United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of James Eugene McGoldrick of Ireland as his new Ad Interim Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO). Mr. McGoldrick will also serve as Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim. He succeeds Lynn Hastings of Canada, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedication and service.
The Security Council today requested the Secretary-General to appoint a Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for the Gaza Strip as it demanded the parties to the conflict to allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to Palestinian civilians throughout that territory.
Violence is spiralling throughout Syria in a conflict that “cannot be left unattended”, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the country told the Security Council today, as members echoed his call for a return to the political track with a realistic approach inclusive of all actors and all issues.
In Gaza, over 500,000 people are facing unprecedented catastrophic hunger and starvation, according to an analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, which includes data from the World Food Programme (WFP) and other UN agencies. WFP warns that Gaza now risks famine.
The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan for six months until 30 June 2024 and requested that the Force have the required capacity and resources to safely fulfil its mandate.
In Sudan, the World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that it is temporarily suspending food assistance in some parts of Al Jazirah state, as fighting has spread south and east of the capital, Khartoum
The Arab-Israeli conflict will know no end unless a solution to the Palestinian question is found, otherwise the war will be passed down from generation to generation, the General Assembly heard today, as several delegates also underscored Israel’s right to self-defence within the parameters of international law.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said today that 65 journalists have been killed in the line of duty in 2023, compared with 88 in 2022. The Head of UNESCO said that this drop conceals an alarming phenomenon: an increase in the number killed in conflict zones and more is online.
Even with war raging in Gaza, it is critical at this important juncture to enable parties to re-engage on the long-delayed political path to a two-State solution, the United Nations’ point man for Middle East peace told the Security Council today, as he urged Israelis, Palestinians, States in the region and the broader international community to work together towards that goal.
Save those who can still be saved in Gaza, the General Assembly heard today, as delegates also expressed alarm that the body’s recently adopted ceasefire resolution does not condemn Hamas.
