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…
Security Council hears of ongoing imperative to end violence in eastern DR Congo
Bintou Keita, who also heads the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, reported on the instability in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, particularly operations by four armed groups: ADF, M23, CODECO and Zaïre. She applauded efforts to…
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…
Flagging the United Nations
Captured in UN Photo’s Flags Avenue, you can view the full photo essay here. Rain or shine When weather conditions are favourable, which means above freezing conditions, the flags begin their ascent at 8am sharp. With steady hands and unwavering resolve,…
First Person: Tears of joy as Argentinian city children encounter nature for first time
Ana Di Pangracio works for the civil society organization Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales or FARN which is involved in projects to restore degraded land in Argentina. She spoke to UN News in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she was attending…
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…
UN galvanizes regional migrant and refugee response amid persistent challenges
The Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V), co-led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced the 2025-2026 regional response plan to support over…
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…