Agnès Arbat from Spain has won the 2025 EU prize for woman innovators. She is the co-founder of a company that develops innovative drugs to enhance fertility. Camille Bouget (France) took the Rising Innovator award and Débora Andreia Campelo Campos (Portugal), the EIT Women Leadership prize.
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At the end of the EU-Central Asia summit, European Council President António Costa held a joint press point with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In his remarks, President Costa highlighted the summit as the beginning of a new chapter in the EU-Central Asia partnership, which was elevated to a strategic level.
Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the earthquake has “supercharged the suffering”.
“Myanmar today is the scene of utter devastation and desperation,” he said.
He emphasised that even before the disaster, the country was grappling with political turmoil, human rights abuses and a worsening humanitarian situation.
“We need rapid action on several fronts,” he said.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 17 million people have been affected by the earthquakes, with nearly nine million experiencing the highest level of devastation.
Over 370 people remain missing, while thousands of others are injured. Telecommunications, power, and water supply systems have collapsed in the hardest-hit regions, leaving survivors without basic necessities and humanitarians struggling to reach them.
Road access between Yangon and central Myanmar requires detours, delaying aid deliveries, while commercial flights to Mandalay remain suspended.
“The hardest-hit areas remain without electricity and water, while telecommunications and internet access are severely disrupted, cutting off affected communities from essential services,” OCHA said in a flash update.
Meanwhile, entire families, including children, are sleeping in the open due to fears of aftershocks or because their homes have been destroyed.
Makeshift shelters are overcrowded and lack security and privacy, increasing the risk of sexual- and gender-based violence, UN agencies warn, calling for urgent measures to ensure safety and dignity of women and girls.
Julia Rees, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Myanmar, describes the situation in some of the worst affected areas:
Mr. Guterres announced that he is dispatching UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher to Myanmar to oversee relief operations.
“He will be on the ground tomorrow,” Mr. Guterres said, adding that Special Envoy Julie Bishop will visit Myanmar in the coming days to reinforce the UN’s commitment to peace and dialogue.
The UN has also allocated $5 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for immediate aid, while the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has mobilized $12 million for food, shelter, water, sanitation, debris removal and healthcare.
However, these funds fall far short of what is needed.
“I appeal to the international community to immediately step up vitally needed funding to match the scale of this crisis,” Mr. Guterres said.
A boy, with his sister beside him, sits on a piece of a collapsed wall of community hall in Mandalay. Thousands of families have lost their homes in the city in the aftermath of the earthquakes.
One of the biggest obstacles to relief efforts is the ongoing conflict in Myanmar. The country has been in turmoil since the military overthrew the democratically elected government in 2021, leading to widespread violence and displacement.
While Myanmar’s military and armed opposition groups have announced temporary ceasefires to facilitate aid deliveries, Mr. Guterres stressed that these must translate into lasting peace.
“I appeal for rapid, safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to reach those most in need across the country,” he said, calling on all parties to uphold their obligations to protect civilians.
As humanitarian operations scale up, UN agencies have warned that time is running out. Initial assessments indicate that more than 76 per cent of those surveyed have yet to receive any assistance.
With the monsoon season approaching, the risk of disease outbreaks and further displacement looms large.
Beyond immediate relief efforts, Mr. Guterres called for the earthquake response to serve as a turning point for Myanmar.
He called for the current tragic moment to become an opportunity for the people of Myanmar, appealing for a political process that includes an end to violence, the release of political prisoners and a pathway to democracy.
“As communities across Myanmar unite in grief, it is also time to unite behind a political solution to end the brutal conflict,” Mr. Guterres said.
In addition to restoring democracy, he stressed the need for a comprehensive solution that includes the safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh.
“The United Nations will keep pushing for peace and lifesaving support for the people of Myanmar in their hour of need.”
In his opening remarks at the first EU-Central Asia summit in Samarkand, European Council President António Costa highlighted the 30-year diplomatic ties between the EU and Central Asia. Marking a new chapter in the relations between the two regions, the summit elevates the EU-Central Asia partnership to a strategic level and President Costa emphasised the need for continued and deeper cooperation to tackle global and regional challenges.
Intense clashes between local armed groups and M23 rebels were reported on Thursday in the town of Masisi Centre in North Kivu.
Preliminary reports from partners on the ground indicate at least two civilian fatalities and multiple injuries, with several wounded evacuated to Masisi General Hospital.
Meanwhile, many civilians remain confined to their homes due to active crossfire, intensifying fear and limited access to basic needs and services.
“The volatility of frontlines and ongoing combat have rendered comprehensive assessments impossible,” OCHA said.
Despite international support, armed groups have made significant recent gains, particularly the M23 movement, which claims to defend the interests of Congolese Tutsi – many of whom were exiled to Rwanda – and is reportedly backed by Rwandan forces. The extremist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) also remain active in the region.
In eastern Masisi, where the security situation allows, UN partners are delivering critical aid to displaced and returning populations.
OCHA noted that since yesterday, partners have been distributing household and hygiene kits to more than 500 displaced households in Sake’s collective centre.
Furthermore, 19 of 24 water points in Sake have been rehabilitated, restoring access to safe water for over 4,000 households.
In South Kivu, fighting flared again on Tuesday in Fizi Territory, as local armed groups clashed with M23 fighters.
The violence struck the villages of Mulima and Lusuku – both already sheltering thousands of displaced families – prompting another wave of forced displacement.
Meanwhile, in the southern province of Tanganyika, a rapidly escalating cholera outbreak is placing thousands at risk.
As of Wednesday, nine out of 11 health zones in the province are affected, with more than 1,450 confirmed cases and 27 deaths reported since January – a six-fold increase compared to the same period last year.
UN health partners point to severely limited access to safe water – with less than 20 per cent coverage in affected areas – and insufficient healthcare capacity to manage cases effectively.
This year’s topic: ‘Making Europe Safer’Participants have to be part of law enforcement agencies of EU Member States or of countries that have agreements and working arrangements with Europol. The 2025 Europol photo competition casts a wide net, inviting submissions that showcase the many ways that law enforcement officers are actively ‘Making Europe Safer’. Europe’s security starts abroad, which is…
Ambassadors met for an emergency session to discuss the escalation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Rights chief Volker Türk said he was pained to brief the Council once again on the “catastrophic suffering of people in Gaza,” noting that “the temporary relief of the ceasefire, which gave Palestinians a moment to breathe, has been shattered.”
He reported that since 1 March, Israeli military operations have killed more than 1,200 Palestinians, including at least 320 children, according to the Gaza health authorities.
Mr. Türk said he was appalled by the killing of the medical and humanitarian personnel.
“There must be an independent, prompt and thorough investigation into the killings, and those responsible for any violation of international law must be held to account,” he said.
He highlighted that there is nowhere safe to go in Gaza amid ongoing bombardment. Furthermore, half of the territory is now under mandatory evacuation orders or has been declared a no-go zone.
At the same time, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups continue to launch indiscriminate rockets from Gaza into Israel, in breach of international humanitarian law.
“I am also deeply concerned about the fate and well-being of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza,” he said.
Meanwhile, a month has passed since Israel imposed a complete blockade on vital humanitarian aid and supplies entering Gaza, including food, water, electricity, fuel and medicines.
“The blockade and siege imposed on Gaza amount to collective punishment and may also amount to the use of starvation as a method of war,” he said.
The UN rights chief was alarmed by the inflammatory rhetoric by senior Israeli officials around seizing, annexing and dividing territory, and about transferring Palestinians outside Gaza.
“This raises grave concerns about the commission of international crimes and runs counter to the fundamental principle of international law against the acquisition of territory by force,” he said.
Mr. Türk also addressed the “extremely alarming” situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where Israeli operations have killed hundreds, destroyed entire refugee camps and displaced over 40,000 Palestinians.
“Illegal settlement expansion continues unabated as some Israeli ministers advocate for Israeli sovereignty in the occupied territory,” he added.
The High Commissioner urged the immediate restoration of the ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Gaza.
He stressed that “nothing can justify the horrific attacks committed against Israeli communities on 7 October 2023. And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
More than 50,400 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, and more than 114,000 others injured, since the beginning of the war, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Mr. Türk warned that there is a high and increasing risk that atrocity crimes are being committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He recalled that under the Geneva Conventions, States are obligated to act when a serious violation of international humanitarian law is committed.
Furthermore, States party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide have a responsibility to act when the risk becomes apparent.
“I urge all those with influence to ensure the protection of civilians as a matter of absolute priority,” he said.
The High Commissioner stressed the need to ensure full accountability for all violations, and to release all hostages immediately and unconditionally, as well as all those arbitrarily detained.
“Israel must refrain from any acts amounting to forcible transfer of Gaza’s population,” he stated.
Mr. Türk said the last 18 months of violence have made abundantly clear that there is no military path out of the crisis.
The only way forward is a political settlement, based on two states living side by side in equal dignity and rights, in line with UN resolutions and international law, he concluded.
Informal Foreign Affairs Council Defence: remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas after the meeting
Citing credible reports of extrajudicial killings in several areas of the capital, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the victims were suspected of collaborating with rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fighters.
“I urge the commanders of the Sudanese Armed Forces to take immediate measures to put an end to arbitrary deprivation of life,” insisted Mr. Türk, pointing to reports attributing the killings to SAF soldiers, State security personnel and affiliated militias.
The High Commissioner’s comments follow the review of “multiple horrific videos” available on social media since 26 March, apparently filmed in southern and eastern Khartoum and showing armed men “some in uniform and others in civilian clothes” executing civilians.
In some of the video footage, perpetrators state that they are punishing supporters of RSF, the UN rights chief said, adding that he was “utterly appalled” by the development.
One report from the Janoub Al Hezam area of southern Khartoum apparently showed the alleged killing of at least 20 civilians, including one woman, by SAF and affiliated supporters.
“Extrajudicial killings are serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law,” Mr. Türk said. “Individual perpetrators, as well as those with command responsibility, must be held accountable for such unacceptable actions under international criminal law.”
Sudan’s spiralling crisis stems from the breakdown of a transition to civilian rule after the overthrow of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019.
The country was the first that Mr. Türk visited as High Commissioner in November 2022 and he has invested heavily in trying to protect Sudanese people from heavy fighting and the catastrophic humanitarian crisis that has gripped the country. In May 2024 he spoke to rival generals Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan of the SAF and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF, in an effort to pursue a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
At the current Human Rights Council session in Geneva, however, the High Commissioner warned more than 600,000 people are on the brink of starvation in Sudan after nearly two years of fighting.
“Famine is reported to have taken hold in five areas, including Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur,” Mr. Türk said, referring to the shelter where the UN World Food Programme (WFP) was forced to suspend its lifesaving operations amid intense fighting.
An additional five more areas could face famine in coming months and a further 17 are at risk, the High Commissioner told the Council on 27 February. “My own staff have heard harrowing testimonies of death from starvation in Khartoum and Omdurman.”
In an alert late Wednesday, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, warned that 250,000 people – mostly women, children and older people – had fled violence in the Al Malha area, around 180 kilometres north of El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state.
“Many are now scattered across 15 villages, lacking even basic necessities, the UN agency said, highlighting that just last week, the UN migration agency, IOM, said that 75,000 people had been displaced because of clashes.
“The newly reported figure would mark a very significant escalation in displacement and signal a serious deterioration in an already dire humanitarian situation across North Darfur,” OCHA said.
In eastern Sudan, meanwhile, humanitarian partners continue to respond to a hepatitis outbreak spreading among displaced communities at the Gharb Al Matar displacement site in Kassala state.
Between 27 and 31 March, more than 60 new suspected cases were reported, bringing the total to 236 cases in less than a month.
The outbreak is being driven by overcrowded living conditions, poor sanitation and limited healthcare.
A woman cooks by her shelter in a camp for displaced people in Kassala state, Sudan.
To date, an estimated 8.8 million people have been forced from their homes to camps and other locations within Sudan; 3.5 million more have fled across borders.
More than 30.4 million people need assistance, from healthcare to food and other forms of humanitarian support. Less than 30 per cent of hospitals and clinics are still working, and outbreaks of disease are rampant in displacement camps.
In a statement, Mr. Türk expressed concern at the rise in online hate speech and incitement to violence in Sudan, “with lists of individuals accused of collaborating with the RSF posted online”.
The High Commissioner also warned that ethnic groups from the Darfur and Kordofan regions were being targeted disproportionately, before calling for the Sudanese authorities to launch independent, transparent and effective investigations into the latest incidents.
Listen to an interview with OHCHR spokesperson Seif Magango
