Since the start of 2026, the UN migration agency, IOM, reports that over 300,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in South Sudan. This repeated displacement is hindering families’ ability to recover.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated at a regular Noon briefing that the UN and its humanitarian partners are prioritizing aid to the most affected areas. The World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners have provided food to more than 300,000 individuals in the Jonglei state counties of Ayod, Duk, Nyirol, and Uror this year. UNICEF and other nutrition partners have resumed delivering essential supplies to remote locations, including thousands of cartons of high-energy biscuits and Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food.
Efforts are also underway to pre-position food, health, and nutrition supplies before the April to October rainy season, which often restricts access to communities. Nearly 10 million people, over three-quarters of the population, will require humanitarian assistance in 2026. The $1.5 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan has only received $351 million, less than a quarter of the required funding.
Mr. Dujarric urged for donations, emphasizing that without urgent and sustained support, many communities face a critical risk of life-threatening food insecurity in South Sudan.
Philippines Intensifies Crackdown on Online Fraud Centers with UN Support
The Philippines is accelerating its efforts to dismantle online scam centers, with assistance from the UN. Filipino authorities have rescued approximately 6,000 individuals, including over 3,000 foreign nationals, from these centers to date. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has helped develop new operating procedures, which became effective this week, focusing on a victim-centered approach to improve prosecutions and ensure victims are treated as survivors of trafficking.
Miklos Gaspar, Director of the UN Information Centre in Indonesia, noted that this initiative demonstrates effective joint results when a government is committed to combating scam centers and corruption. He explained that scam compounds have proliferated across Southeast Asia, attracting victims with false job offers and then forcing them into online fraud. These operations are often part of larger global criminal enterprises, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime warns that organized fraud networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, utilizing advanced technologies and targeting individuals worldwide to generate billions in illicit profits.
Latin America and Caribbean Brace for Shifting Migration Patterns
Violence linked to organized crime, economic changes, evolving migration policies, increased returns and deportations, and the escalating impact of climate-related hazards are expected to significantly alter migration trends across Latin America and the Caribbean. A new report from the UN migration agency, IOM, released on Thursday, indicates that migration in the region is becoming more complex and rapidly changing, driven by diverse, multidirectional, and dynamic movements rather than traditional patterns.
Emerging new pathways are intensifying pressure on border areas and urban centers. Currently, nearly 80 million international migrants reside in Latin America. In 2024 alone, 14.5 million internal displacements were recorded, mainly due to disasters, while displacement linked to conflict and violence affected nearly 1.5 million people.
Ana Durán Salvatierra, a senior IOM official in the region, stated that the focus is on preparing for various possible scenarios rather than predicting the future. She highlighted that migration will continue to evolve, posing the question of whether responses will be reactive or proactive. Intraregional migration remains a significant characteristic, with approximately 6.9 million Venezuelans living across Latin America and the Caribbean, primarily in Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Chile, and Ecuador. The IOM report aims to develop plausible scenarios and outline practical implications for planning and resource allocation, moving beyond reactive measures.
