UNICEF ‘outraged’ by killing of Gaza water truck drivers, urges investigation
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over the killing of two contracted workers delivering clean water to families in the Gaza Strip.
Source: UN News Middle East ▾
-
-
MIDDLE EAST LIVE 17 April: Israel-Lebanon ceasefire begins
A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight in Beirut, offering a pause in hostilities after weeks of fighting. The UN Secretary-General has welcomed the agreement and urged all parties to respect it, expressing hope it could open the way for further negotiations. Stay with us for live updates on developments on the ground and diplomatic efforts.
-
Gaza war’s terrible toll on women and girls highlights ongoing crisis
The war in Gaza has inflicted a far higher toll on women and girls than in previous conflicts in the Palestinian enclave, with more than 38,000 killed by Israeli air bombardment and land military operations since Hamas-led terror attacks in Israel sparked the war in October 2023, UN Women said on Friday.
-
UNESCO grants ‘enhanced protection’ to cultural heritage sites in the Middle East
Since the Middle East war started on 28 February, several sites of major cultural significance have come under attack in Israel, Iran and Lebanon. Ensuring their protection is the task of the UN agency for education, science and culture, UNESCO.
-
MIDDLE EAST LIVE 16 April: All eyes on mooted Israel-Lebanon talks
Amid reports of high-level talks later today between Israel and Lebanon, intense Israeli military strikes continued in southern Lebanese territory, including around the Hezbollah stronghold of Bint Jbeil. Hezbollah rocket fire continued into northern Israel also. In other developments, the US military announced on Wednesday that it had prevented 10 ships from navigating through the Strait of Hormuz, in line with its blockade of Iranian ports.
-
MIDDLE EAST LIVE 15 April: Civilians continue to be at risk as tensions remain high
Developments across the Middle East continue as Israeli military operations in Lebanon persist, a day after rare talks aimed at easing tensions. The humanitarian toll remains severe, with more than 2,000 people reported killed since early March and growing concern over the impact on healthcare and the situation of vulnerable groups, including pregnant women. Uncertainty also continues in the Strait of Hormuz following a US-announced blockade on Iranian ports, raising wider concerns over regional stability and global trade.
-
MIDDLE EAST LIVE 14 April: Civilians suffer as uncertainty and tensions persist
As Israel and Lebanon prepare for talks in Washington, the UN Secretary-General has urged both sides to use all available diplomatic avenues to end hostilities and advance the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. At the same time, uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz continues to raise concerns over global trade and food security. Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll remains severe, with women and children among those hardest hit by the conflict.
-
‘Now is the moment to invest’: Syria needs global backing, says UN expert
Syria has made “remarkable progress” on transitional justice within the past year, raising hopes for accountability and recovery after more than a decade of civil conflict.
-
‘Time for diplomacy over escalation’ in Middle East war: Guterres
As the war in the Middle East continues, the United Nations Secretary-General issued a passionate call for “serious negotiations” between the US and Iran to resume, warning that respect for international law “is being trampled” underfoot.
-
Yemenis are ‘hanging by a thread’ top aid official warns Security Council
Yemen must not be drawn into the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Security Council heard on Tuesday, stressing the need for de-escalation, political progress and urgent humanitarian funding for beleaguered civilians battered by years of grinding war.
-
MIDDLE EAST LIVE 13 April: US-Iran talks falter; Strait of Hormuz uncertainty deepens
Developments over the weekend have raised fresh concerns across the Middle East and beyond after talks between the United States and Iran on Saturday ended without agreement, fuelling uncertainty and renewed tensions. The US announcement of a planned blockade targeting Iranian ports has added to fears of further escalation and potential disruption to global trade routes. Meanwhile, the humanitarian toll continues to mount, with Lebanese authorities reporting that the death toll from Israeli airstrikes has now surpassed 2,000 since the escalation began last month.
-
‘Clock is ticking’: Hormuz disruption raises fears of global food crisis
The clock is ticking for global food systems as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz threaten to choke off the flow of fuel and crucial fertilizers needed for the next planting season – also raising the risk of higher food prices and a new wave of inflation.
-
US-Iran war: Guterres calls for continued talks, end to ceasefire violations
The United States and Iran must continue talks aimed at ending their weeks-long war, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, underscoring that there is no military solution to the conflict.
-
MIDDLE EAST LIVE 10 April: Fear and uncertainty grow in Lebanon as conflict grinds on
Fighting continues across parts of the Middle East, with renewed exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah adding to an already volatile regional picture. The escalation comes as humanitarian needs deepen, with rising civilian casualties, mounting displacement and growing strain on critical infrastructure and health services. At the same time, diplomatic efforts continue amid the scope of the recent US-Iran ceasefire, with talks scheduled in the coming days.
-
Lebanon airstrike casualties ‘still under the rubble’ as ambulances, hospitals face new threats
With Lebanon still reeling from Israel’s devastating airstrikes on 8 April, UN humanitarians reported new fears of attacks on ambulances and looming food shortages in the south of the country on Friday.
-
MIDDLE EAST LIVE 9 April: UN condemns massive strikes in Lebanon, as concerns grow over ceasefire
With a US-Iran ceasefire offering a fragile glimmer of hope after weeks of conflict, violence continues to reverberate across the Middle East. Massive airstrikes in Lebanon have caused heavy civilian casualties and widespread destruction, drawing strong UN condemnation. As humanitarian needs deepen and diplomatic efforts intensify, the situation remains highly volatile.
-
Lebanon: Health system overwhelmed following a ‘horrific’ day of Israeli strikes
The scale and speed of destruction from the wave of airstrikes in Lebanon which began just hours after the US-Iran ceasefire announcement, has left the country’s already strained health system struggling to cope, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
-
MIDDLE EAST LIVE 8 April: US-Iran ceasefire announced; strikes continue in Lebanon
After nearly 40 days of intense hostilities across the Middle East – marked by rising civilian casualties and widespread damage to critical infrastructure – a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran has been announced, offering a potential pause in the fighting. While the UN Secretary-General has welcomed the move as a step toward a broader peace, reports of continued Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon underscore the fragility of the situation. Stay with us for live updates on developments across the region and beyond.
-
Hundreds feared dead in Lebanon strikes
The United Nations has strongly condemned airstrikes by the Israeli military across Lebanon on Wednesday which have resulted in significant casualties and destruction.
-
Iran ceasefire raises hopes for reopening key Strait of Hormuz
The announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran, will it is hoped, lead to the opening of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway through which one fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes.
