The UN humanitarian affairs chief has welcomed Israel’s decision to allow limited aid to cross into Gaza after 11 weeks of complete blockade – but significantly more is needed “starting tomorrow morning”.
Syrians trying to rebuild their lives in their war-torn country urgently need the support of the rest of the world to help them start again, UN aid agencies insist.
Repeated drone strikes over the past two weeks in Port Sudan have damaged key infrastructure across the crucial Sudanese aid hub, disrupted humanitarian operations, and placed civilians in danger, a UN-appointed human rights expert has warned.
Amid intensifying Israeli bombing and ground operations in Gaza, the UN’s relief coordination agency, OCHA, said on Monday that it was in talks with Israel to re-start deliveries of lifesaving supplies to the stricken enclave.
The UN Secretary-General renewed his call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and upheld the need for a two-State solution between Israelis and Palestinians in a speech on Saturday to the League of Arab States Summit in Baghdad.
A drone strike in eastern Ukraine on Saturday could possibly be the deadliest in recent weeks, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in the country, HRMMU, has said.
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The inclusion of women and youth in peacebuilding and peacemaking as well as their active political participation topped the agenda on 14 May in Kyiv at a discussion organized by the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA).
The event – titled, “Voices of Ukrainian Women and Youth for sustainable Peace in Ukraine” - was held with the support of the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, UN Women, UNDP and UNICEF.
It was made possible thanks to funding from DPPA’s Multi-Year Appeal.
The event brought together some 80 participants, representing civil society organizations from Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Poltava, Sumy, Volyn and Zaporizhzhia regions, municipal governments, independent institutions and line ministries.
The opening session featured the participation of Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, Mariana Betsa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and Masashi Nakagome, Ambassador of Japan in Ukraine, whose government provided generous support for the conduct of the event.
Kayoko Gotoh, Director of DPPA’s Europe and Central Asia Division , said:
“When efforts towards peace are inclusive, the results are more lasting.Because inclusive peace is fairer, more representative of needs of various stakeholders, including women and young people, so has a broader base of engagement and commitment.”.
Gotoh added that DPPA was fully committed to meaningfully including and responding to the needs of women and youth across its conflict prevention, peacemaking and peacebuilding efforts.
“I am heartened to see that here in Ukraine, women and young people, in particular young women, have valuable skills, expertise and experiences that can help shape the future of Ukraine towards peace and prosperity,”she concluded.
Participants explored ways to contribute to sustainable peace in Ukraine, advancing the implementation of the UN agendas on women, youth, peace, and security, as well as the newly adopted Pact for the Future.
The meeting also allowed participants to network and consolidate existing partnerships as they continue to engage in in humanitarian and peacebuilding processes.
The United Nations has welcomed talks between Russia and Ukraine held on Friday in Türkiye.
Amid reports that Israeli strikes across Gaza overnight into Friday killed at least 64 people, aid teams once again pushed back strongly at allegations that aid is being diverted to Hamas, demanding an end to Israel’s blockade.
A war reporter from Lebanon who lost a limb in the line of duty is calling for an end to impunity for attacks against journalists.
Mr. President,
Thank you for the opportunity to brief the Security Council on this important issue.
Since the adoption of the Security Council resolution 2474 in 2019, the number of people affected by armed conflict, including those reported missing in this context has only continued to increase. In 2024 alone, the ICRC registered 56,000 new cases of missing persons.
There is no comprehensive figure for those missing in conflict, but we know enough that the situation is dire.
International humanitarian law, as it relates to missing persons, prohibits enforced disappearance and requires parties to conflict to take all feasible measures to account for those reported missing, while also enshrining the right of families to get information about the fate of missing kin.
This issue is a pressing one among many current situations across the world.
The ongoing hostilities between Israel and Palestinian armed groups continue to generate grave concerns under Security Council resolution 2474 (2019).
We welcome the recent release of Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli national who had been held hostage in Gaza. This is a source of hope. I echo the Secretary-General’s words of profound relief that Mr. Alexander was able to return to his family and loved ones after this harrowing ordeal.
However, many more remain missing. An estimated 58 Israeli hostages, 35 of them presumed dead, still remain unaccounted for in Gaza.
Despite repeated calls by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, no credible information has been provided on the condition or whereabouts of the hostages. Access by impartial humanitarian actors has also been denied.
Meanwhile, thousands of Palestinians, including children, also remain missing, with many buried and unaccounted for under rubble, with their families still seeking information about their fate and whereabouts.
In addition, Israel continues to withhold the remains of deceased Palestinians, including individuals reportedly buried in unmarked or numbered graves, hindering families’ access to information and closure.
Serious concerns also persist regarding thousands of Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities since October 2023, many of whom remain unaccounted for.
In Ukraine, following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, OHCHR reports that large numbers of Ukrainian civilians in areas under Russian occupation have faced detention, with some of them reportedly held incommunicado. According to OHCHR, some of these cases may amount to enforced disappearances. An unspecified number of Ukrainian civilians, including Ukrainian children, have also been reportedly transferred to the Russian Federation.
We welcome the recent exchanges of prisoners of war and exchanges of mortal remains and encourage the sides to step up the frequency, scope, and scale of such exchanges and step up efforts to enable the safe return of Ukrainian children to their families.
In Myanmar, instances of individuals believed to be missing or disappeared have arisen throughout the country since the 2021 military takeover. At least 2,000 people have reportedly died while in military custody. A key concern remains the lack of access to legal counsel and due process for some people detained arbitrarily, including members of the elected civilian government.
Families of many of those that have gone missing in conflicts in years and decades past have yet to learn of the whereabouts of their loved ones.
On the Korean Peninsula, we encourage all parties to build on previous efforts and continue the repatriation of remains from the Korean War to their respective countries.
In Syria, the missing persons crisis has been a tragically defining feature of the conflict. Syrian families have made it clear that clarifying the fate of all the missing, regardless of who they are and why they disappeared, is essential to transitional justice and sustainable peace. Given the scale and complexity of the challenge, we need a collective effort. It has to be nationally led and internationally supported. The UN welcomes the commitment of the Syrian interim authorities and urges them to work closely with the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Mr. President,
Disappearances of loved ones create long term trauma on families and communities.
Providing answers for the families of the missing can take decades. For example, the human cost of the 1991 Gulf War still lingers, with 315 Kuwaiti and third country nationals missing to this day.
The work of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus illustrates how the issue of missing persons remains important not only for the families directly affected, but for whole communities, decades after the facts. This is clearly not unique to Cyprus. What is more unique is the continuous support of the authorities – which was reaffirmed publicly by both Cypriot leaders in April – and the existing good cooperation from both side when it comes to the work of the Committee built overtime. These, together with the strong professional capacity of the bicommunal teams working in the field or in the laboratory, are the key ingredients for success. Success that also helps to build conducive conditions for the peaceful settlement of the Cyprus issue.
Mr. President,
When the issue of missing persons is left unaddressed, not only individuals but entire societies are unable to move on. This can perpetuate distrust and resentment and become an obstacle to sustainable peace.
Goodwill, perseverance, and strong international support are crucial elements in the search for missing persons. So is respect for international law.
Resolution 2474 must be fully implemented, with urgency.
The United Nations remains committed to assist all concerned parties, including through the use of the Secretary-General’s good offices.
Thank you Mr. President.
A fragile calm has settled over Tripoli after a sudden surge of violence this week left parts of the city in ruins, claimed civilian lives, and heightened concerns about the stability of Libya’s already fragile political and security situation.
Two families – one still waiting for answers 75 years after a father was taken during the Korean War, the other pleading for a son’s return from captivity in Gaza – shared their testimonies before the UN Security Council on Thursday.
The ceasefire between the United States and Houthi rebels in Yemen provides an opportunity to revitalize the peace process in the Middle Eastern country, the UN Security Council heard on Wednesday.
More than 130 countries and international partners threw their weight behind UN peacekeeping at a high-level ministerial summit in Berlin on Wednesday, pledging military, tech and political support.
In the aid desert of Gaza, malnourished children are dying while survivors can expect a lifetime of dire health problems, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
A UN body has found that Russia was responsible for the 17 July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine that killed all 298 people on board.
A UN body has found that Russia was responsible for the 17 July 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine that killed all 298 people on board.
The future of peacekeeping took centre stage on Tuesday in Berlin as UN chief António Guterres urged Member States to do more to support the global body’s 'blue helmets' and stave off the worst impacts of deep funding cuts.
The Security Council met in New York to discuss the horror unfolding in Gaza, where humanitarians warn of “a critical risk of famine” and aid shipments have been blocked by Israel for over 70 days. UN relief chief Tom Fletcher briefed the Security Council, asking ambassadors if they will finally act decisively "to prevent genocide" and ensure respect for international law. He also called on Hamas to release all hostages and stop putting civilians at risk. App users can follow the coverage here.
No aid has entered Gaza for more than 10 weeks and every single one of the 2.1 million people there faces famine conditions, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said on Tuesday in a briefing to the Security Council in New York.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the release of a hostage held in in Gaza on Monday and renewed his call for a permanent ceasefire and greater humanitarian access to the war-torn enclave.
Gazans remain at “critical risk of famine,” UN-backed food security experts warned on Monday, a full 19 months since war began with Israel and 70 days since deliveries stopped of all aid and commercial supplies.
Following pronouncements of an end to hostilities between the neighbouring nuclear powers, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said that the organisation stands ready to support efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region.
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Israel’s plan to take control of relief assistance in Gaza would put civilian lives in danger and cause mass displacement while using aid as “bait”, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
Shattered by her husband’s death during the rising tide of gang violence in Haiti last year, Christiana and her six children fled 223 kilometres from their hometown to the city of Mirebalais, where her six-year-old daughter, Leineda, began treatment for malnutrition.
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) together with the African Union mission there, and other key bodies collectively known as the Quartet, have raised the alarm over rising violence and political instability in South Sudan.
The UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, has strongly condemned the forced entry by Israeli security forces into three of its schools in occupied East Jerusalem, describing it as a violation of children’s right to education and safety.
Amid reports that renewed drone strikes on a key Sudanese aid hub were thwarted late Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres added his voice to increasingly urgent calls for serious peace negotiations to end more than two years of war in Sudan.
