A deepening global hunger crisis is expected to affect 318 million people in 2026 -- more than twice as many as in 2019 -- the World Food Program warns, noting that it has plans to assist just 110 million due to a funding shortfall. The agency has estimated it will receive 40% less funding in 2025 than in the previous year, for a budget of $6.4 billion instead of 2024's $10 billion.

The World Health Organization will eliminate 2,371 positions -- about 22% of its workforce -- by June 2026 as part of efforts to address a $1.06 billion budget shortfall for 2026-27. The US, previously the WHO's largest financial supporter, withdrew its funding after President Donald Trump took office in January, costing the agency about 18% of its funding.

Digital violence against women is rapidly intensifying as AI and online anonymity enable new forms of abuse, including deepfakes, doxing and gendered disinformation, UN Women warns, adding that these threats now permeate all corners of the internet, spreading faster and becoming harder to detect. Nearly half of the world's women and girls lack any legal protection from online harassment and stalking, as only about 40% of countries have laws addressing cyberstalking or online harassment, leaving 1.8 billion women and girls exposed, the agency warns.