UN Condemns Russia, Gaza Crisis Worsens, DR Congo Aid

Buildings in Kyiv, Ukraine, show the results of bomb damage.

The UN chief has strongly condemned Russian strikes overnight into Sunday targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, which killed dozens—including children—and damaged civilian infrastructure.

Secretary-General António Guterres said the attacks marked a “further escalation” of the conflict.

Authorities reported more than 80 civilian casualties, including a national non-governmental organization (NGO) worker and her two-month-old son in Kyiv. Other affected cities included Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kremenchuk, Kryvyi Rih, and Kherson. Energy infrastructure was also hit, causing temporary power and water outages ahead of winter, with repair crews working to restore services.

“Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They are unacceptable and must end immediately,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Monday at the regular news briefing in New York.

“The Secretary-General reiterates his call for a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in Ukraine, one that fully upholds Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions,” he added.

Meanwhile, humanitarian support continues. On 5 September, UN agencies and partners delivered medical kits and hygiene supplies to roughly 1,000 people in several Donetsk villages, marking the tenth convoy to the region this year.

Civilians in Gaza continue to face mounting deaths, displacement, and famine as hostilities persist, with UN agencies warning that the window to prevent widespread starvation is closing.

According to local health authorities, some 67 people were killed and 320 injured in the past 24 hours, Mr. Dujarric said, adding that since the end of the ceasefire in mid-March nearly 12,000 people have died amid repeated displacement and attacks.

“We continue to condemn all killings of civilians,” he said. The humanitarian situation remains dire. The UN aid coordination office, OCHA, noted urgent needs for food, water, and shelter.

“Our colleagues remind us that over 80 per cent of Gaza is either under displacement orders or within militarized areas,” Mr. Dujarric added.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reported that over 100 people, a quarter of them children, have died from malnutrition since famine was confirmed in the Gaza governorate. Humanitarian operations remain heavily constrained.

Only 11 of 24 coordinated missions were facilitated on Sunday, including fuel collection at crossings, while others were denied or cancelled. Humanitarians were able to distribute water in northern Gaza and collect food shipments from Kerem Shalom, Karem Abu Salem, and Zikim crossings.

Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continue to be protected against “grave danger” by United Nations peacekeepers, according to the head of UN Peace Operations.

Jean-Pierre Lacroix spoke at the end of a mission to the DRC, where he visited the troubled Ituri and North Kivu regions.

Mr. Lacroix emphasised that hundreds of thousands of Congolese people, including displaced persons, rely on the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO for daily protection, particularly in Fataki and Beni in North Kivu, where joint operations with the Congolese armed forces continue against armed groups.

The security situation in eastern DRC remains dire despite diplomatic efforts to bring lasting peace to the country.

The DRC is currently facing one of the most acute humanitarian emergencies in the world, with food insecurity on the rise and 5.9 million Congolese currently internally displaced.

“People are protected here by our MONUSCO colleagues, and they are provided with humanitarian support and protection,” said Mr. Lacroix, adding that the UN remains committed to supporting government efforts toward peace and stability in the country.