With 96 per cent of households lacking clean water, many malnourished children are not surviving long enough to receive hospital care. James Elder, Spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), told at a news briefing in Geneva that it would be a mistake to assume the situation is improving. “There’s a sense through the world’s […]
More than 1,180 cholera cases – including an estimated 300 in children – and at least 20 deaths have been reported in Tawila, a town that has absorbed over half a million people fleeing violence since April. Across the wider Darfur region, the toll is even more alarming: nearly 2,140 cases and at least 80 […]
Between 30 and 31 July alone, 105 Palestinians were killed and at least 680 more injured along the convoy routes in the Zikim area in North Gaza, southern Khan Younis, and in the vicinity of the GHF sites in Middle Gaza and Rafah, the office (OHCHR) said in a press release issued on Friday In […]
Farhan Haq, UN Deputy Spokesperson, stressed the need for unimpeded relief operations and a peaceful path out of crisis. “The UN remains concerned by ongoing violence in Myanmar, including aerial bombardment hitting civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said, at the regular press briefing in New York. “Civilians and humanitarian workers must be protected.” His remarks […]
But as starvation tightens its grip and “children are dying before our eyes,” UN officials and aid workers warn that the measures fall far short of the much-needed ceasefire and unfettered aid access that could help stem the spiralling humanitarian catastrophe. “Welcome announcement of humanitarian pauses in Gaza to allow our aid through,” UN Emergency […]
“Nowhere is safe in Ukraine,” said Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe at the UN Department of Political Affairs (UNDPPA). Citing figures from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, he said civilian casualties reached a three-year high in June, with 6,754 civilians killed or injured in the first half of 2025 alone. Russian forces launched […]
These abuses include threats, cases of torture, mistreatment and arbitrary arrest and detention, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The report said these violations were committed against Afghans “based on their profile” and targeted women, media workers and civil society […]
In the first half of 2025, only 17,000 births were recorded, according to Gazan health authorities, representing a 41 per cent decline in Gaza’s birth rate over the past three years, the agency said. Additionally, 220 mothers died – more than 20 times the total number of maternal deaths in 2022 – while at […]
Russian forces launched an attack overnight focused on Kyiv, deploying 397 Shahed unmanned attack and decoy drones, along with 18 high-powered missiles, killing two and injuring at least 16, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted during his daily briefing in New York that four Kyiv […]
Across the Gaza Strip, as people desperately search for food, mass casualty incidents are reported almost daily, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters at his regular briefing in New York. Hospitals, already under immense strain, are struggling to cope and lack of essential supplies – including fuel and medicines – is placing even greater pressure […]
While the initial 90-day pause on so-called “reciprocal” tariffs offered some relief compared to planned increases of up to 50 per cent, the US imposed a 10 per cent baseline tariff instead, added on top of existing duties. This means many countries – especially developing economies – faced higher costs exporting goods to the US. […]
The situation is particularly dire in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur province, which has witnessed some of the worst episodes of the ongoing conflict between rival militaries. Those remaining in El Fasher are facing “extreme shortages” of food and clean water, with markets repeatedly disrupted, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at the […]
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, António Guterres expressed alarm over the dangerous escalation and the rising toll on civilians. He reiterated that attacks against civilians and critical infrastructure are prohibited under international law and called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. “These strikes disrupted the power supply to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, […]
At Tuesday’s regular briefing at the UN Headquarters, in New York, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric relayed warnings from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs (OCHA), citing urgent concerns across the country. “Across Sudan, we continue to be deeply concerned about the humanitarian impact of the ongoing fighting, which is escalating displacement and driving […]
Alarmingly, 110 million children in the region live in countries affected by war, with homes, schools and health facilities damaged or destroyed in fighting. “A child’s life is being turned upside down the equivalent of every five seconds due to the conflicts in the region,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East […]
“Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel into and throughout the Gaza Strip, effectively choking off life-saving services for deprived and starving people,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during his regular press briefing in New York. Conditions in the enclave remain bleak, as Israeli operations continue to have a devastating impact on civilians, […]
Roza Otunbayeva, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said the ongoing missile attacks between Iran and Israel are already having a tangible impact. “This conflict is already having an effect in Afghanistan, disrupting trade and increasing the prices of basic goods and fuel, and prompting the return […]
Speaking to journalists in Deir al Balah on Saturday, Jonathan Whittall, who heads the UN humanitarian coordination office (OCHA) in Gaza and the West Bank, said: “The attempt to survive is being met with a death sentence.” Since Israel eased its total blockade last month, more than 400 people are reported to have died trying […]
In an address to the UN Security Council on Friday, Mr. Guterres made an urgent plea for de-escalation, calling the spiralling confrontation a defining moment for the future of global security. “We are not drifting toward crisis – we are racing toward it,” he said. “This is a moment that could shape the fate of […]
Speaking at the regular Friday press briefing in Geneva for humanitarian agencies, she warned that as wealthier nations make deep spending cuts, both international aid and national health systems are facing serious disruption. Dr. Chalkidou highlighted recent decisions by the United States, several European governments, and EU bodies to freeze or scale down health aid. WHO […]