Hunger and starvation in Sudan are spreading because of decisions made each day to continue the conflict, irrespective of civilian cost, United Nations aid officials told the Security Council today, as they urged members to push for a ceasefire and the lifting of restrictions impeding humanitarian work.
Following Israel’s 27 December attack on the last functioning hospital in north Gaza, the Security Council today heard calls for urgent international action to protect civilians and ensure accountability, including independent investigations into these incidents and the alleged misuse of medical facilities by Hamas.
Millions in Yemen, Israel and throughout the region continue to bear the brunt of military escalations, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as its members stressed the importance of protecting humanitarian workers and civilians.
The Security Council today endorsed the African Union Peace and Security Council’s decision to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) with the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), marking a further step in transitioning national security responsibilities to that country’s own forces.
Meeting again today to discuss Western arms supplies to Ukraine, the Security Council heard that civilians there continue to be killed and injured by a panoply of deadly munitions, while the organ’s members alternately urged a diplomatic end to the violence and condemned Moscow’s initial — and continued — aggression.
The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan for six months until 30 June 2025 and requested the Secretary-General to ensure that the Force has the required capacity and resources to fulfil its mandate “in a safe and secure way”.
In a region grappling with escalating threats due to violent non-State actors, civic restrictions, political transitions and heightened humanitarian needs, the head of UN efforts in West Africa and the Sahel called on the Security Council for scaled up support within regional frameworks, as speakers welcomed more signs of progress on the democratic front.
The Security Council today extended for one year the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), expressing grave concern over the ongoing offensive by the 23 March Movement (M23) in North Kivu, in violation of the ceasefire, and the unauthorized presence of external forces from a neighbouring State in the eastern part of the country.
The Security Council today adopted a resolution highlighting the need for sustainable child protection capacities in United Nations peace operations and the importance of their smooth, responsible transfer to the Organization’s country teams during mission transitions or withdrawals.
As indiscriminate killings, sexual violence and famine deepen the crisis in Sudan, the Security Council must rise to the challenge of delivering lasting peace in that country, that body heard today from both humanitarian officials and Member States.
