The vehicle was part of an inter-agency humanitarian mission led by OCHA, the UN humanitarian affairs office, and had been notified to the parties in advance.
“The Secretary-General reiterates that international law, including international humanitarian law, must be respected at all times,” the statement read.
“Civilians and civilian objects, including humanitarian aid personnel and objects used for humanitarian aid operations, must be respected and protected at all times,” he added.
The Organization is working to establish all the facts surrounding this incident.
Civilians are the most affected
The attack came as Russian forces launched nearly 800 drones and 56 missiles across Ukraine overnight, mainly at kyiv.
The assault was one of the most intense and prolonged attacks since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the UN team in Ukraine said, with nearly 24 hours of continuous strikes across the country with ballistic and cruise missiles.
The humanitarian crisis deepens in South Sudan
Humanitarian services have expanded assistance to families returning to South Sudan’s Akobo region after violence in early March displaced tens of thousands of people.
The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) carried out the first emergency airdrop of food and vital supplies in Bora village, Jonglei State, on Wednesday.
The operation delivered more than 1,000 bags of cereals and pulses (expected to benefit around 3,000 people) in hard-to-reach communities where humanitarian access remains severely limited.
The displacement continues
The relief operation comes after violence forced families to flee to nearby villages including Bilkey, Gagdong, Dengjok and Nyandit, while others crossed into Ethiopia’s Gambella region in search of safety.
Humanitarian facilities and storage sites were also damaged or destroyed, disrupting humanitarian operations and leaving vulnerable families without access to food, healthcare and other essential services.
Health workers in Akobo say cases of severe acute malnutrition have increased sharply and health centers are overwhelmed with children suffering from complications related to hunger and disease.
Over the past five days, UNHAS transported at least 42 humanitarian workers and 2,300 kilograms of humanitarian cargo to support emergency response activities in Akobo, including food assistance, nutritional screening and medical support for vulnerable families returning from displacement.
LGBTIQ+ rights are under increasing pressure, warns UN chief
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned of growing attacks on the rights of LGBTIQ+ people around the world, saying hard-won progress towards equality is increasingly threatened by discrimination, hostile rhetoric and restrictive laws.
Marking the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia on May 17, Guterres said that despite significant progress in recent decades, “concerted efforts” were being made in many countries to roll back protections for LGBTIQ+ communities.
“For the first time in years, the number of countries that criminalize consensual same-sex relationships has increased,” he said in a message marking the day.
“When rights are attacked, LGBTIQ+ people are often among the first to suffer: they are scapegoated and exposed to greater risks to their safety, health and well-being,” he added.
Separately, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged governments to repeal laws that criminalize same-sex conduct and take stronger action against online discrimination and hate directed at LGBTIQ+ communities.
Some progress, but challenges remain
Despite progress made in some countries over the past year – including the decriminalization of consensual same-sex relationships in Saint Lucia and Botswana, the election of Nepal’s first transgender parliamentarian, and a European court’s ruling against Hungary’s restrictions on LGBTIQ+ content for children – many countries still criminalize same-sex relationships, and several retain the death penalty.
According to the UN human rights office, Burkina Faso introduced legislation criminalizing same-sex relationships over the past year, while Senegal doubled prison sentences for same-sex acts to 10 years.
Mr Türk also warned that hostile political rhetoric and online abuse were increasingly targeting LGBTIQ+ people, particularly transgender communities, while funding cuts to civil society organizations were stripping vulnerable communities of vital support services.
Guterres stressed that democracy depends on the equal participation and dignity of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“This year’s theme, ‘At the Heart of Democracy,’ is a powerful reminder that each and every person should be able to live free from fear and participate equally in society,” he said.