Security Council briefed on challenges to peacekeeping in Lebanon, Syria
Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix was joined by Major General Patrick Gauchat, Head of the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) who is temporarily in charge of the UN force in the Golan, UNDOF. Mr. Lacroix is currently in Lebanon,…
In Lebanon, Guterres highlights challenges and support for peacekeepers
His itinerary included a trip to Naqoura in the south – where the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is headquartered – and he expressed his gratitude for the courage and determination of peacekeepers operating in one of the most…
Gaza ceasefire could boost aid deliveries to 600 trucks per day: WHO
“The target is to get between 500 and 600 trucks in per day over the coming weeks,” said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT). This would represent “a huge increase” from the 40 to 50…
WHO appeals for $1.5 billion to tackle ‘unprecedented’ global health crisis
GENEVA — The World Health Organization appealed Thursday for $1.5 billion for emergency operations this year, warning that conflict, climate change, epidemics and displacement had converged to create an “unprecedented global health crisis.” The U.N. health agency estimated that health…
‘Enough death and destruction’: Gazans hope for ceasefire and a better future
Around 90 per cent of the population across the Gaza Strip have been displaced from their homes, forced to move to avoid Israeli military operations. Many have been displaced repeatedly, some 10 times or more. Much of Gaza is rubble, while Israeli airstrikes…
A decade of conflict: ‘Almost 40 million Yemenis have waited far too long’
Special Envoy Hans Grundberg highlighted the alarming trend of escalation provoked by Yemen’s Houthi forces who began attacking international shipping in the Red Sea last year in support of Hamas operations in Gaza, provoking retaliatory strikes by multiple states, including…
Guterres hails Gaza ceasefire deal as ‘critical first step’
Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, António Guterres commended mediators Egypt, Qatar and the United States for their dedicated efforts in brokering the agreement. “Their unwavering commitment to finding a diplomatic solution has been critical in achieving this breakthrough,” he…
UN rights chief in historic meeting in Syria’s with caretaker authority in Damascus
Speaking from Damascus after meeting the leader of the caretaker authorities, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, Mr. Türk said that he had been “assured…of the importance of respect for human rights for all Syrians and all different components of Syrian society”. Syria’s de…
Syria emergency: Four children a day killed or injured by leftover explosives
icardo Pires, UNICEF Communication Manager for Emergencies, told journalists from Damascus that in the last nine years, at least 422,000 incidents involving unexploded ordnance – or UXO – were reported in 14 governorates across Syria, “with half estimated to have…
Biden defends foreign policy record despite ongoing crises
Washington — Outgoing President Joe Biden sought to burnish his foreign policy record Monday and said U.S. adversaries are weaker than when he took office four years ago despite global crises that remain unresolved. A week before handing over to…