Peacekeeping: Lacroix warns of rising threats to ‘blue helmets’ in Middle East

Briefing journalists by video link from Jeddah following an extensive visit to the region, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, said there has been an uptick in dangerous incidents involving peacekeepers and the fragile environment in which missions are operating. He added that UN missions are continuing to deliver on their mandates despite increasingly challenging conditions on the ground. […]

SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: Debate on the situation in the Middle East

SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: Debate on the situation in the Middle East

The Security Council meets today for its quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, with a focus on the worsening crisis in Gaza. UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari is expected to brief on the situation in the war-ravaged enclave where food entry and distribution remain severely restricted, malnutrition is rising, and fuel […]

Children’s lives ‘turned upside down’ by wars across Middle East, North Africa, warns UNICEF

Children’s lives ‘turned upside down’ by wars across Middle East, North Africa, warns UNICEF

Alarmingly, 110 million children in the region live in countries affected by war, with homes, schools and health facilities damaged or destroyed in fighting. “A child’s life is being turned upside down the equivalent of every five seconds due to the conflicts in the region,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East […]

MIDDLE EAST CRISIS: Live updates for 20 June

MIDDLE EAST CRISIS: Live updates for 20 June

One week since the Israel-Iran conflict erupted, diplomatic efforts to end the war are ramping up in Geneva today as foreign ministers from France, Germany, the UK and the European Union prepare to meet their Iranian counterpart. In New York, meanwhile, the UN Security Council is also set to discuss this latest worrying escalation, against […]

Middle East crisis: Live updates for 16 June

Middle East crisis: Live updates for 16 June

After a weekend of massive strikes and counter-strikes between Tel Aviv and Tehran, the UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk on Monday condemned the violence and echoed wider calls for a negotiated end to the attacks. Meanwhile in Gaza, aid workers report that mobile communications networks continue to be cut in the shattered enclave. We’ll […]

Stuck in the middle? Indebted nations plot path to growth amid global trade upheaval

Stuck in the middle? Indebted nations plot path to growth amid global trade upheaval

The High-Level Conference of Middle-Income Countries (MICs), held on 28 and 29 April, was attended by senior representatives from 24 MICs, many of which are highly indebted, leaving them little room for spending on developing their economies. Since 2000, only 27 countries transitioned from middle income to high-income status, and many have experienced reversals back […]