Ukraine

The Security Council today met for a second consecutive day on Ukraine, as the Russian Federation accused European States of artificially keeping the issue in the spotlight and obstructing peace by arming Kyiv.

In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the catastrophic situation there is the worst since the war began. Strikes have continued across Gaza, particularly in north Gaza, where the last remaining partially functioning hospital, Al Awda, was forced to evacuate last night.

The new Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Andrii Melnyk, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

Rather than progress towards peace following direct negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine in Istanbul earlier in May, the Security Council heard today that the month’s closing days have instead witnessed Moscow intensify attacks on its neighbour.

A new World Meteorological Organization report forecast global temperatures will continue at or near record levels in the next five years, increasing climate risks and impacts on societies, economies and sustainable development, with an 86 per cent chance that at least one year will be over 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

In Myanmar, a new report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights found that the vast majority of the country’s people are united in their defiance of military authoritarianism and violence.

Israeli authorities have temporarily allowed the UN to resume limited aid delivery into Gaza following 11 weeks of complete blockade, and amid a spike in the military offensive, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said today.

In Colombia, the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs reports that so far in 2025, more than 66,000 people were newly displaced due to fighting. The UN and its partners continue implementing a $3.8 million allocation from the Central Emergency Fund to help more than 56,000 impacted people in Catatumbo.

The Secretary-General has appointed experts to develop recommendations for measures that complement or go beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is a way to recognize that GDP — relied upon as a gauge of prosperity — provides an incomplete picture of the different dimensions of sustainable development.

In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that air strikes on 6 May and today resulted in further civilian casualties across the country. The attacks, in the cities of Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv, killed 6 civilians and injured nearly 30 others, including 10 children, and damaged homes.