UN News Today 07 April 2026 |

Over 180 dead or missing in latest Mediterranean shipwrecks

Over 180 people are feared dead or missing in the latest Mediterranean shipwrecks, according to the UN migration agency, IOM.

That brings the total number killed attempting the crossing into Europe to almost 1,000 this year. 

Reacting to the figures on Tuesday, Amy Pope, the head of IOM, called for stronger efforts to stop traffickers and smugglers from exploiting vulnerable people, and an expansion of safe and regular pathways, so that no one is ever forced into these deadly journeys.

In just one incident, on 5 Apr, more than 80 migrants went missing when a boat capsized in the Central Mediterranean after departing from Tajoura, Libya, with around 120 people on board. 

Earlier, on 1 April, 19 people were found dead aboard a vessel off southern Italy near Lampedusa. It is believed that the boat had been adrift for three days before rescuers arrived.

Italy has recorded about 6,200 arrivals so far in 2026, down sharply from 9,400 over the same period in 2025, but fatalities are rising.

Thousands of Afghans displaced by conflict with Pakistan

More than 94,000 people in Afghanistan have been displaced from their homes since a flare-up of military activity with Pakistan that began in late February.

The UN humanitarian office in the country reports that several hundred civilians have been killed or   wounded by cross-border shelling, airstrikes and armed clashes.

25 health facilities and 41 schools across six Afghan provinces have been damaged, closed or suspended due to shelling and insecurity, disrupting essential health, nutrition and education services.

Despite the hostilities, humanitarian partners continue to deliver essential aid. Emergency food supplies are being distributed, as well as medical supplies and shelters.

Rwanda after the genocide against the Tutsi: ‘We recreated a new country’

For over three decades Rwanda has been recovering from the almost unimaginable horror of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. On Tuesday the UN commemorated the genocide – in which more than one million people were killed – with ceremonies held at several of its offices around the world.

The event was attended by survivors, senior UN officials and representatives of the Rwandan authorities, including Karoli Martin Ngoga, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations.

Speaking to UN News ahead of the ceremony, Mr. Ngoga said that he was hopeful that those born after the genocide against the Tutsi will help ensure that the country’s future remains peaceful.

The reconstruction of Rwanda is mostly focusing on young people. They are the majority. And they’re the ones who hold the future of our country. So, I can put it like this. We are trying to create a new people in Rwanda.

You can find the full interview, and more on the International Day of Reflection, on the UN News website.

Conor Lennon, UN News.