Week in Review

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Week in Review 14 March 2026

War in the Middle East threatens global economy, heightens aid challenges There is no apparent end in sight to the US and Israeli war against Iran in the Middle East this weekend, with a growing civilian toll across the Gulf – as Iran continues to launch counterstrikes targeting Israel and other nations in a bid to snarl up the global energy economy in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the UN continues to work tirelessly to provide humanitarian aid to a growing list of civilians in need – especially in Lebanon where hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have erupted, displacing well over 800,000 there. Check out our daily UN News live pages and other key stories you might have missed through the week below.

UN chief launches major humanitarian appeal from war-torn Lebanon In a solidarity visit to the war-ravaged capital of Lebanon, the UN chief on Friday announced a flash humanitarian appeal of $308.3 million to support civilians there, after ongoing Israeli strikes countering rocket launches from Hezbollah left around 816,000 Lebanese internally displaced, a figure that looks set to rise. Read more Humanitarian Aid MIDDLE EAST LIVE 13 March: Displacement and civilian casualties mount across region Escalating hostilities across the Middle East continue to drive civilian casualties, mass displacement and mounting humanitarian needs. Fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border has intensified, while millions across the region face growing risks from disrupted health services, overcrowded shelters and strained aid operations. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here. Read more Peace and Security LIVE: International Women's Day and CSW70 at the United Nations Welcome to our live coverage of International Women's Day 2026 and the opening of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at UN Headquarters in New York. Throughout the day, we will bring you updates, reactions and key moments from global leaders, diplomats and advocates gathering at the UN, alongside stories and reports from the field across the UN system, as communities around the world mark International Women's Day and advance the theme "Rights. Justice. Action" for all women and girls. UN News app users can follow the coverage here. Read more Women Middle East war: Women in Lebanon forced to give birth on roadside As the UN Secretary-General touched down in Beirut on Friday in solidarity with the people of Lebanon, UN agencies highlighted the dangers for civilians and particularly pregnant women and migrant workers, amid ongoing airstrikes and rocket fire between Hezbollah fighters and Israel.  Read more Peace and Security At UN, Malala, Anne Hathaway call for action on women's rights A Nobel laureate who survived an assassination attempt, a Hollywood actor turned UN advocate and a young Afghan musician whose voice defied repression took the stage at the United Nations on International Women's Day, delivering a powerful message: justice for women and girls cannot wait. Read more Women Russia deportation of Ukraine children is crime against humanity: independent probe Scores of Ukrainian children are still missing after being deported far and wide across Russia and occupied territories while their families continue to search for them, human rights investigators said on Thursday. Read more Human Rights An 'alarming' two-thirds of children say cyberbullying has increased Around two-thirds of children worldwide report an increase in cyberbullying, with one in two say they don't know how to get the right support, according to a recent poll carried out by the UN's top official who works to end violence against children.  Read more Peace and Security Venezuela's repressive State apparatus 'intact' despite leadership change Venezuela's repressive State apparatus remains operational despite the seizure of former President Nicolás Maduro by United States forces on 3 January, according to independent UN human rights investigators. Read more Human Rights Aid operations strained across Middle East: WFP seeks $200 million to sustain food assistance Rising food prices, growing displacement and disruptions to global supply routes are placing millions of people across the Middle East at greater risk of hunger, according to the World Food Programme (WFP), which warns that the humanitarian system is struggling to keep pace with expanding needs. Read more Peace and Security MIDDLE EAST LIVE 12 March: Shipping attacks, rising oil prices and widening humanitarian crisis War continues across the Middle East, with impacts growing far beyond the region. Oil prices are hovering around $100 a barrel as attacks on shipping and energy infrastructure disrupt key supply routes. Strikes and counterstrikes between Israel, Hezbollah and Iran continue, while ships have reportedly been hit in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, sending shocks through the global economy. Meanwhile, UN agencies are expanding humanitarian relief efforts as displacement rises and civilian needs grow. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here. Read more Peace and Security Children and families bear the brunt as violence and displacement rise in Lebanon Lebanon is facing a "perfect storm of unpredictable challenges" as escalating conflict, mass displacement and shrinking humanitarian resources collide, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Imran Riza, told UN News.  Mr. Riza described a rapidly deteriorating situation in which civilians, particularly children, are paying the highest price. In just over a week, around 700,000 people have registered as displaced through Lebanon's Ministry of Social Affairs, while schools across the country have been turned into shelters, disrupting education for thousands of children. Speaking to UN News' Reem Abaza, he warned that the humanitarian response is struggling to keep pace as funding declines and regional support weakens.  Read more UN Interviews Gazans still living 'hand-to-mouth' in enclave: WFP The UN World Food Programme – WFP – has spoken of its relief that the closure of a key crossing point for aid and commercial supplies to Gaza has reopened after being shut, when Israeli and US bombs began hitting Iran. Speaking from Jerusalem, WFP's Country Director in Palestine, Shaun Hughes, described how chronic constraints on aid delivery have kept humanitarian assistance at a "hand-to-mouth" level across the war-shattered enclave. To illustrate that point, Mr. Hughes explained that WFP has just two weeks' worth of half rations available for 1.5 million Gazans, after being forced to cut the full ration in January. "We'd like to get [rations] back up to 75 per cent, but with the level of food that we're getting in at the moment, that seems unlikely," he told UN News's Daniel Johnson. Read more UN Interviews MIDDLE EAST LIVE 11 March: Civilian toll rises, regional disruption spreads as Security Council meets As the conflict in the Middle East continues to ripple across the region, the UN Security Council met today to discuss the escalating situation, with a morning briefing focused on Lebanon and a second session later on the wider crisis – adopting a Bahrain-led resolution, while a Russian-led text failed to secure enough votes. Across the UN system, agencies are warning of mounting humanitarian needs as displacement rises, services come under strain and regional instability disrupts mobility, trade and aid operations. Stay with us as we bring you the latest developments, reactions and updates from UN Headquarters and across the region. UN News app users can follow the coverage here. Read more Peace and Security 'You are the foundation-shakers': UN chief answers tough questions at townhall with women's civil society groups The UN chief on Tuesday applauded civil society groups for "shaking the foundations of privilege" in a male-dominated world, addressing a range of questions during a townhall meeting on the margins of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) at UN Headquarters. Read more Women Nicaragua: Rights experts uncover State corruption fuelling repression, spying on exiles Nicaragua's Government is financing the repression of its opponents through illegal misuse of public funds and targeting exiles through a transnational surveillance and intelligence network, the UN Group of Independent Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua warned in its latest report on Tuesday. Read more Human Rights 'No one should be a hibakusha': Young Japanese activist's mission to share atomic bomb survivor stories A Japanese peace activist is hoping to promote global nuclear disarmament by keeping alive the stories of the atomic bomb survivors through the creation of a mobile museum. Read more Human Rights Humanitarian crisis 'worsening' in Afghanistan as war erupts in the Middle East Crises in the region on both Afghanistan's longest borders are undermining the country's stability, a senior UN official warned the Security Council on Monday as concerns over Middle East crisis grow amid clashes with Pakistan and a worsening humanitarian crisis. Read more Peace and Security

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