UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has voiced grave concerns regarding the mounting risk of a wider military escalation across the Middle East.
"The military escalation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf is reaching dangerous proportions," Türk stated during the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). "There is a high and increasing risk of the conflict spreading further, which would intensify the suffering of civilians in the nations directly involved."
Beyond the immediate geographic area, Türk warned of severe global economic repercussions, ranging from deepened poverty and hunger to critical shortages of medicine and fuel. Given these threats, the UN official emphasized that it is "absolutely vital for all parties to halt the escalation."
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Steve Calcott/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS