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People in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands are facing one of the most acute droughts they have ever endured. The dire situation—also ravaging communities across Ethiopia and Somalia—is forcing families to take desperate measures to survive. Hunger, displacement, disease outbreaks, conflict over scarce resources, and increased abuse and exploitation of children and women are just some of the consequences of this fast-deteriorating humanitarian crisis. in Kenya ramps up their response to support people affected by the drought.

Valentina Ejova breathed a sigh of relief only when she crossed the border. In both Ukraine and neighbouring countries hosting refugees,  is distributing dignity kits among other services.

For the third year in a row, Yemen is the country needing the most humanitarian funding support in the world. Of the 20.7 million people needing assistance, 12 million are in acute need. Though last year’s $100 million humanitarian appeal was only half funded, reached nearly 2.8 million people with reproductive health services and emergency relief.  Without additional funding, nearly 1.3 million women will be left without access to reproductive health care and protection and psychosocial support.

On 8 March, the Moldovan and Romanian Governments, with support from and set up a  to support the safe land movement of those fleeing Ukraine, including third-country nationals. Several buses travel each day from Romania to Palanca – Moldova’s easternmost point located at 2.5 km from Ukraine – to pick up refugees. When they arrive from Ukraine, refugees are greeted by authorities, humanitarian organizations, and volunteers, all eager to assist those newly arrived.

The Luuq district, located in the Federal Member State of Jubaland’s Gedo region, is intersected by the Juba River. For more than three months now, the river’s waters have steadily dwindled, leaving only brown puddles.With decades of conflict, recurrent climate shocks and disease outbreaks, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the humanitarian situation in Somalia was already grave. Even before the current drought, an estimated 7.7 million Somalis were in need of humanitarian assistance and protection this year – up 30 per cent from a year ago. The situation has deteriorated, with the current drought wiping out crop harvests and  livestock dying due to a lack of water and pasture, depriving many pastoral communities of their only source of income.  Some 4.5 million Somalis are directly affected by the drought, and about 700,000 people have been displaced. 

Six international football stars – including the first Syrian refugee to play in the German Bundesliga – are joining forces with the  (WFP) and the (UNHCR) to raise funds for people fleeing . The  includes players from across the UK’s Premier League, the Bundesliga and the French Division 1 Féminine, accompanies by music from WFP Goodwill Ambassador . UNHCR and WFP’s global  appeal comes at a time when almost a quarter of Ukraine’s population – more than 10 million people have been forced from their homes. WFP is building a massive operation to provide food for civilians trapped in major cities and assist others impacted by the conflict who have fled to neighbouring countries. This little girl is enjoying mealtime at a school serving as a reception centre for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova.

The persistent humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is unparalleled, with more than 24.4 million people requiring humanitarian assistance to survive. As the consequences of inaction will be swift and severe to reverse, frontline international and Afghan partners continue to deliver humanitarian aid under some of the most challenging circumstances. On Thursday, 31 March 2022, a will be convened online at the ministerial level by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, joined by Member State co-hosts including the Governments of Qatar, the United Kingdom and Germany.

11 years after the violent suppression of peaceful, popular demonstrations, Syria is still mired in war. More than 14 million civilians need humanitarian assistance with 12 million displaced, including over 6 million outside the country. The UN reports that at least 350,000 have been killed. Meanwhile, tens of thousands are detained, tortured, missing, or disappeared. Many rounds of peace talks have been attempted, and the is working with a committee to draw up a new constitution leading to free and fair elections supervised by the UN. But progress has been elusive.

Internally displaced persons rely on mobile health teams deployed by to remote areas of Afghanistan, where health services have been severely disrupted. Even before recent upheavals, Afghanistan had one of the  maternal mortality rates in the Asia and Pacific region at 638 deaths per 100,000 live births. Without additional funding, this number could soar to 963 deaths between now and 2025. In its , UNFPA seeks to raise $251.9 million to continue and expand services to address the reproductive health needs of 9.3 million Afghans.

31,000 people face famine-like conditions in Yemen – by June 161,000 people will be at risk. , and together sound the alarm - as calls for US$1.97 billion to save lives. 

Along with $500,000, is also donating $1 to from each ticket sold for his forthcoming After Hours Til Dawn tour, to pull 44 million people back from the brink of famine.

At the Starobilsk Multidisciplinary Hospital in Luhansk, women are giving birth in the basement with artillery shelling nearby. This woman had a baby boy on a day the hospital issued three bomb alerts. There are an estimated 265,000 pregnant women in Ukraine, 80,000 of whom will deliver in the next three months.  remains on the ground and is preparing to increase operational capacity to deliver life-saving sexual and reproductive health services and supplies. 

In response to the Russian military offensive in Ukraine which began on 24 February, the 51�Թ� and humanitarian partners are scaling up the delivery of life saving support to people affected by the conflict. Guided by the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, humanity and independence, UN staff are working on both sides of the contact line, to provide humanitarian relief to people in need, particularly women, children, elderly people and those with disabilities. The 51�Թ� . Follow the latest developments in the Security Council and General Assembly.

In the days since Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine, the world has seen the photographs of women giving birth in underground metro stations and newborns hastily being moved to makeshift bomb shelters as health facilities become inaccessible or too damaged to function. An estimated 80,000 women will give birth in the next three months in Ukraine – many of them without access to critical maternal health care. remains on the ground and is preparing to increase operational capacity to deliver life-saving sexual and reproductive health services and supplies. 

Rockets have been “raining down” on Ukraine’s cities and hundreds of people have been killed or injured since the Russian military offensive began, said the UN Secretary-General, at the launch of a $1.7 billion to provide urgently-needed assistance. António Guterres’s comments came as latest UN data indicated that 677,000 people have fled Ukraine since 24 February: “51�Թ� agencies and our partners are now working 24-7 to assess humanitarian needs and scale up aid, particularly to women, children, older people and those with disabilities.”