Amidst a multitude of global crises and escalating of armed conflicts, small arms and light weapons remain a silent killer, having claimed over 260,000 lives during 2021, amounting to 45 per cent of all violent deaths.
Amidst a multitude of global crises and escalating of armed conflicts, small arms and light weapons remain a silent killer, having claimed over 260,000 lives during 2021, amounting to 45 per cent of all violent deaths.
The UN Spokesperson has welcomed the announcement on Friday by the Israeli cabinet that the Kerem Shalom border crossing into the Gaza Strip will be reopened.
South Sudan is in no position to hold free, fair, or secure elections slated for December next year, the head of the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS) said on Thursday, stressing that there’s still time to catch up.
Heavy rains created new misery in Gaza as UN humanitarians repeated deep concerns on Thursday over the deteriorating health situation in the Strip, amid ongoing Israeli bombardment and fighting with Palestinian armed groups.
Some Gazans are so desperate for food that they are now stopping aid trucks and immediately eating what they find, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees warned on Thursday.
A pioneer in the study of chimpanzees and a vocal environmental activist, Jane Goodall became a UN Messenger of Peace in 2002.
The outbreak of conflict seven months ago in Sudan has led to “a convergence of a worsening humanitarian calamity and a catastrophic human rights crisis”, according to a senior UN official, and the restive region of Darfur has been particularly badly affected.
Humanitarians in Ukraine mobilized emergency assistance for citizens of Kyiv on Wednesday morning following the third attack in less than a week by Russia forces which left dozens injured, including children.
A ceasefire in Gaza is “the only way forward” and “in the interest of everybody” as the war there threatens peace and security for both Palestinians and Israelis for years or even decades to come, the UN’s top humanitarian official in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said on Wednesday.
The UN General Assembly met on Tuesday afternoon in Emergency Special Session on the decades long Israel-Palestine conflict and as the ongoing crisis in Gaza shows no signs of abating.
UN peacekeeping missions in Sub-Saharan Africa are operating under more challenging political and security conditions due to a multiplication of crises and a “climate of division” amongst Member States, particularly in the Security Council. That’s according to the head of UN Peacekeeping, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
The last barely functioning hospital in northern Gaza is a “humanitarian disaster zone”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, highlighting the disastrous consequences of ongoing Israeli bombardment for critically ill and injured civilians across the enclave.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths reiterated deep concerns for the people of Gaza on Monday, amid reports of intense fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza City and Jabalia in the north of the Strip, and in Khan Younis in the south, while Israeli bombardment of the enclave has continued.
With just nine days to go for the Presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the situation is one of progress in the electoral process on one hand and escalating insecurity on the other the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country said on Monday.
The UN Secretary-General on Sunday pledged that he would “not give up” on appealing for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, adding that inaction on the Security Council was undermining its credibility.
In a special emergency session held on Sunday in Geneva, the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a resolution by consensus, aimed at addressing the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
On Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the...
UN humanitarians in war-ravaged Gaza are “hanging on by our fingertips” with civil society on the brink of full-blown collapse, they warned on Saturday.
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As Haiti faces a situation of “absolute brutal violence”, the deployment of a multi-national security support mission is awaited with hope, the UN’s top humanitarian official in the country said on Friday.
Amid ongoing bombardment in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies and humanitarian partners continue to provide desperately needed food, water, healthcare and other services to the more than two million people living there.
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting Friday morning New York time to discuss the catastrophic situation in Gaza. This follows Wednesday’s urgent letter by Secretary-General António Guterres - one of the most powerful tools at his disposal - urging the body to help end carnage in the war-battered enclave through a lasting humanitarian ceasefire. Our live coverage is over for now but ambassadors are due back at 5:30 PM. Stay tuned here for further developments...
As intense Israeli bombardment of Gaza and fighting with Palestinian armed groups continued to impede aid operations, reports on the ground of children begging for water and people cutting down telephone poles for firewood indicated that “society is about to break down”, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting Friday morning New York time to discuss the catastrophic situation in Gaza. This follows Wednesday’s urgent letter by Secretary-General António Guterres – one of the most powerful tools at his disposal – urging the body to help end carnage in the war-battered enclave through a lasting humanitarian ceasefire. A resolution tabled late afternoon in the chamber calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire was vetoed by the United States.
Over half a million people have been displaced in Myanmar amid a surge in fighting between the military and armed groups that started in late October and has spread to over two-thirds of the country, the UN humanitarian affairs office reported on Friday.
Two months to the day since Hamas’ terror attacks in Israel prompted a massive Israeli military retaliation in Gaza, the situation in the war-torn enclave is becoming “apocalyptic” with hostilities making meaningful humanitarian efforts “nearly impossible”, UN humanitarians warned on Thursday.
The UN Secretary-General called for stronger action to fight the growing challenge of transnational organized crime in an address to the Security Council on Thursday.
Two months to the day since Hamas’ terror attacks in Israel prompted a massive Israeli military retaliation in Gaza, the situation in the war-torn enclave is becoming “apocalyptic” with hostilities making meaningful humanitarian efforts “nearly impossible”, UN humanitarians warned on Thursday.
The 59th round of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) took place on 5-6 December 2023 in accordance with the six-point agreement of 12 August 2008 and implementing measures of 8 September 2008. This round was held in two working groups meeting in parallel on security and humanitarian issues, as per usual practice.
It was the third round held this year in a highly challenging regional and geopolitical environment. The participants reconfirmed the importance of the GID as the only platform where the conflict consequences have been addressed over the past 15 years.
The round took place against a backdrop of increased tension along the South Ossetian Administrative Boundary Line. In this context, the fatal shooting of 6 November 2023 was broadly discussed, with extensive exchanges between participants on ways to prevent a repetition of similar incidents.
The issue of internally displaced persons and refugees could not be discussed due to a walkout by some participants.
The Co-Chairs thanked the participants for their overall commitment to this process and called on all of them to engage in constructive, forward-looking exchanges to overcome their differences and ensure the peaceful settlement of issues relating to the security and humanitarian situation on the ground.
It was agreed to hold the next GID round in April 2024.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL MIROSLAV JENČA’S
REMARKS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
UKRAINE
New York, 6 DECEMBER 2023
Mr. President,
The cold winter weather has arrived in war-torn Ukraine. Intensifying Russian attacks on the country’s energy facilities, amidst heavy snow and freezing temperatures, are worsening the dire humanitarian conditions across the country.
Since the last time I briefed this Council two weeks ago, we have continued to see daily reports of attacks on Ukraine’s critical civilian infrastructure, many resulting in civilian casualties.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – in violation of the UN Charter and international law - the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has verified 10,065 civilians killed and 18,679 injured. The actual figures are likely considerably higher.
Most civilian casualties continue to be caused by shelling and multiple-launch rocket systems in areas near the frontline.
However, the attacks have recently escalated on populated areas across the country. On 25 November, Kyiv came under the most significant drone attack in months.
The extensive presence of explosive remnants of war and mines continues to have a significant impact on civilians and their livelihoods, more so in rural areas and agricultural lands. Since August, they killed 31 people and injured 98 – mostly men and boys.
All attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure must stop immediately. They are prohibited under international humanitarian law and are simply unacceptable.
Mr. President,
As a result of the war, ten million people have been forced to flee their homes, including 3.7 million internally displaced, and over 6.3 million refugees recorded globally.
While we can attempt to count the numbers of those killed, injured and displaced, the full lasting toll of this devastating war on the civilian population is beyond measure. In addition to the lives lost, families torn apart, and life-changing physical injuries, the impact of the war on the mental health of millions of Ukrainians will be felt for decades to come.
Children often suffer the greatest lasting trauma in any conflict. In Ukraine, they also face major disruptions in access to basic health and education, which will impact their lives for years.
The fighting has damaged and destroyed hundreds of schools, health and medical facilities. Given the security situation, only half of the 3.9 million children in the territory under Ukraine’s control have attended school in person full-time since the start of the school year.
Mr. President,
Due to the war, women in Ukraine face a heightened risk of sexual- and gender-based violence. Increased poverty rates caused by the war also affect women more than men. Women face a greater amount of domestic and unpaid care work due to family separation, lack of childcare facilities and school closures.
Yet, since the beginning of the war, women have also taken on new vital roles in their communities. Most frontline workers, volunteers and first responders in Ukraine are women.
Mr. President,
As long as the war continues, all four Ukraine’s nuclear power plants remain at risk.
On Saturday, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, located dangerously close to the front line - suffered a complete off-site power outage. This was the eighth time since the start of the invasion.
Last Wednesday, the IAEA team at the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant in western Ukraine reported hearing several explosions close to the plant. The plant was not directly affected. Yet, the incident reminded of the risks faced by Ukrainian nuclear sites – even those away from active combat.
All nuclear sites must be able to operate safely and must be protected to avoid potentially catastrophic consequences.
Mr. President,
Despite the reports of increasing shipments in the Black Sea, the war continues to pose significant risks to civilian navigation and to Ukraine’s grain export capacity.
Since 11 July, OHCHR has recorded 32 attacks that damaged or destroyed grain production and export facilities in territory of Ukraine under Ukrainian control. Russian attacks hit port facilities, grain silos and vehicles for transporting grain. Most attacks affected infrastructure in Odesa region, where the Black Sea and Danube River ports are located.
Following the suspension of the Black Sea Initiative, these attacks substantially reduced the capacity of Ukraine to export food. With so many facilities damaged, and export routes curtailed, the cost of logistics is rising.
Mr. President,
Much like last year, the year 2023 has been devastating for the people of Ukraine.
If urgent steps are not taken to reverse this trajectory, next year may be even more unpredictable and destructive.
I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call to all Member States to do their part to lay the groundwork for peace. Peace that is in line with the UN Charter, international law, and resolutions of the General Assembly.
Invoking a rarely used article of the UN Charter, Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday called on the Security Council to “press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants.
If urgent steps are not taken to end the ongoing war and its dire humanitarian consequences in Ukraine, 2024 may be even more unpredictable and destructive, a senior UN official warned on Wednesday.
