Middle East Conflict has Reached "a Moment of Grave Peril"-UN Humanitarian Chief | United Nations

The Middle East conflict has reached "a moment of grave peril," UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned, cautioning that crises are escalating beyond the control of those who started them. Tom Fletcher, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters in New York that the region's overlapping emergencies were becoming dangerously interlinked, fueled by what he described as “staggering amounts of money, reportedly a billion dollars a day, funding this war spent on destruction.” Fletcher called for immediate de-escalation and an end to hostilities, warning that “civilians are facing those consequences across the Middle East; homes, hospitals, and schools are being hit across the region.” UNICEF has reported more than 190 children killed since the escalation began, including over 180 in Iran, seven in Lebanon, three in Israel and one in Kuwait. In Iran authorities report more than 1,000 deaths and damage to over 100 civilian sites. Around 100,000 people have been internally displaced in the past week. In Lebanon, more than 100 people have been killed and hundreds injured, with roughly 100,000 people sheltering across hundreds of sites, a country where, even before the current escalation, the World Food Programme reported 874,000 people already lacked adequate food. In Gaza, Fletcher said aid delivery remains critically constrained. Israel closed all crossings a week ago, preventing humanitarian stocks from being replenished, and while the Abu Salem-Kerem Shalom crossing has since reopened, others including Rafah remain shut. “We've been able to bring in less than 1,000,000l of fuel this week,” he said "well below the more than 2,000,000l of fuel that we need as a bare minimum to keep services running.” Medical evacuations remain suspended, and he said key NGO partners continue to face “unacceptable restrictions on their work.” On Afghanistan, Fletcher reported that fighting near the Pakistan border has killed dozens of civilians, including women and children, with more than 16,000 families fleeing their homes. Border closures have left over 160 aid containers stranded, and flight suspensions are further hampering access. Fletcher outlined three knock-on risks he said he feared most. First, economic disruption: “when maritime corridors such as the Strait of Hormuz are disrupted, food prices will rise, health systems will be squeezed, and basic commodities, including our humanitarian supplies, will become much harder to access.” Second, diminished global attention for other crises - in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, South Sudan and Ukraine - where, he stressed, conflicts have not ended. Third, further erosion of international humanitarian law, with resources flowing toward weapons rather than the diplomatic and financial tools needed to protect lives. He closed by paying tribute to aid workers operating in active conflict zones. “Humanitarian action is always harder in times of war, but this is of course when it is most needed,” Fletcher said. “The humanitarian movement will once again meet this moment.”


For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!

International Women’s Day & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (6 March, 2026) | United Nations

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: International Women’s Day Senior Personnel Appointment Middle East Lebanon Iran Azerbaijan Occupied Palestinian Territory Afghanistan/Pakistan Democratic Republic of the Congo Jamaica Food Price Index Financial Contribution INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY On Sunday, we will mark International Women’s Day under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.” Despite progress, women worldwide still hold just 64 per cent of the legal rights enjoyed by men, and discriminatory laws continue to shape every aspect of women’s lives. In a message for the Day, the Secretary-General stresses that by fighting discriminatory laws and practices, and defending the progress already achieved, we can ensure the dignity, opportunity and freedom all women deserve. The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) will take place next week from 9 to 19 March here at headquarters obviously. Key events include an opening session in the General Assembly Hall, where the Secretary-General will deliver remarks. We will share those remarks either today or over the weekend. There will be numerous side events organized by governments, various UN entities and of course civil society. One event I want to highlight, organized by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, will take place on Monday at 4:45 p.m. in Conference Room 2. You are all invited to join [Special Representative] Pramila Patten, and the UN Team of Experts on the Rule of Law for the launch of a Global Network on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence prosecutions. This is aimed at strengthening justice and accountability for survivors. This is as an issue that is affecting women and girls in conflicts around the world. There is also an ongoing photo exhibition in the UN lobby highlighting justice and accountability efforts for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT Senior personnel announcement to share with you. The Secretary-General is appointing Monica Kathina Juma of Kenya as Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as well as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).  She succeeds Ghada Fathi Waly of Egypt, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated service to UNODC and the United Nations.   The Secretary-General also wishes to extend his appreciation to John Brandolino, Director of the Division for Treaty Affairs at UNODC, who will continue to serve as Acting Executive Director of UNODC until Ms. Juma assumes her position. She is currently serving as the National Security Adviser to the President of the Republic of Kenya and Secretary to Kenya’s National Security Council, a post she has held since 2022. She is a strategic senior leader with a depth of expertise, experience and knowledge spanning public policy making, execution and academia across critical areas of security, diplomacy and governance.    Previously, she held the role of Cabinet Secretary in strategic Ministries of Kenya, specifically the Ministry of Energy (2021-2022) MIDDLE EAST Turning to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the Spokesman read a statement from the Secretary-General, which we will share with you in writing momentarily. All the unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond are causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region. These attacks pose a grave a risk to the global economy, particularly to the most vulnerable people. The situation could spiral beyond anyone’s control, the Secretary-General says. He adds that it is time to stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations, as the stakes could not be higher. LEBANON In Lebanon, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that widespread displacement orders are placing already affected civilians under increasing strain. Ongoing airstrikes across the country are killing an injuring dozens of people. Across the country, more than 100,000 people are now sheltering in collective centres. Many more people are on the move. Health services in affected areas remain disrupted. We have received reports that hospitals in South Beirut were forced to suspend operations and evacuate patients on March 5th and remain non-operational today. Humanitarian partners, working closely with national and local authorities, are scaling up assistance in shelters and host communities. Since March 2nd, they have distributed more than 120,000 meals. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-03-06


For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!

John Stewart and the WEAK Opposition to Trump's War on Iran

The Kavernacle: John Stewart and the WEAK Opposition to Trump's War on Iran

The Kavernacle is a YouTube Channel covering internet culture and politics.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/TheKavernacle
Twitter: https://twitter.com//TheKavernacle
My Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekavernacle/
My Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheKavernacle/
My Medium: https://medium.com/@thekavernacle

For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!

#UNHCR mobilizing across region as Middle East crisis escalates

Intensifying hostilities across the Middle East have triggered significant population movement, while clashes along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan have forced thousands of families to flee. Overall, more than 330,000 people have been forcibly displaced, mostly within their own countries. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is already supporting displaced populations and preparing to scale up its assistance as needed. We are also urgently calling for dialogue and de-escalation as violence intensifies.


For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!

Energy, Critical Minerals, and Security - DPPA Briefing | United Nations

Briefing by Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, on Energy, Critical Minerals, and Security. "First the extraction of these resources must deliver just and equitable outcomes. Across the United Nations system, we are working closely with national authorities to help them strengthen institutions that manage their natural resources, enhance their regulatory frameworks, and maximize their peacebuilding benefits. We help governments strengthen their ability to negotiate fair mining agreements, build domestic capacity for processing and refinement and mitigate any adverse effects of mining. Second, we need multilateral and regional action to strengthen governance, improve the traceability of minerals to curb illicit flows, and build more resilient supply chains. Dialogue between producing and consuming countries — as well as with industry and regional organizations — is necessary. Third, we must deploy our peacemaking instruments to mitigate and resolve natural resource disputes. Our mediators factor in considerations related to natural resources in peace talks. This can help conflict parties identify ways to share benefits and develop cooperative relationships. With this Council’s support, we will continue to prioritize diplomacy and create the political space for engagement on these issues. The opportunities ahead of us are significant. The fair and responsible harnessing of critical minerals can help lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. And it can help promote peace. Achieving these goals will require concerted action – by Member States, the private sector, civil society and the United Nations".


For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) admitted to having an affair with one of his congressional staffers

For more information, to subscribe to the channel or to watch video on YouTube, click here.

Justice for All Women and Girls - UN Women Press Conference | United Nations

A UN Women spokesperson said, “No country in the world has achieved full legal equality between women and men." Sarah Hendriks, Director of UN Women’s Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division addressing the press at the launch of the Secretary-General’s report “Ensuring and Strengthening Access to Justice for All Women and Girls.” Hendriks said, “More than half of the world's countries do not actually define rape by law on the basis of consent. Nearly three quarters, specifically, 74 percent of the world's countries actually still allow child marriage by law, allows girls to be married as children. And in 44 percent of the world's countries, the law does not mandate equal pay for work of equal value.” She said, “Across the world today, violations of the rights of women and girls are indeed accelerating in a growing culture of impunity. This spans courts. It spans also online spaces and, of course, conflict, and also increasingly enabled by backlash against gender equality.” She added, “Just in the past two years, the total percentage of women and girls who become victims to conflict related sexual violence has risen to 87 percent. And globally, when we look at the online spaces, digital technologies are being weaponized, through harassment, through abuse, through deep fakes that silence women, that force women to deplatform, and far too often, perpetrators face absolutely no consequences.” She continued, “And a justice system certainly that fails half the world's population cannot claim to uphold justice at all. And yet - and there's always a ‘and yet,’ there's always a ‘but’ - justice systems actually can evolve. They can transform, and certainly when they do, the impact is indeed transformative. Access to justice is one of those powerful forces for advancing equality in the lives of women and girls: when laws change, we see those changes very practically, very concretely.” She highlighted, “In fact, since the year 1970, family law reforms have led to more than 600 million women accessing new economic opportunities, all because the law was reformed on the family.” She stressed, “We know what works; the evidence is there. The question, I think, before the Commission on the Status of Women is whether we will confront impunity and invest in justice systems that deliver equality in both law and life.” The report shows how laws are being reshaped to restrict women’s freedoms, silence their voices, and allow abuse without consequence. It warns that women and girls are being failed by the very systems meant to protect them, leaving them exposed to abuse, injustice and impunity as backlash against gender equality intensifies and violations of their fundamental rights are on the rise.


For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!

Iran/Middle East, Palestine & other topics - Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: Iran/Middle East Occupied Palestinian Territory Afghanistan/Pakistan Iraq – Yanar Mohammed UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus Peacebuilding Fund Financial Contribution IRAN/MIDDLE EAST The UN continues to follow developments in the Middle East very closely. In answer to questions about the Secretary-General’s contacts, the Spokesman said that yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General accepted a request to meet with the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani. During the meeting, the Secretary-General reiterated his position as stated during Saturday’s Security Council session. He expressed his hope for a swift end to the conflict and return to dialogue in the interest of regional stability. The Secretary-General also met yesterday with Omar Said Omar Al Kathiri, the Permanent Representative of Oman to the United Nations. During the meeting they discussed the situation in the region and the urgent need to end the current military activities and escalation, and return to dialogue, also, of course, in the interest of regional stability. The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Oman’s important role in the negotiations and the Sultanate commitment to diplomacy. In a short while, he will be meeting with Abdulaziz Alwasil, the Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia. These diplomatic engagements come amid continued regional tensions. The Secretary-General continues to be very concerned about the situation in Lebanon where the Lebanese people are once again in the crosshairs of a conflict. He's particularly concerned about the impact of the hostilities on the civilian population. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that more than 50 people have been killed and hundreds more have been injured in the past two days, according to local authorities. Overnight and throughout today, widespread Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon, Baalbek, Chouf and the southern suburbs of Beirut, causing further casualties and significant destruction. Yesterday, three paramedics were killed and six injured while responding to an airstrike. In southern Lebanon, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reports continued exchanges of fire across the Blue Line, including Hizbullah’s rocket fire towards Israel and the Israel Defense Forces’ airstrikes and extensive fire north of the Blue Line. Peacekeepers have observed Israel Defense Forces vehicles moving north of the Blue Line at several locations reaching up to 1 kilometre beyond the Blue Line and firing towards the surroundings. The UN also notes with serious concern the IDF statement calling for evacuation of residents of South Lebanon to north of the Litani River. Forced displacement orders continue to be issued, including one today covering the entire area south of the Litani River – approximately 850 square kilometres and home to hundreds of thousands of people. Civilians are continuing to flee in Lebanon, often with little more than the clothes they are wearing and what they can carry. Since the onset of hostilities, at least 80,000 people have sought refuge in collective shelters in Lebanon, according to local authorities. However, the UN believes this represents only a fraction of all people who have been displaced. UN partners are working closely with national and local authorities. Rapid response teams are assessing needs and distributing emergency supplies in affected areas and collective shelters. So far, UN partners working in food security have reached more than 20,000 displaced people with hot meals and over 15,000 with ready-to-eat food across Lebanon. UN health partners, working with the Ministry of Public Health, are providing medicine and scaling up mobile primary health care services in shelters and other locations. Water and sanitation partners are supporting the continued operation of critical water and wastewater facilities, including by providing fuel to operate those stations. Even prior to this escalation, the humanitarian community was aiming to reach 1.5 million vulnerable people with humanitarian aid through the $1.6 billion 2026 appeal. UN partners are now responding with fewer financial and human resources than in previous years. That of course limits the scale and speed of assistance at a time when needs are rising sharply. Urgent additional funding and capacity are required to sustain and expand life‑saving operations. All UNIFIL positions remain manned and remain in place along the Blue Line. The Mission’s operational activities prioritize monitoring and logistical movements, including resupply. UNIFIL continues to assess the situation to ensure the safety and security of the personnel. Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-03-04


For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!

Why do American Leftists LOVE Veterans So Much? (Even after the attack on Iran)

The Kavernacle: Why do American Leftists LOVE Veterans So Much? (Even after the attack on Iran)

The Kavernacle is a YouTube Channel covering internet culture and politics.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/TheKavernacle
Twitter: https://twitter.com//TheKavernacle
My Instagram: https://instagram.com/thekavernacle/
My Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/TheKavernacle/
My Medium: https://medium.com/@thekavernacle

For more information or to watch video on YouTube, click here!

Body Cams vs. Other Camers #lastweektonight

Produced by LastWeekTonight
This episode features: Body Cams vs. Other Camers #lastweektonight

For more information or to watch the video on YouTube, click here!

Police Body Cams #lastweektonight

Produced by LastWeekTonight
This episode features: Police Body Cams #lastweektonight

For more information or to watch the video on YouTube, click here!