New York: Senior UN officials have renewed their call for urgent restraint as tensions escalate between Israel and Iran, exacerbating the ongoing regional crisis, particularly in Gaza where the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.
According to United Nations, UN agencies have issued warnings that further escalation could lead to new displacements in a region already burdened by decades of conflict and instability. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported that military strikes have forced individuals in both Iran and Israel to abandon their homes in search of safety from retaliatory missile attacks. Movements have been noted from Tehran and other parts of Iran, with some individuals crossing into neighboring countries. Meanwhile, shelling has prompted people in Israel to seek shelter within the country or abroad.
The conflict intensified following Israeli airstrikes on several Iranian nuclear-related sites in the past week, including a centrifuge manufacturing workshop in Esfahan. This was confirmed by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which stated that this is the third such facility targeted in recent days. Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi emphasized that while the site had no nuclear material and posed no radiological threat, continued attacks on nuclear facilities could undermine nuclear safety and security. The IAEA has been monitoring damage to sites in Esfahan, Arak, Karaj, Natanz, and Tehran since the Israeli military operations began on June 13.
The agency has been providing regular updates to the UN Security Council, which has yet to reach a consensus on a response. During an emergency meeting, UN Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned that further escalation could lead to uncontrollable consequences. The rising regional tensions coincide with the worsening crisis in Gaza, where humanitarian conditions are rapidly declining.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA), highlighted the dire situation in Gaza during an address to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul. He described the territory as devastated by nearly two years of conflict, with over 55,000 reported deaths, mostly women and children. Survivors face severe trauma and loss, while the occupied West Bank sees displacement and destruction of infrastructure altering the demographic landscape, threatening the prospect of a Palestinian State under the UN-backed two-State solution.
UNRWA has been directly impacted by the conflict, with the deaths of at least 318 of its staff in Gaza since the October 7 attacks by Hamas and other militants. Despite these challenges, UNRWA continues to provide essential services, but its financial situation is critical. Lazzarini urged Member States to act swiftly, warning that the loss or reduction of UNRWA's services could exacerbate suffering and potentially lead to unrest in neighboring countries, a scenario the region cannot afford.
