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World News in Brief: Thailand-Cambodia border hostilities, humanitarian efforts in Syria and attacks across Ukraine

In a dramatic escalation of a long-standing border dispute, a deadly exchange of fire between Thailand and Cambodia killed at least 11 civilians and a soldier on Thursday, according to news reports. Both states are claiming the other side fired first…

‘Famine silently begins to unfold’ in Gaza, UNRWA chief says

“People in Gaza are neither dead nor alive, they are walking corpses.” Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), said that is…

‘The UN is here to do the right things’: Envoy Colin Stewart bids farewell but keeps the faith

After nearly three decades on the frontlines of UN’s peace operations – from Timor-Leste’s turbulent independence referendum to Western Sahara’s protracted ceasefire and Cyprus’ frozen conflict – Colin Stewart is leaving the Organization with his faith in it intact…

SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: Debate on the situation in the Middle East

The Security Council meets today for its quarterly open debate on the situation in the Middle East, with a focus on the worsening crisis in Gaza. UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari is expected to brief on the situation in the war-ravaged enclave where food entry and distribution remain…

Nigeria: Amid record hunger and surging insecurity, emergency food assistance to stall entirely

At a time of escalating violence and record levels of hunger in Nigeria, critical funding shortfalls are forcing the UN World Food Program (WFP) to suspend all emergency food and nutrition aid for 1.3 million people in the northeast of the country…

Haiti: Violence and displacement driving humanitarian crisis as funding needs go unmet

Escalating gang violence and displacement continue to drive humanitarian needs in Haiti, the UN said on Wednesday. Nearly 1.3 million people in the Caribbean country have fled their homes, with an…

UN official reiterates call for Gaza ceasefire as ‘nightmare of historic proportions’ unfolds

A senior UN official on Wednesday urged the Security Council to push for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages, warning that the war has become “a nightmare of historic proportions” and it is “long past time” for the fighting to end and for hostages to return home…

Home is where the heart is – and where development begins

When Denis Jobin, a senior evaluation specialist at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), visited a slum in Kenya in March as part of an ongoing evaluation, the smell was overwhelming. …

Syria: Second convoy brings critical aid to Sweida

A second convoy from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) reached battered Sweida on Wednesday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported in its latest update. …

‘Catastrophic birth outcomes’ in Gaza threaten a whole generation, warns UN agency

Pregnant women and newborns in Gaza face “catastrophic” conditions, including a dysfunctional healthcare system, psychological stress and food deprivation, the UN reproductive health agency UNFPA reported on Wednesday.…