UN News Today 28 August 2026 |

Death toll mounts in Nepal as aid scales up

Local authorities in Nepal report that 553 people have died as a result of the catastrophic flooding that swept through rivers on the border between Nepal and the Tibet autonomous region of China on Wednesday.

Official figures released on Friday state that 3,742 people have been rescued, while 977 people – many of whom are likely tourists – remain missing.

Authorities on the Chinese side of the border reported on Friday that five people have been confirmed dead and 558 remain unaccounted for.

Lila Pieters Yahia, the UN’s Resident Coordinator in Nepal, visited the disaster zone to help oversee search and rescue efforts.

“The damage is just incredible. You have over 40 bridges which have been destroyed or severely damaged. You have over 40 kilometers of road completely destroyed. You have hydropower which (has) been either damaged or completely destroyed. We saw a whole truck full of people; an entire family had just been rescued. And I can tell it was very, very emotional. People are extremely, extremely stressed, but obviously very, very happy that they were rescued.”

Scientists say the flooding was likely caused by a large chunk of ice falling off a glacier and tumbling into the valley below.

This is the second time in less than a year that massive flooding has hit northern Nepal.

Aid teams are working around the clock to locate more survivors, while multiple UN agencies are on the ground providing emergency supplies.

Still, the UN says more international support is needed to sustain the emergency response.

Civilians remain at serious risk in southern Lebanon

The UN is warning of growing risks to civilians in southern Lebanon as the conflict continues between Israel and Hezbollah.

The UN’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, says recent strikes have occurred outside its area of operations.

However, the impact of the conflict is still being felt across southern Lebanon and along the Blue Line, which separates Lebanon from Israel.

UNIFIL spokesperson Kandice Ardiel says violence has decreased compared with previous months, but the mission has recently observed military activity in its area, including logistical movements, demolitions and projectile launches.

The mission is also concerned about extensive damage to homes, roads and other civilian infrastructure. Damaged roads are making it harder for residents to travel between villages and access essential services, while humanitarian organizations and peacekeepers are also facing difficulties moving around.

With UNIFIL’s mandate due to expire at the end of this year, the UN is also considering options for maintaining a smaller presence in Lebanon to monitor the Blue Line and support political efforts to maintain stability.

Seafarers remain trapped in Strait of Hormuz

Six months after the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran began, around 6,000 seafarers remain on 400 ships trapped in the Persian Gulf unable to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

That’s according to a statement released by Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary-General of the UN’s International Maritime Organization, or IMO.

While some ships and their crews have been able to leave the Persian Gulf, the key international waterway through which around 20 per cent of global oil supplies pass remains largely closed to maritime traffic.

Initially, around 20,000 seafarers were stranded on 2,000 vessels.

Josephine Latu-Sanft is a spokesperson for the IMO.

CUT (soundbite in SharePoint: 28UNNT-CUT-IMO.mp3)

“Thousands of seafarers in the region continue to live and work under conditions of heightened risk and uncertainty.

The impacts of this crisis are huge – both in the short and long term. We’re talking the disruption of vital supply chains for fuels, fertilisers and other commodities, and this has consequences for communities and economies around the world.”

The IMO says that renewed political will and cooperation is needed to ensure the right of passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

To date, at least 70 attacks on international shipping have been verified by the IMO, with 19 seafarers killed.

Isaiah Steinberg, UN News