As the clock ticks toward 2030, parliamentarians gathered at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday to assess the state of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – and the verdict was anything but unanimous. 

The UN is racing against time to expand humanitarian relief and prepare for the monumental task of rebuilding Gaza, as a fragile ceasefire holds but tensions loom over a potential resumption of fighting.

As M23 rebels continue to gain ground in South Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC), the country’s top UN humanitarian official has told UN News that increasing “complexity and needs” are fuelling a crisis which had already left more than a million people displaced before the latest surge in fighting.

A lasting peace is still possible in Yemen but requires commitment, courage, and action from all sides, the UN Special Envoy for the country told the Security Council on Thursday. 

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday issued a stark warning over escalating violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where hundreds of civilians have been killed and tens of thousands displaced as M23 rebels continue to attack and seize control of towns and villages.

Lifesaving aid continued to reach Gaza on Thursday while UN humanitarians warned that needs remain enormous after 15 months of constant Israeli bombardment.