“The world is not safer from pandemics”, said experts from the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) on Monday, who underscored how the world’s vulnerability was exposed by an Ebola outbreak a decade ago and then by the “global catastrophe” of COVID-19.

“As infectious disease outbreaks become more frequent they are also becoming more damaging, with widening health, economic, political and social impacts, and less capacity to recover from them,” the experts said, in a new report. 

Ebola update

Ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates.

As of Saturday 16 May, health authorities had recorded eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri province in eastern DRC.

On Sunday, unconfirmed reports indicated that an individual had tested positive for Ebola in the rebel-held city of Goma, capital of North Kivu province and home to one million people.

The confirmed case is believed to be the wife of a man who died after contracting Ebola in Bunia, capital of Ituri province. Another individual who had travelled from Bunia to Beni in North Kivu also tested positive for Ebola.

Cases have also been confirmed in the DR Congo capital, Kinshasa, and across the border in Uganda, where two infected individuals travelled from DRC and were admitted to intensive care. The Ugandan capital, Kampala, is also impacted, WHO said.

The agency is supporting the Government-led response with 42 health professionals on the ground and supplies already deployed.

The agency has warned that the outbreak is likely larger than currently detected, pointing to clusters of unexplained deaths, a high positivity rate among tested samples and limited understanding of transmission patterns. At least four deaths among healthcare workers have raised concerns over infection prevention measures in health facilities. 

In a statement, the UN agency noted that there is no approved therapy or vaccine to treat the Bundibugyo virus which is responsible for the current outbreak. 

“The ongoing insecurity, humanitarian crisis, high population mobility, the urban or semi-urban nature of the current hotspot and the large network of informal healthcare facilities further compound the risk of spread, as was witnessed during the large Ebola virus disease epidemic in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in 2018-19,” WHO said.

‘We know how to control Ebola’

“Ebola is a very serious disease, but it is one that we know how to control,” Mohamed Janabi, WHO’s Director for Africa, told UN News.

Dr. Janabi, a cardiologist, explained that the UN health agency has classified it as a public health emergency of international concern, which helps to bring international attention, mobilize resources more quickly and ensure countries work together in a coordinated way. 

“But it does not mean people should panic. It means the global system is working as it should be, detecting and responding very decisively,” he added, calling on the media to disseminate correct information

“Fear by itself is an outbreak,” he concluded. 

Listen to the full interview with Dr. Janabi: 

AI boon or bust

Highlighting the potential for AI to improve preparedness and monitor pandemic threats, the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) emphasized that without effective governance and safeguards, technological innovations could actually reduce health security and widen the healthcare access gaps that defined COVID-19.

The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) is an independent monitoring and accountability body established in 2018 by WHO and the World Bank – formally a specialized UN agency – to strengthen preparedness for global health crises. 

The board highlights that that national leadership will be tested this year as governments work to finalize the WHO Pandemic Agreement – and work to agree “a meaningful UN political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response”.

Over the weekend, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) observed intensive activity by Israeli forces, including extensive airstrikes near several villages, continued naval operations off the coast of Naqoura, and drone activity close by – including drones reportedly operated by Hezbollah militants.

On Friday, UNIFIL patrols faced restrictions near Al Bayyada, where Israeli tanks blocked the road. Another UNIFIL position was impacted by machine gun fire, with one round hitting a UN vehicle parked inside a compound.

“We reiterate once again that our peacekeepers must never be targeted, and their safety and security must be guaranteed at all times by all parties,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told journalists at his regular press briefing in New York.

Despite the insecurity, UN peacekeepers facilitated an aid convoy of around 30 trucks to the border town of Rmeich, where approximately 7,000 residents remain, amid difficult and dangerous conditions.

Humanitarian situation

On the broader humanitarian front, the situation continues to deteriorate. Lebanese authorities reported that 13 people – including one child and four women – were killed, and 32 injured in strikes across southern Lebanon on Sunday.

Authorities say more than 124,000 people are now sheltering in 625 schools and public buildings, while new displacement orders issued in 11 towns in Nabatieh were followed by airstrikes, forcing additional families to flee.

Some residents attempting to return home have instead gone back to shelters after finding their houses destroyed or inaccessible.

Healthcare under strain

According to the latest update from UN agencies and partners, the situation remains “highly volatile,” particularly in southern areas and locations where displaced people are attempting to return.

Health services are severely constrained. Three hospitals and 41 primary healthcare centres remain non-operational, while several others are only partially functioning.

These limitations are placing intense pressure on remaining facilities, reducing the quality and continuity of care and leaving many communities without access to essential services.

If gaps are not addressed, health officials warn of rising complications, avoidable deaths and a growing healthcare crisis.

Gaza aid teams call for access, civilian protection

The UN’s top relief official, Tom Fletcher said aid teams continue to work “strenuously to help Palestinians in Gaza,” but need “sustained access, the protection of civilians, neutrality and partnership.”

Last week, humanitarian partners delivered tents, bedding and other emergency supplies to nearly 4,500 households, while improved emergency shelters were installed in the devastated southern area around Khan Younis to provide temporary protection for displaced families.

Health concerns are mounting. Aid workers report rising cases of skin diseases and other illnesses linked to pests and poor living conditions, while more than 6,600 people require prosthetic and rehabilitation care.

That includes thousands of civilians who’ve had limbs amputated since the violence erupted in October 2023, yet there are only eight prosthetic technicians on hand in Gaza.

Humanitarian partners say that 20 per cent of amputees are children, warning it could take five years or more to address current needs, due to the chronic shortages.

The crisis in the Middle East continues, with ongoing strikes and rising humanitarian needs. The UN nuclear watchdog reported Wednesday that a projectile struck the site of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, although no casualties have been reported. In Lebanon, the humanitarian situation is worsening, with hundreds reported killed and more than one million people displaced. UN agencies are scaling up emergency assistance despite mounting challenges. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here.

The crisis in the Middle East continues, with strikes and counterstrikes reported across the region as the humanitarian toll rises. UN agencies warn that health systems are under growing strain, children are increasingly affected by violence and displacement, and hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes – especially in Lebanon. Despite mounting logistical and security challenges, UN agencies are scaling up emergency aid. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here.

War continues across the Middle East, with impacts growing far beyond the region. Oil prices are hovering around $100 a barrel as attacks on shipping and energy infrastructure disrupt key supply routes. Strikes and counterstrikes between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran continue, while ships have reportedly been hit in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, sending shocks through the global economy. Meanwhile, UN agencies are expanding humanitarian relief efforts as displacement rises and civilian needs grow. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here.

The conflict in the Middle East continues, with strikes and counter-strikes across the region and the humanitarian toll mounting. UN agencies warn that rising civilian casualties, mass displacement – particularly in Lebanon – and damage to critical infrastructure are deepening the crisis, while disruptions to shipping and energy routes risk driving up global prices and worsening food insecurity. Stay with us for updates from across the United Nations system. UN News app users can follow the coverage here.

Speaking to reporters from a basement in Kherson, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative in Ukraine Munir Mammadzade said that the frontline city remains “under constant fire,” with daily attacks destroying homes and critical infrastructure, as well as the services that children and families rely on.

“I have been constantly hearing artillery shelling,” he said, speaking of yet another “massive, coordinated attack” which reportedly impacted civilian and energy infrastructure overnight.

The city’s children’s hospital was attacked eight times on Tuesday morning, Mr. Mammadzade added.

Childhood underground

With few places offering any sanctuary in Kherson, daily life is “a matter of survival” for children and families in the frontline area, the UNICEF representative said. 

The region is “almost fully covered in anti-drone nets” and childhood has “literally moved underground,” he stressed.

Out of some 60,000 children who lived in Kherson prior to the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, only about 5,000 are left, and have to “learn, play and sleep in basements just to stay safe.” 

Mr. Mammadzade made his comments to journalists at a press briefing in Geneva, as negotiators from Ukraine and Russia gathered in the Swiss city on Tuesday for two days of US-brokered talks.

Speaking of the basement turned into a child protection hub managed by UNICEF from which he was connecting, Mr. Mammadzade said that there are “kids in the neighbouring room playing and engaging with psychologists, which is something precious to witness in places like Kherson because you hardly see people outside.” 

‘Constant fear of attacks’

Humanitarians working with the children “all speak about levels of exhaustion that families are enduring from living 24 hours a day in a hyper-alert state,” he said. 

The UNICEF official stressed that attacks impacting civilian areas continue across the country, “including in the areas that we don’t necessarily talk about,” such as western Ukraine and the capital Kyiv.

“Constant fear of attacks, sheltering in basements and isolation with limited social connection have left children struggling with circumstances of this war, with their mental and physical health directly impacted,” he concluded.

Daily power cuts

Arthur Erken, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) regional director for Europe, told reporters that due to attacks on civilian energy infrastructure “power cuts now structure daily life when families cook, when children study, when hospitals schedule procedures.” 

“With temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius, communities face severe shortages of heating, electricity and household repairs,” he added – with displaced people and recent returnees being particularly affected.

Ukraine remains Europe’s largest displacement crisis, Mr. Erken said. Out of the 9.6 million people who have had to flee their homes, 3.7 million are internally displaced.  

“In one of every three displaced households, someone is living with a disability, and in more than half, someone actually manages a chronic illness,” he said. “These aren’t just statistics, but the daily realities that shape every decision, from medical care to putting food on the table.”

‘Resilience alone cannot sustain families’

The IOM representative stressed that even after four years of full-scale war, Ukrainians continue to flee in search of safety and basic services. 

“In the last year, more than 450,000 people were displaced from their homes, many for the second or even the third time,” he said.

Mr. Erken warned that 325,000 Ukrainian returnees could be displaced again in the coming months, with more than a third of those considering moving abroad again. 

“Intentions to leave the country reflect the cumulative strain of insecurity, damaged housing and limited access to electricity and heating,” he said.

“After four years of war, resilience alone cannot sustain families through yet another winter of blackouts and freezing temperatures,” the IOM official insisted. 

“Safe housing, reliable energy and essential services are not luxuries. They are fundamental to people’s survival, safety and dignity,” he concluded.

The baby girl – just three months old – was found frozen to death on Tuesday morning at her home in Gaza City, according to media reports. 

This brings the total number of cold weather deaths this season to nine, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists in New York. 

In response, the UN aid coordination office OCHA, again called for urgent solutions “including allowing the entry of batteries, solar panels and other energy sources that are needed to set up communal heating spaces.”  

Thousands receive food aid 

Humanitarians continue to support Gaza’s population more than three months into the ceasefire and amid ongoing aid restrictions. 

Since the start of the year, more than 860,000 people have received food packages distributed through 50 distribution points, said Mr. Haq. 

“We also continue to provide some 1.6 million hot meals every day to people in need,” he added. 

Vaccines, medical evacuations 

UN partners working in the health sector have vaccinated 3,000 children under three in the first two days of a 10-day routine immunization campaign that began on Sunday.  

The aim is to further protect young lives from vaccine-preventable diseases.   

The World Health Organization (WHO) also facilitated another medical evacuation on Monday, transporting 21 patients and their companions to Jordan.  

However, more than 18,000 patients, including 4,000 children, are still waiting to be evacuated to receive medical care that is not available in Gaza.  

WHO called for more UN Member States to accept these patients and for the re-opening of the medical evacuation route to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.    

West Bank update  

In other developments: 

OCHA published its latest West Bank monthly update, which showed that 14 Palestinians were killed and 231 injured there in December. 

Israeli settlers also carried out 132 attacks during this period that resulted in casualties or property damage, while 246 Palestinians were displaced. 

Seven Israelis were wounded in the territory, though no fatalities were recorded.   

The report further documented record-high displacement and settler attacks in 2025. 

Ammunition, airstrikes and attacks 

There were 240 Palestinian fatalities, including 55 children, in the West Bank last year. Most deaths, 225, were at the hands of Israeli forces, and nine by settlers.  The remainder were by either of these groups. 

Three quarters of all fatalities (181) were caused by live ammunition and 17 per cent (41) occurred in air strikes.  Use of other weapons accounted for 18 deaths, or eight per cent. 

Last year, 3,982 Palestinians were injured, including nearly 700 children, and 37,135 were displaced.  Attacks by Israeli settlers numbered 1,828 resulting in casualties and/or property damage. 

During the same period, 17 Israelis were killed, including a child and six force members. Another 101 Israelis suffered injuries, with five children and 32 soldiers among them. 

Palestinian neighborhoods ‘systematically emptied’ 

Separately, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, warned that the pace of forced displacement of Palestinians in East Jerusalem is accelerating and historic neighbourhoods are being “systematically emptied”. 

Ajith Sunghay, head of OHCHR’s office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), highlighted demolitions and evictions in Silwan neighbourhood south of the Old City. 

Settlements have also expanded unlawfully in the heart of three of the most significant Palestinian urban centres: East Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem. 

Homes taken over 

“Evictions typically result in the transfer of Palestinian homes to Israeli settlers, further eroding Palestinian presence immediately adjacent to the Old City,” he told UN News. 

“Some homes are taken over by Israeli authorities to make way for settlement projects which currently include a tourist park with a cable car line that would connect West Jerusalem to the Old City.” 

A ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2024 found that Israel’s forced evictions and extensive house demolitions ran contrary to the prohibition of forcible transfer under the Fourth Geneva Convention. 

The ICJ – the UN’s principal judicial body – called on Israel to bring to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. 

Hostilities have been intensifying between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and two armed groups – the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia that has been battling the military government for control since April 2023 and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North.

Over the weekend, drone attacks targeted a UN base killing six peacekeepers from the UNIFSA mission, while another six people were killed in a hospital attack in South Kordofan State, according to initial information from the UN human rights office (OHCHR).

Meanwhile, OCHA said artillery shelling was reported on Monday, posing further threats to civilians.

“I urge all parties to the conflict and States with influence to ensure an immediate ceasefire and to prevent atrocities,” said UN human rights chief Volker Türk in a statement.

Mr. Türk also cautioned that medical facilities are protected under international humanitarian law.

New displacement

The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 1,700 people were displaced between Thursday and Saturday from multiple towns in South Kordofan.

Meanwhile, in North Darfur State, displacement continues to rise from the besieged El Fasher into Tawila, where the UN is delivering emergency aid.

More than 25,000 people in Twila have been registered since late October, after fleeing along insecure routes where they face extreme danger.

Despite severe access and logistical constraints, the World Food Programme (WFP) assisted about half a million people in Tawila in November and has consistently reached some 2 million people every month across the Darfur region.

Attacks against peacekeepers

Providing an update at Tuesday’s noon briefing in New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that the wounded peacekeepers who underwent lifesaving surgery in Kadugli, Sudan, were evacuated to the UN mission headquarters in the disputed Abyei region on Tuesday morning.

Other injured personnel were also evacuated there, and four of them have since been sent to Nairobi, Kenya, for further medical treatment.

The remains of the six fallen soldiers have been transported to Entebbe, Uganda, and arrangements are underway for their repatriation to Bangladesh.

Mr. Haq underscored that “attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law and call for accountability.”

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the situation in South Kivu province has deteriorated sharply since 2 December due to heavy fighting across multiple territories, including Uvira, Walungu, Mwenga, Shabunda, Kabare, Fizi and Kalehe.

According to media reports, members of the armed group M23 entered the key city of Uvira on Wednesday and residents described a sense of fear and uncertainty.

Radio Okapi, run by the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, reported that more than 74 civilians have been killed and at least 83 wounded in clashes between Congolese forces and armed groups since early December. The station said thousands more have fled across borders into Burundi and Rwanda.

Most of the displaced inside South Kivu are sheltering in overcrowded sites, facing heightened protection risks, poor sanitation and the growing threat of disease outbreaks. Displaced women and girls face heightened risks of gender-based violence in overcrowded shelters.

Food assistance suspended

Humanitarian assistance programmes, including food aid and healthcare have been affected by the insecurity.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended operations across South Kivu, cutting off 25,000 people from life-saving food support, according to UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq.

“Host families, already facing emergency levels of food insecurity, are sharing the last of their food with displaced people,” he told journalists in New York.

At least 32 schools in Uvira supported by WFP have halted classes to shelter displaced families, leaving more than 12,000 children without what is often their only hot daily meal. Humanitarian agencies warned that food stocks in the area could run out within weeks if access and funding are not restored.

Cross-border fears grow

“The humanitarian impact of the crisis is now spilling across borders,” Mr. Haq said, reporting that nearly 25,000 people crossed into Burundi between 5 and 8 December, with additional arrivals also reported in Rwanda.

In both countries, humanitarian partners and national authorities are scaling up emergency assistance, including hot meals, safe water and health services.

The escalation comes despite diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions. Last week, the DRC and Rwanda signed a United States-backed peace accord, welcomed by the United Nations as a “critical step” toward restoring trust.

Funding challenges deepen the crisis

Funding shortfalls are compounding the emergency.

The DRC Humanitarian Response Plan is only 22 per cent funded, leaving a gap of nearly $2 billion, Mr. Haq warned. In Burundi, less than $33 million has been mobilized against a requirement of almost $77 million to support new arrivals.

“We call on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease hostilities, uphold international humanitarian law, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access,” he said.