Guterres condemns violence against civilians in Syria, urges Israel to stop attacks
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday that the Secretary-General “has been monitoring with alarm the reports of violence in the suburbs of Damascus and in the south of Syria, including reports of civilian casualties and assassination of local administration…
Reporters in Gaza bear witness and suffer tragic consequences
Mr. Shahada lost his leg due to a severe injury he suffered in Nuseirat in central Gaza in April 2024, but he picked up his camera and returned to document the tragic events that have been unfolding in Gaza. He…
Gaza: ‘Worst-case scenario’ unfolds as brutal aid blockade threatens mass starvation
Speaking from Gaza City OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherevko told journalists in Geneva that a friend of hers “saw people burning a few days ago from the explosions – and there was no water to save them.” Since all entry points…
Israel must end ‘cruel collective punishment’ in Gaza, urges UN relief chief
In a powerful statement on Thursday, Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, condemned Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian assistance as a “cruel collective punishment” of the Palestinian population. “Two months ago, the Israeli authorities took a deliberate decision to…
UNRWA warns against closure of six schools in East Jerusalem
“It’s a grave threat to the right of those children to education,” Roland Friedrich, Director of UNRWA Affairs for the West Bank, told UN News. The development follows two Israeli laws that went into effect in late January which ban…
‘Recovery must move ahead’ in southern Lebanon, top aid official says
Imran Riza made the appeal following a visit to Bint Jbeil and Tyre districts on Tuesday. “What I saw in South Lebanon was both depressing and inspiring. The scale of destruction – to villages, health facilities, and water systems –…
Millions will die from funding cuts, says UN aid chief
“Cutting funding for those in greatest need is not something to boast about…the impact of aid cuts is that millions die,” warned Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher. Speaking from an overcrowded hospital in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan where three or…
Plague of rats and insects provides latest challenge for war-shattered Gazans
One displaced woman told UN News’s correspondent in Gaza: “In all camps, we suffer from biting insects, especially fleas,” adding that “our children suffer from severe pain due to itching and stinging. “We tried to treat it in simple ways,…
Two-State solution nearing point of no return, warns UN chief
Addressing a Security Council debate on Tuesday, António Guterres said the Middle East stands at a critical crossroads. “The promise of a two-State solution is at risk of vanishing altogether,” he said. “Political will to achieve that goal feels more…
MIDDLE EAST LIVE: Guterres tells Security Council two-State solution ‘near point of no return’
The Security Council met on Tuesday on the situation in the Middle East, where Secretary-General António Guterres told ambassadors that irreversible action must be taken to finally put a two-State solution in place for Israel and Palestine. The discussions took…