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The UN Security Council meets top of the hour on Ukraine, with Secretary-General António Guterres set to brief, following what Kyiv describes as the most devastating attack on its capital to date. In the early hours of 23-24 May, Russia launched a massive barrage of missiles and drones against multiple Ukrainian cities. Moscow has since threatened further sustained strikes. Sharp divisions among Council members are expected, with European nations demanding an immediate ceasefire while Russia insists its strikes target only military infrastructure.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) headed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Thursday as the country continues to combat a deadly resurgence of Ebola in its volatile eastern region where instability is rife. 

UN chief António Guterres has outlined further progress in the wide-ranging UN80 Initiative, a major reform and restructuring project aimed at making the global body more effective, agile and better equipped to respond to global challenges.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned that eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo faces a “catastrophic collision of disease and conflict” as a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak outpaces containment efforts in a region already battered by armed violence, mass displacement and acute hunger.

Intensified Israeli airstrikes overnight in Lebanon forced people to again flee their homes, while humanitarians in the Gaza Strip report continued restrictions in bringing aid into the enclave, the United Nations said on Tuesday.

The United Nations is raising alarm over continued drone attacks in Sudan’s Darfur region after multiple strikes reportedly killed civilians and intensified fears for communities already trapped by the brutal conflict between rival militaries.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has deplored a Russian attack on a warehouse in Dnipro, Ukraine that destroyed “a significant quantity” of food aid destined for thousands in frontline areas.

The UN Charter is facing one of its gravest tests in decades, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Tuesday, warning that wars, arms races, climate shocks and the erosion of international law are placing intense pressure on the multilateral system established to prevent a third world war.

As a deadly Ebola strain continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with cases confirmed in neighbouring Uganda, the UN aviation agency is urging governments and flight operators to closely follow guidelines put in place following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Security Council is meeting for a high-level debate on strengthening the UN-centred international system amid mounting pressure on multilateralism and deepening geopolitical divisions. Discussions are expected to focus on defending the UN Charter, reforming global governance and restoring confidence in the Security Council’s ability to respond to international crises.

There are more than 900 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 220 suspected deaths, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, said on Monday.

The overnight Russian attack on Ukraine, which centred on the capital, Kyiv, reportedly involved some 90 missiles, including a powerful hypersonic ballistic missile and 60 drones. The senior UN official in the country called for an end to civilian harm.