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Yemen: UN warns against Houthi-Israel escalation, calls for dialogue

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On Wednesday, Israel launched airstrikes on Yemen’s main airport in the capital, Sana’a, destroying the last operational Yemenia Airways plane, according to media reports.

The attack came a day after the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, fired missiles at Israel.  

Fragile situation worsening

In Yemen, the rebels have been fighting with Government troops, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, for over a decade. But since the start of the war in Gaza they have been targeting Israel as well as commercial ships in the Red Sea, as an act of solidarity with Palestinians.

“The ongoing military confrontation between the Houthis and Israel is exacerbating an already very fragile situation in Yemen and the broader region,”  said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

“Attacks on civilian infrastructure, including Sana’a airport in Yemen and Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, are unacceptable.”

He said the strike on Sana’a airport and the destruction of the civilian aircraft “deprives many Yemenis of a critical means to leave the country for medical, educational, family or religious regions, especially at a time when thousands of pilgrims are preparing for the Hajj.”

De-escalation and dialogue

The Spokesman called on all stakeholders, including the Houthis, to de-escalate and exercise restraint, uphold their obligations under international law, and protect civilian infrastructure.                                     

He also urged the warring parties to return to the intra-Yemeni dialogue, with the support of the region, as the only viable path toward lasting peace and security.

In related developments, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen concluded a visit to Oman’s capital Muscat on Wednesday, his office said in a statement.

Hans Grundberg met senior Omani officials, members of Ansar Allah leadership and representatives of the diplomatic community, including senior Iranian officials. 

“Discussions focused on the cessation of hostilities between the United States and Ansar Allah and the need to translate this into sustainable progress that benefits all Yemenis and includes guarantees for the region and international community,” the statement said.

The ceasefire agreement was brokered by Oman and came into effect on 6 May following the resumption of deadly US airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

Free detained personnel

Mr. Grundberg further addressed regional dynamics and the shared responsibility of all to support de-escalation and a UN-led political process for a durable and comprehensive resolution to the conflict in Yemen. 

As the Houthis continue to arbitrarily detain scores of personnel from the UN, non-governmental organizations, civil society and diplomatic missions, the Special Envoy called for their immediate and unconditional release in all his engagements.

“He stressed that their prolonged detention is not only unjustifiable but undermines the UN’s and international community’s ability to provide humanitarian support to millions of Yemenis,” the statement said. 

Sudan conflict triggers regional health crisis, warns WHO

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“The ongoing conflict and displacement, in addition to fragile health infrastructure and limited access to affected populations, pose a risk of mass disease transmission,” the UN health agency said in a report issued Tuesday, urging immediate support to sustain surveillance, bolster outbreak response and preserve lifesaving health services.

Since civil war erupted in April 2023, 14.5 million people have been displaced – 10.5 million internally and four million to neighbouring countries such as Egypt, South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Libya and the Central African Republic – making this the world’s largest displacement crisis.

Inside Sudan, conflict has devastated infrastructure and triggered the breakdown of essential services and infrastructure, fuelling the spread of cholera, measles and other communicable diseases.

At Tuesday’s press briefing in New York, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported that with fighting and shelling intensify across the country “the cholera outbreak in Khartoum state is worsening at an alarming rate,” with cases rising by 80 per cent over the past two weeks.

Mr. Dujarric called for “increased, flexible and timely funding to scale-up the humanitarian response, as well as unimpeded access via all necessary routes, so that aid workers can reach people in need wherever they may be.”

Disease and displacement

The impact extends well beyond Sudan’s borders. As of 7 May, Egypt has received 1.5 million Sudanese refugees during the two years of fighting. 

The country has expanded healthcare coverage, but Sudanese face higher costs under the Universal Health Insurance system. WHO Egypt is working with national authorities to strengthen health services and reach the most vulnerable.

However, as Sudanese refugees arrive at overcrowded refugee camps across the region, the situation is far grimmer.

Chad. Rapid Influx of Sudanese refugees leaves thousands in desperate need

In Chad, where over 726,000 have arrived in four crisis-affected eastern provinces already overwhelmed with other refugees, health needs are urgent.

Refugees face outbreaks of malaria, measles, hepatitis E and severe acute malnutrition. There have been 657,135 cases of malaria alone and 314 deaths across the country this year.

South Sudan has received over 1.5 million people, including 352,000 Sudanese. But conflict and attacks on health facilities in the host country have severely hindered response efforts and exacerbated disease.

Hunger and cholera are especially concerning, with 7.7 million people facing severe food insecurity, and more than 54,800 cholera cases and 1,000 deaths since late September.

Ongoing WHO support

Despite the growing funding crisis and severe operational challenges, WHO and its partners continue providing support.

These include support for 136 nutrition stabilisation centres, delivery of medical supplies and consultations, cholera treatment sites, and efforts to rebuild damaged health infrastructure.

The agency has called for sustained support to prevent the worsening of what is already one of the gravest humanitarian and public health emergencies in the world today.

UN warns of ‘catastrophic’ human rights crisis in Myanmar as violence and economic collapse deepen

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Published ahead of the Human Rights Council’s upcoming session, the report highlighted the worsening situation since the military coup in 2021, which derailed Myanmar’s democratic transition and ignited widespread armed resistance.

In the years since, military forces have targeted civilian populations with airstrikes, artillery bombardments and other forms of violence, while anti-military armed groups have gained ground, particularly in Rakhine state.

“The country has endured an increasingly catastrophic human rights crisis marked by unabated violence and atrocities that have affected every single aspect of life,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

Grim toll

The report documents a grim toll: military operations killed more civilians in 2024 than in any previous year since the coup.

In Rakhine, the Arakan Army seized control of most of the state, displacing tens of thousands, while Rohingya civilians were caught between warring factions, facing killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and widespread destruction of villages.

Some Rohingya armed groups have also been drawn into the conflict, according to reports.

Economic crisis deepening

The escalating violence has had a cascading effect on Myanmar’s economy, worsening already dire humanitarian conditions.

Myanmar’s economy has lost an estimated $93.9 billion since the coup, with the gross domestic product (GDP) not expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels before 2028.

Inflation has surged, the kyat has lost 40 per cent of its value, and over half the population now lives below the poverty line, facing food insecurity and soaring prices.

The March earthquakes further exacerbated the crisis, leaving thousands more displaced, homeless and without basic services.

Military control of revenue

Meanwhile, the military continues to control key revenue sources, including the central bank and state-owned enterprises, particularly in the extractive sector.

While targeted international sanctions slowed some revenue streams, the junta has maintained its financial lifelines through forced currency conversion, import restrictions, and a crackdown on informal money transfers.

Myanmar has also become the world’s largest producer of opium and synthetic drugs, with transnational criminal networks thriving under military rule.

Multifaceted approach needed

The report urged a multifaceted response to the crisis, including urgent humanitarian support, cross-border aid for displaced populations and increased political engagement with Myanmar’s democratic forces and emerging governance structures.

It also emphasised the need for accountability through international justice mechanisms, including a referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The report also identified key “constituents for change” in the country’s future – women, youth, ethnic minorities, civil society and pro-democracy actors – and highlighted the work of communities who have established local institutions and forms of governance, often with increased participation from women.

Buildings lie in ruins in Mandalay region, central Myanmar, following the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck in March.

Hopes for a peaceful future

The report underscored the importance of planning for the day-after, ensuring human rights are central to a future Myanmar – from rebuilding systems to restoring fundamental freedoms.

“There are strong, resourceful and principled individuals and groups rallying and creating the conditions for an inclusive and democratic future,” High Commissioner Türk said. “They are a shining example of hope for a peaceful future.”

The report will be formally presented to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 1 July.

Escalating violence drives food crisis across eastern DR Congo, warns WFP

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Conflict has plagued the DRC for decades, particularly in the east. Armed clashes escalated sharply this year as M23 rebels wrested control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in January, followed by Bukavu in South Kivu a month later.

The security and humanitarian situation further deteriorated with recent outbreaks of anthrax and mpox in April and May, fuelled by overcrowded conditions and poor sanitation.

Deepening food insecurity

WFP’s latest report estimates that 7.9 million people are food insecure in the conflict-affected eastern provinces, with 28 million in need across the country.

Food production in Grand Nord, an important agricultural hub in eastern DRC, has been slashed due to recent conflict and displacement. In addition, the closure of Goma’s airport – critical for aid delivery – continues to disrupt operations.

Despite these challenges, WFP reached 1.1 million people in the east between January and March, providing school meals and take-home rations for 100,000 children, nutrition supplements for 340,000 children and pregnant or breastfeeding women – along with logistics and supply chain assistance.

Regional turbulence

The 140,000 Congolese who have fled to neighbouring countries since January – mainly Burundi, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania – have turned a national emergency into a regional crisis.

Refugee camps in these countries, already under strain from refugees from other countries, are struggling to absorb the new arrivals.

WFP warned that the surge in need is outpacing available resources. Budget constraints have forced the agency to make sharp cuts: food rations have been halved in Burundi, while cash support has also been halved in Rwanda.

In Uganda, the number of refugees receiving assistance has dropped from 1.6 million to 630,000. In Tanzania, food rations have been reduced from 82 to 65 per cent.

To sustain its emergency operations, WFP is appealing for $433 million to support its work inside the DRC through October.

Additional funding needs include $16.6 million to provide full food assistance in Burundi through 2025, $12 million to maintain full rations for refugees in Rwanda through 2025, $26 million to sustain operations in Uganda through 2025, and $18 million to provide just 75 per cent of full rations in Tanzania through April 2026.

Displaced families in the Bulengo camp on the outskirts of Goma face a dire and uncertain future as M23 authorities instruct them to dismantle their makeshift shelters.

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‘Silence is complicity,’ warns activist who fled DPR Korea

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When they eventually did, her mother said to her, “If you are going to die anyway, better to be shot crossing the two-mile border than starve here.”

Shortly thereafter they fled from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, more commonly known as North Korea.

Ms. Kim gave testimony to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday during a meeting convened to discuss human rights abuses and violations in DPRK: “The human rights situation in the country has been of grave concern for years, and, in many respects, is deteriorating,” Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, told delegates.

The representative from DPRK denounced the meeting, insisting that the information presented was a “fabrication.”

Wide-ranging abuses

North Koreans have been forced to exist in “absolute isolation” for many years, according to UN Special Rapporteur on human rights for the country, Elizabeth Salmón.

The independent UN Human Rights Council-appointed expert said this isolation has exacerbated the impact of multiple rights violations which include forced labour systems, infringement on freedom of expression and movement, torture and the forced disappearance of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

The DPRK has also denied entry to humanitarian aid despite UN data which suggests that it is desperately needed – 11.8 million people, or 45 per cent of the population, are estimated to be undernourished and more than half the population lacks adequate sanitation.

Instead of social services, Pyongyang has prioritized militarisation, exacerbating human rights violations, said the Special Rapporteur.

“As the DPRK expands its extreme militarization policies, it exacerbates the extensive reliance on forced labour and quota systems, showing how peace, security and human rights are strongly interrelated,” Ms. Salmón said.

‘Please do not turn away’

Ms. Kim pleaded with delegates and UN officials to take action.

“Please do not turn away from the innocent lives being lost in North Korea and elsewhere. Silence is complicity,” she said.

Ms. Kehris noted that the international community has taken many steps in past decades to address ongoing human rights abuses in the DPRK but that these actions have failed the change the status quo.

“Given the gravity and scale of the violations, and inability or unwillingness of the [DPRK] to pursue accountability, international accountability options must be considered, including referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court,” she said.

Despite such challenges, the senior official did note that Pyongyang has shown “increased willingness” to engage with her office, OHCHR.

In September, OHCHR is due to present a report to the Human Rights Council which will make new proposals on improving the situation.

In her remarks, Ms. Salmón insisted that long-term accountability for the DPRK must go hand in hand with peace.

“Peace is a foundation for human rights. Human rights cannot thrive without peace. In this rapidly developing political climate, we must act together to prevent geopolitical tensions from destabilizing the Korean Peninsula,” she said.

Hope for the future

It has been more than 25 years since Ms. Kim fled: “One day, I hope to return to North Korea, hand in hand with my daughters, to show them a North Korea not defined by control and fear but filled with freedom and hope,” she said.

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Journalists being forgotten on the frontline, warns injured war reporter

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“I believe in nothing right now. Our press vests are turning us into targets and it’s becoming a death sentence for us,” Christina Assi told UN News recently.

On 13 October 2023, Ms. Assi – who was working as a photojournalist for Agence France Presse (AFP) – lost her right leg after two Israeli air strikes targeted the exposed hillside where she and other colleagues were observing the ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants.

This year’s commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May was marked with sorrow as nearly 300 journalists have been killed in recent conflicts. 

Ms. Assi stands among the few survivors, and she never imagined that she would be targeted simply for doing her job.

The day of the attack

She recounted the harrowing events of that day – one of her first major assignments, which quickly became the most traumatic experience of her life.

“It was starting to get dark and that’s when we were about to leave and then suddenly, out of nowhere, we were targeted,” she said.

“The first time I was on the ground, I couldn’t really understand what was happening, and I was screaming for help. So, my colleague Dylan rushed to help me and put a tourniquet on me. But then, like 40 to 47 seconds later, we were targeted again.”

After the second strike, Ms. Assi found herself alone beside a burning car. Bleeding and gravely injured, she had no choice but to crawl away to save her life.

“My press vest was too heavy, and the camera belt was suffocating,” she recalled. In that moment, she began to lose faith in international laws and conventions.

“As journalists, we are left alone,” she said. “Our press vests are turning us into targets—it’s becoming a death sentence for us.”

The silence of the international community

For Ms. Assi, the international community’s response to the attack – including condemnations and UN calls for investigation – has been utterly ineffective.

“I do believe that we need more than words. We need concrete action and something to happen where that should lead to justice in one way or another. If it’s not now, then later,” she said.

She strongly condemns the impunity with which attacks on journalists continue. “Our cases are being dismissed as collateral damage when, in fact, they are not. These are war crimes, and there should be a real investigation.”

The forgotten journalists of Gaza

Ms. Assi also emphasized that the same impunity applies to Palestinian journalists in Gaza, who have been documenting the war there since day one.

“They’ve been silenced, targeted in every possible way. It’s all over social media and in the news—and yet nothing has been done. No action has been taken to protect these journalists,” she said.

She pointed out that the lack of international presence hasn’t stopped the violence. “Even with the limited footage we’ve received, it’s clear how horrific everything is. But the world hasn’t reacted the way it should have. No one has even tried to stop it.”

Carrying the flame

Nearly a year after losing her leg, Ms. Assi carried the Olympic torch in the French city of Vincennes, ahead of the Paris Games in July 2024.

It was more than a symbolic gesture but a powerful opportunity to pay tribute to her colleague, Reuters journalist Issam Abdallah, who was killed in the same attack. 

“It was a great opportunity for us to honour all the fallen journalists and let the world and the international community and the Europeans and all those who didn’t know about what happened to us, let them know about what happened,” she said.  

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UN warns copper shortage risks slowing global energy and technology shift

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In its latest Global Trade Update, released this week, UNCTAD describes copper as “the new strategic raw material” at the heart of the rapidly electrifying and digitising global economy.  

But with demand set to rise more than 40 per cent by 2040, copper supply is under severe strain – posing a critical bottleneck for technologies ranging from electric vehicles and solar panels to AI infrastructure and smart grids.

More than just metal

“Copper is no longer just a commodity,” said Luz María de la Mora, Director of the International Trade and Commodities Division at UNCTAD.

Valued for its high conductivity and durability, copper is essential to power systems and clean energy technologies. It runs through homes, cars, data centres and renewable infrastructure.

Yet developing new mines is a slow and expensive process, and fraught with environmental risks – often taking up to 25 years from discovery to operation.

Meeting projected demand by 2030 could require $250 billion in investment and at least 80 new mining projects, according to UNCTAD estimates.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds some of the world’s largest copper reserves, yet most of the metal is exported, limiting the country’s ability to benefit fully from this valuable resource.

Uneven geography, unequal gains

Over half of the world’s known copper reserves are concentrated in just five countries – Chile, Australia, Peru, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Russia.

However, much of the value-added production occurs elsewhere, particularly in China, which now imports 60 per cent of global copper ore and produces over 45 per cent of the world’s refined copper, says the UN.

This imbalance leaves many developing countries stuck at the bottom of the value chain, unable to fully benefit from their resources.

“Digging and shipping copper is not enough,” the report states.

“To move up the ladder, copper-rich developing countries must invest in refining, processing and manufacturing – this means strengthening infrastructure and skills, establishing industrial parks, offering tax incentives and pursuing trade policies that support higher-value production.”

Tariff and trade barriers

UNCTAD also highlights the challenge of tariff escalation, where duties on refined copper are relatively low – typically below two per cent – but can rise to as high as eight per cent for finished products like wires, tubes and pipes.

These trade barriers discourage investment in higher-value industries and lock countries into roles as raw material suppliers, the report warns.

To address this, UNCTAD is urging governments to streamline permitting, reduce trade restrictions, and develop regional value chains to help developing economies climb the industrial ladder.

Scrappy solution

With new mining projects facing long lead times, recycling is emerging as a vital part of the solution.

In 2023, secondary sources accounted for 4.5 million tonnes – nearly 20 per cent of global refined copper output. The United States, Germany and Japan are the top exporters of copper scrap, while China, Canada and the Republic of Korea are major importers.

“For developing countries, copper scrap could be a strategic asset,” UNCTAD notes.

“Investing in recycling and processing capacity can reduce import dependence, support value-added trade and advance a more circular, sustainable economy.”

Test case for critical materials

Copper, UNCTAD says, is a likely “test case” for how global trade systems handle rising demand for critical materials amid growing pressures.

“The age of copper has arrived…but without coordinated trade and industrial strategies, supply will remain under strain and many developing countries risk missing out,” the report concludes.

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UN warns of growing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza

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In a statement released by the UN Humanitarian Country Team – which leads coordinated relief efforts across the Occupied Palestinian Territory – officials condemned Israeli efforts to dismantle the current aid system.

The team led by the UN’s top aid official in the region representing UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) both international and Palestinian, said Israeli plans would “contravene fundamental humanitarian principles” and deepen the suffering of civilians already enduring severe shortages of food, water, and medical care.

“Bakeries have shut. Community kitchens have closed. Warehouses stand empty. Children have gone hungry,” the statement said, describing the dire conditions facing the population.

The UN said Israeli authorities were attempting to impose a new aid distribution system that would funnel humanitarian supplies through military-controlled hubs, rather than allowing UN agencies and NGOs to operate independently.

‘Dangerous’ Israeli proposal

The proposal, the UN said, would leave “large parts of Gaza, including the less mobile and most vulnerable people,” without aid and would force civilians to enter militarised areas to access basic necessities.

“This is dangerous, driving civilians into militarised zones to collect rations, threatening lives, including those of humanitarian workers,” the UN said, warning it would also exacerbate forced displacement across the strip.

According to news reports, the Israeli government has defended the policy as a security measure. At the same time, Israeli forces are planning to ramp up operations in central and southern Gaza.

On Saturday, call up notices were reportedly issued to thousands of Israeli military reservists, indicating a likely escalation of the offensive inside the Strip.

Guiding principles

The UN statement reaffirmed that aid operations must remain guided by the principles of “humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality” and said all 16 UN entities and major humanitarian partners working in Gaza had endorsed this unified position.

“Humanitarian action responds to people’s needs, wherever they are,” the team said.

UN teams remain on the ground, “ready to again scale up the delivery of critical supplies and services” once the blockade is lifted. They urged global leaders to intervene and pressure Israel to reopen border crossings immediately.

“The time is now,” the UN said.

In a social media post on Sunday, the UN aid agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, pointed out that nearly a third of essential supplies for civilians in the Gaza Strip are out of stock while another third are projected to run out in under two months.

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International aid: ‘The money isn’t coming back anytime soon’, Fletcher warns

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UN News: You have said that that policymakers who signed off on aid cuts should come to Afghanistan to see the effect they’re having on the population. You said the effect of aid cuts is that millions die. Do you use this kind of blunt language when you’re talking to these policymakers in private?

Tom Fletcher: Yes, I do. Of course, there is a bit of a time lag before you really see the impact of the cuts, but here, 400 clinics closed in the last few weeks. That has a real-world impact and it’s become much more real for me on this trip.

I’ve just come from a meeting with NGOs, and they’re laying off half their staff. The local NGO’s that we’re keen to protect in the midst of all this, have been the hardest hit.

We try and find different ways to communicate this in slightly gentler terms, but ultimately, of course, people will die as a result of these cuts.

That’s the great tragedy at the heart of it now.

UN News: How do the politicians respond?

I think there are broadly two camps here. You’ve got politicians who are doing this really reluctantly, forced to make really tough decisions because their economies are struggling and because of pressures from taxpayers to do things differently. They know the importance of humanitarian efforts and they’re very sad about the choices they’re having to make.

Then there is another group of politicians who, I fear, celebrate, certainly in their public messages. They seem to boast about – and take credit for – aid cuts. That’s the group that I would love to bring to sit with a mother who has lost her child because she was forced to cycle pregnant to a hospital three hours away.

You show leadership on the world stage by being out there helping countries to deal with these challenges at source. I don’t know which of those arguments work with which constituencies, so we have to adapt and be creative in how we make the case.

We also have to be firm in defending what we do and take pride in the fact that the humanitarian community has taken millions out of poverty and saved hundreds of millions of lives.

UN News: You’ve become the UN emergency relief chief at a particularly tough time, in terms of ensuring the UN’s ability to help the most vulnerable. In February you announced 20 per cent cuts to your department. How will you make those cuts in a way that doesn’t make the job even harder?

Tom Fletcher: It’s rough. Really brutal choices are being made and the sector will probably shrink by one third. The money that’s been cut isn’t going to come back anytime soon, and there may be more funding cuts ahead.

We will be looking for new partners, and trying to convince the sceptics to bring the private sector in and change the public conversation around solidarity. We have to work with the money that we have, not the money that we need or the money that we wish we had.

I’m really positive about the way that Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has talked about the need to protect life-saving aid. 

Dialogue is going on, I’m not giving up and I’m really positive about the way that Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has talked about the need to protect life-saving aid. I really want to get into that conversation with him and see what his vision is for America’s role in saving lives around the world.

UN News: Given the current situation, are we going to have to completely rethink what aid entails and how it’s funded?

Tom Fletcher: We’re going to have to change. We have to preserve the best of what we’ve learnt and have confidence in what we’ve delivered so far, but we’re going through a process now that we call the “humanitarian reset”.

First of all, we’re becoming smaller and we’re trying to do that in a way that does as little damage as possible and minimises the hit to the essential life-saving work we do.

Alongside that, we’re becoming more efficient and smarter. I launched on my first day in office, a big efficiency drive across the sector.

The IASC, the body that coordinates our sector, has backed that up and actually taken it to the next level in terms of taking the layers out of the system and making sure we end the turf wars and focus on what we each do well, the extra value we bring, and ensure that we do much more at a local level, close to the communities we serve.

The UN relief chief Tom Fletcher, visits a hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

UN News: Do many Member States still believe in the importance of international aid?

Tom Fletcher: Absolutely. A number of donors are staying solid despite the funding crises that they’re all facing. We’ve got new donors emerging and growing. I’ve been in The Gulf, and I was in China last week, and engagement there is deepening.

We’ve got new donors emerging, and engagement is deepening

We’ve got more innovative ideas about how to bring in the private sector and also I believe really strongly in the role of individuals in finding ways to ensure that we’re reaching wider movement beyond governments and Member States.

UN News: Returning to Afghanistan, the de facto authorities [The Taliban] have severely reduced access to education and employment prospects for women and girls. Are you able to have a constructive discussion about this with the regime?

Tom Fletcher: Yes, we are. There are two really core issues here for us. One is the role of women in humanitarian work: we simply cannot deliver without them. They are brilliant, brilliant colleagues, we rely on them completely and we couldn’t be here without them.

And the second is the wider issue around rights for women and girls, including education and the fact that millions of girls have had that right stolen from them over the last three years.

These are difficult conversations, but I come at this as a former diplomat, as someone who believes in dialogue, who believes in respect and trust and listening, and in recognizing that we have different cultures, different traditions, different heritages and different beliefs that I don’t hold.

Tom Fletcher, the UN humanitarian meets women at an economic development programme in Afghanistan.

UN News: Before you began this job, did you have a goal in mind, that you want to achieve before the end of your mandate as the head of humanitarian affairs?

Tom Fletcher: The average head of OCHA lasts about three years, they burn through us pretty quickly. The travel schedule is very hectic and you’re dealing with the world’s worst crises so there’s a bit of wear and tear along the way.

It’s our job to save hundreds of millions of lives and to define everything we do against that yardstick.

So, my number one objective was to survive as long as possible, because I think it’s traumatic for an organization to get new people in, train them and have them up and running. Being around for a period of time, learning from the organization and from those we serve, and then putting that into action is a serious objective in itself.

I did come into it with an objective around the reform of the humanitarian sector, well before Donald Trump, Elon Musk and others started talking about efficiency and prioritization and cuts. I do believe that we can do this much more effectively and much closer to those we serve and so I was already determined to deliver that.

And then thirdly, the big one is ultimately about saving lives. I believe it’s our job to save hundreds of millions of lives and to define everything we do against that yardstick. 

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UNRWA warns against closure of six schools in East Jerusalem

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“It’s a grave threat to the right of those children to education,” Roland Friedrich, Director of UNRWA Affairs for the West Bank, told UN News.

The development follows two Israeli laws that went into effect in late January which ban UNRWA from operating in its territory and prohibit Israeli authorities from having any contact with the agency.

UNRWA is the largest provider of healthcare, education and other services for nearly six million Palestine refugees across the Middle East, including in war-torn Gaza.

This week the International Court of Justice – the UN’s highest court – began hearings to examine Israel’s restrictions on the work of the UN and other international organizations in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Mr. Friedrich spoke about how the affected students are anxious over the prospect of being shut out of the classroom.  He also underlined UNRWA’s commitment to continue to deliver in East Jerusalem “as long as we can.”

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Roland Friedrich: Roughly four weeks ago we received notifications from the Israeli Ministry of Education that the three schools we operate in Shu’fat refugee camp and another three schools we operate inside East Jerusalem shall be closed. 

We have 800 students in these schools and these children have no adequate access to education beyond these schools. This is very concerning for the children, for their families, and it comes while the school year is still ongoing. So, this is unprecedented. It’s a grave threat to the rights of those children to education and it’s very concerning particularly because these closure orders are supposed to come into effect on 8 May, which is less than a week from now.

UN News: What other UNRWA programmes are at risk in the West Bank?

Roland Friedrich: I think we have to make a distinction between our work in occupied East Jerusalem, which according to the Israeli legislation is banned, and our work in the rest of the West Bank where, according to Israel, all our work is not banned. 

In East Jerusalem we operate, in addition to the six schools with 800 children, two health centres – one in the Old City and another in Shu’fat refugee camp – with  roughly 60,000 patients: vulnerable patients who have no adequate access to other health facilities, patients with non-communicable diseases, patients who have West Bank ID who have no access to alternative health facilities, and low-income patients. 

We are also responsible for garbage collection in Shu’fat refugee camp, which is on the Palestinian side of the so-called separation barrier. 

In addition to that, we also operate a vocational training centre in the north of Jerusalem, also on the Palestinian side of the barrier, with 350 trainees, all from the West Bank. 

Our main headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem is in the Sheikh Jarah neighbourhood. We currently cannot operate from it because of continuing security threats: threats to the safety and security of our staff, ongoing attacks against the compound. 

We again had an arson attack against these facilities three weeks ago, and continuous destruction of the fence, of cameras, of security infrastructure with high material damage. 

So that’s a place that’s not safe for our staff to work despite the fact that it is a facility protected by the privileges and immunities of the United Nations. 

When it comes to the West Bank overall, our operations there largely continue. That means our 90 schools, our 41 health centres, our microfinance installations, continue to operate. 

But we do have a severe humanitarian crisis in the northern West Bank due to an ongoing Israeli security forces operation that started in late January and that has led to the displacement of more than 40,000 Palestinian refugees from three refugee camps.  

UN News: What messages did you hear from students, parents and teachers during your latest visit to Shu’fat camp? How is the community coping with this uncertainty?

Roland Friedrich: There is anxiety among children. They are worried that they can’t continue the school year, which runs until the end of June. They’re worried that they will be separated from their friends. 

They’re worried that they will lose access to education. They are worried that they will have to be placed in education facilities that are maybe very far away or not available at all.

These are free schools, and we teach from grades one to nine. A lot of them are young girls who feel safe there in an appropriate learning environment that they will possibly lose.

Parents are also concerned. UNRWA has been delivering services in that refugee camp since the 1960s, predating Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, so there’s a history of UNRWA teaching in that place and an appreciation for the quality of the services we deliver. 

Given the fact that all international UN staff have not received visas from the Israeli authorities since late January, it’s our local staff on the ground who are taking high risks in continuing to serve their communities.

UN News: In this challenging environment, what steps is UNRWA considering to support the continuity of its services in East Jerusalem?

Roland Friedrich: We’ve been very clear since these laws against UNRWA entered into effect on 29 January. We’ve been seeking to live up to our humanitarian commitment, to our mandate to continue to deliver these services to communities in East Jerusalem.

There have been legal efforts by Israeli civil society organizations before the courts against these laws and against these disclosure orders. Some of these proceedings are still pending.

We clearly call upon all actors to respect the obligations under international law, particularly to respect the inviolability of the premises of the United Nations in East Jerusalem. 

We are providing these services based on a mandate by the General Assembly.

UNRWA clearly enjoys full privileges and immunities like any other UN agency, and our staff there are taking grave personal risks.

We are assessing the situation on a daily basis. Is it still safe for our staff to operate or not? As a matter of principle, we will be there as long as we can. 

 

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Syria: UN envoy warns of escalating violence in Syria

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He described the latest clashes as “unacceptable” and warned of the risk of further escalation in what he called an “extremely fragile situation”.

Fighting erupted earlier this week in Ashrafiah Sahnaya, a town southwest of the capital, when unknown gunmen attacked a security checkpoint.

The following day, another deadly clash took place in the nearby suburb of Jaramana. In total, at least 16 civilians and security personnel were reported killed.

‘Immediate steps’ needed to protect civilians

“The reports of civilian casualties, and casualties among security personnel, are deeply alarming,” said Mr Pedersen in a statement. “Immediate steps must be taken to protect civilians, de-escalate tensions, and prevent any further incitement of communal conflict.”

The violence comes as tensions reportedly remain high between Syria’s interim Government and Druze communities near the capital.

The Druze, a religious minority in Syria, have been engaged in talks about their inclusion in the new Syrian State, following the overthrow of the Assad regime last December.

Many in the community are reportedly calling for some level of autonomy, concerned over the Islamist background of some of Syria’s current leadership.

Amid the domestic unrest, Israel has also carried out military strikes in Syria, reportedly targeting what the Prime Minister described as an “extremist group” allegedly preparing to attack the Druze population south of Damascus.

A second strike reportedly killed a Syrian security officer outside the capital.

Syrian sovereignty ‘must be fully respected’

Mr. Pedersen condemned the Israeli attacks, saying they must stop. “Syria’s sovereignty must be fully respected.”

He stressed the importance of accountability for those responsible for killing civilians and fuelling tensions.

“There can be no progress without genuine inclusion, trust-building, and meaningful dialogue,” he said.

The Special Envoy welcomed efforts already underway to calm the situation and urged all sides to work together to prevent further bloodshed.

Dialogue, not destruction

With tensions still simmering following last month’s sectarian violence in Latakia, which claimed over 1,000 lives, the UN is calling for restraint and unity at a critical juncture for Syria’s future.

“The people of Syria have suffered too much for too long,” Mr Pedersen said.

“They deserve peace, dignity, and a future built on dialogue, not destruction.”

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Two-State solution nearing point of no return, warns UN chief

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Addressing a Security Council debate on Tuesday, António Guterres said the Middle East stands at a critical crossroads.

“The promise of a two-State solution is at risk of vanishing altogether,” he said. “Political will to achieve that goal feels more distant than ever.”

He stressed that this erosion undermines the rights of both Palestinians and Israelis to live in peace and security, while denying Palestinians their legitimate national aspirations.

Gaza crisis ‘beyond imagination’

Mr. Guterres expressed deep concern over the worsening crisis in Gaza, where nearly 2,000 Palestinians have been killed since the March ceasefire collapsed.

He condemned the ongoing blockade of aid – including food, fuel and medicine – which has pushed over two million people into a humanitarian emergency he called “beyond imagination.”

“I am alarmed by statements from Israeli officials suggesting aid is being used as leverage for military gain,” he said. “Aid is not a bargaining chip. It is non-negotiable.”

He renewed calls for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and full humanitarian access. He also underscored the need to uphold international law, protect UN personnel and facilities, and ensure accountability for attacks on aid workers.

Tensions in the West Bank

Turning to the West Bank including East Jerusalem, the Secretary-General described a worsening situation marked by Palestinian displacement, home demolitions, restricted movement and expanding Israeli settlements that are reshaping the territory in violation of international law.

“Palestinians are being contained and coerced,” he said – contained in areas under growing military pressure and coerced out of others where settlements are expanding.

Settler violence continues to rise amid impunity, while Palestinian attacks on Israelis also persist in both Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Secretary-General Guterres briefs the Security Council.

A pivotal moment for peace

With the region in turmoil, Mr. Guterres urged countries to move beyond statements and outline specific steps to revive the two-State solution.

“This is not a time for box-ticking,” he said. “The clock is ticking – and time is running out.”

He called on the international community to prevent a future of endless occupation and violence through sustained and serious action.

Leaders must deliver

The Secretary-General highlighted the upcoming high-level conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia as a key chance to reenergise international support.

“I urge Member States to go beyond declarations and consider concrete steps to save the two-State solution – before it disappears altogether,” he said.

“At this hinge point in history, leaders must show courage, act with resolve, and deliver peace for Palestinians, Israelis, the region, and the world.”

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UN warns of $4 trillion shortfall threatening global development goals

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Speaking at UN Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres, General Assembly President Philémon Yang and Economic and Social Council President Bob Rae stressed the need for more resources and a global financial overhaul.

Without an effective response, they stressed, the world risks falling even further behind on ending poverty, fighting climate change, and building new sustainable economies.

They were addressing the ECOSOC annual forum on financing for development, which follows last week’s World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings where global growth, trade tensions and the rising debt burden in developing countries were front and centre.

Everyone loses in a trade war

“This year’s ECOSOC Forum comes at a pivotal time,” Mr. Guterres told delegates, warning that global cooperation itself is under threat.

He pointed to rising trade tensions as a major risk, noting that while fair trade is a clear example of the benefits of international collaboration, the surge in trade barriers poses a “clear and present danger” to the global economy – as seen in recent downgrades to global growth forecasts by the IMF, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and UN economists.

“In a trade war, everybody loses – especially the most vulnerable countries and people, who are hit the hardest,” he said.

We must shift into overdrive

Mr. Guterres highlighted how many donors are pulling back from aid commitments while soaring borrowing costs drain public investments, putting the SDGs “dramatically off track.”

“With just five years to reach the SDGs, we need to shift into overdrive,” he stressed, urging countries to deliver bold outcomes at the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, in Seville.

“Against this turbulent background, we cannot let our financing for development ambitions get swept away.”

Secretary-General António Guterres (right) addresses the ECOSOC 2025 Forum on Financing for Development Follow-up. At his left is Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly.

Crushing debt burdens

ECOSOC President Bob Rae echoed these concerns, emphasising that over three billion people live in countries where governments spend more on interest payments than on health or education.

“We desperately need a more affordable debt architecture – it’s that simple,” he said, calling for urgent reforms that would allow countries a fair chance to repay what they owe while investing in their futures.

He also sounded the alarm over rising trade barriers – citing recent moves by major economies, like the United States, to impose new tariffs.

“Trade is not a four-letter word,” Mr. Rae said, “it is a positive way for countries to exchange goods and services and emerge from poverty.”

He urged countries not to see trade as a zero-sum game – where there are only winners and losers – and embrace fair, open trading systems as a path to shared prosperity.

Calls for reform

General Assembly President Philémon Yang underscored the consequences of rising debts and shrinking fiscal space.

In more than 50 developing countries, governments now spend over 10 percent of their revenues on debt servicing – and in 17 of them, over 20 percent – a clear warning sign of default, according to UN economists.

“Our inability to reform the international financial architecture is severely restricting capital access,” Mr. Yang warned, stressing that closing the financing gap – now estimated at over $4 trillion annually – is critical to achieving the SDGs.

“Time is of the essence. Let us use this ECOSOC Forum to bridge divides, build trust, and lay the foundation for success.”

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are all interconnected, for instance progress on SDG 2 to end hunger is closely tied to advances in health and education.

Looking ahead to Seville

As negotiations continue towards an agreed outcome in Seville, Secretary-General Guterres highlighted three priority areas – tackling unsustainable debt, strengthening multilateral development banks and unlocking new streams of sustainable finance.

He called for mobilizing more domestic resources, innovative financing solutions, better controls on illicit financial flows and stronger partnerships with the private sector.

ECOSOC President Rae added that the conversation must move beyond declarations to concrete, measurable action.

“We need innovation, creativity and partnerships that deliver lasting and transformative impact,” he said.

The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development – to be held from 30 June to 3 July in Seville, Spain – represents a critical opportunity to rebuild the global financial system to unleash the investments urgently needed to achieve the SDGs.

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Gaza: UN official warns of ‘assault on dignity’ as blockade cripples humanitarian response

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Speaking to journalists in Gaza City, Jonathan Whittall, OCHA‘s local Head of Office, painted a dire picture of life under what he called a “total and complete blockade” now approaching its third month.

“The coming days in Gaza are going to be critical. Today people are not surviving in Gaza, those that aren’t being killed with bombs and bullets are slowly dying,” he said.

Whittall stressed that humanitarian agencies are unable to meet the soaring needs of civilians due to the collapse of supply lines. Hospitals are overwhelmed, but medicines and equipment are running out. People are going hungry, but food warehouses are empty and bakeries are closing. Clean water is desperately needed, but water wells are inaccessible.

He noted that solid waste is piling up in the streets with no equipment to remove it, and that rescue efforts after airstrikes are impossible without fuel and machinery. Displaced families are forced to live in rubble without shelter materials, and fishermen are being shot at sea, while humanitarian organisations lack the resources to assist them. “Nowhere in Gaza today is safe”, he said.

He added that children need to learn, but schools have been destroyed or are inaccessible, and that education supplies are not available. Prices of the remaining goods in Gaza continue to rise, but there is no cash available. There is no cooking gas or fuel, forcing families to burn trash to generate some energy.

“This is not only about humanitarian needs, but it’s about dignity. There is an assault on people’s dignity in Gaza today,” he warned.

“We also know that humanitarian workers, first responders, you as journalists, should be protected, like all civilians, but we’re being killed in a war that appears to be fought without any limits,” he added.

Whittall emphasised that the situation in Gaza does not even resemble a war. “People in Gaza are telling me that they feel like it’s the deliberate dismantling of Palestinian life in plain sight, for all to see, documented every day by you as journalists,” he said.

He described the devastation witnessed daily — including children’s bodies thrown by explosions, families burnt alive, and colleagues killed — as part of what he termed “everyday atrocities.”

“As humanitarians we can see that aid is being weaponised through its denial,” he warned. “There’s no justification for the denial of humanitarian assistance. And humanitarian aid should never be weaponised.”

Despite the catastrophic conditions, he stressed that humanitarian organisations are continuing to operate where possible, but “we have less and less and less supplies and less and less capacity to be able to meet the growing and growing needs that are intensifying across Gaza.”

“Lives depend on the blockade being lifted, on aid being allowed to enter into Gaza, on the ceasefire being reinstated,” he said, calling for real accountability rather than waiting for history to judge the international community’s response.

Hunger and malnutrition surging

In a separate statement, OCHA warned of a “severe decline” in food availability across Gaza, as malnutrition rates escalate rapidly, particularly among children.

A UN partner organisation recently screened around 1,300 children in northern Gaza and identified over 80 cases of acute malnutrition, representing more than double the rate recorded in previous weeks.

“Nutrition partners report a critical shortage of supplies due to the obstruction of aid entry and challenges in transporting essential materials within Gaza,” OCHA said. Access to key facilities, including UNICEF’s main warehouse in Rafah, remains heavily restricted.

Journalists who visited the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) main warehouses this week found them largely empty of food supplies, including flour.

Call for accountability and action

“Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” UNRWA said in a separate statement, stressing that international law prohibits indiscriminate attacks, the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, and the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure.

The agency reiterated its call for a renewed ceasefire, the dignified release of all hostages, and the immediate, unhindered flow of humanitarian aid and commercial goods into Gaza.

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Indigenous Peoples sidelined in global climate fight, UN warns

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Launched on Thursday, The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples exposes a stark imbalance: while Indigenous Peoples make up just six per cent of the global population, they safeguard 80 per cent of the planet’s remaining biodiversity – yet receive less than one per cent of international climate funding.

The report offers a sobering assessment of climate action that is not only lacking in urgency, but in fairness. From green energy projects imposed without consent to policy decisions made in rooms where Indigenous voices are absent, these communities are too often excluded from climate solutions, displaced by them, and denied the resources to lead the way.

“Although we are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, Indigenous Peoples are not victims,” writes Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, in the report’s foreword.

“We are custodians of the natural world who are committed to maintaining the natural equilibrium of the planet for the generations to come.”

The publication, overseen by the UN, brings together contributions from Indigenous leaders, researchers and the World Health Organization (WHO), combining case studies, data and lived experience from seven distinct regions of the world.

A child from the Badjao Indigenous community in the Philippines sits amid the wreckage left by a typhoon.

Modern problems, ancient solutions

The report calls for a seismic shift in how Indigenous knowledge is understood and respected – reframing it not as “traditional” or folkloric, but as scientific and technical knowledge.

Indigenous knowledge systems, authors argue, are “time-tested, method-driven” and built on direct relationships with ecosystems that have sustained life for millennia.

For example, in Peru, a Quechua community in Ayacucho has revived water sowing and harvesting practices to adapt to shrinking glaciers and drought. These methods, part of ancestral stewardship of hydrological cycles, are now being shared across borders with Costa Rican farmers as a model of South-South climate cooperation.

In Somalia, oral traditions serve as ecological law. The report cites cultural norms such as prohibitions on cutting certain trees (gurmo go’an) as evidence of environmental governance embedded in generational wisdom – passed through proverbs, stories, and taboos rather than policy papers.

Meanwhile, the Comcaac people of Mexico encode ecological and maritime knowledge in their language. Names like Moosni Oofia (where green turtles gather) and Tosni Iti Ihiiquet (where pelicans hatch) act as living data points – “vital  to their survival,” the report emphasises.

© Unsplash/Paul-Alain Hunt

Ore containing copper, cobalt and nickel at a mine.

Green solutions without consultation

The report also looks at how even as the world embraces a renewable energy future, many Indigenous Peoples are finding themselves on the frontlines not as climate partners, but as collateral damage from some of the solutions.

“So-called green solutions often pose as much of a threat to Indigenous Peoples as the climate crisis itself,” writes Mr. Ibrahim. From biofuel expansion, carbon offsetting schemes, and mineral extraction for clean energy technologies, the new economy is often being built on old injustices.

For example, in Africa, the report draws attention to how demand for minerals linked to the green energy transition — including lithium and cobalt — has led to extractive activities that proceed without free, prior and informed consent. These projects often result in environmental degradation and displacement, echoing colonial patterns of land exploitation.

In several countries across the Americas, carbon offset projects tied to forest conservation have also been implemented without consultation – often on Indigenous lands – resulting in environmental degradation and exclusion from financial benefits.

Throughout, the report warns that if climate actions continue to be designed and implemented without Indigenous Peoples at the centre, they risk replicating the extractive and exclusionary systems that fuelled the crisis in the first place.

Indigenous young women representatives of the Sami People at the COP26 pavilions.

Climate change is a health crisis

The report also includes a chapter commissioned by WHO that details how climate-related health impacts intersect with the social, cultural, and spiritual lives of Indigenous communities.

In the Arctic, changes in temperature, wildlife migration, and weather patterns are disrupting traditional practices like hunting and harvesting. These disruptions are causing stress and threatening food security.

Indigenous women are particularly affected by the intersection of climate change and health. In East Africa, for example, women are more vulnerable to neglected tropical diseases such as schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and soil-transmitted helminthiases.

In the Amazon, climate-induced biodiversity loss has reduced access to traditional foods and medicinal plants, contributing to nutritional deficiencies among pregnant and nursing women, as well as broader community health vulnerabilities.

Despite these challenges, the report emphasises resilience. Communities are implementing locally rooted adaptation strategies, often led by women and elders. These include restoring traditional diets, strengthening intergenerational knowledge sharing, and adapting harvesting calendars to new ecological rhythms.

Participants attend the opening of the 24th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Excluded from the table and the funds

Although Indigenous Peoples are increasingly acknowledged in global environmental frameworks, the report reveals that their role in shaping and implementing climate policy remains severely limited — both in terms of funding and governance.

Indigenous communities continue to face structural barriers that prevent them from accessing international climate finance. While significant resources flow through climate initiatives worldwide, less than 1 per cent reaches Indigenous Peoples directly.

The report calls for a fundamental shift: not just to increase funding, but to change who controls it.

Among its key recommendations are the creation of Indigenous-led financial mechanisms, formal recognition of Indigenous governance systems, and the protection of data sovereignty – ensuring communities control how knowledge about their lands and livelihoods is collected and used.

Unless these systems are transformed, the report warns, climate action risks reproducing the same patterns of exclusion and dispossession that have long undermined both Indigenous rights and global environmental goals.

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UN warns of rising deportations of Haitian mothers and newborns from Dominican Republic

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According to the UN migration agency, IOM, recent weeks have seen an increase in the deportation of women, including those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, as well as children and newborn babies. 

The agency has emphasised the heightened risks these groups face being returned to Haiti, where access to basic services remains severely limited.

On Tuesday alone, IOM staff at the Belladère border crossing in Haiti received 416 deportees, including 11 pregnant women and 16 women who are still breastfeeding.

Meeting the needs

“While IOM teams are not present during the deportation process itself, their efforts focus on the needs of deportees upon arrival, many of whom arrive in precarious and highly vulnerable conditions, often without any resources,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, speaking in New York.

He explained that IOM provides immediate humanitarian assistance, including food, water, and hygiene kits, as well as first aid, medical referrals, and psychosocial support.

Special attention is given to maternal health, and temporary places to live are arranged for women who are breastfeeding when necessary, he added.

Worsening conditions

Mr. Dujarric also updated on the situation in Haiti, where rising violence and recent funding cuts are undermining essential services and worsening the humanitarian situation, particularly in the Centre Department.

Escalating violence on the part of armed groups has triggered mass displacement, with more than 51,000 people, over half of them children, fleeing recent attacks. Many are now stranded at makeshift sites or seeking safety in other regions. 

No safety inside hospitals

He noted that the University Hospital of Mirebalais – a major referral facility with about 300 beds – has suspended operations following a wave of insecurity in the area. 

“Armed attacks, a mass prison break and the destruction of public infrastructure forced the hospital to gradually shut down. Before its closure, it served nearly 850 patients each day, including through maternal care and advanced cancer treatment,” he said.

Meanwhile, two other hospitals in the area – St. Therese in Hinche and Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Artibonite – are now coming under increased strain and face critical shortages, including oxygen and emergency medical kits. 

Since the closure of the University Hospital in Mirebalais, they have treated more than 200 patients for gunshot wounds, strokes, suspected cholera and malnutrition. 

“St. Therese alone has received more than 3,500 internally displaced people – tripling its outpatient caseload,” Mr. Dujarric said.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and humanitarian partners are working to relieve pressure on the health system in Centre Department.

Mobile clinics are being deployed to reach 30,000 people in host communities and displacement camps, in coordination with the Haitian authorities and the Catholic charity Caritas.

Humanitarians are seeking $908 million to support nearly four million people in Haiti this year. Only six per cent of the funding, $57 million, has been received to date. 

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Trust collapsing as job fears surge worldwide, warns UN

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According to the World Social Report 2025 launched on Thursday, the sobering sentiment indicates a widespread lack of confidence in the future.

Despite people living longer, being better educated and more connected than ever before, many believe that life today is worse than it was 50 years ago.

Close to 60 per cent of people surveyed on life satisfaction reported that they were “struggling” with a further 12 per cent describing themselves as “suffering”, the report notes.

Financial insecurity everywhere

According to the report, economic instability is no longer limited to the world’s poorest regions.

Even in high-income countries, rising job uncertainty, gig work and the digital transition are contributing to this trend.  

These jobs may offer flexibility but often come at the cost of security and rights – reducing workers to mere service providers in a commodified labour market.

The insecurities are further compounded by an alarming rise in informal employment. In many low and middle-income countries, jobs with no safety net remains the norm, locking workers into cycles of low pay, instability, and zero benefits.

Even those who manage to enter formal employment face significant risks of being pushed back into the informal sector, especially during downturns.

For over 2.8 billion people living on less than $6.85 a day – the threshold for extreme poverty – “even a small shock can send people into extreme poverty and any escapes from poverty are often temporary,” the report warns.

The situation is further complicated by rising climate change impacts and worsening conflicts, further undermining local economies and deepening inequality, especially in the developing world.

Collapse of trust

As financial pressures mount and stability erodes, public confidence in institutions – and in one another – has also taken a severe hit, particularly among young people.

Over half the world’s population (57 per cent) now expresses low levels of confidence in government. Among those born in the 21st century, trust levels are even lower – raising concerns about long-term civic disengagement and political instability.

People’s trust in one another is also eroding. Fewer than 30 per cent of people in countries with available data believe that most others can be trusted, undermining social cohesion and complicating efforts for collective action.

“The spread of misinformation and disinformation, facilitated by digital technologies, is reinforcing divisions and fuelling distrust,” the report says, warning of abuse and misuse of digital platforms and social media to spread deceit and hate speech, and stoke conflicts.

“Often, users find themselves immersed in virtual and siloed ‘echo chambers’ where they are exposed to news and opinions that align with and may even radicalize their views.”

Platform algorithms facilitate the creation of such echo chambers and reward more extreme content and engagement with higher visibility, the report adds.

Cycle rickshaw drivers navigate the busy streets of Old Delhi, India – a livelihood for many in the informal economy.

Time for bold policies

To reverse these damaging trends, the report calls for a bold shift in policymaking – one grounded in equity, economic security and solidarity.

It urges governments to invest more in people through expanding access to quality public services – such as education, healthcare, housing and robust social protection systems.

These investments are not discretionary, the report stresses, but essential to promote resilience and inclusive growth.

It also highlights the need to rebuild trust through inclusive and accountable institutions. At the same time, power and wealth needs to become less concentrated at the very top of society.

Collective solutions

Now more than ever, we must strengthen our resolve to come together and build a world that is more just, secure, resilient and united
– Secretary-General Guterres

As momentum builds toward the Second World Summit for Social Development, which will be held in Doha in November, global leadership will be key to driving transformative change.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the need for unity and decisive action in a foreword to the report.

“The global challenges we face demand collective solutions,” he wrote.

“Now more than ever, we must strengthen our resolve to come together and build a world that is more just, secure, resilient and united for each and every one of us.”

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AI lightens the workload – but risks remain, labour agency warns

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In a new report highlighting the universal impact of the technological revolution now underway, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) insisted that it offered a way out from so-called 3D jobs that are “dirty, dangerous and demeaning”.

Health and safety

But the ILO also warned that greater oversight is needed to prevent unexpected safety issues caused by the roll-out of AI and associated technology in the workplace.

“Digitalization offers immense opportunities to enhance workplace safety,” said Manal Azzi, Team Lead on Occupational and Safety Health Policy at the ILO.

“Automation can reduce repetitive tasks, such as in factory production lines or in administrative work, allowing workers to take on more challenging tasks. But for us to fully benefit from these technologies, we must ensure they are implemented without incurring new risks.”

The ILO notes that these new tools are already revolutionizing how safety is managed across industries, from logistics to healthcare and construction. Even low-tech sectors are beginning to feel the benefits.

Here are some of the key unfamiliar risks associated with AI, robotics and digitalization:

  • Human-robot interaction: Workers who collaborate with or maintain robots may be exposed to injuries from malfunctions, unpredictable behaviour, or design flaws.
  • Cybersecurity threats: As workplaces become more connected, system failures or cyberattacks could compromise safety systems and endanger workers.
  • Ergonomic issues: Wearables and exoskeletons, if poorly designed or ill-fitting, can cause discomfort, strain, or injury rather than preventing them.
  • Mental health: Constant digital monitoring, algorithm-driven workloads and the pressure of always being connected can lead to stress, burnout, and other mental health problems.
  • Reduced human oversight: Over-reliance on automation and AI can decrease critical human judgement, potentially increasing safety risks when systems fail or make errors.
  • Digital supply chain hazards: Workers in parts of the tech supply chain, such as mining for materials in hostile environments or handling e-waste, face dangerous and often overlooked conditions.

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