September 22, 2025 – UN support weakens among Republicans, global crises deepen in Palestine, Sudan, Lebanon, and Afghanistan, UNICEF warns on vaccines in Laos, and U.S. hunger report scrapped.
United Nations – A new Gallup poll found that 60% of Americans believe the UN is necessary, but 63% say it is doing a poor job solving global problems. Support for U.S. membership remains strong at 79%, though 17% favor withdrawal — tying the record set in 1996. Among Republicans, support for withdrawal has nearly doubled in recent years, with 36% now backing an exit, up from 19% two decades ago.
Palestine – A summit hosted by France and Saudi Arabia rallied international support for Palestinian statehood following recognition by the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal. The U.S. and Israel boycotted, with Israeli leaders vowing there would “be no Palestinian state.” Advocates stressed that while recognition matters, halting the Gaza war is the more urgent priority.
Laos – A UNICEF-supported study revealed nearly 15% of children in Lao PDR miss their first Pentavalent vaccine dose due to distance, poor roads, cultural barriers, and supply gaps. The Ministry of Health pledged to act on recommendations that emphasize outreach, consistent supply, and better health worker support to reach the national 95% immunization goal.
Sudan – UNICEF condemned a drone attack on a mosque near Al Fasher that killed at least 11 children and struck a UNICEF water truck serving 8,500 displaced families and patients. It called the attacks “unconscionable” and warned they are cutting families off from safe water amid worsening malnutrition and disease.
Lebanon – An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon killed five people, including three children and their father, who held U.S. citizenship. Israel said it was targeting a Hezbollah militant but admitted civilian deaths. Lebanese leaders warned the strikes threatened fragile ceasefire stability.
Afghanistan – A BBC report highlighted Afghanistan’s hunger crisis, where parents bury malnourished children and some sedate babies to quiet cries of hunger. WFP warned that more than 3 million children are at risk, with funding set to run out in November. Aid cuts by the U.S. and other donors, Taliban restrictions, drought, and mass refugee returns are compounding the emergency.
Humanitarian Aid – Michelle Brown argued in IPS that the aid system is at a breaking point with only 9% of required funding received this year. She called for a “humanitarian reset,” with UN agencies focusing on diplomacy, NGOs on delivery, and local groups on frontline services, alongside reforms in funding flows, cash transfers, and protection priorities.
United States – The Trump administration ended the government’s annual hunger report, calling it politicized, after legislation cut food stamps for 3 million people. Critics said the move suppresses data that would reveal rising hunger under the new aid reductions.
UN – a France- and Saudi-led conference at the UNGA will see at least ten countries, including Portugal, Canada, and Belgium, move to recognize a Palestinian state. This would bring the total to 157 of the UN’s 193 member states, or just over 81% of the membership. The push, accelerated by Israel’s war in Gaza and a UN finding of genocide, marks a major moment in diplomatic support for Palestine. Israel condemned the moves as “a reward for terrorism.”
Chad – In The New York Times, Ruth Maclean describes a maternity ward in Chad’s Aboutengué refugee camp buckling under U.S. aid cuts. With midwives laid off and medical supplies dwindling, thousands of Sudanese refugee women face dangerous pregnancies, many due to widespread sexual violence. The Trump administration’s elimination of USAID funding has left frontline health workers unable to cope, putting mothers and babies at heightened risk.
Syria – UNICEF announced the launch of a nationwide “Back-to-Learning” campaign, the first unified education effort in Syria in over a decade. More than 2.4 million children remain out of school, but the program aims to reopen schools, provide materials and psychosocial support, and reach displaced and at-risk children. UNICEF called education a “lifeline and a shield” for Syria’s youth.
Yemen Asharq Al-Awsat reports that the UN has warned Yemen faces its worst humanitarian catastrophe since 2022, with 18 million people projected to suffer acute hunger this month and 166 districts sliding into emergency levels. Nearly half of all young children are malnourished, and aid funding has reached only 10% of the 2025 requirement.
UK – The Guardian reports that parents are furious after Meta used back-to-school photos of schoolgirls as promotional ads targeting a 37-year-old man. The images, drawn from parents’ Instagram posts, appeared in Threads recommendations without consent, raising accusations of exploitation and sexualization. Critics, including children’s rights campaigners, called Meta “wilfully careless,” while the company defended the practice as consistent with its policies.
Comments
Post a Comment
If you are a member of XUNICEF, you can comment directly on a post. Or, send your comments to us at xunicef.news.views@gmail.com and we will publish them for you.