Middle East war: Targeting civilian infrastructure violates international law - Guterres
New York, US (PANA) - Civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities, must under no circumstances be targeted, the UN Secretary-General said through his spokesperson on Monday.
“The Secretary-General has been very clear on issues related to international law,” said his spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, in response to a question about President Donald Trump’s threats to strike bridges and other infrastructure in Iran. “Such attacks constitute violations of international law.”
“Civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, must not be targeted, and even when it could be considered a military objective, international humanitarian law prohibits any attack likely to cause excessive civilian casualties,” he added.
"It is high time to end the conflict," the UN chief said, stressing that there is "no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes".
UN News said the Secretary-General further recalled that "the question of whether an act constitutes a war crime must be decided by a court, but any attack against civilian infrastructure is a clear violation of international law".
Furthermore, Mr. Dujarric indicated that Jean Arnault, the Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for the Middle East and its consequences, was travelling to the region on Monday as part of efforts related to the Strait of Hormuz.
Lebanon: Attacks on health must not become the norm
At least four people were killed and 39 others wounded on Sunday in a strike near the Rafic Hariri University Hospital, Lebanon's largest public hospital.
The hospital itself was not damaged, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) is concerned about the increasing proximity of hostilities to essential medical centres, amid repeated attacks on health facilities.
Since the escalation began on 28 February, 92 attacks targeting health facilities and ambulances have been verified, resulting in 53 deaths and 137 injuries.
"These acts cannot become the new normal," warned WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stressing that "protecting healthcare is not optional, but a universal obligation".
Water supply threatened by the conflict
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) has warned of a rapid deterioration in water security in the Gulf, where nearly 40 million people rely on desalination for their drinking water.
Any disruption – related to strikes, damage to energy infrastructure or seawater contamination – could interrupt the supply.
In Gaza, an airstrike on 25 March reduced the capacity of the main desalination plant in the south to less than 20%, depriving approximately 500,000 people of sufficient access to drinking water, despite emergency deliveries.
The United Nations warns that these threats could "severely affect water supplies," while displacement, particularly in Lebanon, is already increasing pressure on essential services.
Travel: sustained flows throughout the region
Population movements linked to the crisis in the Middle East continue in several countries, according to the UNHCR.
Between the end of February and 2 April, approximately 68,600 Iranians crossed the border into Turkey and nearly 53,000 returned, while up to 3.2 million people remain displaced within Iran.
In Lebanon, more than one million people have been displaced, including more than a third of children, and more than 136,000 live in collective sites, while approximately 190,000 Syrians and more than 31,700 Lebanese have crossed into Syria since the beginning of the escalation.
Elsewhere, more than 57,700 Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan, amid persistent instability and border tensions.
-0- PANA MA 7April2026
