The UN Security Council has turned its focus to the escalating dangers civilians face in war zones worldwide, convening its annual open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
UN relief chief Tom Fletcher and UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous delivered powerful briefings to member states, spotlighting the devastating toll of modern warfare on non-combatants.
The session comes as data reveals that over 36,000 civilians were killed in 2024 alone. This staggering figure underscores the severity of recent conflicts in regions like Gaza, Lebanon, Myanmar, Sudan, and Ukraine — areas the UN notes as being among the hardest hit. In addition to widespread death, basic services such as healthcare, water, electricity, and education have been obliterated, pushing millions into dire humanitarian need.
Somalia’s Ambassador to the UN, Abukar Dahir Osman, emphasized the dual obligation to protect civilians during wartime: “both a legal duty and a moral imperative.”
“Nowhere are the stakes clearer than in Palestine – and especially in Gaza – where the scale of civilian suffering, displacement and destruction is intolerable…the siege of Gaza has brought the population on the brink of famine.”
Abukar Dahir Osman
Ambassador Osman also warned that international humanitarian law is being “too often ignored or twisted,” and called on UN member states to strengthen efforts to uphold these laws. His plea included a push for locally-led peacebuilding to remain “at the heart” of the UN’s strategy in conflict resolution.
From the United States, Acting Representative Dorothy Shea called attention to the “unprecedented levels” of civilian death, injury, and displacement witnessed across the globe over the past year. She singled out Sudan as “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis,” urging all factions to end hostilities and open safe corridors for humanitarian access.
Addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine, Shea condemned the toll of the conflict on critical infrastructure and innocent lives. “We call for an immediate ceasefire and for Russia to allow humanitarian workers to access areas under its control,” she said. On Gaza, she criticized Hamas, stating, “Every day Hamas demonstrates its disregard for Palestinian people it purports to represent.”
Shea reminded the Council that its members have both the responsibility and tools to curb such violence: “We can and should impose consequences on those who engage in conduct prohibited by sanctions and arms embargo.”
Disinformation Adds New Layer To Civilian Threats
Pakistan’s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad broadened the discussion by flagging disinformation, especially fueled by artificial intelligence, as a growing threat.
“Wars today are not waged with bullets alone. Disinformation, often powered by artificial intelligence (AI), threatens civilian safety, inflames conflict, and undermines humanitarian efforts.”
Asim Iftikhar Ahmad
Ambassador Ahmad stressed that protection must extend beyond traditional civilians to include humanitarian workers, journalists, and UN staff, whose roles are increasingly targeted and compromised in active conflict zones. He closed with a firm commitment to international collaboration: “We stand ready to work with all Member States to ensure that no child, no mother, no civilian should ever pay with their life in a conflict.”
Throughout the debate, the Security Council echoed a sense of urgency, not just in acknowledging the rising civilian death toll but in reinforcing global accountability. The rise of advanced warfare technologies such as drones, along with disregard for humanitarian norms, is combining to create deadly consequences for vulnerable populations.
Calls for stronger enforcement of international law, support for peacebuilding, and countering disinformation reflect the UN’s evolving approach in tackling 21st-century conflict. But the question remains whether member states will back rhetoric with decisive action, before more lives are lost.
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