(Damascus, 16 February 2016) Yesterday, reports indicate that six hospitals and one primary health care facility were damaged or destroyed in air attacks in northern and southern Syria, including the only operational hospital in Azaz, cutting off health services to tens of thousands of people and…

My colleagues and I at the United Nations Office at Geneva join Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in expressing sadness about the death of former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. My thoughts and sympathies are with his wife, Mrs. Leah Boutros-Ghali, and the rest of the family. My profound…

Ahmad Fawzi, Director a.i. of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing attended by spokespersons for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and the World Health Organization. Geneva…

New York, 12 February 2016 The Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, and the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Responsibility to Protect, Jennifer Welsh, expressed alarm at the deepening humanitarian emergency and lack of protection of…

In accordance with the decision of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the United Nations hosted today the first meeting of the Task Force on Humanitarian Access in Syria, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Jan Egeland, Senior Advisor to the United Nations…

Ahmad Fawzi, Director a.i. of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing attended by spokespersons for the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Mine…

Meeting in Munich on February 11 & 12, 2016, as the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), the Arab League, China, Egypt, the EU, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the…

Olaph Terribile, the new Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Terribile had been serving as Private Secretary to…

Ahmad Fawzi, Director a.i. of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing attended by spokespersons for International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme and the United Nations Refugee Agency. UN…

(New York, 8 February 2016) I am gravely concerned by reports that over 30,000 civilians have been displaced from Aleppo city and other areas in northern Syria over the past week, by heavy clashes and aerial bombardment by the Government of Syria, allied forces and armed groups. About 80 per cent…