World leaders have thrown their weight behind the first-ever United Nations global political declaration tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health together.
The text, negotiated over five months, will go before the General Assembly for approval in just a few weeks' time.
It was adopted at a high-level meeting at UN Headquarters late on Thursday, where heads of State, government leaders and health ministers stressed the urgency of coordinated action.
NCDs such as heart and lung disease, cancer and diabetes are the world's biggest killers.
Over 40 million premature deaths annually
They claimed 43 million lives in 2021, including 18 million people under 70. Mental health conditions affect more than a billion people worldwide.
The declaration sets specific targets for 2030: 150 million fewer tobacco users, 150 million more people with hypertension under control, and 150 million with access to mental health care.
It also broadens focus to include oral health, childhood cancer, kidney and liver disease, and rare conditions, while tackling environmental risks such as air pollution, unsafe cooking fuels and hazardous chemicals.
Strengthened measures address e-cigarettes, junk food marketing to children and the elimination of trans fats. Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic are also built in, along with recognition of digital harms linked to social media, excessive screen time and misinformation.
People living with NCDs and mental health conditions must be at the heart of our response, said the World Health Organization ( WHO ).
Sudan: Khartoum returnees face a shelter crisis, warns IOM
The ongoing war between rival militaries in Sudan has left vast areas devastated and people returning to their homes without adequate shelter and only limited access to water and food.
Plea for more support
In an appeal for international support, the UN migration agency, IOM , said that two in every three people going back to the capital now live in shelters in need of urgent repair.
The UN Children's Fund ( UNICEF ), meanwhile, reported that the war has uprooted more than five million children. Many youngsters face acute hunger and disease outbreaks, while millions still live in conflict-affected areas.
To help, the UN agency is providing life-saving support for health, nutrition, education and protection.
UN humanitarians in Darfur said that civilians in El Fasher, the besieged state capital, continue to endure relentless attacks, acute hunger and cholera.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric added on Friday that civilians face daily threats from shelling, air strikes and drone attacks, with fierce clashes reported in north-eastern districts of North Darfur in recent weeks.
Clashes have displaced millions and left half the population of Sudan acutely food insecure - nearly 25 million people. Famine has also been officially declared in North Darfur and South Kordofan.
Ukraine: WFP food boxes provide lifeline for frontline communities
Despite the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine, UN aid teams and their partners are still managing to support frontline communities, the World Food Programme ( WFP ) said on Friday.
The UN agency reported delivering more than a quarter of a million food boxes across eight frontline regions in Ukraine last month.
The boxes "continue to be a lifeline for people" on the frontline, WFP said.
It thanked the EU and Norway for supporting the aid operation which distributes basic foodstuffs in places where markets are closed or food prices are very high.
Partnership for the homeless
In a related development, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR , announced a $5 million partnership with Saudi Arabia to support vulnerable Ukrainians forced to leave their homes because of the war.
The agreement was signed on the margins of the High-Level Week of the General Assembly in New York and follows the kingdom's $10 million donation for Ukraine in 2024.
The UN refugee agency said Saudi Arabia's support would ensure that families are protected against harsh winter weather conditions in Ukraine as temperatures drop.
UN raises alarm over South Sudan's worsening human rights crisis
On Friday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk voiced deep concern over the rapidly worsening human rights situation in South Sudan, citing that nearly 2,000 civilians have been killed this year amid rising political tensions and violence.
According to his office, OHCHR , at least 1,854 have been killed, 1,693 injured, 423 abducted, and 169 subjected to sexual violence in civil conflict from January to September.
The UN Mission in South Sudan ( UNMISS ) reports that the first quarter of the year saw the highest civilian casualties in a three-month period since 2020, with the second quarter showing a sharp rise in victims from 144 to 438 compared to last year, driven by conventional conflict parties and other armed groups.
Communal violence has also surged, with a 33 per cent rise in incidents, particularly due to intra-communal clashes among Dinka sub-clans in Warrap State and retaliatory attacks involving Murle, Dinka Bor, and Lou Nuer armed groups.
"Men, women and children have been killed, injured and displaced, and homes, schools, health centres and other infrastructure destroyed, with devastating consequences on civilians. This is unconscionable and must stop," said Mr. Türk.
UN urges fair trial
Court proceedings got underway on Monday in the capital Juba, in the trial of First Vice President Riek Machar and other senior members of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition.
They face charges of murder, treason, crimes against humanity, and other related offences related to a deadly attack earlier this year on a national army base, in which over 250 soldiers were allegedly killed by forces loyal to Mr. Machar.
"It is imperative that the ongoing judicial proceedings against First Vice President Riek Machar and his co-accused fully comply with international human rights standards," said the UN rights chief.
