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Week in Review 6 September 2025

Catch up on this week's must-read stories It's September so the General Assembly high-level week is firmly on our horizon. We'll unveil more plans in the next two weeks, but the diplomatic drumbeat has begun here on Manhattan's First Avenue and 42nd St.  There will be plenty of crises, conflicts and topics for debate on the agenda as world leaders convene: searing human rights reports on DR Congo and Sudan led our news coverage Friday. Gaza was front and centre again all week, with Israel's assault on Gaza City, amid growing starvation, prompting one senior aid worker to tell us that childhood simply can't survive, while famine is "everywhere". Environmental disasters stemming from a huge quake in Afghanistan, a deadly landslide in Sudan and floods in northern Pakistan, prompted a major humanitarian response from UN agencies.  In a moving interview about mental health in war-torn Ukraine, we heard from the UN Women representative there who said sleep deprivation undermines stability for aid workers and civilians alike. Other key stories of the week revealed funding cuts could push six million more children out of school, while WHO sounded the alarm over data showing mental health conditions now impact more than one billion worldwide.  Stay informed – follow UN News online, on our App, and on social media for the latest updates from the United Nations in New York, Geneva, Nairobi and around the world.

'A war of atrocities' – UN human rights investigators warn Sudanese civilians are paying the highest price As the nearly 30-month-long conflict in Sudan between rival militaries grinds on, looting, burning, and shelling continues to destroy livelihoods and hope. Read more Human Rights DR Congo crisis: Funding cuts curtail assistance to victims of sexual violence Sexual violence is rife in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but urgently needed assistance for survivors has had to be halted as sweeping funding cuts bite, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, warned on Friday. Read more Human Rights The 'unthinkable' is underway in Gaza City, UNICEF warns The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) called on Thursday for the international community to do everything possible to prevent catastrophe in Gaza City as Israel ramps up military operations ahead of a planned full takeover.  Read more Humanitarian Aid Air pollution is on the rise – but not everywhere, says UN weather agency As billions continue to breathe polluted air that causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths every year, UN climate experts on Friday highlighted how damaging microscopic smoke particles from wildfires play their part, travelling halfway across the world. Read more Climate and Environment UN rights office alarm over escalation in Gaza City, annexation plans for West Bank A senior official from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Thursday he was extremely concerned over intensifying Israeli military operations in northern Gaza – including Gaza City – and warned against any attempt to annex parts of the West Bank.  Read more Human Rights Finding strength amid sleepless nights: Ukraine's hidden mental health toll Nearly four years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and 11 years since conflict began, the toll on mental health across the country is severe. Read more Peace and Security Attacks across Gaza intensify amid fear and hunger: 'Leave me here,' injured girl told fleeing family Thousands of Palestinians have been caught in the crossfire while trying to escape attacks and dire food shortages in war-torn Gaza, with extraordinary challenges for some, according to latest reports from UN officials on the ground and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Read more Humanitarian Aid Guterres hails Papua New Guinea as an example of diversity, dialogue and climate action The Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea is proof that embracing differences can be the world's greatest strength, the UN Secretary-General said in a speech to parliamentarians in the capital, Port Moresby, on Wednesday.  Read more Climate and Environment Afghanistan quake: Rescuers arrive on foot, survivors need everything A massive assistance mission for earthquake survivors continued in Afghanistan on Wednesday as aid teams tackled blocked roads and downed communications lines in a bid to reach the most remote communities still in need of help. Read more Peace and Security Gaza: With a suitcase for a school bag, classrooms have become shelters "Instead of studying in school, we're living in it," said Diana, summing up the conditions faced by thousands of children in the Gaza Strip whose lives have been turned upside down by war who now face the prospect of a third year without education. Read more Culture and Education Funding cuts could push 6 million more children out of school, warns UNICEF Global education funding is facing sharp reductions that could leave an extra six million children out of school by 2026, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Wednesday. Read more Culture and Education WHO sounds alarm as mental health conditions soar past one billion worldwide More than a billion people worldwide are living with mental health conditions, according to new data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday. Read more Health

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