Health and Human Rights News
News to 21 August 2026
ICE awards itself a superior grade
Despite 23 people having died in its US detention centers so far this year—the highest rate in over 20 years—the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) sub-agency has awarded its detention centers ‘superior’ status in 74% of its ratings, and determined there were 70% fewer violations in 2025 than in 2022. A report released this week by the Project on Government Oversight showed the 2026 assessment standards had removed many protections for detainees, including independent water testing, and fewer inspections are now being conducted. ICE is also about to stop reporting deaths of people that occur shortly after their release.
US health datasets modified the most to suit Trump priorities
Datasets about health make up 40% of the 28 federal datasets that have been deleted and the 338 data collections that have been modified, since President Trump’s second term began, according to an online tracker released this week. The modified datasets are part of the administration’s “aggressive campaign to wipe all mentions of data findings that do not align with the administration’s priorities,” reported The Guardian, especially those concerning gender identity.
US imposes sanctions on ICC president
This week the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court bringing the total number of ICC officials under US sanctions to 13, including half its judges, reports the New York Times. In response, the ICC said targeting the court will place the “international legal order” at risk and insists it will continue to work independently. The US has objected to the court’s approval of an investigation into alleged war crimes by American troops in Afghanistan, and has condemned arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes.
Chaos in Lebanon as people return but airstrikes continue
Around 860,000 people are reported to have returned to their areas of origin in Lebanon, while some 360,000 people remain displaced, including at least 22,000 people living in collective shelters. But fresh Israeli airstrikes in south Lebanon last weekend triggered a new wave of displacement. Humanitarian needs remain substantial with widespread damage to housing, water systems, electricity networks, schools, health facilities, agricultural land, and community infrastructure continues to constrain prospects for recovery and safe and sustainable returns.
Nearly all in Gaza need shelter
Ninety-four cent of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents need shelter as Israeli gunfire and strikes continue inside the enclave, UN agencies and peacekeepers warned this week. More than four out of five families currently face critical or catastrophic living conditions, which lack fuel, energy and essential household items, affecting people’s ability to sleep, to cook, to wash, to store food and water, and cope with heat and cold.
WHO pays tribute to health workers
On World Humanitarian Day (19 August) the World Health Organization condemned ongoing global violence against healthcare infrastructure and workers, revealing that over 10,400 attacks on facilities, personnel, and patients have occurred across 29 countries since 2017. So far this year, WHO recorded 914 attacks on health care, resulting in 911 deaths and 1486 injuries, with the majority of attacks being reported in Ukraine, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory and Myanmar.
Ebola toll keeps mounting
The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – the fastest-growing on record and on track to become the deadliest – is killing one person every 30 minutes, reports UN News. The virus has now killed 2,184 people – nearly 47 per cent of those who have been infected.
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