Rise in Afghan opium cultivation reflects economic hardship, despite Taliban ban
The rebound follows a massive 95 per cent decrease in 2023, when the ban nearly eliminated poppy production nationwide, leading to a severe decline in Afghanistan’s opium output. However, while cultivation has increased, the current levels remain substantially lower than…
Intolerable conditions in northern Gaza ‘beyond imagination’
Muhannad Hadi spoke to UN News from the Al-Mamouniya School in Gaza City run by the UN agency that assists Palestine refugee, UNRWA. Like the rest of UNRWA’s schools that are still standing as war continues, it now serves as…
Sudan launches first malaria vaccine in landmark child health initiative
On Monday, The Federal Ministry of Health, in partnership with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, rolled out vaccines for Sudan’s war-battered population, making it the first country in WHO’s Eastern…
Sudan war keeps reaching across borders, Security Council hears
Rich in oil resources, the Abyei area straddles the border between Sudan and South Sudan and is claimed by both sides. “The war in the Sudan continues to have a profound impact on the security, economic and humanitarian situations in…
Middle East crisis: Live updates for 5 November
Conditions worsened amid rising death tolls and destruction in Gaza and Lebanon, but UN agencies reported some good news: the final phase of a Gazan polio vaccine campaign reached nearly 90 per cent of children in the north, and Palestinian…
First famine, now cholera and dengue fever surge hits war-torn Sudan
In an alert from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, it reported more than 28,000 cases of cholera and 836 deaths in 11 states between 22 July and 28 October. The actual number of people infected with the disease may be…
DPR Korea’s latest missile launch a ‘grave threat’ to regional stability
The missile, launched on 31 October at approximately 7:11am local time, reportedly flew for 1 hour and 26 minutes, covered approximately 1,000 kilometres, reaching an altitude of over 7,000 kilometres before landing in the sea. “The DPRK described this latest…
Lebanon: UN condemns increasing loss of life and civilian suffering
“All actors must adhere to international law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said, adding that the UN mission which remains in place along the Blue Line of separation between the neighbouring countries also continues to be impacted. “In southern…
Aid restrictions and dismantling UNRWA will compound Gazans’ suffering
The Israeli Parliament, known as the Knesset, recently approved two laws banning UNRWA from operating in its territory and prohibiting officials from having any contact with the agency. Israel has officially informed the President of the UN General Assembly of…
Gaza: Polio campaign reaches 94,000 children in besieged north
Richard Peeperkorn of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said the target was to reach all children in the north with the second and final dose. “We covered many more children than we expected, but we…