Tuesday, 30 June 2026

UNHCR scales up response in Venezuela (LINK) — 30 June 2026

— UNHCR spokesperson Carlotta Wolf: UNHCR conducted a rapid needs assessment on 26-27 June with participants across La Guaira, the Capital District, Miranda, Aragua, and Carabobo states. The initial findings showed that:

• 75 per cent of respondents had reported injuries in their communities; 56 per cent reported fatalities.
• Half of those assessed are staying with neighbours or relatives, 39 per cent are living in streets and public spaces, and others in churches, schools, or improvised facilities.
• 17 per cent of those surveyed reported the presence of unaccompanied or separated children in their communities.

— Authorities have confirmed 1,719 fatalities, at least 5,034 people injured, and 15,866 people affected as of 29 June. Infrastructure damage is extensive: a total of 189 structures have collapsed, while 666 have sustained damage or partial collapse. UNHCR is supporting local authorities with tools and equipment for the safe collection and management of information on affected people, helping identify specific needs and facilitate referrals to appropriate services. At the same time, emergency supplies are being transported from UNHCR's local warehouse in Táchira to La Guaira, with additional capacity to mobilize more than 20 tonnes of relief items from UNHCR's global stockpiles in Panama to further bolster assistance.

UN Geneva Press Briefing (LINK) — 30 June 2026

UN: Secretary-General welcomes the General Assembly's vote that, experimentally for 4 years, unspent funds are returned to Member States only when they are backed by cash: the financial rules "were putting the Organization's stability at risk" (LINK) — 30 June 2026

— UN: Financial rule required the UN to return funds to Member States that it never actually received.

Statement from the President of the General Assembly: "With this landmark resolution, the General Assembly avoided the imminent financial collapse of the UN and modernized an outdated 75-year-old financial rule that has, for too long, undermined the Organization's financial stability. With the decision taken today the over $900 million for peacekeeping operations that will not have to be credited to Member States will help protect civilians, monitor and maintain ceasefires, and advance solutions for lasting peace. The $400 million for the regular budget that will not be credited means the UN will avoid having to shutter parts of headquarters next year."

UN chief says UN agency for Palestinian refugees nearing 'breaking point': UNRWA faces $100 million funding gap after cost-cutting, austerity measures (LINK) — 30 June 2026

UN Secretary General at the Ad Hoc Committee of the General Assembly for the Announcement of Voluntary Contributions to UNRWA (LINK) — 30 June 2026

• Since October 2023, more than 390 of our dear colleagues in Gaza have been killed. Every single one of the Agency's premises in the Strip has been damaged or destroyed. For nearly 18 months, none of the international personnel have been allowed to enter the Occupied Palestinian Territory. And earlier this year, its headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem were unlawfully seized in a striking and unacceptable violation of United Nations privileges and immunities.
• Earlier this year, UNRWA was compelled to reduce its service delivery [hours] by 20 per cent.
• That meant reducing salaries for most local personnel. Keeping 15 per cent of international posts vacant. And exposing Palestine refugees to more hardship.
• Any further cuts could push conditions past the breaking point.

EU and IOM launch EUR 13.3 million initiative to support 250,000 people across Northern Chad (LINK) — 30 June 2026

— More than 250,000 people across northern Chad are set to benefit from a new EUR 13.3 million European Union and IOM programme that will support national priorities and efforts to strengthen stability, create economic opportunities and improve migration governance along one of Africa's busiest migration corridors.

Socio-economic assessment of the Ebola crisis

Damien Mama, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative, acting Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): (LINK) — 30 June 2026

— Latest analysis showed the outbreak would push close to an additional one million people into poverty in a country like DRC, where six out of ten people lived under the poverty line. It could cost Africa up to 3.6 billion USD and put more than 300,000 jobs at risk. The DRC could lose more than 1 billion USD and 55,000 jobs, even if the outbreak was contained, and could reduce the continental GDP by 2.37 billion.

Humanitarian response to earthquakes in Venezuela

Carlotta Wolf, for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): (LINK) — 30 June 2026

— UNHCR had conducted a rapid needs assessment across five states on 26-27 June, which found that 75 percent of respondents reported injuries in their communities, while 56 percent reported fatalities. Half of those assessed were staying with relatives or neighbours, 39 percent were living in streets or public spaces, and others were sheltering in churches, schools or improvised facilities that did not meet minimum protection standards.

— As of 29 June, authorities reported 1,719 fatalities, more than 5,000 injuries and nearly 16,000 people affected, with widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. UNHCR was appealing for 14.85 million USD to provide protection, emergency relief and temporary shelter to 30,000 earthquake-affected people over the next six months. Ms. Wolf said as of June 29, more than 15,866 people were displaced by the earthquakes.

— Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said health services in Venezuela were currently under extreme pressure, with 38 hospitals affected. Responding to a questions, Mr. Lindmeier said as of 27 June, operational status for 21 health facilities had been collected. Three were in critical condition, six had partial damage and the rest remained operational under significant strain. All were marked by overcrowding and severely stressed staff.

New edition of UNCTAD's Hormuz Monitor

Marcelo Risi, for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): the fourth edition said countries heavily dependent on imported fuel, such as Cabo Verde, were especially at risk, as rising energy costs fed into electricity, transport, food prices and public finances.

— Responding to questions, Mr. Risi said 61 vulnerable economies were exposed to oil and cereal import shocks.

The impact of climate change on transport infrastructure

Jean Rodriguez, for the United Nations Economic Commission of European (UNECE): UNECE launching the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation for Inland Transport: it predicted many areas would experience 10 to 50 additional days each year above 25°C, with some facing up to 200 such days, increasing the risk of infrastructure damage and wildfires (LINK)

— Floods account for an estimated 73 percent of expected annual climate-related damage globally, while the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season caused an estimated US 232 billion USD in losses. By contrast, climate adaptation delivers significant returns: according to the World Resources Institute, every 1 USD invested generates more than 10.50 USD in economic, social and environmental benefits.

Human Rights Council Update

Pascal Sim, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): Council had received 27 resolutions to be adopted over the sessions with adoptions beginning Friday afternoon (July 3), and continuing on Monday 6 July and Tuesday 7 July the following week (LINK) — 30 June 2026

Additionally, on 29 June, a request was made by a core group of countries including Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom, for an urgent debate regarding the situation in El Obeid in the context of the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

IOM opens Global Supply Chain Centre in Thessaloniki, Greece, to strengthen humanitarian response (LINK) — 30 June 2026

Friday, 26 June 2026

UN media briefing (LINK) — 26 June 2026

Venezuelan earthquakes

OCHA: 25 search-and-rescue and medical teams with over 1,000 personnel deploying to Venezuela, from a wide array of countries.

UNHCR: Venezuela hosts more than 210,000 refugees, asylum-seekers and other people of concern to UNHCR. Authorities in La Guaira had reported the collapse of a temporary accommodation centre hosting approximately 140 returnees who had recently arrived on a flight from the US. 6.9 million Venezuelan refugees were hosted in Latin America and the Caribbean, including four million in need of assistance. The Emergency Relief Coordinator had released USD 15 million from the Central Emergency Fund (LINK) — 26 June 2026

— The quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the Richter scale, mostly affected the Caracas capital district and the states of Miranda, Carabobo, Yaracuy and La Guaira. Early reports by the President of the National Assembly indicate 188 people died, 1,520 were wounded, 157 are missing, with over 200 still trapped under rubble, and 2,927 people affected. Figures are being continuously updated and could be significantly higher than those reported so far.

— A UNHCR survey this spring of some 1,300 Venezuelans living outside their country in the region found one third indicated a possible intention to return home, with 9 per cent considering it within a year. The primary motivation cited was family reunification. UNHCR Venezuela's 2026 financial requirements before the quake amounted to $44.7 million, of which 11 per cent had been funded.

IFRC: Thousands of Red Cross volunteers of the Venezuelan Red Cross, which was 131 years old, had responded within minutes, even if some of them had lost their own homes. . The national headquarters of the Red Cross had also sustained damages. IFRC had released CHF 2 million in the hours after the earthquakes and was today launching a CHF 50 million emergency appeal to cover 300,000 Venezuelans. First 17 tons of humanitarian aid were leaving the IFRC humanitarian hub in Panama this morning. (LINK webcast) — 26 June 2026

IOM: up to 6.67 million people could be affected, including two million people in Caracas only (LINK) — 26 June 2026

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Venezuela at the Human Rights Council (LINK vimeo) — 26 June 2026

• "Since 1 May 2025, my Office has confirmed the release of more than 1,200 people, although many still have conditions attached to their freedom. Most of them were detained in the post-election period of July 2024."
• "My report notes some 40 cases of arbitrary detention during 2025, including opposition politicians, human rights defenders, journalists, union members and humanitarians."
• "Access to justice and accountability remained constrained. The conviction of eight police officers on charges related to killings during security operations is an important step. However, no progress was reported on investigating deaths during protests in 2014, 2017, 2019 and 2024. Nor have the authorities opened investigations into alleged human rights violations by the armed forces during operation Zaraza in 2024, including the killing of 30 people."
• "The cost of the family food basket increased by more than 700 percent in bolivars between March 2025 and 2026. More than five million Venezuelans need urgent food assistance. Salaries remain low, while inflation is high and volatile. The new standard urban transport fare of 140 bolivars exceeds the monthly salary of public sector workers."
• "This year has seen a number of positive steps. According to Government figures, more than 8,000 people have benefited from the Amnesty Law adopted in February 2026, including 314 who were released from detention."
• "The closure of the Helicoide prison sends an important message. However, the transfer of its inmates to facilities with even poorer conditions, in some cases without notifying their relatives or legal representatives, is a serious concern."

Wednesday, 24 June 2026

UNECE: New global rules clear the road for driverless vehicles: expected to enter into force in roughly one month. (LINK) — 24 June 2026

• The regulation requires automatic driving performance to match or exceed that of a competent human driver, UNECE said. Because an ADS will handle all driving tasks, which includes steering, accelerating, decelerating and signalling, manufacturers must demonstrate "robust design, validation and compliance with traffic rules through simulation, track testing, and real-world trials"
• The regulations require manufacturers to implement audited safety management systems covering the full life cycle of an automated driving system.
• Manufacturers must ensure test environments, including virtual testing tools, meet strict credibility criteria and demonstrate that their ADS poses no unreasonable risk.
• Manufacturers must conduct continuous performance monitoring and reporting so that the real-world performance of automated vehicles can be assessed after deployment.
• Vehicles also must be equipped with a data storage system for automated driving, ensuring that safety-relevant data is recorded and available for oversight.

UN Women: Five reasons why the care economy is one of the most transformative investments of our times (LINK) — 24 June 2026

• An estimated 350 million children require childcare services globally.
• If given a monetary value, unpaid care work would account for up to 40 per cent of GDP in some countries
• Investments in care sectors can create two to three times more jobs than investments in the construction sector.
• Women and girls spend 2.5 times more hours per day on unpaid care work than men.
• Globally, 45 per cent of working-age women (708 million women) are outside the labour market because of unpaid care responsibilities, compared with just 5 per cent of men.
• Women make up 80 per cent of paid domestic workers globally. Yet 90 per cent of domestic workers lack social protection and social security coverage.
• In crisis settings, women spend nearly four times more hours on unpaid care work than men.For example, in Ukraine, women spend 16 more hours per week on unpaid care work than men, resulting in an estimated USD 72.5 billion loss to the economy.
• Investments in care services could create nearly 300 million new decent jobs by 2035.
• Investing in care sectors has the potential to be 30 per cent less polluting than investing in the construction industry.
¨

— UN Women's Transform Care Initiative aims to strengthen care systems in over 50 countries. By 2035, the initiative has the potential to contribute to:

• Reaching 2.9 billion women and girls;
• Creating 260 million decent jobs for women;
• Freeing up 10 trillion hours of women's and girls' time by 2035.

UN Working Group calls for action to ensure AI serves equality, not discrimination (LINK) — 24 June 2026

— The Working Group on discrimination against women and girls today warned that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and related digital technologies absent meaningful regulation may deepen existing gender inequalities and create new risks for the human rights of women and girls worldwide.

— "AI and digital technologies are reshaping the conditions under which women and girls exercise their rights," the Working Group said. "Without deliberate, gender-responsive governance, these systems risk amplifying exclusion, reinforcing harmful stereotypes, and exacerbating structural inequalities."

— The Working Group identified three urgent preconditions for achieving substantive gender equality in the digital age: closing the digital divide, harnessing AI and digital technologies to bolster rather than undermine women's and girls' human rights, and promoting their meaningful participation and leadership in public and political life. The experts also echoed calls for multilateral dialogue on AI redlines. They expressed alarm about some of the most extreme harms, including the gendered impact of AI in armed conflict and lethal autonomous weapons, climate change, mass surveillance and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. "These harms are not hypothetical, they are already being felt around the world," the Working Group said, stressing that intersecting forms of marginalisation are regularly mirrored and exacerbated by AI.

— They also underscored the potential of AI to advance gender equality, including by expanding access to education, healthcare, financial services, and justice — if developed responsibly and inclusively.

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

Ebola cases in Congo reach highest first-month total of any outbreak, WHO says (LINK) — 23 June 2026

Climate crisis: UN chief lays out solutions blueprint for clean energy transition (LINK) — 23 June 2026

U.N. Secretary-General's call to action on methane (LINK) — 23 June 2026

Niger becomes the third country to leave the International Criminal Court, accusing the ICC of practising "selective justice" (LINK) — 22 June 2026

Monday, 22 June 2026

PassBlue photoessay: The UN Human Rights Office moves out of the Palais Wilson (LINK) — 22 June 2026

Friday, 19 June 2026

WHO on Ebola outbreak: 896 confirmed cases, including 232 deaths in DRC as of 17 June, Uganda 19 confirmed cases including two deaths as of 18 June: Uganda has not reported any new cases since 5 June 2026 (LINK) — 19 June 2026

Some 75 medics infected with Ebola as DRC outbreak spreads 'fast' (LINK) — 19 June 2026

— Aid cuts and poor sanitation are deepening fears that Ebola is spreading through displacement camps. Seventeen medics have died from Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the death toll surpasses 200.

UN agencies IAEA and WFP launch $1 million project to contain screwworm outbreak in Central America, Mexico amd US (sending beef prices there to near record highs) (LINK) — 19 June 2026

— The outbreak could be tackled through the release of flies treated with radiation to make them unable to reproduce, the agencies said. The sterile flies then mate with wild flies, reducing the population over time. Emergency response efforts could require up to 600 million sterile flies a week, they said. The only operational facility located in Panama now produces about 100 ?million. They said planned capacity in Metapa de Dominguez, Mexico, and Mission, Texas, could add up to 400 million sterile flies a week in coming years.

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

At least 58 states and territories contaminated by landmines, UN human rights chief says (LINK) — 16 June 2026

Monday, 15 June 2026

'The next pandemic will not wait': Lula and WHO director in urgent joint plea for leaders to finalize agreement (LINK) — 15 June 2026

Friday, 12 June 2026

Ebola spreads into new areas of DR Congo, including a crowded displacement camp: cases are being identified in new health zones on a near-daily basis (LINK) — 12 June 2026

Wednesday, 10 June 2026

Hate speech spreading 'faster than ever', warns UN chief as global action plan is revealed (LINK) — 10 June 2026

Ebola cases in DRC surpass 600 as officials report struggles with community outreach: Health officials are following 5,681 contacts, but only 56% have been reached (LINK) — 10 June 2026

UN Human Rights Chief deplores violence in the UK (LINK) — 10 June 2026

— "Politicians and leaders have a heightened responsibility to refrain from narratives that inflame tensions or stigmatize communities. Providers of social media platforms must also take their own human rights responsibilities seriously regarding hate speech and incitement to violence."

UN rights chief urges 'massive rethink' of US immigration policies ahead of World Cup (LINK) — 10 June 2026

Tuesday, 9 June 2026

Congo's Ebola outbreak rises to 100 deaths out of 550 cases after a month (LINK) — 9 June 2026

— Attacks on health workers from angry residents, skepticism among some locals and armed conflict in hot spots continue to challenge efforts to stop the outbreak declared on May 15, which has been caused by a severe form of Ebola disease.

Ebola cases 'increased rapidly' since late May, WHO says — (LINK)

— Over 5,000 people have been identified as contacts due to exposure from someone who was infected. Contact tracing efforts continue to be underway. At least 16 of the infections reported so far were identified in health care workers. While the WHO assesses the risk of transmission in the Congo as "very high" and "high" in bordering countries, the risk to the rest of Africa and the world is "low".

PassBlue: fact-checking a UN Secretary-General candidates' debate in Geneva (LINK) — 9 June 2026

Monday, 8 June 2026

UN: Afghanistan faces 'lost generation of talent and potential', Security Council hears (LINK) — 8 June 2026

ICC chief prosecutor suspended pending decision by oversight body on sexual misconduct allegations (LINK) — 8 June 2026

Friday, 5 June 2026

Ebola outbreak in Central Africa could reach 20,000 cases without strong public health measures — US CDC (LINK) — 5 June 2026

WHO launches $518 million plan to curb Africa Ebola outbreak: donors pledge over $300 million so far (LINK) — 5 June 2026

Thursday, 4 June 2026

The United Nations says it is running out of money: António Guterres, the U.N. secretary-general, sent a letter to all U.N. member states saying that the organization faced "imminent financial collapse." (LINK) — 4 June 2026

— Deseret News: Although China has been paying its dues, China has been delaying mandatory payments until late in the year to apply financial leverage. If countries do not pay their dues, U.N. officials have said, the agency could resort to shutting down its headquarters in New York. Humanitarian efforts supported by the U.N., such as World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the U.N. refugee agency would also be drastically impacted.

Swiss CHF100,000 Music Grand Prix goes to yodelling singer Nadja Räss: first representative of Swiss folk music to receive the award: contributed to the inclusion of yodelling on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage last December (LINK) — 4 June 2026

Wednesday, 3 June 2026

Israeli official unable to finish speech at ILO conference in Geneva amid protests (LINK) — 3 June 2026

Tuesday, 2 June 2026

Antibiotics use in livestock could rise by a third in next 15 years, FAO report warns: governments urged to act to prevent potentially disastrous impacts on human resistance to medicines (LINK) — 3 June 2026

— Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) already costs an estimated €11bn (£9.5bn) a year within Europe alone and is predicted to cost $1tn globally by 2050. AMR is forecast to kill tens of millions of people unless there is concerted action.

WHO says suspected Ebola cases drop to 116 after hundreds ruled out (LINK) — 2 June 2026

World Ocean Assessment, "possibly the most important book about the ocean ever written", highlights urgent need for science and global action (LINK) — 2 June 2026

UN: OHCHR calls on Nicaragua to investigate Indigenous leader Brooklyn Rivera's death in custody (LINK) — 2 June 2026

El Niño confirmed, set to fuel more extreme weather, says WMO: urged all countries on Tuesday to bolster early warning systems (LINK) — 2 June 2026

— According to WMO there is an 80 per cent chance that El Niño conditions will emerge between June and August and a 90 per cent probability of this happening thereafter. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo: "The footprint of an El Niño travels far beyond its origins in the Pacific Ocean, impacting agriculture, energy supplies, trade, water resources, supply chains, and livelihoods across entire regions."

Nuclear meltdown warning from IAEA after latest drone strike on Ukraine atom plant (LINK) — 1 June 2026

Monday, 1 June 2026

Ebola outbreak spreading in Africa is 'likely far worse' than official figures suggest: IRC: only about 20% of contacts are currently being traced (LINK) — 1 June 2026