Despite reductions in the overall number of conflict-related incidents in South Sudan, a rise in abductions and sexual violence is concerning, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, UNMISS, said on Friday.
The UN has raised serious concerns ahead of Uganda’s elections scheduled for 15 January, warning they will take place in an environment marked by widespread repression, intimidation and shrinking civic space.
The UN human rights chief has called for an independent and transparent investigation into reports of deaths and widespread arrests during ongoing nationwide protests in Iran, amid mounting concerns over the use of force by security forces.
UN agencies are supporting efforts on Friday to get energy services up and running in Ukraine, and keep families warm amid freezing winter temperatures, following a large-scale overnight attack.
Aid agencies marked 1,000 days of war in Sudan on Friday with a grim reminder that the conflict has created the world’s biggest hunger crisis and largest displacement emergency. Every day, civilians have been “paying the price for a war they did not choose”, said UN aid coordination office, OCHA.
Several parts of Ukraine were hit by a new wave of Russian strikes between Wednesday and Thursday morning.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres continues to be gravely alarmed by escalating hostilities in Aleppo, Syria, and mounting reports of civilian casualties, his Spokesperson said on Thursday.
Despite harsh winter conditions and continuing access constraints, the UN and partners are maintaining large-scale humanitarian operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with a focus on shelter, water, health and education.
An independent human rights expert has urged the international community to reject the electoral process organised by Myanmar’s military government, after the first round of voting revealed widespread coercion, exclusion and violence.
Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed regret over the decision by the United States to withdraw from a number of UN entities, while underscoring that the system will continue to deliver on all its mandates.
The global economy has shown resilience amid turbulence during the past year, including shifting trade policies – yet growth remains subdued and far below pre-pandemic levels, the UN said in a landmark report published on Thursday.
Progress continues to be made towards eliminating remnants of the chemical weapons programme in Syria that was developed under the Assad regime, the UN Security Council heard on Thursday.