Category: Глобальная политика

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September 16, 2025 Human rights

Independent experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council said on Tuesday that Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide, a charge Tel Aviv categorically rejected.

Conclusions of the Commission

In a new report released amid escalating Israeli military operations in Gaza, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel called on Israel and all states to fulfil their obligations under international law “to end the genocide” and punish those responsible.

"The commission finds that Israel is responsible for committing genocide in Gaza," said commission chair Navi Pillay. "It is clear that there is an intent to exterminate Palestinians in Gaza through actions that fall within the criteria set out in the Genocide Convention."

The members of the Commission are not UN staff, but are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as independent experts.

Israel's reaction

Israel's permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, strongly rejected the commission's "selective" findings, stressing that the more than 70-page report "advances the narrative of Hamas and its supporters who seek to delegitimize and demonize the state of Israel." The report, he said, "falsely accuses Israel of genocidal intent without providing evidence."

Convention for the Prevention of Genocide

At a press conference in Geneva, commission members Navi Pillay and Chris Sidoti explained that as a result of their investigation into the Gaza war, beginning with the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, they had concluded that Israeli authorities and security forces “committed four of the five acts of genocide defined in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”

Such acts include:

murder; causing serious physical or mental harm; deliberately creating conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of Palestinians; measures aimed at preventing the birth of children.

According to Pillay, responsibility for these crimes "lies with the Israeli authorities at the highest level", with "direct statements" humiliating the Palestinians coming from Israeli civilian and military officials.

The commission noted that it had analysed the actions of the Israeli authorities and security forces in Gaza, including "the use of starvation and inhumane living conditions", and had concluded that "genocidal intent was the only reasonable conclusion to draw from the nature of their operations".

Methodical investigation

The commission said its findings were based on an analysis of Israel's military operations, including "the killing and serious harm of an unprecedented number of Palestinians" and the imposition of "a total siege, including the blocking of humanitarian aid, which has led to famine."

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), famine has been confirmed in Gaza, with residents being bombed daily and "denied access to means of survival after Israeli forces ordered them to vacate the city."

The report also describes the "systematic destruction" of the health and education systems in Gaza, as well as "systematic" acts of sexual and gender-based violence against Palestinians.

"Stop the genocide"

The commission also pointed to instances of “direct targeting of children” and that Israel “is ignoring the orders of the International Court of Justice, which in March 2024 ordered that all necessary measures be taken to ensure the unimpeded provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians throughout Gaza.”

“The international community cannot stand idly by as Israel wages genocidal campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” Pillay stressed. “When clear signs and evidence of genocide emerge, inaction amounts to complicity. All states have a responsibility to use all means reasonably available to them to stop the genocide in Gaza.”

Israel's Strike on Qatar

The Human Rights Council changed its agenda on Tuesday to hold an emergency debate on Israel's strike several days ago on the Hamas leadership, which was then in Qatar.

The strike on Doha reportedly killed six people, including five Hamas members. The Israeli move drew widespread international condemnation, including from the Secretary-General. Antonio Guterres called the attack a violation of Qatar's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

At a Security Council meeting called in response to the strike, UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo said the attack, which violated Qatar's sovereignty, posed a serious threat to regional peace and security and undermined international mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages.

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September 16, 2025 Climate and Environment

Forty years ago, states united to adopt Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, and agreed on measures to protect people and the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Soon, on September 16, 1987, a new scientific data-driven Montreal Protocol, under which chlorofluorocarbons began to be gradually phased out, allowing the ozone layer to begin to recover.

On September 16, 2009, the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol became the first treaties in the history of the UN to receive universal ratification. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – September 16 – The UN celebrates this historic achievement and looks to the future with hope. The ozone treaties embodied the vision of moving from science to global action and will remain its solid foundation for many years to come.

"This achievement reminds us that when countries heed scientific warnings, progress is possible," said the UN Secretary-General. Antonio Guterres in his message on the occasion of the International Day.

At the same time, “scientists are sounding the alarm again,” he continued, as the world rapidly approaches increase in global temperature by 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, which “is fraught with catastrophic consequences.”

The Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol continue to play a key role in monitoring ozone and ultraviolet radiation levels, as well as controlling ozone-depleting substances and other chemical compounds, including hydrofluorocarbons – highly potent greenhouse gases used primarily in refrigeration technologies and being phased out under the Kigali Amendment to the Protocol.

The UN chief called on governments to fully ratify and implement the Kigali Amendment, which commits them to phase out hydrofluorocarbons. He also noted the need to incorporate this commitment into new national climate plans. According to Guterres, implementing the Kigali Amendment will reduce temperature rise by 0.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, and when combined with energy-efficient cooling, these gains can be doubled.

“Every fraction of a degree counts. Every action counts,” the Secretary-General said, calling on the global community to renew its commitment to preserving the ozone layer and protecting people and the planet for future generations.

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September 15, 2025 Humanitarian aid

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warned on Monday of a massive funding crisis for humanitarian work around the world, a situation he said was being exacerbated by rising violence against aid workers.

"The era of indifference and impunity"

He noted that funding levels were down sharply from last year. "We've only received 19 percent of what we need. That's 40 percent less than last year," Fletcher said.

"It's terrible and it makes our era an era of indifference," he added.

Budget cuts, he said, are forcing UN agencies to set tough priorities. This year, $29 billion is planned to save 114 million lives. Fletcher noted that this amount is just one percent of global military spending in 2025.

The emergency relief coordinator drew attention to the rising number of casualties among humanitarian workers. Last year, more than 380 people died, and 270 deaths have already been recorded in 2025 alone.

Fletcher warned of the normalisation of violence against aid workers, calling the situation an “era of impunity”. He stressed the importance of asking questions about the origins of the weapons used in these attacks.

"Where do these weapons come from that are killing us and those we serve? They don't come from nowhere," he said.

Crisis situations around the world

Speaking about the situation in Gaza, Fletcher said that more than half a million residents of the strip are already suffering from catastrophic hunger, and the number of hungry people could exceed 640,000 in the coming weeks.

"We can stop this. Women, old people, children of Gaza cannot be fed with statements of concern," he said.

Fletcher recalled that during the ceasefire earlier this year, thousands of trucks carrying humanitarian aid were able to enter the Strip, which he said was proof that with access, a lot of people could be helped.

The emergency relief coordinator stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire, the opening of crossings, safe passage within Gaza, and the release of hostages.

He called what is happening in Sudan the world's largest humanitarian crisis. More than half a million people are already in conditions close to starvation, and 30 million need help. In the besieged city of El Fasher, about 900,000 people are in a critical situation.

In Syria, Fletcher said, humanitarian responses need to be balanced with long-term development to reduce the population's dependence on aid.

He spoke about his visit to Haiti, where gang violence and mass displacement have increased. Of particular concern, Fletcher said, is the rise in gender-based violence.

The Emergency Relief Coordinator stressed the role of women in humanitarian operations in Afghanistan: “Women humanitarian workers and the women we work with in the country are absolutely indispensable… They are under even more pressure, more challenges in their work, and this is unacceptable. We cannot do our work without them. We cannot operate without them.”

In closing, he noted that the situation in Yemen is complicated not only by the lack of funds and security threats, but also by the detention of humanitarian workers. “This is unacceptable,” Fletcher stressed.

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September 15, 2025 Peace and security

Addressing delegates to the 69th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called on states to reaffirm their commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Grossi stressed that support for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the agency itself is now of utmost importance, as the conference is taking place against the backdrop of increasing terrorist attacks, growing armed conflicts and weakening nuclear controls.

The agency's head spoke about the IAEA's work to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and the peaceful uses of nuclear technology – from treating cancer and ensuring food security to monitoring plastic pollution, diagnosing diseases and developing artificial intelligence.

Challenges and achievements

Grossi noted with satisfaction that Syria agreed to work closely with the agency this year and that an agreement was reached last week with Iran to resume technical measures to ensure the peaceful nature of its nuclear developments.

As for Ukraine, where nuclear facilities are under threat due to the conflict, the agency, according to its director, has sent more than 200 missions there and is present at all nuclear power plants.

However, he continued, challenges remain: North Korea is developing its nuclear weapons program, and some countries that still adhere to the NPT are discussing the possibility of revising it.

"Just imagine a world where there are 20 or 25 countries armed with nuclear weapons," he warned.

Nuclear technology for good

Three years ago, the IAEA launched its flagship Rays of Hope initiative, which has catalyzed real progress in cancer treatment. The program has built hospitals, purchased radiotherapy equipment, and trained specialists in 40 countries.

A joint programme with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Atoms4Food helps to strengthen food security and reduce the environmental impact of agriculture.

The IAEA chief also spoke about other initiatives of the agency, from the fight against plastic pollution to improving global preparedness for epidemics.

An optimistic outlook for the future

With the rise of artificial intelligence, Grossi says, “the future will be too exciting to miss.” Nuclear energy could power AI infrastructure, and AI could improve nuclear technology. In December, the IAEA will hold the first-ever symposium on this connection.

Another promising area is the development of thermonuclear energy, thanks to investments from both the public and private sectors.

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The paper highlights that despite growing attention to the issue, serious gaps remain in the availability of reliable data, legislative protection and sustainable housing solutions.

A global problem with systemic roots

Homelessness is a universal problem, closely linked to poverty, social inequality, lack of access to health care and social protection. At the same time, as the report notes, the world is still dominated by the misconception that homelessness is a consequence of individual failure rather than systemic failures. Such prejudices make it difficult for the public to support assistance programs and adopt long-term solutions.

The report acknowledges the diversity of manifestations and lived realities of homelessness across regions and contexts. According to the Global Homelessness Institute, 78 countries have official government reporting, but only 24 collect data beyond those sleeping rough. This limits understanding of the scale and diversity of homelessness.

Homelessness cannot be fully understood if it is viewed only as a physical loss of shelter, the report's authors note. The experience also entails a loss of security, stability and social connections, which many homeless people see as the main problem with their situation.

Examples of good practice include a national homeless census in Chile in collaboration with civil society, covering 185 municipalities, and an improved methodology in Latvia with an emphasis on better reflecting the diversity of life situations. In Colombia, regional street censuses every five years help the state formulate targeted social policies. The UN also stresses the importance of involving people with homelessness themselves in the data collection process.

Criminalization and stigmatization

One of the most pressing issues remains the criminalization of homelessness. The UK has announced that it will repeal the 200-year-old Vagrancy Act, a major step forward. However, a number of countries still have laws punishing sleeping outdoors or being in public places. Experts say such measures perpetuate cycles of poverty and isolation.

The UN is calling on governments to tackle not just legal restrictions but also social prejudices. National programmes such as India’s Housing for All initiative recognise the contribution of homeless people to urban economies and help reduce stigma.

From emergency measures to long-term strategies

The report highlights that emergency shelters are necessary, but they do not offer a long-term sustainable solution. Countries that have integrated housing and social protection policies have achieved better results. In Canada, for example, the Finding a Home strategy has enabled support and resource redistribution at the community level, while in Vietnam, housing programs are combined with educational and entrepreneurial opportunities for vulnerable groups.

Successful examples include the Solibay programme in France and Provivienda in Spain, which through NGOs and other actors mobilise private housing for those in need. In Barcelona, housing is also provided in combination with health and social services.

In Mongolia, the Road Home programme aims to implement preventive and early intervention measures to prevent chronic homelessness, involving the Ulaanbaatar mayor's office, governor's office and social welfare department, police, city and district level labor authorities, as well as educational institutions, health care organizations, the private sector and NGOs.

Vulnerable groups: women, elderly and minorities

The report pays special attention to vulnerable groups. The causes and experiences of homelessness are determined not only by economic pressures, but also by forms of structural inequality and exclusion, the authors emphasize. For example, women face the risk of eviction due to discriminatory inheritance rules and limited access to property rights. Older people, especially women and minorities, are at risk due to rising prices and low incomes. Young people, including the LGBTIQ community, are often left out of housing policies and face a shortage of specialized shelters and support programs. A serious gap is the lack of organized housing and support for young people leaving state care.

People with disabilities, including psychosocial disabilities, are particularly vulnerable to long-term exclusion and often face barriers in confirming their entitlement to housing assistance and interacting with institutions. The report also identifies indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities, migrants, internally displaced persons and stateless persons, as well as people employed in the informal sector and without social protection as vulnerable groups.

Recommendations of the Secretary-General

The UN Secretary-General calls in his report:

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September 15, 2025 Women

Today, girls are more likely to complete school than ever before, and maternal mortality has fallen by almost 40 percent between 2000 and 2023. Rates of intimate partner violence are 2.5 times lower in countries that have taken comprehensive action to combat violence. Over the past five years, 99 new or revised anti-discrimination laws have been introduced worldwide.

At the same time, negative attitudes towards women's rights, the narrowing of civic space and reduced funding for gender equality initiatives are threatening the progress that has been made in this area.

This is stated in a new edition of the review on gender issues, prepared UN Women and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Its authors emphasize that gender equality can be achieved if it is prioritized and invested in.

"Where there is gender equality became a priority, it has helped societies and economies move forward,” said UN Women Executive Director Sima Bacchus.

“Targeted investments in gender equality have the potential to transform societies and economies. Closing the gender digital divide alone could benefit 343.5 million women and girls worldwide, lift 30 million women and girls out of poverty by 2050, and boost global GDP by an estimated $1.5 trillion by 2030,” she added.

Negative trends

However, if current negative trends continue, by 2030 there will be 351 million women and girls living in extreme poverty, mostly in South and Central Asia. Today, 676 million women and girls live in conflict zones – the highest number since the 1990s.

In 2024, 64 million more adult women than adult men were food insecure. More than 30 percent of women worldwide lack sufficient dietary diversity.

Regional aspect

The situation of women varies from country to country and from region to region. For example, in Uganda, the proportion of women of reproductive age whose diet can be considered sufficiently varied is only 12.7 percent, while in Tajikistan it is 80.4 percent.

Decrease maternal mortality rates also unevenly. Thus, in Central and South Asia they decreased by 72 percent, in Europe and North America, where they were lower, by 45 percent. The highest maternal mortality rates are in tropical African countries. From 2020 to 2023, they decreased by 39 percent.

In 2024, 70 percent of men worldwide used the internet, compared to 65 percent of women. However, in the least developed countries, the figures were 41 percent and 29 percent, respectively.

Gender equality benefits everyone

The report's data shows that in the area of gender equality a rollback is taking place, but they also say that with investment and political will, this trend can be reversed.

Read also:

UN Sounds Alarm: Number of Women in Leadership Positions Worldwide Has Been Declining

Accelerated action and policies to ensure women and girls have access to education, social protection and employment opportunities would help reduce the number of women and girls living in extreme poverty by 110 million by 2050, generating an estimated $342 trillion in global economic gains.

The Survey is the world's leading source of data on gender equality and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It draws on data from more than 100 sources to track progress towards empowering women and girls and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The international community is currently on track to meet all of the 2030 targets 5th Goals – ensuring gender equality.

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September 15, 2025 UN

The main news of the day in the UN and around the world: military actions in the frontline areas of Ukraine, escalation of the offensive on the city of Gaza, Security Council meeting on Yemen, International Day of Democracy.

Casualties among Ukrainian residents

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, several civilians were killed and 40 wounded in the Donetsk region of Ukraine as a result of ongoing fighting over the weekend. Local authorities have documented damage to almost 190 civilian objects, including residential buildings, schools and a hospital. Fighting continues in other parts of Ukraine. In the Zaporizhia region, almost 5,000 people remain without electricity. From September 12 to 14, more than 2,700 people were forced to leave their homes. Humanitarian organizations are providing assistance to evacuees at transit points.

Escalation in Gaza

The UN condemns the escalation of the Israeli offensive on Gaza City over the weekend, the UN press service said today. Dozens of people were reported killed and wounded. The UN reiterates its call for the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel, as well as full respect for international law. The day before, the Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Philippe Lazzarini said that in the previous four days alone, 10 UNRWA buildings had been hit in Gaza City. These included seven schools and two clinics where internally displaced persons were sheltering.

The situation in Yemen

The situation in Yemen remains extremely tense against the backdrop of escalating regional violence and arbitrary detentions of UN staff. This was stated at a Security Council meeting by the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the country, Hans Grundberg. According to him, without stability in Yemen, there can be no stability in the region and vice versa – the situation in the region determines how events will develop in the country. In turn, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher reminded Security Council members that 17 million Yemenis are starving, and without increased aid funding, the situation will only get worse.

Democracy Day

Today the world celebrates International Day of Democracy. In his message, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recalled that the source of democracy’s strength is people: their votes, their choices, and their participation in shaping societies. Democracy, he said, thrives when the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people are respected, especially the world’s most vulnerable. The Secretary-General highlighted “the courage of people around the world who are shaping their societies through dialogue, participation, and trust,” noting that such efforts are more important today than ever.

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September 15, 2025 Peace and security

Ukraine has been ranked first in the world in terms of the number of annual victims of cluster munitions for the third year in a row. Since February 2022, more than 1,200 deaths caused by the use of this type of weapon have been registered in the country. This is stated in the report of the Coalition Against Cluster Munitions, which was presented on Monday by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).

According to the data provided in the report, in 2024, 314 cases of death or injury as a result of the use of cluster munitions were recorded worldwide. The real number is likely to be significantly higher, as many cases are not documented. In Ukraine alone, about 40 attacks using cluster munitions were recorded in 2024, while the exact number of casualties is unknown.

Cluster munition fatalities were reported in nine countries last year: Afghanistan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Mauritania, Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. All of these countries, except Myanmar, also reported new casualties from cluster munition remnants in 2024.

Victims of direct cluster munition attacks have been recorded in three countries – Myanmar, Syria and Ukraine. All of these states are not parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Of the total number of recorded casualties in 2024, 257 were directly affected by attacks and 57 by cluster munition remnants.

Deadly weapon

Launched from the ground or from aircraft, cluster munitions explode in the air, dispersing small explosive devices over a wide area. Victims suffer serious injuries from blasts and burns, and unexploded bombs often remain on the battlefield long after the conflict has ended.

Cluster munitions and their remnants continue to disproportionately affect civilians. All recorded casualties in 2024 were civilians. Children accounted for 42 percent of all recorded casualties.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine are parties to the 2008 Convention banning cluster munitions, which currently includes 112 countries.

“Earlier this year, Lithuania became the first state to withdraw from the Convention on Conventional Cluster Munitions,” said Orsin Hoffman, a senior researcher at UNIDIR. “Fortunately, no other state withdrew, but since then four other northern and eastern European states have announced their intention to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty – Estonia, Latvia, Finland and Poland.”

Reports of Ukraine using cluster bombs

Ukraine reportedly began using U.S.-supplied 155mm artillery shells within weeks of announcing their receipt in July 2023, the report says. Social media posts show purported Russian soldiers holding what appear to be unexploded cluster munitions. Media coverage of Ukrainian artillery units in combat confirms the use of shells with markings indicating U.S. production in the 1980s and 1990s.

Since March 2022, Russian authorities have repeatedly reported on Ukraine's use of cluster munitions in the occupied territories, primarily in the Donetsk region, but so far these reports have not been accompanied by confirmed facts.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that while not all incidents could be verified, in a number of cases the imagery examined was consistent with the use of cluster munitions. One such incident occurred on 31 January 2025, when at least six civilians in Horlivka, Donetsk region, were reportedly injured by cluster munitions.

The report cites allegations that Ukraine has used ATACMS ballistic missiles with cluster warheads to strike targets inside Russia and in areas under Russian control, but there is no official confirmation of these claims. The Ukrainian Armed Forces posted a video on their Telegram channel that allegedly showed the use of cluster munitions in the Kursk region of Russia in August 2024. In September 2024, a Russian serviceman posted an image on Telegram of an unexploded ATACMS missile and its warhead with cluster submunitions, but did not indicate the exact location where the remains were found.

Russian officials and state media claim that Ukrainian forces are using cluster munitions on Russian territory. From August 2024 to July 2025, there were at least 25 reports of alleged cluster munition attacks from Ukraine.

Reports of Russian use of cluster bombs

Russia continued to strike civilians in densely populated urban areas of Ukraine with cluster munitions in the second half of 2024 and the first half of 2025, according to local authorities, media reports and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the report says.

“Russia has used cluster munitions extensively since the beginning of the conflict,” said Orsin Hoffman. “Russia first recorded use of cluster munitions in February 2024, and continues to strike civilian areas and residential buildings. The strikes recorded during the reporting period have killed dozens of civilians and injured hundreds.”

In 2025, submunitions with Korean markings were found in Ukrainian-controlled territory, but the report's authors note that it is unclear whether they were used by North Korean forces participating in joint military operations with Russia, or whether they were part of cluster munitions acquired by Russia from North Korea and used by Russian forces.

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September 15, 2025 Healthcare

The next pandemic or other health emergency is inevitable, it’s just a question of when, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in his speech at the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the WHO Pandemic Agreement, stressing the importance of finalizing the landmark document.

He recalled that work on the Agreement began during the pandemic Covid-19, when serious shortcomings in ensuring global sanitary and epidemiological security became apparent. Since then, according to Ghebreyesus, the world has made significant progress. This Friday, September 19, amendments to the International Health Regulations adopted by the World Health Assembly last year will come into force.

Countries of the world adopted the first ever international agreement, aimed at better preventing, preparing for and responding to future pandemics, at the World Health Assembly in May this year after three years of negotiations. The WHO Director-General called it “a truly landmark event in the lifetime of this generation.”

“It is now your duty to complete this historic work by finalizing, as mandated by the World Health Assembly, the system for ensuring access to pathogens and benefit-sharing,” he told the working group members.

According to him, the goal remains the adoption of the Annex on Access to Pandemic Potential Pathogens (APPP) by the World Health Assembly in May next year – followed by the signature and ratification of the Agreement on Combating Pandemics by Member States.

“Every country should be interested in avoiding further delays in the process,” the head of WHO noted.

He stressed that the next pandemic or major global health emergency “will definitely happen, it’s just a question of when.” It is vital, the WHO chief continued, that by the next session of the UN General Assembly, the annex on the APRP is adopted by the World Health Assembly and the Pandemic Agreement is open for signature and ratification.

Ghebreyesus expressed confidence that the working group is capable of overcoming differences, reaching a compromise and completing the process within the established time frame.

"Let's finish this historic agreement. Let's finish what we started, because without the annex, the Agreement on Combating Pandemics will be incomplete," the WHO Director-General concluded.

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September 15, 2025 Peace and security

The situation in Yemen remains extremely tense amid escalating regional violence and arbitrary detentions of UN staff, the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the country Hans Grundberg told the Security Council on Monday.

“The recent wave of arbitrary detentions of 22 United Nations staff in Sanaa and Hodeida represents a flagrant escalation by Ansar Allah against the UN,” he stressed, adding that more than 40 staff remain in detention and one of those detained has died.

Grundberg said such actions, including the violent seizure of UN premises and property, "threaten the very ability of the Organization to facilitate peace efforts and provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Yemen."

The rapporteur also added that in addition to UN staff, thousands of Yemenis are detained as a result of the conflict. He expressed solidarity with all those arbitrarily detained and reiterated his call for their immediate and unconditional release.

Regional conflict

Stressing the need for "an inclusive political process, nationwide economic reforms and a ceasefire," he called on the conflicting parties to return to negotiations.

At the same time, the Special Envoy noted that the situation in the country is inextricably linked to regional dynamics. "The unresolved conflict in Yemen is like a fault line that sends tremors beyond its borders and intensifies regional conflicts," he said. According to him, without stability in Yemen, there can be no stability in the region and vice versa – the situation in the region determines how events will develop in the country.

Against this backdrop, Grundberg added, the war in Gaza is accompanied by an “alarming and dangerous intensification of hostilities between Ansar Allah and Israel.” The Houthis continue to strike Israel, causing harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure. In response, Israeli airstrikes were recorded in August and September on Sanaa and other areas under the control of Ansar Allah. In particular, the strikes on August 28 claimed the lives of high-ranking members of the movement, some of whom were in contact with the Special Envoy’s office. “This cycle of escalation must end,” Grundberg noted.

Mass famine

In turn, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher reminded members of the Security Council that Yemen is among the three countries with the worst food situation in the world.

“Another million people will be on the brink of extreme hunger by February next year, in addition to the 17 million Yemenis who already lack food,” he warned. More than 70 percent of households, he said, are unable to meet their daily food needs.

Fletcher said humanitarian efforts included distributing food and essential supplies, as well as supporting water and health facilities. However, he said funding shortages and deteriorating conditions were preventing aid from being delivered on the scale needed.

"The funding cuts are costing lives. In addition to the food security crisis, two million women and girls have lost access to reproductive health services. And in Yemen, one pregnant woman is already dying every two hours," the UN deputy chief said.

He concluded with a call to action for the Security Council. According to Fletcher, members of the Security Council should use their influence to ensure the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained staff. They should also return UN premises occupied by security forces and increase funding for humanitarian action. “We must not allow mass starvation to determine the future of Yemen,” Fletcher said.

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