Since the beginning of 2026, according to the United Nations migration agency IOM, more than 300,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, and repeated displacements make it difficult for families to recover.
“We and our humanitarian partners prioritize helping people in the most affected areas,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said at the regular midday briefing.
The World Food Program (WFP) and its partners have distributed food to more than 300,000 people in Ayod, Duk, Nyirol and Uror counties in Jonglei State since the beginning of the year.
He added that “UNICEF and other partners working on nutrition have resumed delivering life-saving supplies to remote locations.” Thousands of boxes of high-energy cookies and Ready-to-Eat Therapeutic Foods have already been delivered.
Call for donations
Meanwhile, efforts are also underway to preposition food, health and nutrition supplies ahead of the rainy season, which runs from April to October and often cuts off access to communities.
Nearly 10 million people – more than three-quarters of the population – will need humanitarian assistance in 2026. This year’s $1.5 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan has so far received $351 million, or less than a quarter of what we need.
Dujarric encouraged everyone to donate, highlighting that “without an urgent and sustained response, many communities face an increasing risk of life-threatening food insecurity in South Sudan.”
How the Philippines is cracking down on online fraud hubs, with support from the UN
The Philippines is moving ahead with its bid to shut down online scam hubs, with the help of the UN. To date, Philippine authorities have released some 6,000 people from the centers, including more than 3,000 foreigners.
The role of the UN, through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, has involved the development of new operating procedures that came into force this week.
One of the key changes is a shift toward a victim-centered response, which aims to close the gaps that once made it difficult to bring prosecutions, while ensuring that victims are treated as survivors of trafficking and not criminals.
Fraudulent compounds spread
This shows how when a government is willing to combat fraud centers and corruption, the United Nations can provide effective help and jointly produce results,” says Miklos Gaspar, Director of the United Nations Information Center in Indonesia:
Gaspar explained that scam compounds have spread throughout Southeast Asia, luring people with fake job offers. They often get trapped and forced to commit online fraud.
Operations are often part of a wider global criminal enterprise and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has warned that organized fraud networks are becoming more sophisticated, using advanced technologies and targeting victims around the world, generating billions in illicit profits.
Massive migration expected in Latin America and the Caribbean
Violence linked to organized crime, economic changes, changing immigration policies, increased returns and deportations – and the growing impact of climate-related dangers – are set to reshape migration throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
As migration across the region becomes increasingly complex and rapidly changing, movements are no longer driven primarily by traditional patterns but are now more diverse, multi-directional and dynamic, a new report from the United Nations migration agency IOM revealed on Thursday.
New roads are emerging, increasing pressure on border areas and urban centres.
Currently, nearly 80 million international migrants reside in Latin America. In 2024 alone, 14.5 million internal displacements were recorded, mainly due to disasters, while displacements related to conflict and violence reached almost 1.5 million.
Preparing for the future
“It is not about predicting the future, but about preparing for different possible scenarios,” said Ana Durán Salvatierra, a senior IOM official in the region.
“Migration will continue to evolve. The key question is whether we react too late or prepare in advance.”
Intraregional migration remains a defining characteristic, including continued movements from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, with around 6.9 million Venezuelans living in Latin America and the Caribbean, mainly in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Chile and Ecuador.
Rather than forecasting exact outcomes, the IOM report develops plausible scenarios and highlights practical implications for planning, coordination and resource allocation, helping to move beyond reactive responses.