Syria

The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that the African region is experiencing an unprecedented increase in mpox cases since the start of 2024, with more countries previously unaffected by the disease reporting cases in an expanding spread of the virus.

The Office of Internal Oversight Services has completed its investigation into the alleged involvement of 19 area staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in the 7 October 2023 armed attack in southern Israel. It found nine may have been involved and will terminate those individuals.

In Chad, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the country is grappling with an array of challenges that are driving humanitarian needs. These include the arrival of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

Amid the stalemate in Syria’s political situation, speakers urged the Security Council today to maintain their focus on that country, emphasizing that the consequences of neglecting the 14-year conflict could be severe for both the country and the region.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today released its World Forests report, which says that forests face increasing climate-related stress amid growing demand for their products. The report also warns that climate change is making our forests more vulnerable to stressors such as wildfires and pests.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN peacekeepers provided training to 400 new recruits of the Congolese Armed Forces to better equip them to respond to the abuses committed against civilians by armed groups in hard-to-reach areas.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan for six months until 31 December 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”.

Against the backdrop of a two-year political deadlock in a 13-year-old conflict, Syria remains beset by ongoing violence, an economic crisis and a worsening humanitarian situation, the Security Council heard today, as the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Envoy for the country urged sustained de-escalation towards a nationwide ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian aid via all modalities and parties’ meaningful engagement in a political process under UN auspices.

Following the completion of a technical assessment, the Secretariat of the United Nations has responded positively to a request of the National Electoral Council of Venezuela to deploy a UN Panel of Electoral Experts for the July 2024 presidential elections there.

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the number of people displaced in Haiti between March and June 2024 increased by 60 per cent, from 362,000 to more than 578,000 people.