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Week in Review 28 February 2026

From Ukraine to South Sudan: A week of war and warnings Two conflicts have loomed large over this week's coverage: one that's never far from mind in Ukraine which marked the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion; and the other, little known and little understood – in South Sudan. We featured comprehensive live coverage as diplomats in the Security Council and General Assembly called again for an end to Russia's aggression and focused on the civilians mired in suffering and the huge UN aid effort that continues each day. In "forgotten" South Sudan – the world's youngest nation – it was the Human Rights Council in Geneva that provided a forum to denounce the appalling rights violations that continue there, alongside another massive aid effort and calls for the rival militaries to end the fighting. And we'll end by looking forward to an unprecedented event on Monday, when the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, will become the first woman ever in that role to preside over the Security Council as the US takes its alphabetical turn in the chair for the month of March.  Read on for the rest of this week's key developments from across the UN system.

UN drug alert stops shipment that could have made 1.6 billion lethal fentanyl doses An international early warning system blocked a shipment of chemicals used to make fentanyl that could have produced up to 1.6 billion potentially lethal doses, the UN narcotics control body said on Thursday. Read more Law and Crime Prevention Fears grow for ordinary Afghans after further clashes with Pakistan Reports on Friday that major cities in Afghanistan have been bombed by the Pakistan military in a new escalation between the two countries have raised fears for civilians already struggling under the harsh rule of the de facto Taliban authorities. Read more Peace and Security Guns, fashionable clothes and death threats: How gangs in Haiti ensnare children A 16-year-old Haitian boy has been talking about how he was lured into working for a criminal gang but then threatened with death when he said he would not fight against the police. Read more Law and Crime Prevention 'The trauma will stay with me for life,' says survivor of sexual violence in war-torn Ukraine One evening in war-ravaged southern Ukraine, a group of armed men entered Maryna's home. She had nowhere to hide. Read more Peace and Security Humanitarian pressures grow as Cuba continues to struggle with energy shortages Cuba's humanitarian situation is worsening as fuel shortages deepen nearly a month after Washington took measures to block oil supplies from entering the Caribbean nation, a senior UN official warned on Wednesday. Read more Humanitarian Aid Palestine: UN rights chief highlights suffering, atrocity crimes 'that remain unpunished' The UN rights chief Volker Türk on Thursday highlighted the "human-made disaster" across the Occupied Palestinian Territory stemming from Israel's disregard for human rights norms and serious violations also committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. Read more Human Rights Over a billion fear losing land and homes within five years Despite global progress in strengthening land tenure and governance, more than a billion people worldwide – nearly one in four adults – fear they could lose the rights to some or all of their land and housing within the next five years.  Read more SDGs Organized crime and poor regulation to blame for toxic pollution threat The lucrative, illegal trade and trafficking of waste products including many that are toxic could be set to surge across continents, thanks to patchy regulation, savvy criminal groups and corruption, UN experts said on Wednesday. Read more Economic Development Concerns raised by Burundian refugees about 'coercive' repatriation from Tanzania Concerns have been raised about the "coercive" repatriation from Tanzania of Burundian refugees, many of whom do not want to return to their home country. Read more Migrants and Refugees 'I dream of a safe life': Gaza's children share the future they want Children in Gaza are voicing their demands for the future through a UN-run initiative that seeks to amplify their voices and restore the "fundamentals of childhood". Read more Peace and Security Somalia: Number of people going hungry nearly doubles in a year The number of people in Somalia facing acute food insecurity has nearly doubled to 6.5 million since last year as hunger levels rise due to worsening drought, conflict and soaring food prices.  Read more Humanitarian Aid ICC judges assess case against Duterte over Philippines 'war on drugs' killings Judges at the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday opened a confirmation of charges hearing for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send him to trial on alleged crimes against humanity linked to killings during the country's so-called "war on drugs". Read more Human Rights

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