At Arab League Summit, Guterres appeals for Gaza ceasefire and regional unity
“The war in Gaza is an open wound that threatens to infect the entire region,” he said. “In its speed and scale, it is the deadliest conflict in my time as Secretary-General – for civilians, aid workers, journalists, and our…
Stories from the UN Archive: UN’s first peacekeeping force
The crisis began when Egypt nationalised the Suez Canal Company in July 1956, and France and the United Kingdom protested. By October of that year, Israeli forces launched an attack on Egypt and occupied Sinai, with British and French troops…
Guterres repeats call to Israel to halt Rafah assault as aid stocks dwindle
In a related development, the UN’s top court prepared to hear a new request from South Africa to issue more constraints on Israeli military action in the enclave. In a call for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” still…
Gaza: Underweight babies, heavy fighting and a hospital reopening
More than seven months into the war, babies are still being born too small, warned the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. “Habiba was born in a small tent. She’s two weeks old and weighs less than two kilogrammes,” the…
UN rights chief, independent experts denounce Georgia’s new ‘foreign agents’ law
The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence requires media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other nonprofits to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad. It was…
‘Time is running out’ to address crisis in Sudan
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, warned that “time is running out” as famine, disease and fighting close in on the population, with no end in sight. “The international community cannot stand by as this crisis spirals…
Surge in child migrants crossing the dangerous Darién Gap: UNICEF
In the first four months of 2024, more than 30,000 children traversed the dense jungle region separating Colombia and Panama, marking a significant increase compared to the same period last year. Among them, about 2,000 were unaccompanied or separated from…
UN forum in Bahrain endorses declaration on entrepreneurship and innovation for the SDGs
The fifth Manama Declaration, named after the Bahraini capital where the 2024 World Entrepreneurship Investment Forum (WEIF) has been running since Tuesday, echoed the gathering’s theme: innovation can drive development of technologies and products to help address socioeconomic and environmental…
Guterres deplores Rafah escalation
“These developments are further impeding humanitarian access and worsening an already dire situation. At the same time, Hamas goes on firing rockets indiscriminately,” the statement said. Stressing that civilians must be respected and protected at all times, Mr. Guterres noted…
450,000 Gazans now uprooted from Rafah as Israeli bombardment continues
“Empty streets in Rafah as families continue to flee in search of safety… UNRWA estimates that nearly 450,000 people have been forcibly displaced from Rafah since 6 May,” said the UN agency for Palestinian refugees in a post from western Rafah…