“Between yesterday and early today, a large-scale overnight drone and missile attack in Ukraine and frontline hostilities caused damage to dozens of residential buildings in kyiv, as well as in the provinces of Kirovohradska, Kyivska and Vinnytska.”
power outages
In the Odessa region, about 40,000 families were left without electricity, and in the Poltava region, damage to gas installations interrupted the power supply to about 20,000 families and businesses.
“Our humanitarian partners on the ground provided materials for basic repairs and first aid,” Dujarric said, adding that during January, according to the UN and its partners, almost 7,000 people were evacuated from frontline areas in eastern Ukraine.
This week saw the start of the year of war in Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 22, 2022. For a full rundown of how the UN marked the anniversary, check out our live coverage from Tuesday.
Many immigrants lose their lives crossing the Mediterranean Sea in unseaworthy boats (archive)
21 migrants a day died during 2025: UN migration agency
At least 7,667 people died or went missing while attempting to migrate last year, highlighting the need for greater global action to dismantle trafficking networks that exploit people on the move.
In fact, 21 migrants died every day in 2025, according to new data published Thursday by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
“The continued loss of life on migration routes is a global failure that we cannot accept as normal,” said Amy Pope, the agency’s director general.
Actual toll likely higher
In 2025, at least 2,185 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean, while 1,214 were recorded on the West Africa/Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, reflecting how sea crossings continued to be among the deadliest routes.
Despite the year-on-year declines, the actual number of victims is likely higher, as at least 1,500 more people were reported missing at sea but could not be verified due to limited access to search and rescue information.
However, at least 270 human remains washed up on Mediterranean shores in 2025 without being related to any shipwreck.
In addition, three boats that had attempted to cross the Canary Islands were later found drifting towards Brazil and the Caribbean with the remains of 42 people on board.
Intensify search and rescue
The agency also provided information from other regions, including the Americas, where 409 deaths were recorded in 2025, the lowest figure since the start of data collection in 2014.
This is likely due to fewer people crossing the dangerous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama, the US-Mexico border and other irregular routes.
IOM urged governments and partners to intensify coordinated search and rescue operations to prevent further loss of life, strengthen international cooperation to dismantle criminal networks and expand safe and regular migration.
IOM supports response efforts following deadly rains in southeast Brazil
Heavy rains this week in the state of Minas Gerais, in southeastern Brazil, have caused loss of life, displacement and significant damage.
Record rainfall caused flooding that reportedly displaced more than 3,500 people in three towns (Juiz de Fora, Matías Barbosa and Ubá) in a region characterized by hills and mountainous terrain.
The UN migration agency is supporting authorities in response efforts and assisting affected families, including migrants.
As an immediate measure, essential items will be delivered to the municipal authorities of Juiz de Fora on Friday.
Shelter and services
IOM is also mobilizing a team to provide technical support for the management and organization of shelter facilities in partnership with a national task force, among other assistance.
“In times like this, it is critical to ensure that affected communities can access timely assistance, safe shelter and essential services,” said Paolo Caputo, Chief of Mission in Brazil.
IOM has been in Minas Gerais since 2019. The agency works in partnership with authorities to promote the integration of migrants and support the voluntary return and reintegration of Brazilian nationals.
In 2024, IOM supported the flood response in another state, Rio Grande do Sul, where more than 1,000 people were sheltered for almost a year in three reception centres.