UN Security Council says a civilian dies every 14 minutes in 2025

Entem Worson, director of OCHA's Crisis Response Department, told the UN Security Council that data from 20 armed conflicts shows a civilian is killed on average every 14 minutes in 2025. The United Nations recorded more than 1,350 attacks on health‑care workers and facilities across 18 conflicts, 147 million people faced acute food insecurity, and over 9,300 incidents of sexual violence were reported, largely affecting women and girls.

Greece’s permanent UN representative, Ambassador Aglaia Balta, intervened, describing the situation as a "deepening crisis" and citing specific hotspots: civilian casualties in Ukraine rose 31 % from 2024, at least 20,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza, and Sudan remains the world’s largest displacement crisis. Greece urged full compliance with international humanitarian and human‑rights law, accountability for violations, protection of medical and humanitarian personnel, safe humanitarian access, and restrictions on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

The Greek delegation also called for safeguards on emerging technologies, noting the risks posed by drones, artificial‑intelligence‑enabled weapons, and misinformation tools to civilian safety. Calls were made to protect children and to strengthen the participation of women and girls in protection efforts.