syria

The global Famine Review Committee issued an alert on Gaza and the UN human rights office released a scathing report on possible atrocities as Israel Defense Forces (IDF) continued its military operations there and in Lebanon, where the UN peacekeeping force said the IDF deliberately bulldozed part of UNIFIL's post in Naqoura. Coverage for UN News app users is available here.

The conflict in Gaza and Lebanon is spilling over into Syria, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation, the UN Special Envoy for the country warned on Wednesday.

Deadly Israeli airstrikes hit targets across Lebanon on Wednesday, prompting renewed condemnation from top UN negotiators and humanitarians, who warned that essential services in the south of the country are close to collapse.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, has concluded an urgent visit to Syria, highlighting the plight of 250,000 people who have crossed into the country fleeing airstrikes in Lebanon.  

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria, Bassam Sabbagh, on Monday said the world was at a critical juncture, marked by widespread conflict, economic hardship and environmental degradation.

The escalating regional tensions are drawing Syria deeper into conflict, the UN Special Envoy for the country warned on Tuesday, citing recent Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah rocket fire and the widespread explosions of wireless devices in Lebanon, which included some in Syria.

Increased violence along the frontlines in Syria, with continued war crimes on all sides, is leaving civilians in the region fearful of a “large-scale war”, a new report from the UN Syria Commission of Inquiry released on Tuesday warns. 

Senior UN officials warned the Security Council on Wednesday that the world cannot afford to lose focus on Syria, as the humanitarian and political crisis continues to wreak havoc on the country more than a decade after civil war erupted.