Middle East

In a statement issued on 15 September, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan called for the warring parties to refrain from targeting El Fasher and protect civilians. The International Organization for Migration estimated that at least 250 people were displaced in the latest round of fighting there.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today that they are stepping up their support to the Government to protect the lives of children under 15, who account for about 60 per cent of the suspected cases of mpox and 80 per cent of the deaths in the country this year.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that hundreds of thousands of people in Nigeria have been impacted by flash floods after a dam collapsed in Maiduguri in Borno State. The Office says that immediate humanitarian needs include food, include shelter and clean water.

On the situation in Venezuela, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) highlighted the urgent need for increased support for over 4 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants in the Americas.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports that a vicious cycle of climate change, wildfires and air pollution is having a spiralling negative impact on human health, ecosystems and agriculture.

Against the backdrop of the recent killing of six Israeli hostages, a mounting Palestinian death toll in Gaza and increasing settler violence in the occupied West Bank, speakers in the Security Council today urged Israel and Hamas to reach a deal that includes a ceasefire and unconditional release of those still held captive.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports that the significant rise in the water levels of the Nile has heightened the need for preparedness there, especially in high-risk communities near rivers or swampland.

As the United Nations and its humanitarian partners prepare for a vaccination campaign in Gaza to deal with the polio outbreak, speakers in the Security Council urged Israel to refrain from military operations and evacuation orders to ensure that those delivering and receiving services can do so safely.

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

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until 31 August 2025, stressing the importance of — and the need to achieve — a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.