World News in Brief: Lives lost and aid destroyed in Ukraine, rainfall alert for Horn of Africa, $710 million appeal for Rohingya refugees

© UNHCR/Filip Loncar A UNHCR warehouse in Dnipro, Ukraine was struck by an aerial attack on the evening of 19 May 2026.This article is published in association with United Nations. The Representative of the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, in Ukraine has strongly condemned the deadly and destructive Russian missile and drone strikes in Dnipro on Tuesday night.  Bernadette Castel-Hollingsworth said at least two civilians were killed and many more were injured in the “horrific attack”, which also hit a UNHCR-contracted warehouse. Significant amounts of aid and shelter materials were destroyed.  […]

Ebola risk is high inside DR Congo but it’s no pandemic emergency: WHO

© UNICEF/Josue Mulala Emergency aid is prepared for delivery to Kasaï province in response to the recently declared Ebola virus disease outbreak in DR Congo.This article is published in association with United Nations. The deadly Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda does not represent a global pandemic emergency, although the risk is high at a regional and national level, the UN health agency chief said on Wednesday. In an update on the fast-developing situation in […]

DRC Ebola outbreak: hundreds of suspected cases, no vaccine

WHO Africa Health workers wearing protective clothing to prevent transmission.This article is published in association with United Nations. A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has health workers rushing to stop transmission while the roll out of any potential vaccine is months away, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.  WHO’s representative in DRC, Dr Anne Ancia, told […]

How the Hormuz crisis keeps disrupting kitchens, ports and paychecks

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran may have eased fears of a wider regional war, but persistent instability around the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global trade, drive up energy costs and fuel a growing jobs and cost-of-living crisis. The fallout is being […]

WHO assembly opens under shadow of Ebola, hantavirus and funding cuts

©WHO/Hedinn Halldorsson Health officials in PPE oversee the response to the hantavirus outbreak onboard the cruise ship MV Hondius moored off Tenerife in the Canary Islands.This article is published in association with United Nations. From Ebola outbreaks in Central Africa to the complex evacuation of passengers aboard a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) opened its annual assembly on Monday as countries grapple with disease outbreaks, deep funding cuts and growing geopolitical tension. Health ministers and diplomats are […]

Ebola outbreak follows hunger and displacement crisis in DR Congo

© UNICEF/Thomas Nybo This image from 2020 shows a mother from her son separated by plastic sheeting at an Ebola treatment centre in Beni, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.This article is published in association with United Nations. A day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo an international emergency, top global disease transmission experts stressed that the chances of another global pandemic similar to the 2019 coronavirus emergency are increasing all the time. “The […]

LGBTIQ+ face mounting violence and discrimination, warns UN rights chief

UNDP/RNP The UN Legal Identity project in Honduras has a special focus on Indigenous Peoples, LGBTQI+, minority population and persons with disabilities.This article is published in association with United Nations. Violence and discrimination against LGBTIQ+ people are widespread, including at school, where 45 per cent of LGBT youth report being bullied. That’s the worrying message from UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, who says that more than one in three countries still criminalize consensual same-sex conduct and […]

Extreme heat, floods and drought threaten lives across Latin America and Caribbean

© UNICEF/Claudio Pelaez Hurricane Melissa struck Cuba in late October 2025, causing massive devastation across the island nation (file)This article is published in association with United Nations. Record-breaking temperatures, deadly floods, worsening drought and intensifying hurricanes are placing millions of people across Latin America and the Caribbean at growing risk of hunger, displacement and water shortages, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).  Launching the regional State of the Climate report […]

UN underscores protection of nuclear sites following drone strike on Emirati plant

© Unsplash/Karthik B K The skyline of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.This article is published in association with United Nations. The head of the UN atomic watchdog on Monday underscored the need to safeguard nuclear security in wartime, a day after a drone strike near a nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was informed that the UAE has restored off-site power to Unit 3 […]

World News in Brief: More attacks in Ukraine, violence against children in Haiti, refugee IDs in Africa

© UNFPA Ukraine In March 2026, a maternity hospital in Odesa, Ukraine was attacked by Russian forces.This article is published in association with United Nations. Civilians, including humanitarians, continue to face great danger across war-torn Ukraine amid ongoing hostilities, according to the UN humanitarian relief coordination office there, OCHA. Over the past three days, frontline attacks killed at least 11 civilians and injured nearly 200 others, including five children, as reported by […]

Housing crisis takes centre stage at World Urban Forum in Baku

© UN-Habitat/Kirsten Milhahn The Korali informal settlement in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka.This article is published in association with United Nations. Now is the time to place housing at the heart of sustainable development. That was the message delivered on Monday by UN Secretary General António Guterres to participants at a global forum on urban sustainability under way this week in Baku. His video address set the tone […]

Nuclear terror threat ‘has never been so high’

UN Photo/Milton Grant Sculpture depicting St. George slaying the dragon. The dragon is created from fragments of Soviet SS-20 andUnited States Pershing nuclear missiles.This article is published in association with United Nations. The widespread availability of new technology, such as militarised drones and artificial intelligence, means that the current threat of nuclear terrorism is higher than it has ever been. The humanitarian, environmental, and economic consequences of a radiological or nuclear terrorist attack would be global, undermining international peace […]

As war displaces millions in DR Congo, new schools offer children hope beyond violence

©UNICEF /Carmel Ndomba Mbikayi Shadrac Anyazaka in his classroom in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.This article is published in association with United Nations. Ten-year-old Shadrac Anyazaka does not hesitate when asked about his future. “After finishing my studies, I would like to become President of the Republic one day,” he tells visitors to his school in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). For another student, Jérémie, dreams are shaped […]

Turning silence into stories: Cambodian activist amplifies LGBTQI+ youth voices

©Unsplash /Paul Szewczyk The skyline of Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia.This article is published in association with United Nations. Cambodian activist Panha Theng, a 2025 UN Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals, says visibility and safe spaces remain critical for LGBTQI+ youth across Southeast Asia amid continuing stigma and discrimination. Growing up in Cambodia, Panha rarely saw LGBTQI+ people reflected in the world around her […]

Sudan hunger crisis deepens as UN warns millions face acute food shortages

© UNICEF/Antony Spalton Children and their families stand near temporary shelters at an IDP camp in central Darfur, Sudan. (file photo)This article is published in association with United Nations. Nearly 20 million people across Sudan are facing acute hunger and more than 800,000 children risk severe malnutrition this year, UN agencies warned on Friday, as civil war, mass displacement and collapsing food and health systems deepen one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and push parts […]

WHO sounds alarm over nicotine pouches targeting young people

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. Brightly coloured nicotine pouches promoted through social media influencers, music festivals and youth-oriented advertising are driving a rapid rise in nicotine use among young people worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday. In a new report, the UN health agency described the “deceptive tactics” manufacturers […]

World News in Brief: UN relief vehicle struck in Ukraine, emergency airdrops in South Sudan, backlash against LGBTIQ+ rights

© UNDSS/Oleksii Obuhov A UN vehicle severely damaged by two drone strikes while delivering supplies to civilians living in Ostriv, one of Kherson’s hardest hit areas.This article is published in association with United Nations. The Secretary-General is alarmed that a clearly marked United Nations vehicle was struck twice in Kherson city in Ukraine on 14 May, his spokesperson said in a statement. Tweet URL https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=UN_News_Centre&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2055040228528636344&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fnews.un.org%2Fen%2Fstory%2F2026%2F05%2F1167525&sessionId=7c5b79ec7a55c8721fa382b72a6ad299dd591146&siteScreenName=UN_News_Centre&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px The vehicle was part of an inter-agency humanitarian mission led by OCHA, the UN humanitarian affairs […]

World Urban Forum opens in Baku as housing crisis and climate shocks intensify

© UN-Habitat Baku, Azerbaijan, will host the Thirteenth Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) from 17–22 May 2026, organized by UN-Habitat and the Government of Azerbaijan.This article is published in association with United Nations. Soaring housing costs, climate shocks and conflicts are leaving millions without adequate shelter – but what can be done? As the 13th UN World Urban Forum opens on Sunday in Baku, Azerbaijan, participants will grapple with solutions to a deepening global housing crisis. The conference, organized by […]

Somalia at ‘real risk of famine’ as Middle East war fallout continues

© UNICEF/Zerihun Sewunet A boy rolls a water container in Dollow on the Somali border with Ethiopia.This article is published in association with United Nations. At least six million people in Somalia are going days without enough food, UN aid teams warned on Friday, highlighting that nearly two million of this number are young children “at high risk of illness or death”. “The humanitarian context in Somalia is worsening faster than we originally […]

HIV prevention and treatment services faltering, warns UNAIDS

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. Decades of gains in the fight against AIDS are under growing threat as donor funding declines and community-based health services collapse in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries, the head of the joint UN programme on HIV/AIDS warned on Thursday. The sudden funding decline is hitting […]

Afghan mothers and children face worsening hunger crisis, WFP warns

This article is published in association with United Nations. Afghanistan’s deepening malnutrition crisis is pushing mothers and children to the brink, the UN World Food Programme has warned, as mass returns from neighbouring countries and severe funding shortfalls overwhelm already strained humanitarian operations. “WFP has been sounding alarm bells for months,” Carl Skau, WFP Deputy Executive […]

Blackouts and shortages disrupt healthcare across Cuba

This article is published in association with United Nations.This article is published in association with United Nations. Hospitals across Cuba are suspending surgeries, struggling to keep lifesaving equipment running and facing severe medicine shortages as blackouts and fuel shortages push the country’s healthcare system deeper into crisis, senior UN officials warned on Friday. Shortages of electricity, fuel, medicine and medical supplies are severely disrupting […]

Ebola outbreak in Central Africa declared a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’

UNICEF/Vincent Tremeau A health worker checks a child for Ebola during an earlier outbreak in DR Congo (file, 2019)This article is published in association with United Nations. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, citing rising cases, cross-border spread and significant uncertainties about the scale of the epidemic. The decision, announced by WHO […]

Global energy and trade disruption pushing millions towards poverty

© UNICEF/Nyan Zay Htet Recent disruptions to energy supplies and global supply chains have reverberated across development and humanitarian sectors, including relief efforts in Myanmar, where millions remain in need of assistance.This article is published in association with United Nations. Disruptions to global energy supplies and trade corridors are driving up the cost of food, transport and essential goods worldwide, slowing economic growth and increasing pressure on vulnerable households and debt-strapped developing countries. The warnings came during a special meeting of the UN Economic and Social Council […]

WHO says hantavirus ship operation completed, monitoring to continue

© WHO/Hedinn Halldorsson Partners and authorities supporting response and coordination operations in Tenerife's Port of Granadilla.This article is published in association with United Nations. A complex international operation to disembark and repatriate passengers from the hantavirus-hit MV Hondius has concluded in Tenerife, with the World Health Organization (WHO) praising Spain’s leadership while warning that global coordination must continue in the weeks ahead. Almost 150 passengers and crew from 23 countries had […]

UN rights chief warns abuses in DPR Korea remain a ‘human rights crisis’

UN Photo/Loey Felipe Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. (file)This article is published in association with United Nations. Serious human rights violations continue in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and must not be allowed to fade from international attention, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned on Wednesday. “The situation in the DPRK is a human rights crisis and it is […]

Yemen parties agree under UN mediation to release 1,600 detainees

© UNICEF/Ebrahim Suhail Millions remain displaced across Yemen after years of conflict. Pictuered here, an IDP camp in Lahj Governorate.This article is published in association with United Nations. More than 1,600 conflict-related detainees in Yemen will be released under a UN-brokered agreement reached after months of negotiations in Jordan, marking the largest prisoner release deal since the country’s civil war began and offering a rare sign of progress in stalled peace efforts. The agreement, announced […]

HIV prevention and treatment services faltering, warns UNAIDS

This article is published in association with United Nations.Decades of gains in the fight against AIDS are under growing threat as donor funding declines and community-based health services collapse in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries, the head of the joint UN programme on HIV/AIDS warned on Thursday. The sudden funding decline is hitting the HIV response “like a shock wave,” said […]

UN welcomes $1.8 billion US boost for humanitarian operations

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher (centre) along with Ambassador Mike Waltz (right) and Jeremy P. Lewin of the United States hold a joint press briefing on funding to the humanitarian system.This article is published in association with United Nations. An additional $1.8 billion in US humanitarian funding will allow the United Nations and its partners to expand emergency relief operations reaching millions of people worldwide, as rising global needs and funding shortfalls force aid agencies to scale back assistance. The funding announcement, made on Wednesday by […]

Lebanon: UN peacekeeping force warns drone incidents near its positions are putting personnel at risk

© UNIFIL/Kandice Ardiel A peacekeeper monitors the Green Hill area in Naqoura, Lebanon.This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Wednesday that escalating drone activity and nearby explosions involving suspected Hezbollah drones and Israeli forces are endangering its personnel and threatening already fragile stability in southern Lebanon. The warning came amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah fighters, […]

Funding shortfalls force deep cuts to Syria food assistance: WFP

© UNOCHA/Sevim Turkmani Trucks carrying humanitarian aid arrive in Ain Al Arab, Syria, in February 2026.This article is published in association with United Nations. Millions of Syrians are at growing risk of hunger after severe funding shortages forced the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to halve emergency food assistance, cutting support for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people across the country. UN officials warn that the cuts come at a dangerous […]

Afghanistan crisis deepens as record returns, drought and aid cuts strain economy

© UNDP/S. Omer Sadaat Children look over a wall in Shade Bara village, in Herat province, Afghanistan.This article is published in association with United Nations. Afghanistan’s humanitarian and economic crisis is deepening despite modest economic growth, with nearly three in four people unable to meet basic needs, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) said on Wednesday. Estimates indicate that around 28 million people in Afghanistan were living in poverty in 2025, with the […]

Recycled plastics for food use require stronger safeguards, warn UN food security experts

This article is brought to you in association with the European Commission.This article is published in association with United Nations. Recycled plastics could help reduce the world’s growing waste crisis, but only if food packaging is carefully regulated to prevent contamination, according to a new analysis from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The UN food security agency warns that recycled plastics and alternative packaging materials […]
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