Despite the current government hostility to trade, the country remains a center for the production and distribution of medication.

During the country’s long civil war, the Assad regime was affected by sanctions and diplomatic isolation, and Captagon’s trade reportedly reported billions of dollars for the dictator and his allies.

The country’s attitude towards trade changed considerably after the fall of Assad in December 2024, and the rise of the power of a transitional government led by members of the Islamist group HTS and including members of many ethnic groups of Syria. The current administration is committed to disrupting the supply chain and demonstrated it by publicly destroying large quantities of captagon seized.

However, the most recent edition of the Global drug reportreleased by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (Unodc) On June 26, warns that Syria remains a major hub for the medication, despite the repression.

Before the launch, Angela Me, head of social affairs at the Onudc, spoke to UN News on the continuous use of Captagon in the region,

Angela me: Captagon is a stimulant, similar to methamphetamine, which is taken like a pill, and for many years, it has been the main concern in the Gulf State and in certain parts of North Africa.

His name was the “Djihadi pill” after finding that the authors of certain terrorist attacks had used it. On the battlefield, this helps to maintain energy, which is one of the reasons why it is so widespread. But users quickly become dependent and causes physical and mental health problems.

UN News: The Transitional Government of Syria has indicated that they do not tolerate this job, but your report shows that Syria is still a big center for Captagon. Who produces and sells?

Angela me: There is a lot of uncertainty around that. We see many major expeditions ranging from Syria, for example, Jordan. There are probably still shipping substances shipped, but we examine where production can move. We also note that traffic is developing regionally and we have discovered laboratories in Libya.

UN News: Given the big sums of money generated by drugs, are there still groups in Syria who wish to continue trade in the parts of the country they control?

Angela me: Certainly, and not only in Syria, but also in the wider region. These groups manage Captagon for a long time and production will not stop in a few days or weeks.

We help countries solve the problem from the point of view of organized crime, to understand the criminal groups involved, so that they can design answers and solutions: our research shows that there is not a single answer to dismantle groups.

We also help the police to connect with their peers in the region, because it is not a national problem. It is clearly a transnational problem that goes beyond the Middle East; We have seen Captagon traffic across Europe, for example.

Another way to support is to solve health related problems, to share proof -based treatment that can really help people recover from their dependence on the drug.

“The Israeli authorities continue to restrict the delivery of fuel in and throughout the Gaza Strip, effectively stifling rescue services for private and hungry people”, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said During its regular press point in New York.

The conditions in the enclave remain dark, as Israeli operations continue to have a devastating impact on civilians, with relationships on murder and injuries of dozens of people, many of whom were simply looking for help.

Pregnant women and risky babies

Due to the situation of fuel, the United Nations Population Fund (Unfpa) warned that 80% of intensive care units, including those used for childbirth, are likely to stop – at a time when 130 women give birth every day.

“” As the UNFPA pointed out, fuel for Gaza is a question of life and death,“Said Mr. Dujarric.

He added that community kitchens could prepare more than 200,000 meals every day this week.

However, this represents a reduction of 80% compared to more than a million meals distributed daily at the end of April, calling it “Basically, a net offered to people on the verge of famine. »»

In the absence of fuel, cooking gases and electricity, people have used plastic waste.

“When they do it in makeshift tents, you can imagine what is going on with poor ventilation and the enormous risks that pose,” he told journalists.

Allow more help

In addition, the UN coordination office, OchhaAlso recalls that to significantly approach massive deprivation in Gaza, the Israeli authorities must allow higher volumes of supplies and more varied foods, as well as cooking, fuel and shelters.

Mr. Dujarric stressed that to facilitate the ordered distribution of aid, supplies must be channeled daily by several level passages and land routes simultaneously. This would guarantee people that the essential support flow is stable, sufficient and reliable.

He said that the UN and the partners had tried to coordinate 15 humanitarian movements inside Gaza on Tuesday, but that only three were entirely facilitated by the Israeli authorities, while seven were denied.

Four missions were initially approved, but were then interrupted on the ground, although one was finally accomplished on Wednesday and another was canceled by the organizers.

Today, a financing gap of $ 4 billions hinders progress Sustainable development objectives (ODD) at the end of this decade.

In response, the Fourth International Conference on Development Financing (FFD4) will take place in Seville, Spain, from June 30, bringing together the stakeholders to advance solutions to the challenges of funding threatening sustainable development.

“We have seen debt expenses and a decrease in down investments, and we have seen aid and an increase in trade barriers. The current system certainly does not provide the people it has been designed to support, “said the deputy secretary general Amina Mohammed During a briefing on the conference on Wednesday.

She was joined by Ambassador Héctor Gómez Hernández from Spain and Ambassador Chola Milambo de Zambia.

Role of stakeholders

More than 70 heads of state and government will attend the conference, as well as leaders of international financial institutions, civil society, philanthropies and the private sector, including energy, food systems and digital industries.

“The collective presence alone, I believe, sends a good signal for multilateralism at a time when we are faced with a lot of perspective,” said Ms. Mohammed.

Seville engagement

June 17, Member States agreed THE Seville compromisoor commitment from Seville, to adopt at the conference.

Ms. Mohammed stressed that the commitment addresses the debt crisis in developing countries which are particularly vulnerable to the financing of deficits, because many spend more for the interests of debt than for essential services, which subjects the opportunity for sustainable development.

Ambassador Milambo explained that this will be done by greater transparency, a global debt register and amplifying the votes of the debtor countries.

It also aims to catalyze investments by tripling loans from the Multilateral Development Bank (MDB), by doubling official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries, by taking advantage of private sector investment and ensuring that the international financing system is more inclusive and effective.

“It is a program on which world leaders can do something. They have the tools – and political weight – to get there, “said Ms. Mohammed.

Multilateralism test

Ambassador Hernández stressed that the conference arrives at a critical moment for multilateralism.

“This conference is a call for action, and we have the extraordinary opportunity to send a very strong message to defend the commitment of the international community towards the multilateral system,” he said.

Ambassador Milambo later added that the consensus on Seville’s commitment “sends a real message of hope to the world that we can take up the challenges of funding which hinders the SDGs and that multilateralism can still work.”

Despite the consensus, the United States recently announced that it would not send a delegation to the conference.

The speakers have urged observers to keep in mind the broader image: “It is regrettable, but that does not prevent us from continuing to engage with this Member State” and to request a change in the action plan, said Ms. Mohammed.

She concluded by noting that, especially given the recent agreement of the commitment, the discussions that the UN has with other donors on how they try to use resources more effectively, hopefully.

Rafael Mariano Grossi addressed journalists in Austria following a briefing in the government in Vienna.

Israel began to launch air and missile air strikes against Iranian military and nuclear sites almost two weeks ago, and the United States made surprise bombing on three Iranian uranium installations last weekend.

A ceasefire between Iran and Israel, announced Monday evening on social networks by American president Donald Trump, is fragile but detained.

However, the extent of damage to Uranium stocks enriched with Iran remains uncertain.

Iran says that the protective measures taken

After the initial attacks, Iran informed the Aiea It would take “special measures” to protect its nuclear materials and equipment.

Grosi told journalists that he had received a letter from the Iranian Foreign Minister who said protective measures had been taken.

“They did not enter into the details of what it meant, but it was clear that it was the implicit meaning of this. So we can imagine that this material is there, “he said. To confirm this and assess the situation, “we have to come back,” he added.

Vital inspections

On Wednesday, the Iranian Parliament approved a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, according to the media, which must be approved by the executive power of the government.

Grosi said he wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Arabhchi on Tuesday to ask him to come together to “analyze the terms” so that the inspections continue.

He stressed that the international community “cannot afford” so that the inspection regime is interrupted.

The head of the IAEA was also questioned on the plans of Iran to withdraw from TThe Non-Proliferation Treaty (TNP)A key international agreement to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.

This decision would be “very regrettable,” he said. “I hope this is not the case. I don’t think it would help anyone, starting with Iran. This would lead to isolation, all kinds of problems. ”

“From this day, our house has become a travel bag and our path became that of travel … My childhood was filled with fear and anxiety and people with which I was private,” she said, speaking by videoconference of Syria.

Sila, now 17, described her experiences during the Syrian civil war at a UN meeting Security advice held Wednesday to discuss the secretary general’s conclusions Last report on Children and armed conflict.

The report documented a 25% increase in serious violations against children in 2024, the greatest number ever recorded during its 20 years of history.

“” The report of this year of the secretary general confirms once again what too many children already know – that the world did not protect them from war horrors“Said Sheema Sen Gupta, Director of Child Protection at the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).

“Each violation against children in each country around the world represents a moral failure.”

The actual scale of damage

The report presented to the Security Council is published each year to document the serious violations against the children affected by the war. It is fully based on the data compiled and verified by the UN, which means that real numbers are probably much higher than those reported.

In 2024, the report documented A record of 41,370 violations of serious – including death and mutilation, rape, removal and targeting infrastructure such as schools supporting children.

“Each child struck by these attacks has a story, a stolen life, a interrupted dream, a future obscured by insane violence and prolonged conflicts”, ” said Virginia Gamba, the special representative of the Secretary General for children and armed conflicts, whose office has produced the report.

While many of these violations have occurred during the conflict – especially since the urban war is increasing – serious violations can persist even after the end of a conflict.

They persist in unplodced ordinances which still dot the soil.

“Each unploded shell remains in a field, a school courtyard or an alley is A death sentence waiting to be triggered“Said Ms. Sen Gupta.

They persist in the spaces that remain destroyed, preventing children from accessing health care and education.

And they persist in the trauma and injuries that never completely leave a child.

Scars that never heal

Children who survive serious violations do not escape unscathed – if they suffered from violence, wounds will remain with them a lifetime. And even if they were not injured, the trauma remains.

“The physical and psychological scars carried by the survivors last a lifetimeAffecting families, communities and the very fabric of societies, “said Ms. Gamba.

This is why UNICEF and its partners worked to provide reinstatement programs and psychosocial support to children victims of serious violations.

Sila said that the trauma of her childhood is still with her and pushed her to become children’s defender in conflicts.

“From this moment, nothing felt normal in my life. I developed a phobia of all sound that looks like an airplane, darkness and even silence, “she said.

‘It cannot be the new normal’

Ms. Gamba called for “an unshakable conviction and an urgent action” of the international community in order to overthrow the disturbing trends that the report details.

“” We cannot afford to return to the dark ages where children were invisible and victims of armed conflict speech… Please do not allow them to retreat in the shadow of despair, ”she said.

Current humanitarian aid financing reductions lead to the work of United Nations agencies and partners to document and respond to serious violations against children.

In light of this, the call of Ms. Sen Gupta to the Security Council was simple: “Fund this program”.

She said that the international community cannot allow this to become “a new standard” and reminded members of the Security Council that children are not and should never be “collateral damage”.

Despite the devastation that the report detailed, there were “glimmer of hope” according to Ms. Sen Gupta. For example, the Syrian national army has signed an action plan that will prevent the recruitment, death and mutilation of children.

Sila also spoke of hope – she hopes hers is the latest generation to undergo these serious violations.

“I come from a generation that has survived. Physically, “she said. “Our body has survived, but our hearts always live in fear. Please help us replace the word movement by return, the word rubble by the house, the word war by life. ”