The Security Council today heard harrowing testimony from a former Israeli hostage amid urgent calls for the immediate, unconditional and dignified release of hostages held in Gaza, as well as the swift restoration of the ceasefire, while Israel pledged to fight until all the captives are freed.
As Israel resumes airstrikes over Gaza and blocks entry of humanitarian aid into the Strip, the modest gains made during the ceasefire are being destroyed, Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the Security Council today.
The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until 17 March 2026, also welcoming its ongoing efforts in the implementation of its mandated tasks and priorities.
The Security Council today condemned the widespread violence perpetrated in Syria’s Latakia and Tartus provinces since 6 March — including mass killings of civilians among the Alawite community — calling on the interim authorities to protect all Syrians without distinction.
Horrifying, systemic sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war in Sudan — including against children — the Security Council heard today, as its members underscored the need to protect civilians, assist survivors, and ultimately, end the war causing this suffering.
The European Union remains the United Nations’ reliable partner of choice and a cornerstone of its financing, even amid shifting geopolitical dynamics, the Security Council heard today during its annual briefing on cooperation between the two entities.
Pointing to growing frustration over the lack of progress in political engagement with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities — compounded by cuts to humanitarian-aid funding that are placing additional pressure on the Afghan people — the top UN official there told the Security Council today that the Taliban must clearly demonstrate their commitment to Afghanistan’s international reintegration.
The new political reality in Syria presents an opportunity to obtain long-overdue clarifications on the Syrian chemical weapons programme, rid the country of all such weapons and ensure long-term compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.
Fear of Yemen plunging back into widespread conflict is “palpable”, the United Nations’ top official in that country told the Security Council today, calling on the parties to refrain from military posturing and instead agree on a nationwide ceasefire.
The General Assembly today addressed what many delegations decried as “misuse” of the Security Council veto by the Russian Federation on 24 February — the third anniversary of its aggression against Ukraine.
