The Security Council is holding its monthly debate on Syria amid reports of an Israeli attack in occupied territory and discussions of a multi-national oil pipeline to counter the closure of the critical Strait of Hormuz – still the focus of the ongoing US-Iran war. The meeting follows UN independent investigators’ findings that security conditions remain fragile in the south as António Guterres heads to Damascus for his first visit to the country as Secretary-General.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN health teams and partners are still racing to contain the rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak, despite ongoing insecurity in eastern areas where the virus has taken hold. As of 19 July, the DRC Government has recorded 2,423 confirmed cases, including 967 deaths and 469 recoveries.