© Avaaz/J. Clark A hospital ward is destroyed after fighting in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Top news of the day | Friday: Ebola, cholera, Afghanistan, health care attacks UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the UN continues to support efforts to combat the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and cholera in Cameroon; over the five years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, more than 2.6 million girls have lost access to secondary education; in 2026, 914 attacks on healthcare facilities have already been recorded.
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has spread to a sixth province. As of August 12, more than 4,660 cases of the disease have been confirmed, including 2,184 deaths. Meanwhile, UN agencies are expanding aid. The World Food Program will begin providing hot meals to new Ebola treatment centers. UN Deputy Humanitarian Chief Tom Fletcher today announced an additional $30.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to combat the outbreak.
Cholera in West and Central Africa
Fletcher also committed $1 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support the fight against a cholera outbreak in northern Cameroon. This will strengthen measures to prevent and treat the disease, as well as provide the population with drinking water and sanitation services. According to the latest data, more than 1,250 cases of cholera have been recorded in the country, and 31 people have died. The infection is spreading rapidly in West and Central Africa. Active outbreaks have been reported in six countries in the region, with the largest in Nigeria.
Restrictions on girls and women in Afghanistan
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported today that in the five years since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, more than 2.6 million girls were deprived of the opportunity to receive secondary education. The UN agency warns that girls out of school are at increased risk of exploitation, abuse, child marriage and violence. Despite current restrictions, UNICEF continues to support educational programs in Afghanistan.
Attacks on health facilities
This year, the World Health Organization has recorded 914 attacks on health facilities and personnel, killing at least 911 people and injuring 1,486. This equates to more than four attacks each day. Ukraine, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory were hit hardest by attacks on the medical system. Since the start of the full-scale war, WHO has confirmed more than three thousand attacks on Ukrainian medical facilities, ambulances and warehouses.