News Links for the week through 22 November 2025

November 22, 2025

Gaza 

• Children still dying under ‘ceasefire’ – UNICEF warns that nearly two children a day have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire began on 11 October, with at least 67 children killed in conflict-related incidents as winter exposes displaced families to disease, flooding, and freezing conditions in makeshift shelters.
• US contractors tied to deadly aid sites set for redeployment – UG Solutions, a U.S. security subcontractor linked to thousands of civilian casualties at past Gaza aid distribution sites, is now recruiting personnel for a new deployment under the U.S. “stabilization” plan, despite allegations that previous sites were structurally unsafe and that guards used excessive force around civilians seeking assistance. 
• New Israeli strikes – Israel launched new airstrikes, killing at least 24 people and injuring dozens, including children, in what officials described as a major test of the ceasefire; humanitarian workers said the attacks worsened already dire conditions for displaced families. At least 33 Palestinians were killed over a 12-hour period Wednesday and Thursday, mostly women and children. One of Saturday’s strikes targeted a vehicle, killing 11 and wounding over 20 Palestinians. The majority of the wounded were children.

Sudan
Child deaths amid famine in Kordofan – Nearly two dozen children died of hunger-related causes in Sudan’s Kordofan region over the past month as fighting between the army and RSF cut off food deliveries and medical care, with aid workers warning that parts of the region are slipping into famine .

Nigeria 

Mass school abduction in Niger state – A total of 303 children and 12 teachers were abducted when gunmen attacked St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri community, with church officials revising the toll upward after a full verification. Authorities say tactical units and local hunters have been deployed to rescue the students, aged 10 to 18, as the state orders all schools closed amid rising insecurity across the region.

Cuba 

UN expert urges end to US sanctions – A UN human rights rapporteur is calling for the United States to lift sanctions on Cuba, warning that they are worsening shortages of food and medicine, driving up inflation, and undermining health care, education, and nutrition for children and low-income families. 

Chad 

New refugee influx strains aid – Thousands more people fleeing Sudan’s war, many of them children, are arriving daily in eastern Chad, further stretching an already overwhelmed humanitarian response in a country where half the population needs assistance and most refugee children lack access to schooling, health care, or safe shelter.

DR Congo 

UN condemns ‘truly horrific’ church massacre – UN officials are denouncing a series of massacres in North Kivu in which Allied Democratic Forces militants killed civilians inside a church-run health centre, burned medical wards, abducted residents, and looted medicines, leaving at least 89 people dead across several villages. 

Indonesia
Polio outbreak declared over – The World Health Organization declared Indonesia’s polio outbreak over after nearly three years of emergency vaccination campaigns, during which health workers delivered almost 60 million doses to halt the spread of the virus.

COP30 

EU threatens to veto ‘weak’ climate deal – The EU is threatening to block the COP30 agreement unless it includes clear commitments to transition away from fossil fuels and halt deforestation, signalling it may compromise on adaptation finance only if it secures a more ambitious overall text. However, a late-night session Friday into Saturday gave hope of a voluntary agreement 'to begin' discussions on a roadmap to phasing out fossil fuels. This came after a bitter standoff between a coalition of more than 80 developed and developing countries, and a group led by Saudi Arabia and its allies, and Russia.

November 21, 2025

Gaza

• Children killed during ceasefire – UNICEF reports at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents since the Hamas-Israel pause in hostilities began on October 11, averaging two children per day. Despite the ceasefire, ongoing airstrikes attributed to Israeli forces continue, with 280 Palestinians killed and 672 injured since the pause began, while Gaza's healthcare system remains devastated and about 4,000 children await urgent medical evacuation.
• Vaccination campaign reaches 13,700 children – The first round of Gaza's catch-up immunization campaign concluded with more than 13,700 children vaccinated between November 9-20. Less than 2% had never received any vaccines, but a quarter had missed scheduled doses during the conflict, while 508 of 6,827 screened children were identified as acutely malnourished and referred for treatment.

Europe

• UNICEF relocates majority of Geneva jobs – UNICEF is transferring approximately 290 posts from Geneva to Rome by summer 2026, leaving only about 100 staff in the Swiss city as the agency responds to a projected 20% income reduction over four years. The move is part of a broader 25% cut in headquarters and regional budgets expected to save roughly half a billion dollars between 2026-2029.
• ICRC cuts budget 17% amid conflicts – The International Committee of the Red Cross approved a 2026 budget of 1.8 billion CHF, down 17% from 2025, in response to declining donor contributions despite over 130 active armed conflicts worldwide. The organization will reduce approximately 2,900 budgeted positions while prioritizing presence in critical conflict zones including Sudan, Israel and the occupied territories, Ukraine, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Health sector failing violence survivors – WHO describes Europe's health sector response to violence against women as "critically inadequate," with a new report showing 28.6% of women aged 15 and older will experience physical or sexual violence during their lifetime across the 53-country WHO European Region. Only seven countries offer safe abortion services, while nearly one-third still require healthcare workers to report domestic violence to police without survivor consent, a practice WHO warns undermines autonomy and deters women from seeking help.

Colombia

Child recruitment surges 300% – UNICEF reports more than 1,200 children were recruited by armed groups between 2019 and 2024, representing a 300% increase over five years. In 2024 alone, 453 cases were verified, meaning a child is recruited approximately every 20 hours, with the Pacific coast and Venezuela border regions most affected.

HPV Vaccine

Gavi reaches HPV vaccine target early – Gavi announced it has met its ambitious 2022 target of reaching 86 million girls with HPV vaccine ahead of schedule, with coverage in Africa rising to 44% by end of 2024. The $600 million investment expansion is expected to save an estimated 1 million lives and realize $2.3 billion in economic benefits.

International Law

• Analysis: US suspension from UN explored – Legal scholars examine procedures for suspending the United States from the UN following strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, discussing both traditional Charter routes under Articles 5 and 6 and alternative credential rejection used against South Africa. The analysis notes permanent Security Council members' veto power makes suspension through prescribed procedures virtually impossible, raising questions about international cooperation through the General Assembly.
  
  
• Analysis: Humanitarian language weaponized – Turkish media examines how humanitarian terminology like "ceasefire" and "humanitarian corridors" has been weaponized in Gaza, serving as tactical tools rather than genuine relief mechanisms. The analysis argues that vocabulary of protection often provides legitimacy while masking continuity of military operations.

November 20, 2025

World Children's Day

Secretary-General Marks World Children's Day - UN Secretary-General António Guterres marked the 36th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, warning that children's rights are under attack as poverty and emergencies steal education, climate chaos jeopardizes futures, and new dangers lurk online. He noted that famine and war have robbed thousands of children of the most basic right to life, calling on the world to listen to children and amplify their voices.

UN Agencies Shift and Cut Posts

• UNICEF Relocates 70% of Geneva and New York Staff - The agency plans to move most staff positions from Geneva and New York to cheaper locations amid a 20% funding shortfall driven by global foreign aid cuts. UNICEF expects income to fall 20% over the next four years compared with 2024 levels, prompting a 25% reduction in headquarters and regional budgets. About 100 jobs will remain in Geneva focused on emergency programs, while some positions relocate to Rome.
• WHO Faces Major Cuts - The World Health Organization plans to reduce its workforce by nearly a quarter—more than 2,000 jobs—by mid-2025.
• ILO - The International Labour Organization is considering abolishing up to 295 posts and relocating dozens of staff to cities like Turin as it faces critical cash-flow problems. These cuts follow substantial reductions in foreign aid spending by the United States and major European donors.

Gaza

• FIDH Challenges Gaza Resolution - The International Federation for Human Rights criticized UN Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted November 17, which authorizes a foreign-led stabilization force in Gaza but omits international crimes or transitional justice mechanisms. The organization argues the resolution risks creating a de facto occupation that denies Palestinians their right to self-determination by failing to establish accountability mechanisms. Political conditionality applies exclusively to the Palestinian Authority while Israel continues to act with impunity.
• Gaza 'Humanitarian' Hub Actually Operates as Military Command Center - Leaked US military papers suggest Gaza's Civil-Military Coordination Centre functions more as a US Army command post than a humanitarian hub, with the facility led by US Army Central Command and overseen by an executive committee of American generals and civilian appointees. The CMCC is based in Kiryat Gat near Tel Aviv and includes senior military commanders from US CENTCOM, with a small team of British military planning officers embedded alongside personnel from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE. Critics note no Palestinians are involved in any lines of effort.

Syria

Syria Faces Extreme Humanitarian Conditions - UN Deputy Special Envoy Najat Rochdi told the Security Council that humanitarian conditions are extremely serious, with over 16 million people needing aid and hundreds of thousands displaced. She welcomed removal of UN sanctions against President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab but urged repeal of further secondary sanctions against third parties doing business with Syria. The UN has reached 357,000 people monthly, sending over 1,300 aid trucks.

Yemen

Security Council Addresses Yemen UN Staff Detention - The Security Council held closed consultations on Yemen with 59 UN personnel remaining detained by the Houthis as of November 12. UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg briefed on diplomatic efforts to secure their release, while a joint FAO-WFP report warned Yemen faces imminent risk of catastrophic hunger conditions and is one of six countries of highest concern. The meeting addressed sensitive information regarding continued arbitrary detentions following Houthi leader accusations that UN staff were spying for Israel and the US.

Entertainment

Kevin Costner to Play Bill Clinton in UN Series - Kevin Costner is in talks to play former President Bill Clinton in "United", a TV series in early development produced in collaboration with the United Nations. The series will center on the UN mission to East Timor in 1999, with Costner negotiating to star alongside Chukwudi Iwuji who would play UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Leonardo DiCaprio will executive produce alongside Costner.

Sports

UN Adopts Olympic Truce Resolution - The United Nations adopted by consensus a resolution introduced by Italy calling for an Olympic Truce around the 2026 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. The resolution urges member states to observe the truce from seven days before the Games start through seven days after the Paralympics end, specifically January 30 through March 22, 2026. 165 UN member states co-sponsored the resolution.

November 20, 2025

World Children's Day

Secretary-General Marks World Children's Day - UN Secretary-General António Guterres marked the 36th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, warning that children's rights are under attack as poverty and emergencies steal education, climate chaos jeopardizes futures, and new dangers lurk online. He noted that famine and war have robbed thousands of children of the most basic right to life, calling on the world to listen to children and amplify their voices.

UN Agencies Shift and Cut Posts

• UNICEF Relocates 70% of Geneva and New York Staff - The agency plans to move most staff positions from Geneva and New York to cheaper locations amid a 20% funding shortfall driven by global foreign aid cuts. UNICEF expects income to fall 20% over the next four years compared with 2024 levels, prompting a 25% reduction in headquarters and regional budgets. About 100 jobs will remain in Geneva focused on emergency programs, while some positions relocate to Rome.
• WHO Faces Major Cuts - The World Health Organization plans to reduce its workforce by nearly a quarter—more than 2,000 jobs—by mid-2025. 
• ILO - The International Labour Organization is considering abolishing up to 295 posts and relocating dozens of staff to cities like Turin as it faces critical cash-flow problems. These cuts follow substantial reductions in foreign aid spending by the United States and major European donors.

Gaza

• FIDH Challenges Gaza Resolution - The International Federation for Human Rights criticized UN Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted November 17, which authorizes a foreign-led stabilization force in Gaza but omits international crimes or transitional justice mechanisms. The organization argues the resolution risks creating a de facto occupation that denies Palestinians their right to self-determination by failing to establish accountability mechanisms. Political conditionality applies exclusively to the Palestinian Authority while Israel continues to act with impunity.
• Gaza 'Humanitarian' Hub Actually Operates as Military Command Center - Leaked US military papers suggest Gaza's Civil-Military Coordination Centre functions more as a US Army command post than a humanitarian hub, with the facility led by US Army Central Command and overseen by an executive committee of American generals and civilian appointees. The CMCC is based in Kiryat Gat near Tel Aviv and includes senior military commanders from US CENTCOM, with a small team of British military planning officers embedded alongside personnel from Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the UAE. Critics note no Palestinians are involved in any lines of effort.

Syria

Syria Faces Extreme Humanitarian Conditions - UN Deputy Special Envoy Najat Rochdi told the Security Council that humanitarian conditions are extremely serious, with over 16 million people needing aid and hundreds of thousands displaced. She welcomed removal of UN sanctions against President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab but urged repeal of further secondary sanctions against third parties doing business with Syria. The UN has reached 357,000 people monthly, sending over 1,300 aid trucks.

Yemen

Security Council Addresses Yemen UN Staff Detention - The Security Council held closed consultations on Yemen with 59 UN personnel remaining detained by the Houthis as of November 12. UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg briefed on diplomatic efforts to secure their release, while a joint FAO-WFP report warned Yemen faces imminent risk of catastrophic hunger conditions and is one of six countries of highest concern. The meeting addressed sensitive information regarding continued arbitrary detentions following Houthi leader accusations that UN staff were spying for Israel and the US.

Entertainment

Kevin Costner to Play Bill Clinton in UN Series - Kevin Costner is in talks to play former President Bill Clinton in "United", a TV series in early development produced in collaboration with the United Nations. The series will center on the UN mission to East Timor in 1999, with Costner negotiating to star alongside Chukwudi Iwuji who would play UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Leonardo DiCaprio will executive produce alongside Costner.

 Sports

UN Adopts Olympic Truce Resolution - The United Nations adopted by consensus a resolution introduced by Italy calling for an Olympic Truce around the 2026 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. The resolution urges member states to observe the truce from seven days before the Games start through seven days after the Paralympics end, specifically January 30 through March 22, 2026. 165 UN member states co-sponsored the resolution.

November 19, 2025

Staff cuts

• WHO Workforce Reduction - The World Health Organization's workforce will shrink by nearly a quarter—2,371 posts or 22 percent—by June 2026 from 9,401 in January 2025 following Donald Trump's withdrawal of the United States from the body, The Guardian reported. Washington, the UN health agency's biggest financial backer contributing about 18 percent of overall funding, withdrew in January, prompting WHO to scale back its work and cut its management team by half. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described this year as "one of the most difficult in WHO's history," while the organization faces a $1.06 billion hole in its 2026-2027 budget, down from an estimated $1.7 billion gap in May.
  
  
• UNICEF Geneva - UNICEF will relocate nearly 300 positions from Geneva to other locations, representing a significant restructuring affecting approximately one-fifth of UNICEF's Geneva-based workforce, SwissInfo reported. The move reflects broader organizational priorities to position resources closer to operational needs in regions where UNICEF implements programs. The relocation will impact Geneva's international community and raises questions about the city's future role as a humanitarian headquarters. ```

Lebanon

Israel used cluster munitions in Lebanon - Evidence has emerged suggesting Israel deployed cluster munitions in Lebanon during recent military operations, according to photographs of weapon remnants analyzed by The Guardian. Cluster munitions, which release multiple smaller bomblets over wide areas, are banned under international convention by over 100 countries due to their indiscriminate nature and the long-term threat unexploded submunitions pose to civilians. Neither Israel nor Lebanon are signatories to the treaty prohibiting these weapons.

Gaza

Scepticism over UN Resolution - Gaza's Palestinian population has expressed skepticism following a recent UN resolution, viewing it as inadequate for addressing their immediate humanitarian needs, Middle East Eye reported. Despite international attention and diplomatic statements, Gaza residents report that tangible improvements in their daily circumstances remain elusive. For Gazans enduring prolonged hardship, the gap between international rhetoric and on-ground reality fuels disillusionment with multilateral processes.

TB - New drug offers breakthrough

Sorfequiline - A promising new drug  could represent a breakthrough in treating drug-resistant tuberculosis, one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases that claimed approximately 1.25 million lives in 2023, according to The Guardian. The drug has shown effectiveness against multidrug-resistant TB strains in clinical trials, offering hope for patients who have exhausted other treatment options. If approved for widespread use, sorfequiline could significantly improve survival rates among the estimated half million people who develop drug-resistant TB annually.

Vaccinations

• Afghanistan success  - More than 8 million children across Afghanistan received measles vaccinations during the second phase of a nationwide campaign that concluded earlier this month, reaching 91.7 percent of the more than 9 million identified as at risk, UNICEF announced. Combined with the first phase, the effort has now vaccinated more than 16.6 million Afghan children across all 34 provinces, responding to repeated outbreaks and critically low routine immunization rates. Health officials warned that despite high campaign coverage, millions remain at risk without reinforced routine vaccination systems.
  
  
• Argentina's dramatic decline -  Argentina has experienced a dramatic decline in childhood and adolescent immunization rates, raising alarms about potential disease outbreaks, The Guardian reported. The drop threatens to reverse decades of progress in controlling preventable diseases such as measles, polio, and diphtheria. Health authorities warn that falling below critical vaccination thresholds creates vulnerability to epidemic outbreaks, particularly affecting the most marginalized communities.

Child Poverty and Rights

• Indonesia studies deprivation -  Indonesia has gained deeper understanding of child poverty through a landmark report by the national planning organization, BAPPENAS, and UNICEF, revealing a more comprehensive scope of deprivation affecting its youngest citizens. The analysis examines multiple dimensions of poverty beyond income measures, including access to education, healthcare, nutrition, safe water, sanitation, and adequate housing. The research methodology offers a framework other countries can adopt to better understand and address multidimensional child poverty.
  
  
• India  UNICEF India has launched "Child ME, My Promise to Children," a digital campaign promoting child rights and mobilizing public commitment to child welfare. The initiative encourages individuals to make personal pledges supporting children's rights to protection, education, health, and participation in decisions affecting their lives. Digital campaigns have become increasingly important tools for raising awareness and driving behavioral change, particularly among younger demographics active on social media platforms.

Humanitarian situation in the Sahel

The European Union co-hosted a ministerial roundtable focused on the Sahel and Lake Chad regions, addressing complex humanitarian crises affecting millions across West and Central Africa, according to an EU announcement. The Sahel faces intersecting challenges including armed conflict, climate change, food insecurity, displacement, and fragile governance. The ministerial gathering aimed to mobilize resources and coordinate response strategies among donors, UN agencies, and regional governments.

Haiti

UN staff in Haiti were directed to work remotely and stay off the streets of Port-au-Prince following public threats from gang coalition Viv Ansanm after weekend security operations by Haitian National Police, the Armed Forces of Haiti and the UN-authorized Gang Suppression Force.  Gang leader Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier appeared in video urging people to stay home so they wouldn't "be a victim," while operations against the 400 Mawozo gang resulted in several gang member deaths and weapons seizures. US Marines protecting the American Embassy exchanged gunfire with suspected gang members on Thursday, though no service members were injured.

November 18, 2025

Gaza

• UNSC on Gaza - The UN Security Council endorsed Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan in a 13-0 vote with China and Russia abstaining, creating what is described as one of the oddest UN resolutions in history that puts Trump in supreme control through a "board of peace" overseeing multinational peacekeeping troops and a Palestinian technocratic committee for two years. The compromise language promises a "credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood" once PA reforms occur. No country has yet committed peacekeepers 
• Hamas refuses - Hamas reiterated it would not disarm, potentially pitting the militant group against any international force.
• Gaza Shelter Crisis - More than 288,000 families in Gaza are enduring what authorities call "the most dangerous humanitarian disaster" of the war as heavy rainfall submerged tens of thousands of makeshift tents, with the UN confirming more than 13,000 households affected within hours when the first winter storm hit Thursday. Gaza's Government Media Office warned that Israel is "deliberately deepening the catastrophe" through its blockade of essential shelter materials, with the enclave requiring 300,000 tents and mobile homes.
•  Israeli restrictions -  only half the required 500-600 aid trucks daily are entering despite UNRWA having enough supplies in Jordan and Egypt to fill 6,000 trucks. 
• Professor Mukesh Kapila of the University of Manchester said the restrictions represent deliberate strategy rather than logistical problems, stating "accessing Gaza is one of the easiest regions where a humanitarian crisis is happening, so this is entirely a political act" by Israel to maintain pressure on Hamas.

West Bank

 Violence has surged across the occupied West Bank with the UN logging more than 260 attacks in October alone—the highest monthly count since 2006—as armed settlers assault farmers during olive harvest, burn trees, and ransack villages including a Beit Lid attack where 10 vehicles were torched. The total Palestinians killed by Israeli forces and settlers since October 7, 2023 now exceeds 1,000, with one in five victims being children.

Israel

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately restated his adamant opposition to Palestinian statehood despite reportedly acquiescing under Washington pressure. 
• Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for assassinating senior Palestinian Authority officials if the UN advances Palestinian statehood, saying President Mahmoud Abbas should be jailed and sparking condemnation from Palestinian authorities.

Nigeria School Abduction

• Gunmen attacked a boarding school in Kebbi state's Maga before dawn Monday, abducting 25 schoolgirls and killing vice principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku,  
• one abducted student escaped and arrived home late Monday while another escaped during the raid.
• Since Boko Haram's 2014 Chibok abduction, at least 1,500 students have been kidnapped across Nigeria's northern region by armed bandits.

Tanzania 

• Post-Election Violence - Tanzania's October 29 election descended into deadly violence with security forces killing many protesters and arresting at least 240 charged with treason,
• the UN reported hundreds killed and an African human rights umbrella group suggested as many as 3,000 deaths based on overwhelmed hospitals and morgues. 
• President Samia Suluhu Hassan was declared winner with 97.6 percent though African Union observers said the poll failed democratic standards, prompting US senators to call for reassessing relations with Tanzania. 
• Opposition sources accuse state forces of digging mass graves while the government denies deaths despite photographic evidence, marking what observers call a stark warning of how fast Africa's democratic progress can erode.

Cameroon 

Birth Registration Initiative Over 1.4 million school-aged children in Cameroon lack birth certificates—a barrier to exams and continued education—prompting the Ministry of Basic Education with UNICEF and partners to launch the Special PAREC Operation that regularized 48,232 pupils in 2024 through mobile court hearings. The innovative five-stage process operates through schools with awareness campaigns, detection of pupils without certificates, legal validation and issuance, monitoring, and follow-up for incomplete cases. 

USA

Disaster Relief Policy Shift

• The Trump administration's response to Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 storm that struck Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas in late October, demonstrated a new humanitarian paradigm after dissolving USAID 
• the US delivered $37 million in aid across the region through the State Department's new International Disaster Response office, signaling that disaster relief will continue but solely through the State Department, in closer alignment with foreign-policy priorities, and with greater burden-sharing expectations from wealthier countries. 
• The à la carte approach deploys resources "on a humanitarian basis" only when disasters intersect with the president's decision matrix and Secretary Rubio's national security vision, with televised crises in key security partners more likely to receive support than less visible humanitarian needs.

Zambia 

• Neonatal Mortality Initiative - Zambia commemorated World Prematurity Day with stakeholders calling for commitment to end preventable neonatal deaths 
• the country has made notable progress reducing neonatal mortality from 27 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 17 per 1,000 in 2024, though over 15,000 newborns still die annually before reaching their first month. 
• Partners stressed  the need for increased investment in essential and special newborn care to ensure at least every district hospital is equipped to provide care for small and vulnerable newborns 
• prematurity remains a leading cause of neonatal deaths accounting for over 30 percent of cases with preterm birth rates estimated between 11-13 percent nationally.

November 17, 2025

USA

U.S. Foreign Aid Restructuring - A study by George Washington University's Global Food Institute reveals that the Trump administration's July 1 shutdown of USAID has created permanent structural damage to the global humanitarian aid ecosystem. Annual foreign aid funding dropped from $51.4 billion to $13 billion, with 5,200 contracts terminated and local partners abandoned mid-project. The report found that trust in U.S. reliability among humanitarian organizations has fractured and coordination systems have dissolved.

Gaza 

1. Education Crisis - More than 600,000 Palestinian children in Gaza have missed two years of school due to the war, with most schools destroyed or converted into shelters for displaced families. While the recent ceasefire has enabled about 100,000 children to return to makeshift tent schools, Israel continues blocking school supplies as "non-critical." The UN estimates reconstruction could take years and cost $70 billion.
   
   
2. Palestinian Deaths in Israeli Custody - At least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli detention facilities since October 2023, compared to fewer than 30 in the previous decade, according to Physicians for Human Rights-Israel. A former guard at Sde Teiman military prison told AP that detainees were routinely shackled and beaten, with the facility dubbed a "graveyard." Autopsy reports showed patterns of physical abuse, brain bleeds, and malnutrition, including a 17-year-old who died from starvation.

3. Controversial Evacuations to South Africa - A chartered plane carrying 153 Palestinians from Gaza landed in South Africa on Thursday without required travel documents, leaving officials scrambling for 12 hours before allowing them to disembark. According to Haaretz, the evacuation was organized by Al-Majd Europe, which charged families $1,400 to $2,000 per person and transported them through Israel's Ramon Airport without exit stamps. the organisation is led by a dual Israeli-Estonian national named Tomer Janar Lind who worked with a unit in the Israeli military charged with the forced transfer of Palestinians from Gaza to facilitate several such flights.  South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that "it does seem like they were being flushed out" of Gaza,

Sudan

Aid Blockade by Army - Thousands of tonnes of humanitarian aid are stockpiled at the Chadian border as the Sudanese army blocks entry and bombs relief convoys, with more than 25 million people suffering acute food insecurity. The UN has recorded more than 80 attacks on humanitarian convoys since April 2023, including a November 14 strike that killed five aid workers. The 2025 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan has received only 28 percent of its required $4.2 billion funding.

Lebanon

UN Peacekeeping Under Fire - An Israeli tank fired on a UNIFIL patrol in Lebanon, with heavy artillery striking just five meters from UN peacekeepers who had to take shelter before withdrawing safely. The IDF claimed "misidentification" due to weather, but UNIFIL called it a serious violation of Security Council Resolution 1701 and the third such incident in three months.

Where will people flee?

Predicting Displacement Through Social Media - Research from the University of Notre Dame shows that analyzing sentiment in social media posts can predict when people will move during crises, supporting faster humanitarian aid delivery. The study analyzed nearly 2 million posts from Ukraine, Sudan, and Venezuela, finding that sentiment was more reliable than emotion for predicting cross-border movements.

Canada 

Youth Advocacy on Child Day - UNICEF Canada will host its annual Youth Advocacy Summit in Ottawa on November 20 to mark National Child Day, featuring youth leaders presenting a playbook to Canadian leaders. The event will include remarks from UNICEF Canada President Sevaun Palvetzian and Federal Minister Patty Hajdu. UNICEF will also release a global analysis on children's poverty that day.

November 16, 2025 

Egypt 

UN Boards Visit – Representatives from UNICEF's Executive Board and members of the boards of five other UN agencies completed a five-day field visit to Egypt observing programs addressing social protection, reproductive health, gender equality and climate resilience in Cairo, Damietta and Alexandria. 

Bangladesh 

MICS Survey  – The survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF covered 63,000 households.   Among other concerns, the survey shows child labour is expanding with 9.2 % of children working; 4 in 10 have high levels of lead poisoning; and over 106 million people still lack access to safe water supplies.

Gaza 

Cleanup Campaign Begins – Local organizations and UN agencies launched "We Will Rebuild Gaza" Saturday in Gaza City, deploying machinery and volunteers to begin clearing more than 60 million tons of war debris. Engineering teams are seeking solutions to manage the massive scale of destruction.

Albanese Speaks in Paris – Albanese Speaks in Paris – UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese marked the French launch of her book Quand le monde dort (When the World Sleeps) at a Paris event, denouncing Israel's ongoing actions despite the ceasefire and accusing the international community of silence in the face of what she describes as genocide.

Sudan 

Famine Crisis Expands – According to the latest IPC report, more than 21 million people face acute food insecurity in the world's largest hunger crisis, with famine conditions ongoing in El Fasher and Kadugli where families survive on leaves, animal feed and grass. Around 375,000 people face catastrophic starvation levels. 

India 

Heat Stress Takes Growing Toll on Women Workers – Hundreds of millions of informal sector workers, particularly women, lose up to 60 percent of income during brutal summers while suffering dehydration, infections and fatigue, a New York Times investigation reveals. Harvard researchers found homes stay hotter than outdoors overnight, creating vicious cycles of poor sleep and extreme heat exposure. India lacks uniform standards to track heat-related deaths despite a long-term crisis of chronic illnesses and rising mortality.

Iran 

Water Crisis Sparks National Emergency – After 50 days without rain in over 20 provinces, Iran launched cloud seeding operations while residents held prayer gatherings as the number of near-empty dams jumped from eight to 32. Tehran received only 1mm of rain this year versus a 350mm average, prompting President Pezeshkian to warn the capital's 14 million residents may need evacuation by mid-December. Water rationing is already underway with pressure restricted after midnight.

Ethiopia 

Deadly Marburg Virus Outbreak – Ethiopia confirmed at least nine cases of the deadly Marburg virus in the southern Jinka area, according to Africa CDC. The Ebola-like pathogen kills between 25 and 80 percent of those infected through contact with body fluids. Ethiopian authorities acted swiftly to contain the outbreak, with Africa CDC pledging support to prevent regional spread, though no approved vaccine or treatment exists.