An Iranian drone and missile attack reportedly targeted Kuwait’s international airport killing at least one person and wounded several others, also causing flight suspensions and diversions.
Attacks condemned
“The Secretary-General calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation that risk to undermine the ongoing diplomatic efforts. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be fully respected” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.
He stressed that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries must be respected.
The Secretary-General condemned all attacks on civilian infrastructure and reiterated that international humanitarian law prohibits targeting civilian objects.
Mr. Guterres urged all sides to protect civilians and reaffirmed support for mediation efforts, including those led by Pakistan, calling for constructive engagement in diplomacy.
Fear and uncertainty haunt war-torn communities in Lebanon
Communities continue to live in fear in Lebanon, amid ongoing clashes in the south of the country between Hezbollah fighters and the Israeli military.
In an update from Beirut, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, explained that “total uncertainty” reigns.
“In Beruit alone, an estimated 200,000 people were displaced from the southern suburbs following the evacuation order issued by the Israeli Defense Forces on 1 June,” said Stéphane Dujarric, UN Spokesperson.
On Monday, videos showed thousands of vehicles queuing to leave the capital’s southern suburbs, following warnings of impending Israeli strikes against Hezbollah strongholds.
Scared to stay
The crisis remains unresolved, with people too scared to stay in the Hezbollah stronghold of southern Beirut.
Beyond the immediate impact of bombs and airstrikes, the agency says that an estimated 770,000 children in Lebanon are highly distressed from repeated exposure to violence, loss and displacement.
“Children and caregivers report symptoms linked to traumatic stress and grief, including extreme fear and worry, nightmares, sleeplessness and feelings of hopelessness,” UNICEF warned.
Without adequate mental health and psychosocial support in safe and secure settings, affected children remain at serious risk of developing chronic or lifelong mental health issues.
24 million people in the Sahel urgently need aid
Across the countries of Africa’s Sahel region, more than 24 million people are in critical need of humanitarian aid.
That shocking number includes “mothers who cannot feed their children and… children who have not seen the inside of a classroom in years, ” said UN aid coordination office, OCHA.
Violence in the central Sahel is one factor fuelling the crisis, with insecurity spreading well beyond traditional flashpoints in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, reaching coastal West Africa.
OCHA warns that armed groups have expanded their reach across the centre of the vast and varied region, and the Lake Chad Basin, “uprooting communities, shutting down schools and health centres…leaving entire areas without any form of government or protection.”
Urgent call for funding
Latest UN data shows that nearly 12,900 schools have closed because of the insecurity, leaving more than 2.3 million children out of class, and exposing them to exploitation and recruitment by armed gangs.
Funding for the Sahel is at its lowest level in a decade. Last year, aid agencies received only 29 per cent of the funding they needed, forcing the suspension of services.
