Week in Review

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Week in Review 7 February 2026

Catch up on this week's must-read stories There's been more detail this week on the financial crisis facing the UN, due to the failure by some large Member States to pay what they owe. But once again, we're focusing on the work that we keep doing – day in and day out – on behalf of people worldwide who need our support.  We heard the latest from the frontline of the Ukraine war as the IAEA tries to keep the world safe from a nuclear reactor meltdown. We heard from Haiti where the UN's appealing for more funding to aid six million people. We heard about the work our reproductive health agency and others are doing to end FGM – female genital mutilation. We welcomed the promise of $6 billion in HIV/AIDS funding promised through a new bipartisan Congressional bill in Washington. We unveiled the new independent scientific panel that's being tasked with assessing and deliberating over keeping AI safe to use for all. And from Gaza, we had the harrowing story of the cancer patients facing premature death unless Israel allows them to leave via the partially reopened Rafah crossing.  And from Brazil, we had the story of how "agrihoods" could become the green community model that every city needs to thrive in the future. All this and much more, in our highlights of the week.

'We are dying': Gaza's cancer patients plead for a way out As World Cancer Day is marked on Wednesday, thousands of patients in Gaza face worsening illness, untreated pain and closed crossings – despite the limited opening of the vital route through Rafah this week. Read more Peace and Security Keeping hope 'alive for younger generations' in Haiti as funding falters Haiti is facing one of the world's most acute humanitarian crises, driven by escalating gang violence, political paralysis, and deep economic distress. Read more Humanitarian Aid Fatwas, faith and fallacies: Myth-busting female genital mutilation in Africa Olivia Albert, 19, was subjected to female genital (FGM) mutilation when she was 14. She told the UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) that she hid her pain because everyone around her said it was normal. Read more Women Invisible highways: The vast network of undersea cables powering our connectivity Every day, we send countless emails, take part in video calls, use search engines and streaming services, while seamlessly banking online. Read more Economic Development UN Police 'indispensable' to fulfilling peacekeeping mandates, Security Council hears The head of UN Peacekeeping on Thursday called for greater support for international police officers deployed to field missions at a time when financial resources are dwindling and multilateralism is waning.  Read more Peace and Security UN lauds $6 billion US funding approval towards ending HIV/AIDS The UN agency leading the global effort to end HIV/AIDS worldwide welcomed legislative approval from the United States on Thursday for a $6 billion spending package to help tackle the disease, following nearly a year of sharp aid cuts. Read more Health Nuclear disarmament at breaking point as mistrust grows – but hope remains The global system governing nuclear disarmament is facing its most serious crisis in decades, driven by growing mistrust among major powers and the steady erosion of arms control agreements, a senior disarmament expert has warned. Read more Peace and Security 'Human rights cannot wait': Türk launches $400 million appeal for 2026 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk launched a $400 million appeal on Thursday in Geneva, as his office (OHCHR) continues to operate "in survival mode".  Read more Human Rights 'Deepfake abuse is abuse,' UNICEF warns New evidence reveals a proliferation of sexualised images of youngsters generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and a dearth of laws to stop it, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Wednesday. Read more Human Rights Welcome to the 'agrihood' – the neighbourhood of the future? Towns and cities are home to more than half of the world's population and responsible for around 70 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions driving the climate crisis, which is why urban planners in Brazil are leading a design revolution that could point the way to creating built-up areas with a dramatically smaller carbon footprint. Read more Climate and Environment In Washington, Fletcher presses for action as Sudan war grinds on Sudan is now the world's most severe humanitarian emergency, the UN's top relief official warned on Tuesday, urging donors and diplomatic partners to act swiftly as the fighting nears a third year with no end in sight. Read more Humanitarian Aid Nearly 40 per cent of cancer cases could be prevented, UN study finds Up to four in 10 cancer cases globally could be prevented, new analysis has revealed, highlighting the need for stronger tobacco control and other measures to reduce risks and save lives.  Read more Health Gaza: Limited Rafah crossing reopening sparks hope – but also 'massive trepidation' The reopening of the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday after more than a year is being met with both optimism and fear, a senior official with the UN agency that assists the Palestinian people, UNRWA, has said.  Read more Humanitarian Aid Can workers compete with machines and stay relevant in the AI era? AI looks set to be transformative for us all, but it also brings a real risk of job losses and widening social and economic divides. UN experts are focusing on how to manage that transition, to ensure the benefits of the technology outweigh the threats. Read more Culture and Education Myanmar crisis deepens five years after coup, as military ballot entrenches repression Five years after Myanmar's military seized power and jailed the country's elected leaders, the United Nations says the country's crisis has only deepened, marked by escalating violence, mass displacement and a military-controlled election that UN officials warn has further entrenched repression rather than restored civilian rule. Read more Peace and Security South Sudan: 'All the conditions for a human catastrophe are present' Military tensions in South Sudan are "rapidly expanding" between Government forces and opposition militia as fighting continues in restive Jonglei state. Read more Peace and Security

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