Published on: 2026-07-16
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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July 15, 2026 UN
Top news of the day at the UN and worldwide: ongoing escalation in the Middle East, Security Council meeting on the situation in Colombia, energy crisis in Cuba, global vaccination rates.
Escalation in the Middle East
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is deeply concerned about the ongoing military escalation in the Middle East and calls on all parties to immediately take steps to de-escalate and return to the path of diplomacy. This was stated today by the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. According to him, a return to full-scale hostilities will bring unbearable suffering to civilians and will be a disaster for the global economy and international security. The UN head again called for the full restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters.
The situation in Colombia
While Colombia awaits the inauguration of the newly elected president, pockets of instability continue to threaten to undermine the progress achieved in the peace process. This was stated on Wednesday by Miroslav Jenča, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Colombia, presenting the quarterly report on the situation in the country at the UN Security Council meeting. According to him, the long-standing vacuum in security, governance, and development allows armed groups and criminal structures to continue fighting for control over strategic routes and the shadow economy in several regions.
Crisis in Cuba
The humanitarian units of the UN are monitoring the consequences of another major power system failure in Cuba. This is the third collapse in a week and the fifth since the beginning of the year. Regular power outages paralyze the supply of clean water, the operation of telecommunications and medical institutions, as well as the country’s economy as a whole. By the end of June, the UN and partners provided drinking water to about 500,000 people, and more than 900,000 Cubans received food aid. At the same time, only 40 percent of the required funds have been received to implement the UN plan to assist 2 million residents of Cuba.
Vaccination Report
Global vaccination rates have begun to rise again after a decline caused by the coronavirus pandemic. However, millions of children still remain unprotected against outbreaks of measles and other dangerous diseases. According to an annual report published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of children who start vaccination courses but do not complete them is increasing worldwide. In 2025, 57 countries reported large-scale measles outbreaks.
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