Amid record levels of humanitarian workers and United Nations personnel killed in armed conflict, the Security Council today explored ways to strengthen protection, with a briefer warning that their “extraordinary courage and dedication” do not shield them from bullets, drones and shelling.
The Security Council today rejected a draft resolution submitted by several Gulf States that would have strongly encouraged countries to coordinate defensive efforts and deter attempts to interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Complementing a morning meeting held today on collaboration between the United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Security Council met again in the afternoon to underline the importance of similar cooperation with the League of Arab States amidst multiple ongoing crises in the Middle East region.
The Security Council today encouraged collaboration between the United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to address “shared challenges, such as maritime security, preventing and countering terrorism, and responding to food and water security” as part of broader efforts to promote peace and stability in a region engulfed by the ongoing Israel–United States war with Iran.
Destruction, displacement and widespread panic have returned to Lebanon, senior United Nations officials in the region detailed today, as the Security Council convened an emergency meeting following the deaths of three peacekeepers and delegates traded accusations over who was responsible.
Despite ongoing mediation and a ceasefire agreed by warring factions, security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s war-torn eastern region continues to deteriorate, the Security Council heard today, as delegates called for efforts to “bridge the gap” between diplomatic gains and the dire reality on the ground.
Updating the Security Council on the implementation of two separate resolutions concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict, senior officials in the region underscored that the status quo, from the crisis in Gaza to the settler violence in the West Bank, is not sustainable.
Far from abating, fighting in Ukraine is “worse than ever”, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the Security Council today, as delegates considered the increasingly bloody and protracted war against the backdrop of a new Middle East conflict vying for their attention.
The alarming escalation in the Middle East is spilling into Syria, driving cross-border displacement and civilian casualties, United Nations officials told the Security Council today, warning that Damascus’s “steady but fragile recovery” could be derailed.
The Security Council today decided to extend the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until 17 June , as speakers urged the Taliban to reverse its policy banning Afghan women from UN buildings and underscored the Mission’s critical role in supporting the Afghan people amid continuing humanitarian, security and human rights challenges.
