Health

The UN Human Rights Office today released a report which says that Bangladesh’s former Government, security and intelligence services, as well as violent elements associated with the Awami League party, systematically engaged in a range of serious human rights violations during last year’s student-led protests.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today published a report which says air pollution in East Asia and the Pacific is linked to nearly one in four deaths of children under the age of five and can impact every stage of a child’s life.

In Ukraine, local authorities and humanitarians on the ground report that an attack in the residential area of Sumy City overnight resulted in a number of fatalities. Humanitarian partners mobilized an emergency response, complementing the efforts of first responders and the authorities.

In Mali, the UN and its partners, together with the country’s transitional authorities, today launched a $770 million Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan to support millions across Mali. The Plan aims to address the needs of 4.7 million people affected by conflict, displacement, health emergencies and climate shocks.

The Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, today announced a $30 million allocation from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund to support the response in the country, enabling the UN’s partners to assist with food security, shelter, nutrition, protection, healthcare, water and sanitation, and education.

In Myanmar, where conflict has driven over 3.5 million people from their homes, humanitarian needs are expected to reach unprecedented levels, with nearly 20 million people requiring assistance. The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan aims to reach 5.5 million people with aid, requiring $1.1 billion in funding.

As of today, some 664,000 people remain newly displaced across Syria, mostly in Idlib and Aleppo, marking a decrease of about 64,000 people compared to a week ago. UN reports say that returnee movements remain fluid, with nearly 486,000 people having returned to their areas of origin over the past month.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the International Day Message on Epidemic Preparedness, observed on 27 December:

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World AIDS Day, observed on 1 December:

Despite pledges to slash methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 — key to getting global warming under control, only 1 per cent of the Methane Alert and Response System in the past year were responded to, a UN Environment Programme report released today states. The system is an untapped opportunity for climate action.