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The United Nations said on Friday that it has received assurances from credible sources that the 44 peacekeepers who were taken from their positions in the Golan yesterday are safe and in good health.

Addressing a youth forum in Bali, Indonesia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the role of young people in building a peaceful, sustainable future and encouraged them to be solid global citizens and leaders of today.

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a roadmap that aims to stop Ebola transmissions within six to nine months, but acknowledges the actual number of cases may be much higher than that currently reported and the total caseload could exceed 20,000 over the course of the emergency.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is alarmed by what seems to be a “dangerous escalation” in the crisis in Ukraine with reports of intensified fighting in the country south-east near the border with Russia, as the Security Council held emergency talks on the latest developments.

For the first time in six months, there has been some improvement recently on humanitarian access to Syria, but much more needs to be done by the parties to the conflict to ensure rapid and unhindered access to people in need, a senior United Nations relief official told the Security Council today.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council today strongly condemned the detention of United Nations peacekeepers serving in the Golan amid increased fighting in the area between Syrian Government forces and armed elements, and demanded their immediate release.

The Security Council has strongly condemned the downing yesterday of a United Nations helicopter in South Sudan which resulted in the death of three Russian crew members and left a fourth severely injured, and called for a thorough investigation.

A three-day workshop organized by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) aimed at strengthening Africa’s defences against the Ebola outbreak is underway with health experts from Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) until 30 June 2015, while requesting the peacekeeping mission to focus on strategic priorities such as the improved protection of civilians and humanitarian workers, along with the facilitation of aid and mediation activities.

The United Nations Security Council today reiterated its continued concern about the alarming situation in the Sahel region of Africa and reaffirmed its commitment to address the complex security and political challenges.