Nearly two years after the major escalation of war in Ukraine, there is no let-up in the death, destruction, forced displacement and human suffering, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as delegates condemned Moscow’s intensified air strikes against civilian targets and critical infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as the continued military support for its war provided by Iran, Belarus and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Following attacks on the MSC United and Maersk Hangzhou in late December 2023 — the latest in a series of incidents threatening maritime safety in the Red Sea — senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today of the imperative to safeguard global supply chains and avoid exacerbating regional tensions.
A senior United Nations official today condemned all attacks on cities, towns, and villages in Ukraine and the Russian Federation during the second Security Council meeting in 24 hours on the subject, as aerial bombardments between the two countries escalate.
One of the largest aerial assaults since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022 killed at least 30 civilians and injured at least 160 more on Friday, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, underscoring that attacks against civilian populations and infrastructure must stop immediately.
The risk of regional spillover of the Israeli-Palestine conflict remains high, a top United Nations official told the Security Council today, as delegates underscored that a full-blown conflict between Israel and Hizbullah would be catastrophic for Lebanon and the wider region.
The Security Council today adopted a resolution requesting the Secretary-General to appoint a Special Envoy for Afghanistan, provided with robust expertise on human rights and gender, as it also stressed the critical importance of a continued presence of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
The Security Council today requested the Secretary-General to appoint a Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for the Gaza Strip as it demanded the parties to the conflict to allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to Palestinian civilians throughout that territory.
Consultations on Syria’s chemical programme have taken place between the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Government of Syria, but Damascus’ further cooperation is needed to resolve outstanding issues as gaps and discrepancies persist, the Security Council heard today.
The Security Council unanimously agreed today to consider, on a case-by-case basis, requests from the African Union Peace and Security Council seeking for authorization to access United Nations assessed contributions for African-led peace support operations.
Violence is spiralling throughout Syria in a conflict that “cannot be left unattended”, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the country told the Security Council today, as members echoed his call for a return to the political track with a realistic approach inclusive of all actors and all issues.
