UN Reports Ethiopia Aid, Condemns Abyei Drone Strikes, Tracks Heat Risks
WHO scales up health aid in northern Ethiopia, Guterres condemns deadly Abyei drone strikes, and UN agencies launch heat-health indicators for mothers and children.
The story in focus
The World Health Organization is expanding emergency health operations across Ethiopia's Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions and has delivered more than 71 tonnes of supplies. Separately, the UN Secretary-General condemned drone strikes near Abyei's Amiet Market that killed dozens of civilians, while UN agencies launched indicators tracking extreme heat's effects on pregnancy and newborns.
- WHO has delivered more than 71 metric tonnes of essential supplies to Tigray, Amhara and Afar, including cholera and reproductive health kits.
- Guterres condemned drone strikes near Amiet Market and the Todach area in Abyei that killed dozens, injured many and set structures ablaze.
- WHO, WMO, UNICEF and UNFPA launched priority indicators on heat impacts on pregnancy, newborns and children.
Ethiopia health response
The World Health Organization is scaling up emergency health operations in Afar, Amhara and Tigray to address needs arising from ongoing hostilities. The agency said it has strengthened emergency coordination, deployed technical teams and expanded support to keep essential health services running, working with regional authorities and partners including UNICEF and UNHCR.
WHO has delivered more than 71 metric tonnes of essential supplies, including emergency health kits, cholera response materials, reproductive health kits and medicines for noncommunicable diseases. It is also supporting outbreak investigation, vaccine distribution, emergency referrals and public health monitoring, with mobile teams providing primary care and maternal and reproductive health services.
Abyei drone strikes condemned
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned deadly drone strikes near a busy market in Abyei on Monday that killed dozens of civilians, injured many others and set structures ablaze. In a statement published late Wednesday, he offered condolences to victims' families and called on Sudan and South Sudan to help prevent further attacks and uphold Abyei's demilitarised status.
The UN peacekeeping force UNISFA deployed medical personnel, firefighting equipment and quick reaction forces after the strikes on Amiet Market and the Todach area, supporting emergency treatment and casualty evacuation. Guterres said attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited under international law and stressed the need for accountability.
Heat and child health
WHO, the World Meteorological Organization, UNICEF and UNFPA launched the first set of priority indicators on extreme heat's effects on pregnancy, newborns and young children. The framework recommends monitoring pre-term births, stillbirths, low birthweight, pregnancy hypertension, child deaths and health-facility visits during extreme heat.
An estimated 1.5 billion children worldwide are exposed to heatwaves that are becoming more frequent, longer or more severe. WHO official Bruce Gordon said health systems need data to recognise this reality and act, from protecting people during heatwaves to building climate risk into everyday services.
How many children are estimated to be exposed to heatwaves?
The UN agencies estimate that about 1.5 billion children worldwide are exposed to heatwaves that are becoming more frequent, longer or more severe, according to the newly launched heat-health indicator framework.
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