Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

UN Chief Expresses Concern Over Rising Civilian Deaths in Middle East


(MENAFN) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed deep concern over the increasing number of civilian deaths as military operations intensify across the Middle East, according to his spokesperson on Monday.

“The Secretary General is particularly concerned about the growing number of civilians we are seeing being killed and the destruction of civilian infrastructure,” said Stephane Dujarric during a press briefing, emphasizing the imperative to safeguard civilians and civilian facilities “at all times.”

Dujarric added that the spread of attacks to nations not initially involved is “particularly worrying, whether we're talking about Gulf countries, Jordan, Syria, or Lebanon.”

Highlighting the mounting humanitarian risks, the spokesperson said the UN chief “calls for de-escalation, an immediate cessation of hostilities, and genuine dialogue and negotiations in line with the charter of the United Nations.”

Referring to earlier statements by Guterres, who cautioned that the ongoing conflict could “ignite a chain of events that no one can control,” Dujarric warned, “We are at a risk where there is zero room for miscalculation.”

The escalation follows a major US-Israeli strike on Iran last Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of several senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Tehran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israel as well as other regional countries hosting US assets.

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