World News at a Glance: Refugee funding, US migration policy trigger ‘streak’ of human rights abuses, world forest report, restorative justice in Colombia

Zaatari refugee camp hosts more than 80,000 Syrians and more than half of them are children.

According to the agency, if investments are not made soon, water and sanitation services could stop in a matter of months.

UNICEF Regional spokesperson Louise Wateridge stated that many children in Zaatari were born in the camp.

‘Lifeline’

“For them, the risk of disruption to water and sanitation services will add another layer of instability to lives already created by war and displacement. Access to clean water and sanitation remains critical for the children and families who still live here,” he said.

“Until they can return to Syria, this service is a lifesaver.”

Ms Wateridge warned that falling rainfall, a lack of groundwater and increasing demand were putting too much pressure on water systems.

For now, the only solution is to make the wells between seven and 10 meters deeper every year.

“We have to manage every cubic meter carefully and plan further ahead,” the agency said, noting that the program is 90 percent underfunded.

US migration scheme ‘triggering a cascade’ of human rights abuses, experts warn

UN independent human rights expert warned on Monday that the United States’ policy of sending migrants and asylum seekers to third countries subjects people to torture, mistreatment and enforced disappearances.

At least 23,000 people have been sent to 29 countries and territories, with the agreement now covering 35 countries, and experts say more are being signed “every day”.

“The harm caused by this US Government scheme is no longer hypothetical,” they said. “This arrangement fueled a series of human rights violations.”

Living in uncertainty

Many migrants are resettled in places where they have no ties, and some of these countries are plagued by conflict, displacement and poverty, leaving the capacity to protect new arrivals.

Children, women, people with disabilities, victims of human trafficking and LGBT people face the greatest risk, independent experts warn.

Experts also warn that pressure on migrants to return to their home countries cannot be considered voluntary when they are detained, penniless and without legal advice.

“Countries cannot contract under their international legal obligations,” they said, calling on all governments involved to immediately halt such arrangements.

“Human rights must be at the center of migration governance, not sacrificed for the sake of prevention efforts.”

These experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Councilserve in an independent capacity and do not receive a salary for their work.

Tree planting is a cost-effective response to increasing global challenges

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (F.A.O) on Monday issued a call to better safeguard the world’s forests as a holistic way to fight the climate crisis and hunger.

Estimated 489 million hectares of forest lost between 1990 and 2025 due to deforestation, the agency said, while more than 460 million hectares of forest are now “degraded” worldwide.

Population growth, changes in land use, and increasing demand for natural resources are some of the reasons for this change.

In its new report, FAO emphasizes that tree planting and land restoration will also help protect important biodiversity and rural farming communities in support of sustainable development.

Wood from trees

A third of the world’s population depends on trees and forests for food security and jobs.

agency property State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) 2026 report warned that large-scale action would require greater investment and sustained political commitment from governments to be successful.

Restoring more than a billion hectares of degraded land could yield benefits of $1.8 trillion per year, including improved biodiversity, improved water flow, and healthier soil.

Colombia: Türkiye praises ‘important’ restorative justice measures

UN Human Rights Chair Volker Türk on Monday welcomes reparations for victims actions in Colombia involving former FARC-EP leaders and military officers who have admitted responsibility for serious violations during the country’s armed conflict.

The two former enemies now work side by side at the cemetery in Pitalito, Huila, searching for missing people so their bodies can be returned to their families.

The work is part of a restorative order imposed by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, in lieu of a prison sentence.

“The important restorative steps taken by Colombia in relation to the conflict, which are now underway, constitute a global achievement for transitional justice,” Türk said, calling the collaboration a “powerful contribution to truth, reparation and healing” for victims and their families.

Application for sustainable funding

He urged sufficient funding for a Comprehensive Peace System. “This can’t just happen once,” he said.

The UN has supported Colombia’s peace process since a 2016 agreement, which ended more than five decades of conflict.

The UN human rights office helped create the Comprehensive Peace System, providing technical assistance and safeguarding victims’ rights as central to the Special Jurisdiction’s work.