15 October 2026
Djibouti is facing overlapping emergencies as refugees fleeing the conflict in Yemen arrive on its shores while migrants continue to travel in the opposite direction, IOM warned on Tuesday, 6 October 2026.
More than 3,700 refugees have reached the Horn of Africa nation in the past three weeks after a dangerous crossing of the Red Sea.
IOM has recorded more than 20,000 journeys made from Ethiopia since 10 September, as migrants on the east African route continue to head for Yemen in the hope of finding work in the Gulf.
Another 539 Ethiopian migrants have arrived from Yemen on their way home.
Between 20 and 30 September more than 3,000 stranded migrants were observed along migratory routes in Djibouti, facing dehydration, exhaustion and shortages of food and water.
Alexandre Coissac, head of IOM's mission in Djibouti, called for more support for new arrivals, migrants in distress and host communities in Obock.
Refugees reaching Djibouti in three weeks:
More than 3,700
Journeys from Ethiopia since 10 September:
More than 20,000
Ethiopian migrants arriving from Yemen:
539
Stranded migrants observed, 20-30 September:
More than 3,000
Why it matters for exams: The Eastern Route across the Bab el-Mandeb and the two-way movement between Yemen and the Horn of Africa are classic migration-geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Obock Obock region — The northern Djiboutian region on the Bab el-Mandeb where most Yemen-bound and Yemen-fleeing movements pass.
15 October 2026
The World Health Organization called on 15 October 2026 for faster action to prevent lead exposure.
Lead exposure is estimated to cause more than 3.5 million deaths globally each year and affects hundreds of millions of children.
The call was made ahead of International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, which runs from 18 to 26 October.
Fewer than half of countries had confirmed legally binding controls on paint containing lead, according to the agency's latest global assessment.
Bruce Gordon, interim director of WHO's Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration, said lead poisoning should not be stealing children's potential in 2026.
WHO will present a Global Action Plan on Lead Mitigation to the World Health Assembly next year and launch the PREVENT Technical Package in 2027.
Annual deaths from lead exposure:
More than 3.5 million
International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week:
18-26 October
Technical package:
PREVENT, to launch in 2027
Why it matters for exams: WHO disease burden figures and observance weeks are standard international health questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WHO World Health Organization — The United Nations specialised agency for international public health, headquartered in Geneva.
14 October 2026
The UN Security Council renewed sanctions on Haiti on Wednesday, 14 October 2026.
The sanctions target people considered responsible for or involved in activities threatening Haiti's peace, security and stability.
The Haiti sanctions committee, created by the Security Council in 2022, has three enforcement tools: an arms embargo, a travel ban and an asset freeze.
Nine individuals and two groups are currently sanctioned by the Council.
About 1.5 million people, roughly 12 per cent of Haiti's population, have been forced from their homes by gang violence.
More than 3,000 people were killed and over 1,500 injured between October 2025 and April 2026, and an estimated 270,000 to 500,000 illegal weapons are in circulation.
Sanctions committee created:
2022
Individuals and groups sanctioned:
Nine individuals and two groups
People displaced:
About 1.5 million, roughly 12 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Security Council sanctions regimes, their tools and the year of creation are commonly asked in international relations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Arms embargo Arms embargo — A ban on the supply of weapons and ammunition to a named party.
14 October 2026
The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, that the cholera epidemic continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
More than 125,000 suspected cases and 3,644 suspected deaths were recorded between January 2025 and the end of September 2026.
Since the beginning of 2026, more than 51,412 suspected cholera cases including 1,487 deaths have been reported across 21 provinces.
South Kivu, North Kivu and Haut-Katanga account for nearly 60 per cent of reported suspected cases.
Response teams are preparing to install four water chlorination sites in the most affected areas of North Kivu.
The country is also facing an Ebola epidemic with 9,066 cases and 4,381 deaths according to the latest WHO data.
Cholera cases in 2026:
More than 51,412 suspected
Cholera deaths in 2026:
1,487
Ebola cases:
9,066 cases and 4,381 deaths
Provinces affected:
21
Why it matters for exams: Epidemic figures, affected provinces and the agencies responding are regularly asked in international health questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Cholera Cholera — A severe diarrhoeal disease caused by contaminated water that can be fatal within hours if untreated.
14 October 2026
The UN World Food Programme said on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, that intensifying fighting in Yemen has cut off life-saving assistance to 800,000 people.
Shifting frontlines, blocked roads and growing insecurity severely restrict access to the city of Taiz and other conflict zones.
WFP country director in Yemen El-Khidir Daloum warned the situation could rapidly spiral into a humanitarian catastrophe.
Taiz is Yemen's third largest city, and 10 of its 16 districts are already classified at emergency levels of food insecurity.
WFP and partners cannot access more than 600,000 people in Taiz, including more than 200,000 women and children.
More than 18 million people in Yemen face acute food insecurity and 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished.
People out of reach nationwide:
800,000
People out of reach in Taiz:
More than 600,000
Facing acute food insecurity:
More than 18 million
Why it matters for exams: Humanitarian crisis figures and the UN agency responsible are frequently asked in international affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WFP World Food Programme — The UN agency that delivers food assistance in emergencies, headquartered in Rome.
14 October 2026
The UN envoy briefed the Security Council on Libya on Wednesday, 14 October 2026.
Despite progress in the political process, institutional divisions, economic deterioration and security fragility continue to threaten stability, the envoy warned.
Libyan leaders were urged to overcome their differences to pave the way for national elections.
Libya has been in political dysfunction since the collapse of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011.
In September 2026, Libya's rival political camps agreed on new rules for running the elections commission and holding a vote within two years.
A UN-supported mine action programme cleared 14,066 items of explosive ordnance from Al-Sweihli Farm in Misratah between January and September 2026.
Political breakdown since:
2011
Explosive ordnance cleared:
14,066 items
Clearance site:
Al-Sweihli Farm, Misratah
Why it matters for exams: Libya's post-2011 trajectory and Security Council briefings are recurring international relations topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Mine action Mine action — Work to clear landmines and explosive remnants of war and reduce their humanitarian impact.
14 October 2026
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addressed the WHO regional committee meeting in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, 14 October 2026.
The Eastern Mediterranean region spans 22 countries and territories.
He said the region remains the epicentre of global humanitarian need, with more than 117 million people in need of humanitarian assistance.
Noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes account for roughly two thirds of all deaths in the region, with more than 2.8 million lives lost every year.
He said attacks on healthcare continue at an appalling number and climate-related shocks are adding pressure on fragile health systems.
Tedros urged governments to reduce tobacco use, ensure all children are vaccinated and invest in health workers.
Countries and territories in the region:
22
People needing humanitarian assistance:
More than 117 million
Annual deaths from noncommunicable diseases:
More than 2.8 million
Meeting venue:
Cairo, Egypt
Why it matters for exams: WHO regional structures, their membership and disease burden statistics appear in international health questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NCDs Noncommunicable diseases — Chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes that are not passed from person to person.
14 October 2026
UN independent experts welcomed on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, a corporate accountability ruling by Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace involving the oil company Ecopetrol.
The ruling relates to Macro-Case 08, which recognises the responsibility of several State agents and a director of the State-owned company.
The findings concern serious human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the armed conflict in Barrancabermeja, Colombia's oil capital.
The experts called the decision a significant step forward for truth, justice and accountability regarding the impacts of corporate activities in conflict-affected contexts.
They urged Ecopetrol to engage in good faith with victims and their representative organisations and adopt a restorative approach.
They cited the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and noted the Colombian State's role as majority shareholder.
Court:
Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), Colombia
Case:
Macro-Case 08
Location of violations:
Barrancabermeja
Why it matters for exams: Transitional justice mechanisms and business-and-human-rights principles are asked in polity and international relations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
JEP Special Jurisdiction for Peace — Colombia's transitional justice court set up under its peace process to try conflict-era crimes.
14 October 2026
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, that the UN and partners are stepping up preparations in Gaza for the approaching cold and rainy season.
Over the preceding two days, partners recorded multiple airstrikes as well as shelling, demolition blasts, naval fire and shooting across all of Gaza's governorates.
Humanitarians brought in additional fuel, plastic tarpaulins, winter clothing, medicines and medical supplies, but OCHA said these were insufficient.
Deliveries remain constrained by underfunding and Israeli restrictions, including restricted access to more than 64 per cent of Gaza's land.
The UN human rights office condemned an Israeli raid on premises in Al Bira, Ramallah, said to be offices of Addameer and the Union of Palestinian Women's Committee.
Separately, UN peacekeepers from MINUSCA's Zambian contingent and Central African Armed Forces stepped up joint patrols in the Vakaga prefecture around Birao.
Gaza land with restricted access:
More than 64 per cent
Peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic:
MINUSCA
Prefecture patrolled:
Vakaga, around Birao
Why it matters for exams: UN humanitarian coordination bodies, access figures and peacekeeping mission names are recurring exam facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — The UN body that coordinates international humanitarian response in emergencies.
MINUSCA United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic — The UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.
14 October 2026
The World Health Organization announced a new artificial-intelligence-powered hub for health professionals on Wednesday, 14 October 2026.
The hub aims to help identify alcohol-related risks and start discussions with patients, including the link between drinking and cancer.
Carina Ferreira-Borges, the WHO Europe regional adviser on alcohol, said screening and brief interventions work only if health professionals feel able to use them.
She said a doctor or nurse can ask the hub's AI assistant how to raise alcohol consumption and get an answer based on WHO evidence.
Only 15 per cent of people surveyed in 14 European Union countries know that alcohol can cause breast cancer, WHO said.
Alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer as well as cardiovascular and liver disease.
Awareness of alcohol-breast cancer link:
15 per cent in 14 EU countries
Cancers caused by alcohol:
At least seven types
Why it matters for exams: Public health statistics on alcohol and the use of artificial intelligence in health systems are current exam themes.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Brief intervention Brief intervention — A short, structured conversation by a health worker to reduce risky behaviour such as harmful drinking.
13 October 2026
The Food and Agriculture Organization opened its Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum with a record 20.16 billion US dollars in proposed agrifood investments.
The four-day event is part of the World Food Forum, a platform for transforming agrifood systems through youth, science and innovation, and investment.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said building resilience requires sustained investment in agrifood systems but too many opportunities are untapped because of high risks.
The proposed investments span staple crops, livestock, fisheries and high-value commodities such as coffee and cocoa.
The opening session featured a panel moderated by FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero with the agriculture ministers of Bhutan, Jordan, Mozambique and Tajikistan.
The Hand-in-Hand model brings together four pillars: governments, FAO, international financial institutions and private investors.
Proposed investments:
US$ 20.16 billion
FAO Director-General:
QU Dongyu
FAO Chief Economist:
Maximo Torero
Duration:
Four days
Why it matters for exams: FAO initiatives, their heads and headline investment figures are common in agriculture and international organisation questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization — The UN specialised agency for food security and agriculture, headquartered in Rome.
Hand-in-Hand Initiative FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative — A country-led, data-driven FAO programme to identify and finance agrifood investment priorities.
14 October 2026
Scientists have restored bleached coral in a laboratory by placing it in contact with a healthy fragment, according to findings reported in Science Advances on 14 October 2026.
Bleaching occurs when rising sea temperatures stress corals and they expel the symbiotic algae known as Symbiodiniaceae that give them their colour and most of their nutrients.
Danny Collins, then a PhD student at Stanford University, prepared ten pairs of coral fragments from the same animal, Pocillopora damicornis.
Five pairs were set up so that their fragments touched and five were separated by a few millimetres.
In the touching pairs, the bleached coral recovered within eight weeks, with the symbiont population doubling every four days by week two.
Stephen Palumbi at Hopkins Marine Station first noticed the effect, and co-author Fiorenza Micheli of Stanford's Center for Ocean Solutions said the result may inspire scalable solutions.
Journal:
Science Advances, 14 October 2026
Coral species:
Pocillopora damicornis
Recovery time in touching pairs:
Within eight weeks
Symbiont doubling time by week two:
Every four days
Why it matters for exams: Coral bleaching, symbiotic algae and marine conservation research are standard environment and science questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Symbiodiniaceae Symbiodiniaceae — The family of photosynthetic algae that live inside coral tissues and supply most of their nutrients.
Coral bleaching Coral bleaching — The loss of symbiotic algae from coral tissue under heat stress, turning the coral white.