UN News Today 22 May 2026 |

Gaza: Life-saving medicines blocked as killing continues, disease gains ground

In Gaza, civilians continue to face daily violence, rodent infestations and the spread of infectious disease – all being made worse by blockages of essential medical supplies, UN agencies warned on Friday.

Vital supplies and equipment are being prevented from entering the enclave by Israeli authorities, World Health Organization representative Dr. Renee Van de Weerdt told reporters in Geneva.

“Without laboratory equipment and reagents, we cannot diagnose diseases and detect potential disease outbreaks. We’re talking about hantavirus, we’re talking about Ebola virus. This is not luxury. This is equipment that we need to save lives, to detect diseases, to alert the world about potential outbreaks and make sure that people don’t die. And you can only imagine with the horrific living conditions, overcrowding, rodents, lack of water and sanitation, that this is urgently, urgently needed.”

The senior WHO official said adding to these shortages, there have been 22 attacks on healthcare facilities this year alone, while barely half of hospitals are “partially functional” – and not one is fully operational.

In the face of this, the WHO has helped local health authorities organise medical evacuations for thousands of patients to more than 30 countries. 

Efforts to increase the number of people receiving specialized care in Gaza are being led by the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, although Israel’s ban on its activities has badly impacted operations.

Director of Health Dr Akihiro Seita told reporters in Geneva that last year, the agency provided 4.5 million medical consultations in the enclave. Nearly 400 UNRWA staff have been killed during the Gaza war so far. 

Aid operations disrupted as civilian toll rises in Ukraine

Now turning to Ukraine, deadly attacks are intensifying, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes and disrupting humanitarian operations as the war enters its fifth year, says refugee agency, UNHCR.

On Wednesday, a missile strike hit a UN warehouse in Dnipro, killing at least two people and injuring others. The attack destroyed around 900 pallets of emergency shelter materials and basic aid supplies worth more than $1 million that were intended for displaced and war-affected communities near the front line.

According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, at least 815 civilians were killed and more than 4,100 injured during the first four months of 2026, a 21 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

UNHCR says nearly 47,000 evacuees have passed through its supported transit centres since January, though the actual number of displaced people is believed to be much higher. Many families are arriving with few belongings, including elderly people and people with disabilities.

The agency also warned that this could be part of a larger pattern, after two clearly marked UN aid convoys were struck by drones last week while delivering assistance in frontline regions.

UN warns against forced returns to Afghanistan

And finally, to Afghanistan, where UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk is warning countries to halt the involuntary return of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers, saying many face serious risks when they arrive home.

According to UNHCR, nearly 270,000 Afghans have been deported this year, mainly from Iran and Pakistan, adding to the more than 1.3 million Afghans deported from the two countries in 2025.

The UN says many returnees face arbitrary arrest, detention, torture and other abuses after returning to Afghanistan. 

Women and girls, former government officials, journalists, civil society activists and members of the LGBTQI+ community remain particularly vulnerable.

Türk also expressed concern over reports that some European countries are resuming or considering deportations to Afghanistan despite the country’s worsening humanitarian and human rights situation.

These forced returns violate the international principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits sending people back to places where they may face persecution or harm.

Ed de Bray, UN News.