UN continues response to crises in Gaza and Lebanon
At his regular press briefing, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric noted the dire situation, and the efforts to alleviate suffering and provide essential aid. In the north central area around Gaza City, limited deliveries of fuel on 6 and 8 December…
Middle East: Live updates from Syria and the wider region for 9 December
The historic power shift in Syria adds new layers of complexity to the Middle East crisis, with ongoing hostilities in Gaza, violence in the West Bank, and a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon. Millions across the region continue to rely on…
Syrians now have ‘historic opportunity’ to build a peaceful future, says Guterres
As reports continued to emerge from the Syrian capital, Damascus, where opposition forces declared victory overnight on State television, the UN chief said in a statement: The future of Syria is a matter for the Syrians to determine. There is…
Syria crisis: UN delivering life-saving assistance; relocates non-critical staff
“The UN is strategically reducing its footprint by relocating non-critical staff outside the country… amid the evolving circumstances,” Adam Abdelmoula said in a statement issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, known as OCHA. At the…
Gaza: No evacuation order given before hospital strike, says WHO
“All night, there was heavy bombing around the Kamal Adwan Hospital”, said Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the UN health’s agency Representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Speaking from the enclave to journalists in Geneva via video, he reported that an Israel…
Iraq: Security Council briefed on major milestones and ongoing challenges
“As you have heard many times by now, today’s Iraq is not the same as the Iraq of 20 years ago, or even five years ago. Iraq today is more secure, stable and open, despite the many obstacles facing the…
Syria: More than 280,000 uprooted in northwest escalation
Aid has continued to flow from Türkiye across three border crossings into the embattled northwest and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that it had opened community kitchens in Aleppo and Hama – cities now reportedly occupied by HTS…
Report exposes systematic torture in Syrian detention facilities
Titled ‘The Syrian Government Detention System as a Tool of Violent Repression,’ the report from the UN International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) draws on over 300 witness interviews, medical forensic evidence and the Syrian Government’s own documentation. It reveals…
Iran launches heaviest space payload into orbit: media
Tehran, Iran — Iran successfully launched on Friday its heaviest space payload, which includes a satellite and a space tug, using a domestically developed satellite carrier, official media reported. Weighing 300 kilograms, the payload consisted of the Fakhr-1 telecommunications satellite…
Guterres calls for ‘serious dialogue’ to end surging violence in Syria
António Guterres held a stakeout outside the Security Council chamber to address the “grave and dramatic developments” that are unfolding. “I just spoke with President Erdoğan of Türkiye to discuss the latest,” he said. “I emphasized the urgent need for…