More than two years of unrelenting violence, displacement and loss have pushed children and young people in Palestine into what one UN official describes as a “profound mental health emergency”, with girls facing heightened risks, including a resurgence in child marriage.
The fallout from the war in the Middle East is rippling far beyond the Gulf, disrupting fuel supplies, shipping routes and supply chains across Asia and the Pacific, with some of the region’s most vulnerable economies already feeling the strain through rising prices, rationing and threats to jobs, food security and remittances.
The Rafah crossing into Gaza reopened on Thursday for limited movement in both directions after a 20-day suspension, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The US and Israel must end their bombing campaign before it spirals out of control, while Iran needs to stop attacking Gulf neighbours who have played no direct part in the war roiling the Middle East and beyond, the UN Secretary-General urged on Thursday.
Ongoing strikes across the Middle East stemming from the US-Israeli bombing of Iran and subsequent counterstrikes in the Gulf by Tehran continue to drive humanitarian needs, civilian casualties and mass displacement. Concerns are also growing over maritime security, the economic crisis centred around the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, attacks on healthcare and the protection of critical infrastructure, including nuclear facilities. Stay with us for live updates from across the UN system. App users can follow coverage here.
The UN is mourning the loss of Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for South Sudan, whose went from advising Nelson Mandela following the historic anti-apartheid struggle to becoming a “tireless” champion of crisis diplomacy for the UN in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Humanitarian needs are continuing to grow again across Gaza, the UN agency assisting Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Wednesday, amid mounting pressures on aid delivery and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
UN aid teams in Yemen on Wednesday warned that the situation in the war-torn nation remains dire in a call for $2 billion in aid to deliver lifesaving assistance for 12 million people.
The international community must step up efforts to support Syria amid the current conflict raging in the Middle East, two senior UN officials told the Security Council on Wednesday.
The crisis in the Middle East continues, with ongoing strikes across the region and rising humanitarian needs. The UN nuclear watchdog reports that a projectile struck the premises of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, with no damage or injuries. In Lebanon, the humanitarian situation is worsening, with hundreds reported killed and more than one million people displaced amid continued airstrikes and extensive displacement orders. UN agencies are scaling up emergency assistance despite mounting challenges. Stay with us for live updates from across the United Nations system. App users can follow coverage here.
An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new United Nations estimates released on Tuesday – highlighting a worrying slowdown in global progress on child survival.
UN Women will continue delivering for Afghan women and girls despite sweeping restrictions and ongoing instability, a senior official said on Tuesday.