News Links For the Week up to 8 November 2025

 

November 8, 2025

Gaza

• The United States has moved to oversee Gaza aid deliveries through a Kiryat Gat command center, relegating Israel to a secondary role in the process, according to reporting on the shift in authority and decision-making over what enters the Strip (Jerusalem Post; Ynet).
• Despite a truce, the UN says aid is still entering Gaza too slowly, citing 37,000 metric tonnes brought in since October 10 and ongoing Israeli limits at key crossings that prevent access to the north and south (Al Jazeera).
• WHO and OCHA warn of an “increasingly catastrophic” situation, with some 16,500 patients awaiting medical evacuation and winter conditions compounding needs as crossings remain constrained; they urge reopening all entry points including Rafah (WAFA).
• An opinion column argues Israel is conditioning humanitarian access on political pledges by aid groups—characterizing it as “humanitarian blackmail” that signals weakness rather than strength—amid the post-ceasefire bureaucracy around relief shipments (Middle East Monitor—Opinion).

US at the Human Rights Council
The United States skipped its scheduled universal rights-review session at the UN Human Rights Council, prompting appeals from member states for Washington to reengage.

Global Tax
Greenpeace International mobilised volunteers in Nairobi urging negotiators of a UN global tax treaty to adopt binding rules to tax the ultra-wealthy and polluting corporations to unlock climate and nature finance.

UN
A thought experiment canvasses experts on what would happen if the UN were dissolved next week, with warnings of fragmented diplomacy, weakened peacekeeping legitimacy, gaps in refugee protection, and an urgent scramble to recreate health and aid coordination functions like WHO’s pandemic surveillance (Al Jazeera—Features).

Sudan
The RSF announced a three-month “humanitarian truce” proposed by the U.S., Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, but analysts question its credibility and note the SAF has not agreed; aid groups call for pressure to ensure access amid what they describe as the world’s worst displacement and hunger crisis (Times of India, via DW).

Haiti
UNICEF and the National Police (PNH) met to coordinate protection of children affected by gangs, flagging rising abductions, killings and sexual violence; the parties discussed reinforcing the Juvenile Brigade and advancing a handover protocol for reintegration of gang-affected children (HaitiLibre).

UNICEF on Gaming
Team Liquid and UNICEF launched a global gaming partnership to raise funds and awareness on children’s rights—starting with World Children’s Day charity streams and future in-game activations focused on education (SDG 4) (InvenGlobal).

November 7 2025

Gaza

• The United Nations reported that Israeli authorities have rejected more than 100 requests to bring relief materials into Gaza since the ceasefire began nearly a month ago, blocking blankets, winter clothing, and equipment needed to maintain water and sanitation systems. Nearly 90% of the denials affected over 30 NGOs, with many refusals tied to “dual-use” classifications such as solar panels and generators.
  
  
• A separate investigation finds that expansive “dual-use” restrictions and approval delays have crippled humanitarian operations across Gaza, leaving essential services and infrastructure struggling to function.

• UNICEF and partners launched a catch-up immunization campaign to reach children cut off from essential health services, covering 11 vaccines alongside nutrition support and cold-chain restoration through fixed facilities and mobile teams.

AI and humanitarian action
Negotiations expert Claude Bruderlein told Geneva Solutions that humanitarian agencies are “playing whack-a-mole with AI,” constantly reacting to new technological threats in warfare and aid delivery while struggling to uphold humanitarian principles in digital spaces.

US Human Rights
The United States refused to participate in its scheduled Universal Periodic Review, drawing criticism from rights advocates and officials who say the move undermines international accountability.

Sudan / Abyei Region
A senior UN official warned the Security Council of rising armed activity, arbitrary arrests, illegal checkpoints, and worsening humanitarian strain in the disputed Abyei area, urging stronger civilian protection and secure access for aid. Abyei remains a critical flash point of conflict between north and south Sudan.

Syria
A new UN report under the Children and Armed Conflict mandate says Syrian children—many of whom have known only war—remain deeply affected even as political transition begins, urging renewed support for recovery and education.

November 6, 2025

Sudan
RSF agrees to a U.S.-mediated humanitarian ceasefire aimed at opening humanitarian corridors after months of fierce conflict with the Sudanese army. The truce, if upheld, could allow relief deliveries to millions trapped by fighting in Kordofan and Darfur.

Humanitarian Policy
The dangers of biometrics in humanitarian relief is analyzed in a new Opinio Juris commentary warning that biometric registration and digital data collection in conflict zones—especially in Gaza—risk turning humanitarian tools into instruments of coercion and surveillance, undermining neutrality.

Gaza
U.S. seeks UN mandate for a two-year international security force to stabilize Gaza once major hostilities subside. The plan would authorize multinational troops to secure crossings, escort aid convoys, and support reconstruction, while limiting any direct U.S. combat role.
UNICEF urges a catch-up vaccination campaign to protect hundreds of thousands of Gaza children against preventable diseases after months of conflict disrupted routine immunization and collapsed cold-chain systems.

Democratic Republic of the Congo
EU calls for the opening of a humanitarian corridor in eastern DRC and the resumption of humanitarian flights, as violence by the M23 movement and the presence of foreign troops continue to displace millions and cripple essential services.

UN staff moving to Nairobi
UN staff relocation from New York to Nairobi is underway, with hundreds of employees from UNICEF, UN Women, and UNFPA moving to Kenya under a cost-saving restructuring designed to place operations “closer to need.”

Afghanistan
Severe child malnutrition is worsening across Afghanistan, with Amu TV reporting that thousands of children are being admitted to hospitals suffering from acute hunger. Health officials blame deepening poverty, food shortages, and the collapse of international aid programs for the escalating crisis.

November 5, 2025

Sudan

• FAO–WFP–UNICEF warn that famine has been confirmed in besieged areas, with acute malnutrition climbing and access blockages driving child mortality; details are outlined in this update on Sudan’s food security emergency.
• Attack in Kordofan an assault on a funeral in the city of El Obeid in North Kordofan killed at least 40 civilians, according to UN officials, signalling a further spread of the conflict; see the detailed report.

UN

• Humanitarian system will be examined in an event on how it might adapt “without the United States,” including funding, neutrality, and operational reforms; see the event details.
• Doha Summit saw leaders adopt the Doha Political Declaration, pledging to accelerate social development by expanding social protection, advancing decent work, tackling inequality, and reforming global financing systems, as reported in this UN News coverage from Doha.

Syria / Children & Armed Conflict

• UN Secretary-General’s report (S/2025/535) verifies 3,343 grave violations against 3,209 children between October 2022 and December 2024, with recruitment/use and killing/maiming the most common abuses and government, pro-government, and armed groups responsible; full document available at Report S/2025/535.

Gaza / West Bank

• Security Council draft circulated by the United States proposes a two-year international stabilization force and a transitional “Board of Peace” for Gaza to support humanitarian operations and public order; see the outline of the proposal.
• Aid access is effectively halted by new procedures requiring stringent NGO registration and clearances, leaving relief stuck outside Gaza and prompting organizations to suspend operations; details in this report on the restrictions.
• West Bank violence condemned in a statement noting surging settler attacks against Palestinians—especially during olive harvests—with calls for accountability and protection; read the statement by the Emergency Relief Coordinator.

Nigeria MCH

• Maternal & child health innovations in Nigeria are scaling nationally after tools like calibrated drapes and a “First Response Bundle” sharply reduced maternal bleeding deaths in pilot states, with the programme expanding to 16 states and focusing on digital reporting, emergency supply chains and midwife training; full analysis in Leadership Nigeria.

Sahel Child Protection

• Sahel region is seeing a surge in child begging across major cities as conflict, climate shocks, school closures, and deepening poverty force children into the streets, where they face exploitation, trafficking risks and hunger; cases are rising sharply in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, according to this Sahel child-protection report.

November 4, 2025 

Gaza

• FAO warns of an unprecedented agricultural and humanitarian collapse in Gaza, reporting that more than 80 percent of farmland has been destroyed, less than 5 percent remains cultivable, most wells have been damaged, and 70 percent of greenhouses have been wiped out, leaving the territory dependent on aid and at risk of famine as restrictions persist 
• Did UNICEF data show no famine in Gaza? An Australian commentary claims UNICEF nutrition data show Gaza did not meet famine criteria and accuses media of ignoring the findings while debate continues over mortality and malnutrition estimates.
• Improvement in south but not the north - UN aid officials report improved food access in southern Gaza in early October but say no direct food convoys have reached the north since mid-September as the UN and partners move supplies, support bakeries and communal kitchens, reopen temporary learning spaces, and deliver maternal health kits and incubators.
• UNICEF describes Gaza’s education system as on the verge of collapse after two years of war, with most schools damaged or destroyed and temporary facilities overwhelmed.

United Nations / United States

• The United States has halted funding to the UN pending reforms requiring reductions in the UN budget, staffing, and peacekeeping, intensifying financial pressure on the organization. 
• USAID investigators are probing alleged diversion of aid in Gaza, increasing scrutiny on UN-linked relief programs amid competing claims over oversight.

Sudan
Reports say the Sudanese army and RSF have agreed in principle to a humanitarian truce plan as talks continue toward implementation and a broader transition. A senior U.S. adviser also says both parties have accepted the plan and highlights severe conditions in El-Fasher alongside steps toward a civilian-led transition.

Afghanistan
UNICEF says teams are ready to deliver emergency support to children and families hit by earthquakes in northern Afghanistan, with damage and casualties reported in Samangan and Balkh.  UNICEF warns thousands of children face acute risk after the quakes and calls for urgent resources to support shelter, health, and essential needs.

November 3, 2025

UN
The UN has become crisis-responder rather than guarantor of global order - Commentary by two professors at AP University concludes that the UN remains essential for humanitarian delivery in conflict zones, providing food, shelter, and medical relief to millions despite strained resources and volatile operating environments. Yet its political influence is increasingly limited as great-power rivalry and multipolar tensions undermine the Security Council and block effective diplomacy. The analysis argues that the UN’s legitimacy and capacity to act as a global arbiter have eroded, leaving it primarily in a reactive humanitarian role rather than shaping peace processes. 
Francesca Albanese - The Jewish News Service criticises South Africa and the Mandela Foundation for providing a platform for Francesca Albanese’s recent report to the UN General Assembly, noting she was sanctioned by the Trump Administration and arguing this raises questions about institutional neutrality and the independence of UN-linked missions (https://www.jns.org/how-a-sanctioned-un-operative-captured-south-africas-institutions/).

Sudan
• The International Criminal Court is gathering evidence of alleged mass killings, rapes and other crimes by the Rapid Support Forces after its takeover of Al Fashir in Darfur, signalling a potential return of atrocity-patterns once labelled genocidal ().
• Famine spreads - A leading global hunger-monitoring body reports that famine has spread to the Darfur city of Al Fashir and Kadugli in South Kordofan, with more than 375,000 people now in confirmed famine conditions and 6.3 million facing extreme hunger, as the conflict wipes out livelihoods and aid access (
• Fault lines ignored - Deep structural fault-lines in Sudan — neglected for decades — have re-emerged with the civil war, meaning the current conflict is less a sudden rupture than the inevitable collapse of pre-existing governance, ethnic and economic tensions ().

Gaza

• A report by the Costs of War project at Brown University estimates the direct and indirect death toll in Gaza since October 7, 2023 is substantially higher than official counts, highlighting the magnitude of civilian suffering. It counts a total of 235,505 casualties including both killed and injured.
• Under-counted - A peer-reviewed article in The Lancet finds that existing mortality data in Gaza likely under-count deaths by about 40 percent and calls for more robust health-system monitoring of conflict-impacted populations.
• Israeli military abuse of prisoners leaked — Israel’s former military advocate general, Yifat Tomer‑Yerushalmi, has been arrested on charges including fraud, abuse of office and obstruction of justice after admitting she authorised the leak of a video showing Israeli soldiers allegedly assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman detention facility.
• Families Reunited - Amid the ruins of Gaza’s war-torn landscape, roughly 286 children have been successfully reunited with their families, but the task remains massive with 437 documented separations and ongoing challenges for the International Committee of the Red Cross and others in tracking and reunification.

November 2, 2025

Gaza

• US and Hamas Dispute Drone Footage and Looting Charges  - The US military said drone footage shows Hamas fighters hijacking an aid convoy in Gaza, a claim echoed by Israeli officials, while Senator Marco Rubio accused Hamas of “stealing humanitarian aid” (link).  Hamas rejected the allegations as staged and fabricated to justify Israel further restricting relief, saying no drivers or aid workers filed reports of such a hijacking, and asserting looting happened only while Israeli forces were present and stopped after their withdrawal. (link).
• Aid Blockade & Strikes – Israel continues to block most aid while carrying out new attacks across the Strip, despite the ceasefire, leaving food convoys stalled and hospitals short of fuel and supplies (link).
• NGO Statement – Forty international humanitarian organizations accused Israel of systematically obstructing aid and using starvation as a method of warfare, calling for full access and international accountability (link).
• Türkiye & Muslim Nations
  Türkiye will host a Gaza peace conference with Muslim nations in an effort to coordinate diplomatic pressure, stabilize the ceasefire, and expand humanitarian corridors into the Strip (link).

Sudan – The Fall of El Fasher
More than 62,000 people have fled El Fasher on foot, walking up to 70 km with almost no food, water, or shelter after the city fell to the RSF (link). Rights groups say the RSF killed over 300 women in the first 48 hours, carried out torture and sexual violence, and blocked escape routes (link). Thousands remain trapped amid a siege, stormed hospitals, and widespread killings, including of children (link).  Aid is blocked and displacement is rising fast, pushing Darfur toward one of the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophes (link).

Somaliland launches child vaccination campaign amid declining coverage — The government of Somaliland with help from WHO and UNICEF has launched a nationwide campaign targeting children aged 1–5 for vaccination against measles, polio, tuberculosis and diarrhoeal illnesses, responding to a drop in immunisation coverage of nearly 50 % and an estimated 1.5 million children under five in Somalia having never received a single vaccine dose. Click here for the article. dawan.africa