“Thousands of surgeries have been postponed over the past month and people in need of care… have been put at risk” by the lack of power available to medical equipment, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Healthcare must be protected
He insisted that “health must be protected at all costs and never be at the mercy of geopolitics, energy blockades and power outages.”
This latest crisis for Cuba follows Hurricane Melissa last October, which affected more than 2.2 million people across the island nation.
The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, has launched a revised $94 million Action Plan to address the worsening humanitarian impact of severe fuel shortages.
Since January, reduced fuel imports have affected essential services. The updated plan aims to support two million people (about one in five Cubans) and now covers almost half of the country. So far, $26 million has been raised, leaving a funding gap of $68 million.
The response prioritizes maintaining essential services and sustaining life-saving supply chains, focusing on health, water, food security and education, along with alternative energy solutions. Access to fuel remains critical to implementation.
Haiti’s ‘vortex of violence’ now reaches disastrous levels
The Human Rights Council on Thursday examined the growing crisis in Haiti, as gangs starve and extort the Caribbean island’s population, according to the UN.
Data from the UN human rights office, OHCHR, shows that at least 5,500 people were killed and 2,600 injured in gang-related violence between March 1, 2025 and January 15, 2026.
In an update, the Council heard that 65 per cent of these casualties occurred during security force operations against gang members. More than one in five victims – including children – were hit by stray bullets in their homes or on the street.
The latest indications are that the gangs control most of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and are expanding to the outskirts and moving north towards the departments of Artibonite and Centro.
People displaced by violence in Haiti queue at an aid distribution site.
Gun-driven disaster
The emergency is “fueled by weapons,” said Deputy High Commissioner Al-Nashif, who described a “vortex of violence” and urged all governments to fully implement the Security Council arms embargo and stop the flow of firearms and ammunition into Haiti.
The gangs “kill, kidnap, beat and burn the bodies of anyone who stands in their way. This includes people who resist extortion and those they perceive as collaborating with the police,” Al-Nashif said.
It highlighted disturbing evidence that gangs force children to commit targeted killings, sexual violence and kidnappings, as well as monitor security forces and collect extortions.
The violence has internally displaced more than a million people; Thousands more have been displaced in recent weeks.
Deadly shipwreck in Djibouti leaves dozens missing
At least nine migrants have died and 45 remain missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti, the UN migration agency IOM reported on Thursday.
The ship, believed to be carrying more than 300 people, sank on March 24 while attempting to cross the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into Yemen. Survivors said many of those on board were Ethiopian citizens seeking better opportunities in Gulf countries.
“Every life lost at sea is too many,” said Tanja Pacifico, IOM Chief of Mission in Djibouti, warning that the tragedy could be “the first of many incidents this year” as seasonal winds and rough seas intensify.
The bodies of six men and three women have so far been recovered, while more than 120 survivors are being assisted at a migrant response center in Obock. Support includes food, shelter, medical care and psychosocial services.
Search and rescue operations led by Djibouti authorities continue.
Refugees and migrants, essential contributors’
The UN health agency, the WHO, published a new report on Thursday highlighting that refugees and migrants are more than just recipients of care: “they are essential contributors to our health systems and our societies.”
The WHO added that when host societies support their health and inclusion, we can all build stronger, fairer and more resilient communities. Find out more here.