCR official also recounted chilling testimonies of forced labour along the perilous journeys, where many reportedly die because of the heat and lack of water.

“When armed groups see you leaving, they decide to let the donkey or the horse go. And you, as a human being, as a man… they will use you as a horse and ask you now to draw all your family members,” he said.

Funding shortfalls

Despite efforts by humanitarian actors and local authorities, the emergency response remains severely underfunded.

Just 14 per cent of shelter needs have been met and refugees receive only five litres of water per person per day — far below the 15–20 litre international standard. Around 239,000 refugees remain stranded at the border.

“The lives and futures of millions of innocent civilians hang in the balance,” said UNHCR spokesperson Eujin Byun, who stressed that this was also a “crisis of women and children” as they make up to nine out of 10 refugees crossing the border.

“Without a significant increase in funding, life-saving assistance cannot be delivered at the scale and at the speed that is required,” Mr. Ahouansou said. 

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Songs of hope rise from Gaza’s ruins

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Among them is Ahmed Abu Amsha, a music teacher who has become something of a humanitarian troubadour.

Fleeting moments of joy

Living in a worn tent with his family, he refuses to let despair drown out hope. Instead, he teaches music to displaced children, helping them find moments of joy through rhythm and song.

Originally from Beit Hanoun, Abu Amsha is a guitar instructor and regional coordinator at the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. Since the war began, his family has been displaced 12 times. Each time they fled, they took their instruments.

“They’re the only thing that keeps us hopeful,” he said, sitting beside bottles of water outside his tent, a guitar resting gently in his lap.

UN Video | Music amid the rubble: A Gazan musician plants seeds of hope

Daily horror

Daily life in the camp is a grind of hardship – narrow alleys, water queues, a constant struggle to survive. Yet within this bleakness, Abu Amsha has created something extraordinary: Gaza Bird Singing (GBS), a musical group made up of displaced children with budding talents.

The idea came during a period of displacement in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, where he began training children to sing and play. The group has since performed in various camps, their music echoing on social media and offering a rare glimpse of hope amid rubble.

Clinging to music

His son Moein, who plays the ney – an end-blown wind instrument similar to a flute – carries his instrument wherever they go. “We’ve been displaced more than 11 times, and I always carry my ney with me. It’s the only thing that helps me forget the sound of the bombing,” he said.

Finding a quiet space is hard, but they try to practise inside their tent, cocooned from chaos.

For Yara, a young violinist learning under Abu Amsha’s guidance, each new displacement deepens her anxiety. “But whenever I’m scared, I play. Music makes me feel safe,” she said.

Under the tarpaulin roofs of the camp, children gather to play, plucking strings, blowing wind instruments, tapping rhythms into existence – trying to transcend the horrific soundtrack of war.

Ahmed Abu Amsha (right, with guitar) surrounded by children who play, sing and learn music.

Sacred space

In a place stripped of necessities, the sound of music feels both surreal and sacred.

Yet Abu Amsha remains steadfast in his mission. “We sing for peace, we sing for life, we sing for Gaza,” he says softly, as the melody of the oud rises behind him – a fragile beauty in a scene shattered by war.

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Exponential rise in synthetic drug production and trafficking in the Golden Triangle

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According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the production and trafficking of methamphetamine – an illegal synthetic stimulant – have risen sharply since 2021, particularly in Myanmar’s Shan State.

UNODC emphasised that both the scale of production and the flow of trafficking in Shan State have “significantly” increased over the past few years.

Record seizures

A record 236 tons of methamphetamine (commonly known as meth) was seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2024, a 24 per cent increase from 2023.

However, “the 236 tons represent only the amount seized” and it’s likely that much more is reaching the streets and illicit market, said Benedikt Hofmann from UNODC, describing the amount as “unprecedented.”

Seizures in Southeast Asia represent 85 per cent of the total, with Thailand alone seizing one billion meth tablets.

Conducive conditions

While Thailand remains the main transit and destination point, the drug is mostly produced in Myanmar’s Shan State.

Amid the ongoing civil war involving multiple armed groups, Myanmar’s military regime is experiencing instability and governance challenges that are fuelling the illicit production of synthetic and other drugs.

Although certain areas of Myanmar have been spared from the ongoing conflict and remain stable, “the ongoing crisis in Myanmar is further increasing the need for proceeds from the drug trade,” said Mr. Hofmann.

“This combination of conflict and stability has created favourable conditions for the expansion of drug production impacting countries across the region and beyond,” he said.

Expanding trafficking routes

One of the fastest-growing meth trafficking routes in East and Southeast Asia stretches from Myanmar’s Shan State to Cambodia.

Cambodian authorities notably reported seizing nearly 10 tons of methamphetamine in 2024, representing “by far the largest methamphetamine seizure in history,” said UNODC.

“The trafficking route connecting Cambodia with Myanmar, primarily through Lao People’s Democratic Republic, has been rapidly expanding,” said Inshik Sim, an analyst with UNODC.

As transnational drug trafficking groups continue to exploit new routes to avoid law enforcement, the trafficking corridors connecting Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are becoming another “increasingly significant corridor,” Mr. Sim added.

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Another year, another rise in food insecurity – including famine

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It is the first time since 2017 that a famine has been declared anywhere on Earth.

In the 20 months since the war between rival militaries erupted, 13 million Sudanese have been forcibly displaced and over 30.4 million are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance, according to UN estimates.

The inhabitants of the Zamzam camp, like others in the Darfur region, have once again been displaced as extreme violence permeates every corner of the country.

In short, Sudan has quickly become one of the most severe food insecurity crises in history.

‘Scar’ of hunger

But in a year when the number of people experiencing acute food insecurity increased for the sixth consecutive year, Sudan is far from the only place marked by what the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called the “scar” of hunger.

According to the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises, which was released Friday, over 295.3 million people in the 53 countries and territories selected for the report faced acute food insecurity, a number which amounts to 22.6 per cent of the population analysed.

The report “is another unflinching indictment of a world dangerously off-course,” the UN chief said.

‘A failure of humanity’

The report identified 36 countries and territories which have had prolonged food crises, with 80 per cent of their inhabitants facing high levels of food insecurity every year since 2016.

Moreover, the number of people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, as determined by the IPC standards, doubled between 2023 and 2024.

“After years of recurring emergencies in the same contexts, it’s clear that business-as-usual is not working,” the report concluded.

For the first time, the annual report also provided data on nutrition, estimating that 37.7 million children aged 6-59 months experienced acute malnutrition in 26 countries.

Numbers like this do not emerge randomly, nor do they emerge in a vacuum. Rather, the report notes that this level of worldwide food insecurity is the result of multiple, intertwined factors.

“No region is immune, with crises overlapping and interacting, eroding decades of development gains and leaving people unable to recover,” the report said.

More than a systems failure

Increased conflict was one of the driving causes for increasing food insecurity in 2024, specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, the Sudan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Palestine – the Gaza Strip.

Gaza experienced the highest share of its population facing food insecurity, with 100 per cent of its inhabitants facing acute food shortages in 2024. Continued aid blockages since March 2025 have only worsened this insecurity.

The report also underlined the role that climate change plays in food shortages, pointing specifically to changing weather patterns which have impacted agriculture.

For example, the food situation in Sudan was worsened by low rainfall in 2024 while other parts of Southern Africa such as Namibia experienced crop failures due to flooding.

War, climate, economic shocks

Economic shocks, including inflation and projected trade wars, also played a large role in worsening food insecurity crises, especially in places like Syria where long-term systemic instabilities increased vulnerabilities to economic shocks.

The Secretary General emphasized, however, that food insecurity at this level cannot simply be explained by one cause.

“This is more than a failure of systems – it is a failure of humanity,” he said.

New strategies, fewer funds

Recent funding shortages are projected to further exacerbate abilities to track and deal with food insecurity with funding for food-based humanitarian initiatives expected to drop by 45 percent. 

Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), said that the funding shortages are impacting every aspect of food distribution, from decreasing the amount of food WFP can provide and the funding for transport to remote areas.

“As things stand, I do not know if we will be able to keep our planes in the sky,” Ms. McCain said.

Because recent funding cuts will negatively impact efforts to provide aid, the report underlined the importance of finding “cost-efficient” strategies which do more to invest in long-term community resilience and capacity development.

“[Addressing the root causes of food insecurity] requires better alignment of humanitarian and development investments, and a shift from treating food crises as seasonal shocks to confronting them as systemic failures,” the report said.

The UN Pact for the Future agreed in September 2024 dealt in part with the question of food insecurity in the 21st century, advocating for more resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems.

Building on this, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is advocating for expanded investment in sustainable agriculture, which is four times more cost-effective than direct food assistance but only accounts for three percent of  humanitarian funds.

“At FAO, we know that agriculture is one of the most powerful yet underused tools we have to curb food insecurity … Agriculture can be the answer,” said Rein Paulsen, Director of FAO’s Office of Emergency and Resilience.

Hunger is ‘indefensible’

In his video message on the report, the Secretary-General said that the Second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake, which will be held in July in Addis Ababa, is an opportunity for the international community to work collaboratively towards addressing the challenges laid out in the GRFC report.

“Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs,” he said. 

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India Covid cases rise again to 15K today

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India on Friday reported marginal rise at 15,754 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, against 12,608 infections on Thursday, with 47 more Covid deaths, taking the nationwide death toll to 5,27,253 so far.

The active caseload of the country stands at 1,01,830 cases, accounting for 0.23 per cent of the country’s total positive cases. The recovery of 15,220 patients in the last 24 hours took the cumulative tally to 4,36,85,535. Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.58 per cent, said the Union Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, India’s daily positivity rate has marginally declined to 3.47 per cent, while the weekly positivity rate in the country currently also stands at 3.90 per cent. In the same period, a total of 4,54,491 tests were conducted across the country, increasing the overall tally to over 88.18 crore.

As of Friday morning, India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 209.27 crore, achieved via 2,78,10,025 sessions. More than 3.99 crore adolescents have been administered with a first dose of Covid-19 jab since the beginning of vaccination drive for this age bracket.