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	End the War in Ukraine by UN News, agencies   May 2026   3000 attacks on health care in Ukraine verified by WHO since full-scale invasion   During 1534 days of war, Ukraine’s health-care system has experienced repeated attacks. The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified more than 3000 attacks on health care over this period through its Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care, applying global verification standards and systematically monitoring, verifying and reporting incidents.   The scale and frequency of these incidents place patients and health workers at constant risk and undermine the delivery of life-saving services. Under international humanitarian law, the wounded and sick, medical personnel, health-care facilities and transport must be respected and protected. Member States must also take feasible precautions to protect civilians and civilian objects, including health-care services, and to facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, subject to applicable controls.   From primary health care centres to maternity hospitals, and from ambulance teams to pharmaceutical warehouses, every component of the system has been affected. Health-care facilities have been most impacted: around 80% of verified attacks on health care have affected outpatient clinics, hospitals and other care settings. Beyond the immediate casualties, such attacks disrupt service delivery, damage critical infrastructure and erode the health system’s capacity over time.   “Every one of these attacks is a violation of international humanitarian law, and every one represents a patient who couldn’t be reached, a health worker in danger, a community left without care,” said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “This cannot be normalized. Under international humanitarian law, health care is protected. That is not a guideline or a recommendation. It is a binding obligation on all parties to any conflict. WHO will continue to document every attack on health and advocate for the protection of health workers in Ukraine.”   Health-care transport remains among the most vulnerable elements of the system in terms of human impact. Approximately 20% of recorded attacks on health care have been on ambulances and other health vehicles, with nearly 1 in 3 of these incidents resulting in casualties – making medical transport one of the highest-risk areas for injury and loss of life.   “Since the beginning of this year alone, 186 attacks on health care verified by WHO with numbers continuing to rise. Compared to the same period in 2025, the number of deaths has increased nearly fourfold, while injuries have almost doubled.   These patterns not only place health workers at heightened risk, but also further disrupt the continuity of care for those who depend on it most,” said Dr Jarno Habicht, WHO Representative in Ukraine.   “The WHO Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care monitors and verifies the impact of attacks on health care to inform system-wide advocacy for compliance with international humanitarian law and the protection of health care, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2286 (2016) and World Health Assembly Resolution 65.20 (2012), which condemn attacks on health workers and facilities and call for measures to prevent violence and ensure accountability,” added Dr Habicht.   The continued damage to health infrastructure has significantly constrained the ability of medical personnel to deliver essential care, requiring constant adaptation of humanitarian health operations.   This is unfolding amid escalating needs: according to the United Nations, 12.7 million people in Ukraine require humanitarian assistance, including 9.2 million in need of health support. Civilian casualties have increased by an estimated 31% compared with the previous year, 2025.   “According to the latest estimates, the needs for rebuilding the health-care sector over the next 10 years already amount to US$ 23.6 billion".   In close coordination with the Ministry of Health, local authorities and partners, WHO continues to adapt support to the evolving situation, helping facilities stay functional, protecting health workers where possible and reinforcing the resilience of the health system.   http://www.who.int/europe/news/item/08-05-2026-3000-attacks-on-health-care-in-ukraine-verified-by-who-since-full-scale-invasion http://www.unocha.org/news/acting-deputy-un-relief-chief-tells-security-council-civilians-ukraine-cannot-wait-needs-grow http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-deputy-executive-director-ted-chaiban-united-nations-security-council http://www.unocha.org/news/acting-deputy-relief-chief-urges-security-council-not-let-civilian-suffering-ukraine-become http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/ukraine-intensifying-hostilities-claim-dozens-lives-deepen-trauma-civilians http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167622 http://www.unhcr.org/news/briefing-notes/unhcr-appalled-attacks-aid-operations-and-rising-civilian-toll-ukraine http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/1167599 http://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2026/05/118377/more-70-civilians-killed-ukraine-less-week http://ukraine.un.org/en/316191-un-wfp-warehouse-dnipro-damaged-strike http://www.icrc.org/en/article/health-care-under-fire-ten-years-after-resolution-2286   10 Mar. 2026   More deadly strikes kill civilians. (OCHA)   OCHA reports that large-scale missile and drone attacks and front-line hostilities between the early hours of last Thursday and yesterday affected multiple regions across Ukraine.   Authorities reported nearly 30 civilians killed and about 170 injured, including children.   Kharkiv City was among the hardest hit, where strikes damaged apartment blocks, a school and other civilian site, killing 10 people, including two children, and injuring 26. Elsewhere in the Kharkiv Region, three more civilians were killed and 14 injured. In the Donetsk Region, authorities reported three civilians killed and 20 injured in Ukraine-controlled areas, most in Kramatorsk, including three children.   Attacks damaged ambulances, fire trucks, homes and energy and railway infrastructure in several regions. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, reiterated that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected under international humanitarian law.   http://www.unocha.org/news/security-council-un-relief-chief-warns-civilian-casualties-ukraine-amid-waves-drone-strikes http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/04/1167313 http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/03/1167201 http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2026/03/deputy-high-commissioner-human-rights-al-nashif-updates-council http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/statement-security-council-humanitarian-situation-ukraine-joyce-msuya-asg-humanitarian-affairs-and-deputy-erc-behalf-tom-fletcher-usg-humanitarian-affairs-and-erc   * Drones are being increasingly used as weapons of war in a number of ongoing conflicts. (IPS News)   UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said last week he was “appalled by the devastating impact on civilians of increasing drone attacks”, amid reports that more than 200 civilians have been killed by drones since 4 March alone in the Kordofan region, and in White Nile state in Sudan.   “It is deeply troubling that despite multiple reminders, warnings and appeals, parties to the conflict in Sudan continue to use increasingly powerful drones to deploy explosive weapons with wide-area impacts in populated areas,” said Turk. “I renew my call on them to abide fully with international humanitarian law in their use of these weapons, particularly the clear prohibition on directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects and infrastructure, and against any form of indiscriminate attacks.”   http://www.ipsnews.net/2026/03/a-remotely-piloted-weapon-that-targets-civilians-in-war-zones/   24 Feb. 2026 (UN News)   The international community must “use every diplomatic tool” to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, a senior UN official told the UN Security Council as Russia’s full-scale invasion entered a fifth year.   Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, delivered remarks on behalf of the UN Secretary-General:   "Four years after the Russian Federation launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war remains a stain on our collective conscience. Day after day – year after year – we have witnessed the cascading consequences of this blatant violation of international law, including the UN Charter.   Shattered lives. Devastated communities. And deepened regional and global instability. The human toll is catastrophic. Last year was the deadliest for Ukrainian civilians since 2022. More than 15,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the invasion, and more than 41,000 injured. Millions have been forced to flee from their homes. Millions more require life-saving assistance.   Human rights violations are rampant. The plight of Ukrainian children is particularly dire. More than 3,200 children have been killed or injured. More than one-third of Ukrainian children remain displaced and an estimated 2.2 million require humanitarian assistance. A whole generation has lost years of education as schools have come under fire.   This winter, the Russian Federation intensified strikes against Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure. Large-scale attacks have killed and injured scores of civilians, and deprived millions of electricity, heating, and water for prolonged periods – including in the capital, Kyiv. In sub-zero temperatures, strikes on electricity, heating and water systems turn access to basic services into a matter of life and death.   Civilians in the Russian Federation are also increasingly affected by reported Ukrainian strikes.   International humanitarian law is unequivocal: attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are strictly prohibited. I condemn all such attacks, no matter where they occur. I urge both sides to implement an immediate moratorium on all such attacks.   The ongoing fighting also poses direct risks to the safe and secure operations of Ukraine’s nuclear sites. This unconscionable game of nuclear roulette must cease immediately.   Even as the fighting rages, the UN is working with Ukraine agencies to repair damaged infrastructure, keep people warm, and sustain critical services. Despite limited access and the deteriorating security situation, we are also working with local partners to deliver food, water, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid, including to those in front-line communities. I urge Member States to fully fund the humanitarian response.   Throughout the war, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported widespread human rights violations – torture, sexual violence, and even executions of prisoners of war and civilian detainees. These acts have gone with virtually no accountability. I urge that all prisoners of war and detainees be treated humanely and released in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.   Any Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred to the Russian Federation and occupied areas of Ukraine must be returned home to their families without delay. I urge the sides to continue to work constructively to address these concerns as a matter of priority.   A year ago, this Council adopted resolution 2774 imploring “a swift end to the conflict” and urging “a lasting peace between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.   We need concrete measures to de-escalate the fighting without delay and to create the space for diplomacy. The longer this war continues, the greater the suffering – and the greater the risks for regional and international peace and security. As complex as the path may be, our collective obligation is clear: use every diplomatic tool to end this war.   The parameters of peace in Ukraine are not a mystery. It must be in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions. And it must uphold the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders.   Enough with the death. Enough with the destruction. Enough with the broken lives and shattered futures. It is time for an immediate, full and unconditional ceasefire – the first step toward a just peace that saves lives and ends the endless suffering".   Feb. 2026   ‘Nothing Compares to Human Lives Lost’ – Reflections on Ukraine War. (IPS News)   “We have a saying here in Ukraine now – ‘young people meet at their friends’ funerals rather than at weddings.’ It’s sad, but very true.”   As Russia’s full-scale invasion of her country moves into its fifth year, Iryna Yakova, 29, is looking back at how her life has changed over the past four years.   Speaking from Lviv, the western Ukrainian city where she lives, she tells IPS that her “values and attitude towards life” have changed. “Material things become unimportant when your loved ones or friends are in danger,” she says. She has also developed a keen sense of her national identity and an empathy for the suffering of her fellow Ukrainians.   “During the full-scale invasion, I realised that all of Ukraine is my home. I cry for people who were killed by a missile in Kyiv while they were sleeping at night. Even though I didn’t know them, it hurts me because they are Ukrainians. It also pains me to see children growing up without their parents because their parents are at the front. The war has intensified my sense of empathy and belonging.”   “What I miss most [from my life before the full-scale invasion] are the people who have been killed in the war. I have lost friends, acquaintances, and relatives. Nothing compares to human loss. The hardest thing I have had to deal with during this war is going to the funerals of friends — people you used to go to parties with, travel with, study with,” she says.   The human cost of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has been enormous – Ukraine’s government does not officially give figures for military casualties, but it has been estimated they could be up to 600,000 (Russian military casualties are thought to be more than twice that amount).   But the scale of civilian casualties has been huge, too. According to UN bodies, more than 15,000 civilians have been killed and over 41,000 injured in Ukraine since the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022.   Worryingly, as Ukraine marks the fourth anniversary of the start of the war, research suggests there has been a sharp increase in civilian casualties over the last year.   Data from Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), released earlier this month, showed civilian casualties in Ukraine increased by 26 percent in 2025 compared with 2024.   The group said its data showed a worrying shift in the character of the conflict – the average number of civilians killed or injured per incident in Ukraine rose 33 percent over the year, with a total of 2,248 civilians reported killed (an 11 percent rise) and 12,493 injured (a 28 percent rise) by explosive violence.   This suggests that explosive weapons are being used by Russia in Ukraine in ways that generate greater civilian impact, whether through more drone strikes, heavier munitions, specific targeting choices of populated areas, or repeated strikes on urban infrastructure, the group said.   Nearly seven in ten civilian casualties recorded in AOAV data occurred in residential neighbourhoods, up from just over four in ten in 2024.   Niamh Gillen, a researcher at AOAV, told the IPS news agency it was impossible to definitively say that Russian forces were deliberately targeting Ukrainian civilians, but that “the data speaks for itself.”   “It shows that civilian areas are being attacked, that the attacks are occurring within civilian areas like hospitals, schools, cities, towns. In general, in areas where civilians are heavily concentrated, like cities and towns, villages, anywhere like that, if you’re using an explosive weapon with wide area impacts, then you’re likely to harm more civilians,” she said.   On top of the deaths and destruction Russian attacks have caused, they have also led to massive displacement. It is thought that at least 3.4 million people are internally displaced in the country. This has put massive pressure not just on the displaced themselves, but also on host communities and services.   People’s physical health has deteriorated in such conditions – the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that more than two-thirds of the population have reported a worsening of their health since the start of the invasion.   The situation for many Ukrainians has acutely worsened this winter. In what has been one of the coldest winters the country has seen for many years, Russian forces have repeatedly attacked Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, resulting in massive, widespread power outages. Thermal heating facilities have also been destroyed in targeted attacks.   As temperatures have plunged to as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius on some occasions, millions of people have been left freezing in their homes.   Jamie Wah, Deputy Head of Delegation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Ukraine, said people were suffering desperately in the cold. “Some nights have been unbearable. There is no escape from the cold” she told IPS.   Humanitarian organisations, including the Ukrainian Red Cross, and state emergency services have set up emergency heating points in cities and towns where people can keep warm, recharge devices and get food. But Wah said while this has become a humanitarian crisis, it is one of just many crises Ukrainians are battling.   Amid these problems, many Ukrainians admit that they are exhausted after four years of war. But among the many people IPS spoke to on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the war, there was a widespread determination to not give up.   For many, such resilience is born out of a desire not just for them and their country to survive what they see as Russia’s attempt to destroy them as an independent state and nation, but also a hope that, ultimately, there will be a future without war.   * Reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine when the war ends is estimated to cost $588 billion over the next decade, according the World Bank, with housing, transport, energy and agriculture among the sectors worst hit.   http://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statements/2026-02-24/secretary-generals-remarks-the-security-council-ukraine-delivered http://www.ifrc.org/press-release/conflict-enters-fifth-year-humanitarian-needs-ukraine-intensify-amid-deepening-energy http://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/icrc-director-general-millions-ukraine-face-intolerable-suffering http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/after-four-years-destruction-and-coldest-winter-yet-unhcr-s-salih-urges-support http://data.unhcr.org/en/documents/details/121256 http://www.nrc.no/news/2026/ukraine-four-years-of-war-leaves-displaced-on-the-brink http://www.caritas.org/ukraine/emergency/four-years-of-war-in-ukraine-4-million-people-have-no-home/   http://www.who.int/news/item/23-02-2026-attacks-on-ukraine-s-health-care-increased-by-20-in-2025 http://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-normalization-civilian-harm-unacceptable http://www.ipsnews.net/2026/02/ukrainian-war-anniversary-nothing-compares-to-human-lives-lost/ http://aoav.org.uk/2026/ukraines-war-grows-deadlier-for-civilians-harm-per-strike-up-33-despite-global-decline-in-explosive-violence/ http://www.nrc.no/news/2026/ukraine-families-in-the-firing-line http://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/02/ukraine-russia-four-years-full-scale-invasion/ http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/more-third-ukraines-children-remain-displaced-four-years-war-unicef http://www.savethechildren.net/news/ukraine-children-anxious-fearful-after-4000-hours-air-raid-alarms-four-years-war http://news.un.org/en/story/2026/02/1167016 http://news.un.org/en/focus/ukraine Visit the related web page
	Humanitarian agencies are witnessing alarming human suffering due to a proliferation of conflicts by WVI, OCHA, Global Protection Cluster, agencies   June 2026   Conflicts between states at the highest level since World War II. (PRIO)   The report, Conflict Trends: A Global Overview, 1946–2025, documents eight interstate conflicts in 2025 – twice as many as the previous year and the highest number recorded since 1946.   “The return of interstate conflict at this scale is deeply worrying,” warned Siri Aas Rustad, Research Director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and lead author of the report.   “For decades, civil wars dominated global conflict. Now we are witnessing a dangerous resurgence of direct confrontations between states, driven by geopolitical rivalry, border disputes and regional escalation, particularly in the Middle East.”   The conflicts include Russia’s war against Ukraine, renewed violence between India and Pakistan, escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, and multiple interstate confrontations linked to the expanding regional conflict involving Israel, Iran, Yemen and the United States.   The report is based on data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program, and provides a global overview of state-based conflicts, non-state conflicts and one-sided violence.   2025 among the deadliest years since the Cold War   Beyond the rise in interstate conflict, the report finds that a staggering 245,000 people were killed in battle-related violence in 2025, making it the third deadliest year since 1989. The number of battle deaths increased from 188,000 in 2024.   The sharp increase was driven primarily by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war in Gaza and escalating violence in Sudan, including the siege and massacre of El-Fasher City.   In total, 65 state-based conflicts were recorded across 35 countries in 2025 – also the highest number since records began in 1946.   According to the report, the world has now experienced more than a decade of persistently high levels of violence. Every year since 2013 has been more violent than nearly every post-Cold War year that came before it.   The report also highlights a growing concentration of violence in a smaller number of countries. While 65 conflicts were recorded globally, they were concentrated in just 35 countries, with many experiencing several overlapping wars and insurgencies simultaneously.   Myanmar and Israel each experienced five separate conflicts in 2025, while Afghanistan, Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria and Pakistan all experienced multiple conflicts.   This increasing complexity creates major challenges for peacebuilding, diplomacy and aid operations.   “Conflicts today are increasingly interconnected,” said Rustad. “They involve more actors, overlapping fronts and greater regional spillover. That makes them far harder to resolve and significantly increases the risks of wider regional wars.”   The growing complexity of conflict is creating mounting challenges for diplomacy, peacebuilding and humanitarian operations.   Sudan records highest level of civilian killings since Rwanda genocide   The report documents a dramatic rise in one-sided violence against civilians. Over 76,000 people were killed in one-sided violence in 2025 – the highest number recorded since the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. Most of the killings occurred in Sudan, particularly during the massacre of El-Fasher City in North Darfur in October 2025, when tens of thousands of civilians were killed.   Africa and the Middle East remain epicentres of conflict   Africa remained the region with the highest number of both state-based and non-state conflicts in 2025, while the Middle East recorded its highest number of state-based conflicts ever. Asia also reached its highest level of state-based conflict since the mid-1990s.   According to the report, these trends suggest that the rise in global violence is not confined to one region, but reflects a broader deterioration in international security. “The data points to a world moving in the wrong direction: more wars, more internationalized conflicts and far higher human costs,” said Rustad.   http://www.prio.org/news/3719 http://www.prio.org/events/9296   June 2026   Explosive Weapons Drive Persistent Civilian Harm Across Global Conflicts   Civilians around the world continued to bear the devastating consequences of explosive weapons use in 2025 amid a broader pattern of sustained harm, a new report by the Explosive Weapons Monitor has revealed.   The Explosive Weapons Monitor 2025 paints a concerning picture, where civilian suffering from the use of explosive weapons has become a routine feature of warfare rather than an exception.   For the third consecutive year, communities in many conflict-affected countries endured daily bombing and shelling of towns and cities, while new conflicts and emerging patterns of explosive weapons use further expanded the scope of harm.   “The devastating impact of explosive weapons on civilians is both foreseeable and preventable. Yet across numerous conflicts, their continued use has entrenched a pattern of civilian harm that is increasingly treated as routine rather than exceptional,” said Katherine Young, Research and Monitoring Manager of the Explosive Weapons Monitor.   “When explosive weapons are used in populated areas, civilians suffer. What is particularly alarming is that this harm has become persistent across conflicts worldwide, risking the normalisation of civilian suffering on a massive scale.”   More than 22,600 civilians were killed by explosive weapons in 2025 (based on officially verified casualty figures, the exact number is thought to be considerably higher. Tens of thousands more were injured).   Civilian deaths remained alarmingly high, with more than half of all recorded civilian deaths attributed to Israeli armed forces and rising fatalities linked to other state and non-state actors across multiple conflicts.   Civilian infrastructure and essential services also came under growing threat. The report found that the use of explosive weapons in attacks affecting humanitarian aid increased by 52 percent in 2025, placing aid workers and life-saving assistance at greater risk and further limiting access to populations in need.   “We have observed in multiple conflicts that communities have been driven into dependence on humanitarian aid after explosive weapons devastated local food systems through the destruction of agricultural land, water infrastructure, and markets,” said Christina Wille, Director of Insecurity Insight.   “When humanitarian workers responding to these growing needs are attacked and killed, life-saving assistance is disrupted at the very moment people need it most, deepening human suffering and leaving already vulnerable communities at even greater risk.”   The report also recorded a dramatic increase in attacks on education, where explosive weapons damaged or destroyed educational facilities, or killed students and teachers, 64 percent more frequently in 2025 compared with the previous year.   Beyond the immediate death and destruction, the report highlights the long-term humanitarian consequences of attacks on essential services.   In Gaza, a surge in attacks on infrastructure essential to humanitarian relief efforts and food production in 2025 severely undermined Palestinians’ ability to locally produce or access food, while increasing dependence on humanitarian assistance.   Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, more than 3,800 schools have been impacted by explosive weapons, severely disrupting children's access to education and forcing many schools to close or operate under emergency measures.   Attacks on water and related energy infrastructure in Lebanon severely disrupted access to safe water in at least 36 incidents, damaging critical supply systems and leaving many communities dependent on costly alternative sources.   The report findings come at a time of growing concerns over violations of international humanitarian law and increasing pressure on norms designed to protect civilians in armed conflict.   The report warns that the normalisation of such severe civilian harm risks weakening the international commitments that seek to prevent suffering and protect civilians.   The report therefore calls for renewed efforts to bring the 2022 Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences of the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas into effect. Doing so not only includes placing limits on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas but also taking action to reinforce and defend the Political Declaration’s norms and principles.   “States must refuse to normalise the devastating toll of explosive weapons on civilians. By signing the Political Declaration, states are sending a clear message that harm to civilians, and destruction of the infrastructure they need to survive, will not be tolerated,” said Alma Taslidzan, Disarmament and Protection of Civilians Advocacy Manager at Humanity & Inclusion. “The challenge then is to translate the Declaration’s commitments into concrete action that reduces harm."   This international agreement to protect civilians from the devastating effects of explosive weapons in urban areas has been endorsed by 91 countries so far.   http://explosiveweaponsmonitor.org/reports/9/explosive-weapons-monitor-2025/ http://www.hi-us.org/en/explosive-weapons-killed-more-than-22-600-civilians-in-2025-new-report-finds http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/children-and-blast-injuries-the-devastating-impact-of-explosive-weapons-on-children-2020-2025 http://www.inew.org/resources/ http://interagencystandingcommittee.org/inter-agency-standing-committee/statement-principals-iasc-protecting-civilians-armed-conflict-responsibility-member-states-and-un http://www.unocha.org/news/over-1000-aid-workers-killed-often-hands-member-states-un-relief-chief-demands-action http://www.unocha.org/news/ocha-tells-security-council-protecting-civilians-cannot-be-outsourced-postponed-or-diluted http://humanitarianaction.info/document/mid-year-review-global-humanitarian-overview-delivering-people-crisis-against-odds/article/trends-crises-and-needs-civilians-line-fire http://civiliansinconflict.org/press-releases/joint-civil-society-statement-ahead-of-the-2026-open-debate-on-the-protection-of-civilians-in-armed-conflict/   http://www.hrw.org/news/2026/05/29/global-failure-to-protect-right-to-health-in-conflict http://insecurityinsight.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2025-SHCC-Annual-Report.pdf http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/icrc-ifrc-world-red-cross-red-crescent-day-call-uphold-protections-civilians-medical-personnel-humanitarian-workers-communities-depend-on http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/2026-ECOSOC-HAS-Panel-2-remarks http://globalprotectioncluster.org/publications/2474/communication-materials/advocacy-note/poc-advocacy-note-civilian-protection-2026 http://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/remarks_un_special_adviser_r2p_convening_7_8_may_2026.pdf http://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/15/global-surge-in-attacks-on-education-continues-rising-more-than-40-percent http://eua2026.protectingeducation.org/ http://www.rescue.org/report/watchlist-midyear-update-2026 http://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/   * Protection of civilians in armed conflict - Report of the Secretary-General: http://docs.un.org/en/S/2026/390 http://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/en/news/year-unthinkable-suffering-record-number-children-conflict-victims-grave-violations-2025 http://watchlist.org/wp-content/uploads/2026-annual-report-press-release_final.pdf http://www.unicef.org/take-action/campaigns/children-under-attack http://www.savethechildren.net/news/every-war-war-against-children-it-must-never-be-accepted-inevitability-statement-save-children http://www.icrc.org/en/statement/unhrc-statement-children-rights-armed-conflict http://alliancecpha.org/en   Dec. 2025   This statement is delivered on behalf of 108 Non Governmenmt Organisations, including humanitarian organisations with operations in countries covered by the Global Humanitarian Overview (GHO):   We are witnessing unspeakable human suffering due to the proliferation of conflicts lacking political solutions and the normalization of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations. Indiscriminate attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers, the bombing of schools and hospitals, and the use of starvation and sexual violence as methods of warfare are devastating communities worldwide.   Climate shocks, economic fragility, and protracted conflict are exacerbating humanitarian needs, leading to unprecedented levels of displacement and an escalating global hunger crisis.   Boundary-setting and narrower definitions of people in need are resulting in a highly prioritized 2026 GHO. With limited complementarity with development and other actors, it is unclear who will target those left behind. Despite exceptional prioritization efforts, humanitarian funding lags behind and Overseas Development Assistance cuts impact both humanitarian action and development gains.   We must turn the tide together in 2026. We urge donors to fully fund the 2026 GHO and to provide quality funding as early as possible in the year to enable flexible, timely, and principled humanitarian action.   The catastrophic effects of IHL violations – including on children, women, and people living with disabilities – urgently require donors’ re-commitment to the traditionally underfunded sectors of gender and Gender Based Violence, education and child protection in emergencies, and the stepping up of funding for hunger and forced displacement.   We call for a substantial increase in the volume and quality of funding to local and national actors, including Women’s organizations, whose essential leadership in humanitarian response must be recognized. This should be rooted in accountability to - and meaningful participation of affected people.   All stakeholders must redouble efforts to prevent and resolve conflict, and we urge humanitarian, development, peace and climate actors to work together to make nexus programming a reality and foster resilience. This requires increased Overseas Development Asistance (ODA) directed to fragile settings.   Nothing will reduce humanitarian needs unless civilians are protected. The 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions is also a year of unconscionable IHL violations. We urge parties to conflicts to abide by their obligations, and we call on governments to leverage their influence and ensure that the consistent application of IHL is a top priority.   http://www.wvi.org/newsroom/emergencies/nogs-call-action-and-funding-global-humanitarian-overview http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026/article/trends-crises-and-needs-world-breaking-point http://humanitarianaction.info/document/mid-year-review-global-humanitarian-overview-delivering-people-crisis-against-odds   As the UN and partners launch the new 2026 global humanitarian appeal today – aiming to support 135 million people in 50 countries – Islamic Relief has joined 89 NGOs and networks to issue this collective statement (Extract):   This has been a year like no other for millions of people enduring unimaginable hardship amid escalating conflicts, hunger, displacement, climate disasters and inequality. The number and intensity of conflicts worldwide are at their highest since modern records began in 1946, threatening global peace and security. The political pushback against inclusion and gender equality is already reversing hard won gains and threatening women and girls’ rights worldwide, especially in conflict settings.   Violations of international humanitarian law – meted out with savage cruelty – are met with barely more than a shrug. Aid is obstructed, and humanitarian and healthcare workers are being killed or injured in record numbers. War crimes and crimes against humanity, including the use of starvation and gender-based violence as weapons, draw condemnation but little or no concrete action to protect civilians, fuelling the crisis of trust and legitimacy our sector is facing. Women of all ages, children, people living with disabilities, and older persons are among the hardest hit.   The humanitarian crises we are called to address result in large part from a lack of political leadership. Despite much-publicised peace deals, there is no political will to maintain peace or hold perpetrators of international crimes accountable. Many crises have persisted for decades, with a total failure to address the underlying causes.   Brutal cuts to humanitarian assistance have plunged communities deeper into poverty and deprivation, stripping resources from local and national organizations that are first responders. In March, nearly half of women-led organisations feared they would have to shut down. A more recent UN Women survey of civil society and women’s rights organisations found nearly 100% were affected by aid cuts; for three-quarters, the impact was significant.   The Feminist Humanitarian Network has documented a disproportionate impact on organisations led by women with disabilities, young women, and indigenous women. Child protection capacity has also been drastically affected, with over half of surveyed local and national organisations losing 40% of child protection budgets. Even before this year’s cuts, ODI research has shown that refugee-led organisations received a pittance in funding, just USD 49 million in 2024.   The scale of suffering is impossible to capture, but some examples provide a window into the horror:   The number and intensity of conflicts have more than doubled since 2010, reaching the highest number since 1946. Existing conflicts are more protracted, and new conflicts loom on the horizon. Spending on weapons has surged; revenues from sales of arms and military services reached a record USD 679 billion in 2024, 18 times the amount that was spent on humanitarian aid in the same year.   Between 2023 and 2024, the number of women and children killed in armed conflicts quadrupled compared with the previous two years. More than 1 in every 5 children now lives in a conflict zone. This year’s annual report on children and armed conflict recorded a 45% increase in grave violations against children in 2024, compared with 2022. Widespread impunity allows violations against civilians to continue undeterred.   Famine was declared in the Middle East for the first time under the IPC system, as civilians in Gaza were deliberately starved. Famine has also been confirmed by the IPC in Sudan, and is again a risk in South Sudan, while Haiti, Mali, and Yemen are hotspots of highest concern. Millions of people in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and elsewhere are at emergency levels of acute food insecurity.   Climate change continues to devastate communities across the world, fuelling conflicts and displacement.   Forced displacement has doubled in the past 10 years, but is met with decisions by states to cut funding and implement efforts to deter migration, externalise asylum procedures, reduce refugee protection space, and renege on their burden-sharing responsibilities. These policies and the lack of legal pathways for migration also contribute to the rise in human trafficking.   Women of all ages and girls in conflict settings, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, and Sudan, who are often at the forefront of community-led response, face unacceptable gender-based violence, including horrific sexual violence.   Women and girls are affected by high levels of reproductive violence, including deliberate destruction or blocking of sexual and reproductive healthcare. In 2023, 58% of maternal deaths, 50% of newborn deaths, and 51% of stillbirths occurred worldwide in 29 countries with humanitarian crises. This is expected to worsen, as many women of all ages and girls face life threatening consequences from the loss of access to quality health services.   The decline in funding that followed the COVID-19 response along with the progressive prioritisation, tightening, and boundary-setting, including the “hyper-prioritisation” of the 2025 GHO, have already left millions behind. The 2026 GHO edition has been tightened further.   We appreciate the continued investment in evidence-based identification of both the full number of people in need of assistance, those most in need, and those to be targeted. But we warn that we have reached the limits of “severity of needs analysis”. As the Emergency Relief Coordinator noted, “the cruel math of doing less with less” comes down to an impossible choice of who lives, who does not and between “saving lives today and giving people any chance at a future tomorrow”.   The loss of thousands of staff across the sector directly impacts communities. We have less capacity to coordinate, and to assess and meet the needs of people requiring assistance.   Even with reduced capacity, what we do know is that needs are at unacceptable levels and continue to grow.   Decline in development funding, in disarmament and peace efforts, and failure to limit the impacts of climate change mean that root causes remain unaddressed. Worryingly, states are withdrawing from multilateral agreements, such as the Ottawa Treaty, that were developed with the goal of better protecting civilians.   Despite broad public support for aid in most donor countries, politicians pander to anti-aid actors, adopting narratives and policies that create a sense of “us versus them” for their constituencies. We urge donors to resist these narratives and fully fund the 2026 GHO with timely, quality funding that reaches local and national organizations as directly as possible, including those led by women, which are often best placed to respond.   Humanitarian suffering anywhere is a concern for us all. We call upon all nations and additional stakeholders, including private sector, Multilateral and International Financial Institutions, to contribute principled and quality humanitarian funding.   Political action to prevent and end conflict is paramount. We need more ODA, including development and peace funding, directed to fragile and conflict-affected settings.   We need political action to firmly defend humanitarian norms and values. We welcome initiatives to improve compliance and accountability, such as the Global Initiative to Galvanise Political Commitment to IHL and the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. Such efforts remind us that the law is clear. What is lacking is the political will to respect it.   Violations must end. Parties to conflicts must uphold their obligations, and all governments must use their influence and fulfil their responsibility to end impunity and ensure consistent adherence to international law.   http://reliefweb.int/report/world/year-no-other-ngo-statement-launch-new-un-2026-appeal http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026/article/under-fire-and-under-pressure-what-happens-when-humanitarian-action-hindered http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026/article/humanitarians-action-delivering-2025-amid-extreme-challenges http://humanitarianaction.info/document/global-humanitarian-overview-2026   http://www.icrc.org/en/article/humanitarian-outlook-2026 http://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unicef-calls-urgent-investment-life-saving-services-children-global-humanitarian http://www.wfp.org/news/wfp-prioritize-feeding-110-million-hungriest-2026-global-hunger-deepens-amidst-uncertain http://www.unhcr.org/news/press-releases/despite-funding-cuts-unhcr-responded-multiple-complex-emergencies-last-year http://www.nrc.no/news/2025/december/2026-millions-in-need-will-not-get-aid-unless-global-solidarity-revived http://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2025/12/11/abrupt-transitions-global-humanitarian-overview-pushes-dangerous-trend http://www.rescue.org/press-release/irc-emergency-watchlist-2026-new-world-disorder-driving-unprecedented-humanitarian   The State of Protection in 2025. (Global Protection Cluster)   This note aims to support Member States in aligning political, financial and operational support with realities on the ground. This year’s context is shaped by two major shifts: the deepening of protection risks in large-scale conflicts and protracted crises – from Gaza, Sudan and eastern DRC to Myanmar, Ukraine and multiple contexts across the Sahel and the Americas – and the restructuring of the humanitarian system under the Humanitarian Reset, which prioritises life-saving outcomes and simplified coordination amid significant funding cuts.   Global Protection Trends   The global protection landscape in 2025 is marked by a scale and severity of civilian harm that surpasses previous years. According to the Global Protection Update of October 2025, an estimated 395 million people in 23 countries are exposed to protection risks (including 254 million in Africa, 78 million in Asia, 28 million in the Americas, 20 million in MENA and 15 million in Ukraine).   This number reflects individuals and communities facing direct, often life-threatening threats from violence, coercion and deliberate deprivation. The estimate is based on extensive monitoring of protection risks at subnational level undertaken by Protection Clusters, complemented by 24 national and subnational Protection Analysis Updates published in 2025.   The analysis confirms that the most severe and recurrent protection risks include attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, abductions, arbitrary detentions, severe movement restrictions and forced displacement, all driven by conflicts and by the growing disregard for and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and the lack of accountability for it.   Gender-based violence, impediments to and denial of legal identity, and intensifying psychosocial distress, compounded by the denial of essential services and opportunities, are consistently reported at severe levels, further highlighting the impact of these risks on crisis-affected individuals.   Harm to civilians is increasingly heightened by social, psychological, and economic threats that extend beyond physical dangers. These are driven by societal norms, misinformation, and failures within legal systems, exploiting vulnerabilities such as social exclusion, limited awareness of rights, and economic instability.   This year’s trends show clearer, group-specific patterns of harm: for example, men and boys remain heavily affected by abductions and illegal detention, while children face persistent risks of family separation and forced recruitment (especially boys). Women and girls continue to be disproportionately impacted, with early and forced marriage and other gender-based harms.   These patterns highlight an increased stratification of protection risks. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Myanmar, the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt - Gaza & West Bank), Sudan, and Ukraine face the most extreme situations.   This year, the deterioration was most visible in Gaza, where the crisis has deepened into famine amid continued bombardment and the destruction of civilian infrastructure and lives. In Sudan, particularly in El Fasher, civilians remained trapped in siege-like conditions for more than 500 days followed by horrendous rapes, killings and other abuses.   In the eastern DRC, the rapid escalation of the M23 offensive in January resulted in the capture of Goma and Bukavu within three weeks, the killing of an estimated 3,000 people, and the displacement of over one million additional people, bringing total internal displacement to 6.4 million.   Myanmar continues to experience widespread rights violations, with more than 19,900 people arrested since the 2021 coup and 7,100 still in detention, including humanitarian workers. In Mozambique, escalation of attacks on civilians and civilian objects, and destruction of property has led in recent weeks to forced displacement of nearly 100.000 people.   The number of people displaced by gang violence in Haiti doubled from September 2024 to October 2025, while killings, kidnapping and sexual violence are being used as tactics to extort and terrorize communities.   Other crises reflect a similar pattern of risk concentration. In Venezuela, the collapse of public institutions, combined with extreme economic decline is driving families into negative coping mechanisms such as child marriage, child labour and trafficking.   Across the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, armed group activity, forced recruitment, displacement, sexual violence and denial of services continue to dominate the protection landscape, while growing insecurity further constrains humanitarian access.   A coordinated subnational analysis by the Protection Cluster and partners covering 2,673 administrative areas in 23 countries, shows that in every country assessed, many communities are living in areas where multiple severe or extreme protection risks overlap. All countries in the analysis have at least one area facing combined severe or extreme protection risks.   Overall, 32% of all assessed areas across the 23 countries face extreme or severe levels of violence, coercion and deprivation.   For example, in Afghanistan, some districts are exposed to eleven severe or extreme risks at the same time. Communities in Burkina Faso. South Sudan, Niger, Somalia, Myanmar and Colombia see overlapping patterns of violence, deprivation and limited access leaving populations with almost no protective options.   Given the current humanitarian context – marked by significant service gaps and limited response capacity – it is essential to identify specific geographic areas where the combination of violence, coercion, and deliberate deprivation is not only acute and harmful, but at clear risk of further escalation.   This situation is highly worrying and leads to further deterioration when communities are hit by natural hazards or the impacts of climate change. In areas where protection risks already overlap, contingency planning and preparedness are extremely difficult, and natural hazards become far more devastating, creating new protection risks, and increasing humanitarian needs.   Recent examples include severe flooding in South Sudan, Nigeria, Venezuela and earthquakes in Myanmar and Afghanistan, which have displaced large populations, exposed them to heightened protection risks (19.9 million in Myanmar and 1.2 million in Afghanistan), disrupted essential services and worsened pre-existing vulnerabilities.   In these contexts, individuals face the combined effects of environmental hazards, conflict and exclusion – an interaction that greatly increases the risks of exploitation, violence, loss of property and family separation.   Protection risks remain high in countries experiencing accelerated transition, where changes in humanitarian presence and programming create additional vulnerabilities.   In Cameroon, the Far North, Southwest and Northwest regions face high levels of abductions, kidnappings, unlawful detentions and killings. In Colombia, an estimated 167 municipalities face at least four of the 15 protection risks at severe or extreme levels.   In Nigeria, 11 Local Government Area (LGAs) face a similar combination of risks. Across several operations (Afghanistan, DRC, Syria) massive return movements have occurred – sometimes under adverse circumstances – underscoring the critical need for sustained protection support to ensure that people can return in safety, dignity, and with their rights upheld.   Emerging protection challenges are increasingly shaped by both deliberate tactics of harm and rapid technological change. In several crises, the weaponization of food, the use of famine as a method of warfare, and siege tactics are being employed to exert control over civilian populations, cutting off access to essential goods and services and exacerbating vulnerabilities.   The continued, and at times increasing, use of rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war to exert power and control, deny and destroy the lives and dignity of women, children and also men remain worrying.   At the same time, technology is transforming the protection landscape: while digital tools can improve early warning, communication, and access to assistance, they also introduce risks such as surveillance, data exploitation, misinformation, technology facilitated violence, and exclusion of those without digital access. Together, these dynamics demand adapted protection strategies that address both intentional deprivation and the evolving digital threats facing affected communities.   The use of new methods of warfare – particularly drones – by state forces, armed groups, and gangs is outpacing existing prevention, protection, and response capacities, creating new and poorly regulated risk environments for civilians.   The use of explosive weapons in populated areas is only adding to an already dire situation.   The rapid concentration of humanitarian assistance in a limited number of locations, combined with widespread service reductions, is shifting disproportionate responsibility and risk onto local NGOs and frontline actors – often without the resources, security guarantees, or institutional support required to operate safely and effectively. Together, these trends point to a global protection environment where conflict-driven risks, discrimination, deliberate deprivation and institutional collapse increasingly overlap.   The deterioration is widespread, multi-dimensional and advancing faster than the humanitarian architecture, even after the Reset, can adapt to.   Large segments of the population are now directly exposed to severe violence, coercion and deprivation, driven by the flagrant disregard and violations of IHL and human rights law and lack of accountability for it.   These harms are further compounded by discriminatory norms, misinformation, weak legal systems, limited awareness about rights and economic instability.   Protection in the Context of the Humanitarian Reset   The Humanitarian Reset, announced in March 2025, represents a system-wide effort to reform humanitarian action, improve efficiency and sharpen the focus on life-saving activities. For the protection community and in light of the protection situation across the globe, the Reset has reinforced a core message: most humanitarian crises are fundamentally protection crises – stemming from repeated violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, deliberate deprivation and systemic exclusion.   The Reset is taking place amid historic funding cuts that threaten the continued delivery of essential protection services. In 2024, protection actors received US$1.9 billion (53% of the US$3.6 billion required). By 30th November 2025, the Protection Cluster and its AoRs have received 34% of its US$3.5 billion requirement, with projected shortfalls of up to 66% across major crises.   Financial resources for protection are not necessarily evenly distributed across crises. For instance, emergencies in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Myanmar, and Haiti have particularly large protection funding gaps (less than 25% funded), while several protracted crises remain chronically underfunded (Somalia, Yemen, the Sahel and the Americas). The 10 most underfunded protection crises this year are El Salvador, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Honduras, Guatemala, Mozambique, Somalia, Venezuela, Haiti.   The hyper-prioritisation exercise launched in June 2025 provides a stark illustration of this growing gap between needs and available resources. Across all operations, 168 million people were identified as in need of protection; however, only 24.7 million people – 14.7% of the total – could be prioritised under the hyper-prioritised plans. This left 143.3 million people unreached, despite high levels of exposure to harm.   Meeting the protection needs of even this reduced caseload required US$1.2 billion in urgently mobilised resources. Funding gaps are growing faster and becoming larger.   Protection actors have long had to adapt and work together to keep the most critical services going. What is different and more worrying this year is the impact these gaps are having on how protection is delivered. Protection programmes were forced to scale down or stop altogether in multiple countries, increasing the risk of exposure to violence and exploitation.   A shrinking humanitarian footprint is also weakening early warning and protection monitoring in many contexts, shifting away from prevention. Loss of experienced protection staff has weakened survivor-centered care and the delivery of specialized services.   If funding pressures continue, reduced protection presence on the ground will mean more violations undetected, delays in critical response, and greater exposure of civilians to escalating threats.   Women-led and survivor-led organisations were disproportionally impacted by the funding cuts and report shrinking civic space and growing operational constraints. The closure of Women and Girls Safe Spaces and Child Friendly Spaces, case management and other essential services is already happening in numerous operations, eroding hard-won gains in Child Protection and Gender Based Violence prevention and response and community led engagement.   Meanwhile, the Reset is accelerating the transition of humanitarian coordination structures in countries such as Cameroon, Colombia, Eritrea, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Careful planning and adequate resourcing are needed to mitigate protection gaps in contexts where national systems have limited capacity to take on these responsibilities.   The transition process and planning must be grounded in a robust protection analysis that systematically consider remaining protection risks and resulting needs that may be exacerbated by, or result from, changes to the coordination of the humanitarian response, and population groups at risk of being left behind.   Protection must be recognised, resourced and supported as central to life-saving action. Without this recognition, the narrowing of the humanitarian response footprint risks amplifying the very protection risks the Reset seeks to address.   Uphold international law and demand protection of civilians.   Member States should press all parties to immediately cease violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including combating impunity and holding those responsible for violation accountable.   This includes preventing forced displacement, siege-like situations, attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, conflict related sexual violence, child recruitment and the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. They should ensure communities retain access to essential services, resources, and assistance.   Sustaining protection requires long-term support to community-based structures, women-led and survivor-led organisations, organisations of persons with disabilities, and other frontline actors. Donors should provide flexible, multi-year funding that enables these organisations to operate safely, maintain services, and participate in coordination and decision-making.   Protection outcomes cannot be achieved through humanitarian action alone. Member States should advocate for embedding protection-risk reduction and measurable outcomes as accountability benchmarks across financing, reporting, and oversight mechanisms, and ensuring protection risk analysis and conflict prevention systematically informs diplomatic, peacebuilding, and development decision-making.   Member State representatives should work closely with protection actors to ensure that protection considerations shape humanitarian policies, high-level negotiations, and operational planning. Protection risks reduction must remain a core objective across inter-agency coordination mechanisms, leadership and pooled funding decisions, and transition processes.   http://globalprotectioncluster.org/index.php/publications/2393/communication-materials/advocacy-note/high-level-humanitarian-donors-briefing http://globalprotectioncluster.org http://alliancecpha.org/en/technical-materials/impact-funding-cuts-children-and-their-protection http://alliancecpha.org/en/annual-meeting-2026/background-paper http://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/2026/03/statement-by-ms-vanessa-frazier-special-representative-of-the-secretary-general-for-children-and-armed-conflict/ Visit the related web page
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