Lebanon: UN hails election of new President as a critical first step
General Joseph Aoun was declared President on Thursday following voting in Lebanon’s parliament. UN Secretary-General António Guterres congratulated the new leader as he takes up his functions, saying this is a critical step towards overcoming Lebanon’s political and institutional impasse…
UN Commission notes renewed sense of optimism in Syria during first-ever visit
Commissioner Hanny Megally led the team, which met with officials, including in the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs. Discussions covered justice for victims and families, the protection of mass graves and evidence, and continued engagement with the Commission, which…
Ukraine in grip of third winter of escalating Russian attacks
In a scheduled update mandated by the Council in Geneva, Nada Al-Nashif said that these attacks had led to the deaths of 574 civilians – an increase of 30 per cent over the previous year. She noted that Russian bombardment…
Rights experts call for immediate release of Abu Zubaydah from Guantánamo
On Monday the United States military sent 11 long-term detainees from the facility to Oman after reaching agreement with the Government there on relocation and resettlement. Only 15 detainees now remain, according to news reports. The prison opened in 2002…
DPR Korea’s nuclear quest thwarts disarmament efforts, Security Council hears
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for peacebuilding and political affairs, briefed ambassadors two days after the DPRK, commonly known as North Korea, fired off what it described as a new type of intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM) loaded with a hypersonic…
‘A Syrian-led future’: Security Council highlights priorities ahead
In his briefing, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen underscored the delicate nature of the transitional phase, describing it as a moment of “great opportunities and real dangers.” He urged careful navigation to ensure that decisions taken now lead…
More than 5,600 killed in Haiti gang violence in 2024
These deaths represent an increase of over 1,000 on the total killings for 2023, according to figures verified by OHCHR. A further 2,212 people were injured and 1,494 kidnapped. “These figures alone cannot capture the absolute horrors being perpetrated in…
Gaza: Humanitarians assist families impacted by recent airstrike in Deir Al-Balah
Personnel from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) conducted the assessment earlier this week in the Yaffa and Al Somud makeshift sites, home to more than 190 families. Several…
Lebanon: Appeal for $371.4 million to boost life-saving support
Announced at the Grand Serail in Beirut by Deputy Prime Minister Saade el-Shami and UN Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza, the appeal extends emergency efforts through March 2025. It builds on the original Flash Appeal launched in October 2024, following the largest…
‘Famine conditions are spreading’ as Sudan’s crisis worsens: Security Council
Addressing the Security Council on Monday, Edem Wosornu, Director of the Advocacy and Operations Division at the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) described the unfolding disaster as “a humanitarian crisis of staggering proportions.” This “man-made” catastrophe, driven by relentless conflict,…