Briefing journalists in Geneva on Friday, Eva Hinds, the UN child agency’s Chief of Communications, described a humanitarian response that is fragile, painstaking and essential, following her return from a 10-day mission to Darfur.
For nearly three years, rival militaries who were former allies have been battling for control of the shattered country, engaged in a brutal civil conflict that has destablised multiple countries bordering Sudan.
“In Darfur today, reaching a single child can take days of negotiation, security clearances, and travel across sand roads under shifting frontlines,” she said. “Nothing about this crisis is simple: every movement is hard-won, every delivery fragile.”
City built from fear
Ms. Hinds had just returned from Tawila, in North Darfur, where she witnessed what she described as an entire city rebuilt from desperation. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled violence and erected makeshift shelters from sticks, hay and plastic sheeting.
“Over 500,000 to 600,000 people are sheltering there,” she reported. “But standing inside that vast expanse of makeshift shelters was overwhelming. It felt like an entire city uprooted and rebuilt out of necessity and fear.”
Despite the insecurity and logistical hurdles, UNICEF and its partners are still reaching children.
Effective aid operation
In just two weeks, more than 140,000 children were vaccinated, thousands treated for illness and malnutrition, safe water restored to tens of thousands, and temporary classrooms opened.
“It is painstaking, precarious work – delivered one convoy, one clinic, one classroom at a time – but for children in Darfur, it is the thin line between being abandoned and being reached,” Ms Hinds said.
She described meeting Doha, a teenage girl newly arrived from Al Fasher, who dreams of returning to school and one day teaching English. “Her name refers to the soft light just after sunrise,” Ms Hinds said. “She embodies that image – hopeful and determined.”
‘The children are freezing’
At a nutrition site, she met Fatima, a young girl being treated for malnutrition after losing her mother to the conflict.
At a centre for women and girls, mothers spoke of having no food, blankets or warm clothes for their children. “The children are freezing,” one mother told her. “We have nothing to cover them with.”
“These personal stories reflect only a small part of a much wider situation,” Ms Hinds said, stressing that Sudan is now the world’s largest humanitarian emergency, yet one of the least visible.
“What I witnessed is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding on a massive scale,” she warned.
“Sudan’s children urgently need international attention and decisive action. Without it, the horrors facing the country’s youngest and most vulnerable will only deepen.”
They urged swift implementation of recent agreements to prevent renewed fighting, protect civilians and preserve fragile gains made during the country’s transition.
A country still on edge
One year into Syria’s post-Assad transition, nearly three million refugees and internally displaced people have returned home, a sign of cautious progress.
But UN officials cautioned that the country remains extremely fragile after more than a decade of war.
The ISIL/Da’esh terrorist group continues to pose a persistent threat, sectarian and ethnic tensions remain unresolved, and the presence of foreign fighters and unsecured detention facilities raises serious security concerns.
At the same time, humanitarian needs remain acute, with only about a quarter of the funding required for winter assistance secured, leaving millions without adequate support amid extreme cold.
Regional dynamics are adding further strain. UN officials warned that continued incursions by Israel in southern Syria undermine the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and risk further destabilizing an already volatile environment.
Against this fragile backdrop, the situation in northern and northeastern Syria has deteriorated sharply in recent weeks.
Talks stall, fighting resumes
Repeated attempts at dialogue and mediation between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have failed to prevent renewed violence, Khaled Khiari, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, told ambassadors.
A further round of talks earlier this month did not advance implementation of a March 2025 agreement aimed at integrating the SDF into state institutions, UN officials said. Shortly afterward, clashes erupted in SDF-controlled neighbourhoods of Aleppo, forcing tens of thousands of civilians to flee.
“Following several days of intense fighting…tens of thousands fled, most of whom have started to return, dozens were killed, hundreds were wounded, and persons are still missing,” he said.
Although a ceasefire and “full integration agreement” was announced on 18 January with mediation by the United States and other partners, implementation quickly faltered.
Fighting resumed after talks broke down the following day, and clashes were still being reported in parts of Al-Hasakeh governorate and around Ayn al-Arab, also known as Kobane.
ASG Khiari briefs the Security Council.
“We strongly appeal for both sides to immediately adhere to a ceasefire…and engage in fleshing out and implementing the details of this latest understanding swiftly and in a spirit of compromise,” Mr. Khiari said, warning of an “alarming humanitarian and protection crisis” if the violence continues.
He said recent government decrees recognizing the linguistic, cultural and citizenship rights of Syrian Kurds were “encouraging initiatives” but stressed that they must be followed by inclusive political processes to build trust and national cohesion.
Fragile gains, deep needs
The political tensions are unfolding against a backdrop of immense humanitarian strain.
Edem Wosornu, Director of Crisis Response at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said recent fighting had once again exposed how vulnerable Syria remains after 14 years of war.
Clashes this month forced tens of thousands from their homes in Aleppo and triggered new displacement across Ar-Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor and Al-Hasakeh governorates.
As of 18 January, more than 13,000 people had fled Ar-Raqqa alone, many seeking refuge in overcrowded collective centres.
“The fighting has cut people off from clean water, some hospitals have been forced to close, and many children cannot attend school,” Ms. Wosornu said, adding that damaged roads, unexploded ordnance and winter storms were hampering aid deliveries.
OCHA Director Wosornu briefs the Security Council.
Displaced families are facing “bitter winter conditions,” she said, with urgent needs for shelter, food and heating. Heavy snow and extreme cold have affected nearly 160,000 people living in camps, damaging shelters and contributing to the deaths of two infants.
Despite access challenges, UN agencies and partners continue to deliver aid, including food, shelter, medical supplies and protection services. Emergency funding has been released to support displaced families, and reception centres have been established in Al-Hasakeh and Qamishli.
“Syria can make further progress,” Ms. Wosornu said, but this hinges on sustained humanitarian funding, increased investment in recovery and development, and active diplomacy to prevent further violence and protect civilians.
UN teams blocked from accessing Al Hol amid unrest
UN teams attempting to assess conditions at Al Hol camp in Syria’s northeast were unable to enter the site this week following its takeover by Syrian authorities, amid reports of looting and fires that left the situation tense and volatile.
Staff from UNHCR and UNICEF reached the camp on Tuesday and again on Wednesday but were prevented from accessing it due to security concerns. The teams nevertheless held constructive discussions with Syrian government representatives on site.
The Syrian authorities have indicated their willingness to provide security and other support to UNHCR and humanitarian partners to allow life-saving operations to continue.
The UN also stressed the need for any transfer of detention facilities holding suspected ISIL members from SDF control to the Syrian government to be carried out in an orderly manner and in line with international standards.
Al Hol camp, located in Hasakeh governorate, has for years housed tens of thousands of people — many of them women and children — including family members of suspected ISIL fighters, and has long been plagued by insecurity, humanitarian needs and limited access for aid agencies.
They warned that foreign military action, political exclusion and dwindling resources threaten to undo fragile gains.
UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen – who announced that he will be stepping down from his role during the meeting – told ambassadors that interim authorities in Damascus have inherited “not just the ruins of shattered buildings, but the deeper wreckage of a battered social fabric, decayed institutions and a hollowed-out economy.”
He stressed that the success of Syria’s transition will depend on political stability, inclusivity and international support at a scale commensurate with the country’s needs.
“The international community must support Syria and robustly stand against foreign intervention,” he said. “But equally: the success of the transition will above all rest on the State acting as a State for all, not just in word but also in deed.”
Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the country.
Call to bar interlopers
Mr. Pedersen urged respect for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity amid ongoing external military action, including further reported Israeli strikes this month.
Any security concerns, he said, must be addressed through diplomacy, warning that mishandling them could leave Syria “indefinitely gridlocked, unable to heal or rebuild – and at worst, slipping into fresh waves of strife and external intervention.”
He pointed to the Druze-minority region of Sweida – where a ceasefire following brutal clashes has largely held since July – and welcomed a roadmap agreed last week by Syria, Jordan and the United States to address accountability, humanitarian access and reconciliation.
But he cautioned that fears within the Druze community must be addressed through dialogue and confidence-building.
He also highlighted reports of abuses in Damascus neighbourhoods and calls for accountability in Sweida – and along the coast following sectarian violence there.
“The Syrian public needs to see that abuses are both acknowledged and addressed in accordance with international standards,” he said.
Humanitarian emergency continues
Speaking alongside Mr. Pedersen, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher described Syria as “one of the largest humanitarian emergencies globally.”
More than 70 per cent of the population requires some form of aid, nine million are acutely food insecure seven million remain displaced inside the country and four million refugees abroad.
Despite these figures, he highlighted signs of progress. Thanks to more practical engagement with the interim authorities, aid is now reaching communities inaccessible a year ago.
“Movements that last year would have required lengthy navigation of frontlines are happening routinely,” Mr. Fletcher said, citing food assistance for one million people each month and subsidized bread for two million more.
Nearly 900,000 refugees and 1.9 million internally displaced people have returned to their communities since December, though many face destroyed housing, lack of jobs and insecurity.
Funding gaps remain
Funding gaps however threaten these gains, with the UN’s humanitarian appeal for Syria only 18 per cent funded. The shortfall has forced closures of hospitals, safe spaces for women and community centres.
“Just when organizations are seeking to expand their operations and have the opportunity to work more efficiently, they are instead forced to cut programmes, reduce support, lose staff,” Mr. Fletcher warned.
The UN Security Council meets to discuss the situation in Syria.
‘Unity is within reach’
Both officials warned that Syria’s fragile moment of progress could easily unravel.
“If this central challenge is mishandled, the consequences could be dire,” Mr. Pedersen cautioned. “But if met with genuine negotiation and bold compromise, unity is within reach and success against the odds is possible.”
Mr. Fletcher echoed that message, urging Member States to “preserve stability, fund the humanitarian response and enable Syrian-led recovery.”
“This time next year,” he added, “I want to report that we are substantially scaling down our emergency humanitarian operations in Syria – not because funding cuts have forced our hand, but because the international community has made the necessary investments in Syria’s future.”
Declared on July 19, the ceasefire followed a harrowing wave of sectarian clashes, Israeli airstrikes and grave human rights violations.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen told ambassadors in the Security Council on Monday that the recent escalation had “rocked” the country’s already precarious transition and highlighted the need for “major course corrections” on security and political fronts.
“Syrians are reeling after appalling violence in Sweida – violence that should not have happened and which also saw unacceptable foreign intervention,” Mr. Pedersen said.
Escalation and fallout
The unrest began on July 12 when mutual kidnappings escalated into armed conflict between Druze groups and Bedouin tribes, drawing in Syrian security forces.
The violence spiralled, with reports of extrajudicial executions, desecration of corpses and looting. Footage circulated widely on social media fanned sectarian tensions and disinformation.
Though fighting has largely subsided, Mr. Pedersen warned the situation “remains tense and volatile.” Civilians suffered the most, with hundreds killed and widespread accounts of abuses by both state and non-state actors.
“I condemn the appalling violations against civilians and combatants in Sweida. I also condemn Israel’s intervention,” he said, referring to airstrikes around Sweida and Damascus that reportedly caused civilian and security force casualties.
A wide view of the Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria. On screen is Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria.
Humanitarian crisis worsens
Humanitarian needs are escalating sharply. Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described Sweida as “teetering on the edge of collapse.”
“The recent violence in Sweida has displaced an estimated 175,000 people…a third of the population in the governorate, where two-thirds of people were already in need of assistance,” she told ambassadors.
Hospitals are overwhelmed and face severe shortages of electricity, supplies and personnel. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed five attacks on healthcare in Sweida, including the killing of two doctors, obstruction and targeting of ambulances
Vital infrastructure, including water systems are critically damaged, and food, fuel and medicine remain scarce. Aid access remains limited due to insecurity.
While three UN-supported aid convoys reached Sweida with food, fuel and health supplies, Ms. Wosornu stressed the need for “sustained humanitarian access” and protection for aid workers and infrastructure.
Droughts and wildfires deepen suffering
The violence coincided with devastating wildfires in Lattakia that displaced over 1,100 people and destroyed farmland.
The fires were worsened by “the worst drought-like conditions Syria has seen in 36 years,” Ms. Wosornu said, with water reservoirs falling to historic lows.
UN agencies are responding with clean water, health services and food assistance.
Edem Wosornu, Director of the Operations at OCHA, briefs UN Security Council members on the situation Syria.
Comprehensive political reforms
Special Envoy Pedersen emphasised that sustainable peace in Syria hinges on inclusive political reform, security sector transformation and transitional justice.
“The state has a clear duty to act professionally and with discipline, even when under attack. It must take control of its forces and ensure visible accountability,” he said.
A new People’s Assembly is expected in September, a key step in the transitional framework. Mr. Pedersen warned that unless the process is inclusive, transparent and representative, it risks deepening public mistrust.
Transition simply cannot fail
“The Syrian political transition simply cannot fail,” he said.
Ms. Wosornu echoed the call for international solidarity, urgent funding and a halt to hostilities. Only 12 per cent of the revised $3.2 billion humanitarian appeal has been met.
“Our assistance is falling far short of meeting the level of needs,” she said, “If Syria is to recover, such violence must stop.”
Broadcast of the Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria.
“The thousands of people seeking to return home are driven by hope, resilience and an enduring connection to their country,” said Othman Belbeisi, regional director of the International Organization of Migration (IOM).
While this development does offer hope, many of these people are returning to states and cities whose resources have been devastated by over two years of war.
Since conflict broke out in April 2023, over 12 million Sudanese have been forcibly displaced, representing the largest displacement crisis in the world.
One-third of these displaced people have fled into neighbouring countries such as Chad and South Sudan, which are increasingly struggling to support the influx of refugees.
“Not only do [the returnees] mark a hopeful but fragile shift, they also indicate already stretched host countries under increasing strain,” said Mamadou Dian Balde, the regional coordinator for the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR.
‘A race against time’
IOM emphasized that for these returns to accord with international law, they must be voluntary and dignified. Most of the 1.3 million Sudanese returnees are heading to Khartoum, Al Jazirah and Sennar states where the impact of the conflict is still very acute.
In Khartoum specifically, many buildings — including the UNHCR office — are in ruins and public infrastructure, such as roads and power plants, has been compromised or destroyed.
“Without urgent action, people will be coming back to cities that are in ruins. We are in a race against time to clear the rubble and provide water, power and healthcare,” said Abdallah Al Dardair, director of the Arab States for the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
Additionally, Khartoum is already housing many internally displaced people and people who had formerly sought asylum in Sudan before the war broke out.
Returnees also face danger from unexploded ordnance and high rates of gender-based and sexual violence against women and girls. To address the psychosocial and protection needs of these women and girls, safe spaces have been set up in Khartoum and Al Jazirah states.
Key to recovery
In highlighting the hope that these returns signal, Mr. Belbeisi emphasized that returnees must be seen as active participants in the recovery of conflict-ridden Sudan.
“Those heading home are not passive survivors, they are vital to Sudan’s recovery. Yes, the humanitarian situation is dire, but with the right support, returnees can revive local economies, restore community life, and foster hope where it’s needed most,” he said.
However, humanitarian work in and around Sudan is drastically underfunded — only 23 per cent of the estimated $4.2 billion dollars needed for the next year has been received, meaning that life-saving services may have to be scaled back.
“More than evidence of people’s desire to return to their homeland, these returns are a desperate call for an end to the war so that people can come back and rebuild their lives,” Mr. Balde said.
Ninety-nine per cent of the returnees were undocumented, and 70 per cent were forcibly returned, with a steep rise in families being deported – a shift from earlier months, when most returnees were single young men, according to the UN agency.
The rise follows a March decision by the Iranian Government requiring all undocumented Afghans to leave the country.
Conditions deteriorated further after the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which caused the daily refugees crossings to skyrocket from about 5,000 to nearly 30,000, according to Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan.
“They are coming in buses and sometimes five buses arrive at one time with families and others and the people are let out of the bus and they are simply bewildered, disoriented, and tired and hungry as well,” he told UN News, describing the scene at a border crossing.
“This has been exacerbated by the war, but I must say it has been part of an underlying trend that we have seen of returns from Iran, some of which are voluntary, but a large portion were also deportations.”
Strain on aid efforts
Afghanistan, already grappling with economic collapse and chronic humanitarian crisis, is unprepared to absorb such large-scale returns.
The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan calls for $2.42 billion in funding, but only 22.2 per cent has been secured to date.
“The scale of returns is deeply alarming and demands a stronger and more immediate international response,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope, “Afghanistan cannot manage this alone.”
Meanwhile, UNHCR alongside partners is working to address the urgent needs of those arriving – food, water, shelter, protection. However its programmes are also under severe strain due to limited funding.
The agency had to drastically reduce its cash assistance to returnee families at the border from $2,000 per family to just $156.
“We are not able to help enough women, and we are also hurting local communities,” added Mr. Jamal.
Some relief, but not enough
In response to growing crisis, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated $1.7 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) to support drought-affected families in Faryab Province.
The funds will provide cash assistance to some 8,000 families in the region, where over a third of the rural population is already facing crisis or emergency levels of acute food insecurity.
“Acting ahead of predicted hazards to prevent or reduce humanitarian impacts on communities is more important than ever,” said Isabelle Moussard Carlsen, Head of OCHA Afghanistan, adding “when humanitarian action globally and in Afghanistan is underfunded…we must make the most of every dollar.”
Nearly 15 years after Gaddafi’s fall, Libya remains split between the internationally recognised Government of National Unity in Tripoli, and the rival Government of National Stability in Benghazi.
Although a truce was reached on 14 May, the outbreak of fighting last month in the capital “temporarily disrupted UN development and humanitarian operations,” said top UN envoy Hanna Tetteh.
Fragile Truce
On 18 May, with support from the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the Presidential Council established a Truce Committee.
Composed of key security actors, the body has been mandated to monitor the upholding of the ceasefire, facilitate a permanent end to the fighting and ensure the protection of civilians.
As UNSMIL works to ease tensions and prevent further clashes, the Presidential Council has also set up a temporary Security and Military Arrangement Committee, tasked with sustaining peace and reorganising security forces in the capital.
“The truce, however, remains fragile, and the overall security situation unpredictable,” said Ms. Tetteh.
Alleged grave violations
The armed clashes that erupted in May resulted in civilian deaths and injuries, as well as damage to critical civilian infrastructure, underscoring the shortcomings of State security forces in adhering to international humanitarian and human rights law, she continued.
Ms. Tetteh expressed alarm over mass graves found in Abu Slim, citing emerging evidence of serious human rights violations – including extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances – allegedly by State security forces.
“The presence of charred remains, unidentified bodies in morgues, and a suspected unofficial detention site at Abu Salim Zoo underscores the scale and gravity of these abuses,” she said.
Demand for change
“Many Libyans are deeply disillusioned with the prolonged transitional period and have lost confidence in the current institutions and leadership,” said Ms. Tetteh.
As civilians increasingly doubt the current leadership’s willingness to put national interests above their own, there is strong demand for a political process that allows public participation, enables elections, and delivers a democratic government with a clear mandate for real change.
UNSMIL intends to present a time-bound and politically pragmatic roadmap – with the goal of reaching the end of the transitional process – by the time of her next briefing, Ms. Tetteh told ambassadors.
“I urge all parties to engage in good faith and to be ready to forge consensus on this roadmap,” she said.
The warning comes amidst increased violence and a worsening food security condition which has 11 out of 13 counties in the state facing emergency levels of hunger and 32,000 of these inhabitants facing catastrophic level hunger conditions, almost three times previous estimates.
“We are seeing the devastating impact conflict has on food security in South Sudan,” said Mary-Ellen McGroarty, Country Director for the World Food Programme (WFP) in South Sudan.
“Conflict doesn’t just destroy homes and livelihoods, it tears communities apart, cuts off access to markets, and sends food prices spiralling upward,” Ms. McGroarty said.
Country-wide hunger
In total, 7.7 million people across South Sudan will face acute food insecurity, accounting for over half of the entire population. Additionally, 2.3 million children in South Sudan face malnutrition, a rise from 2.1 million at the beginning of the year.
FAO expects these numbers to increase as the country prepares to enter the lean and wet season which will further diminish food supplies and potentially worsen displacement.
The agency did note that counties in which violence has been largely absent have seen improvements in food insecurity as a result of increased crop production and humanitarian efforts. However, hunger continues.
Despite such ongoing challenges, Meshack Malo, the country representative of FAO in South Sudan, said that these results are proof of the “dividends of peace.”
Descent into conflict
South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, gained independence in 2011 and immediately fell into a brutal and devastating civil war which ultimately ended in 2018 thanks to a peace agreement between political rivals which has largely held.
However, recent political tensions and increased violent attacks, especially in the Upper Nile State, threaten to unravel the peace agreement and plunge the nation back into conflict.
“South Sudan cannot afford to sink into conflict at this point in time. It will plunge already vulnerable communities into severe food insecurity, leading to widespread hunger,” said Meshack Malo, Country Representative of FAO in South Sudan.
Humanitarian difficulties
FAO said that humanitarian access must be improved in order to address the worsening hunger situation.
The FAO report also emphasized that peace and capacity building is the only sustainable solution for food insecurity in South Sudan.
“Long-term peace is essential, but right now, it is critical our teams are able to access and safely distribute food to families caught in conflict in Upper Nile, to bring them back from the brink and prevent famine,” said Ms. McGroarty.
Clashes broke out earlier in the week across several districts of the Libyan capital, reportedly triggered by the killing of a prominent militia leader.
The fighting, which involved heavy weaponry in densely populated areas, forced hundreds of families to flee and placed severe strain on local hospitals.
“The rapid nature of the escalation, which drew armed groups from outside the city and subjected heavily populated neighbourhoods to heavy artillery fire, was alarming,” his spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.
“The Secretary-General reminds all parties of their obligation to protect civilians and calls on them to engage in serious dialogue in good faith to address the root causes of the conflict.”
Alarms raised
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) issued successive warnings throughout the week, calling the situation “deeply alarming” and urging an “immediate, unconditional ceasefire.”
“Attacking and damaging civilian infrastructure, physically harming civilians, and jeopardizing the lives and safety of the population may constitute crimes under international law,” the mission said on Wednesday, praising mediation efforts by elders and civil society leaders.
Years of fragmentation
Nearly 15 years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi and the emergence of rival administrations in 2014, the country remains divided, with the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) based in Tripoli in the northwest and the Government of National Stability (GNS) in Benghazi in the east.
Competition over Libya’s vast oil wealth further complicates the situation. Though the country produces more than a million barrels a day, the living conditions of ordinary Libyans have seen little improvement.
Accountability for atrocities
In New York on Thursday the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that its investigation into alleged war crimes in Libya has entered a new phase, following increased cooperation by authorities there.
Briefing the UN Security Council from The Hague, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan described “an unprecedented six months of dynamism,” citing the January arrest of Osama Elmasry Najim, a commander in the now-dissolved Special Deterrence Force (RADA), and his controversial return to Libya.
Mr. Khan briefed Ambassadors via videolink after the United States imposed punitive sanctions on the court including senior personnel, which threaten the prosecutor and others with arrest if they travel to the US. The US made the order in response to the ICC issuing arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister and former defence minister, last November.
Mr. Najim was arrested by Italian authorities based on an ICC warrant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to abuses at Metiga Prison.
However, his return was a matter of deep concern, said Mr. Khan.
New ‘rule of law’ promises accountability
“There was real dismay and disappointment among victims that Mr. Njeem was returned to the scene of the alleged crimes,” Mr. Khan said.
Despite that setback, he said that the arrest warrant had sent “shockwaves” through Libyan militias and alleged perpetrators in Libya, signalling a growing awareness that “the rule of law has entered the territory of Libya.”
He confirmed that more arrest warrants are being pursued, and that the ICC has responded to a request for assistance from the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom as part of its own investigation into Mr. Njeem.
“There is a black box of suffering in Libya,” he told ambassadors. “We will manage to break it open.”
The Security Council meeting on the situation in Libya.
Libya grants ICC jurisdiction
In another major development, Libya formally submitted a declaration to the ICC under Article 12(3) of the Rome Statute, granting the court jurisdiction over crimes committed on Libyan soil from 2011 to 2027.
Mr. Khan described this as a “new chapter” in accountability efforts and confirmed that the investigation phase is expected to conclude by early 2026.
About the ICC
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an independent judicial body established under the Rome Statute, adopted in 1998 and in force since 2002.
Although not part of the United Nations, the ICC works closely with it under a cooperative framework. The situation in Libya was first referred to the ICC by the UN Security Council in 2011 through resolution 1970.
