UN Refugee Chief Criticizes Security Council

(MENAFN) On Monday, the head of the United Nations refugee agency expressed deep concern over the widespread and escalating violence across the globe, arguing that it has come to define the current era.

He directed pointed criticism at the UN Security Council, accusing it of failing to fulfill its primary role of preventing and resolving conflicts.

Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, addressed the Council directly, stating, "This is a season of war.

This is a time of crisis. From Sudan to Ukraine, from the Sahel to Myanmar, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Haiti, violence has become the defining currency of our age."

He emphasized that the duty of the Security Council is to "prevent and stop war — upholding peace and security," a responsibility he claimed the body has repeatedly failed to meet.

Urging members not to abandon diplomacy, Grandi added, "please do not resign yourselves to the defeat of diplomacy."

Grandi further condemned the disregard for international humanitarian standards, which he said are being disregarded as casually as "the thousands of lives destroyed in the pursuit of supremacy."

His remarks underscored the erosion of foundational principles that are meant to protect civilians in times of war.

Turning to Gaza, where humanitarian assistance has been restricted by Israel for nearly two months, Grandi highlighted the severe plight of civilians.

Although the UNHCR is not directly involved in Gaza relief efforts, he noted that "the situation of civilians there, which we thought could not get worse, is reaching new levels of desperation by the day."

He also offered a glimpse of cautious optimism regarding Syria.

Grandi observed that, "for the first time in decades, there is a spark of hope," particularly for the millions of Syrians still uprooted by the conflict, including 4.5 million who remain refugees in nearby countries.

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