Relief News Updates
UN News - Global perspective Human stories
UN News - Global perspective Human stories
DR Congo: Ebola outbreak still expanding, WHO sees signs of stabilization
Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN health teams and partners are still racing to contain the rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak, despite ongoing insecurity in eastern areas where the virus has taken hold. As of 19 July, the DRC Government has recorded 2,423 confirmed cases, including 967 deaths and 469 recoveries.
A former Ferrari boss has a blunt message: Your commute is more dangerous than his old job
Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Jean Todt spent decades around the deadliest motorsport on Earth. He was a rally co‑driver, then ran Ferrari’s Formula One team, then became president of world motorsport’s governing body. In his early years, a driver dying at the track barely made news.
Breaking the silence: Zimbabwean youth leader calls for urgent investment in mental health
Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
For Tanatswa Amanda Chikaura, mental health advocacy began with a personal loss: while studying psychology at the University of Zimbabwe, she learned that a fellow student had died by suicide.
WHO warns DR Congo Ebola outbreak is outpacing response as Uganda reaches milestone
Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the third largest on record and is spreading faster than any previous one during the first month of exposure, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday.
‘Heat deaths are not inevitable’: WHO pushes Europe to heat‑proof its hospitals
Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
As Europe battles a deadly record-breaking heatwave, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new guidance on Thursday to help countries face scorching temperatures now and in the future.
New guidance offers hope for reducing the global toll of dementia
Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued updated global guidelines aimed at reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, saying that up to 45 per cent of cases may be preventable or delayed by addressing modifiable risk factors throughout life.
Childhood vaccination rate increases slightly, but millions remain unprotected
Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Global childhood immunization programmes continued to recover in 2025, but conflict, poverty and growing vaccine hesitancy are still leaving millions vulnerable to preventable diseases, according to new UN data released on Wednesday.
World Cup football’s other goal: Helping young people talk about mental health
Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
When Dr. Sahira Al Nahari founded Shifā Art, a Saudi Arabia-based organization using art to create conversations around mental health, she noticed that men attending her therapeutic art workshops often felt uncomfortable opening up about their feelings.
‘This is a fire’: DRC Ebola outbreak is fastest-growing ever, warns WHO
Tue, 14 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Infections of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have reached record highs and a majority of new cases are coming from “unknown chains of transmission”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday.
New cholera outbreak alert for Sudan’s war-weary communities
Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
In war-torn Sudan, a deadly new cholera outbreak has already claimed more than 100 lives, heightening serious concerns for vulnerable communities including in besieged El-Obeid, where daily drone attacks have continued to hamper aid access.
World must move faster on Ebola response for DR Congo: UN relief chief
Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The world must move faster to contain the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said on Thursday.
Restoring dignity: Senegalese surgeon and Burundian foundation win reproductive health awards
Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
A Senegalese surgeon who has dedicated his career to restoring the health and dignity of women living with obstetric fistula, and a Burundian foundation supporting vulnerable women and children, have been named the winners of the 2026 United Nations Population Award.
Cancer cases could nearly double by 2050 without urgent action, WHO warns
Wed, 08 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The number of new cancer cases worldwide could rise to almost 35 million a year by 2050 unless countries take urgent action to strengthen prevention, early diagnosis and treatment, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday.
Ebola continues to spread in DRC as death toll passes 500, WHO warns
Tue, 07 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The outbreak of the deadly Bundibugyo species of Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is expanding, while the push to accelerate testing and identify effective treatment options continues, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
A safe return home: Tackling stigma on Uganda's Ebola frontline
Sat, 04 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
As Uganda works to contain an Ebola outbreak that is also affecting neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health workers are doing more than responding to a deadly virus. They are helping families navigate fear, misinformation and stigma.
Taking the world’s temperature: WHO chief spotlights global health emergencies
Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The hantavirus global outbreak is officially over, Ebola outbreaks are growing in Africa and responders are helping recovery efforts in quake-hit Venezuela, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief said on Thursday, announcing updates on global health emergencies.
New WHO plan urges stronger action against fungal disease
Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published new guidance to help countries confront the rising burden of fungal disease and antifungal resistance - one of the most neglected global health threats, yet still largely absent from national health plans.
Deaths in US immigration custody must be investigated: UN rights chief
Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
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.
Lives at risk in DR Congo as Ebola outbreak continues to outpace response
Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to spread faster than aid efforts can keep pace, despite significant gains in treatment capacity and growing community engagement, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday.
Ebola in DR Congo: first month of outbreak sees record number of cases – UN humanitarians
Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Ebola has been spreading at unprecedented speed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), bringing risk and fear into people’s daily lives, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
Global Ebola cases top 1,000 as UN races to reach DR Congo’s most vulnerable
Mon, 22 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
As global confirmed Ebola cases reach 1,000, nearly three million children and adolescents are at risk in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while efforts increase to treat prisoners near the epicentre of the current outbreak, UN agencies warned on Monday.
World at ‘perilous moment’ as leaders warn HIV gains are at risk
Mon, 22 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Four decades after AIDS first emerged as a global crisis, world leaders, advocates and community representatives gathered at UN Headquarters on Monday issued a stark warning: progress against HIV is slowing just as financial pressures and shrinking support threaten to reverse decades of gains.
Ebola in DR Congo: One month on, scaled up response remains insufficient
Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
One month after the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, case numbers continue to rise.
DR Congo: Efforts ramp up as Ebola outbreak accelerates beyond borders
Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The spread of Ebola is accelerating in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amid continued armed violence, posing a grave and growing risk to the region, UN agencies warned on Friday.
Fermentation, flavour and the future of food: Making sustainability delicious
Thu, 18 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Words like “sustainability” and “healthy” shouldn’t take the joy out of eating. As elite chef Jaume Biarnés has been explaining to UN News, sustainable gastronomy can be delicious, exciting and fun.
Ebola treatment capacity expands in DR Congo as WHO issues new guidelines
Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Treatment capacity for the rare and deadly Bundibugyo species of Ebola is expanding in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that community mistrust remains a major challenge to ending the outbreak.
‘Some question if Ebola is real’: How trust is central in fighting DRC outbreak
Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
In Ebola-stricken Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), winning the race against the disease requires earning the community’s trust first and foremost, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
WHO commends Uganda’s Ebola response, urges vigilance and regional cooperation
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has praised Uganda’s response to an Ebola outbreak that has spread from neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while warning that continued vigilance and cross-border cooperation will be critical to stopping transmission.
WHO and Brazil urge world leaders to finalise Pandemic Agreement to prevent future global health crises
Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Global officials are calling on world leaders to finalise a crucial international agreement aimed at preventing future pandemics, according to a joint letter issued on Monday.
Women and girls caught up in Yemen’s ‘forgotten crisis’ bear the heaviest toll as funding falls
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000
Yemen remains gripped by one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with 22 million – out of a population of 35 million – requiring assistance. Women and girls account for half of those in need, and two-thirds of them are of childbearing age, placing reproductive health at the heart of the emergency.
