Ongoing violence in North and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to kill, injure and displace civilians, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned. 

In a briefing to the Security Council on Thursday, the UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel painted a mixed picture of the region, which is facing a growing terrorist threat but also political progress and encouraging initiatives. 

The recent killings of 15 medical personnel and humanitarian aid workers in Gaza raise further concerns over the commission of war crimes by the Israeli military, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights told the Security Council on Thursday. 

The UN Special Envoy for Syria has condemned the repeated and intensifying military escalations by Israel in the country, including airstrikes that have caused civilian casualties.

The UN chief on Thursday called for immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to Myanmar, where last week’s devastating earthquakes claimed over 3,000 lives and left millions in urgent need of aid.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is on course to become a $4.8 trillion global market by 2033 – roughly the size of Germany’s economy – but unless urgent action is taken, its benefits may remain in the hands of a privileged few, a new UN report warns.