UN News Today 10 July 2026 |

Sudan’s war-torn communities now facing deadly cholera outbreak: WHO 

A deadly new cholera outbreak in war-torn Sudan has already claimed more than 100 lives, heightening serious concerns for vulnerable communities under attack.

In an alert, the UN World Health Organization, WHO, said that several states have been impacted by the preventable disease, which can be deadly if not treated quickly.

The official toll is more than 1,330 confirmed cases and 114 deaths, said Dr Shible Sahbani, UN World Health Organization Representative to Sudan.

He called for access to the key North Kordofan city of El-Obeid, that’s under siege from paramilitary Rapid Support Forces:

“We call for our partners and donors to help us to be able first to access and second to be able to send enough supplies and enough facilities in El-Obeid. But we know that the situation there is very, very bad and it’s worsening with higher risk of disease outbreaks, malnutrition, violence, including violence against women and children.” 

The cholera case fatality rate is already “extremely high” at 13.7 per cent and it is expected to worsen when the upcoming rainy season sets in.

Sudan is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis with more than 33 million people in need; this includes 21 million who require health services. Since war erupted on 15 April 2023, at least 59,000 people have been killed.

Funding cuts erode critical support services for vulnerable women and girls everywhere

At least one million women and girls have lost access to critical support since January 2025 because of aid cuts for humanitarian work.

That’s the warning from UN Women, which said that almost nine in 10 women’s organizations cannot meet growing needs today, coinciding with the steepest annual decline in official development assistance on record.

Here’s agency spokesperson Sofia Calltorp:

“Just as we record the highest level of armed conflict that the world has seen in decades, four in 10 women’s organisations working in humanitarian crises expect to close in the next 12 months. Cases of conflict-related sexual violence doubled in 2025. And yet, nearly two-thirds of women’s organisations have told us that safe spaces and gender-based violence services have been significantly reduced or are no longer available in their communities.”

The findings are based on responses from 855 women-led and women’s rights organizations across 52 countries in crisis or where there is conflict. 

These include the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies, such as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti.

In these countries, as elsewhere, women’s organizations operate where international actors have no access.

Approximately 120 million women and girls require humanitarian assistance and protection worldwide today, according to UN Women. 

Sri Lanka prison violence families deserve to know the truth: OHCHR

To Sri Lanka, where families of inmates and guards killed during prison riots earlier this week deserve to know what actually happened, the UN human rights office, OHCHR, said on Friday.

The violence erupted at Negombo city jail, around 25 miles north of Colombo. According to reports, at least 23 people died and 15 were critically injured.

In a statement, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said that the episode underscored the need to tackle concerns about prolonged pre-trial detention in Sri Lanka, along with overcrowding and poor conditions: 

“The families of the dozens who were killed and injured, including inmates and prison officers, deserve to know the truth and to see accountability. We welcome the authorities pledged to carry out investigations into the incidents, and these must be prompt, independent and transparent.”

A disproportionate number of people are detained for drug-related offences in Sri Lanka, Ms. Shamdasani maintained, adding that many of them would benefit from a health-centred approach, as opposed to incarceration.

The UN human rights office official urged the authorities to grant the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka unfettered access to Negombo prison and all other jails.

This includes detention facilities where OHCHR said prisoners were transferred and allegedly tortured. 

Daniel Johnson, UN News