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UN News
UN News - Global perspective Human stories

Global perspective Human stories

Wider hantavirus outbreak risk is ‘absolutely low’, insists UN health agency

The risk of hantavirus spreading to the general population is “absolutely low”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Friday, as a flight attendant tested negative for the disease after coming into contact with an infected passenger from the cruise ship at the centre of the outbreak, who later died. 

8 May 2026

‘Every Bird Counts’: How city residents can help protect migratory birds

Did you know that millions of birds may be migrating silently overhead right now as you read this – and you don’t even need to leave the house to see them?

8 May 2026

‘Victims need a voice, assistance and justice’: UN victims’ rights advocate calls for stronger action

The United Nations Victims’ Rights Advocate has called for stronger and sustained action on behalf of the people she serves across the UN system.

8 May 2026

Lebanon war leaves families foraging for food despite ceasefire

The fragile ceasefire in Lebanon hasn’t prevented “ongoing killing and displacement”, with villages in the south of the country rendered completely unrecognizable after Israeli strikes, aid teams reported on Friday.

8 May 2026

Ukraine: Over 3,000 attacks on healthcare since full-scale Russian invasion

The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified more than 3,000 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the UN agency reported on Friday.

8 May 2026

Malaria vaccine is saving children’s lives: WHO

New evidence shows that malaria vaccination is significantly reducing child deaths in Africa and could have an even greater impact as programmes expand, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

8 May 2026

Somalia teeters on the brink of catastrophe as hunger crisis deepens

“This is not a distant warning. This is a crisis that is unfolding right now and it's deepening quickly.”

8 May 2026

Central African Republic: Funding cuts put humanitarian support at risk

The Central African Republic (CAR) is making progress towards stability and security but major aid budget cuts threaten humanitarian operations there, a senior official with the UN aid coordination office OCHA said on Friday in New York. 

8 May 2026

World News in Brief: Haiti crisis continues, Gaza-West Bank update, Sir David Attenborough at 100

Haiti continues to face escalating violence and deepening insecurity, with gangs expanding their reach beyond Port-au-Prince and civilians increasingly caught between armed groups and security operations.

8 May 2026

Countries make progress on migration pact, but more work remains

What do more than half of all doctors in Australia, over 40 per cent of Nobel laureates from the United States, and most of the workforce in some Gulf States have in common? 

7 May 2026