UN High Commissioner calls for “urgent” de-escalation of Middle East conflict

The UN human rights chief made this call in the face of growing tension in the region / Photo: El Heraldo

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said on Monday that he was “deeply concerned” about the risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East and called on all parties to act “urgently” to de-escalate the situation.

The UN human rights chief made the call amid growing tension in the region, with Iran expected to retaliate following an attack blamed on Israel in Tehran that killed the political leader of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh.

“Everything, and I mean everything, must be done to prevent this situation from spiralling even further into an abyss that will only have even more dire consequences for civilians,” Türk said in a statement.

These civilians, the High Commissioner recalled, have already endured “unbearable pain and suffering” from bombs and guns over the past ten months, especially women and children.

He therefore urged all countries, and in particular those States with influence in the conflict, to avoid this potential escalation in order to protect the population.

“Human rights, and first and foremost the protection of civilians, must be the highest priority,” he said.

Geneva / EFE