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UN briefs on global humanitarian crises: Sudan, Yemen, South Sudan, DRC and South Africa floods
Summary
UN officials warned of worsening humanitarian conditions worldwide, citing Sudan as the largest crisis with 30 million in need, severe hunger in Yemen, constrained access in South Sudan's Upper Nile, displacement increases reported by UNHCR, and floods in South Africa's Eastern Cape killing dozens and damaging schools.
United Nations officials used the June 12 briefing to flag multiple worsening humanitarian emergencies around the world, calling for funding, protection and safe access for aid.
Tom Fletcher, Undersecretary‑General for Humanitarian Affairs (quoted in a statement read by the spokesperson), said Sudan has become “a grim example” of indifference and impunity and described it as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis with 30 million people — roughly half the population — in need of life‑saving aid. The briefing said indiscriminate shelling, drone strikes and other air attacks are killing, injuring and displacing civilians across Kordofan and Darfur.
On Yemen, the briefing summarized remarks from Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy for Yemen, and Joyce Msuya, Assistant Secretary‑General for Humanitarian Affairs, that some 17,000,000 people — nearly half of Yemen’s population — are estimated to be acutely hungry and that funding shortfalls are constraining the humanitarian response; both officials called for the unconditional release of detained UN personnel.
The integrated food security classification for South Sudan showed deteriorating food and nutrition conditions in areas hit by recent fighting; the briefing said humanitarian access in parts of Upper Nile remains severely constrained and warned families there are “on the brink of catastrophe.”
The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bintu Keita, was reported to be in Goma for a three‑day visit to meet local authorities and mission partners to discuss protection of civilians and other priorities.
Separately, the UN resident coordinator’s office in South Africa reported severe floods in the Eastern Cape province that had killed 57 people and damaged about 127 schools in 10 districts; the briefing said search and rescue operations were ongoing and that UN teams were engaging with national and local authorities.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, released its annual global trends report noting 122.1 million forcibly displaced people by April 2025, up from about 120 million a year earlier; the briefing said conflicts including Sudan, Myanmar and Ukraine remain primary drivers and that 60% of the displaced never leave their own country, while 73% of those who cross borders remain in neighbouring low‑ and middle‑income countries.
Speakers at the briefing repeatedly called for funding, accountability, safe humanitarian access and adherence to international humanitarian law.
