Bangladesh has begun legal proceedings against security officials accused of sanctioning enforced disappearances and torture under the previous government – a move UN human rights chief Volker Türk called “an important step towards accountability.”. Last week, the country’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) submitted formal charges in two cases connected to alleged abuses at the Task Force for Interrogation Cell and the Joint Interrogation Cell, including charges of crimes against humanity. – UN rights chief hails Bangladesh prosecutions over enforced disappearances | UN News
Over 212,000 Afghan children are now at risk of acute watery diarrhoea and other deadly waterborne diseases, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The severe risk of disease outbreak comes after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit a remote eastern area of Afghanistan on 31 August near the Pakistan border, destroying water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. “The earthquake has flattened homes and taken too many lives, and now threatens to take even more through disease,” warned Dr. Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan. He said that child survivors of the earthquake are living in crowded displacement camps or makeshift shelters with no access to toilets or safe water. “This is a perfect storm for a health catastrophe,” he added. – Afghan quake aftermath: Children facing heightened risk from disease | UN News
Recovery in Gaza must also include accountability for violations, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Wednesday. In presenting his annual report to the Third Committee of the General Assembly, Volker Türk highlighted that surveys consistently show that people worldwide overwhelmingly support the values that underpin human rights, namely dignity, equality and justice. He urged the international community to “build on this energy, at a time when disquiet, disenfranchisement, disillusionment, and disarray are spreading across the world.” – UN rights chief underlines need for a permanent ceasefire and accountability in Gaza | UN News
The Secretary-General on Wednesday outlined a set of proposals to strengthen the UN’s effectiveness and improve coordination across its three core pillars: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights. Addressing the General Assembly, António Guterres briefed Member States on the structural reforms and programme realignments that are needed across the UN System to make it fully fit for today’s challenges. “My vision for the United Nations system is clear: Entities that work together as one, to deliver better – overcoming fragmentation, eliminating duplication, improving funding models, and maximizing synergies,” the Secretary-General said. – Guterres highlights ‘maximum impact’ reform agenda | UN News
Nearly 14 million people could face severe hunger by the end of the year, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Wednesday, as slashed humanitarian funding threatens six of its most critical operations. Programmes in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan are already facing major disruptions, which will only get worse. “Every ration cut means a child goes to bed hungry, a mother skips a meal, or a family loses the support they need to survive,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. – Humanitarian funding cuts pushing millions into hunger: WFP | UN News
The UN relief chief on Wednesday urged Israel and Hamas to honour their agreement to return deceased hostages and allow aid at scale into Gaza, warning that it should not be used as “a bargaining chip” amid reports of new civilian killings and extrajudicial executions. In a statement on Wednesday, Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said that two days after world leaders gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh to endorse the US-led peace initiative, “this is a moment of great but precarious hope.”. “It is also clear from the public response to the progress, that Palestinians, Israelis and people across the region want this peace to take hold,” Mr. Fletcher said. “So, we must not fail to see through in full the implementation of the agreements made.”. He said UN humanitarian operations had finally begun to scale up “after months of frustration and blockages,” with some food, medicine, fuel, water, cooking gas and tents delivered to those in need. – Gaza peace plan ‘at precarious moment’ as killings continue on both sides | UN News
Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rose by a record amount in 2024, reaching new highs and locking in further long-term warming and extreme weather, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The surge was driven by continued human emissions, more wildfire activity and weakened absorption by land and ocean “sinks” – a development that threatens to create a vicious climate cycle. – Record rise in carbon dioxide levels during 2024: UN weather agency | UN News
