(Peace and Security – Syria) The United Nations continues to monitor developments in northeast Syria following clashes between government troops and the Kurdish-led SDF militia during which scores of detained ISIL militants reportedly escaped from prison. Secretary-General António Guterres is following the continuing violence “with great concern,” Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Tuesday in New York. The Secretary-General called for full respect for international law and the protection of civilians while also stressing the importance of securing detention facilities. He urged the parties to continue dialogue, move forward in good faith, and work together to secure the implementation of all agreements. – Prison breaks and renewed clashes raise alarm in northeast Syria | UN News
(Peace and Security – Russia/Ukraine) Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have cut heat, electricity and water to hundreds of thousands of civilians in freezing winter conditions, prompting the UN human rights chief to denounce the strikes as “cruel” and a clear violation of international law. Volker Türk said he was outraged by renewed overnight attacks that knocked out power and heating in major cities – including Kyiv and Odesa – as temperatures plunged well below zero and civilians bear the brunt of what he described as unlawful assaults on civilian infrastructure. He said the Russian strikes “can only be described as cruel. They must stop. Targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure is a clear breach of the rules of warfare.” – Cold and dark: UN rights chief condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid | UN News
(Peace and Security – UNRWA/East Jerusalem/Israel) The reported demolition underway early Tuesday of the headquarters of UN agency UNRWA by Israeli forces in occupied East Jerusalem – reportedly “under the watch of lawmakers and a member of the Government” – has prompted swift condemnation from the global body. Responding to the dramatic development, head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees Philippe Lazzarini described it as an “unprecedented attack” against the UN, whose premises are protected under international law. The move represents “a new level of open and deliberate defiance of international law, including of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, by the State of Israel”, the UNRWA Commissioner-General said on X. – UN strongly condemns demolition of UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem | UN News
(Climate and Environment – Global Water Bankruptcy) The world has moved beyond a water crisis and into a state of global water bankruptcy, says a new flagship report released on Tuesday by UN researchers. For decades, scientists, policymakers and the media warned of a “global water crisis,” implying temporary shock – followed by recovery. What is now emerging in many regions, however, is a persistent shortage whereby water systems can no longer realistically return to their historical baselines. “For much of the world, ‘normal’ is gone,” said Kaveh Madani, Director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. “This is not to kill hope but to encourage action and an honest admission of failure today to protect and enable tomorrow,” he told a press briefing in New York on Tuesday. – World enters era of ‘global water bankruptcy’ | UN News
(Law and Crime Prevention – Human Trafficking) In 2011, a trafficker in Chile was convicted for recruiting economically vulnerable Peruvian citizens and arranging for them to be brought into the country – destined to become victims of sexual exploitation. A Chilean police officer stationed at the border collaborated on the scheme, enabling the crime. Were it not for border guards, public officials and other entities who look the other way in exchange for money or sexual favours – or are themselves being extorted – human trafficking could not occur on a large scale, according to a new report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) published on Monday. It analyses more than 120 cases involving almost 80 countries – based on consultations with policymakers, prosecutors, investigators and independent experts from more than 30 countries – to expose the ‘hidden links’ between human trafficking and corruption. – Human trafficking depends on corruption at every step | UN News
(Humanitarian Aid – Mozambique) Catastrophic flooding across Mozambique is devastating lives and livelihoods, sharply increasing the risk of disease outbreaks and malnutrition, while also forcing dangerous wildlife – including crocodiles – into flooded urban areas, the UN warned on Tuesday. The head of aid coordination office, OCHA, in the country, Paola Emerson, told reporters in Geneva that more than half a million people have been impacted by the floods, triggered by heavy rains in the first weeks of the new year. “The numbers keep rising as extensive flooding continues and dams keep releasing water to avoid bursting,” she said. Mozambique’s Gaza province is most affected along with Maputo and Sofala provinces. – Mozambique floods heighten disease, malnutrition risks – UN agencies | UN News
