The killing of civilians in coastal areas in northwest Syria must cease immediately, the UN rights chief said on Sunday following a series of coordinated attacks reportedly launched by elements of the former government and other local armed men.

Humanitarian agencies warned on Friday that ongoing Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank are exacerbating an already dire situation for displaced Palestinians.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Friday that potentially life-saving food and nutrition assistance in Central Sahel and Nigeria will have to end next month, unless emergency funds can be secured.

A UN helicopter attempting to evacuate wounded South Sudanese soldiers in the north of the country was attacked on Friday, killing a crew member and injuring two others.

The fall of the Assad regime has created a historic opportunity to rid Syria of chemical weapons and ensure long-term compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the UN’s top disarmament official told the Security Council on Friday.

Up to one million desperate Syrians living in camps and displacement sites across the country’s northwest intend to return home within the next year – sparking deep concerns of a new humanitarian crisis.