Tools to protect civilians in conflict exist, but not the will to apply them, Lowcock tells Security Council

Humanitarian Aid
UNOCHA/Giles Clarke

The international legal framework and tools are all there to protect civilians caught up in conflict, and now it’s time for governments and armed groups to apply them, the UN relief chief told the Security Council on Tuesday.

Unsplash/Fotis Christopoulos

Guterres deeply concerned over ‘forced landing’ and arrest of Belarus opposition journalist, as condemnation grows

The UN Secretary-General said on Monday he was “deeply concerned” over the apparent forced landing of a commercial passenger jet over Belarus, and the subsequent detention of a prominent dissident and journalist by authorities there.

UN News/Daniel Dickinson

UN chief appeals for dialogue in Samoa amid prime ministerial stand-off

The UN has called for dialogue in Samoa, where the first woman elected as Prime Minister was locked out of Parliament on Monday amid a bitter power struggle with the country’s long-standing leader.

© UNICEF/Ismail Taxta

Step up global plan for COVID-19 vaccines, UN chief says in message to World Health Assembly

The COVID-19 pandemic “must be a turning point”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, urging countries to take bold decisions now to both end the crisis and build a safe and healthy future for all. 

MINUSMA/Gema Cortes

One blue helmet lost is ‘one too many’: UN peacekeeping chief reports spike in 2021 fatalities

 UN blue helmets face an increasing number of attacks throughout the complex environments in which they work, the head of the Organization’s peacekeeping operations told the Security Council on Monday. 

© WFP/Annabel Symington

WFP scales up support in Yemen but fears response could be hampered

Although the World Food Programme (WFP) is ramping up support to people in Yemen’s worst hunger hotspots, in efforts to prevent famine, sustaining response through the rest of the year is uncertain, the UN agency warned on Monday.

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