The International Maritime Organization reports it will begin implementing a large-scale evacuation plan in the Strait of Hormuz for over 11,000 seafarers still stranded in the region. It will be carried out in cooperation with Iran, Oman, other regional coastal States, the United States and the maritime industry.
World Food Programme (WFP) officials had a high-level visit from Pope Leo XIV at WFP Headquarters. Pope Leo called access to food a fundamental human right, urging the international community to renew its commitment and increase resources to combat hunger and malnutrition. A record 266 million people faced acute food insecurity in 2025.
A World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report finds that extreme weather and climate-related events impacted at least 13 million people and led to over 3,000 reported fatalities in Africa in 2025, with knock-on effects across all sectors of the economy and society. The continent is warming faster than the global average, the report adds.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today released a report showing that nearly half, or 1.1 billion, of the world’s children are now exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards, threatening their health, their education and their survival.
Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, has allocated $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for an urgent response to food insecurity and to mitigate a risk of famine in Somalia.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, launched today the Global Alliance for Human Rights to mobilize people from all sectors, regions and generations to inspire hope, strengthen collaboration and generate collective action for human rights.
The Peacebuilding Fund has approved $4.8 million for a new programme in central Mali to support and strengthen communities and local institutions in areas affected by violent extremism. It will be implemented by the UN Development Programme, UN-Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and terrorism.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon Imran Riza launched today with the Lebanese Government an appeal for an additional $331.5 million, bringing the overall Flash Appeal for March through August to nearly $640 million, to sustain life-saving efforts for 1.4 million people in Lebanon.
In Cuba, an ongoing energy crisis driven by United States sanctions, compounded by hurricanes and other disasters, is severely disrupting essential services like water, sanitation, food production and healthcare. Over 100,000 surgeries have been postponed. The United Nations and partners have a plan to assist up to 2 million people.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
