World News in Brief: Deadly attacks in South Sudan and Ukraine, World Court rejects Sudan case, lifesaving aid in Yemen
According to the UN relief coordination office (OCHA), the hospital in Old Fangak was struck early Saturday, killing seven civilians and injuring at least 20 more. The attack also destroyed vital supplies and forced the withdrawal of aid workers, leaving the town’s population without access to critical care.
“People in these areas are already battling flooding, food shortages and disease,” said Marie-Helene Verney, the UN’s acting Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan.
Too many lives at risk
“The destruction of critical health infrastructure and continued fighting puts innocent South Sudanese lives at risk.”
The bombing follows a wave of similar attacks in Upper Nile state, where health facilities in Ulang and Nasir have been targeted in recent months. The latest strike has heightened fears of renewed conflict as political and ethnic tensions rise nationwide.
The UN is now airlifting essential supplies to the area, but access remains limited. The violence has displaced over 130,000 people in the past two months, and aid agencies warn that South Sudan’s broader $1.7 billion humanitarian plan remains only 16 per cent funded.
Large-scale attacks on densely populated cities across Ukraine
The UN’s top humanitarian official in Ukraine on Monday condemned a series of Russian strikes this weekend on densely populated towns and cities.
Between Friday and Monday, at least 12 people were killed and more than 100 others injured in attacks that targeted Kharkiv, Kyiv and Cherkasy, and other regions in Ukraine.
These attacks also damaged homes, schools, a hospital and other civilian infrastructure, according to local authorities and partners, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq told journalists in New York.
In the aftermath of the strikes, “humanitarian organizations provided first aid, psychosocial support, emergency shelter kits, repair materials, meals and drinks,” Mr. Haq said.
In the Kharkiv region, a fire triggered by a strike near the city of Izium on Sunday, burned 85 hectares of land and damaged over a dozen buildings. There were no casualties reported, Mr. Haq added.
Meanwhile, UN agencies alongside partners reached 600,000 people so far this year with first aid, medical transport, primary care and mental health support, including at transit centres for displaced people.
Yemen: UN delivers lifesaving medical supplies
The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday delivered critical medical supplies to seven health facilities in Yemen, where a collapsing health system and chronic shortages continue to endanger millions.
With support from the Government of the United Kingdom, IOM shipments are reaching hospitals and clinics in Aden, Lahj, Shabwah, Al Bayda and Sana’a – facilities serving both migrants and local communities.
“Every day, our teams see the impact of empty medicine shelves and overwhelmed clinics, on families and entire communities,” said Abdusattor Esoev, head of IOM in Yemen.
“By delivering essential supplies and supporting frontline staff, we are not just responding to urgent needs – we are keeping health services running for those who have nowhere else to turn.”
Crisis on crisis
The intervention comes amid an alarming health crisis.
Nearly 20 million people in Yemen require medical assistance in 2025, but over half of the country’s health facilities are only partially functioning or have shut down altogether. Funding gaps have left 382 facilities unsupported, forcing many to close or drastically cut services.
IOM’s assistance includes essential medicines, surgical equipment and infection prevention tools, as well as infrastructure repairs and support for health workers.
For many in the strife-torn country, IOM-supported clinics remain the only source of free medical care.
ICJ rejects Sudan’s genocide case against UAE
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has rejected Sudan’s case accusing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of complicity in genocide in Darfur, citing a lack of jurisdiction.
In the decision, the UN’s top judicial body ruled on Monday by a vote of 14 to two that it could not proceed with the case brought by Sudan under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) and declined to impose any provisional measures, as Sudan had requested.
The Court also removed the case from its general list by a vote of nine to seven.
“Having come to the conclusion that it manifestly lacks jurisdiction, the Court is precluded from taking any position on the merits of the claims made by Sudan,” the ruling stated.
Complicity charge
Sudan had accused the UAE of backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), alleging its support amounted to complicity in genocidal acts against the non-Arab Masalit population in West Darfur.
The conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army has claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 12.7 million people since April 2023.
The Court noted that while it could not hear the case, all States remain bound by their obligations under the Genocide Convention.