Children forced to flee their homes due to recent violence in Jonglei state, South Sudan. Top news of the day | Friday: Afghanistan/Pakistan, South Sudan, Iran/USA, Palestine UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the Secretary General calls on Afghanistan and Pakistan to stop hostilities, the crisis in South Sudan is worsening, the UN welcomes indirect negotiations between the United States and Iran, the Israeli court postponed the closure of international NGOs.
Escalation between Afghanistan and Pakistan
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned about the escalation of violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and resolution of differences through diplomacy. Meanwhile, aid agencies are alarmed by the fallout from attacks, including an incident at a transit and reception center at the Torkham border crossing in eastern Afghanistan. The UN continues to call on all parties to fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law, in particular to ensure the protection of civilians and infrastructure.
Conflict in South Sudan
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned of a rapidly deteriorating situation in South Sudan. Volker Türk called the events in this country “one of the world’s forgotten crises.” Over the past three months, government and opposition forces, as well as allied armed groups, have attacked residential areas in seven states. In northern Jonglei state alone, more than 280,000 people were forced to flee after homes, schools and medical facilities came under fire.
US-Iran negotiations
The UN Secretary-General welcomes the continuation of indirect negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America at through the mediation of Oman. Antonio Guterres calls on the parties to continue to work resolutely and in good faith to reach a lasting agreement. He also emphasizes that full and comprehensive verification by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be necessary for a successful resolution of the Iranian nuclear issue.
Banning the activities of humanitarian NGOs by Israel
According to media reports, the Supreme Court of Israel today temporarily blocked the implementation of a government decision that banned the activities of more than 35 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Palestinian territories. Answering questions from journalists, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric emphasized that the Organization needs to continue the work of partner international NGOs. This will allow the UN to fulfill its tasks of helping the population.