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The Security Council on Friday evening renewed a UN operation delivering humanitarian aid across the Syrian border to millions of civilians, but some of the body’s members expressed disappointment that the “watered down” measure cut in half the number of crossing points and duration of the authorization.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has extended his profound condolences to the Royal family, the Government and people of Oman on the passing of Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, who passed away late Friday at the age of 79. 

The Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) launched today in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre in Beirut (UNIC Beirut) a “Visual Arts Competition on Sustainable Development in the Arab region”.

Amid an era of rising geopolitical tensions and declining trust between nations, the United Nations Secretary-General has encouraged countries to “come home” to a defining document of the international community: the UN Charter. 

António Guterres was addressing the Security Council which on Thursday held a debate on upholding the founding treaty of the UN, nearly 75 years since its adoption. 

Following a sharp escalation of hostilities in southern Idlib, “at least 300,000 civilians have fled their homes” since mid-December, the UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria crisis said on Tuesday, voicing concern for their well-being.

A Ukrainian airliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran on Wednesday morning, killing all 176 passengers and crew members on board. In a statement, UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ offered his deepest condolences, saying he was “deeply saddened by the crash”.

“He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the Governments of all the countries whose nationals lost their lives in this tragedy”, said the statement issued by his Spokesperson.

In the wake of an Iranian ballistic missile attack on air bases which house US forces in Iraq, the UN Secretary-General said on Wednesday that he would “continue his active engagement” to de-escalate tensions and avert full-scale war.

The current tensions across the Middle East and Gulf region and their potential implications for cultural heritage sites were the focus of a meeting on Monday between the head of the UN’s cultural agency, UNESCO, and a senior diplomat from Iran. 

Amidst concern for the safety and protection of more than three million civilians in Syria’s last rebel-held enclave, the UN’s most senior humanitarian and political affairs officials briefed the Security Council on Syria behind closed doors on Friday.

Following the recent escalation of hostilities on the ground in the country’s northwest, Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock and the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, painted a dire picture of the deteriorating conditions.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over the latest escalation in tension across the Gulf region, following the killing of a top Iranian General in Iraq, in an airstrike carried out by the United States.