UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (right) and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Top news of the day | Tuesday: Lebanon, Arab countries, Israel, New York UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the Security Council discussed the situation in Lebanon, Arab countries could lose up to six percent of their total GDP, the head of UNRWA condemned the decision of Israeli legislators to pass a law on the death penalty for Palestinians accused of terrorism, the mayor of New York visited the UN headquarters and met with the General secretary.
Security Council on Lebanon
Senior UN officials spoke at the Security Council on Tuesday warning of the rapidly deteriorating situation in Lebanon: clashes between Israel and Hezbollah are intensifying and the number of civilian casualties is growing. According to Lebanese authorities, more than 1,200 people were killed and nearly 3,700 were injured. Civil infrastructure was seriously damaged. Humanitarian agencies have increased aid, but lack of funding and difficulties accessing war zones make operations difficult.
Economic losses in Arab countries
The military escalation in the Middle East, now in its fifth week, could lead to a large-scale setback in socio-economic development in Arab countries. Experts from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) came to this conclusion. According to preliminary estimates, the region could lose up to six percent of total GDP, or up to $194 billion. This amount exceeds the entire economic growth in the Arab region in 2025. The unemployment rate could rise by four percent, and about four million more people could fall below the poverty line. Israeli lawmakers’ decision to make the death penalty the standard punishment for Palestinians found guilty of deadly attacks. Lazzarini said: “Like many others, I am absolutely appalled by this disgusting law and I sincerely hope it is struck down by the Supreme Court.” The head of UNRWA called the law discriminatory because it is aimed only at one category of the population. This was Mamdani’s first visit to the Organization’s headquarters. The UN chief thanked him for his support, describing the relationship between the Organization and the city in which it is located as “excellent.” Guterres and Mamdani discussed ways to deepen cooperation. The Secretary-General looks forward to continued dialogue between the UN and New York.