The alarm comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting in the Aleppo Governorate, spreading to parts of Idleb and Hama governorates and leaving the situation volatile and unpredictable. In a statement on Sunday, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen expressed grave concerns over the dramatic shift in frontlines,...
Echoing UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s warning late Monday that the development would likely have “devastating consequences” as UNRWA is the principal deliverer of aid relief inside the war-torn enclave, UN human rights chief Volker Türk called the Knesset move “deeply troubling for many reasons”. In Geneva, spokesperson for the UN...
“Although he does not comment on events of this nature, the Secretary-General is interested that this now leads to an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza,” Farhan Haq told the daily press briefing at UN Headquarters. Increasingly dire in the...
“That day left deep scars on individuals, families, and the collective memory of the State of Israel and the world,” said Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, who is based in Jerusalem. “Today, we mourn for the over 1,200 people, including many women and children,...
The UN Secretary-General condemned “in the strongest terms” the attack by Hamas against Israeli towns, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Saturday. “The attacks have so far claimed numerous Israeli civilian lives and injured many hundreds,” Mr. Dujarric said. “The Secretary-General is appalled by reports that civilians have been attacked...
Ambassadors were briefed by two senior UN counter-terrorism officials who presented the Secretary-General’s latest report on the group, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which showed that the threat in non-conflict areas remains low. “This analytical distinction can obscure what is the complex, context- specific and dynamic nature of how these groups operate and evolve...
A new publication from the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) presents “credible” reports that between 15 August 2021 and 30 June 2023, the country’s de facto authorities were responsible for 218 extrajudicial killings, 14 enforced disappearances, over 144 instances of torture and ill treatment, and 424 arbitrary arrests and detentions. ...
“The violence and suffering of the Syrian people remind us of what is at stake as diplomatic efforts continue on Syria,” said Najat Rochdi, UN Deputy Special Envoy for the country. “Ultimately, we need a nationwide ceasefire in line with Security Council resolution 2254.” Worsening crisis Briefing on current conditions, she said...
The senior officials were responding to the outbreak of armed clashes between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in many parts of the capital Khartoum and other areas outside the capital, on Saturday morning. According to media reports, the RSF claimed that it had taken control...
In statements on Wednesday, Secretary-General António Guterres was joined by deputy chief Amina Mohammed, in describing the latest escalation of the de facto authorities’ suppression of women, as a violation of their inalienable fundamental human rights. “It also violates Afghanistan’s obligations under international human rights law, and infringes on the principle of non-discrimination,...
Mr. Türk’s warning comes amid the reported harassment and prosecution of justice officials involved with the UN-backed International Commission against Impunity (CICIG), including, most recently, former Commissioner Francisco Dall’Anese. The UN rights chief called on the Guatemalan authorities “to ensure judges and lawyers can function freely and without fear of reprisals”. An independent judiciary is...
The call comes amid reports that the situation in Haiti is deteriorating by the day, with citizens facing spiralling violence, human rights, and food emergencies, as well as a cholera epidemic. The influence of armed gangs is growing exponentially in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and beyond, reaching the Department of Artibonite,...