Middle East

Tarek Khouri

UN chief calls for de-escalation across Gulf region after killing of top Iranian General in US airstrike 

3 January 2020
Peace and Security

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over the latest escalation in tension across the Gulf region, following the killing of a top Iranian General in Iraq, in an airstrike carried out by the United States. 

© UNICEF/Delil Souleiman

UNICEF chief hopes 2020 will be 'a year of peace' for Syria’s children

2 January 2020
Peace and Security

Only an end to the war in Syria can bring safety to children there, the head of the UN child rights agency said on Thursday. 

UNICEF/Loulou d'Aki

Israel/Palestine war crimes probe ‘momentous step forward’, says UN rights expert

31 December 2019
Human Rights

An independent UN human rights expert hailed on Tuesday, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to consider a formal criminal investigation into allegations of war crimes in Palestine as a "momentous step forward in the quest for accountability" in the five-decade-long Israeli occupation.

UN Photo/Cia Pak

Guterres stresses need for independent, ‘impartial investigation’ into Saudi journalist Khashoggi’s death

24 December 2019
Human Rights

As Saudi Arabia handed death sentences to five people and sent three others to jail for the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the United Nations Secretary-General continued to stress the need for “an independent and impartial investigation”.

© UNICEF/Aaref Watad

Amidst uptick in violence and displacement, UN chief calls for ‘immediate cessation of hostilities’ in Syria

24 December 2019
Peace and Security

“Deeply concerned” over a recent military escalation in northwest Syria, Secretary-General António Guterres called for an “immediate cessation of hostilities”.

OCHA/Ammar Al-Hajj

UN relief chief condemns attacks against humanitarian premises in Yemen

23 December 2019
Humanitarian Aid

The top UN humanitarian official has called for a thorough investigation into weekend attacks against the premises of three international aid organizations in Yemen that wounded one person, in addition to damaging property. 

UNAMA/Haqmal Masoodzai

Afghan President leads election; UN mission chief urges all to ‘safeguard’ final stage of process

22 December 2019
Peace and Security


Welcoming the preliminary results for Afghanistan’s presidential election on Sunday, the head of the United Nations mission in the country urged the authorities and all actors to “protect the integrity of the final stage of the process.” 

ICC

Top Criminal Court to conduct official probe into alleged war crimes in Palestine

20 December 2019
Law and Crime Prevention

Following a “thorough, independent and objective assessment”, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Friday that she plans to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes in Palestine, but asked the Court for a further ruling over territorial jurisdiction.

UNsplash/Ali Barzegarahmadi

UN independent experts ‘deeply disturbed’ by alleged mistreatment of detained Iranian protesters

20 December 2019
Human Rights

Sixteen independent UN human rights experts called on Friday for the release of arbitrarily detained protesters in Iran who have allegedly been abused while in custody.

UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

Iran and US both undermining nuclear deal says UN political affairs chief

19 December 2019
Peace and Security

Both Iran and the United States have been putting strain on the groundbreaking 2015 deal to monitor Iran’s nuclear programme, which remains a “cornerstone of international peace and security”, said the UN’s political affairs chief on Thursday.