In Gaza, damaged facilities include nine schools and two health centres sheltering over 11,000 people, with at least five displaced individuals injured. UNRWA’s operations in Gaza City have been severely reduced after the closure of its only functioning health centre north of central Gaza. The UN humanitarian office, OCHA, has reported rising displacement and nearly 28,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children under five in July and August. In the occupied West Bank, UNRWA notes increased restrictions on Palestinian movement through newly installed road gates.
A new report from the UN Human Rights Council-mandated investigative body on Palestine indicates that Israel has shown a “clear and consistent intent” to establish permanent control over the Gaza Strip. The Commission found that Israeli authorities have systematically demolished civilian infrastructure, expanded buffer zones, and established corridors covering 75 percent of Gaza by July 2025, significantly limiting Palestinians’ territory and their ability to exercise self-determination.
The World Health Organization (WHO) responded to remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting that paracetamol use in pregnancy may cause autism. WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic stated that evidence remains inconsistent, emphasizing that medicines in pregnancy should be used cautiously under medical supervision, particularly in the first trimester. He also rejected claims linking routine childhood vaccines to autism, noting that WHO’s immunization programs have saved over 150 million lives in the past 50 years.
WHO also highlighted that more than 1.4 billion people worldwide live with hypertension, yet only one in five have the condition under control. Uncontrolled hypertension is a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, and dementia, killing over 10 million people annually. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that political will and investment could save millions of lives. The report shows disparities in treatment access, with only 28 percent of low-income countries having consistent availability of recommended hypertension medicines compared to 93 percent in high-income nations. Countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, and South Korea demonstrate that integrating hypertension care into universal health coverage can significantly improve outcomes.
In Nicaragua, UN independent rights experts warned of escalating repression extending beyond the country’s borders. Exiled opponents are reportedly stripped of nationality, denied passports, and targeted through surveillance, property confiscation, and threats to relatives. The misuse of international systems, including false Interpol alerts, forms part of a “cynical and calculated” strategy to silence dissent, according to experts. The June killing of retired army major and government critic Roberto Samcam in Costa Rica underscored the dangers faced by Nicaraguans abroad, while reports of enforced disappearances and deaths in custody highlight ongoing abuses within the country. The experts urged States to enhance protections for exiled Nicaraguans and consider legal action through the International Court of Justice.
