“What we’re hearing is that amongst the 22 people who were killed were 12 women and two children,” said Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “We understand it was a four-storey residential building that was struck. With these factors in mind,...
In a speech delivered during a debate on African development, Assembly President Philémon Yang addressed the continent’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s (AU) related framework, known as Agenda 2063. “There has never been a better time to accelerate progress towards peace, prosperity and sustainable...
Israeli forces struck tents sheltering displaced civilians near al Aqsa hospital, in an area where people from northern Gaza were told to relocate. At least four people were burned to death, and scores of others, including women and children, suffered severe burns. Just hours earlier, another strike on a school...
Addressing the UNHCR Executive Committee in Geneva, High Commissioner Filippo Grandi said that nowhere is “uncertainty and anxiety more palpable at the moment than in Lebanon”. “Uncertainty clouds the lives of ordinary civilians in Lebanon today. Surely, if airstrikes continue, many more will be displaced and some will also decide...
“Throughout the night, I spoke to a colleague sheltering in the compound who told me, ‘We miraculously survived, the fire caught everywhere even the tent where we were sleeping burnt. The scene is terrifying,’” said Louise Wateridge, spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA. Images shared by UNRWA...
The incident took place early on Sunday morning (local time), when two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate and forcibly entered the position, according to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. About two hours later, after the tanks had left, several rounds were fired nearby, emitting smoke that affected...
According to the Mission, at about 04:30 (local time), while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate and entered the position. “They requested multiple times that the base turn out its lights,” UNIFIL said in a statement. The tanks left about 45 minutes later after...
In a message marking Sunday’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, António Guterres highlighted the severe impact of disasters on children. “When disasters strike, they unleash enormous devastation on individuals, societies and economies. The ripple effects of death, destruction and displacement are unimaginable. Today, disasters are often supercharged by the...
South Sudan now ranks as the second largest recipient of people fleeing Sudan, with more than 810,000 new arrivals since April 2023, including returning South Sudanese refugees who were sheltering in Sudan and refugee and asylum seekers from other countries. UNHCR warned that the situation is likely to worsen, exacerbating...
According to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), two peacekeepers were injured on Friday after two explosions occurred close to an observation tower. This followed an incident on Thursday when an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Merkava tank fired at an observation tower at UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura, directly hitting...
The Southeast Asian country is the most prone to natural hazards in the world, and these hazards are becoming more intense due to climate change. The UN has been working alongside the authorities in the Philippines to prepare for a wide range of disasters, as the UN Resident Coordinator in the...
In a joint statement, the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen, the heads of UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP, WHO and OHCHR, and heads of the INGOs OXFAM International, Save the Children International and CARE International, expressed their deep concern over the situation. “At a time when we were...