UN News - Top Stories

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is following developments in Syria, where fresh fighting in the capital Damascus and elsewhere is threatening fragile efforts toward peace and political transition. 

More than a month after two powerful earthquakes devastated Myanmar, the country is spiralling deeper into crisis as continued military attacks, obstructed aid access and widespread displacement leave nearly 6.3 million people in urgent need.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) warned on Friday that a worsening funding crisis is placing refugees – who cannot return home due to war or persecution – in increasing danger.

Countries must do everything to ensure that free and independent news reporting can thrive, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Friday in a message to mark World Press Freedom Day. 

"After losing my leg in the war, I returned to photojournalism not just for work, but because I have loved photography since childhood," said Palestinian reporter Sami Shahada.

Two months into a devastating aid blockade of Gaza food has run out and people are fighting over water amid relentless bombing, the UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said on Friday.

As sudden budget cuts severely impact global health funding, prolonged conflicts around the world are fuelling disease outbreaks and posing a serious threat to public health, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday. 

More than 500 civilians have been killed in North Darfur state, Sudan, over the past three weeks, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Thursday. 

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have followed through on decrees aimed at erasing women from public life in the country and restricting their freedom of movement, the UN mission to the country (UNAMA) said in its latest human rights report published on Thursday covering the first quarter of 2025.

An anthrax outbreak is compounding the worsening security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), driving up humanitarian needs and further limiting access to basic services. The escalating crisis is also widening critical gaps in healthcare and protection, amid a broader surge in infectious diseases.

UN relief chief Tom Fletcher warned on Thursday that the global aid system must undergo a “humanitarian reset”, becoming significantly more efficient and exploring new sources of funding, as major donors – including the United States – sharply reduce their contributions.

The UN’s top humanitarian official on Thursday issued a stark warning over the continuing blockade of aid into Gaza, calling on Israel to lift restrictions that have left civilians without food, medical care, and hope.

Chicago has been named host city for the 2026 International Jazz Day festivities - coinciding with the 15th anniversary of the event and the 250th anniversary of the United States.

In Afghanistan, 75 per cent of the population struggles to meet their daily needs; with female-headed households, rural communities and internally displaced persons being most affected, the UN development agency (UNDP) has noted in a new report.

Marked by mass killings, abductions and sexual violence during the first quarter of 2025, the human rights situation in Haiti remained extremely concerning, the UN said in a report published on Wednesday.

The education of 800 students in occupied East Jerusalem is at risk as Israel moves to close their schools next week, a senior official with the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, said on Wednesday. 

The United Nations has warned that Sudan is sliding deeper into catastrophe, with growing famine and surging violence – particularly in North Darfur – driving mass displacement and an alarming rise in civilian deaths.

In the aftermath of the huge 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March, life-saving aid efforts led by the UN are being hampered by damaged infrastructure, ongoing armed conflict and global aid funding cuts.

The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, voiced deep concern on Wednesday over the recent surge in violence across Syria, particularly in the suburbs of Damascus and in Homs. 

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon has called for greater support to people in the south of the country working to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of last year’s hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lifesaving operations everywhere continue to be shut down by sweeping funding cutbacks which will result in millions of people dying, the UN’s top aid official said on Wednesday.

After suffering almost 18 months of deadly bombardment, displacement and lack of access to basic services, the embattled people of Gaza face yet another challenge: the threat of insects and rodents.

The UN political affairs chief underscored the urgent need for a ceasefire in Ukraine in a briefing to the Security Council on Tuesday. 

The UN Secretary-General has warned that the two-State solution for Israel and Palestine is nearing collapse, urging world leaders to take bold, irreversible steps to preserve hopes for lasting peace.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed “deep concern” over rising tensions between India and Pakistan since the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir a week ago in which 26 tourists were killed.

Faced with mounting debt and economic stagnation, middle-income countries have issued a call for financial reform, sustainable investment, and a roadmap to escape the so-called “middle-income trap,” at a UN-backed international conference held in Manila, Philippines, which concluded on Tuesday.

Aftershocks continue to sow fear across Myanmar, where millions remain in desperate need of humanitarian aid a full month since a 7.7 magnitude earthquake killed more than 3,800 people and injured 5,100. 

Afghanistan’s escalating humanitarian crisis is being compounded by the mass return of its nationals from neighbouring countries, UN aid agencies warned on Tuesday.

The Security Council met on Tuesday on the situation in the Middle East, where Secretary-General António Guterres told ambassadors that irreversible action must be taken to finally put a two-State solution in place for Israel and Palestine. The discussions took place as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with reports from the UN Palestine refugee relief agency (UNRWA) that children are "going to bed starving" amid the two-month Israeli aid blockade and continuing bombardment. App users can follow coverage here.

The biggest UN aid agency in Gaza on Tuesday condemned the two-month Israeli blockade that has left families eating barely enough to survive amid daily bombings – and the sick and injured without lifesaving medical help.