© Unsplash/K.Mazhar Ships remain blocked in the Strait of Hormuz. Top news of the day | Friday: Middle East, shipping, Sudan, forest fires UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: renewed attacks by the Houthis on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the crisis of seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz and other regions, lack of clean water and sexual violence in Sudan, a sharp increase in the scale of forest fires in Europe.
Attacks from the Houthis
The UN Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by the renewed Houthi attacks on commercial ships sailing through the Red Sea. According to him, this threatens to drag Yemen even deeper into the regional conflict. According to a statement issued by the press service of the UN chief, Antonio Guterres calls for immediate de-escalation and urges the Houthis to refrain from new attacks and other actions that could lead to a further aggravation of the situation. He added that freedom of navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and adjacent waters must be fully restored.Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for urgent action to protect thousands of seafarers caught in the grave crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. The UN Human Rights Office has received information that some shipowners have abandoned their crews at sea, leaving seafarers without support, the ability to return home or any resources. In addition, Turk expressed concern about the situation of seafarers in other regions of the world, including the Azov and Black Seas, where attacks on civilian merchant ships continue. Sudan faces harassment, rape and other forms of sexual violence. UN Women announced this on Friday. As the peak of the monsoon season approaches, the lack of clean water increases the threat of infections. Cholera has already engulfed parts of Sudan, with 1,330 cases reported in the country at the beginning of July, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This was stated by the Director of the European Regional Office of the World Health Organization, Hans Kluge. Last year, forest fires burned 2.2 million hectares across the region. For comparison, in 2022 this figure was 1.4 million hectares. At the same time, from January to July this year, a sharp increase in the scale of forest fires was registered in a number of countries. In Portugal and Spain they more than doubled compared to the same period in 2025.