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The historic shift of power in Syria at the weekend has added yet another layer of complexity to the Middle East crisis, with hostilities ongoing in Gaza, violence undiminished in the occupied West Bank and a fragile ceasefire underway in Lebanon. A Security Council meeting is expected on the crisis today. Meanwhile, the humanitarian emergency for millions of people impacted continues, and we’ll be bringing you the latest on the UN’s efforts to help the most vulnerable. UN News app users can follow here.

As delegates and staffers gear up to tackle another day at UN Headquarters, a quiet yet stirring tradition unfolds: the raising of flags representing all Member States.

Some one billion people globally under the age of 25 live in regions where they depend on the land and natural resources for jobs and livelihoods, according to the UN, but their future is increasingly under threat due to desertification and land degradation.

As reports continued to emerge from Damascus where opposition forces declared victory on State television on Sunday, the UN’s top humanitarian official insisted that aid teams will continue to provide emergency relief wherever possible.

The United Nations humanitarian coordinator for Syria announced on Saturday that the Organization is removing non-critical staff from the country, emphasizing that this is a precautionary step to protect UN personnel “while maintaining essential operations”. 

Migrants and refugees across Latin America and the Caribbean face profound challenges in accessing basic needs, formal employment and safe living conditions, UN agencies reported on Friday, launching a $1.4 billion regional plan to address their urgent needs.

The UN General Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution helping strengthen the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property and facilitating the restitution of stolen artifacts to their countries of origin.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has renewed his call for the immediate and unconditional release of humanitarian personnel who have been detained in Yemen for six months, his Spokesperson said on Friday.

The UN General Assembly-mandated team investigating serious crimes in Syria released a new report on Friday, documenting systematic torture and abuse across over 100 Government detention facilities.

Intore dance in Rwanda, equestrian art in Portugal, Tomyum soup in Thailand, and the artisanal knowledge surrounding the making of sake in Japan, are among the latest practices and cultural expressions to be recognized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

There have been significant developments in Iraq in recent months – which  has so far avoided being dragged into the widening Middle East conflict – but  corruption and other challenges persist, the new UN Special Representative for the country told the Security Council on Friday.