UN News Today 16 April 2026 |

Ukraine endures another night of Russian attacks 

The people of Ukraine endured another heavy night of Russian drone and missile strikes, with more than a dozen civilians killed and scores more injured. 

The UN’s top aid official in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, described the latest attack as “massive” and noted that it had targeted some of Ukraine’s largest cities, including Dnipro, Kyiv and Odesa. 

Mr. Schmale is head of the UN aid coordination office in Ukraine, OCHA: 

“We were with our OCHA and UN colleagues here in Dnipro overnight. We heard the loud explosions…This is unacceptable. I was also very struck by a colleague telling us that she’s a mother, how helplessly she felt through the night discussing with her daughter and feeling that she cannot do what she normally should do as a parent, which is protect her daughter. Again, these attacks have to stop.” 

According to Ukrainian officials, nearly 700 Russian drones were used in the latest attacks on Wednesday and overnight into Thursday. 

Russian forces also launched a reported 19 ballistic and cruise missiles, with many aimed at Kyiv.  

Ukrainian air defences shot down 636 drones and several missiles, but some strikes hit residential buildings.  

The dead included a 12-year-old boy; around 100 people were injured in total, the authorities said. 

Lebanon: Israeli strike kills four health workers: OHCHR, WHO 

To Lebanon, where four more health workers have been killed in a possible “double tap” Israeli strike on ambulances attending an earlier incident in Mayfadoun, in the south on Wednesday. 

The UN human rights office, OHCHR, said that medical personnel carrying out their duties must be respected and protected at all times under international law and that intentionally attacking civilians amounts to a war crime. 

The humanitarian crisis continues despite the announcement on Thursday from Washington of a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel following talks between national leaders, which makes no mention of warring party Hezbollah.  

According to the UN World Health Organization, 88 people have now been killed in attacks on healthcare in Lebanon since the start of ongoing strikes and exchanges of fire between the Israeli military and Hezbollah fighters. 

The agency condemned the ongoing violence across the Middle East and said that it would only create further chaos for people trying to access lifesaving care “and deepen trauma across generations”. 

Meanwhile, UNESCO called for “maximum restraint” after a school was reportedly flattened by Israeli forces in Marwahin in southern Lebanon, on Thursday. 

Speaking to UN News, the agency’s Krista Pikkat called for all necessary measures to “spare these educational, cultural, media, and scientific infrastructures” which form the “foundation” of society. 

Epstein files: Rights experts highlight obligation of States to act 

UN independent human rights experts have called for justice and accountability for young women and girls who were trafficked, linked to allegations contained in the so-called Epstein files. 

The Human Rights Council-appointed experts’ appeal follows the release of files relating to Jeffrey Epstein by the US Department of Justice.  

The allegations implicate senior politicians, public figures, diplomats, global business leaders and several leading academics. 

They describe the widespread trafficking of girls and young women across multiple international borders over decades. 

The experts emphasised that the trafficking of children and young women is a serious criminal offence and voiced deep concern over the “wholly inadequate” response by national governments and law enforcement. 

“States bear the obligation to act, and that obligation is long overdue,” they said. 

All independently appointed experts receive their mandates from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work. 

Daniel Johnson, UN News.