More people are using drugs than ever before, while synthetic substances are reshaping illicit markets and exposing vulnerable communities to greater health risks, according to the UN World Drug Report 2026, released on Friday.
The United Nations’ maritime agency said on Friday that it had successfully evacuated about 2,500 stranded seafarers from the Persian Gulf before suspending the operation, after an attack on a commercial vessel exposed uncertainty over who can guarantee safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Friday called for stronger independent oversight of the United States immigration detention system and investigations into all deaths in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Nearly seven million Venezuelans could be affected by this week’s double earthquakes as the death toll rises to at least 235 people amid massive, growing needs and ongoing emergency search and rescue efforts, UN agencies reported on Friday. We’re bringing you the latest news live, and UN News app users can follow here.
Aid agencies on Friday highlighted massive needs across Venezuela caused by a double earthquake disaster that has killed at least 235 people so far, with search and rescue for people trapped under the rubble still the top priority.
The UN’s top humanitarian has allocated $8 million in funding to help Burundi and South Sudan prepare for the potential spread of Ebola.
The 15-member Security Council unanimously adopted a draft resolution on Thursday renewing the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) for six months.
Since Tuesday, United Nations peacekeepers have detected no airstrikes or new missile fire in southern Lebanon. The lull remains fragile, however, as Israeli drones continue to fly over the area and military operations continue on the ground.
The United Nations Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Sudan voiced alarm on Wednesday over escalating violence in and around the city of El Obeid, warning that further military escalation could put thousands of civilians at risk and deepen Sudan’s already devastating humanitarian crisis.
As wars persist in different parts of the world, it’s perhaps easy to lose sight of the many countries that have managed to recover from past violence, sustain peace and prevent conflict. The UN Peacebuilding Fund, which is marking its 20th year of operation in 2026, has contributed to many of these success stories. UN News app users click here.
As a record-breaking heatwave grips large parts of Europe, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), national weather services and partners are mobilising heat-health action plans for millions of people facing dangerous temperatures.
Thousands of civilians trapped in frontline communities in southern Ukraine are facing a deepening humanitarian crisis as access to food, medical care and evacuation routes continues to shrink, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country, HMRRU, warned on Wednesday.