UN and partners assist scores affected by crises in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza
Speaking in New York, Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the recent escalation in northwest Syria, saying it was painful to see the country’s progressive fragmentation. The Syrian war began nearly 14 years ago, sparked by a civil uprising against the Government. …
Ukraine: UNICEF chief urges greater protection for children ‘caught in this nightmare’
Catherine Russell, head of UN child rights agency, UNICEF, appealed for greater protection efforts by both the international community and the parties to the conflict, and a political solution to end the war. “Children are depending on this Council to…
Middle East crisis: Live updates for 4 December
The Middle East crisis continues to deepen, with families in Gaza struggling to secure basic food amid constant displacement, plummeting temperatures, and relentless conflict. Meanwhile, the full-blown war in Syria has reignited, where the status quo has been “radically altered”…
Syria risks grave division and destruction, Security Council hears
Geir Pedersen told the Security Council the country faced grave risk of further division that was in no Syrian’s interest. “As I brief you today, a vast swathe of territory has come under the control of non-State actors, including the…
Force will not secure Middle East peace: UN General Assembly President
Addressing the 193-member Assembly, President Philémon Yang reiterated the importance of the two-State solution, calling it the only path to lasting peace. “After more than a year of war and suffering, the realization of this vision is more urgent…
Gaza: New evacuation order affects more than 2,000 in Khan Younis
Monday’s directive is the fourth such evacuation order for the area since July and covers about three square kilometres. OCHA stressed once again that repeated evacuation orders – which are now in effect for about 80 per cent of the…
Sudan: UN deplores deadly shelling on Zamzam camp
On Tuesday, UN Resident Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, expressed her grave concern over humanitarian aid organizations reports that Zamzam camp came under fire and intense shelling during the evening of 1 December and again on 2 December. “Civilians and civilian infrastructure…
Rights chief calls on Georgian authorities to protect basic freedoms
The legitimate protests were dispersed using disproportionate and, in some cases, unnecessary force by the police in the capital, Tbilisi, according to the statement from High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. Dozens of protesters and media workers were reportedly…
UN chief calls for ceasefire amid sharp escalation in northwest Syria
Renewed fighting last week led by the terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and other armed factions, has engulfed parts of Aleppo, Idlib and Hama, destabilising frontlines that had been in stalemate since 2020. “The Secretary-General is alarmed by the recent…
Myanmar: UN experts call for ‘course correction’ as civilian deaths reach 6,000
“There are now 6,000 reminders that the international community is failing the people of Myanmar,” the Human Rights Council-appointed experts stated in a news release on Monday. “It is time for a change, starting with moving this disaster out of…