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Week in Review 26 April 2025

Catch up on this week's must-read stories The inevitable moment has arrived for the desperate people of Gaza as Israel's punitive border closure policy continues absent any new ceasefire deal – the warehouses of the UN World Food Programme are now empty. In contrast with the bleak picture of despair there, the new authorities in Syria saw their new three-starred flag raised outside UN Headquarters in New York on Friday, as dozens of expatriates gathered on First Avenue allowed themselves to dream of a bright new future. Inside the building, ambassadors in the Security Council debated lifting more sanctions and heard Syria's foreign minister say: "we hope that you will be partners in this path." There was more despair, death and suffering for the people of Ukraine and Sudan this week, despite talk of ceasefire deals. UN aid workers were there to provide support as best they can, amid the ongoing age of humanitarian austerity. UN chief Antonio Guterres issued a rallying cry to move full speed ahead with climate action ahead of COP30 in Brazil, telling the world that it's too late to go back now on the massive benefits of renewable energy. Indigenous Peoples are meeting in New York for two weeks of passionate debate and discussion. We highlighted some of the key issues and challenges they face such as being on the frontline of climate change, gender-based violence and dealing firsthand with continuing discrimination and human rights abuses. This week's World Social Report made grim reading for politicians everywhere: trust in authority is in freefall while fear of job losses is rippling through even the most advance economies. And speaking of jobs, how confident are you about interacting with robots in the kitchen or the office? The International Labour Organization produced a new report about the AI revolution, including some of the unexpected potential pitfalls. Who doesn't want a personal robot to get those dishes done? But the agency's warning us all to watch out for robot malfunctions, and potential design flaws as the early models come online.

WFP runs out of food stocks in Gaza The World Food Programme (WFP) has run out of food in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues to block the entry of all humanitarian aid into the enclave, home to over two million people.  Read more Humanitarian Aid Security Council debates precarious path forward for a new Syria Syria is undergoing a rocky transition after years of conflict and authoritarian rule. Despite tentative political progress, ongoing violence, deepening economic hardship and a worsening humanitarian crisis highlight the urgent and continued need for international support. Read more Peace and Security Indigenous Peoples sidelined in global climate fight, UN warns As the planet heats up and the push to decarbonise gathers pace, Indigenous Peoples – long among the world's most effective environmental stewards – are once again being left behind, a new UN report reveals. Read more Climate and Environment Gaza: Destruction of vital lifting gear halts search for thousands buried under rubble Families in Gaza were holding on to the slim chance of finding loved ones buried under the ruins of destroyed homes – but that hope is fading fast. Read more Peace and Security Destitution and disease stalk Myanmar's quake survivors One month since Myanmar's earthquake disaster, tens of thousands of survivors still live in makeshift tents with little to protect them from pre-monsoon storms and mosquitoes. Read more Humanitarian Aid Hundreds killed in Sudan's camps for displaced people Hundreds of civilians, including at least 12 humanitarian workers, have been killed in recent artillery shelling targeting the El Fasher and Zamzam camps in Sudan's Darfur region, triggering an unprecedented wave of displacement according to the UN. Read more Peace and Security Sewage, trash and disease overwhelm displaced communities in Gaza Amid sweltering heat, raw sewage and overflowing trash, displaced families in southern Gaza are facing an escalating public health crisis as aid remains blocked and medical supplies dwindle. Read more Peace and Security World leaders rally for 'full-speed' climate action ahead of COP30 At a high-stakes virtual summit on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva brought together 17 national leaders from major economies and climate-vulnerable countries. The goal was to accelerate global climate ambition ahead of COP30, which will be hosted in Brazil. Read more Climate and Environment AI lightens the workload – but risks remain, labour agency warns Artificial intelligence, robotics, and digitalization are rapidly reshaping how we work – but they're a source of unexpected risks too.  Read more SDGs Asia-based criminal network cons Thai woman in US out of $300,000 A Thai woman working in the United States has told UN News how she fell for a scam orchestrated by a criminal network in Asia – and lost $300,000. Read more Law and Crime Prevention Trust collapsing as job fears surge worldwide, warns UN Billions of people around the world are living in fear of job loss or struggling to find work, as economic instability, conflict, and climate shocks combine to erode global security, a new UN report has warned. Read more Economic Development Climate change: How mountain communities are scaling new heights Low-lying islands aren't the only ones at risk from our warming planet, as mountain communities are now finding. Read more Climate and Environment Largely eradicated diseases at risk of returning due to budget cuts Vaccines have saved around 150 million lives over the past 50 years, but that progress is now under threat.  Read more Health

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