UN News Today 24 August 2026 |

UNIFIL spokesperson Kandace Ardiel told UN News that it is hard to overstate the devastation.

She highlighted concerns that the damage appeared to be “systematic rather than selective”.

“Homes and businesses, schools and hospitals and other critical infrastructure like roads, electricity and water networks, the things on which civilians depend each day, have been damaged and destroyed.”

Peacekeepers in Lebanon support UN and other humanitarian partners on the ground by helping to coordinate their convoys and providing escorts to the most vulnerable communities. 

The soldiers also support people “directly where we can”, Ms. Ardiel noted, with small projects that include rebuilding smashed water infrastructure, providing school supplies to students, or distributing food and hygiene items for those in need. 

DR Congo Ebola outbreak still seeing record levels of infection

It is 100 days since the Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which has seen unprecedented levels of infection, at a rate of 90 cases a day.

In an update on Monday, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said that this infection rate is faster than what was seen during previous outbreaks in West Africa from 2014-2016 and in DRC from 2018-2020.

Latest data from the DRC health authorities indicate 5,515 cases and 2,642 deaths. More than eight in 10 cases are in Ituri and Nord Kivu provinces and six in 10 deaths are happening in the community and not in treatment centres.

This highlights the difficulty in detecting cases of infection early in eastern DRC, a resource-rich region where heavily armed groups have fought for control for decades.

Fear of the disease is also linked to attacks against healthcare professionals and community workers who are also struggling to reach and teach vulnerable communities how to avoid catching Ebola.

Sudan war: $22 million education boost to help 200,000 children

For millions of children in Sudan, the classroom remains out of reach as the country’s civil war continues to disrupt their education. To help tackle this huge problem, the UN global education fund on Monday announced a $22 million initiative to help 200,000 youngsters return to learning.

The three Sudanese states receiving support are West Darfur, South Kordofan and Gedaref, where the aim is to restore “safe, quality and inclusive education”, amid the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis.

Maysa Jalbout, Director of Education Cannot Wait, insisted that education remains one of the most powerful tools to protect millions of children and support recovery. 

“This investment is about much more than reopening classrooms. It is about supporting children to regain a sense of safety and normalcy while strengthening education systems that can continue serving communities through crisis and into recovery,” she said.

Since conflict erupted in April 2023 between the Sudan’s rival militaries, 14 million people have been forced to flee their homes; nearly 34 million now require humanitarian assistance. 

Announcing the multi-year investment initiative, Education Cannot Wait said that at least eight million children – nearly half of Sudan’s 17 million school-age children – are still out of school.