Sudan

In Afghanistan, the UN and aid partners have delivered assistance to over 8,000 people so far, including food, cash, health services, emergency shelter and other critical support, after a 5.9-magnitude deadly earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region Sunday, deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated $48 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund to maintain aid operations of the UN Humanitarian Air Service, run by the World Food Programme, in Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Syria.

In Abyei, leaders from the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities have signed a Declaration of Intent with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to curb the spread of weapons in the disputed region between Sudan and South Sudan. UNISFA stresses that dialogue remains the only viable path to end disputes.

In Lebanon, over 1.1 million people are now registered as displaced. In the past month, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has supplied over 280,000 litres of fuel to some 45 pumping stations and wastewater stations nationwide, and the UN and its aid partners have distributed over 3 million meals and over 65,000 food parcels.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report today that maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has come to a near halt, with a 95 per cent drop in daily ship transits over the past month, according to UNCTAD report released today. UNCTAD forecasts a drop in world GDP to about 2.6 per cent by the end of the year.

Data released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) suggests the military escalation in the Middle East may cost economies in the region from 3.7 to 6 per cent of their collective gross domestic product (GDP). This represents a loss of $120-194 billion and exceeds the cumulative regional GDP growth achieved in 2025.

In Ukraine, recent attacks have caused civilian casualties and damage to critical infrastructure, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports. In Odesa, a 28 March strike killed people, damaging a maternity hospital and more than 70 homes. The World Health Organization (WHO) verified 124 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine, out of 357 globally.

Cuba’s energy crisis has had cascading effects on essential services. The restructured $94 million Plan of Action aims to assist 2 million people — one in five nationwide. To date, $26 million has been received, leaving a funding gap of $68 million.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

In Haiti, a UN report details the human rights impact of violence perpetrated by gangs, security forces, private contractors and self-defence groups. According to UN-verified data, at least 5,519 people were killed and 2,608 injured between 1 March 2025 and 15 January 2026.