Tag: East
Security Council meets over widening Middle East crisis
Video feed of the meeting, expected to start at 3 PM. The UN relief chief told ambassadors that any Gazans forced to flee the enclave must be allowed to return “as international law demands”, while a senior political affairs official warned that the cycle of violence over Red Sea shipping lanes risked major repercussions in…
Read MoreSecurity Council discusses crisis in the Middle East; UN chief warns of conflict’s ‘further spillover’
Highlights Video feed of the Security Council meeting. Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East at the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) briefed the Security Council, expressing grave concern over Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. He also reported increased tensions in the wider Middle East region, with continued…
Read MoreWorld News in Brief: Water crisis for children, hunger in East Africa, new Yazidi memorial
The double burden of dwindling availability – and inadequate water for drinking and sanitation services – is compounding the challenge, putting children at even greater risk. The Climate Changed Child – released ahead of the COP28 UN climate change summit later this month in Dubai – throws a spotlight on the threat facing vulnerable children. It…
Read MoreAmid Middle East crisis, ‘brutal and far-reaching’ war continues in Ukraine
Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of the Coordination Division at the UN relief wing OCHA, addressed ambassadors, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian support with the winter freeze approaching, and access to essential services an increasing challenge. He outlined efforts by relief workers to provide support to communities on the frontline and in hard-to-reach areas, including ensuring…
Read MoreMiddle East on ‘verge of the abyss’, UN warns as Israel-Hamas conflict deepens Gaza crisis
The UN chief’s appeal comes as clean water and other vital supplies are dwindling inside Gaza in the wake of Israel’s blockade. UN and other humanitarian agencies have worked round the clock to preposition aid since the latest conflict between Israel and Hamas broke out following the militant group’s 7 October attack on several locations…
Read MoreWorld News in Brief: Middle East crisis, Afghan quake, Karabakh refugee appeal
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concerns for the civilian population, urging maximum restraint and that “all diplomatic efforts” are made “to avoid a wider conflagration”. Dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries continued to be reported during the day, including from rocket fire by Palestinian militants in Israeli cities and Israel’s airstrike response in the…
Read MoreMiddle East crisis: UN engages parties as Security Council meets
As the 15-member Council prepared to meet, UN agencies were reporting that hundreds of people have been killed and thousands injured following the early Saturday morning rocket fire into Israel by Palestinian militants. The ensuing Israeli response to the Hamas attacks included airstrikes in Gaza, where the UN agency operating there, UNRWA, had reported massive…
Read MoreSaudi Foreign Minister outlines plans for better, greener Middle East
Describing the national vision for 2030, Faisal bin Farhan Al Furhan Al-Saud said it centred on promoting development for future generations and empowering women and young people by developing their creativity. Human rights are of utmost importance, he said, adding that Saudi Arabia has adopted laws to protect its citizens and is also working on…
Read MoreUN Middle East envoy condemns deadly Israeli airstrikes in Gaza
“I am deeply alarmed by developments in Gaza after Israel launched a military operation this morning targeting members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement (PIJ),” said Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. The Israeli airstrikes inside Gaza resulted in the killing of 13 Palestinians, including three members of PIJ, a…
Read MoreUN independent experts spotlight ‘prima facie war crime’ in East Jerusalem
“There has been an ongoing and unchecked tragedy: the forced eviction of Palestinians from their homes,” they said in a joint statement. “Israel’s transfer of its own population into the occupied territory confirms a deliberate intention to colonize the territory it occupies, a practice strictly prohibited by international humanitarian law,” they said. “It amounts to…
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