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Killing of journalists in Gaza hospital attack ‘should shock the world’: UN rights office

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OHCHR Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said condemnation of the two strikes by Israeli forces on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis now needs to be channelled into a demand for accountability and justice for all those killed.

At least 20 died, including four health workers and five journalists, later named as Ahed Abu Aziz, Hussam al-Masri, Mariam Dagga, Mohammed Salama and Moaz Abu Taha. They worked for outlets including Middle East Eye, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera and Reuters.

Two strikes

Video taken at the scene shows a second strike apparently targeting rescuers who had arrived at the scene of the initial attack on southern Gaza’s largest medical facility on Monday.

“We know that one of the five journalists appears to have been killed in the first air strike while three others including the women journalist appear to have been killed in the second air strike. This is a shock and this is unacceptable,” said Mr. Al-Kheetan.

“At least 247 Palestinian journalists have been killed in Gaza since the 7th of October 2023,” he continued.

“These journalists are the eyes and the ears of the whole world and they must be protected…This raises many, many questions about the targeting of journalists and all of these incidents must absolutely be investigated and those responsible must be held accountable.

He added that OHCHR was continuing to corroborate the factual details of Monday’s strikes, adding that targeting journalists as well as hospitals is forbidden under international law.

The head of UN cultural agency, UNESCO – which advocates for press freedom and journalists’ safety – also condemned the killings, reiterating her call to respect UN Security Council resolution 2222, unanimously adopted in 2015 on the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel as civilians in situations of conflict.

Audrey Azoulay said UNESCO is providing emergency assistance to journalists in the Gaza Strip, including psychosocial assistance, access to working equipment, and capacity-building

Investigations must ‘yield results’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the killings expressing regret, describing the incident as a “tragic mishap”. He said the Israeli military would carry out “a thorough investigation.”

The OHCHR spokesperson told journalists in Geneva that Israeli authorities had carried out investigations in the past, as the occupying power.

“But these investigations need to yield results. There needs to be justice. We haven’t seen results or accountability measures yet,” he said.

More to follow…

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Health and aid workers targeted in conflicts around the world, UN agency says

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Attacks against health facilities doubled between 2023 and 2024, and more than 900 health workers were killed last year, the agency reported.

Humanitarian aid workers were also killed in record numbers in 2024. Yet, 2025 is outpacing even these dark statistics at a time when funding for humanitarian work is shrinking and support services established over decades are struggling to operate.

The Special Surgery Building at Al-Shifa Medical Complex in central Gaza City has been reduced to rubble.

Assault on Gaza’s health system

The nearly two-year-long war has devastated Gaza’s health system, leaving thousands without access to essential services. Now, as famine takes hold, miscarriages, premature births and low birth weight cases have surged, while newborn deaths are increasing, the UN agency warned.

PULL QUOTE: Life must continue even when bombs are going off.

“Because the delivery room was under direct fire, I delivered babies in hospital hallways,” said Ayda, a senior midwife in northern Gaza. “For lights, we used mobile phones. Despite the lack of supplies and water, our hands continued to work. Life must continue even when bombs are going off.”

Since October 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented over 720 attacks on healthcare in Gaza, with at least 1,580 health workers killed and as yet unknown numbers arrested and detained by Israel. Among them was Ayda, who just days after sharing her story, was killed in an airstrike along with 37 members of her family.

Dr. Khalid Badreldin completed his studies at the Ibrahim Malik Hospital in Khartoum, which now lays in ruins.

Delivering amid devastation in Sudan

In a field of rubble that used to be part of the Ibrahim Malik Hospital in Khartoum, Dr. Khalid Badreldin, a reproductive health analyst with UNFPA in Sudan, recalled performing his first surgery and delivering his first baby there.

“Now, I find it like this,” he said, lamenting the now shuttered hospital that was once a major provider of emergency treatment and maternal and neonatal services. The hospital has joined more than 80 per cent of health facilities in Sudan’s conflict zones that are no longer operational.

Meanwhile, midwives in Khartoum, the capital, are taking “huge risks to reach women in their homes”, explained Hawaa Ismael, who works at the UNFPA-supported Kararai Health Centre.

“It was exhausting, working day and night, but it’s our duty, and I’m proud of what we’ve done.”

On the other side of the country, staff at the El Fasher Maternity Hospital have come under attack, with one midwife killed when her home was shelled on Thursday and another kidnapped.

Haiti’s spiralling crisis

Clinics and hospitals have been deliberately targeted in the crisis that has gripped Haiti over the past 18 months, further weakening a health system already hobbled after years of conflict, looting and financial collapse.

In Haiti, people carrying their belongings flee in near darkness.

The State University Hospital, the country’s largest, was attacked at its reopening ceremony in December 2024, following a 10-month closure, with several people killed, according to reports. In the same month, armed gangs set fire to the Bernard Mevs Hospital in Port-au-Prince, the capital, and in April, attacks forced Mirebalais University Hospital to close.

Organized gangs are waging a brutal campaign to seize control of the capital, with sexual violence rampant. An estimated 1.2 million women and girls are in urgent need of protection against gender-based violence, but due to ongoing insecurity, three out of UNFPA’s four safe spaces in Port-au-Prince were recently forced to close and relocate. As access to emergency services remains extremely limited, just one quarter of rape survivors receive care within the critical 72-hour period.

© UNOCHA/Viktoriia Andriievska

Ukraine’s largest pediatric health centre, Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv, was hit on 8 July 2024 in one of the worst missile attacks on the country.

Heavy toll in Ukraine

Since January 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded over 300 attacks by Russia on healthcare facilities, services and personnel in Ukraine, where women and girls are often compelled to find safer places to shelter and give birth.

I was afraid to give birth, but life goes on. We want to live too.

“Every day brings stress,” said Anastasiia from Sloviansk, on the frontline Donetsk region. “Even if there’s no immediate strike, the fighting nearby is loud and constant. I was afraid to give birth, but life goes on. We want to live too.”

Her region lacks a neonatal intensive care unit and while doctors can perform a Caesarian section, they could not provide full care if complications arose. As her due date approached, Anastasiia travelled some 20km to reach the Kharkiv Regional Perinatal Centre despite the city being regularly subjected to bombings, drone strikes and artillery shelling.

The response workers who help women like Anastasiia often face risks.

“When we arrive at the sites of attacks or in cases of violence, we don’t have time to slow down,” explained Roman, who works with a UNFPA mobile psychosocial support team in Dnipro. “It’s like our own reactions are on hold. Only later, when we look back and discuss it, do we realise how difficult it actually was.”

Under fire in DR Congo

In the restive eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), most facilities providing maternal healthcare have been bombed or looted.

Midwife Loti Kubuya Mielor assists a newly arrived displaced woman who gave birth in a shelter in Goma, DR Congo.

Indeed, just one third of hospitals in the region and one in five health centres are able to function. UNFPA’s mobile health teams are often the only option women have.

Displaced since February 2023, Francine Toyata recalled her recent travel through “darkness and chaos” with her mother to reach a UNFPA-supported mobile health clinic to give birth in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu province.

“It is for women like Francine that we do this work,” said Nelly, her midwife.

As the conflict escalates, bombs have started hitting camps for internally displaced people, and mobile health clinics and listening centres have also been looted and destroyed.

“We were not safe,” Nelly added. “We need more support to meet these urgent needs.”

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World News in Brief: Gaza humanitarian update, more killings in Sudan, ending impunity in Myanmar

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Multiple strikes overnight into Friday were reported in the Jabalya Al Balad and An Nazla neighbourhoods, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update.

As a result, around 900 people reportedly fled towards the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood and western Gaza City.

Safe passage, more aid

The UN and partners again reminded parties to the conflict of their obligation to protect civilians, in line with international law, including humanitarian workers and people who cannot or choose not to move. 

“Those fleeing must be allowed to do so safely. They must also be allowed to return if they wish to do so, as the situation allows,” OCHA said.

The agency underscored the need to ensure that people have access to aid and basic services, whether they leave or stay.

Supplies also must be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip through all available crossings and corridors, and humanitarians must have safe, predictable and sustained access to deliver aid at scale.

Hospitals under strain

Meanwhile, as strikes continue to intensify across the enclave, casualties are flooding hospital emergency departments.  

Humanitarians warned that the expansion of military operations would further cripple the collapsing healthcare system. 

Nearly half of all hospitals and field hospitals are located in Gaza City, accounting for some 40 per cent of bed capacity in the entire enclave.  Additionally, many medical facilities in the south are operating several times over their bedspace capacity.

Humanitarians stressed that access to healthcare must be immediately restored to avert more preventable deaths. 

Sudan: UN rights office horrified by recent killings in El Fasher 

Recent brutal attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan have left at least 89 people dead in North Darfur state, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday

The RSF have been battling the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) for control of the country for more than two years.

OHCHR said RSF attacks on the besieged North Darfur capital El Fasher and the adjoining Abu Shouk camp for displaced people resulted in the killing of at least 89 civilians, though the actual number could be higher.

The attacks took place over a 10-day period ending on 20 August.

Apparent summary executions 

At least 32 civilians were killed in attacks between 16 and 20 August, while at least 57 were killed in previous attacks on 11 August.

OHCHR was particularly horrified that 16 of the most recent killings appear to have been summary executions, Spokesman Jeremy Laurence told journalists in Geneva.

“Most of the victims were killed in Abu Shouk camp and belonged to the African Zaghawa tribe, according to information gathered by our Office,” he said.

“In another case in the El Fasher area, a victim was asked which tribe he belonged to. He was killed after responding that he was from the African Berti tribe.” 

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in El Fasher has reached a critical stage after more than a year of siege, and there is growing risk of famine in the city and other areas of North Darfur.

OHCHR was appalled by two separate attacks on UN humanitarian convoys in North Darfur this month and in June, saying such attacks only worsen the human rights situation for civilians.

© UNICEF/Ilvy Njiokiktjien

Ending impunity for violence critical for Rohingya in Myanmar

The UN human rights office has also called for ending impunity in the violence against the Rohingya people in Myanmar and ensuring their rights to security, citizenship and equality.

It said the Rohingya – a mostly Muslim minority community in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar – continue to suffer, eight years after a deadly crackdown by the military.

More than 700,000 fled to Bangladesh in the wake of the assault which began on 25 August 2017, joining others who had escaped earlier waves of attacks. 

Break the cycle

OHCHR said that ending impunity and ensuring the Rohingya’s rights to security, citizenship and equality, are essential for breaking the cycle of violence.

The Rohingya mainly live in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, and the office noted that the human rights and humanitarian situation there have sharply deteriorated since November 2023, further deepening the already life-threatening conditions they face.

OHCHR urged the international community to step up support for the Rohingya by increasing humanitarian funding to secure access to basic needs, essential services, and to ensure accountability. 

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World News in Brief: Sudan hospitals under fire, world remembers victims of terrorism, DR Congo

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A grenade attack inside Zalingei Hospital in Darfur State, led Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to suspend all of its activities there yesterday.  

MSF had previously led a cholera emergency response at the medical facility, providing life-saving treatment for 160 patients in the past two weeks alone.  

“The rules of war are clear that the wounded and sick, medical personnel and hospitals be protected at all times,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, at the regular briefing on Wednesday.  

Do not give up on Sudan

In concert with the Sudanese Ministry of Health and humanitarian partners, the UN continues working to expand access to cholera vaccines across the country, including more than two million reached during a recent campaign across Khartoum, Al Jazirah and Sennar States.

With famine having been confirmed in parts of Sudan, the UN and its partners are also working to deliver food assistance wherever they can — but ongoing conflict has threatened their ability to access some locations.  

For the first time since the conflict began in April 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) reached rural areas of North Darfur State on 14 August and provided over 50,000 displaced people with food.  

On 19 August, Luca Renda, the Sudan representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Sudan, lauded the work of humanitarians who continue to provide lifesaving assistance despite extreme risk to their own safety.  

“Sudanese humanitarians continue to deliver. They cross frontlines. They navigate insecurity and bureaucracy. They risk everything to reach people in need. They have not given up and neither must we.”

International Day honours victims of terrorism

Thursday, 21 August, marks the eighth commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.  

Although the violent scourge is condemned worldwide, victims and survivors of terrorism often feel their voices are not heard and struggle to have their needs supported and rights upheld, especially when few Member States have the resources to help them recover.

This year’s theme is United by Hope: Collective Action for Victims of Terrorism, highlighting the power of solidarity among victims to turn pain into purpose and drive meaningful change.

In observance of the day, the UN Office of Counterterrorism will host a virtual event and a panel discussion featuring five survivors of terrorism from different regions.

“On this solemn day, we honour the victims and survivors of terrorism everywhere – saluting their courage, acknowledging their pain, and reaffirming our enduring commitment to peace, justice, and human rights, Secretary-General António Guterres, said in a video message.

Mr. Guterres welcomed the launch of the UN-supported Victims of Terrorism Associations Network, which works to empower victims and amplify their voices.

“Victims of terrorism are showing the way: supporting one another, speaking out, and championing the rights of all those affected,” he continued, urging governments, civil society and the international community to “match their courage.”

DR Congo: Deadly violence continues in the east 

Violence continues in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the form of deadly attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces militia across North Kivu between 9 and 16 August.  

“Yesterday, gunfire was reported near the UN Mission’s base in Bayoo and also close to the base of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in Bule, in Ituri Province,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during Wednesday’s briefing in New York.  

The UN mission, MONUSCO, activated security protocols and deployed patrols to secure the area and nearby sites hosting internally displaced people.

Peacekeeping efforts

Meanwhile, MONUSCO’s Commander led a delegation to Komanda in Ituri Province, to meet community representatives and honour victims of a massacre perpetrated by the ADF in July, which killed hundreds of civilians.  

From 15 to 18 August, at the request of local communities, UN peacekeepers also deployed a Mobile Operating Base in Soleniama, Ituri, to support demobilisation efforts, with the help of religious leaders. 

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UN honours fallen aid workers on World Humanitarian Day

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The first eight months of 2025 show no sign of a reversal of this disturbing trend, with 265 humanitarian workers killed as of 14 August, according to figures released on World Humanitarian Day.

Attacks on humanitarian workers, assets and operations violate international law and undermine the lifelines that sustain millions of people trapped in war and disaster zones.  

“Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve,” said Tom Fletcher, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), speaking in Geneva.

At Headquarters in New York City, the UN hosted a commemoration ceremony for the victims of the bombing of the United Nations headquarters its office in Baghdad in 2003, which cost the lives of 22 people. Some of the survivors attended the event.

Protect aid workers

“Humanitarians carry hope where there is despair,” said Mr. Fletcher at the World Humanitarian Day 2025 Commemoration Ceremony in Geneva.  

“They bring humanity where there is inhumanity.”  

Yet, humanitarian workers are under attack.  

In 2024, most of the aid workers killed were national staff serving their communities and were attacked in the line of duty or in their homes.  

Since October 2023, 520 aid workers, mostly staff with UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA, have been killed in Gaza — the deadliest place for humanitarians for the second year running.  

OCHA demanded that Member States protect civilians and aid workers, and hold perpetrators accountable.

Despite the dangers, “humanitarians will not retreat”, said Mr. Fletcher.

Humanitarians in the Middle East  

Across the Middle East, civilians, including humanitarian workers, “are being killed, injured, and attacked in shocking numbers,” said the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Syria, Yemen and Lebanon in a joint statement this Tuesday.  

Since August 2024, at least 446 humanitarian workers have been killed, wounded, kidnapped or detained in these locations. “The world is failing humanitarian workers and the people they serve,” the statement read.  

Renewing their call for the respect of international humanitarian and human right laws, the officials called on the international community to “protect those who protect humanity.”  

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World Humanitarian Day 2025: Aid workers mull record toll of their own

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Speaking to UN News from the wartorn enclave to mark World Humanitarian Day, Olga Cherevko from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said that exhausted aid workers continue to show up for work “day in and day out”.

Approaching two years since the start of the war in Gaza, Ms. Cherevko emphasized the commitment of her Palestinian colleagues, “the doctors, the nurses, aid workers who many of them have, lost everything and several times over”.

Red lines crossed

In comments in support of aid workers everywhere, UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that humanitarian teams “are the last lifeline for over 300 million people” impacted by conflict or disaster.

Despite their lifesaving role, funding cuts are having a serious and negative impact on the world’s most vulnerable people, Mr. Guterres warned, while those who provide aid are increasingly under attack as “red lines are crossed with impunity”.

This is despite the fact that such attacks are prohibited under international law, the UN chief continued, noting that although governments have pledged action to protect them, “what is missing is political will – and moral courage…Humanitarians must be respected and protected. They can never be targeted.”

Powerless to help

From her base in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, Ms. Cherevko reflected on the nature of humanitarian work today and the frustration that aid teams often face when their lifesaving missions are delayed, preventing them from delivering assistance at scale.

“I think as a humanitarian, I feel powerless sometimes in Gaza because I know what it is that we can do as humanitarians when we’re unable to do so, both here in Gaza and in any other humanitarian crisis,” she explained.

“The fact that we continue to face massive impediments for delivering aid at scale, when our missions are delayed, when our missions lasted 12, 14, 18 hours; the routes that we’re given are dangerous, impassible or inaccessible.”

Surge in killings

Latest data indicates a 31 per cent surge in aid worker deaths compared to 2023, driven by the relentless conflict in Gaza.

The Strip saw 181 humanitarian workers killed in 2024, with 60 more fatalities in Sudan. More widely, violence against aid workers increased in 21 countries in 2024 compared to the previous year, with State actors the most common perpetrators.

Worryingly, there is no sign that the trend is slowing this year, with 265 aid workers killed as of 14 August this year, according to provisional data from the Aid Worker Security Database.

Amid early reports that Hamas has agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and ongoing uncertainty about the Israeli plan to pursue a complete military takeover of the enclave, OCHA’s Ms. Cherevko highlighted the need for a permanent end to the conflict.

Aid teams are exhausted and “everyone’s still showing up (to work), but courage alone and commitment alone isn’t going to feed people, isn’t going to save people”, she insisted. “What we need is, again, a permanent ceasefire. We need political solutions to this conflict and a resolution to this crisis.”

World News in Brief: Gaza aid crisis latest, deadly floods in India and Pakistan, funding cuts exacerbate Somalia drought

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In an alert from the World Food Programme (WFP), the agency said that half a million people “are on the brink of famine”, a claim backed up by multiple humanitarian agencies. The latest worrying data is showing widespread acute malnutrition.

A ceasefire is the only way to scale up aid deliveries, the UN agency insisted. It explained that although teams are doing everything they can to deliver food assistance, only 47 per cent of the daily target amount is getting in.

No meals, no bread

Unless the fighting stops, organized aid distributions and WFP-supported hot meals and bakeries can’t restart, the agency stated.

The UN relief agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, reported on Monday that instead of being able to prepare for the start of a new school year, children in Gaza are instead searching for water and queuing for food while their classrooms have “turned into crowded refuges”.

Three years of schooling has now been lost, the agency stressed in a tweet.

UN chief expresses ‘deep sorrow’ over deadly flash floods in India and Pakistan

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday expressed his deep sorrow at the tragic loss of life due to flash floods in India and Pakistan in recent days, with many still missing and forecasts showing the possibility of further flooding and landslides ahead.

Indian rescue services responded to a deadly flood on Friday which reportedly killed at least 60 after it crashed through a village in the Himalayas while in remote villages of northwestern Pakistan, torrents of water killed more than 300, according to news reports.

Hundreds were also injured, Pakistani authorities reported. Buner district was the worst hit, with more than 200 deaths reported there, said the provincial disaster management authorities.

Standing in solidarity

“The Secretary-General offers his sincere condolences to the victims’ families and stands in solidarity with those affected by this disaster,” said the statement issued by his Spokesperson.

UN country teams in India and Pakistan have also been placed are at the disposal of authorities although no request for assistance has been made so far.

Impacts of Somalia drought made worse by funding cuts: OCHA

In Somalia, severe drought and funding cuts are undermining lifesaving assistance there, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, said on Monday.

Because of the reduction in the amount of support for aid work, food assistance has declined, health centres are closing and malnutrition is high, the UN agency warned.

OCHA said that 4.6 million people now face high levels of food insecurity while two million more are at risk from funding cuts.

Funding cuts mean ‘lives lost’

Without scaled-up support, “lives will be lost and progress reversed” across the east African nation, where cash shortfalls have left one million people without food assistance every month.

The global trend seeing less humanitarian assistance has curtailed vital support for healthcare across Somalia. So far this year, it has impacted at least 150 medical facilities and left hundreds of thousands of Somalis without the medical care they need.

OCHA noted that because of the cuts, the number of people being targeted for assistance in Somalia has had to be reduced by a staggering 72 per cent.

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World News in Brief: Cholera strikes Sudan and beyond, humanitarian needs grown for returning Afghans, rising insecurity in DR Congo

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So far this year, cholera has killed more than 4,300 people across 31 countries. These figures are underestimates and there is particular concern for those impacted by war in Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Yemen.  

In Sudan, the disease has already claimed over 1,000 lives since 1 January. It has reached every state in the country, one year after the outbreak started, according to WHO.

Cases rise in war-torn Darfur

With the sub-Saharan rainy season now underway, the UN agency is worried about a spike in the waterborne disease, linked to the huge numbers of people fleeing ongoing violence.

“While cases have plateaued or decreased in some areas, including Khartoum, they are rising in the Darfur region and neighboring Chad. In Tawila, North Darfur,” said WHO’s Kathryn Alberti.

Refugees have quadrupled the population from close to 200,000 to over 800,000, causing immense strain on water and sanitation systems, she added.

“People have as little as three litres of water daily and this is for cooking, washing, cleaning and drinking.”  

To respond to the problem, WHO and partners have set up task forces, deployed rapid response teams for surveillance and stockpiled essential cholera supplies in Darfur – although “large parts” of Darfur and Kordofan remain unreachable.

Humanitarian needs keep growing in Afghanistan

Four years after the de-facto Taliban regime took over Afghanistan, more than half of the population needs vital aid, according to the UN humanitarian office (OCHA).

Women and girls are particularly vulnerable due to the increasingly restrictive policies that Taliban authorities have imposed, excluding them from education, the workforce and public life.

“Humanitarian aid is a lifeline for women and girls who are otherwise unable to access essential services and assistance,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, at Friday’s daily briefing in New York.  

1.7 million returnees 

OCHA also warned that the return of 1.7 million Afghan citizens from Iran and Pakistan this year has further increased humanitarian needs, as most have limited community ties and are struggling to find shelter and ways of making a living.

To support the response of the under-resourced host communities, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) recently released $10 million, and additional funding is in the pipeline from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.

But more resources are urgently needed. This year’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan in Afghanistan is just 25 per cent funded, with $624 million received of the $2.4 billion that are needed, and another influx of refugees is expected ahead of Pakistan’s 1 September deadline for Afghan Proof of Registration cardholders to exit.

Insecurity also rising in DR Congo’s restive east

In the war-torn eastern parts Democratic Republic of the Congo, OCHA says insecurity is on the rise in Djigu territory, in Ituri province.

Clashes between multiple armed groups and the Congolese armed forces in several areas has resulted in nearly 50 civilian deaths and more than 30 injuries in the past month alone there.

In the same period, violence and insecurity have led to the displacement of more than 80,000 people in Djugu.

In the attacks, homes were looted or burned, and those who fled are now sheltering in schools, churches and other public buildings.

Targeted killings

There have been three targeted attacks on sites hosting internally displaced people.

These clashes have severely limited humanitarian access, depriving around 250,000 people of essential services. In the Nizi health district in the Ituri territory, nine out of 12 health facilities are now out of service.

The UN and its humanitarian partners are ready to respond, but they need unimpeded, safe access to do so.

“All parties must take urgent measures to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access. Civilians must be protected at all times, in line with international law,” stressed Mr. Dujarric on Friday. 

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World News in Brief: Shipwreck off Italy kills at least 27, anniversary of Taliban takeover, Peru amnesty law

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UNHCR is supporting at least 60 survivors who have been brought ashore, but the Italian coast guard warned more bodies could still be recovered.  

According to local news reports, the passengers were travelling from Libya in the hopes of reaching Italy.

Migrants and refugees heading to Italy from the African coast often use leaky or overcrowded boats organized by human traffickers and travel via the often-deadly Mediterranean route, aiming to reach Lampedusa.

In a social media statement on Thursday, the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, reported that over 700 refugees and migrants have died in the Central Mediterranean in 2025.

“All responses – rescue at sea, safe pathways, helping transit countries and addressing root causes – must be strengthened,” he said.  

UN Women marks four years since Taliban takeover

UN Women Afghanistan Special Representative Susan Ferguson addressed the widescale erosion of human rights of women in the country in a briefing to reporters in New York on Thursday, just ahead of the fourth anniversary of the Taliban takeover.

Since the takeover, dozens of permanent decrees have curtailed women’s and girls’ rights and dignity.  

“The most severe women’s rights crisis in the world is being normalised,” she told correspondents at the daily noon briefing from Kabul.  

For example, last year’s “morality law” crystallised the systematic erasure of women from public life, codifying long-standing social norms.

Banned from schools and most jobs, women “continue to feel – and often are – unsafe in public places, in their communities or families, and are unable to reap the benefits of an increase in the overall security situation since the takeover,” Ms. Ferguson stressed.

Migration and women-run organizations

This year, 1.7 million Afghans have returned, but women among them cannot interact with male aid workers to access education, healthcare or economic support.  

Women-run organizations are therefore essential, providing healthcare, psychosocial services and protection from violence.

However, this March, it was reported across civil society organizations that funding cuts have meant layoffs for 50 per cent of women staffers, and over one-third of these organizations warned they may have to scale back or close.

These organizations are trying to keep going – but they urgently need more financial assistance.

“We must keep investing in their NGOs, their businesses and their voice in international dialogues,” Ms. Ferguson concluded.

Türk: Peru amnesty law is an ‘affront’ to victims of country’s war

The UN’s top human rights official Volker Türk on Thursday described Peru’s amnesty law as an “affront” to victims of the country’s armed conflict.

The development comes after the President of Peru signed into law legislation a day earlier granting amnesty to the armed forces, the national police and self-defence committees, for crimes committed between 1980 and 2000.  

An estimated 70,000 people were killed during the conflict and at least 20,000 were disappeared, according to the National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation. 

‘Backwards step’

Mr. Türk said that hundreds of cases, both concluded and ongoing, will be affected by the new law. And he described it as a “backwards step” in the search for justice for gross human rights violations committed.

“It is an affront to the thousands of victims who deserve truth, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence, not impunity,” Mr. Türk said.

International law, to which Peru is bound, clearly prohibits amnesties and statutes of limitations for gross violations of human rights and serious violations of humanitarian law.

OHCHR called for its immediate reversal. 

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World News in Brief: Casualties in Ukraine, Burkina Faso aid helicopter blast, Uganda urged to release opposition leaders

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The monthly total also marked a three-year high, topping June’s figure, with HRMMU verifying civilian deaths and injuries in 18 of Ukraine’s 24 regions.  

“For the second month in a row, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine hits a new three-year high,” said Danielle Bell, Head of HRMMU.

“Only the first three months after the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine saw more killed and injured than in this past month,” she added.  

Rising toll 

Numbers for the first seven months of 2025 were 48 per cent higher than in the same period last year.

Long-range weapons, including missiles and suicide drones, accounted for nearly 40 per cent of casualties. On 31 July, Kyiv saw its deadliest attack since the start of the full-scale invasion, with 31 people killed, including five children, when a missile struck a residential building.

Short-range drones alone caused 24 per cent of casualties, reflecting a sharp rise since mid-2024, as documented in a bulletin published by HRMMU in June 2025.  

The steepest monthly increase came from aerial bombs, which killed 67 and injured 209 in July, compared with 114 casualties in June. Strikes hit a penal colony in Zaporizhzhia and an apartment building in Donetsk, killing at least 21 people in total.

“Whether you are in a hospital or a prison, at home or at work, close to or far away from the frontline, if you are in Ukraine today, you are at risk of getting killed or injured by the war,” Ms. Bell said. 

Burkina Faso: Blast hits near UN aid helicopter in Solle

A UN chartered helicopter delivering food aid to the town of Solle in northwest Burkina Faso was caught in an explosion shortly after landing on Tuesday, injuring two people.

The aircraft, chartered by the World Food Programme (WFP), had just unloaded humanitarian supplies when the blast occurred nearby. One crew member and a Government partner were hurt and are now receiving medical treatment.

The helicopter sustained only minor damage and was moved to safety, WFP said. Flights to Solle have been temporarily halted while authorities investigate the incident.

Critical operation

In conflict-affected areas of Burkina Faso, WFP’s humanitarian air operations are critical for delivering life-saving assistance to hard-to-reach communities most in need.  

WFP aims to assist 315,000 of the most vulnerable people during the lean season from June to August, when families have exhausted their food stocks.

In a statement, WFP reaffirmed the agency’s “unwavering commitment to support populations in need and to reach the most remote communities with humanitarian assistance.”

Rights office urges Uganda to release opposition leaders on bail

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Wednesday expressed serious concern at repeated denials of bail in Uganda for opposition leader Kizza Besigye and his associate Obeid Lutale.

Both individuals have been denied bail three times since they were abducted in neighbouring Kenya and returned to Uganda last November. 

In dismissing their latest request, the High Court found them ineligible for mandatory bail merely because they had been detained in civil prison for less than the 180 days required to qualify for release, a duration that did not account for their prior deprivation of liberty following their abduction and forced return.

“We urge the authorities to reconsider the decision and grant them bail, and to ensure that any legal proceedings against them are fully in line with international human rights law,” said OHCHR spokesperson Liz Throssell.

Human rights concerns  

The UN human rights office in Uganda closed its operations there in 2023 after the Government decided to end cooperation with OHCHR.  

At the time, High Commission Volker Türk expressed concern about the run-up to the 2026 elections, amid an increasingly hostile environment impacting human rights defenders, civil society actors and journalists.

Other UN human rights mechanisms also condemned laws criminalizing same sex relations and the call for the use of the death penalty for convicted offenders. 

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The world has the tools to end Haiti’s crisis – it’s time to use them

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“I often feel that I cannot even find words any longer to describe the situation. Is it alarming, is it acute, is it urgent? It is all of that and even more.”

The phrase she ultimately settled on was “strikingly horrific.”

Haiti is currently facing a protracted and worsening humanitarian crisis – with gang violence expanding beyond the capital of Port-au-Prince, civilians are increasingly bearing the brunt of this terror. Additionally, Haiti is one of five countries worldwide experiencing famine-like conditions.

Woeful crisis response

Amidst this horror, Haiti’s humanitarian plan is only nine per cent funded, making it the least funded humanitarian response plan in the world according to Ms. Richardson.

But despite these challenging and protracted circumstances, Ms. Richardson was also keen to emphasise that political will and funding could ensure that the current crisis does not have to be Haiti’s future.  

“Haiti’s destiny does not need to be misery and despair,” she said. “As much as Haiti has spiralled down in a negative [way], Haiti can quickly spiral up again.”

Beyond the figures

Over 1.3 million people have been displaced in Haiti as a result of violence – the  largest number in Haiti’s history – and almost half of the country is suffering from emergency food insecurity.   

These numbers have become so big that it can be hard to conceive of the actual human impact behind them.

“All of that is just figures. Beyond every figure, there is a mother, a child, a father, a young person,” she said.

Sometimes these numbers also obscure certain livelihoods. For example, the number of 1.3 million displaced obscures those left behind, perhaps because they physically could not flee as violence encroached on their neighborhood.  

Ms. Richardson said that she has heard many stories like this.

“These could be people in a wheelchair or an elderly relative that they simply have to leave behind. They cannot move with them.”  

Ask yourself, what more can you do?

Ms. Richardson said that there is much about Haiti’s current situation that she finds frustrating – most specifically the fact that the international community has identified the solutions to mitigate, if not completely stop, the crisis.

“We have tools, but the response from the international community is not on par with the gravity on the ground,” she said.  

For example, the Multinational Security Support mission (MSS) has half of the personnel and very little of the equipment it needs to fulfil its mandate.

Additionally, while sanctions on political leaders with gang ties are slowly taking hold, they are insufficient. Similarly, the international community is not doing enough to stop the flow of guns.  

“These tools need to be given the proper support and investment in order to carry out their full mandate. There has to be a way of stopping arms coming into Haiti,” Ms. Richardson said.

Calling on States to ask themselves what more they can do to end the humanitarian crisis, Ms. Richardson said that the world must multitask.  

‘A divided heart’

Ms. Richardson will be taking a new post in Libya as of 1 September , and as she prepares to leave behind her years of work in Haiti, she told journalists that she has a divided heart.

On the one hand, this is a humanitarian crisis of “striking” proportions that the world seems to have forgotten. But. if the international community was able to embrace the solutions before them, the crisis could end. 

Haiti can turn the page

“We cannot do what we do if we are not optimistic. Of course, we think that there are solutions. Of course, we think that the future is brighter than the present.”

Ms. Richardson said that this optimism comes in part from Haiti’s “honourable and brilliant” past and from the resistance she has seen on the ground.  

“Every condition is there to turn the page…Haitians are extremely ready for this, for the country to have a more positive echo in the international community.” 

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World News in Brief: Sudan’s agony continues, Colombian presidential candidate dies, the world celebrates the steelpan

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The Director of Operations and Advocacy at the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), Edem Wosornu, warned on Monday that over 60 people reportedly died from malnutrition during a single week in the besieged government-controlled city of El Fasher in North Darfur State. Most of the deaths are those in vulnerable groups, such as women and children. 

Famine was first detected in the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur about a year ago, likely expanding to other areas since.    

OCHA is also concerned about ongoing violence in the Kordofan region, including reports of attacks on villages in North Kordofan just last week. Eighteen civilians were reportedly killed and dozens more were wounded.

“It is tragic that we need to underscore on a regular basis that civilians must never be targeted, and all parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric at Monday’s daily briefing in New York.  

Cholera outbreak and response

The UN and humanitarian partners continue to scale up the response to cholera in Sudan, where 100,000 cases have been recorded nationwide since July 2024.  

Since 21 June, there have been 5,300 suspected and confirmed cases and 84 deaths due to the waterborne disease in North Darfur State. Most of these have been in the Tawila locality, where around 330,000 civilians displaced from the Zamzam Camp and El Fasher are sheltering in dire conditions.

UN partners are on the ground responding with cholera treatment centres, but overcrowding, poor sanitation, limited access and the ongoing rainy season are accelerating the spread of disease and restricting aid delivery.  

Nonetheless, on 10 August, a new vaccination campaign supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) began in Khartoum State, targeting 1.1 million people.

Guterres deeply saddened by death of Colombian presidential candidate

Secretary-General António Guterres released a statement on Monday expressing his deep sadness over the death of Colombian presidential candidate and former senator, Miguel Uribe, sending condolences to his family and the Colombian people.

Mr. Uribe’s death followed two months in intensive care after he was shot multiple times during what was reportedly a targeted attack at a campaign rally in the capital of Bogotá on 7 June.  

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also released a statement expressing his shock and sadness over the death of the presidential candidate.

The top UN officials both noted the active investigations are ongoing into the shooting. A teenager who is believed to have carried out the attack has been arrested but the motive is still unclear, according to news reports.  

Mr. Türk stressed that this death “is a stark reminder of the importance that Colombia’s upcoming elections be conducted with respect for the lives of all, free from violence and in a climate that allows for safe and inclusive participation.”  

The UN rights chief said his office in Colombia will continue to assist Colombian authorities and civil society in their human rights work ahead of the upcoming election.

In the same vein, the Secretary-General urged Colombia’s authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure a peaceful election and security for all candidates taking part.

Let’s hear it for the Caribbean’s own steelpan

11 August marks World Steelpan Day, celebrating the exuberant musical instrument that originated in Trinidad and Tobago and is now enjoyed worldwide.

The steelpan, otherwise known as a steel drum, has roots in the early 20th-century carnival percussion groups of the Caribbean islands and is played with rubber-tipped sticks.

The UN recognises the joyous steelpan for its rich cultural and historical significance as well as its role in promoting sustainable development and diversity.

In honour of the day, the UN General Assembly is encouraging activities that raise awareness of the cultural significance of the beloved instrument and its connection to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This celebration highlights how music and culture can foster inclusive and sustainable communities worldwide. 

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‘Nuclear weapons have no place in our world,’ UN chief tells mayors in Nagasaki

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Inspired by the hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombings at the end of World War Two who turned their suffering into a powerful appeal for peace, António Guterres renewed his call for a world free of nuclear weapons in a video message to the 11th General Conference of Mayors for Peace in Nagasaki.

United against nuclear weapons, the conference is an opportunity for mayors from around the world to discuss and adopt key priorities in support of global denuclearisation.

‘No place in our world’

“Nuclear weapons have no place in our world,” said Mr. Guterres in his video-message, as they only offer the “illusion of safety and the certainty of devastation,” he said.

Calling for the total elimination of nuclear weapons, the Secretary-General urged all participants at the conference to “keep mobilising communities, inspiring young people, and building peace from the ground up.”

“I urge all States to recommit to nuclear disarmament,” he said.

A better world

“I commend Mayors for Peace for your unwavering commitment to a better world,” said Secretary-General, as the organization aims at creating real momentum for the realisation of a peaceful world without nuclear weapons.

In honour of the hibakusha, and in the memory of the victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Mr. Guterres made an impassioned call for action to end the nuclear threat once and for all.

Read more about the work of the hibakusha here in previous UN News coverage, and listen to this extraordinary story of survival in our Lid is On podcast:

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Landlocked nations ‘invisible to much of the world’: UN trade and development chief

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At a major UN conference underway this week in Awaza, Turkmenistan, calls are growing to tackle the high trade costs, investment gaps and growing digital divide that continue to hold these countries back.

Despite progress in some areas, landlocked developing nations – from Bolivia to Bhutan and Burkina Faso – account for just 1.2 per cent of global exports, even though they represent over seven per cent of the world’s countries. Their populations face some of the highest levels of poverty, food insecurity and economic vulnerability anywhere.

“These countries are invisible to much of the world,” not able to draw the attention needed to their unique challenges, said Rebeca Grynspan Secretary-General of the UN trade and development body, UNCTAD, speaking to UN News on the margins of the third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3).

Without international attention and coordinated action, they will remain stuck in structural limbo, she emphasised.

High costs, low returns

One of the most persistent challenges they face is geography itself.

Without direct access to seaports, they must rely on neighbouring transit countries to move goods – often through outdated or inefficient infrastructure.

This translates into trade costs that are, on average, 1.4 times higher than those of coastal countries, according to UNCTAD. In some cases, export procedures can stretch into weeks or months due to border delays, fragmented regulations and limited digital systems.

Ms. Grynspan highlighted that in customs procedures, digital tools can cut waiting times at borders from three days to three hours. To that end, regional agreements and digital initiatives have emerged as lifelines.

UNCTAD head Rebeca Grynspan speaking to UN News.

One standout example is the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade, championed by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Now in force among several Asia-Pacific countries, it helps reduce paperwork, automate customs and harmonise standards, making processes faster, cheaper and more transparent.

Paperless trade also has the potential to reduce corruption and ease language-related challenges.

ESCAP estimates that implementing cross-border paperless trade measures could reduce trade costs by up to 30 per cent for countries in the region without direct sea access and increase export potential for the whole of Asia and the Pacific by nearly $260 billion.

Infrastructure and integration

Even when goods reach border crossings, weak domestic transport networks further slow trade down. Roads and railways are often underdeveloped, underfunded or vulnerable to climate shocks.

“Regional infrastructure – like the African North Corridor – is crucial,” Ms. Grynspan said, citing examples where wait times at borders have dropped by more than 150 per cent due to corridor investment and coordination.

But infrastructure alone is not enough – it must be paired with digital systems and strong regional partnerships.

“For landlocked countries, regional integration is very important because when you integrate regionally, you are in a better position because goods pass through you…[making you] part of global value chains with value added.”

In landlocked countries like Bhutan (pictured), roads are a vital lifeline. But limited and costly transport infrastructure restricts mobility, inflates trade costs, and hinders access to markets, education, and healthcare.

Escaping the commodity trap

Another structural challenge is heavy dependence on commodities. Over 80 per cent of landlocked developing countries rely on raw materials like minerals, oil or agricultural goods, making them highly exposed to global price swings and long-term decline in terms of trade.

“You educate your people, but then they have nowhere to work because commodities do not give you the quality jobs that you need for the future,” said Ms. Grynspan.

The path forward lies in economic diversification, especially toward value-added manufacturing, digital services and knowledge-based sectors – industries that are less constrained by geography.

The investment conundrum

Yet to realise that potential, these countries need investment and they are not getting enough.

Despite more than 135 legal and policy reforms aimed at attracting foreign capital, foreign direct investment has declined by an average of 2 per cent over the past decade.

ESCAP’s analysis confirms this gap: landlocked countries in Asia are receiving far less infrastructure investment per person compared with coastal countries, even though their transport requirements are proportionally higher.

“Governments are trying to make their countries more attractive [but] investment is not coming in,” Ms. Grynspan said.

High risk factors, lack of guarantees, and a reliance on short-term financing are deterring investors.

“Multilateral development banks need to help us,” she added. “We need long-term, affordable financing and lowered cost of capital.” 

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World News in Brief: Funding schools in Afghanistan, Seaweed farming in Latin America, drought in Somalia

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The agency plans to procure over 1,200 metric tons of fortified biscuits, which will provide 200,000 primary school-aged girls and boys with sustenance for around three months.  

“For many children, the daily snack they receive in the first break of the day is often their only nutritious meal, giving them the energy to stay healthy, focused, and ready to learn,” said Mutinta Chimuka, Deputy Country Director for WFP in Afghanistan.  

Food security  

“WFP in Afghanistan launched its school feeding programme more than two decades ago to link food security and better nutrition with education,” said Ms. Chimuka.

School feeding activities have played a crucial role in improving attendance, retention and learning outcomes.

Primary schools participating in the programme saw enrollment increase by nearly 11 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, while attendance also improved, reaching an average of 87 per cent in the classroom, two percentage points above WFP’s target.

Seaweed farming, a potential key driver of sustainable development in Latin America

In the last decade, seaweed farming grew by 66 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has found.

The practice of cultivating and harvesting seaweed or algae in the marine environment offers a relatively low-carbon method to produce highly nutritious food while supporting rural livelihoods, according to international experts gathered at a regional workshop in Chile.  

Seaweed farming is vital to sustainable coastal development in Latin America, experts argue, highlighting its nutritional value and the need for clearer, coordinated regulation.

Untapped potential

Expanding seaweed cultivation holds significant untapped potential for sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean.

However, while countries like Brazil, Chile and Venezuela lead production, most initiatives across the region remain small-scale.  

Yet, with a 66 per cent increase over the past decade, experts see major opportunities for growth. Supporting emerging producers, diversifying species and investing in research and technology – including AI and biotechnology – could  deliver both economic and environmental benefits.  

Strengthening community participation, particularly among women and youth, will also be essential. With coordinated action and inclusive policies, seaweed farming could become a key driver of resilient coastal development.

Hundreds of thousands impacted by severe drought in Somalia

Hundreds of thousands of people have been impacted by severe drought in Somalia’s central and northern regions, according to the UN’s humanitarian coordination office, OCHA.  

With food insecurity escalating, dwindling access to water and pasture and major disruption to livelihoods, a joint assessment by UN agencies and partners is currently underway in Puntland and Somaliland to determine key needs.

Wells run dry

An analysis from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) noted that more than 880,000 Somalis are currently living in severely drought-affected areas across 16 districts, humanitarians on the ground reported that water wells have dried up and that more than 160 boreholes are no longer functioning.

Although the UN-managed Somalia Humanitarian Fund is preparing to allocate resources for urgent life-saving assistance, only 17 per cent of the plan has been funded to date. 

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The world is demanding action over plastic pollution: UN environment chief

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“The world wants and indeed needs a plastic conventional treaty because the crisis is getting out of hand – and people are frankly outraged,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN agency leading the talks.

“We know that plastic is in our nature, in our oceans, and yes, even in our bodies…What is sure is that no one wants to live with the plastic pollution.”

Out of control

Unless an international accord is inked, plastic production and waste is projected to triple by 2060, causing significant damage – including to our health – according to UNEP.

Switzerland’s top environment official Katrin Schneeberger echoed the call for a legally binding treaty, insisting that plastic waste “is choking our lakes, harming wildlife and threatening human health. This is more than just an environmental issue, it is a global challenge that demands urgent and collective action.”

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the treaty negotiations, Ms. Schneeberger underscored that there was “no call for a production cap” by producing countries.

Spirit of compromise?

“Reaching a shared understanding that measures are needed on both the production and consumption sides can help unlock the negotiations,” she said in her capacity as Director of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment.

Supporters of a deal have compared it to the Paris Climate Accord in terms of its significance. They have also pointed to the pressure allegedly being brought to bear against a deal by petrostates, whose crude oil and natural gas provide the building blocks of plastics.

“We will not recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis: we need a systemic transformation to achieve the transition to a circular economy,” UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen has insisted in previous comments on the need for global regulations on plastics.

Virtuous circle

With 10 days of talks scheduled on the treaty at the UN in Geneva, supporters of an accord hope that the deal will cover the full life cycle of plastics, from design to production and disposal.

The treaty should “promote plastic circularity and prevent leakage of plastics in the environment”, according to the text now guiding negotiations led by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC).

At 22 pages, the INC document contains 32 draft articles which will be discussed line by line. The text is designed to shape the future instrument and serves as a starting point for negotiations by countries meeting in Geneva.

“Some [countries] will have to deal with reduction, others will have to deal with mechanical recycling and others will deal with alternatives,” Ms. Andersen said. “Let’s see how we can get to this through the negotiations. I think there’s a lot of good faith in the working group right now.”

The UNEP-led talks follow a decision in 2022 by Member States to meet and develop an international legally binding instrument to end the plastic pollution crisis, including in the marine environment, within two years.

The scale of the problem is massive, with straws, cups and stirrers, carrier bags and cosmetics containing microbeads just a few of the single-use products ending up in our oceans and landfill sites.

In comments to journalists, Ms. Andersen recalled touring Pakistan after deadly flooding killed more than 1,000 people in 2022 and seeing that debris and plastic were “a big part of the problem and so this is why we’re here, to find a solution while not leaving anyone behind and while ensuring that the economic wheels would keep turning”.

Disabling effect

Campaigners gathering on the sidelines of the negotiations expressed their hopes for as ambitious a treaty as possible.

They included Shellan Saling, from California, who’s the interim chair of the Youth Plastic Action Network (YPAN). “Plastic affects everything from climate change to health to fertility to even birth defects; it affects physical disabilities, as well as invisible disabilities,” she told UN News on Monday.

Any treaty inked in Geneva will have to be sufficiently robust to accommodate the needs of all countries of the world whose approach differs regarding plastic design, production, waste and recycling. It will also have to stand the test of time, Ms. Andersen said.

UN News interview with YPAN interim chair Shellan Saling

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World News in Brief: Child deaths in Pakistan, Ukrainian rail station attack, new UN-India development partnership

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The children picked up the unexploded ordnance in a nearby field, mistaking it for a toy, and brought it back to their village where it later detonated, UNICEF said.

The ordnance is likely one of the many unexploded shells left over from the military clashes between Pakistan and India in May, according to news reports.

Extending condolences to those affected, the agency stressed that “no child should fall victim to landmines or unexploded ordnance.”

The organization denounced the presence of explosive remnants of war, as they continue to pose deadly risks to children and communities in conflict zones – and former conflict areas – worldwide. 

Ordnance risk education

Since January, UNICEF has collaborated with the Government to educate 9,500 children on the risks posed by leftover munitions in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

The agency called on Pakistan to increase support for lifesaving explosive ordnance risk education.  

Five dead in attack on Ukrainian rail station

Amid a wave of record civilian casualties, an overnight strike early Tuesday on a railway station in the city of Lozova, in Ukraine’s frontline Kharkiv region, killed five civilians and workers, injuring several others.

According to a social media post from the UN humanitarian aid agency (OCHA) in Ukraine, the railway station was heavily damaged, and surrounding homes were also affected.

According to news reports, the attack triggered fires across the city and disrupted rail traffic in Lozova, a strategically important transport hub.

Emergency assistance is ongoing, with aid workers on site providing emergency repair materials and psychological support.

UN-India partnership launches SDG projects across Global South

At Tuesday’s daily press briefing in New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq highlighted the launch of a new UN-India partnership to facilitate cooperation across the Global South and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UN-India Global Capacity-Building Initiative, will showcase successful innovations to countries across the Global South, tailored to national priorities.

The Gates Foundation and the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme are also supporting the projects, which will be implemented with national partners in the Caribbean, Laos, Nepal, South Sudan and Zambia.

The projects aim to enhance digital health, food security, census preparedness and vocational skills training.  

India and UN join forces for South-South Cooperation to accelerate the SDGs.

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World News in Brief: Uganda’s refugee funding crisis, academic freedom tested in Serbia, rural resilience in Afghanistan

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Uganda has a progressive refugee policy which enables refugees to work and access public services. This coupled with its geographic proximity to crises has made it the continent’s largest refugee-hosting country.

“Emergency funding runs out in September. More children will die of malnutrition, more girls will fall victim to sexual violence, and families will be left without shelter or protection unless the world steps up,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR’s director for external relations.

UNHCR estimates that it costs $16 per refugee per month to provide essential services, but at this point, the agency will only be able to deliver $5 worth of aid each month.  

Funding missing

Most refugees are entering Uganda from war-torn Sudan, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – all countries which have been ravaged by protracted armed conflicts and acute food insecurity.  

These refugees are seeking shelter and life-saving aid, and many of them are children.  

In a recent visit to some of the refugee camps, Ms. Hyde met one 16-year-old girl who fled violence in South Sudan after losing her parents. She is now caring for her four younger siblings alone.  

“She dreams of going back to school, but survival is all she can think about,” Ms. Hyde said.  

Children like her depend on the aid which UNHCR and the Uganda government provide. But with only 25 per cent of the funding required, the aid is quickly disappearing.

“Uganda has opened its doors, its schools, and its health centers. This model can succeed, but it can’t do it alone,” Ms. Hyde said.  

A test of democratic resilience in Serbia as crackdown on protests continues

Independent human rights experts warned Monday that Serbia’s intensifying crackdown on protests and protestors — especially students, professors and civil society — violates international human rights and undermines democracy.  

The protests, which began in late 2024 in response to an infrastructural collapse which killed 16 people, have become a nationwide call for accountability, transparency and justice.

“What we are witnessing in Serbia is a systematic attempt to silence critical voices and dismantle the independence of academic institutions. This is not just a student protest — it is a test of human rights accountability and democratic resilience,” the experts said.  

Independent experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council in Geneva to monitor and report on special human rights matters. They are independent of the UN system and any government.  

Renewed commitment  

Since the end of June, the experts said that they have observed increasingly violent repression of protests, including unlawful arrests, prolonged detention and smear and surveillance campaigns against individuals. Some protesters have reportedly been seriously injured.  

Educational institutions in particular have come under pressure with some universities slashing faculty salaries and some high school teachers have been threatened with disciplinary action for supporting the protesters.  

“Instead of listening to young people’s voices, the Government has chosen to punish them. This approach not only violates international human rights standards, but also, by its very nature, undermines the very foundation of a democratic society,” the experts said.

The experts called on the Serbian government to renew its commitment to human rights and justice, stressing that academic freedom and access to justice are pillars of democracy.

New programme in Afghanistan seeks to rebuild farmer resilience

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in concert with the United Kingdom, is launching a new agricultural resiliency programme in Afghanistan in the hopes of improving production and nutrition throughout the country.  

Resilient Agriculture Livelihoods (ReAL) hopes to reach over 150,000 people in all eight regions of the country by the end of next May. It will specifically target small-scale farmers, landless labourers, livestock keepers and women and girls.  

“Afghanistan’s farmers are extraordinarily resilient, but repeated climate and economic shocks are eroding this strength. This project lays down important pathways to help farmers rebuild that resilience,” said Richard Trenchard, the FAO representative in Afghanistan.

Agricultural cornerstone

The ReAL program will work to expand market access for farmers in addition to managing climate risks in a way that will promote sustainable land use and enable communities to not rely on humanitarian assistance long-term.  

Between 2022 and 2024, FAO reached over 30.3 million people in Afghanistan with emergency food relief and long-term resilience projects, work which helped to decrease the food insecurity crisis by half.  

“In a country where agriculture sustains most lives, this is a short-term investment with long-term impact,” said Mr. Trenchard. 

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World News in Brief: Hunger in the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, climate and displacement crisis in Somalia, World Breastfeeding Week

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Across the region, nations face food-related challenges notably due to geographical remoteness, lack of local available resources and exposure to climate change. 

“The Caribbean is particularly vulnerable to natural hazards and supply chain disruptions, which can cause increases in food prices,” said, Brian Bogart. head of WFP for the region.

“It’s deeply concerning that many people are struggling to afford the food they need,” he said. 

Supply chain challenges

Rising food prices are a major concern for the region, with food inflation consistently outpacing overall inflation rates, with local production efforts challenged by increasing operational costs. 

In 2025, 30 per cent of Caribbean people reported eating less than usual, a trend notably triggered by increased food costs and global geopolitical factors.

As the region significantly relies on imported agricultural inputs, “strengthening and diversifying supply chains and trade routes across the region is essential,” said Mr. Bogart. 

He added that in a region particularly impacted by climate disasters, “these efforts will help make food more accessible and affordable while supporting faster recovery in times of crisis.” 

A girl moves a container full of water at a site for displaced people in Dolow, Somalia. (file)

UN migration agency highlights deepening climate and displacement crisis in Somalia

Climate shocks and mass displacement caused by conflict have uprooted some 3.6 million people in Somalia, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). 

Almost half the population has been impacted by the climate crisis, the UN agency added.

IOM Deputy Director General Ugochi Daniels concluded a four-day visit to Somalia this week where she expressed solidarity for communities who continue to endure relentless droughts, floods and conflict.

Ms. Daniels also noted that communities are finding solutions to withstand the worst impacts of the climate crisis, but they need international support from the Green Climate Fund urgently.

IOM is active across Somalia in displacement sites and in rural and other fragile areas. Its work includes promoting land restoration and so-called “environmental peacebuilding”, which aims to reduce tensions over shared resources.

Another IOM initiative encourages Somalis to invest in their own development by providing additional funding.

Last year, communities contributed more than half a million dollars toward projects such as solar energy, clean water access and small-scale farming – investments all matched by more than $2 million from IOM. 

World Breastfeeding Week: Invest in health systems and policies to benefit mums and babies

This Friday (1 August) marks the start of World Breastfeeding Week and this year’s theme calls for investing in health systems as well as policies, laws and programmes that prioritize women, babies and breastfeeding.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said investing in breastfeeding support is one of the most powerful tools policy-makers have to improve public health, strengthen economies, and secure the well-being of future generations.

The UN agency explained that breastfeeding protects child health and improves survival, especially in the first months of life.  For infants, breastmilk is more than food: it also provides protection against many common illnesses like diarrhoea, pneumonia and infections.

Mothers also benefit as breastfeeding reduces the risk of postpartum haemorrhage, as well as breast and ovarian cancers, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

WHO urges governments to allocate dedicated funding for breastfeeding support, including for when new mums come home, along with maternity protections like paid leave after giving birth. 

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World News in Brief: First UN mission to Syria’s Sweida, fresh displacement in Haiti, new lightning record

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The team went to Sweida City, as well as two districts – Shahba and Salkhad – where they met with local community representatives and partners, in addition to visiting displacement sites and reception centres. 

Members also conducted assessments in the three districts of the governorate, where hundreds of people have been killed, and some 175,000 people displaced, in recent sectarian violence amid Syria’s ongoing political transition since the fall of the Assad regime last December.

A senior UN official told the Security Council earlier this week that a fragile ceasefire is “largely holding”.

More aid delivered

OCHA said a fifth humanitarian aid convoy organized by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent also arrived in Sweida on Thursday. It was the largest so far, with 40 trucks.

The convoy, which included UN assistance, delivered medical supplies, flour, fuel, canned goods, hygiene kits and shelter materials, among other assistance. 

On Wednesday, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent also delivered four tankers carrying more than 120,000 litres of fuel.

Haiti: Armed groups expand activities

Armed groups in Haiti are expanding their presence and activities in the Artibonite region which has sparked waves of displacement, according to OCHA. 

Last Monday, violence linked to armed groups flared in the town of Liancourt, where a vehicle and several homes were set on fire. This followed a week of violent clashes.

As of 19 July, nearly 15,000 people have been displaced across four communes in Artibonite. They are staying with host families, many of whom were already finding it hard to meet basic needs.

OCHA said response efforts are underway, led by local humanitarian partners. They have distributed hygiene kits to more than 500 displaced households and host communities, as well as hundreds of hot meals.

2017 lightning flash in US Great Plains sets new world record

A lightning flash in a notorious storm hotspot in the United States nearly a decade ago has been certified as the longest on record, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced on Thursday.

The megaflash – an incredible 829 kilometres long (515 miles) – occurred during a major storm in the Great Plains in October 2017 and was some 61 kilometres greater than the previous record, also set in the same region.

It extended from eastern Texas to near Kansas City, equivalent to the distance between Paris and Venice in Europe: a journey that would take roughly eight to nine hours by car, or at least 90 minutes by plane.

Value of early warning systems 

The flash was not identified in the original 2017 analysis of the storm but was discovered through re-examination. 

WMO’s Committee on Weather and Climate Extremes recognized the new record with the help of the latest satellite technologies and the findings were published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

“Lightning is a source of wonder but also a major hazard that claims many lives around the world every year and is therefore one of the priorities for the international Early Warnings for All initiative,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

Launched in 2022, the initiative aims to ensure that everyone on the planet is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through early warning systems by the end of 2027. 

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