‘We must not normalise the war in Ukraine,’ warns country coordinator
The UN’s top official in the country – who also coordinates all the organization’s humanitarian work there – emphasised the urgent need for peace, justice, and sustained international support. In October and November alone, over 2,180 civilian deaths and injuries…
Occupied Palestinian Territory: Security Council hears of ongoing violence, ‘relentless’ Israeli settlement expansion
Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General in the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), presented the latest quarterly report on the implementation of Council resolution 2334 (2016). It calls for Israel to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in…
Winter rains and aid obstacles worsen ordeal for one million Gazans
In an update, the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, stressed that attacks on civilian infrastructure have not stopped, “particularly in North Gaza, where the UN World Health Organization (WHO) reports appalling conditions at Kamal Adwan Hospital – and where 61…
Tensions escalating over DPR Korea, political affairs chief warns Security Council
Briefing ambassadors, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo highlighted the need for de-escalation and dialogue, while also noting “indications” that DPRK is continuing to actively pursue its nuclear weapons programme. “Diplomatic engagement remains the only pathway to sustainable peace and the complete and…
Syria: UN envoy concludes talks in Damascus, citing hope for democratic future
“It’s early days,” Geir Pedersen said referring to the dramatic events of less than two weeks ago that ended decades of dictatorship. “But I think it is important to say that there is a lot of hope that we can…
UN urges parties to re-engage on Iran nuclear deal
Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the Security Council on developments surrounding the 2015 accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and implementation of Council resolution 2231 (2015) which endorsed it. The JCPOA set out rigorous mechanisms for monitoring restrictions…
Syria crisis: ‘Key priority’ is preserving evidence of crimes, say UN investigators
The head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism Investigating Serious Crimes in Syria (IIIM), Robert Petit, told reporters in Geneva that with an “interlocking series of crime scenes” across the country now accessible, there is the possibility of accessing…
Middle East crisis: Live updates as Security Council meets on Syria
Senior UN officials have been meeting representatives of the new caretaker authorities in Damascus in the past few days, following the overthrow of the Assad regime. This morning in New York, the Security Council met to discuss the future of…
Around 90,000 children impacted by Cyclone Chido in Mozambique
Current assessments show the storm destroyed or damaged over 35,000 homes, displaced thousands of families, and impacted more than 90,000 children, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday. Classrooms destroyed; infrastructure damaged According to the latest situation report, at least 174,000…
WFP delivers aid to over 800,000 in Sudan’s hunger hotspots
The surge in aid follows a large-scale effort launched by WFP to address the growing humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict that erupted in April 2023. October marked a record month, with WFP reaching 2.8 million people across Sudan with…