News Links - This week through 25 October 2025

October 25 – Worsening food and child-labour crises in S. Sudan, medical aid still not entering Gaza despite ceasefire, Israeli ministers debate whether to shoot children nearing 'yellow line', UN reassessing work in Houthi controlled areas.

South Sudan – Hunger and malnutrition are deepening as violence, corruption, and climate shocks drive millions toward famine. Nearly two-thirds of South Sudanese children are now engaged in child labour, one of the highest rates in the world (link).

Gaza
Medical Aid – Health workers report that “almost no” medical supplies are entering the Strip despite the ceasefire, with hospitals operating under extreme shortages.
Evacuations – The World Health Organization says over 1,000 wounded Gazans have been evacuated for treatment abroad, while thousands more remain in urgent need.
Rules of Engagement – Israeli ministers are reportedly debating whether to authorize shooting Palestinian children who approach the Yellow Line near Gaza’s border.
Casualties – Ninety-three Palestinians were killed in a single day despite the declared ceasefire, underscoring the fragility of the truce.
Unexploded Ordnance – Twin children were seriously injured after mistaking an unexploded shell for a toy, highlighting the continuing dangers of remnants of war .
Aid Restrictions – UNRWA and UNICEF warn of a total humanitarian breakdown as Israel continues to block most aid convoys from entering the Strip.

Yemen –The United Nations has announced a comprehensive reassessment of its humanitarian and development operations in areas under the control of the Houthi Rebels in northern Yemen.

UN and Climate – in the face of criticism by the US administration Secretary-General António Guterres defended climate science and WMO's work including its monitoring of the effects of climate change.

October 24 – Polio in Yemen, US plans for Gaza relief, UNICEF assesses reconstruction of Gaza’s water infrastructure, Pakistan’s drone war terrorizes border communities, and cholera spreads rapidly across Congo.

Yemen

Polio - Amid overlapping health emergencies, the fight against polio continues as WHO reports 29 cases of variant poliovirus type 2 this year, down from 187 in 2024. Despite progress, low vaccination coverage and the collapse of health services mean the threat of resurgence remains high.

Gaza

• Water - Following a ceasefire, UNICEF has begun assessing damage to Gaza’s water and wastewater systems, contracting engineers to survey high-priority sites. Restoring safe water and sanitation is viewed as essential to preventing further disease outbreaks.

• Nutrition - Doctors and aid workers told ABC News that the food entering Gaza is inadequate to treat acute malnutrition. Severely malnourished children require therapeutic, high-quality nutrition, not standard rations, if they are to recover safely.

• U.S. plans for Gaza — Washington is weighing a major overhaul of its Gaza relief operations. According to Reuters, the Trump administration may replace the troubled Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) with a new “Gaza Humanitarian Belt,” establishing secure distribution hubs near the Israeli withdrawal line. The New Arab reports that the plan would channel aid through 12–16 monitored corridors managed jointly with Israeli oversight, while Daily Sabah notes UN officials’ concerns that it risks militarizing aid delivery and sidelining established humanitarian agencies.

Pakistan / Afghanistan Border — In northwest Pakistan, civilians are increasingly caught in cross-border violence as the drone war escalates. A New Humanitarian investigation documents multiple strikes by Pakistani forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including one that killed four children in May. Amnesty International reports at least four confirmed strikes between March and June 2025, many hitting homes and schools. The campaign has displaced over 100,000 people and deepened tensions with Afghanistan, as Islamabad blames the Taliban for harboring militants while Kabul accuses Pakistan of violating its airspace.

Congo (DRC) — According to ReliefWeb, a rapidly spreading cholera epidemic has been reported across the Democratic Republic of Congo, with thousands of suspected cases and growing shortages of clean water. Health officials warn that conflict-related displacement and collapsing sanitation systems are accelerating transmission in several provinces.

Humanitarian Ethics — A Modern Diplomacy analysis of the “humanitarian paradox” warns that well-intentioned aid in war zones can sometimes fuel conflict or dependency. The author urges stronger ethical safeguards to ensure relief operations do not become instruments of political or military control.

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October 23 – Rubio suggests UN mandate for Gaza, Israel floats idea of aid corridor for Druze in Syria, Sudan appeal by agencies, 12 UN expat staff leave Yemen, Vatican pushes for debt relief and human focussed development approaches.

Gaza

• US President Trump said that Israel would "lose all support" from the US if it annexes the West Bank. VP Vance called the Knesset preliminary vote on matter was ‘very stupid’. 
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Jerusalem for discussion of a possible UN mandate for a peacekeeping force. 
• Also in Jerusalem US Vice President JD Vance said an as-yet-unformed international security force would take the lead on disarming Hamas, calling the process “long and complex” and confirming there would be no U.S. troops on the ground. 

• Despite an International Court of Justice opinion reaffirming that Israel must facilitate UN relief operations, Israeli authorities continue to block or tightly ration convoys into Gaza, with restrictions on truck movements denying fuel and limiting food and medical deliveries. UNRWA says hundreds of approved trucks remain stalled at crossings and that aid levels are less than one-sixth of pre-war volumes. Humanitarian agencies warn that such limits risk mass starvation and the spread of disease as winter approaches, urging Israel to lift all constraints and allow full access for UN and NGO staff.

Syria
An Israeli proposal urges creation of an internationally supervised corridor linking Israel and al-Suwayda to deliver large-scale humanitarian assistance to Syria’s Druze, given Jordan’s reluctance and Damascus’s obstruction.

Sudan
Four UN agencies — IOM, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WFP — issued a joint appeal warning that more than 30 million Sudanese now need aid, with funding at only 25 percent of requirements as disease and malnutrition spread rapidly.

Yemen

• Twelve international UN staff have left Sana’a after release by Houthi forces, though many national staff remain detained. The UN continues to demand their unconditional release, as reported here.
• A UNICEF mission found that Mocha port could serve as a new Red Sea hub to reach underserved governorates and relieve pressure on Hodeidah and Aden.

Development
At a UN trade and development forum, the Vatican called for debt relief and equitable growth, urging ethical governance of AI to protect human dignity amid a widening global development crisis.

October 22 – UN staff freed in Yemen, ICJ ruling on Gaza aid, cholera surge in Congo, and jockeying for the next UN chief

Yemen The United Nations said 12 international staff members who had been confined in its compound in Sana’a after an incursion by Ansar Allah (the Houthi group) have now left the capital, and the remaining three are free to move or travel. The Houthis had entered the UN facility without authorization and detained 15 international and five local staff. Read more

Palestine

• Gaza - The International Court of Justice ruled that Israel must “agree to and facilitate relief schemes provided by the U.N. and its entities, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)” as part of its obligations in Gaza, according to a PBS NewsHour report. Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. called the court’s advisory opinion “shameful,” arguing that UNRWA had become “a breeding ground for terrorists,” as reported by Reuters.
• Gaza and the West Bank are facing sharp reductions in aid as Israel begins deregistering major international humanitarian organizations, threatening NGO operations and deepening the crisis, according to NPR.
• A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that 59 percent of Americans support U.S. recognition of a Palestinian state, including 80 percent of Democrats and 41 percent of Republicans. About 60 percent also believe Israel’s military response in Gaza has been excessive, highlighting a growing gap between U.S. public opinion and President Trump’s position.

Israel - Over 450 prominent Jewish figures worldwide — including former Israeli officials, writers, and artists — have signed an open letter urging the United Nations and other world leaders to impose targeted sanctions on Israel for alleged violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, calling for an end to military aid and occupation.

DR Congo A cholera epidemic spreading across 20 of the country’s 26 provinces has recorded over 58,000 suspected cases and more than 1,700 deaths, prompting Médecins Sans Frontières to call for urgent reinforcement of both national and international responses. Read more

Sudan Around 350 families trekked 50 kilometers over four days to escape the besieged city of El Fasher in North Darfur, arriving in Tawila in dire condition as escalating violence worsens the humanitarian crisis, according to Xinhua.

United Nations Leadership The race to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General is beginning, with calls for nominations expected by the end of 2025 and several prominent women from Latin America already emerging as early contenders, reports Reuters.

October 21 — Russian attack on UN convoy in Ukraine, Indonesia's school feeding, Kosovo child protection laws, Khartoum documentary, Pakistan new polio cases, India's cough syrup, humanitarian reset and global malaria coverage.

Ukraine
Russian FPV “kamikaze” drones struck a clearly marked UN aid convoy in southern Ukraine on October 14, destroying two trucks carrying medical and food supplies but causing no casualties. OCHA condemned the attack as a gross violation of international humanitarian law, calling it part of a broader pattern of drone strikes on civilians and aid workers in Kherson (drone attack on UN convoy in Ukraine).

Indonesia
More than 1,300 students in West Java fell ill after eating lunches provided under President Prabowo Subianto’s Makan Bergizi Gratis (Free Nutritious Meals) program. Tests found bacterial contamination, and nearly 11,500 poisoning cases have been reported nationwide. Experts warn that poor oversight and rushed expansion have turned the ambitious nutrition program into a public-health risk (The Free School Lunch Program That Has Made Thousands of Children Sick).

Kosovo
A UNICEF assessment finds Kosovo’s child-protection laws largely align with global standards but are undermined by delays in secondary legislation, limited professional capacity, and weak coordination. The report urges stronger implementation and expansion of services for child victims and witnesses of violence (assessment of the effectiveness of measures).

Sudan
DW’s Khartoum documentary personalizes Sudan’s catastrophe—30 million people in need, 12 million displaced, and nearly 4 million children acutely malnourished—aiming to refocus international attention on what aid groups call the world’s worst humanitarian crisis (Khartoum documentary gives a face to the Sudan crisis).

Pakistan
Pakistan confirmed two more polio cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, bringing the 2025 total to 30. Health officials cite insecurity and misinformation as persistent barriers to eradication (new polio case in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).

India
WHO said India still has “much to do” to prevent toxic cough-syrup deaths, noting testing and enforcement gaps that leave children at risk despite recent regulatory reforms (WHO says India has much to do on toxic cough syrup).

Aid and Development

• A new analysis by the Centre for Humanitarian Action warns that the Humanitarian Reset—intended to revitalize global aid after the July 1 closure of USAID—is already faltering. The report cites a “crisis of legitimacy, morale, and funding” as major donors impose deep cuts, and calls for a fair-share financing model to stabilize humanitarian budgets (fading of the Humanitarian Reset).

• Health Policy Watch warns that shrinking global-health budgets could cause a malaria resurgence killing nearly one million people by 2030—three-quarters of them children under five (malaria resurgence could kill nearly one million by 2030).

Oct 20 — Israel breaks ceasefire in Lebanon, Gaza crossing reopen, Sudan refugees complicate fragile CAR situation,humanitarian strains, and UNAIDS closure sparks concern.

Yemen
The UNICEF Representative in Yemen, Peter Hawkins,is among the UN staff detained by Houthi authorities, following a raid on a UN compound in Sanaa. The detainees include staff from several agencies, and negotiations for their release are continuing.

Lebanon
Eleven months after the Israel–Hamas cease-fire, Israel has launched new airstrikes on southern Lebanon, underscoring how fragile the truce remains and how violence continues to simmer along the border. The attacks, described as targeting Hezbollah positions, mark a return to intermittent hostilities that have displaced thousands. The pattern — sporadic bombardments under a nominal cease-fire — may foreshadow what lies ahead in Gaza if that cease-fire endures.

Gaza

• UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has called for investigations into what he termed “blatant Israeli breaches of international humanitarian law” after strikes on UN facilities and shelters in Gaza.
• Israel is reopening crossings and allowing humanitarian deliveries to resume, following a brief suspension earlier this month. Officials say aid convoys will move under tighter coordination and monitoring to prevent diversion.
• Israel has reversed its decision to halt humanitarian aid and reopened key crossings, saying the flow of supplies will resume Monday under new procedures.
• The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial Israeli-backed aid group run by U.S. security contractors, has suspended operations amid the cease-fire. Once promoted as an alternative to the UN system, the group now faces funding shortages and accusations that its distribution model exposed civilians to deadly risks when Israeli forces opened fire near aid routes.

Central African Republic (CAR)
A worsening humanitarian crisis is unfolding as refugees from Sudan’s conflict pour into northeastern CAR, overwhelming fragile local services and straining food and shelter resources.

Global / UN Institutions
A UN proposal to close UNAIDS by the end of 2026 has sparked alarm among public health advocates, who warn of severe setbacks to HIV prevention and treatment worldwide.

19 October 2025 - Ceasefire breaking down in Gaza, Sudan commission finds 171 children died of hunger in El Fasher, raid and more UN staff arrested in Yemen, US children lawsuit on climate fails but judge gives possible route to win future claims.

Gaza

• Israeli forces launched fresh airstrikes in northern Gaza after two Israelis soldiers were killed. At least 18 Palestinians including four children were killed including in a school used as a shelter. Israel then suspended all aid from entering Gaza "until further notice".
• UK analysts suggest that lessons from Northern Ireland’s peace process — including inclusive dialogue, phased trust-building and international mediation — might offer a long-term model for Gaza peace.

Sudan 

A local commission reported that hunger has killed at least 171 children and 58 elderly people in El Fasher, North Darfur, where the paramilitary RSF has besieged the city since late August. With food supplies cut off and civilians resorting to animal-fodder sorghum, aid efforts have collapsed and only a handful of soup kitchens remain. The report calls for an immediate lifting of the siege and creation of safe corridors.

Yemen
Houthi forces raided the UN headquarters in Sanaa and detained more UN staff accusing them of espionage.  Reports vary between 11 and 20 staff were detained and whether 15 international staff were also held.  The UN now says that Houthi authorities are holding 53 of its staff in total across Yemen. The detentions have galvanized international concern and risk undermining humanitarian operations further.

Climate / Environment
A Montana judge dismissed a landmark lawsuit by young climate activists challenging Donald Trump’s fossil-fuel expansion orders but nonetheless recognised that climate change has created a “children’s health emergency.” The court ruled that broad energy policy decisions lie with elected officials, yet laid out a potential legal roadmap for future claims that directly tie government action to specific harm—both a setback and an opening for youth-led climate litigation.