Middle East

The Secretary-General’s annual report on intimidation and reprisals for cooperation with the UN, was issued today, documenting how human rights defenders, activists, journalists, victims and witnesses, among others, continue to experience reprisals for actual or perceived cooperation with the United Nations.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the high-level ministerial meeting in support of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in New York today:

Sounding the alarm that “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon”, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged the Security Council in an emergency meeting to call on Hizbullah and Israel to pull back from the brink of a potentially catastrophic regional war. Sounding the alarm that “hell is breaking loose in Lebanon”, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres urged the Security Council in an emergency meeting to call on Hizbullah and Israel to pull back from the brink of a potentially catastrophic regional war.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on Lebanon, in New York today:

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

Warning that the recent deadly explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon marked a dangerous turning point, senior United Nations officials called for immediate de-escalation and ceasefire between all parties before a devastating war engulfs the entire Middle East.

In Somalia, the Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for an urgent response to displacement in the country.

The relentless expansion of Israeli settlements and escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are deeply alarming, the top United Nations official for the Middle East told the Security Council today, as delegates urged the organ to enforce its own demand for the occupier to cease such illegal activities.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) issued a statement today — jointly with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) — noting the presidency’s decision to extend the country’s transitional period by 24 months until February 2027.

Adopting a historic text demanding that Israel brings to an end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, no later than 12 months from the adoption of the resolution, the General Assembly today heard speakers stake out a range of positions regarding the best way to resolve this enduring crisis.