ReliefWeb - Updates (Headlines)

oPt: Gaza’s public health crisis deepens as rodent infestations, sewage overflow and soaring heat threaten civilians

International Rescue Committee — Thu, 21 May 2026 09:33:07 GMT

Country: occupied Palestinian territory

Source: International Rescue Committee

"People are telling us they feel stripped of dignity, safety and hope. Women are trying to care for their families in impossible conditions, while sewage overflows and sanitation systems collapse."

World: Strait of Hormuz conflict threatens global food prices as FAO warns time is running out

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:53:40 GMT

Country: World

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The window for preventive action is closing quickly. Decisions taken now on fertilizer use, imports and crop choices will determine whether a severe global food price crisis emerges in 6-12 months.

Bangladesh: UN and partners seek $710.5 million to meet critical needs of Rohingya refugees and host communities

UN High Commissioner for Refugees — Wed, 20 May 2026 08:03:12 GMT

Countries: Bangladesh, Myanmar

Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Nearly a decade after fleeing targeted violence and persecution in Myanmar, some 1.2 million Rohingya refugees reside in Bangladesh. Needs continue to rise as conflict forces more people to flee.

Funding cuts led to delayed detection of deadly Ebola outbreak in DR Congo, says IRC

International Rescue Committee — Tue, 19 May 2026 15:33:03 GMT

Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda

Source: International Rescue Committee

Suspected Ebola cases have risen sharply from 246 to 500 in just 96 hours across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, representing an increase of 103 percent over three days.

The world is on the edge of even greater pandemic damage, warns GPMB

World Bank — Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:00 GMT

Country: World

Sources: World Bank, World Health Organization

The report emphasizes that the real, near-term risk of another pandemic would strike a world more divided, more indebted and less able to protect its people than it was a decade ago.

DR Congo: IRC launches emergency response as rare Ebola strain with no vaccine spreads across DRC and Uganda

International Rescue Committee — Mon, 18 May 2026 07:33:14 GMT

Countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda

Source: International Rescue Committee

At least 88 people have died and 336 suspected cases have been identified in DRC. Preliminary testing indicates a rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are no vaccines or targeted treatments.

Risk of famine persists as nearly 19.5 million people face acute food insecurity in Sudan

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations — Fri, 15 May 2026 08:33:06 GMT

Country: Sudan

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UN Children's Fund, World Food Programme

FAO, WFP and UNICEF warn that two out of every five people in Sudan are currently facing crisis levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), according to the latest IPC analysis.

UN agencies warn of worsening hunger and malnutrition crisis in Somalia as famine risk emerges

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations — Fri, 15 May 2026 07:49:10 GMT

Country: Somalia

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, UN Children's Fund, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, World Food Programme

A rapidly intensifying hunger emergency is pushing six million people – 31 percent of the population – into critical levels of food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above), affecting 1.9 million children.

Drought and displacement affect millions in Somalia and Ethiopia

Médecins Sans Frontières — Wed, 13 May 2026 20:03:04 GMT

Countries: Somalia, Ethiopia

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières

As the needs are increasing, global funding support has collapsed. More than 6.5 million people, approximately one in every four Somalis, now face high levels of acute food insecurity.

DR Congo: Millions trapped in deepening hunger crisis in the DRC as needs far outpace humanitarian response

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations — Wed, 13 May 2026 16:03:03 GMT

Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Food Programme

About 26.5 million people are struggling to meet their basic food needs, according to the latest IPC analysis. Of them, more than 3.6 million face critical food shortages threatening their survival.

Renewed fighting in South Sudan's Akobo state is leading to an alarming humanitarian crisis, warns IRC

International Rescue Committee — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:03:30 GMT

Country: South Sudan

Source: International Rescue Committee

Escalating conflict since December 2025 has triggered mass displacement and an alarming surge in needs, pushing communities closer to IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) malnutrition levels.

WFP scales back food assistance in Syria amid funding shortfalls

World Food Programme — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:03:07 GMT

Country: Syrian Arab Republic

Source: World Food Programme

WFP has reduced its emergency food assistance by 50 percent, from 1.3 million people to 650,000 in May, and halted a nationwide bread subsidy programme that has supported millions daily.

More than four children killed or injured on average a day during ‘ceasefire' in Lebanon

Save the Children — Tue, 12 May 2026 12:51:41 GMT

Country: Lebanon

Source: Save the Children

New data shows 22 children have been killed and 89 injured since the temporary ceasefire on 17 April. This brings the number of children killed to almost 200 since renewed hostilities.

A demolition of homes, of schools, and of childhood in oPt

UN Children's Fund — Tue, 12 May 2026 10:33:06 GMT

Country: occupied Palestinian territory

Source: UN Children's Fund

Children are paying an intolerable price for escalating militarised operations and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, says UNICEF.

Killing and displacement of women and girls in Lebanon ongoing under a fragile ceasefire

UN Women — Fri, 08 May 2026 10:33:08 GMT

Country: Lebanon

Source: UN Women

Despite a ceasefire taking effect on 17 April, 25 women have been reported killed and 109 reported injured over the past three weeks, highlighting the continued danger women and girls face.

South Sudan’s humanitarian needs continue to rise

International Committee of the Red Cross — Fri, 08 May 2026 05:18:43 GMT

Country: South Sudan

Sources: International Committee of the Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, South Sudan Red Cross

The RCRC Movement urges all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under IHL, alleviating civilian suffering and fostering the path toward a peaceful future for South Sudan.

Civilians in DR Congo bear brunt of renewed violence in Ituri

Médecins Sans Frontières — Mon, 04 May 2026 12:34:39 GMT

Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Source: Médecins Sans Frontières

Renewed violence in Ituri, north-eastern DRC, has driven displacement and rising civilian injuries, with MSF treating thousands in Fataki since February 2026 amid an insufficient wider response.

World: Press freedom at a 25-year low

Reporters sans Frontières — Mon, 04 May 2026 04:14:47 GMT

Country: World

Source: Reporters sans Frontières

For the first time in the history of the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index, over half of the world’s countries now fall into the “difficult” or “very serious” categories.

Bangladesh: IRC launches emergency measles response for 20,000 children in Rohingya camps as outbreak spreads

International Rescue Committee — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:03:14 GMT

Countries: Bangladesh, Myanmar

Source: International Rescue Committee

As of 28 April, more than 34,600 suspected cases have been reported and more than 200 deaths confirmed from the disease. The risk of rapid transmission is acute in overcrowded Cox's Bazar.

Afghanistan: Looming deportations risk Afghans returning to country where one-third of people cannot feed their families

International Rescue Committee — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 05:03:12 GMT

Countries: Afghanistan, World

Source: International Rescue Committee

Afghans still remain the largest group arriving in Europe through the Balkans. Under pressure from EU member states to crack down on irregular migration, Afghans are among those being sent back home.