Algerian Radio
The UN Security Council will hold its annual open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict this Wednesday. During the session, the Director of the Crisis Response Division at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Edem Wosornu, and the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, will provide a briefing on the subject.
The concept note prepared by China, which holds the Council presidency for the current month of May, reviews the current challenges facing the protection of civilians and emphasizes the need to revitalize respect for international humanitarian law.
The note also indicates that civilians continued to suffer alarming levels of violence in 2025, including indiscriminate attacks and the excessive use of force in urban and densely populated areas, the systematic destruction of homes and vital infrastructure, and unprecedented levels of violence against relief workers.
During the meeting, Wosornu will brief Member States on the UN Secretary-General's latest annual report on the protection of civilians, which was circulated to Council members on May 7. The report covers the state of civilian protection in 2025, where the UN recorded over 37,000 civilian deaths across 20 armed conflicts last year, compared to 36,000 civilian deaths in 14 armed conflicts in 2024.
The report points to a sharp rise in civilian casualties, with more than 11,000 civilians killed in Sudan and over 3,800 others in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, alongside the martyrdom of at least 20,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including thousands of women and children.
Wosornu will also address the findings of reports regarding humanitarian workers, which became "deeply alarming" in 2025, reporting the deaths of more than 332 humanitarian workers globally. This marks the third consecutive year witnessing record numbers of fatalities among humanitarian personnel.
For her part, Spoljaric will highlight the proliferation of armed conflicts worldwide and the growing erosion of international humanitarian law. The International Committee of the Red Cross counted 130 ongoing conflicts last year, representing a six-fold increase since the year 2000.
During today's session, many Member States are expected to express their concerns regarding the erosion of international humanitarian law and the mounting civilian casualties, and to call for renewed efforts to ensure compliance and accountability.
