Addressing the press today in Iraq, the Secretary-General said he is appalled by the reported attack on a UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East school in Gaza where hundreds had taken refuge. Many have been killed — including women and children, as well as UN staff. He urged all sides to respect the sanctity of civilian life.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Secretary-General continued today to push for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. Arriving in Jordan, he told reporters he had a heavy heart owing to so many killed and wounded.
In a press encounter with the Israeli Prime Minister, the Secretary-General expressed strong condemnation of rocket attacks against Israel and warned against the use of civilian sites for military purposes. His message to both sides: stop the fighting, start talking and address the root causes of the conflict.
The Secretary-General is in Cairo to support efforts to stop the fighting in Gaza, and the rocket attacks in Israel. He asks all sides to create the space to assist victims and stresses that a ceasefire that returns matters to where they stood before is not enough.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the downing of a Malaysia Airlines aircraft in eastern Ukraine on 17 July, killing nearly 300 people. He calls for a full and transparent international investigation into the incident and offers the full cooperation of the United Nations.
The World Food Programme took advantage of the humanitarian pause in Gaza to provide emergency assistance to thousands and to move food stocks into position around the enclave. Humanitarian agencies report that up to half the Gazan population is without water, with medical supplies urgently needed for hospitals.
In a message to a conference in Honduras, the Secretary-General called the plight of unaccompanied child migrants from Central America an urgent humanitarian situation, saying the migrant children often rely on unscrupulous human smuggling networks. He urged Governments to urgently protect their human rights.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has condemned today’s deadly attacks in Urgun and in Kabul. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative said that the perpetrators must be held accountable.
The Secretary-General welcomes the adoption of resolution 2165 (2014), which will allow the delivery of aid to people in need in Syria by the most direct routes.
At a meeting with the Afghan President and other officials, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan proposed an additional audit of polling stations to strengthen the credibility of the country’s electoral process, supporting an extensive and thorough investigation of serious and credible allegations of fraud.