Lebanon: Increased violence is the ‘horrific new normal’ for children, warns UNICEF
Peacekeepers have witnessed the “shocking” destruction of villages in southern Lebanon along the UN-patrolled Blue Line that separates the country from Israel, along with...
Middle East: Gaza markets ‘in decay’ as starvation looms
In an alert, the World Food Programme (WFP) described markets “in decay” across the enclave. “Fresh foods, eggs, and meat barely exist and the...
Middle East crisis: Live updates from Gaza, Lebanon and the Security Council, as famine...
Amid the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East, the World Health Organization (WHO) continues efforts to keep hospitals up and running and to evacuate...
WHO ‘working tirelessly’ to help save lives as Middle East crisis grinds on
Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, was speaking during a press briefing on emergencies in the occupied Palestinian territory and...
Middle East crisis: Latest updates for 8 November
The UN human rights office released a scathing report on the ongoing war in Gaza as deadly Israeli military operations continue to pound the...
Suffering continues for civilians in Gaza and Lebanon
Aid workers are being forced to work in unsafe conditions, as insecurity and restrictions by Israeli forces prevent them from reaching people in need,...
Lebanon: UN condemns increasing loss of life and civilian suffering
“All actors must adhere to international law and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure,” he said, adding that the UN mission which remains in place...
Middle East crisis: Live updates from the Security Council and UN across the region
We will be following the latest breaking news over the day, including from UN staff on the ground in the Middle East, dispatches from...
UN chief urges halt to escalation after Israeli strikes on Iran
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN chief, said in a statement that António Guterres is “deeply alarmed” by the continued escalation across the region.“All...
Raid on North Gaza hospital ‘deeply disturbing’: WHO chief
“Since this morning’s reports of a raid of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, we have lost touch with the personnel there,” WHO chief...
Gaza: Palestinians are dying amid lethal evacuation delays
“This is not a logistical problem,” James Elder, spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), told reporters in Geneva. “We have the ability to...
Gaza: Polio could spread unless vaccines reach war-torn north
“It is imperative to stop the polio outbreak in Gaza before more children are paralysed and the virus spreads,” said Louise Wateridge, spokesperson for...
Gaza: War has set Palestine’s development back nearly 70 years
“Without lifting economic restrictions, enabling recovery, and investing in development, the Palestinian economy may not be able to restore pre-war levels and advance forward...
Israeli army ‘deliberately demolished’ watchtower, fence at UN peacekeeping site in southern Lebanon
A press statement issued by the Mission, formally known as the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, said Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) “deliberately demolished” the...
Freedom of expression also under fire in Gaza war, rights expert says
“Rarely have we seen – and this is what bothers me - extensive patterns of unlawful, discriminatory and disproportionate restriction by States and private...
Lebanon: Peacekeepers pledge to stay, doing ‘whatever they can to help’
“Despite demands to move from positions close to the Blue Line, a unanimous decision was taken by all UNIFIL Troop Contributing Countries and...
‘Families ran for their lives’: Syria receives 250,000 refugees fleeing Lebanon
“Families I spoke with had run for their lives and have no idea what tomorrow may bring after an exhausting, dangerous journey to the...
Guterres urges global community to repeat ‘utter condemnation’ of 7 October Hamas terror attack
The horrific attack by Gaza-based militants also saw more than 250 abducted, including many women and children.“It is time for the release of the...
Lebanon crisis: over one million people flee strikes amid invasion fears
Among the victims of the weekend bombardment was six-year-old Selena al Smarah, killed along with her parents at home in the southern city of...
Lebanon crisis: Guterres urges parties to ‘step back from the brink’
This follows Israeli airstrikes in southern suburbs of the city that targeted the leader of the Hezbollah armed group, Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed,...
‘At this very moment the future of Lebanon’s people is imperiled’, Foreign Minister tells...
“Today, we desperately need the United Nations to play its role as a refuge for small countries victimized by aggression, including my homeland, Lebanon,”...
UN demands hostage release, urges protection and aid for Gaza civilians
Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations for humanitarian coordination wing, OCHA, were briefing ambassadors in the Security Council,...
Over half a million people severely impacted by unprecedented flooding and windstorms in Yemen
“Yemen is facing yet another devastating chapter in its relentless crisis, exacerbated by the intersection of conflict and extreme weather events,” emphasised Matt Huber,...
Escalating violence in Syria raises fear of ‘large-scale war’
After over a decade of brutal fighting, the Commission Chair, Paulo Pinheiro, said that deadly dynamics are causing new waves of hostilities.“The recent direct...
