World: Ms. Edem Wosornu, Director, Crisis Response Division, OCHA, on behalf of Mr. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator – Open debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, 20 May 2026

Country: World Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Please refer to the attached file. New York, 20 May 2026 As delivered Mr. President, One civilian was killed approximately every 14 minutes in 2025. These are only the deaths that the United Nations could document across [20] armed conflicts. We know the real toll is far higher in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Sudan, in Ukraine, in the occupied Palestinian territory and beyond. I saw some of this devastation myself over the past year during my visits to countries affected by war. Civilians, including children, are killed in their homes, in markets, at work, at school, on roads, and while fleeing for safety. All too often, they are not collateral damage. They are the target. Explosive weapons continue to tear through towns and cities, destroying not only lives but the systems that sustain them such as power grids, water networks, schools, and hospitals. Health care is under attack. Ten years after this Council adopted Resolution 2286 on the protection of health care in armed conflict, the situation has only gotten worse. In 2025, the United Nations recorded more than 1,350 attacks on medical care across 18 conflicts. Hospitals and ambulances were hit. Medical personnel were killed, detained, intimidated, or criminalized simply for doing their jobs. Conflict‑driven hunger has deepened. 147 million people faced acute food insecurity in 2025, driven largely by armed conflict. Two famines were confirmed – not because food was unavailable, but because of the way parties conducted hostilities, used siege tactics, and denied humanitarian access. Food has become a weapon of war. Sexual violence remains widespread. The United Nations reported over 9,300 cases last year – the overwhelmi...

Original source: Relief Web