Middle East

In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that, today and over the weekend, attacks have caused dozens of civilian casualties, including among children. Homes, schools and energy facilities have also sustained damage, impacting electricity supplies.

In Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that public health risks remain very high, including for communicable diseases, due to the overcrowding and poor sanitation. As of the end of February, 24 out of 32 environmental samples collected tested positive for vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2.

Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children Najat Maalla M’jid presented her annual report to the Human Rights Council today, which highlights an alarming rise in child trafficking. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), children now represent 38 per cent of detected victims.

The United Nations welcomes the agreement signed by the leaderships of the caretaker authorities in Syria and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on 10 March. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen hopes that the agreement can feed into a broader, credible and inclusive political transition process.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its monthly Food Price Index today, and the benchmark for global food commodity prices rose in February, propelled by price increases for sugar, dairy and vegetable oil. Another FAO report states that 45 countries currently require external assistance for food.

Nearly 15 million people in Afghanistan — one in every three — will experience high levels of acute food insecurity during the first quarter of 2025. UN humanitarian partners warn that aid funding cuts will cost both lives and livelihoods and undermine development gains.

The Secretary-General will convene the two Cypriot leaders and the Guarantor Powers of Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom for an informal meeting in Geneva from 17 to 18 March, which will provide an opportunity for a meaningful discussion on the way forward on the Cyprus issue.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the Extraordinary Arab League Summit on the Situation in the Middle East/Gaza today:

High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, visited Bangladesh and called for sustained support and solutions for the Rohingya refugees. He went to Cox’s Bazar and met with refugees and the host community, urging the international community to provide sustained financial support for them.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the launch of The Berlin Initiative today: