MIDDLE EAST CRISIS: Vital food aid blocked, Security Council meets in emergency session on Lebanon
Beirut, Lebanon (PANA) - More than a month since war erupted in the Middle East, UN agencies confirmed on Tuesday that huge numbers of people have returned to Syria from Lebanon "exhausted, traumatized and with very, very few belongings".
Meanwhile, the UN International Maritime Organization said that another vessel has been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, increasing concerns of further delays in transporting lifesaving aid.
Further attacks have been reported across the Middle East as the war enters a second month, with two more Indonesian peacekeepers killed in Southern Lebanon on Monday, following the death of a fellow ‘blue helmet’ a day earlier.
On the diplomatic front, the UN has announced a taskforce to restore the flow of fertilizer and aid through the Strait of Hormuz, while the UN's atomic watchdog confirms an attack on a heavy water facility at Khondab in Iran.
UN peacekeeper killed, another seriously injured, in southern Lebanon
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for accountability after a peacekeeper was killed in Lebanon on Sunday amid hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The blue helmet from Indonesia served with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which said that he was killed when a projectile exploded at its position near Adchit Al Qusayr, located in the south of the country.
Another peacekeeper was seriously injured and remains in hospital.
UNIFIL did not know the origin of the projectile and has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances.
“No one should ever lose their life serving the cause of peace,” the mission said.
Ensure safety of UN personnel
The Secretary-General strongly condemned the incident, which occurred within the context of the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
“This is one of a number of incidents that have jeopardized the safety and security of peacekeepers, including over the past 48 hours,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.
“Once again, the Secretary-General calls on all actors to uphold their obligations under international law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property at all times.”
Possible war crimes
The UN chief recalled that attacks on peacekeepers are grave violations of both international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006) and may amount to war crimes.
UNIFIL supports implementation of the resolution, which brought an end to hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah that erupted nearly two decades ago.
“There will need to be accountability,” the statement said.
Appeal for de-escalation
The Secretary-General expressed his deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of the deceased peacekeeper, and to the country of Indonesia.
He wished a full and fast recovery to the injured peacekeeper.
Mr. Guterres also extended his deepest appreciation to the men and women serving with UNIFIL, underscoring the importance of their safety, security and freedom of movement.
The UN urged the parties to de-escalate immediately and fully adhere to their obligations under the Security Council resolution.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the loss of another medical professional amid the escalation.
“Israel's expanding military operations in southern Lebanon have resulted in the death of yet another health worker today,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday in a statement posted on X.
The paramedic was killed in a strike on an ambulance in the town of Bint Jbeil, while a medical warehouse there was destroyed in an attack.
“Prior to today's strikes, WHO has verified that 51 Lebanese health workers have been killed since 2 March, including nine paramedics just yesterday,” Tedros said.
“Attacks on health facilities must cease immediately. This cannot become the norm.”
‘Recovery must move ahead’ in southern Lebanon, top aid official says.
In Lebanon, Guterres highlights challenges and support for peacekeepers
UN initiatives support mediation efforts, ‘lifesaving’ fertiliser shipments
Just hours after war broke out in the Middle East last month, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Security Council that the fighting risked “igniting a chain of events that no one can control in the most volatile region of the world.”
PANA RA 31March2026
