The report highlights a sharp increase in settler attacks, along with demolitions, land confiscations and severe restrictions on access to services, creating what it describes as a “coercive environment” that forces people to leave their homes.
Fait accompli
UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that the trend risks further entrenching displacement and undermining prospects for a viable Palestinian state.
Israeli authorities have rejected similar conclusions, maintaining that settlement activity is legal and linked to security needs.
The OHCHR report reiterates that settlements in occupied territories are illegal under international law, as stated in UN Security Council Resolution 2334, and calls for an immediate end to the expansion and related practices.
The report documents “increasing incidents of settler violence resulting in killings, injuries and property damage, as well as relentless harassment, intimidation and destruction of Palestinian homes and farmlands,” UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters in New York.
Cuba blackout exposes deepening fuel crisis
Fuel shortages in Cuba are severely restricting access to basic services, the UN said on Tuesday, as a nationwide power outage underlined the scale of the crisis.
The outage followed a malfunction at a major power plant, and electricity only returned “gradually”, according to the UN aid coordination office, OCHA.
Humanitarians warned that the energy crisis is affecting daily life across the country. In Havana, uncollected garbage is piling up and air quality has worsened as residents burn waste and firewood for cooking.
Thousands of surgeries postponed
Officials say more than 50,000 surgeries were postponed in February alone due to power shortages.
Aid deliveries are also being affected. Dozens of containers remain in the capital’s Havana port, as fuel shortages are “slowing down and increasing the cost” of delivering assistance to those in need.
The Pan American Health Organization, affiliated with the UN health agency WHO, continues to supply medical supplies, but operations are limited.
The crisis comes amid tightening restrictions by the United States on fuel shipments to the island, which UN officials have warned are exacerbating existing humanitarian pressures.
Food aid is being prepared to be delivered by the World Food Program to the Cuban communities affected by Hurricane Melissa.
Funding cuts threaten progress on UN abuse safeguards
A sustained global effort is needed to address the root causes of sexual exploitation and abuse, the United Nations said on Tuesday, warning that funding cuts risk undermining hard-won progress.
A new report from Secretary-General António Guterres highlights system-wide measures to prevent and respond to abuses by UN staff and partners.
It highlights that addressing the problem requires confronting “inequality and power imbalances,” noting that women and girls represented 85 percent of victims between 2017 and 2025.
Safeguards are strengthened
Since 2017, the UN has strengthened safeguards through improved policies, coordination and public reporting, all based on a victim-centred approach. But challenges remain, according to the report.
Recent cuts to peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and development budgets are of particular concern as they “risk undermining decades of progress” and weakening victim support systems.
UN officials emphasized that predictable funding is essential to maintain protection and ensure accountability in all operations around the world.
The full report is available online here.
UN taps Joseph Gordon-Levitt to champion human-centric approach to AI
From Hollywood to global political debates, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is taking on a new role at the UN: helping to ensure that the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and digital technology remains grounded in human rights, inclusion and everyday experience.
The UN announced Tuesday that the actor, filmmaker and creative entrepreneur has been named its first Global Advocate for Human-Centered Digital Governance, a newly created role aimed at making complex digital policy debates more accessible and relevant to people around the world.
‘People-centered incentives’
“Digital technologies are transforming how societies function, how economies develop and how people relate to each other, often faster than our collective ability to respond,” said Li Junhua, head of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
The new role, he added, will help connect global policy discussions “with everyday experience,” while emphasizing accountability and inclusion.
In her new role, Gordon-Levitt will work with DESA and the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the United Nations’ global platform for digital public policy dialogue, to translate technical debates into accessible narratives and amplify diverse perspectives, particularly from communities often underrepresented in global policymaking.