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With civilians now routinely targeted and subjected to indiscriminate brutality in most current conflicts – from the civil war in Syria to ethnic and political strife in Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan – the Security Council joined senior United Nations officials today to once again urge greater protection for the countless men, women and children caught in the crossfire of war.

While nearly 1 billion people have escaped extreme poverty in the past 20 years and child and maternal mortality have been cut by almost one half, much more work remains to be done to address inequalities and ensure the rights and dignity of all, especially women and children, top United Nations officials stressed today.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today began to airlift food into the Central African Republic where 1.25 million people are affected by violence that the top UN refugee official now fears is “ethnic-religious cleansing”.

An independent United Nations human rights expert today urged the Government of Tajikistan to fully implement its policies to eradicate and prevent torture and ill-treatment.

More relief moved in today for Syrians trapped in the Old City of Homs for nearly two years without aid, and more evacuees moved out, as Government and opposition delegates met in Geneva in United Nations-sponsored talks seeking to end the bloody conflict.

Rural development is key to Africa’s prosperity, yet it has been undervalued by Governments, international lenders and policy advisers, the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a paper released today, calling for increased investment in the field.

Standing on his hind legs to peer at a United Nations vehicle in South Sudan, he poked his head under the hood and sniffed, brown curls shaking around as he searched for explosives.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonand the Security Council today warmly welcomed the re-launching of negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem and pledged the commitment of the United Nations to these efforts.

The security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) capital of Bangui continues to deteriorate, with targeted assassinations and rising violence and criminality on the streets, the United Nations human rights office today warned, adding that it is particularly worried about the “climate of complete impunity” in the country.

The United Nations said today that it is receiving more reports of civilian casualties and further displacement within Iraq as the conflict in Anbar province continues.